Chapter 48:

In the sunny sky, Lin Yuan was sitting in the official office, sitting in the armchair, and holding a cup of hot tea. Since arriving in Taizhou, the tea he could drink is no longer inferior tea dregs. The official office is Lin Yuan who has lived in it until now. The largest mansion.
"All down?" Lin Yuan asked, turning his head.
Chen Baisong drank a sip of tea. The tea was hot. He almost knocked over the teacup. He burned his tongue and did not speak. He pretended to be calm and nodded and said, "Yes."
Lin Yuan told the servants next to him: "Let them come in."
The food and wine are all ready, just in the courtyard behind the Yamen, open-air dining, and the chefs of several big hotels are in charge.
Zhao Pinghou was a small merchant. He was originally just a hawker who walked the streets and lanes. Later, after making a fortune, he started to be a merchant. He had his own caravan. He was originally a merchant in Suzhou and Hangzhou, but he earned money. Not too much, but if you have a big heart, you naturally want to do a big deal.
I heard that many businessmen are coming to Taizhou. After careful consideration, he also chose to follow.
Taizhou is not under the control of the imperial court now. He will come and sell it now. If he can get a relationship with Taizhou in the future, Taizhou will have a new owner and naturally need more things. If he takes the first place, he can eat meat. Those who come later can only have soup.
When he first opened, he was uneasy. After all, he had never dealt with the anti-thief. When he came, he was completely surging with blood.
When I really walked through the gate of Taizhou, I felt frightened and trembling.
"I have been in business for so many years, and this is the first time I have received this kind of treatment." The middle-aged man sitting next to him wore a huge jade finger in his hand and smiled on his face. He said to Zhao Pinghou, "I used to do business, but usually When it comes to the court, it’s not like a grandson who nodded and bowed, and had to send money out. Sometimes I couldn’t even hear the answer.

Zhao Pinghou had never done business with the court, and did not know the key points, so he asked, "How much does the court want?"
The man said: "In the early days, the tax was only 30%, and then it was 50%. In the past few years, Bacheng dare to speak."
Zhao Pinghou was startled, and he stuttered: "80%?"
The man smiled and said, "Is there still filial piety, the official master does not need to be filial?"
Zhao Ping swallowed and was frightened.
Businessmen earn money, but that is hard money. How much effort does it take to negotiate business?
For a small businessman like Zhao Pinghou, he usually pays 50% of the tax, and half of the remaining half.
But 80%? It's better than going home and farming.
Zhao Pinghou sat on the chair. They were all businessmen. They were waited over after entering the city. The goods were all held. Zhao Ping was anxious, but found that besides him, everyone else was calm and talked to the people next to him. Whispering and laughing when talking about speculation.
After all, he hadn't experienced much, Zhao Pinghou asked the people next to him again: "We are all locked in, are you not in a hurry? If they kill us, that thing..."
The person next to him was taken aback and was obviously amused by Zhao Pinghou's words. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Little brother, if people are greedy for something from us, our heads will fall before entering the city, and let us wait here. Is it delicious and delicious?"
Zhao Pinghou still didn't understand, so he looked at each other.
That person probably also felt that a sincere person like Zhao Pinghou was not suitable for business, and his eyes were full of pity. I don't know if it is too courageous to pity him, or it is too stupid to pity him.
"You don't have to worry, just wait." The man said, "I have been traveling north and south for so many years, and I have seen anyone. Now that I am here, I feel more at ease."
While he was talking, a person walked in outside. This person was wearing a dark robe with a smile on his face. He was old and looked like he could not live for a few years. He just walked in and many businessmen just walked in. Stand up, knowing that this is the upper hand to see them.
Song Shizhao is also the first time dealing with business people. He is not a serious scholar. How did his childhood education go against the Yuan Dynasty and Song Dynasty? He has no stereotyped prejudice against businessmen. Now Lin Yuan asked him to entertain these businessmen, but he did not refuse. Lin Yuan asked him to do it, and that was to give him a chance. He can only use this opportunity to prove his ability before he will be reused.
