Facing the people in the palace, Tong Song couldn't tell the truth, so he said angrily: "Some time ago, our Tong family's caravan encountered bandits in this area. In the past few days, I took advantage of nothing and took my servants out.
To take revenge, I plan to raid the nearby bandits’ lair.”
Li Chengmu was surprised that the Tong family would come forward to suppress the bandits. He said lightly, "Do you have a target?"
Tong Song smiled, pointed in front and said: "It is said that there is a group of bandits on the mountain ahead. I am about to take the servants to break into the village. Oh, by the way, where are you coming from, Mr. Wu?"
Looking up, the road was occupied by their carriages. There were deep grooves on the road where the wheels passed. Where did they get so many supplies?
Could it be that they just came out of the bandits' den?
Li Chengmu followed the direction he pointed, raised his eyebrows, and laughed loudly: "Haha. Doesn't the bandit den you are talking about refer to the mountain facing the sea in front of you?"
Seeing Li Chengmu's reaction, Tong Song had a bad feeling in his heart. He looked at the carriages in front of him and saw that every carriage was full.
In order to confirm what he had guessed, he asked: "Fifth Master, haven't you already killed the bandits in front of you? Have you just come out of the bandits' den?"
After hearing this, Li Chengmu wanted to laugh again, but this time he held back and stepped forward and patted Tong Song on the shoulder, "Your Tong family is the first family in Lingnan to voluntarily come out to suppress bandits.
Yes, your idea is worthy of praise. But it seems that you are not as lucky as me. Look at the supplies on the carriages behind me. It can be said that they were all found in bandit dens."
As he said that, he couldn't help laughing again, "Haha, Brother Tong, you're a step too late!"
Tong Song's face was not very good, and his heart was bleeding when he looked at the endless supply of supplies. These supplies were supposed to be his, but in the end, Li Chengmu got there first. Are you angry?
Now think about the empty copycats in front of us, maybe they were all copied by Li Chengmu's team.
Fortunately, at this time, Tong Song was still rational and knew how to act appropriately, so he did not say anything inappropriate.
Li Chengmu noticed Tong Song's displeased look, and realized that what he just said was a bit gloating.
In order to remedy the situation afterwards, he said: "The west side of Nanhai County has been cleaned up by me and my new recruits. If you really want to seek revenge on the bandits, you can go east. I haven't had time to clean up the east side yet."
The endless supply of supplies on the road was really eye-catching. If Tong Song had not met Li Chengmu, if he had missed the bandit den in front of him, he might have led his team back.
But when he met Li Chengmu who was returning with supplies, the man's unwillingness to admit defeat was aroused.
"Thank you, Mr. Wu, for the tip. I'll take the brothers there right now and we'll meet again later."
Li Chengmu cupped his hands and made a gesture of invitation.
Watching the Tong family's team leave, Li Chengmu wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the Xiyi people in the team were not discovered by them.
It's not that he is afraid of being discovered by them, but that Li Chengmu doesn't want to cause trouble. The Tong family has its own fleet going to sea, and he is not sure whether the Tong family knows these Xiyi people?
I can't trust the Tong family even more. Who knows if they will tip off the Xiyi people after knowing the truth.
——
In Fucheng, Xia Jing has been busy with the iron workshop during this period. After the workshop is built, she will try to smelt steel and forge the weapons and armor needed by the guard camp.
At this time, she received a letter from Li Chengmu, and along with the letter was a flintlock gun.
This surprised Xia Jing.
In the apocalypse, people deal with guns and other weapons basically every day. It can be said that guns and other weapons are as important as their left and right hands.
In the end of the world, you can live without a partner and children, but you cannot live without weapons.
Being without weapons means that life will end soon, so she has the deepest relationship with guns and other weapons. She can disassemble and assemble commonly used guns with her eyes closed.
While Xia Jing looked at the flintlock gun, she had doubts in her heart. What stage is the world's technology in now?
Just when she thought this was an era of cold weapons, a flintlock gun suddenly appeared.
Or should we say that this era is in the Age of Discovery?
She shook her head to get rid of the random thoughts in her mind. After reading the contents of the letter, Xia Jing looked through it again with strange eyes.
Yes, this era feels more like entering the Age of Discovery to her.
After returning from the iron workshop, Xia Jing immediately replied to a letter to Li Chengmu.
As for his letter asking what to do with the Xiyi people?
