Chapter 147

Old Man Bi hurriedly wrote a few letters and sent them out. Only then did he feel relieved that Zhang Xiaobao told his family that he would arrange things first and would not have to wait for the imperial court's will.

Just as they thought about the incident, the merchants from Jiangnan East came over. They could not have been waiting at the beach not far from Luzhou, nor could they send people to wait here and then send news that unless they can fly, they would not have rushed so quickly.

Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan rushed home immediately and asked Zhang Zhong to talk about this matter to the merchants in Jiangnan East.

Originally, Zhang Xiaobao and the others were a little worried, afraid that the merchants would not agree, or pretended to agree, and did it secretly.

As a result, before Zhang Zhong's words were completely finished, the merchants in Jiangnan Dongdao understood what they meant and promised that they would not exchange non-consumable items for exchange, which seemed very united.

"Fortunately, they even wrote the document. Now I'm not afraid of them doing something that violates the rules." Wang Juan breathed a sigh of relief after knowing the matter.

"Yes, the status of merchants nowadays is low, not to mention that they are big deals, not businessmen under the economic wave. When they dismantle their own stations, if that's the case, it will be cheaper to provide them with soybean oil and not ask for their money. I wonder if they will build places to refine gold and copper directly on the island.

How do they purify gold? It’s impossible to throw the ore into the stove and burn it directly? At least you have to add other chemical materials.”

Zhang Xiaobao was also very satisfied with the merchants in Jiangnan East and suddenly thought of the refining process.

"Who knows, I'll know it just by asking. It shouldn't be difficult. The same is true for the refining of silver. Xiaobao, the Ning family has not moved?"

Wang Juan is not very concerned about the issue of refining. She and Zhang Xiaobao cannot use it for the time being. The two of them are not going to extend their hands to the minerals, even if the minerals are very valuable.

Zhang Xiaobao didn't want to mention the Ning family at first, but when he saw Wang Juan say it, he thought for a while, "It depends on what the court thinks. Ning Zhong is a false accusation. What he has done in the past year is really too much, but I guess Li Longji can't kill him in one go."

Zhang Xiaobao felt that he would not be able to kill Ning Zhongze if he had done it. This had nothing to do with making a mistake. It was mainly because Qinzhou belonged to Lingnan Road. The Ning family already had a considerable foundation here, and it would not be beneficial to the court if it was done.

Moreover, the main energy of the court was not focused on Qinzhou, but Luzhou. After a competition, they could know who went to Luzhou to become an official. The only thing that could be confirmed was that Cao and Rui could not escape. It was not that they did not cooperate with their father in the past, but that they now occupied a position they should not have occupied.

The judge is also a very important position.

"Will you just let them go? After all, their industries have all been shrinking, which is a serious injury to energy. If you want to restore your original scale, it is impossible to do it for ten or eight years."

Wang Juan was a little excited and fought over and over again, but she only gained a reputation, which made people dare not easily deal with the Zhang family members in the future. They lost money, killed 1,000 enemies, and suffered 800 damage to themselves, and did not gain any advantage in the economy.

Zhang Xiaobao obviously didn't want to let the Ning family go so easily, so he gently tapped his hands on his face. When Wang Juan saw Zhang Xiaobao's movements, he became more energetic and was about to wait for Zhang Xiaobao to come up with an idea.

"It's not good to always sell high-end goods, especially furniture. It's better to sell low-end ones. A little rich family has to enjoy it. Let's make simple furniture, the shape is the same as high-end ones. Take the land and ship it to the south of the Yangtze River to sell, that's it."

Zhang Xiaobao said something and did not give any more explanation, but Wang Juan knew that it must have something to do with the Ning family, so she didn't know which aspect to use it.

"Xiaobao, just make a decision. Let's go and see the little guys. It's time to send them to the house to play." Wang Juan learned another thought and thought about his younger brother and sister.

Two days later, the merchants from Jiangnan East Road set off. They were very honest. How many ships were recorded in total, and they did not happen like they had imagined. Perhaps the current merchants knew their identity and status and did not go against the government.

The ships are loaded with soybean oil and spices, and are preparing to go and change a few ships of ore. If they are really suitable for refining, they will take craftsmen to the island to directly obtain the materials.

Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan are very satisfied with this. There must be environmental pollution. Pollution in other places is better than pollution here.

Just after seeing them off, merchants who joined the Luzhou Chamber of Commerce elsewhere found the chamber of commerce to discuss matters. They all seemed very nervous. After asking, they found out that the merchants and people from several states in Lianzhou were accidentally deceived.

"It seems that the people of the Wuhu Chamber of Commerce are becoming more and more smart. They don't let others raise fish anymore. Can they do it? Write a memorial to send their identities to the court to see how the court protects the house."

Wang Juan had heard the reports from the Chamber of Commerce and knew what was going on. The people from the Chamber of Commerce could not deceive Luzhou, so they did not give up and went to deceive others. As a result, they deceived several places in a row, and they all succeeded.

Wang Juan felt that this was an opportunity, an opportunity that prevented the Ning family from turning over.

Zhang Xiaobao had his own concerns and shook his head slightly and said, "No, who can write a memorial? Neither my father nor Grandpa Bi can do it. The court is not a fool. It is not good to stretch your hands too long. Let's just let people quietly release the news. I don't expect the Ning family to be caught and beheaded, so I will make them unable to move forward.

Aren’t they afraid of offending people? Just let them offend one, and the surrounding prefectures have offended them, and his Ning family still wants to do business elsewhere? Don’t worry, even if the court does not move his family this time, when the new officials in Luzhou arrive, the Ning family will be over after a little stability."

Zhang Xiaobao did it as soon as he said it, and the news spread quickly. Of course, the Ning family could not admit it. They called the people back anxiously. The people from the Wuhu Chamber of Commerce really cheated a lot. They actually had 20,000 guan in their hands. After the Ning family got 20,000 guan, they completely offended others.

Zhang Xiaobao quickly passed a message to other surrounding prefectures through the Luzhou Chamber of Commerce, that is, plant bad land first, wait for the place to grow cotton immediately, even saline-alkali land is fine, and soybeans can also be sold to merchants in Jiangnan East.

He also told other prefectures the combination of pigs, ducks, fish and growing vegetables. Fish are not valuable, especially those next to the beach. Just grab them by yourself if you want to eat fish, but pork and duck are valuable, even the extra vegetables are also valuable.

Luzhou Chamber of Commerce collects vegetables. Fresh ones can be transported to collect, dried or dried in shade, and each has its own uses, especially for those who go to sea. They can bring more dried vegetables. Then they will become larger as soon as they soak in water. Although some of the nutrients will be lost during the drying process, most of them are still preserved and occupy a small area.

This is the method Zhang Xiaobao has always adopted, joining forces and taking the needs.

The condoms of poultry, livestock, fish and vegetables will be found to be not difficult after knowing it. Even if there are some details that need to be adjusted during the process, the things are placed there, and you can see the general meaning.

But the surrounding prefectures are very grateful to the Luzhou Chamber of Commerce. Many things are not difficult after knowing, but no one can think of them when they don’t know them.

Although the people in the places where the Zhang family went to live a better life, ordinary people in other places couldn't eat any meat, especially pork. In addition to despising pigs' living habits, there is another thing that requires feeding food for pigs. After all, there is not much pig grass, and even if there is one, you can't always feed it to pig grass.

Zhang Xiaobao simply did good things to the end. In the place where there were Repulse Bay, he also asked someone to use a net to plan the place and catch sea chickens, that is, sea sausages, to raise them, so that local sea water can be oxidized in small amounts, and provide enough food for sea sausages.

Local people don’t like to eat this thing very much. Like insects, they are usually sold as cheap medicinal materials.

But Zhang Xiaobao needs to use sea sausage to make MSG. Like kelp, it has better effect than kelp. The formula is always in his hands, and he will increase the price to buy it.

This is also the last thing Zhang Xiaobao can do for the locals, and it is already October.

If it is changed to the north, some places are even snowy, and it is not very cold here, just add one more piece of clothing.

The court's commendation came first, and Zhang Zhong was praised very much. The better he praised, the closer Zhang Xiaobao knew that he would be when he left. Maybe the officials who took over were on the way now.

The Ning family naturally received the imperial decree from the court. In addition to being severely scolded, they also fined two years of salary. The fine was not much, and the Ning family didn't care. Compared with the money lost by the Zhang family, the fine was really a drop in the bucket.

