There lived a group of old servants of the Kou family in the Bear Garden.
Some are big and some are small, the smallest is more than thirty years old.
They used to be the managers and shopkeepers of Kou's various businesses.
After the Kou family handed over their family's property to the royal family, they became idle.
Some people broke away from the Kou family and started business through some previous relationships.
Some people also returned to their hometowns and lived a stable life with their families.
Others followed Kou Tianci to Han.
The remaining people stubbornly stayed with the Kou family, thinking that Kou Ji had shed the last drop of his blood.
In this matter, Koji did not force anyone.
It's just that the loyalty and bravery passed down from ancient times has been integrated into their bones and blood. They stubbornly believe that only by shedding the last drop of blood for Kou Ji can they be considered loyal and brave, and can they be considered worthy of Kou Ji.
Kou Ji gave some of the young ones to the royal family, and the rest were raised in the bear garden.
Kou Ji rarely used them, and occasionally asked one or two of them to help run errands.
Most of the time, they were allowed to stay in the bear garden, live a comfortable life, and take care of the pandas.
Zhao Run, Wang Anshi, and Zeng Gong escorted more than 600,000 yuan into the Xiong Garden.
The cloudy eyes of those basking in the sun, weeding, planting flowers, and drinking tea in the bear garden instantly became sharper.
They felt that the gluttonous feast was slowly approaching them.
Normally they look like old farmers, but after seeing more than 600,000 yuan, they look like soldiers.
They are indeed soldiers of the Kou Mansion, soldiers in the Kou Mansion shopping mall.
Each one of them has gone through life and death for the Kou government, and each of them has earned huge amounts of money for the Kou government.
Zhao Run, Wang Anshi, and Zeng Gong entered the gate of the Bear Garden, and the people inside looked at them.
They were obviously a group of people dressed as old servants, but when their eyes fell on the three of them, they felt very dazzling.
When they saw the money behind the three people, their eyes became even more dazzling.
An old man, who was bent like an old farmer, bypassed Zhao Run and the others, walked to the side of the bullock cart that was pulling money, twitched his nose and smelled it, and said with a look of disgust: "The taste is very bad, better than the money cast at home."
It’s far behind... about 634,000 strings..."
Zhao Run and Wang Anshi looked at the old man like a monster.
Just by looking and smelling it, you can tell the quality and quantity of money, which is a bit amazing.
Just as the old man finished speaking, a middle-aged man holding a teapot came over with a smile and glanced at the copper coins on the ox cart.
"South money and north money are mixed together. They are both watery and rustic, so the taste is naturally a bit worse. Not to mention compared with the money cast in the palace, there is no way to compare with the money cast in the palace. But it is better than the copper feet, barely.
If you use it, it is not considered dirty money.
There should be 634,500 strings..."
Zhao Run and the others were even more shocked.
Zhao Run couldn't help but said: "How can you tell the difference?"
The middle-aged man smiled and said nothing.
The old man glanced at Zhao Run, shook his head and said: "The humidity in the south is high, and money will grow green hair easily if it is stored for a long time. The north is dry, and the money will turn black if it is stored for a long time. If it encounters water, it will also grow green hair, but the color of the green hair is
There is still a difference…”
Zhao Run opened his mouth and moved closer to the old man as if he had seen some treasure, "Money is actually divided into north and south, and there are so many ways?
So how do you see the amount of money?
Teach me."
The old man glanced at Zhao Run, raised the corners of his mouth and ignored him.
Zhao Run rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "Sanguan..."
The old man raised his eyebrows.
Seeing this, Zhao Run immediately raised his bet, "Ten passes..."
The old man spoke slowly, "There is a saying among the people, it is called the disciple of the church, the master will starve to death... If you want to learn my unique skills, you may not be able to do it with ten guan of money."
When the old man was talking, everyone in the yard looked at him and Zhao Run, with smiles on everyone's faces.
Zhao Run heard what the old man said and gritted his teeth and said: "Twenty strings, no more."
The old man didn't say anything, and spread his hands in front of Zhao Run.
Without saying anything, Zhao Run took two ten-guan jiaozi from his arms and handed them to the old man.
The old man took the jiaozi, checked it out, stuffed it into his arms casually, and said to Zhao Run in a neutral tone: "There is no one else... I am just familiar with my hands..."
Zhao Run stared in shock.
moment.
The people in the bear garden burst out laughing.
Zhao Run instantly realized that he had been deceived.