A person has to do something for the rest of his life. He wasted his time in the first half of his life. Now that he is older and has few years to live, he naturally has to seize every opportunity.
It is also good for Lin Yuan to know his Song Shizhao's ability.
"Everyone." Song Shizhao saluted.
Everyone hurriedly saluted.
Song Shizhao smiled and said, "Song is not a talent, but a business supervisor."
Everyone didn’t know how the business manager was. Now Taizhou is not good at this. Unlike the official positions outside, they often open their mouths and don’t know how to call people. Or Zhao Pinghou shouted, "Director Song!"
Song Shizhao laughed again: "Everyone is tired all the way. My Patriarch said that it is convenient for you and each is convenient. So I ask you all to come and have fun. Then go with me. There is food in the backyard and good wine. "
Someone said, "Why does Director Song need to be so polite? I'll just wait to follow Director Song."
Song Shizhao led them through the garden. All the way, he saw the servants coming and going lightly. They were all very well-behaved, and he saluted them when he saw them.
Zhao Pinghou admitted that he was also a person who had seen the world, and he was the first time he saw such a well-mannered servant.
Nor can it be said to be rules, but for all the servants, being honest and obedient is the most important thing, but it's rare to be so obedient between actions.
It doesn't seem to be a servant... but a soldier.
Song Shizhao also saw the businessmen's eyes on the people, and said: "These are people brought from other places. Our lord has said that there is no rule to make a circle, and everything must be ruled."
The businessmen hurriedly responded: "This is natural, and we also have business rules."
When they walked through the corridor, they came to the backyard. The round table was filled with wine and cold dishes. When people were seated, they started to serve hot dishes.
These are the housekeeping skills of the cooks, in order to get ahead in front of Lin Yuan. If they do well and are watched by the people above them, their worth will also increase.
Lin Yuan also discovered that although there are no celebrities now, there are celebrity effects.
For example, tributes, things dedicated to the emperor, are often sold at sky-high prices among the people. This is the star effect.
Although he is not the emperor, he is also the leader of Taizhou. There are many people chasing after the people or things he has praised.
Hearing that the merchants had passed by, Lin Yuan brought Chen Baisong over.
As soon as he arrived, the merchants stood up quickly. Their eyes were so harsh that they knew that Lin Yuan was the current head of Taizhou. When they met, they all praised and praised them. The merchants were not comparable to ordinary people. Lin Yuan After being praised for a while, I almost came to the illusion that I was a Bodhisattva who was a life-saving Buddha.
"You all come from afar, I can only prepare a little wine and talk about my feelings." When Lin Yuan fell silent, he drank a glass by himself. These wines are all rice wine, and the alcohol is not high, so I am afraid that the strong wine might be wrong. After he drank the wine, the people below naturally couldn't stop moving, and they all drank the wine glass.
Lin Yuan said with a smile: "We don't talk about business at the wine table, you guys eat well, we will talk again after the wine table."
Everyone promised.
However, after Lin Yuan sat down, many people came to toast. They also said a few words, the main purpose was to make Lin Yuan have an impression of himself.
"It is often said that the Nan Bodhisattva treats the people like children, and he is born with a bodhisattva's heart. He is a person who is expected to return." He was a middle-aged man in his early forties, but he was born very well, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He is also a romantic figure, but although he is old, his eyes are beautiful. When he looks at people, he always makes people think he is pleased.
Lin Yuan held up the wine glass with a smile at the corner of his mouth: "I don't know how to call it?"
The man said: "My name is Xie, Xie Zichang."
Lin Yuan: "Master Xie."
Xie Zichang said: "I have heard of the sage name of the Nan Bodhisattva in my hometown, and I am longing for it. Then I hurried over and I am willing to do my best for you."
This is faithfulness.
He added: "Although I don't have anything special, there are some worthless things in my hands, all useless things. I offer you to the South Bodhisattva, and I am afraid that it will be unusable."
Lin Yuan waited for him to finish speaking his kind words, then asked, "I don't know what it is?"
Xie Zichang said, "It's just some salt."
