The weather is new on March 3rd, and there are many beautiful people by the waterside in Chang'an. The Shangsi Festival on March 3rd was originally a day to cure evil spirits, that is, a festival for bathing by the water to drive away illness and pray for well-being. Since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it has gradually faded out of officialdom and among the people.
It is located in the Qingming Festival. However, after Emperor Taizu of this dynasty ascended the throne, he re-emphasized the ancient ritual of drinking wine in the meandering water and feasting by the river, so this festival has been preserved.
But as time went by, banquets by the water gradually turned into spring appreciation banquets or outings. Therefore, on March 3rd, the officials of the imperial court took a break and suspended their work. Even the supervisors of the Imperial College had a holiday.
day holidays.
On this day when everyone in the city was wearing light spring clothes, going on outings or having banquets, Zhang Shou did not ask Zhu Ying to go out. It was not because he didn’t want to, or because he didn’t have time, but... Zhu Ying didn’t have time. Although this was a very important thing
It was a rare thing, but Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying met every two days. Even though there was no marriage certificate, the marriage was already over and he was not in a hurry.
Therefore, this Shangsi Festival, he went to Lu Sanlang's investment, but it was in his own name, the house with a blacksmith's shop and a carpenter's shop. It was not until afternoon that he came out of it, breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked sideways.
He glanced at Ah Liu next to him.
"You guys are traveling with Guan Qiu! You actually sold such a simple cotton candy machine for a thousand guan."
Although sugar cane, under the vigorous promotion of Emperor Taizu, was widely planted in various southern areas suitable for cultivation, so that sugar was no longer a luxury product, but compared with the sugar needed for seasonings and various sweet soups, cotton was
Sugar is definitely a luxury product. Therefore, when Guan Qiu carefully told him that the cotton candy machine was sold, he was quite surprised.
What's more, after he and Lu Sanlang teamed up to deceive the eldest prince, he didn't think anyone would buy the machine made by his people - he wasn't afraid that in the blink of an eye he would hand over the drawings and lose both his life and wealth.
?
Seeing Ah Liu's innocent expression that I didn't understand anything, he asked angrily: "Stop pretending! This is the money you two earned, and I won't share it with you! You too, don't
If you use it to subsidize your family, you should also think about marrying a wife! Tell me, who did you sell it to? Isn't it a forced purchase?"
It's not that Zhang Shou is a snake shadow, but that Ah Liu is too vigorous and vigorous in his work. In February, there were more than a dozen servants in his Luwang Courtyard. I don't know where they came from. Then after half a month, he
I got a detailed drawing from Ah Liu showing various secret rooms and tunnels - of course, they were built in the past.
The most frightening thing is that some of these secret rooms and tunnels have been surveyed by the royal family long ago and cleaned, obviously for his future use. However, many of them were found to be in a mess after being opened, and there were even
Bones! So much so that after hearing Ah Liu's detailed report, his eyelids twitched and he almost planned to order all these secret rooms and tunnels to be filled in.
But in this case, it was inevitable that there would be three hundred taels of silver in this place. He once considered discussing with the emperor whether he could change his house. But when he talked to Zhu Ying that time, Miss Zhu patted her chest and said that she would go to the palace and tell the emperor and the queen mother,
Then he brought him a message.
"Just stay there, don't worry, those underground secret rooms can be treated as your family's workshop. Just make more good things for me!"
Zhang Shou thought about how dumbfounded he was when he heard this. He couldn't help but sigh secretly, and then stared at Ah Liu again. After a while, the young man finally said reluctantly: "The emperor sent someone to ask for it. He said that the place in Jiangnan is
Bian was so rich that the local wealthy families had nowhere to spend their money, so they quickly rewarded this blueprint to the big weavers. The messenger reported back that they would pay twice as much Yun brocade tribute this year."
As the first of the four famous brocades, the name Yunjin is not what it should be right now, but it is obvious that Emperor Taizu came, so when the capital was set in Beijing, Nanjing was also established at the same time, and by the way, it was returned to the Nanjing Brocade Department for weaving.
Jin has a reputation as Nanjing Yun Brocade. However, Jin Shu does not hire weavers on its own, but outsources production, and the weaving workshops of those big companies are partners.
The imperial court did not pay, but what these weaving mills received was duty-free export quotas for overseas brocade. Except for the weaving mills of these large households, other families were not allowed to produce Yun brocade, let alone go overseas...
Thinking of this, Zhang Shou couldn't help but mutter about the emperor's shrewd calculation. However, what Ah Liu said next surprised him again: "Also, the drawing was not sold for a thousand guan, but the emperor paid a thousand guan in advance.
...If those big households in the south express anything special, the emperor will pay another amount depending on the situation."