Before he could speak, the middle-aged man standing next to the old man laughed and said, "Old Qian, when did you learn how to read money?
When it comes to money, Lao Chen is still the best."
The old man glanced at the middle-aged man with dissatisfaction, "You are a second-rate dealer, what qualifications do you have to accuse me of being wrong?"
The laughter in the bear garden became louder by the way.
Zhao Run wanted to get angry, and his face turned red.
The middle-aged man saw Zhao Run showing signs of getting angry, and said to Zhao Run with a smile: "Don't be angry with Lao Qian. What Lao Qian said is right. The eyes of money are indeed learned little by little. There are no shortcuts."
.”
Zhao Run stared at the middle-aged man with a dark face and asked, "Do you understand?"
The middle-aged man smiled and pointed at the old guys in the yard, "The people here have spent not only tens of millions but also millions.
Anyone who knows how to decipher money has an eye for it.
If you want to make money, you must first learn to suffer losses.
After you have suffered enough losses, you will make money.
You were only deceived by old money for twenty dollars today.
When Lao Qian started his career, he almost even cheated his wife."
Zhao Run heard that the old man who cheated him out of money was miserable back then, and the anger in his heart disappeared instantly.
Zhao Run stared at the middle-aged man with burning eyes, "You don't seem to care about my identity?"
The smile on the middle-aged man's face did not change. He said with a smile: "If you tell your identity, we will naturally treat you with a different attitude. If you don't tell us, we will treat you as a Kou man.
A junior under my sect.
The master said, we don’t need to be too polite to the juniors of Kou Mansion.”
Zhao Run nodded, "It seems you know my identity..."
The middle-aged man smiled and said nothing.
Zhao Run did not disclose his identity as the prince.
He doesn't have great wisdom yet, but he still has a little cleverness.
In front of the people of the Kou Mansion, being a junior in the Kou Mansion is far better than being a prince.
The former is one's own people, the latter is an outsider.
No matter how noble your status is, you are still an outsider.
Zhao Run stared at the middle-aged man and said, "Who are you?"
The middle-aged man laughed in a low voice and said: "Xiong Garden Manager Zhang Cheng..."
Zhao Run was stunned, staring at Zhang Cheng in astonishment, and said a bit gaffefully: "Zhang Cheng, Zhang million?! It is said that you have made as much as one million in money in one day. Have you ever created a miracle of making tens of millions of dollars in three days?"
"
Zhang Cheng smiled calmly and said: "The money that is passed is the money that is passed, and what businessmen value more is the money that is received. As for making tens of millions of dollars in three days, that is the official's order to sell off the properties of several princes.
Not only did I make no money, but I also spent thousands of dollars on drinks.”
Zhao Run stared at Zhang Chengdao: "I heard that the imperial court wanted to recruit you as an official, but you refused?"
Zhang Cheng smiled and nodded.
Zhao Run asked: "Why?"
Zhang Cheng smiled calmly and said: "The salary of the imperial court is not as important as the reputation of brother."
Zhao Run pondered and nodded, "Indeed..."
Zhang Cheng pointed to the money behind Zhao Run and asked with a smile: "What will Prime Minister Kou do with this money?"
Zhao Run heard Zhang Cheng mentioning business and quickly repeated Kou Ji's words.
After Zhang Cheng finished listening to Zhao Run's retelling, he shouted loudly to the old guys behind him whose eyes had already become bright.
"Kou Xiang said that he is interested in Bafang Jiaozi Shop's money and asked us to move it back."
As soon as these words came out.
All kinds of heart-wrenching laughter rang out in the bear garden.
Like a group of hungry ghosts getting ready to go hunting.
Kou Ji asked Zhao Run and Wang Anshi to keep an eye on the matter.
But the three of them discovered that they didn't need to look at it at all.
The old fellows with their laugh-out-loud laughter stepped forward one by one, plucked at the pile of money, said, "It's mine," and then continued to laugh weirdly in the yard.
After the more than 600,000 yuan is distributed.
Then a boy came out and helped them divide the money and pack it up.
Then he carried the money and wandered out of the bear garden with the old guys.
When Zhao Run and Wang Anshi waited for the three people left in the yard, they immediately let out a strange roar and followed them.
The three of them followed the old guys to Bianjing City, and saw a series of operations they couldn't understand.
Kou Ji asked them to deposit money in Bafang Jiaozipu. After they entered Bianjing City, they did not save money, but started doing business.