Xie Zichang said the price again.
Lin Yuan was speechless. This was simply a free gift. At this price, it is estimated that even Xie Zichang's round trip expenses were not enough.
To put it bluntly, the first time I came here was to submit the name certificate. These businessmen are so good, how can they make money the first time, maybe they didn't expect to make money in the first five times.
This is for investment, looking at long-term benefits.
Many of them came to Taizhou, and seeing what Taizhou looks like today, they are all ready to take refuge in Lin Yuan.
For them, business actually puts their heads on their waistbands. To make money, they naturally have to be able to take risks.
Such as today, there are constant anti-reactions everywhere, but with the exception of the Red Turban Army, most of them are thunderous and rainy. If a crowd of hundreds of people dare to claim the king, the imperial court can surrender them only by sending troops from a county.
If they can choose the backer as early as possible, they can also get the benefits sooner.
After the banquet, Lin Yuan still handed over the merchants to Song Shizhao and asked Song Shizhao to talk about it. If he was ill-intentioned, he could not get his feet to step out of Taizhou.
After Song Shizhao talked about it, he sent someone to tell Lin Yuan that one of the merchants did not come to do business.
It's here to help Lin Yuan.
In other words, "funding" Lin Yuan to make "investments" in politics.
Shen Wansan funded Zhu Yuanzhang quite far away.
Lin Yuan was really surprised.
Did he attract Shen Wansan?
I don't know what Shen Wansan is doing now. According to history, he should be in Suzhou now.
In history, Shen Wansan funded Zhu Yuanzhang, but was also forced to helplessly.
At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang attacked the city of Suzhou and Zhang Shicheng stayed there for eight months. It was because of the support of the wealthy families in Suzhou that Shen Wansan, as the head of the rich, naturally contributed the most money and effort. Later, Zhu Yuanzhang exiled Shen Wansan for this reason.
Lin Yuan could also understand, and even felt that Zhu Yuanzhang was just exiling him without dividing him by five horses. This was considered benevolent.
Probably after standing in a high position for a long time, Lin Yuan felt that he could understand the "tyrant" in history more and more.
And why the emperors need to have a minister by their side.
Renchen is very useful. If he wants to deal with someone, but he can't find a good reason to convince the public, he will be useful.
Then the courtiers became more and more angry with the officials, and he only had to chop them down.
At that time, he was still an innocent white lotus, and all the charges were called Nian Chen to recite.
Lin Yuan drank a sip of tea, while waiting for Song Shizhao to bring someone over, his mind diverged.
He is also more and more able to understand politics
governance and the collusion of ministers.
Sometimes the emperor is strong and the minister is weak, and the court is the emperor's word-for-word.
But sometimes the courtiers also wanted to turn over and become masters, colluding with each other and pressing on the head of the king.
As long as you press it up, the courtiers are the masters, and if you take a gamble, maybe you can reach the pinnacle of life?
What I didn't understand before, now seems to understand everything.
Lin Yuan thought, if he was a courtier and his head was also a tyrant, maybe he would have to find a way to form cliques, the emperor was jealous, and his life would be easier.
After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, people from outside came in.
The people who were brought in by Song Shizhao were not young, forty to fifty years old, but they were well maintained, and they felt wealthy at first glance. They were wearing silk satin, with flesh on their faces and no obvious wrinkles.
The rich always look younger than the poor.
This person's name was Zhou Fu, a native of Huizhou, he immediately bowed to Lin Yuan when he saw Lin Yuan, or Lin Yuan personally helped him up.
Zhou Fu's eyes are not big, commonly known as thief eyebrows, but because he is fat, he still feels a little honest and cautious. He first flattered Lin Yuan: "I knew that Nan Bodhisattva was a talented person when I didn't come. I saw him today. Only then did I realize that there are some discrepancies in the rumors. I think Nan Bodhisattva is a natural benevolent person. Where is it just a talent, it is clearly Yushu Linfeng."
Lin Yuan almost laughed when he heard the word Yushu Linfeng.
He remembered the jingle in the TV series, some drama.