Her opinion is that since they are all prisoners, there is no distinction between high and low. They should treat everyone equally and be fair and just. Regardless of whether they are bandits or Westerners, they will go to the mines to mine for her.
Just a few days ago, Li Dingguo presented an iron mine. This iron mine is located in the Nanling Mountains, near Jigong Mountain.
Let these prisoners go mining, and in the remote Nanling Mountains, there is no fear that they will not be able to endure the hardship and escape.
There are basically no secrets in the palace. As long as ordinary things happen, every room in the palace will soon know everything they need to know.
Xia Jing acquired an iron mine, and within a few days everyone in the house knew about it.
Not only had she just solved the miner's problem, King Qian sent someone to order her to go to the study.
"Let me come here, what big thing happened?" he said impatiently as soon as he entered the study.
The distance from the backyard to the front yard is not short, and it’s really hot in this summer with people rushing back and forth!
Li Chengshang looked at King Qian.
King Qian had no choice but to say: "Come and sit here, I heard that you got a mine?"
Xia Jing never thought of hiding it. Now that King Qian asked, she admitted openly, "Yes, it was an unexpected gain from the last bandit suppression."
King Qian asked again: "I heard that you opened a blacksmith workshop?"
Xia Jing thought that when he asked about the mine, other people would give their opinions. Unexpectedly, he changed the topic and asked about the iron workshop.
She nodded: "It's an iron workshop. It mainly wants to help make weapons and armor for my personal guard battalion. After all, it's not convenient to order this kind of ordnance outside."
King Qian touched the top of his head, where his hair was decreasing. "As far as I know, the output of this mine is very large, but I wonder if the ore produced by the princess can be directly supplied to me?"
Xia Jing glanced at the people present and agreed readily, "Yes, as long as the money is in place, everything will be easy to discuss."
When King Qian saw that Xia Jing readily agreed, he was very satisfied with her attitude, so he talked about another thing.
"The weather is hot now, so I think the business at the princess's ice shop should be very booming, right?"
"Yes, business is good."
When King Qian heard that the business was good, he couldn't help but curl up his mouth, "Since the princess has no intention to expand the business, why not let the other families go to various places to develop the market for this ice shop, and four parts of the profit will be given to you, what do you think?"
"
Xia Jing looked at him in surprise when she heard this, "Who did you hear to say that I have no intention to expand my business territory?"
"This" King Qian glanced at his son, frowned slightly and asked, "Do you have any ideas about opening more shops?"
Xia Jing answered simply: "Of course."
Li Chengshang began to persuade: "Mother, one person's energy is limited. You want to spread the ice all over the Yu Dynasty. This is a bit difficult to achieve. It is better to teach everyone the method, so that the wealth of our family will not be lost to outsiders."
Tian, it would be great if everyone could help you make money together."
During this period, he was really driven crazy by the three thousand new soldiers under his command. When he had no troops, he dreamed of having troops. Now that he has troops, he finds that he cannot afford them. What kind of experience is it?
It would be better not to have it in the first place.
Xia Jing turned to look at the nominal eldest son and smiled politely and distantly at him: "Thank you for your concern. I didn't know that the boss cares about me so much. As long as you have the ambition to make money, you can give orders to the people below because of your limited energy."
Let people take care of it, I don’t think this kind of problem is something to worry about.”
The only thing he didn't say clearly was that Li Chengshang was concerned about his stepmother's assets, which was so shameless.
Li Chengshang felt that his face was a little hot, but he suppressed his embarrassment and tried his best to persuade: "As the saying goes, when you marry a chicken, follow the chicken, and when you marry a dog, follow the dog. The mother-in-law is already a member of our Li family, and she will lead everyone to make money together and become powerful.
Isn’t it a good story? Why do you refuse?”
Xia Jing really wanted to laugh out loud when she heard this. She was so stupid that she just admitted to stealing other people's ways of making money.
As expected, he is a scholar. He has no shame and can say unspeakable things in a high-sounding way to them.
She looked at King Qian with a half-smile, "Don't tell me the truth. If you marry a chicken, follow the chicken, if you marry a dog, follow the dog. If you marry a chicken, follow the dog, it will make me unhappy. Do you believe that your father will follow my wife?"
"Ahem!" King Qian almost choked to death on his own saliva after hearing this, "Princess, please be careful what you say!"
He dares to say any nonsense, how could he, as a prince, follow the woman?
Xia Jing straightened her back and said seriously: "I'm not joking. If you don't believe me, you can try it. Also, I have already ordered my people to open ice shops in major cities in various places. Please don't worry about it in the future.
