The cold of winter continues, and the snow on the ground has not yet melted. However, there is a sunny day today. The sun shines on the earth, giving people a touch of warmth in the coldness of ice and snow.
Xue Poye's heart felt warm on this cold winter day. The matter that had been hanging on his heart finally had a happy ending. This was of course a good thing that everyone was happy with.
All employees of Xue's company knew that Xue Poye had passed three tests in a row and was about to marry Xiao Suzhen. The afterglow of this honor obviously extended to everyone.
As the current boss of Xue's enterprise, Nan Huaiwu personally took charge of this happy event and began to arrange the betrothal gift.
Under the leadership of Nan Huaiwu, Xue's enterprise is making money every day, so there is no problem in terms of financial situation. If an ordinary family wants to marry a lady like Xiao Suzhen, it may not be possible to provide a betrothal gift.
Appropriate, but this is naturally not a problem in the eyes of Xue's company.
In fact, the marriage process in ancient times was not that simple. Just like this time, when Xue Poye wanted to marry Xiao Suzhen, there were a lot of things to pay attention to.
This step of acceptance is a formal proposal of marriage. Xue Poye sent Lao Song.
Although Lao Song did not have great talent, he could handle these things properly and in an orderly manner. After coming to the door, he had already shown it, so he obtained the Xiao family's permission and asked for Xiao Suzhen's birth date.
If the birth date is correct, the marriage can go ahead and the man can make the appointment openly and openly.
In terms of betrothal gifts, in addition to the heavy betrothal money, they are nothing more than some fruit gift boxes.
This cake, seafood, three animals, fish, coconut, wine, Sijing fruit, fruits, four-color candies, tea, sesame, sticker boxes, incense cannons, bracelets, gold, and two-meter dou are all complete and detailed.
First class goods.
Xue Poye was naturally very satisfied with what Nan Huaiwu and Lao Song had done.
However, he asked the two of them to prepare two such betrothal gifts, because besides Xiao Suzhen, Xue Poye had to consider Yuezhu.
Yuezhu has been his default wife for a long time, and now the Duke of Zhou has followed the etiquette, so this time to marry Xiao Suzhen, no matter what, Yuezhu has to come together.
Although both Yuezhu's parents were dead, these etiquettes were indispensable, so according to Xiao Suzhen's specifications, there were also many procedures, with Xiao Pinshi as the chief to perform the ceremony.
Pinshi was naturally very clear about the relationship between his sister and Xue Poye, and he was extremely satisfied that his sister could marry Xue Poye, so everything went smoothly.
If in later generations, marrying two wives would naturally not exist, but in today's era, three wives and four concubines are normal. Having two wives on this day would be even more joyous, so all employees of Xue's company, large and small, are happy
Well, at least the red envelope shopkeeper can't give me less.
Everything is going on in an orderly manner, not only the wedding, but also the matter of instructing He Ruhui to summon Jiangnan merchants is also going on in an orderly manner.
When summoned by the government, no matter how big-name a businessman is, he would not dare to refuse to come, not to mention that the person who invited him this time was Xue Poye, who is the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs. If merchants and the Ministry of Household Affairs fight, it will undoubtedly lead to death.
As the day drew near, many merchants from Jiangsu and Yangzhou began to come to Hangzhou. Suddenly, there were many wealthy businessmen wearing gold and silver on the streets of Hangzhou.
Xue Poye took the time to send a betrothal gift to the Xiao family and asked for a date. Although Xiao Moting did not show much enthusiasm or smile, he obviously had no worries about this marriage and all the etiquette procedures were relatively simple.
Cooperate.
Xiao Moting was a great Confucian and well-known throughout the country. Marrying his daughter was naturally a big deal, so the Xiao Mansion was always full of guests and friends, and there were endless greetings and gifts. Even though Xiao Moting always liked to be pure, it was natural that he could not refuse such a moment.
When people are outside the door, they rarely receive guests and see them off every day.
If those who can wait for the gate of Xiao Mansion are all gentlemen with qualifications, prestige, talent and learning, then those who come to congratulate Xue Poye are from all three religions and nine streams.
Officials from the government, big and small, naturally came to congratulate them with all kinds of generous gifts. In addition to people from the government, merchants in Hangzhou who had taken refuge in the Xue faction and merchants who were afraid of the Xue faction also came one after another, including those who thought they were Xue Poye.