At this point, Ah Liu said solemnly: "So Guan Qiu also said that although he made the things, the principle was told to him by you, young master. He took one hundred guans as wages, and this is already
It's very outrageous, and he would never dare to ask for anything else. As for me... I'm just a hard worker, and I don't have any place to spend money, so why do I need money?"
Seeing the disapproval on Zhang Shou's face, he said regardless: "So, whether it's the remaining nine hundred guan or the money the emperor may give you, it's what you deserve, young master. When the emperor gave me the money before,
I also specifically told you that I hope you, young master, will work harder to get good things out of me. He promises to give you money more easily than the eldest prince, and he will not cause so many troubles."
Haha... Your Majesty, you have the nerve to say that! If you hadn't personally sent your chamberlain to Ah Liu to buy the marshmallows, how could anyone have impeached me over such a trivial matter as the marshmallow machine before? Why don't you cause trouble... This matter has caused enough trouble.
Big!
When word spreads about the marshmallow machine blueprints being rewarded to a large Jiangnan household, I might be impeached again!
Zhang Shou had nothing to say, and glanced at Ah Liu helplessly: "That's it, the money is still the same as before, I will keep it for you first. Also, don't tell the emperor in advance about today... I'll see you later
Go ahead and talk about it. As for Guan Qiu... before he tosses out the clock, he estimates that there will be a lot of messy by-products, and you can use them however you want."
"Oh." Ah Liu agreed, and then explained a few words in a somewhat depressed tone.
"It's not me who said it last time. After the emperor bought the marshmallows, he sent someone to ask for the machine. Most of the time, it's the lunatics who have quick eyes and quick mouths. I think the young master should follow the emperor's words and take it with him as soon as possible.
Guan Qiu and the others should move to another courtyard together. There are many secret rooms and secret passages there, and no movement can be heard. Even a madman with clairvoyance and ears would not know it."
Zhang Shou only felt that the veins on his forehead were pulsing. Such words could not be heard even if there was any movement. Why did he sound so awkward? Those who knew knew that he was messing with all kinds of interesting things, but those who didn't know...
I thought he was rebelling!
Ah Liu, who had always been a man of few words, suddenly seemed particularly talkative at this moment: "If the young master is worried about the lack of manpower in such a big place, I will make arrangements later. For those guys who are already working in other courtyards, I am the only one who
All of them have been carefully screened.”
"The concierge is An Lu, a local gangster from the outer city. Although his lame leg is not very attractive, he is very capable. Back then, he could fight eight of them. Now his fighting ability is not strong, but his vision and skills are still there. It is always possible to guide the younger ones.
, the other three concierges are all smart boys. The cook, Mrs. Xu, is very good at her craftsmanship, but the shop collapsed due to snow. She has never sold human meat buns, so don’t worry, young master..."
"When you say that, I don't feel at ease at all!"
Zhang Shou couldn't help but put his hand on his forehead, but in the end, he still didn't interfere with the recruitment of people at home - he was too busy every day just from the Imperial College, and he had to come over from time to time to see the development progress of various appliances. If this was still the case,
He was too busy considering how to recruit and select the servants in the house! However, he was still hesitant about Ah Shou urging him to move in as soon as possible.
It's not that he has to wait until he gets married before moving, but he hasn't married Zhu Ying yet, and there are only a few people in his family. Moving into such a big house is like throwing a few pebbles into the sea, not even a splash.
Can't splash!
Moreover, most of the time he will live in the Imperial College dormitory to avoid too long commuting time. Is it possible for Wu to treat the house as a park every day?
After thinking about it, Zhang Shou decided to go back and discuss it with Wu - he could make independent decisions on external matters, and Wu never interfered with him, but in the realm of family affairs, he did not want to and could not leave her alone. However,
, while he was thinking, when he rode his horse to the door of his house, he saw Old Liu trotting up to meet him.
"Master, we have a visitor." His voice was very low, and his eyes were looking around, as if he was afraid that someone might overhear. He really looked like an old thief who had been in the field for a long time. When he saw Zhang Shou walking through the door, he
Just then, he hurriedly followed up, but he explained with a smile, "He is the eldest son of the Duke of Qin. Not everyone said that he is recuperating at home, so I have to be careful..."
Zhang Chen's injury was once a hotly debated topic in the capital during the Chinese New Year. Zhang Chen was originally a well-known nobleman in the capital - in the past it was because of his ostentation, and later because of his return as a prodigal son, although he was not as famous as Lu Sanlang.
It's an exaggeration, but the headmaster of the Banshan Hall should be decent.
Therefore, Zhang Chen's unfortunate injury from a horse fall attracted much attention. After diagnosis and treatment by the imperial physician, in order to prevent the disease from falling, he had to stay in bed for several months. For this reason, almost everyone in the Banshan Hall of the Imperial Academy took turns to visit him.