The three of them wandered around in confusion for five days and returned to the bamboo courtyard where Kou Ji was.
In the bamboo courtyard.
Su Jingxian drank the bitter decoction while guiding Di Yong, who was looking around, to read.
Su Shi was drooling while holding the pen, and Kou Hui was eager to try, as if ready to snatch something.
Kou Ji sat in front of the desk, holding a book in one hand and a cattail leaf fan in the other. He opened the cattail leaf fan casually, and the smell of braised pork on the table filled the room.
Kou Hui yelled and rushed towards the braised pork.
Su Shi also left the desk and stumbled towards the braised pork.
When the two little bandits rushed to the desk, the cattail leaf fan in Kou Ji's hand was covering the braised pork.
Kou Hui stamped her feet unwillingly and said, "Dad, you know that I don't like reading!"
Kou Ji smiled calmly and said: "I didn't force you to study. I just said that whoever can write two big words today will have the braised pork exclusively.
You were greedy and wanted to eat meat, so you joined in.
Now that you're in, you have to obey the rules.
I won't break the rules just because you are my daughter."
Kou Hui stamped her feet angrily, pointed at Su Shi and yelled, "Look at him!"
Su Shi's little hands didn't know when they bypassed the cattail leaf fan, grabbed a piece of braised pork, and stuffed it into his mouth. His little face and hands were full of oil and water.
Su Shi squinted his eyes comfortably while chewing the braised pork.
It seems that he is flouting the rules set by Kou Ji.
rule?
I am a child with a bad mouth, and if you tell me the rules, are you still awake?
Kou Ji couldn't laugh or cry and said: "Little guy, you actually don't follow the rules. Then I will add four more words to you and punish you by not eating meat for four days."
When Kou Hui heard that Kou Ji punished Su Shi so harshly, all her anger disappeared instantly.
Su Shi didn't care.
Anyway, in just five days, he had already incurred the debt of copying twenty large-character pieces and fifteen long poems. He didn't care if he had more.
Too much debt does not weigh you down.
Kou Ji took off the cattail leaf fan, patted Su Shi's little hand as he prepared to continue stealing, and smiled at Kou Hui: "Do you still want to eat?"
Kou Hui said angrily: "I won't eat it after someone grabbed it with my hands... Ask the kitchen to make me another bowl..."
Kou Ji pointed to the desk not far away with his cattail leaf fan, and said with a smile: "In view of your evil deeds of robbery, only three big words can be exchanged for a bowl of braised pork."
"It is not the way of a gentleman to lure someone with benefits."
Wang Zeng entered Kou Ji's study with a dark face and shouted.
When Kou Hui saw Wang Zeng, she yelled and threw herself on Wang Zeng, pretending to cry while accusing Kou Ji of his evil deeds.
Su Shi was also about to cry, but when he saw Kou Ji standing up, his attention changed. He suddenly reached out his hand, grabbed two pieces of braised pork in the bowl, stuffed it into his mouth, and ran towards Wang Zeng.
go.
Wang Zeng comforted Kou Hui with pity, and picked up Su Shi who ran towards him. He glared at Kou Ji and said, "You don't have enough money to eat meat, so why would you force your child to do this?"
As he spoke, Wang Zeng pricked Su Shi with his beard lovingly and said: "Look at this little guy, you are forcing him to become a robber."
After Kou Ji bowed his hand to Wang Zeng, he smiled calmly and said: "I just want the children to write two more words."
Wang Zeng puffed his beard and said with eyes: "How can you teach good children by luring them with profit? How will you be different from a merchant if you are only interested in profit? Do you mean that you, a noble prince, want your children to engage in lowly careers?"
If the child doesn't want to learn, you can hit, scold, or encourage him, but you can't induce him to gain anything.
If your mind is filled with interests, you will easily lose your humanity.
Lu Buwei regarded Qin Yiren as a rare commodity.
Do you plan to let your disciples and daughters treat you as a rare commodity one day?"
Kou Ji smiled and said, "I just wanted to see the children's temperament."
Wang Zeng was stunned and asked: "What did you see?"
Kou Ji looked at Su Jingxian, who was teaching Di Yong's calligraphy, "Jingxian restrained himself and returned to etiquette. He actually wanted to eat braised pork, but I didn't count him, so even if he wanted to eat it, he didn't say a word, let alone grab it.
meaning.
Instead, he devoted himself to teaching Di Yong.
So he can't possibly treat me as a rare commodity.