Those who were students at the same time, and those who admired Xue Poye's status, no matter how polite they were or how little, they all came to express their congratulations. The wedding had not yet started, Xue's company had to dedicate some people to deal with these scenes.
It's over.
According to Xue Poye's wishes, he even wanted to marry the Green Lady into the family this time. Unfortunately, after the separation at Hongyan Pagoda that night, the Green Lady seemed to disappear out of thin air and was never seen again. Yu from Hangzhou Guanyi
Lin Wei and Xiao Shitou didn't have any news, and even Pan Silang didn't know about Lady Green's movements.
Xue Poye also sent people to Pinxiang Pavilion to inquire, but there was no news. This made him very worried. He was afraid that something might happen to him, so he secretly ordered Pan Silang to send people to look for him, and even ordered several elite Yulin guards to disguise themselves.
Dress up and look around.
…
…
Hangzhou Lu Mansion.
Mrs. Fang's expression was very ugly. Sitting in the elegant hall, her usually awe-inspiring and inviolable face was now filled with gloom, and her charming eyes were now full of malice.
"Where is he?" After a long time, Mrs. Fang finally asked coldly: "Where did he die?"
Lu Fu on the side said hurriedly: "Second Grandma, the young master went out early in the morning, but he still can't be found."
Mrs. Fang clenched her silver teeth, her face was colder than the frost outside, and the expensive and luxurious fox fur on her body seemed unable to withstand the cold, and her delicate body trembled slightly.
"Xue Poye...!" Mrs. Fang said the name like a curse, and said coldly: "I thought he died outside, but I didn't expect that he came back, and he came back with majesty."
Lu Fu's face also looked ugly, and he murmured: "He is now a Viscount and the Minister of Household Affairs. We...we cannot afford to offend him."
Mrs. Fang snorted coldly: "Can't afford to offend?" However, this conditioned snort was quickly repelled by reality. She looked haggard and sighed softly: "It seems that we really can't afford to offend. Very
I have known for a long time that Xue Poye can come up with some tricks, but now the tricks he has come up with are faster and bigger than I thought."
Lu Fu asked cautiously: "Second Grandma, Mr. Xue... Well, Xue Poye is going to hold the fundraising banquet at our house this time. What... does this mean? Do we agree?"
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Fang sneered and said, "He has many meanings, and every one of them is to put our Lu family to death."
"Then we don't agree?" Lu Fu said bitterly.
A weird smile appeared on Mrs. Fang's lips, and she said calmly: "Don't agree? Then we will die faster. After all, we are just a small merchant in Dachu Kingdom. Now the situation is reversed. Xue Poye's power completely overwhelms us.
, or in other words... He has never taken us seriously, so how can we use an egg to hit a stone?"
She stood up and walked slowly to the window, where there were several winter plums.
"Wait." Mrs. Fang stared at the cold plum and said in a soft voice: "Things in the world are unpredictable. Now we are at a disadvantage, so we can only shrink our heads. When the ice and snow melt, things will always turn around."
Her eyes couldn't help but look to the north in the direction of Kyoto. As long as the nobles there could regroup, the Fang family and the Lu family could always rise again, always turn over, and put some blinking characters and forces in a place of no return.
.
"Go down and ask the servants to make arrangements and make a show of it. Don't let Mr. Xue find fault when the time comes." Mrs. Fang gritted her silver teeth and ordered slowly.
Although he was very reluctant, at this point, Lu Fu had no choice but to accept the order.
The merchants who gathered here naturally knew the purpose of the gathering of people by the Minister of Household Affairs, Mr.
It's just that officials from the Ministry of Revenue in various places have encountered some troubles. There are chambers of commerce in various places, and they are naturally very resistant to these actual additional levies sent by the imperial court. Although the Ministry of Revenue manages merchants all over the world, it is the head of the merchants.
Yamen, but the merchants naturally have powerful characters. They united and resisted in every possible way, and even dragged out the royal laws and regulations of the Chu Dynasty to rebel against the officials of the Ministry of Household Affairs. In this way, the officials of the Ministry of Household Affairs in various places were extremely efficient in collecting donations.
Low. Even if some merchants donated some money in order to lighten the atmosphere, unfortunately the amount was shockingly small, and it was completely like a beggar.
