As the New Year's Eve comes closer and closer, the weather is getting colder and colder.
There has been another heavy snowfall recently, and now it is the time for the snow to melt, adding a bit of coldness. When the cold wind blows, everyone wants to go home early, sit around the coal stove, boil a pot of water, and drink
Serve a cup of hot tea.
The colder the weather, the more refugees gathered here in the capital. Xishan Coal Industry recruited thousands of refugees last time. It didn't take long before more refugees gathered at the gates of the capital.
.
There is no way. The further we go, the more people will be without food. Without food, they can only go out to be homeless, go to big cities to beg or work as coolies to survive this winter.
These refugees gathered together, shivering in the cold wind, looking forward to entering the city, or having someone come over to give them porridge, steamed buns, and the like.
Zhang Yanling rode a tall horse and brought a dozen servants to Xibianmen, preparing to recruit some refugees to return to produce briquettes.
The two brothers have already discussed that Xishan Coal will recruit thousands of refugees, and they are also preparing to recruit thousands of refugees and learn from Xishan Coal.
"Bah~ You can meet this birdman wherever you go."
As soon as he walked out of the West Bianmen, Zhang Yanling couldn't help but curse. Following his gaze, he saw that it was Changning Bo Zhou Yu who was also walking towards the homeless people with a group of servants.
The two brothers Qingyunhou and Changningbo and Shouninghou and Jianchangbo have always disliked each other. The Zhou brothers are the younger brothers of the Empress Dowager, and the Zhang brothers are the younger brothers of the current queen.
Both families were relatives of the emperor, and they also had a strong connection with the saints. Emperor Hongzhi was very kind to the Empress Dowager Zhou, because she was his own grandmother and was raised by the Empress Dowager Zhou when she was a child. Naturally, the Zhou brothers also followed the chickens and dogs to heaven.
Emperor Hongzhi only had one wife, Empress Zhang, and Empress Zhang gave birth to Emperor Hongzhi's only son. She also doted on Empress Zhang. Therefore, although the Zhang brothers were domineering and had a bad reputation, no one dared to do so.
No matter what happened, at most he would be scolded by Emperor Hongzhi and given a trivial punishment.
The Zhang brothers and the Zhou brothers originally had no grudges against each other, but the Zhang brothers were domineering and wanted to embezzle the Zhou family's property. For this reason, the two families even went to Emperor Hongzhi, so they also looked at each other.
dislike; despise.
"Isn't this Uncle Jian Chang?"
Zhou Yu also saw Zhang Yanling and greeted him with a smile.
Relatively speaking, the two Zhou brothers are better at life and are much more low-key. There is no other way. After all, the Empress Dowager is yesterday's flower. Now she is older. Although she is still deeply attached to the saint, she can protect the Zhou family's future.
The day won't be too long.
Therefore, when facing the Zhang brothers, the Zhou brothers tend to be as tolerant as possible. As long as it is not too much, they generally will not offend the Zhang brothers.
The other party's sister is an empress with an unshakable status, and she has given birth to the emperor's only son. For a long time in the future, the Zhang brothers will be able to go sideways, and they cannot afford to offend her at all.
"What a coincidence. I didn't expect to meet Uncle Chang Ning here."
Zhang Yanling also smiled and replied, although the two families were a little conflicted and did not look at each other, they were still harmonious on the surface, and Empress Dowager Zhou still had to give her face.
"Yes, what a coincidence. Uncle Jianchang is going to the briquette workshop?"
Zhou Yu is much older than Zhang Yanling. He is more elegant and has a short beard.
"Ah... well, I heard that your Zhou Coal Industry opened today. I wonder how the business is going?"
Zhang Yanling laughed and did not reply directly. He changed the topic and asked rhetorically.
"Average, average, just so-so, just make a living."
Zhou Yu said ambiguously, and then stopped, as if waiting for Zhang Yanling to go first, and Zhang Yanling did the same, waiting for Zhou Yu to go first, staring at each other.
"Haha, Uncle Changning and Uncle Jianchang are really destined."
At this time, a rough voice came, and a middle-aged man with a full beard, tall and tall, came over on a tall horse.
“I’ve met the British father~”
When Zhou Yu saw the visitor, he quickly said respectfully.
The person who came was the British Duke Zhang Mao. Zhang Mao could be regarded as a representative figure among the current military commanders. He had always been responsible for sacrificial affairs and was favored by the current emperor.
“I’ve met the British father~”
Zhang Yanling looked at Zhang Mao and said hello, but his attitude was a bit arrogant.
"I don't dare to treat Jian Changbo with such a big gift~"
Although Zhang Mao is a noble and a military commander, despite his tall and muscular body, he is a good person. He would never dare to offend the Zhang brothers. However, he is more casual with Zhou Yu, who is close to him.
.
"The Duke is here?"
When Zhang Yanling saw Zhou Yu and Zhang Mao, her heart actually skipped a beat. She could guess their intentions with her toes. Most likely, they were coming here to recruit refugees just like herself.
"It's freezing cold today. I see a lot of refugees here outside the city gate. I feel sorry for them, so I'm planning to recruit some of them back home to help them."
Zhang Mao looked at Zhou Yu and Zhang Yanling, rolled his eyes, and immediately understood their purpose, so he thought about it and said with a smile.
Naturally, his words were very beautiful. He had no intention of recruiting people at all. He just said that the weather was cold and he saw how pitiful the refugees were, so he wanted to help them.
"This old fox~"
Zhang Yanling and Zhou Yu couldn't help but cursed in their hearts, just recruit workers, they have to say it so beautifully, but they looked at each other and said: "I also see these refugees as pitiful, and I am planning to come here to recruit some."
go back."
"That's really a coincidence~"
Zhang Mao smiled and did not criticize the other party. There are many smart people. It is not only the Zhang brothers who want to learn from Xishan Coal Industry, but also the Zhou brothers, Zhang Mao and others.
"Everything has to be done on a first-come, first-served basis. I am the first one to come here. How about the refugees here belong to me?"
These refugees were cheap labor. When it came to issues of interest, Zhou Yu was the first to speak.
"Why did you come first? I won't come later than you. I want all these refugees."
Zhang Yanling really had never been afraid of anyone when it came to grabbing food, and she immediately spoke very domineeringly.
When Zhang Mao heard this, he frowned slightly, then smiled and said, "I don't think any of the three of us should rob each other. How about this refugee going to be with whomever he wants?"