"It's just a little money, how can it be more important than the brotherhood between you and me."
When Kou Ji learned that Zhang Cheng was in a hurry to send him money, he complained unhappily.
When Zhang Cheng heard this, he groaned and shouted, "What do you mean just a little money?"
Zhang Cheng patted the box next to him and said in a deep voice: "The gold and silver inside is worth about 200,000 guan. If I hadn't followed you, I would never have seen so much money in my life."
Kou Ji said unexpectedly: "Is the pawn shop so profitable?"
Zhang Cheng shook his head, came close to Kou Ji, and whispered: "The pawn shop doesn't make much money, but the Wanxiang Building is really profitable. I followed your method and changed some of the methods of selling, and often invited high-ranking officials to
The noble man came to our Wanxiang Building to participate in the auction.
The speed at which we make money is like robbing money, and it keeps piling it into our warehouse.
Our Wanxiang Building opens late, if we open everything early, we can make more money."
After hearing Zhang Cheng's words, Kou Ji thought about it for a moment and didn't find it strange anymore.
Pawn shops don't make much money, that's to be expected.
Wanxianglou keeps trying to attract money, and you can understand it if you think about it a little bit.
Not to mention Wanxianglou’s new selling method and commission method.
The status and background of him and Liu Heng alone are enough to attract many dignitaries to enter the Wanxiang Building to spend money.
Although their purpose is not simple, it may be to ask Kou Ji or Liu Heng to do something, or it may be to ask the people behind them to do something, but when they get together, they form a top customer circle.
Wanxianglou, which has a group of top customers, has naturally grown with the rising tide and has become a top selling place serving top customers.
The Great Song Dynasty was extremely wealthy. As the top shopping mall of the Song Dynasty, it was completely normal to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in a few months.
Compared with those government-run shipyards, salt yards, iron yards, etc., it is just a drop in the bucket.
Kou Ji looked at the box at Zhang Cheng's feet and asked, "Have you divided up Liu Heng's share and your share?"
Zhang Cheng nodded heavily.
Seeing this, Kou Ji nodded and said: "Then I will accept the money. When the clerks and stewards of Wanxiang Tower have achieved success, we can consider setting up Wanxiang Tower in various prefectures and capitals.
"
When Zhang Cheng heard this, he scratched his head in embarrassment and said in a low voice: "To be honest, I also have this idea, but my knowledge is limited and I'm afraid I won't be able to support this situation. More importantly, we have the manpower in hand.
It’s limited, and the venue is too big, so I’m afraid it won’t be able to support it.”
Kou Ji smiled and said: "Take your time, don't rush. We have plenty of time."
Zhang Cheng nodded slowly.
Kou Ji smiled and said: "Stop standing at the door. Come into the house quickly. I'll have someone take you to my yard first. I'll go find you later."
Later, Zhang Cheng and his party, led by Kou Ji, arrived at the courtyard where Kou Ji temporarily lived.
After settling them, Kou Ji asked people to prepare food and wine for them, and at the same time found several maids to serve them.
Kou Ji himself returned to the door and continued to greet the guests.
It stands to reason that when it comes to welcoming guests, Kou Li will do it.
It's just that Kou Li didn't have much status in the palace, and he didn't have much sense of presence in Bianjing City. He couldn't handle some high-ranking officials.
For example, people like Li Di and Wang Zeng arrived at noon.
If Kou Li comes out to greet others, they may not have a good conversation with him, and they may even feel that the Kou family is being neglectful.
If Kou Ji comes out to greet someone, they can talk to Kou Ji about official affairs. With Kou Ji's status in the officialdom, they won't feel neglected.
Although the rules in ancient times were strict, they still often depended on personal status.
Kou Ji stood at the door to greet guests until the afternoon.
Most of the officials from those official circles were led to Kou Zhun's courtyard.
Kou Ji arranged for his own guests to stay in his own courtyard.
After afternoon, there are basically no customers coming to the door.
Kou Ji hid in his yard, drinking, eating vegetables and bragging with Zhang Cheng, Er Bao and Lu Ming.
After more than half a year of transformation, Zhang Cheng has successfully transformed from a son-in-law into a big businessman.
Opening and shutting up are basically business matters.
Erbao and Lu Ming have also changed after more than half a year of study.
They are no longer as childish as before, and have become more bookish. They speak and do things in an orderly manner, and occasionally quote scriptures when talking. It can be seen that the two little guys have worked hard and learned a lot in the past half a year.
Kou Ji chatted with them until the evening.
He gave a big red envelope wrapped in red silk to Bao'er, Erbao, and Lu Ming of the Zhang Cheng family, and then sent them away from the Kou Mansion.
Erbao wanted to stay and spend more time with Kou Ji, but Kou Ji didn't agree.