Even in southwest prefectures and counties, an official from the Ministry of Health and Family Planning was dragged out of the hotel in the middle of the night, stripped naked and beaten in the cold night. He almost lost his life. Afterwards, the local government investigated and found out that some unscrupulous businessmen were behind the scenes.
But there is no evidence for what he did, so it is really difficult.
The south of the Yangtze River is also the source of Chu's business. Whether it is the Qiao family in Suzhou, the Fang family in Yangzhou, or even the Lu family that is still lingering, they are all figures who can influence the business world with just a stamp of their feet. In addition, the three states are more
There are countless large and small merchants, which is an extremely huge and amazing force. Over the years, it has formed business rules that are not stated clearly but are kept in everyone's mind.
In order to protect their own interests, they can always stick together under special circumstances.
Xue Poye was in Hangzhou this time to raise money from merchants. It seemed that he could suppress merchants with his official position of Minister of Household Affairs, but he had to consider the cohesion of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce.
Although the Hangzhou Chamber of Commerce can currently influence a little or two, Suzhou and Yangzhou are very strong.
Although the Suzhou Qiao family has a history with him, as the president of the Suzhou Chamber of Commerce, the Qiao family must put the interests of Suzhou merchants first. At this time, I am afraid that they will forget their selfish interests for the sake of public service.
As for the Yangzhou Fang family, they were the staunch opposition, and they resolutely resisted Xue Poye in both public and private matters.
The backstage of the Fang family in Yangzhou is the current crown prince. Although the crown prince is imprisoned, he has not been deposed after all. There is always the possibility of being released from the confinement. Even if he is deposed, there is still the possibility of turning around. Although it is at a low point now, the Fang family
It is impossible to take a minister of household affairs too seriously.
The merchants have their own thoughts. This donation of money will naturally depend on the actions of several large households. If the large households donate money honestly, they will have to bleed based on the amount of silver they donate.
But if the big households get into trouble and refuse to donate money, they will naturally rely on the big households to get some benefits. Once traced, it will always be the big households who bear the responsibility, and small businessmen and small households will not be able to enter the court.
’s discernment.
Therefore, while the merchants are paying attention to the movements of the government, they are also always watching the actions of several leading merchants.
The New Year of Dachu is approaching. For the people of Hangzhou, the turmoil in Kyoto has little to do with them. They only need to wait for the arrival of the New Year with great expectation.
There are always happy events in the New Year, and the Lantern Festival and Dragon Boat Festival are also indispensable programs. Therefore, the merchant banquet at Lu's house only provided more conversation topics, but it did not affect their purchase of New Year's goods.
The Lu Mansion Garden was bustling with people, including business figures. After seeing each other, no matter whether they were familiar with each other or not, they would say hello to each other politely.
There is no such thing as a good banquet, let alone a banquet hosted by the imperial household minister, so although everyone had a businessman's unique smile on their faces, they were all mumbling in their hearts.
Bleeding may be unavoidable today, but if you can reduce the bleeding, you should always give it a try.
Hundreds of rich people from Jiangnan gathered in this big garden. It was very lively at first, but as time went by, the minister never showed up, which made everyone very uncomfortable. Moreover, God seemed to be having trouble with everyone, the biting cold wind in winter
Although he is not big, he has touched everyone's body gently. Although he is wearing mink fur, he still feels cold in his bones.
"Why haven't you come yet, Sir? Aren't you sincerely letting everyone suffer?" The wealthy and unruly merchants began to complain.
From the very beginning, many businessmen noticed the strangeness of this banquet.
If everyone can drink tea and chat in this garden during the spring season when the flowers are blooming, it would be a beautiful thing and everyone would feel better.
But in this cold winter month, when the weather is cold and the ground is freezing, it is a little unreasonable to allow so many wealthy people to live in a large and spacious courtyard with no tiles or walls, enduring the cold wind.
No matter how you say it, everyone is just a person on the scene, so it’s a little unreasonable to play like this.
Some people even thought about hiding in the house to warm up, but when they saw the two seats in the front row and saw them sitting upright with no intention of avoiding the cold, they gave up the idea.
That's where the Qiao family from Suzhou and the Fang family from Yangzhou are sitting. The principals of the two families are sitting there. They don't even have the intention to move. Naturally, these small merchants don't dare to make other moves.