But Lin Yuan still smiled and said, "Master Zhou don't have to praise me. If there is anything, just say it."
Zhou Fushun climbed up the pole: "Zhou knows that the South Bodhisattva is a straightforward person who speaks quickly. Now Zhou sees this situation and feels that the people are not easy. Only Taizhou is the place where the people live and work in peace and contentment. Thinking that it was the heaven and earth, Zhou wanted to do his best for the South Bodhisattva and let more people live like this."
The two came over with the tea cups at both ends, first test the temperature with the back of the hand, and then put it at Zhou Fu's hand.
Zhou Fu quickly said, "Where can I bother my brother?"
Two by two, he looked at Lin Yuan, he hadn't experienced much, and he didn't know the officialdom of these merchants.
Lin Yuan winked at him before he quickly withdrew.
Lin Yuan asked Zhou Fu: "I don't know what is going on in Huizhou today?"
Zhou Fu said: "In recent years, it has become more and more dysfunctional. I owe a lot of taxes every year. The people don’t have enough to eat when they plant the ground. People don’t have a living. If that’s not the case, Zhou would not leave his hometown. I can live without leaving my hometown."
Lin Yuan asked again: "I don't know how Master Zhou can help me?"
The smile on Zhou Fu’s face became a bit more sincere: "Where is the South Bodhisattva, how can you say that Zhou is helping you, Zhou is honoring you, and you will have to rely on your support in the future, but if Zhou has anything, you A word, but if there is something wrong, Zhou will not be a human being."
Lin Yuan nodded, he had to hold it and couldn't be too kind to people.
This is very particular. When you get close, others think you are so foolish, and the order is too high, and others dare not talk to you more.
Sometimes to look at people is to listen to what they say.
Lin Yuan rushed to Zhou Fu and said: "Lord Zhou's mind, I naturally can't refuse, you live first, and if you have anything to tell the next, you can do it."
Zhou Fu quickly thanked him sincerely and fearfully.
Finally, when Zhou Fu was led out by Twenty Two, he even wanted to kowtow to Lin Yuan, but was stopped by Lin Yuan.
In fact, Lin Yuan has never believed that people have servility, not so much servility, as habit.
Some people have been servants since they were born. The education they have received from childhood is to be loyal to their masters, day after day and year after year of brainwashing. Everyone around them thinks and does this, and they naturally believe in it. suspect.
Just like when he was in junior high school, all the boys in the class went to Internet cafes to play games after school. Every day they talked about a game, he would try it and integrate into the group.
People are group animals, and this cannot be changed.
"What did he bring?" Lin Yuan asked Song Shizhao.
Song Shizhao sat at the bottom of Lin Yuan with a smile on his face. He was obviously in a good mood. The first time he did something like this, he was flattered by a group of people. He was still a little satisfied. He said, "He brought some gold and silver objects. , And some things like saltpeter and sulfur."
Lin Yuan understood that saltpeter and sulfur are all raw materials for making gunpowder. Zhou Fu's move really made him itchy.
Sure enough, smart people are everywhere, just to see if these people are willing to spend their minds on themselves.
"Then take it all." Lin Yuan said, "I don't think Zhou Fu is a person who can stay idle. You can ask someone who is trustworthy to contact him and send him some work later."
Song Shizhao nodded, as for what kind of work? The businessman, naturally, told him to go out for business.
Money is never too much. Now paper money is useless, or it is made of copper-this thing is not very valuable. Nowadays, gold and silver are valuable.
This is the current market.
One coin of silver could be exchanged for 1,000 copper plates, but now it can exchange for more than 1,300.
There is not much copper in the copper plate, and it is common to break into a few pieces on the ground.
In fact, Lin Yuan also knows the advantages of banknotes, but to promote banknotes, a sound market and anti-counterfeiting printing methods are needed.
Now that there are neither of these, gold and silver are naturally better.
Song Shizhao asked Lin Yuan: "Do you think Zhou Fu is credible?"
Lin Yuan shook his head: "There are both useful and untrustworthy methods. Now there are only useful and useless people."
