The Prince Sells Melons

"Fine! I'll accompany Your Highness, but let me tell you, you'll sell these melons yourself when the time comes. I won't help you." Fang Zheng gritted his teeth.

Go! If I don't go, this kid will run to the Princess and spread rumors, stirring up trouble.

He's learned bad habits! Who knows what nonsense he'll make up to tell the Princess. I have to be on guard!

Li Yuanzhao immediately beamed with joy upon hearing this.

"Don't worry! I'll sell them myself, but do you think we can sell these melons for ten taels each?"

Fang Zheng turned and walked to the door, calling Liu Jin to bring in a melon.

He placed it on the stone table in the courtyard, then called for servants to bring a knife to cut the melon.

When this watermelon was cut open, Fang Zheng just shook his head.

Still the same old thing - hollow watermelon, mostly white flesh, didn't look sweet at all!

"Your Highness, do you like eating these cold melons?"

Li Yuanzhao looked at the watermelon, "Not particularly. The taste is average, but it's very big!"

Very good, a strong reason!

Big is good!

"That's exactly it. Cold melons are still ordinary cold melons. This thing just looks big and is relatively filling. Compared to ordinary fruits, it has no outstanding qualities."

"The only advantage is that it appears in a season when it shouldn't appear. Based on this alone, is it worth ten taels of silver? Obviously not! And if Your Highness openly sets up a stall in the palace, based on my experience, those ministers won't buy it. It would be good if they don't impeach you! So trying to sell it for ten taels is very difficult!"

"Therefore, if you want to make it worth more than its price, you need to create a gimmick to make it worth ten taels!"

"For example, it's not sweet, right? You need to find a way to make it sweet!"

Li Yuanzhao looked confused, "It's already like this, already picked. How can it become sweet?"

"I don't know, Your Highness. You're the one selling melons, not me."

"Also, most importantly, you can't deceive people when selling things. If you can't make it sweet, don't say it's sweet. Buyers aren't fools. Doing this would make future business impossible." Fang Zheng said seriously.

Li Yuanzhao showed a strange smile on his face, "Old Fang, stop pretending! Haven't you deceived people plenty?"

Fang Zheng also smiled disdainfully, "I do business using some linguistic artistry, but both parties usually benefit from it, which creates a foundation for continued cooperation."

"Second, if you're going to deceive severely, it must be a one-time deal with no future cooperation!"

"Third, if you want to deceive, then deceive for a lifetime, or be able to cover up the lie. Otherwise, don't do it if you're not confident!"

"Your Highness, as the Crown Prince, a person's credibility is fundamental! Business has always been mutually beneficial. False advertising is just technique, but honest management is the true dao! And it's the long-term dao! Does Your Highness understand?"

Li Yuanzhao pondered, "Mm... let me think about it more."

...

The next day.

Liu Jin had people pull the two carts of watermelons to the square in front of Taihe Hall early in the morning.

When the morning court session ended and the ministers filed out of the great hall, they immediately spotted the two conspicuous carts of watermelons.

Then they saw Fang Zheng and Li Yuanzhao running to the cart side.

Li Yuanzhao picked up a sign from the cart and held it up, facing the ministers!

Fang Zheng sat on the melon cart, couldn't help but cover his face.

As expected... this place was too open, selling melons looked particularly bizarre!

The ministers who hadn't yet descended the steps saw the Prince holding up a sign and crowded over.

Although quite a few ministers were now wearing glasses, the distance was still too far to clearly see what was written on the sign.

When they got closer, they could see that the sign Li Yuanzhao was holding clearly read【Cold Melons, Not Sweet No Money】

Li Yuanzhao saw people gradually approaching and shouted loudly, "Selling melons! Selling melons!"

Fang Zheng quickly turned sideways, indicating he didn't know him.

Who would have thought Li Yuanzhao reached over and poked him twice, "Old Fang! Help me shout!"

"Didn't you say you didn't need my help!"

"This doesn't count as help!"

Fang Zheng had no choice but to turn back around, shouting weakly, "Selling melons! Selling melons!"

By now more and more people had gathered, finally surrounding the melon stand.

"Come, come, come, everyone come look at the melons I'm selling! Not sweet, no money!" Li Yuanzhao saw the crowd and couldn't help getting excited.

A group of ministers looked coldly at Fang Zheng.

Suddenly Li Yansong stepped forward from the crowd, looked at the melon stand then at Fang Zheng, and immediately scolded angrily, "Fang Zheng! How dare you! You actually incited His Highness the Crown Prince to sell melons in the palace! What kind of behavior is this!"

The crowd immediately chimed in, "This Fang Zheng is causing trouble again."

"Right, why can't he stay quiet for even a day?"

"Minister Li is truly impartial..."

Fang Zheng was about to explain when Li Yuanzhao spoke first, "It has nothing to do with him! I wanted to sell these melons myself!"

"Since everyone's here, come taste how these melons are. If they're good, buy one to take home!"

With that, he grabbed the knife beside him and with swift movements, chop chop chop, split a melon into more than ten pieces.

A large splash of juice immediately burst from the melon, flowing onto the ground.

Li Yansong was immediately shocked, "Your Highness, why is so much water flowing from your melon? Is this a rotten melon?"

Li Yuanzhao became unhappy, "What water? What water? That's fruit juice!"

"Master Li, taste how it is? This is called Honey Melon!"

A piece of watermelon was handed to Li Yansong, but he didn't take it, looking coldly at Li Yuanzhao, "Your Highness, stop fooling around."

"This is the palace. How can Your Highness, as Crown Prince, sell melons here?"

"I sold eyeglasses last time too! Didn't you also buy them? How is selling melons today any different?" Li Yuanzhao asked with innocent naivety.

"That... that's different!" Li Yansong's face reddened.

Logically, there really was no way to argue. You couldn't say eyeglasses were acceptable because I could use them!

The Prince had indeed learned bad habits from Fang Zheng!

"Hey! Where do melons come from at this time! It's long past season!"

Someone in the crowd suddenly interjected, and everyone's attention was immediately diverted.

Right! Where would there be melons now?

Only then did Li Yansong realize something was wrong, his eyes involuntarily drifting to the melons.

Li Yuanzhao promptly pushed the melon forward again.

Fang Zheng's voice drifted over leisurely, "Everyone can taste and buy with confidence. His Highness sells melons naturally not for profit."

"This is charity sales. The money from selling melons will be donated to poor common people..."

Since he wanted to sell, this was the only way to say it. Otherwise, judging by the ministers' attitudes, these melons wouldn't sell today!

Indeed, once charity sales were mentioned, the opposing voices diminished considerably.

Li Yansong saw the Prince's hand still extended, couldn't help but take the watermelon.

"Master Li, quickly taste how it is?"

Li Yansong smiled bitterly, took a small bite, and suddenly his eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "Sweet! Really sweet! I've never eaten such a sweet melon. It truly deserves to be called Honey Melon. It really has a fragrant honey scent. Truly extraordinary!"