Fang Xiaohu, the head of the Yangzhou Fang family, is only in his fifties. He looks like a thin old man. His dry beard looks a bit messy, so he is not very handsome. But when he smiles, he makes people feel close to him.
, his smile always looks so clean and kind.
Fang Xiaohu was wearing a black fur coat, sitting on a big chair, with a thick hat on his head, with two fur edges hanging down, which made him look a little funny, but everyone present knew that Fang Xiaohu was definitely not funny.
.
As the person in charge of the crown prince's external treasury, Fang Xiaohu is definitely not a small player. The Fang family's wealth can be regarded as the richest in Jiangnan. In Jiangnan, excluding the influence of the imperial court, I am afraid that no force can compete with the Fang family.
It’s just that everyone vaguely knows that something has happened in Kyoto recently. A large number of officials have been replaced. Even the crown prince, who is the crown prince, seems to have been negatively affected by this turmoil. The entire princeling party seems to have
It became quiet, and even the Fang family in the prince's outer treasury also calmed down during this period. They no longer had the arrogance that swept Jiangnan before, and they were just running their existing business honestly.
Even if people in this world fight for various interests in a bloody manner, as long as the situation in Kyoto changes slightly, many power structures outside Kyoto will also change accordingly.
As the saying goes, "One thing affects the whole body." This "one" is often found in the center of power, the solemn Kyoto.
"Old man, have you always been in good health?" Fang Xiaohu looked at Mr. Qiao sitting next to him with a smile and looked very respectful. He and the old man were more than ten years apart, so he behaved like a junior.
Mr. Qiao was sitting back in the big chair, wrapped tightly, holding a small wine bottle in his hand, taking a sip, looking very leisurely.
"I'm old, not as good as young people, and I don't know which day I will have to report to the underworld." The old man chuckled, glanced sideways at Fang Xiaohu, and said calmly: "I haven't been to Hangzhou for many years. This time, Mr. Xue invites you
Yan, I took the opportunity to come over and have a look, and I almost broke a handful of old bones. The older you get, the more hardship you can bear, haha...!"
Fang Xiaohu sighed and said slowly: "Your Excellency, the Minister, has a high position. How dare we as businessmen be negligent? No, I have a lot of things to do over there, but I have to come and serve you according to the wishes of the Minister."
After a pause, he said softly: "The old lady is already very old. Shouldn't the minister know the situation and not open any convenience door for the old lady?"
"Convenient door?" The old man said calmly and laughed: "Mr. Fang is saying that I shouldn't be allowed to come here? Haha, this matter is a big deal. The minister is just a public servant, and there is no convenience to be found."
Fang Xiaohu nodded, moved closer, and asked: "Old Master, is this banquet for fundraising?"
He was asking knowingly, so Mr. Qiao took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "I can't say for sure. How can we know about the affairs of the court? We always do whatever we say."
Fang Xiaohu secretly cursed "Old Fox" in his heart, and continued to ask: "Old Master, if it is really to raise donations, but I don't know how the old master will deal with it? We are all younger generations, so we should take this matter as if the old master is right."
The old man waved his hand and said: "Whatever it is, it's all the business of each family, and it's not the same. I'm old, my mind is a little confused, and I don't handle things properly, which hurts everyone. Haha, Mr. Fang, you are capable of doing things.
You should be put first."
Fang Xiaohu raised his eyebrows and said hurriedly: "What does the old man mean, do you want to advance and retreat together with Fang?"
The old man chuckled and didn't reply. He just muttered, "It's so cold today. Why doesn't Mr. Minister show up? Do you really want me to drink the northwest wind?" He was vague.
Fang Xiaohu cursed in his heart again, but Mrs. Qiao looked like a nail and couldn't touch it.
The businessmen also chatted in low voices, and their seats were clearly arranged. Most of the businessmen from Yangzhou were behind Fang Xiaohu, and those from Suzhou were naturally behind Mrs. Qiao. The merchants from Hangzhou were leaning to the south, and the one sitting in front of them was from Xue Enterprises.
The big shopkeeper Nan Huaiwu.
Under the leadership of Nan Huaiwu, Xue's enterprise pushed the original Lu family, a merchant in Hangzhou, out of the spotlight. As Xue Poye's spokesperson, Nan Huaiwu naturally became the most influential figure in Hangzhou's business community.dd