"Do thank your boss for me!" said Murong Yun Shu as she walked out of the room.

"Our boss don"t accept verbal grat.i.tude," replied Chef Guo in a mischievous way.

Murong Yun Shu paused and raised her brows, acknowledging his words. She walked over the room next door to look for Lu"er. After a while, she returned with a sleepy and confused Lu"er and handed a letter to Chef Guo.

"Is this for the boss?" teased Chef Guo.

"Yes, written grat.i.tude."

"That"s not what I meant...." Chef Guo was slightly baffled.

"I know, but it is what I meant." said Murong Yun Shu in a very matter-of-fact way.

***

It was when the group started walking out of the brothel and headed toward Nie Qing"s place for the night when they realized they were missing one member of the party.

"Where"s Nie Qing?" asked Murong Yun Shu.

Feng Ling looked to the left and the right and couldn"t find her sweetheart. Suddenly her eyes widened and she started running back while shouting, "That creep! He must have been distracted by some working girls!"

Murong Yun Shu was stunned, did Feng Ling not have eyes or just have very bad eye sight? Did she not notice the devastated look on Nie Qing when he was entering the brothel with them?

Right when she was finding it amusing, she heard Chef Guo mumbling next to her, "That"s pretty impressive of Nie Qing, he could still enjoy the ladies even after the bard had hit his acupuncture point..."

Murong Yun Shu stared into the sky wordlessly. Had Feng Ling heard that comment, she probably would chop his head off and serve it with alcohol.

***

With Nie Qing leading the way, Murong Yun Shu was able to enter the palace smoothly without further hindrance and arrive at the outside of the imperial study.

"Department of Expenditure Minister Nie Qing, Murong Yun Shu, enter the imperial study to meet with the emperor!" Announced an old man who exited the study. Then he added, "Master Nie, the emperor is not feeling well, don"t talk for too long."

"Thanks for the tip."

Nie Qing was his old stone cold self. Murong Yun Shu felt that he would make a very good judge, always playing it by the book, always a stuck up look on his handsome, gigolo-like face. He just didn"t look like anyone who worked with money day in and day out.

The imperial study basked in a majestic gold tone, giving it a very solemn feel. A pleasant is not allowed to look at the emperor directly, so Murong Yun Shu lowered her head slightly, remaining a mildly humble posture, in a leveled tone, she greeted the emperor, "Long live my king."

"You may stand."

"Thank you, my lord."

Qie Ning merely bowed slightly, "Your majesty."

"You may stand, Bishop Qie."

"Thank you, my lord."

Murong Yun Shu observed the interaction between the two of them quietly and a sense of understanding smile flickered in her eyes. This Department of Expenditure Minister wasn"t doing too bad.

"Murong Yun Shu," said the emperor. His voice was full of vigor, didn"t sound unwell at all.

"Peasant girl is here."

"If I accept your request and let Huifeng banks control the release of "silver coins", what would you say?

"Will your majesty grant  me my request?"

"I am asking you a question!"

Murong Yun Shu smiled lightly and slowly responded, "If your majesty won"t grant me my request, then the question will be moot."

"You need to answer me first, I will then decide if I am going to grant you your request."

"Please forgive this pleasant girl for not being able to your majesty"s question."

"How dare you!" The emperor was slightly irritated.

"Please do not be angered, my lord," continued Murong Yun Shu, "The Royal Administration decided to reform the currency, using small face value "silver coins" instead of real silver and gold in the market. Theoretically this will benefit both the country and the peasants, but whether this will work in reality, n.o.body knows. Hence peasant girl is not able to guarantee any kind of return for your majesty."

"Then why are you so adamant about retaining controlling right of the bank?"

Murong Yun Shu continue to keep her head lowered, in a mild mannered way she replied, "Because peasant girl does not wish her family business to be ruined in someone else"s hand. Whether this works out or not, the House of Murong and the bank will live and die together."

Her speech gave the emperor the pause, eagle sharped eyes measured her for a long while, then said, "Okay, I"ll let you have it, but I have a condition."

"Do tell, my lord," Murong Yun Shu listened attentively.

"Marry the crown prince."