Chapter 22: Beaten

Sangju still wasn't nearly as grand in scale as Qinlou. After all, they had limited manpower here. But Sinor Sang had no intention of expanding, so the reservation-only system became even more beloved by the literati.

Every day, Sinor Sang returned to the prince’s residence exhausted, then collapsed onto the same bed as Xuanyuan Juesi to rest. Xuanyuan Juesi never asked about her business, only collected her money regularly. There was simply no way to resist this; he took half of every bit of her income, and he kept a strict eye on the accounts.

Today, she had brought the money back again. Seeing Xuanyuan Juesi, she placed the money on the table.

"This is this month’s share. I slave away every day just to make money for you. What a scam."

"That can’t be helped. Think about it—I sent quite a few people over to help you, to keep your accounts, to clean up. I never even charged you for that. Taking half is already generous. And do you know why no one ever comes to make trouble at your shop? That’s because I have people secretly protecting you. Really, you ought to give me ninety percent."

"Get lost! How can you be like this? Ninety percent? If I gave you all the money, would I still have to thank you in the end?" She glared at him, utterly exasperated.

"Of course, you’d have to thank me."

"You’re just asking for a beating. My patience does have its limits." She landed her fist hard on his stomach.

"You're really ruthless, woman," Xuanyuan Juesi said, rubbing his belly. That punch