It's not that Kou Ji is cruel, but Erbao is studying right now. If he stays with him, he will definitely be ordered to do all kinds of errands. Over time, his studies will definitely be neglected.
Zhang Cheng and his party were sent away.
Liu Heng arrived at the Kou Mansion under the setting sun.
This guy is a bit of a coquettish guy today, he is dressed in gold and silver, and he wants to hang all the valuable things on his body.
As soon as he saw Kou Ji, the guy shouted: "Fourth brother, I have so much money now that I can't spend it all. What do you think we should do?"
Kou Ji rolled his eyes, curled his lips and said, "I heard that the Gao, Cao, and Pan families have horse farms outside the city. Your Liu family can be considered a general. How about you also have a horse farm?"
The look of dismay on Liu Heng's face disappeared in an instant, replaced by a look of embarrassment.
The horse farm outside Bianjing City is not built by anyone who wants to.
First of all, you must have a large enough field outside the city.
You then have to turn the property into pasture for horses.
It is also necessary to introduce purebred horses that are famous throughout the ages from Liao Kingdom, Xixia, Qingtang, Dashi and other places.
Each famous horse must be paired with a highly skilled groom.
In addition, you must assign guards to the racecourse and assign people to take care of the racecourse.
Some special famous horses must be given food with high nutritional value.
All in all, it costs a lot to open a racecourse.
It's far from something that can be solved with the little money Liu Heng just got.
Kou Ji immediately suppressed Liu Heng's anxious thoughts, and then asked slowly: "Have you been lifted from the ground?"
Liu Heng nodded and said: "The ban has been lifted a long time ago. It's just the end of the year and the closure of the warehouse is a bit busy, so I didn't come to see you."
Hearing this, Kou Ji nodded and walked to the house, "Go in and talk."
Liu Heng followed Kou Ji and walked towards the mansion.
After taking only two steps and before crossing the threshold of the Kou Mansion, I heard someone shouting: "Brother Kou, brother Liu Heng, wait for us."
Kou Ji and Liu Heng followed the reputation and saw Cao Yi and Fan Zhongyan coming together.
Kou Ji was a little surprised when he saw this.
A pure civil servant, a civil servant who carries the identity of Wu Xun, can actually get along.
When they got closer, Kou Ji came up to them and asked, "You are not here to entertain guests, but you came to see me?"
Kou Ji's eyes fell on their hands and he added: "They also brought something with them."
Then, before Cao Yi could talk to him, Fan Zhongyan complained to Liu Heng beside him: "Look at me, then look at you."
Liu Heng hummed and said: "I didn't come empty-handed. I invited a golden Buddha for you from the Daxiangguo Temple. The abbot of the Daxiangguo Temple said that he would place it in the golden temple and chant sutras every day to consecrate it.
.It will be delivered to you in a few days."
Kou Ji, Cao Yi, and Fan Zhongyan were all happy when they heard this.
Cao Yi smiled and said: "So, your gift is more valuable than ours."
Cao Ji held the box in his hand and said with a smile: "I know that Brother Kou has some swordsmanship, so I specially took this one from my grandfather's collection of famous knives and gave it to Brother Kou."
Cao Ji handed the box in his hand to Kou Ji and warned: "This sword was taken from a general of the Southern Tang Dynasty by my grandfather when he was annihilating the Southern Tang Dynasty. It is a rare treasure. You can
Be kind to it."
Kou Ji held the box containing the knife and hesitated: "Is it too expensive?"
Cao Yi shook his head and said: "Although this thing is precious, it is not a fine item in my grandfather's collection. Rather than leaving it gathering dust in the treasury at home, it is better to give it to Brother Kou."
Kou Ji took the box and said, "Then I'll thank you first."
Cao Yi smiled brightly.
Fan Zhongyan said with a smile: "Your gifts are all valuable, which makes it hard to get my gifts."
Kou Ji smiled and said: "Etiquette does not distinguish between high and low, the most important thing is the friendship."
Fan Zhongyan nodded slowly and said: "Not long after I first entered the officialdom, I didn't have anything to offer. Most of the salary issued by the court was used to support my mother. I heard this morning that Brother Kou was ruling the roost in Yanfu Palace on New Year's Eve, so I took advantage of it and wrote a volume of Yanfu Palace.
Picture of the Night Banquet at Fu Palace.
Give it to Brother Kou Xian."
Kou Ji accepted Fan Zhongyan's picture of the night banquet at Yanfu Palace and invited them to enter the Kou Mansion together.
After arriving in his yard, he sat down.
Kou Ji asked, "Why did you all come to my house when you weren't entertaining guests at my house?"
Cao Yi smiled and said: "I have many brothers in the Cao Mansion. Naturally, I have several uncles and my brother Cao Xu to entertain guests. I am not required to entertain guests, and I am not qualified to entertain guests. As for him, he is accompanying those maids in the mansion.