, Zhang Shou also went there several times, but later he was busy with schoolwork, so he didn’t go so frequently.
When Zhang Chen's father, Qin Guogong Zhang Chuan, suddenly took over as the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, there was another wave of visits. But this time, everyone who went to visit was turned away because Zhang Chen had revealed that his father's promotion had nothing to do with him.
, he wants to rest and not see visitors!
No one knew that Zhang Chen, who was said to have fallen from a horse, stayed at home to "recuperate" during the first few days. In fact, he soon chased Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu who were going to Xingtai, and quietly went south with a few confidants.
Arriving at Xingtai before Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu.
At this time, Zhang Shou strode into the study room where he lived. Seeing Zhang Chen circling around, he smiled and said: "Zhang Chen, why do you need to come back in person like this? Can't you send someone back to say no?"
"Little sir!" Zhang Chen looked up and saw that it was Zhang Shou. He rushed over in a hurry and said angrily, "Those big companies saw that the new textile machinery was being promoted well, and they really used dirty tricks! Just as you were worried about before.
They don’t know how they bribed the merchants who collect cotton yarn, and the purchase price dropped again and again, and they didn’t even accept the yarn spun by the spinners!”
Zhang Shou was not surprised at all by such a result, and immediately said with a smile: "But didn't Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu discuss countermeasures at the beginning? If others don't accept it, they will accept it. The price is a little lower than the previous price, but
It is definitely higher than the purchase price of those guys, which will enable those spinners to earn higher income than before. What, can those spinners not sell it?"
"Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu brought the 10,000 yuan that the emperor had allocated to them before, but I don't know who spread the specific amount. Everyone in Xingtai knew it. Those big families put together, it's a lot.
One hundred thousand guan of financial resources! Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu are almost out of money!"
At this moment, Zhang Chen saw that Zhang Shou was silent, so he sighed: "The eldest prince is in Cangzhou, which is at least an important town on the canal, facing the sea in the east. Unlike Xingtai, although it is the prefecture of Shunde Prefecture, it is also located in
It is an important land route south of the capital, but it is really inconvenient to transport cotton yarn. What's more, the eldest prince brought two capable people from the Ministry of Revenue to Cangzhou, plus coercion and inducement..."
"When Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu went down, they also brought Hu Kai and the others with them. They were so confident at that time. What, are you scared now?" Zhang Shou deliberately made his reference vague, just wanting to see if Zhang Chen was the right one.
He went to help his two younger brothers again.
"What am I afraid of? The worst I can do is lose money. Anyway, I don't have anything else in the Duke of Qin's palace, but I have a lot of money. It will all be mine in the future!" Zhang Chen suddenly thought about it and said honestly, "I just don't want people to think that
, we are not as capable as the eldest prince!"
Zhang Shou looked at Zhang Chen for a while, and then said with a smile: "We? If I remember correctly, it is the task of Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu to promote new textile machinery in Xingtai. As for you, I will let you go all the way
You went south to collect cotton, recruited a group of weavers who were good at weaving along the way, and brought them to Xingtai, right? They are Ming and you are Dark, so you can't help but help them, right?"
Faced with these words, Zhang Chen suddenly felt guilty: "I have finished all those things, so I casually helped Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu. With the cotton harvest, I claimed to be a confidant of the second prince and sent the eldest prince to the two of them in Xingtai.
I beat up this guy, and I happened to catch a few of the big businessmen, so they had no choice but to obey me, so except for the stocks they needed for their own use, I collected all the other cotton."
Zhang Shou was speechless for a while. He wanted Zhang Chen, who had a flamboyant and fierce personality, to secretly support Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu, but this one was really good, even more domineering than the second prince! He beat up the eldest prince's people...
...Only this one can do it!
He cursed angrily and amusingly: "Aren't you afraid that the second prince will know that someone is pretending to be his confidant?"
"I asked someone to give the second prince a generous gift." Zhang Chen smiled, "When the second prince hires people, someone is willing to come forward to disrupt the situation for the eldest prince and Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu. What doesn't he like? He even gave the token
Give it all to me!”
Zhang Chen raised his hand, and a bronze plate with the word "Yanqing" engraved on it was revealed. Zhang Shou knew that the Second Prince's Villa was called Yanqing Villa, so when he saw the bronze medal and the serial number on the back, he couldn't help but laugh.
.
"Lu Sanlang cheated on the eldest prince, so it can be said that he came to him himself. Are you afraid that the emperor will know that you cheated on the second prince like this?"
"This is indeed a problem..." Zhang Chen suddenly said, "How about, young sir, help me explain it in front of the emperor?"