Thinking about it is also thinking about it in vain."
Li Chengshang was stunned, "How come you opened a shop? Why didn't I hear you mention it? Since you opened a shop, why didn't I tell you earlier?"
Xia Jing said without thinking: "First of all, no one stipulates that when I open a shop, I have to report to you, a junior. Furthermore, the last time you peeked at my ice-making method, I clearly refused. It's your fault that you don't
Just willing."
When King Qian heard that she called herself my mother again, he knew that she was angry again.
He quickly interrupted and said to Xi Ni: "Since you have already implemented this matter, forget it. Princess, I want to ask you something. Since iron ore has been discovered in the Nanling Mountains, do you think the Nanling Mountains will still be there?
Aren’t there other minerals?”
Xia Jing thought for a while and nodded: "Mountains are generally rich in minerals. If you want to search for minerals, you can send people out to explore and you will know."
If the two are parallel time and space, in the last time and space, the Nanling Mountains were the famous home of non-ferrous metals, so this time and space may also be the same.
"You are right, we need to send someone to explore." King Qian agreed.
Xia Jing knew that they had nothing to do, so she found an excuse and left the front yard study.
King Qian waited for the footsteps outside to fade away, and then he said to Li Chengshang with a straight face: "Now that I have grown up, I have lived half my life to think about my mother and concubine's things. As the boss, you should be more responsible. Look at Xiao Wu
He has recruited five thousand soldiers, but I have never seen him worry about food and grass. He will not even want to return home when he trains his troops outside."
Li Chengshang was a little unconvinced and muttered: "He has a mother. If it doesn't work, he has a mother to help. If any of us help, everything depends on ourselves."
King Qian looked at Li Chengshang in shock. This time he did not care about his face anymore and scolded: "What a mess, boss, don't forget, the person you have lived for half your life is several years older than your mother and concubine. She is the same as her."
Women can make money to help Xiaowu, why can't you support the big house?"
At the end of the sentence, he looked a little contemptuous, "Don't tell me, you are worse than a woman!"
If the world wasn't a bit chaotic now, he would have separated his sons long ago, and there would be no room for them to jump around in front of him.
Li Chengshang felt aggrieved, "What does your father want me to do? We came to Lingnan with almost nothing in our house. How can we raise troops without money and food?"
Seeing that he was still aggrieved, King Qian became very angry and said, "If you don't have the ability to raise troops, hand over those three thousand soldiers to the garrison or your brothers. Although the Li family's royal family is now declining, the blood of the Li family still remains."
Don't lose your innate instinct. Don't let your bones become weak and rely on women for everything. If you think so, stop this thought as soon as possible.
If your wife thinks this way and blows your pillow to affect your judgment, then I don’t mind finding something for her to do."
Li Chengshang remained silent this time.
He was really unwilling to hand over the soldiers he had worked hard to raise for several months to other people's hands.
But as a literati who hung out with books all day long, he felt it was too tacky and devalued him if he was asked to manage general affairs.
As for whether he himself had the ability to manage general affairs well, Li Chengshang had not thought about it.
"Father, please don't take this matter any longer. I'll think of a way and finally managed to gather three thousand soldiers. I can't bear to let go."
King Qian sighed and put on a stern father's face, "Since you don't want to give up now, then work harder. Now the output of the salt fields in our Prince Qian's Mansion is considerable. The Xia family is now running a business. I heard that the profits are not bad. You four
My brother is also running a business. How about if you are really short of money, you can set up a few caravans and follow their example and run a business together?"
Li Chengshang didn't understand the meaning behind this, but he could deal with it first and then ask the shopkeeper of the big house if he could do this business.
Li Chengshang hesitated for a while and then said: "I will go back and discuss this matter with Hua Shi and I will get back to you tomorrow."
King Qian waved his hand nonchalantly, "You can handle this matter yourself. If you have figured it out and want to run a business, you can talk to the shopkeeper of the salt shop. I don't know the specific process at the moment."
Speaking of this, King Qian remembered the incident of the Hua family being ransacked, and warned: "There is also the matter of the Hua family. Now that I am in prison, it is almost impossible to come out safely. If the new emperor does not behead his head or impose a sentence, it is possible
He doesn't want to destroy the Chinese people.
The new emperor may have had to confiscate the Hua Palace for money or to consolidate his imperial power. Once this happens, the entire Hua family may be exiled, so you and your wife must have peace of mind."