If we are quarreling, we might as well come to you, Brother Kou.
At the New Year's Eve banquet, my official position was humble and I was unable to enter the palace.
But after my father returned home, he told our brothers about Brother Kou's feats in Yanfu Palace.
Brother, after I heard about Brother Kou’s feats in Yanfu Palace, my blood boiled and I immediately wanted to find Brother Kou.
If it hadn't been for a busy day at the Dajiao meeting yesterday, I would have arrived yesterday."
Fan Zhongyan laughed at the side and said: "I was promoted to Bianjing City not long ago, and I haven't settled down yet. My mother, wife and children are all in my hometown. It's too boring for me to stay at home alone, so I came here to talk to you."
Kou Ji looked at Liu Heng.
Liu Heng shouted: "My father is not here. He left the mansion a few days ago. My eldest brother is also missing. My second brother took advantage of my father and my eldest brother's absence to mess around in the house. I was too lazy to pay attention to him, so I came over.
Looking for you."
When Cao Yi and Fan Zhongyan heard this, they covered their mouths and snickered.
Only Kou Ji frowned.
Cao Yi and Fan Zhongyan raised their hands and smiled when they saw this.
Fan Zhongyan stared at Kou Ji in confusion and asked, "Brother Xian, could it be that Liu Heng and his father and brother left the mansion and there is a problem?"
Kou Ji glanced at the three of them and whispered: "I won't hide it from you now. Even if I hide it from you, you will know it after a while.
The Liao people are going to conquer Xixia, and the imperial court wants to take the opportunity to cut off their flesh and blood, so they have already sent troops.
Liu Heng's father and brother were probably sent to the battlefield."
Liu Heng, Cao Yi, and Fan Zhongyan looked shocked when they heard this.
Cao Ji hurriedly said: "The Liao people are going to conquer Xixia? When did it happen? Why didn't we receive any news?"
Historically, in the battles between Song and Liao, no matter who sent troops first, the other party would get the news soon.
Then make corresponding deployments based on the opponent's military strength and the direction of the invasion.
But this time the Liao people conquered Xixia, but there was no sign.
Cao Yi was naturally surprised and wanted to ask more clearly.
Kou Ji explained: "In order to conquer Xixia in one fell swoop, Emperor Yelu Longxu of the Liao Dynasty made a lot of cover-ups about this troop dispatch. So to this day, the Xixia people have not discovered that Emperor Yelu Longxu of the Liao Dynasty sent troops."
Without waiting for Liu Heng and the others to ask questions.
Kou Ji added: "The reason why the imperial court was able to discover this incident was inferred from many clues. In order to avoid leaking the news, it did not publicize it everywhere and has been operating in secret."
As a disciple of a general, Cao Yi had read a lot of art of war. Through Kou Ji's words, he had already judged the imperial court's intention of taking the opportunity to send troops.
Cao Yi said in a deep voice: "Does the imperial court want to take advantage of the fierce war between Xixia and Liao to take advantage of the situation?"
Kou Ji nodded slowly.
Cao Yi clenched his fists and said excitedly: "If the war between Xixia and Liao can fall into a stalemate, the imperial court can use this to gain more territory."
Kou Ji said: "The imperial court has granted the Zizhong family the right to act at their own convenience, allowing them to take the opportunity to intervene during the war between Xixia and Liao. If they disrupt the situation, the war will not end so quickly, and will only become more complicated."
chaos."
Cao Yi clenched his fists, beat his thighs, and shouted loudly: "Great... After so many years, I, the Song Dynasty, can expand our territory again. We can regain Yanyun just around the corner."
Fan Zhongyan nodded excitedly and said: "Hearing such a happy news, I should drink three hundred cups regularly. Brother Kou Xian, you won't be stingy with the drinks in the house, right?"
Cao Ji also looked at Kou Ji and said loudly: "Come to the bar, Brother Kou. Let's have a drink together to congratulate the Great Song Dynasty."
Kou Ji laughed softly and said: "There is no shortage of wine. As long as your stomachs are spacious enough, you can drink as much as you can."
Fan Zhongyan laughed loudly and said: "How happy! Now I know that Brother Kou Xian is also a person of good temper, and he should be regarded as a confidant."
Kou Ji smiled and said: "It's easy to talk about..."
Kou Ji ordered the servants who served them to serve food and wine.
While Fan Zhongyan and Cao Yi were joking, Kou Ji looked at Liu Heng who was silent and whispered: "Are you worried?"
When Fan Zhongyan and Cao Yi heard this, they stopped joking and looked at Liu Heng.
Under the gaze of the three people, Liu Heng forced a smile on his face.
He pretended to be free and easy: "I don't know why, but after hearing that my father went to the battlefield, I always felt a little unhappy."