Under the night in Kaifeng Mansion, there were already carriages pulling carts of gold, silver, brocade, and spices to the official office of Kaifeng Mansion.
A man about forty years old, wearing rough clothes, jumped off the horse.
When he came to Kaifeng Mansion, he raised his hands to a guard standing at the door and said, "Please tell me that the officials who are staying in Kaifeng Mansion today..."
"My dear, Sun Jiazheng's Sun Chitian is here to pay back the glutinous rice money owed to the city's Yiwu over the years, as well as the various commercial taxes owed over the years!"
Sun Ci?
When the officer heard this name, he immediately became excited.
He looked at the man in front of him with admiration in his eyes.
This is a legendary figure in Bianjing City!
He was originally a doctor of wine in the main store (the name of the clerk in the main store). Later, because of his hard work, he was appreciated and promoted by the owner of the store.
So 'because he was honest, honest and amiable, the master loved him and gave him hundreds and thousands to make him a foot shop'.
Well, lend him money and let him open a foot shop and become a lower-level dealer of the main shop.
Then, Sun Ci paid back all the money lent to him by the owner of the store, including the principal and interest, in less than a year!
Moreover, because of his excellent management, the business of his foot shop became increasingly prosperous, so much so that "people flocked to it day and night", and finally "over time, he opened a regular shop and built a building...".
How long will this last?
The answer is five years!
In five years, he transformed from a doctor of wine to the owner of 72 real stores in Bianjing City!
Sun Ci has become the idol of countless people in Bianjing.
Sun Ci looked at the guard and nodded boldly: "It's exactly someone!"
"A certain person received the emperor's favor and was able to be where he is today, but a certain person does not understand the righteousness and is ignorant..."
"To the point of being dissolute and unscrupulous, betraying the king's kindness, and actually accumulating money owed to officials... He really deserves to die!"
"What's more, they even destroyed the inner wall of the inner ring and thought it was a foot shop..."
"Today, the officials came across my foot shop while patrolling the city. Instead of punishing me, they just ordered me to demolish it..."
"The benevolence and sage of an official is really rare through the ages..."
"When I heard this, I felt extremely ashamed... Then I suddenly woke up and realized the great righteousness!"
As he said that, Sun Ci shed tears, faced the direction of the imperial city, and bowed: "Thank you, little Minci. From now on, I will operate with integrity and abide by the law... I will never dare to go beyond the limits..."
The guards were all dumbfounded.
But he also knew that this matter was serious.
So he immediately hurriedly spoke to the others and ran quickly to Cai Jing's house outside the Kaifeng Mansion Office.
When Cai Jing heard this report, his nerves were stirred and he stood up immediately: "Where is this righteous merchant? I should go see him immediately!"
Then he put on his official uniform, and, surrounded by Yuan's followers, rode his horse to the Kaifeng government office.
Sure enough, I saw a dozen carriages and horses loaded with money.
I also saw Sun Ci. As soon as Sun Ci saw Cai Jing, he bowed his head and said: "Little citizen Sun Ci, pay your respects to the Ming Dynasty!"
Cai Jing looked at him and was immediately overjoyed. He got off his horse and helped him up.
"It's really rare that you can wake up and understand the righteousness! It's really rare!"
What is political achievement?
This is political achievement!
A merchant was so moved by the emperor's kindness that he brought money and silk to repay the money he owed the government overnight!
What does this mean?
It is true that the emperor's virtue is universal.
But doesn’t Cai Jing have any merit?
Of course, Cai Jing knows that in this matter, he can be a good tool and the rest can be invisible.
Sun Ci held Cai Jing's hand tightly and said with tears: "I will never be able to repay the kindness I owe you today!"
For Sun Ci, when he knew that Cai Jing had arrived in person.
He already knew that he had made the right bet.
How can you be a dog to the dignitaries of Bianjing as compared to being a dog to the officials?
Therefore, this is a big gamble made by Sun Ci.
After he learned about the emperor's inspection of the city today, he was already trying his best to raise funds.
Not only did he withdraw all the money from Sun Jiazheng's store.
He also took out all the gold and silver brocade that he had worked so hard to accumulate over the years.
It is no exaggeration to say that after he repays the money, he may fall into the crisis of bankruptcy if the market fluctuates.
However, he still gambled.
And he put down his entire net worth without hesitation!
The bet is that the official family will not let him suffer!
The bet is that officials will hear his name!
…
Yiyou in February of the first year of Yuanyou (26).
Zhao Xu woke up from his sweet sleep, opened his eyes, and saw the figure of Shi Deyi.
"Is something wrong?" Zhao Xu asked.