Song Shizhao was taken aback, and replied, "What the boss said is."
Now everyone under Lin Yuan's hands called him the boss in person, but as for the title of the lord, they were all called outside.
Lin Yuan heard that the lord was a little awkward, and thought about letting them call himself governor?
However, the province is an administrative unit, and there is no paperwork given by the court, so it is strange to call it out, and there has been no change.
After Song Shizhao left, Chen Baisong walked in and said to Lin Yuan, "It's time to take the medicine. Take your pants off."
Lin Yuan nodded, and as expected he took off his pants quickly. The abrasion on his thigh was not healed. He had been taking medicine for this period of time. At the beginning, he was given the medicine twice. Recently, Chen Baisong has also come to help when he is free.
"Your skin is too tender." Chen Baisong dipped the ointment on it carefully, and said, "I have never grind it like this."
Lin Yuan grinned and said, "You are just rough and thick, can I compare with you"
Chen Baisong patted Lin Yuan's butt, looked at the meat trembling twice, and smiled: "I have a thick skin and thick skin, not better than you."
Lin Yuan: "You are obviously jealous."
Chen Baisong smirked and smiled, not continuing to talk nonsense with Lin Yuan.
After rubbing the medicine, you have to dry it first, and you can't put on the pants right away. Lin Yuan only felt that his was too cold, so he turned his head and asked Chen Baisong, "How are the salt people practicing now?"
Those are all his soldiers.
Chen Baisong raised his eyebrows and said, "I thought you wouldn't ask."
Lin Yuan cleared his throat: "Do you have an opinion on me?"
Chen Baisong: "Naturally not."
Lin Yuan is getting along with Chen Baisong more and more naturally now. Without the strangeness and restraint at the beginning, it seems that he has returned to the days when the original owner and Chen Baisong were in their hometown. They can also chat and joke together. Lin Yuan said, "Good job. Practice, otherwise we will be beaten at that time."
Chen Baisong sat aside, glanced at Lin Yuan’s bare butt, and couldn’t help but laugh. After the laugh, he felt bad, and said,
It’s the old way to practice well. The best practice in each class is rewarded. All of them are reckless."
Lin Yuan: "That's it."
Lin Yuan closed his eyes and calmly said: "The court has no energy to deal with us right now. If we don't take this opportunity to develop and grow, when the court has energy, we won't even have the ability to protect ourselves."
Only then did Chen Baisong's expression become solemn, and said to Lin Yuan: "So you can rest assured, I didn't relax for a moment, nor did I let them relax."
Lin Yuan said: "The combination of work and rest is still necessary."
Chen Baisong looked at Lin Yuan, not quite understanding.
Lin Yuan waved his hand and said, "You still have to rest when it's time to rest."
Chen Baisong continued to look at Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan: "...Anyway, don't be too tired and ask them to take a breath."
Chen Baisong: "Understood."
Nowadays, the weapons in the arsenal have changed a lot. Lin Yuan had found a few blacksmiths before and told them about the idea of ​​crossbows. That is, ordinary crossbows, not Zhuge crossbows, don’t need to be that big, but compared to ordinary crossbows. His bow and arrow have a longer range and lower requirements for archers. Blacksmiths have also heard of it, and this thing is also available today.
The cost is too high, so there is no promotion.
Now Lin Yuan doesn't care about the cost, he just asks them to try it out first, and if they can make it, they will mass produce it.
The cost is big, but it still has to be.
After all, archers are very scarce, and wrist and vision are indispensable.
Not everyone can become an archer.
It's just a crossbow. It has the lowest requirements for archers, and its lethality and range are much stronger than ordinary bows and arrows.
Since Lin Yuan had this idea, he naturally wouldn't hit the south wall or look back.
As long as it can be done, it must be done.
He wants people and he wants weapons.
Lin Yuan felt that he was really getting more and more greedy.
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Lin Yuan is also slowly changing.
thank:
Mo Lianchen threw a landmine
呱唧 threw a grenade
The running tiger threw a landmine
Xiaosi threw a mine