The court was expressing an attitude that he was very dissatisfied with Ning Zhong, so that Ning Zhong could not pay less taxes this year than in previous years. In other words, the Ning family would subsidize the insufficient ones.

Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did everything they should do, and focused more on their younger brothers and sisters.

Although the weather was not so big, the two of them were a little worried. The four little guys were no better than the two of them. They were ten months old when they came, and they knew where they were uncomfortable and could find ways to adjust.

The little kids can't even speak now, they can only eat or sleep, and occasionally laugh and cry, which makes Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan very envious. This is childhood.

When they threw the four little guys into the house, they played there. Often, they could see a little guy rolling from the third floor to the first floor in one breath, and then looked out through the glass and laughed.

Now the biggest hobby of the Zhang and Wang families is to send four treasures to the house and observe them outside.

Not to mention, the little guys like the various places designed by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan very much, especially the youngest sister. The place she most wants to go is the platform that can swing back and forth, twisting her little butt, and knowing how to use force to make the platform swing a little larger.

"Go up and experience it. You're about to leave. Take a boat and don't be seasick." Wang Juan used his hand to dot the glass, and the business reached the ears of the four little guys. Soon they found the place, and one even climbed from the first floor to the third floor.

Through a piece of glass, he opened his eyes wide and looked out curiously, and slapped the glass with his hands from time to time, and saliva kept flowing down the corners of his mouth.

Zhang Wangshi and Wang Juan's mother were with her. Now the four little guys have to stay in the house for four hours every day, and they fell in love with it.

Compared to the warmth in the south, most of the leaves in the capital fell, and the cold wind blew from time to time. Even if you put on two layers of clothes, you would shivering from the cold.

The poor are already accustomed to the changes in the weather. The rich are better off. They can change clothes and wear them back and forth. Even if it is a heavy snowfall, they don’t have to worry about the cold. They are in a good mood and can still go around.

Liu Zhirou, the Minister of Works of the Ministry of Works, is a rich man, and there are two months left before the end of the year. At this time, he is not much work and is relatively idle.

Take Lu Yanzuo with you to wander on the water with you, which is the river leading to Xiao Luo Water. The river surface has not been frozen yet, and you have to wait until elsewhere is frozen before the boat will stop here. The main reason is that when winter comes, you will collect tolls from the merchants passing by.

This money is not collected casually. After it is collected, it is used to hire the people around to help get rid of the frozen ice on the river. When the day is colder, it is when the ice is picked. In summer, it can be sold into the cold storage on both sides, and you can get a little more money.

"Mr. Liu, what place to arrange for Zhang Zhong when he comes back has not been decided yet?" Lu Yanzuo asked Liu Zhirou with his hand, his face was a little numb by the wind.

He still couldn't understand why Zhang Zhong had such great ability. He should have been almost exiled. As a result, after surviving the disaster in the local area, he not only did not come back in a hurry like the past officials, but also took more than a year to manage the local area.

He had to admit that the Zhang family was very capable, but he was still thinking about Zhang Zhong's attitude towards him that time and wanted to do something bad.

How could Liu Zhirou not know what he was thinking? If it were someone else, he might have been plotted against him long ago. Unfortunately, he met Zhang Zhong, who has a master in the Zhang family.

"It has not been decided yet. I guess it will not be decided before the New Year this year. Zhang Zhong has to come back for the New Year. He rushed to many people under Luzhou. Did the court pretend that they didn't see it? It is necessary to have a reward. The Zhang family does not lack money, so it will be given an official position. If you can't give a real position, you can give a false position.

This time Zhang Zhong comes back, don’t have any bad thoughts, otherwise he will use this as an excuse to resign from office and quit. In order to calm his anger, you will be the one who is unlucky in the end. Knowing that you are not convinced, but they are just amazing. If you go to Luzhou, can Luzhou be built like that?

The farmer has his own land, the living person has his own house, the elderly have their own support, the young have their own education, and the food and clothing are not a big deal. This may not be a big deal. If the Zhang family has money, they can take it in first, but they can't take it back until now. The most surprising thing is that the Zhang family not only did not lose money, but instead made a lot of money.

Especially when I discovered another piece of land from there, do you know? If the land of the Tang Dynasty had not been too young, he would have been recruited back to the capital by the emperor and given an official with an office similar to mine."