Shi De bowed and said: "Everyone, last night the owner of Sun Jiazheng Store, one of the seventy-two stores in Bianjing City, personally brought money, gold, silver, spices, brocade and silk cloth to Kaifeng Mansion, and paid off all the money he had accumulated over the years.
The money, business taxes, and the glutinous rice money owed to the city's Yiwu must all be repaid with interest!"
"It is said that the total number is as high as more than 50,000 strings!"
"So good?" Zhao Xu laughed.
Shi Deyi lowered his head and said: "It is said that the merchant surnamed Sun told the Kaifeng government that he was inspired by the benevolence and sage virtues of the officials, so he suddenly woke up and decided to change his past mistakes, and he did everything in his power.
To repay the family's fortune to the government..."
Zhao Xu nodded and asked, "What is the name of this shopkeeper named Sun?"
Shi Deyi replied: "It is said that its name is Ci..."
"Sun Ci?" Zhao Xu narrowed his eyes and remembered a book he had read in modern times.
A chapter in "Wei Gong Tan Xun" by Su Song's grandson records the story of a legendary merchant in Bianjing City.
A doctor of wine, in a few years, counterattacked and became a wealthy businessman in Bianjing.
Simply a miracle!
So, Zhao Xu said: "He is a righteous businessman!"
He added: "Very clever!"
Shi Deyi lowered his head.
Zhao Xu suddenly asked: "Shidu knows, let's go check and find out how much money Bianjing still owes Shiyi after it is abolished?"
Zhao Xu actually knew this.
But you have to go through the process.
"No!" Shi Deyi bowed and left.
Feng Jing, who was behind the curtain, led someone in to help Zhao Xu wash up.
At the same time, today's breakfast has been prepared and placed on the table.
…
The news of Sun Ci paying back the money overnight spread throughout Bianjing city in an instant.
Because it is so legendary and topical.
Therefore, the Bianjing New News published the new issue overnight and distributed it to newsboys inside and outside Bianjing before dawn.
As a result, there were newsboys hawking in the streets and alleys.
"Sell newspapers, sell newspapers..."
"The owner of Sun Jiazheng Store is grateful for the official's virtue and pays the official more than 50,000 yuan at night!"
As a result, even Sima Guang, who was recuperating at home, saw the report.
After reading the report, Sima Guang said with emotion: "The emperor is benevolent and saintly, his virtue is as good as birds and beasts, and he benefits mountains and rivers, so even merchants are inspired..."
"It's really gratifying, gratifying!"
"I would like to go to the table to congratulate you!"
This is great merit in the eyes of Confucians!
The most important thing is that the officials' approach is really to the liking of scholar-bureaucrats like them.
Rule the people with kindness and forgiveness, not punishment.
This is the journey of a wise king!
Of course, those who deserve to be scolded still have to be scolded.
The powerful relatives allowed their slaves to invade the streets, so Sima Guang naturally refused to let them go.
Just considering that the officials might have their own ideas, he didn't say much and just mentioned it casually.
Sima Guang's watch was sent to the palace.
The seals of other senators, ministers and governors were also sent to the palace one after another.
At this time, Zhao Xu had already finished his breakfast and was walking in the imperial garden to eat, stretch his muscles and breathe fresh air.
"Your Majesty..." Shi De came in a hurry.
Zhao Xu looked at him and asked, "Shi Deyi, have you found out?"
Shi Deyi lowered his head and said: "After the City Yiwu was abolished, the money owed by the citizens of Bianjing to the City Yiwu totaled more than 2.76 million yuan..."
Zhao Xu was surprised: "So many?"
Then, he asked a key question: "Who owes it mainly?"
Shi Deyi lowered his head: "Most of them are wealthy businessmen and wine merchants in the capital..."
"As far as I know, there are thirty-five wealthy merchants and twenty-seven wine merchants in the capital, and they owe the Yiwu City Yi money and interest, a total of more than 1.57 million yuan..."
In other words, these sixty or so families accounted for almost 60% of the money owed by the Municipal Trade Office.
Zhao Xu quickly calculated in his mind that the average household owed more than 24,000 yuan!
Moreover, the Municipal Regulations and Municipal Regulations have been abolished for more than ten months now.
These people haven’t paid back a single copper!
What's more important is that Zhao Xu remembers that in his previous life, the Yuanyou era, most of these people only paid back a small part.
Some people didn’t even pay back a single copper!
Zhao Xu chuckled: "I know!"
"It's 2.76 million yuan!"
"Where's the Qianqu money from Bianjing City in 1978?"
The price of koji in Bianjing City should now be around 250 to 300 yuan per catty.
The annual supply of Guanqu ranges from 1 million to 1.5 million jins.
Over the course of a year, after deducting costs and expenses, the profit is about 300,000 yuan per year of distiller's yeast.
When Shi De heard this, he could only close his mouth.
He knew very well how much this person valued the copper coins in his pocket.
"Let's go!" Zhao Xu said: "Go to the Qingshou Palace first and pay your respects to the two palaces..."
…
Fan Sheng looked at the Bianjing Newspaper in his hand.
His lips twitched.
"Sun Ci!"
"I am your ancestor!"
Fan Sheng cursed loudly.
Now that he was being held hostage, Sun Ci's act of paying back the money overnight was tantamount to kidnapping them all.
Pay back the money - they can only follow the trend.
Not paying back the money - in Sun Ci's comparison, these people seemed out of place, and they were probably labeled as 'disloyal and unjust'.
At this time, Fan Sheng finally figured out why the old master urgently ordered him to pay back the money.
This is not just buying a life!
If he can act before Sun Ci, then what belongs to Sun Ci now will be his.
"Master..." Fan Sheng's housekeeper asked from the side: "Do you still want to raise funds?"
"Let's raise money!" Fan Sheng sighed: "Hurry up and raise money!"
Not to mention, he had to obey the old master's orders.
Even putting aside these, every official store in Bianjing City must establish close ties with the government.
Because, the so-called genuine store is actually a barrier to entry.
Only when the government sells music to you can you make money.
If the government doesn't sell songs, you can only stare!
If Sun Ci does this now, it's over!
Everyone must and can only pay back the money, otherwise, the people in Quyuan would not dare to sell Jiuqu to them.
…
Cao Yi held the Bianjing Newspaper in his hand.
He sighed: "This Sun Ci is really smart!"
If he had known earlier, he should have taken the Cao family's money and sent it to Kaifeng Mansion after he came back.
Even if it is still slow, at least it can let the officials know that the Cao family will be loyal ministers of the officials now and in the future!
Now, even if Fan Sheng paid back the money in time, it would be a bit unsatisfactory after delaying it for so long.
"This Sun Ci is a talent!"
Cao Yan looked at his children and grandchildren beside him and ordered: "Send someone to give him my famous assassin..."
"Ask him to come over for a while!"
Xungui, a foreign relative in Bianjing City, is the best at recruiting talents.
Every time during the imperial examination, when a son-in-law is caught, they have publicly marked the price - how much is the dowry for a third-class scholar? How much is a second-class scholar? They all have standard market prices, which can be said to be fair!
Naturally, the talents among merchants cannot escape the control of these people.
Cao Huan was now convinced by his old father's wisdom. He asked from the side: "What do you mean, sir?"
Cao Yi glanced at him: "This is a hero!"
"Where will it be our turn?"
Even if the official family doesn't want it, it should be from the Gao family or the Xiang family.
Cao family, it would be nice to meet each other and form a good relationship.
What's more...
Cao Yi could smell this man's ambition from his behavior!
A person who can decisively take all his possessions with him after learning the news.
Such a person, even if he is a businessman, must be ambitious.
The Cao family just wants stability and stability now.
With such a person, it is enough to maintain a good relationship.
If he gets too close, if he falls one day, the Cao family may be implicated!
Cao Yi, who lived through four dynasties, was accustomed to witnessing countless storms.
How could he not know, how could he not be aware of the flash of swords and shadows in Ouchi and the dangers in the court?
Note: Sun Ci is a legendary figure in Bianjing who was recorded by Su Song's grandson and who followed Su Song in Bianjing to see and hear "Wei Gong Tan Xun".
It only took a few years for this man to go from being a clerk to becoming a powerful businessman in Bianjing!
Note 2: Su Che's "Luancheng Collection" records that in the first year of Yuanyou, the Municipal Yi Law was abolished, and it was found that the citizens of Bianjing owed more than 2.76 million yuan in money from the Municipal Yi. Among them, 35 families with surnames, 20
The seven wine shops owed more than 1.54 million guan, and each household owed more than 24,400 guan.
Note 3: The price of Quequ in the Northern Song Dynasty has been rising since Jiayou.
At the beginning of Xining, the price was about 168 wen per catty. In the third year of Xining, the price was 200 wen. At the end of Xining, it was 220 wen. In Yuanfeng, it fluctuated between 250 and 300 wen.
The price of distiller's yeast is inversely proportional to the supply of distiller's yeast. The more distiller's yeast, the lower the price; the less distiller's yeast, the higher the price.
Therefore, the income from wine is generally maintained between 300,000 and 400,000 yuan per year.
This is pure profit!
Well, and it’s just a city like Bianjing, and the income comes from selling distilled koji.