Liu Zhirou is quite satisfied with her current subordinates. In addition to being petty, she has good abilities. She doesn't want to really mess with the Zhang family to deal with it. Where is the example of the Ning family?

Lu Yanzuo was indeed unwilling to give up, but he had to admire the Zhang family. He actually made some achievements in a place like Lingnan where he was exiled. People said that it was well built there, with all the roads, countless fertile fields, and prosperous businesses. How did he do it?

At this moment, I saw that my boss was talking, so I had to hide my mind's plan and prepare to wait for Zhang Zhong to come back to think of some solutions.

He actually wanted to cause trouble for Zhang Zhong, and there were many reasons, such as Zhang Zhong formed an army privately, such as killing people when Zhang Zhong arrived in the place, and if it were another official, it would be no trivial matter to take out any one of them.

But he knew that such a thing could not be said. After all, Zhang Zhong had no intention of rebelling and kept giving out benefits. Just like now, other officials said they were unwilling to leave the built-up place, but Zhang Zhong had long written his ideas in a memorial, which means that the court would arrange for whoever they were willing to arrange.

When Lu Yanzuo thought of this, he was worried. Zhang Zhong's concessions would inevitably lead to further compensation from the court.

"Mr. Liu, why don't we strive for the benefits of Luzhou? Even if we can't arrange people there as governors, it's still easy to choose the position of two judges?"

Lu Yanzuo thought of the struggle in the court again. People have been sent out now. Unfortunately, those people have nothing to do with the forces of the Ministry of Works. He still has some words. As long as he fights for a position, he can greet some money from the wealthy Luzhou, or use it for the Ministry of Works itself, or take it home.

Liu Zhirou suddenly smiled mysteriously and said, "Do you think new officials can make money? Tell you this way, the reason why Zhang Zhong agreed to leave so happily was because the Zhang family had already controlled the local money.

If a new official is sensible, he will continue to work according to Zhang Zhong's original method. When he leaves office, he will think he will gain a lot. If he has to go to greed for money, the consequences will not only be a question of whether he can get it, but he may not even be able to save his official position.

Therefore, I don’t fight. How could the Zhang family give up the money-making things? The chambers of commerce there are united with each other, and outsiders can’t interfere at all. If new people really want to do it directly, don’t expect to pay the taxes next year.

Before Zhang Zhong comes back, he should report the tax on rents and taxes for the second half of this year. According to the circumstances there, next year will definitely be better than this year, but the officials have reached out and they probably won’t even be able to collect 30% of the second half of this year.

Use the army to suppress it? The army is the people in the homes of local people. Could they take action against their relatives? Use fraud? I haven’t heard of anyone who can cheat the Zhang family’s business. Let’s wait and see what the officials selected this time are. If you can’t do it, even the people who recommend it will be implicated."

Lu Yanzuo was silent now. Even if he was unwilling to admit the Zhang family's ability to make money, he had to accept the facts. As long as it was a transaction of the Zhang family, it would be impossible to defeat them casually. The transactions in their families were interconnected, and other merchants were invited to join.

It really touches the whole body. At least I don’t have the ability to think through the Zhang family’s business, and I have no idea how to start.

But Lu Yanzuo still wanted to find some psychological stability, so he said: "Will the court know if they really dare to deal with the newly-departed officials? Will the emperor not know?"

"I know, everyone knows, and the emperor knows it, but so what? Sanshui County just listens to the Zhang family and keeps stopping, how much tax is paid every year? Yaozhou is not entirely listening to the Zhang family, but they will not interfere with the Zhang family's work, how much tax is paid every year?

What does this mean? It means that as long as you follow the lines drawn by the Zhang family, you cannot lose taxes. Once it is less, it means that the officials did not do as they do, and it is okay not to do as they do, but you must have the ability to do better. If you don’t have the ability and don’t learn to do it, then the first person the emperor is dissatisfied with is not Zhang Zhong, but the officials sent there.”

Liu Zhirou analyzed it very thoroughly. The people in the Zhang family did not have the intention to rebel and arranged it casually, but no matter where they were placed, it was reassuring that they could make money and spend money. The most important thing was that they could also make the local economy prosperous.
To be continued...