Su Shi is a smart child. He doesn't think about exchanging good things, nor does he think about buying and selling. He likes to get what he wants through his own means.
Although he is a little clumsy, he is still young.
Just give it some training later.
He won't treat me as a curiosity either.
As for my daughter, if someone wants to use me as a rare commodity, she will probably use the most violent means to destroy him."
Wang Zeng reluctantly agreed with Kou Ji's words, but he still glared at Kou Ji and said hummingly: "The human heart cannot withstand temptation. It would be better to try less in the future.
There are too many temptations, and it is easy to cheat and disappoint people.”
Kou Ji pondered for a moment and nodded.
Wang Zeng put Su Shi down, scratched his nose lovingly, and then said to Kou Ji: "This is not the place to talk..."
Kou Ji nodded and said: "Go to the corridor..."
After saying this, Wang Zeng rushed to the corridor first.
Kou Ji told Kou Hui and Su Jing to take care of their two younger brothers first, and then left the study.
As soon as Kou Ji left, Su Shi quickly ran over and grabbed the bowl of braised pork.
Kou Hui went to the kitchen angrily to ask the cook to make it again for her.
Su Jing stared at his younger brother and smiled bitterly, then patiently educated Di Yong.
Kou Ji followed Wang Zeng to the corridor and asked Wang Zeng to sit down on the beautiful lady in the corridor.
Kou Ji asked with a smile: "The prince had put down his words before and said that if I used Han Qi's words, he would never have anything to do with me. Why are you here again now?"
Wang Zeng curled his lips and snorted: "If it weren't for the government, I wouldn't bother to come to your house."
Kou Ji smiled and said: "Since I took the position of Ping Zhangshi under Tong Zhongshu, the prince has always called himself 'I' in front of me. Why is he using 'I' again now?"
Wang Zeng blew his beard and glared: "I am the same generation as your grandfather, what's wrong with calling myself me in front of you? This is not a court?"
Kou Ji shook the cattail leaf fan in his hand and said, "Old man, don't be so angry. Too much anger will harm your health."
Wang Zeng glanced at Kou Ji with disdain, "It's just spring now, and you're just using a cattail leaf fan. You're obviously more angry than me."
Kou Ji glanced at the cattail leaf fan in his hand, laughed and said, "I just used it to drive away the smell, but I forgot to put it down."
Wang Zeng was too lazy to talk to Kou Ji any more, so he said straight to the point: "Do you know that Bafang Jiaozipu is robbing all the big depositors of Yijiaozipu in Kaifeng Mansion?"
Kou Ji nodded and said, "I heard a little bit..."
Wang Zeng said in a deep voice: "They already have the intention of becoming powerful. It's time to deal with them."
Kou Ji shook his head and smiled: "It's just a bedbug..."
Wang Zeng immediately stared and shouted: "Bedbug?! Do you know that in less than half a month, that bedbug has absorbed millions of dollars?"
They have also recently started lending.
If it is allowed to develop, it will one day compete with Yizijiaozipu.
Yizijiaozipu is an important asset of the country.
If someone among the people controls an equally important weapon of the country, it will be a disaster."
"You actually started lending money? Who did you listen to?"
Kou Ji was a little surprised.
He had never heard that Bafang Jiaozi Pu had a loan business before.
Wang Zeng said with a gloomy face: "This morning just started..."
Kou Ji praised: "The businessman has a keen sense of smell and knows how to lend money through Jiaozipu."
Kou Ji knew very well that Jiaozipu's most profitable business was definitely not storage, but lending.
The interest rates for loans in the Song Dynasty were much higher than those in later generations.
In future generations, interest will be calculated based on percentage.
Da Song calculated interest based on ten percent.
The difference is self-evident.
It is precisely because of this that all dynasties hate those who make usury money, because once the people are tainted by usury money, there is almost no way to survive.
Selling fields, cattle, sons and daughters is very common.
Wang Zeng gritted his teeth and said: "Once they are allowed to lay it out throughout the Song Dynasty, they will then lend money throughout the Song Dynasty. At that time, all the money in the Song Dynasty will continue to flow into their hands.
And countless people in the world will become their debtors.
They will grab everyone by the throat, and they will also grab the throat of the court."
Kou Ji pondered and said: "This matter is indeed not suitable for the private sector to control. Someone in Yizijiaozipu proposed lending to the private sector a long time ago, but I rejected it flatly.
I just don’t want Yizijiaozipu to become everyone’s creditor.
Then people from the imperial court came to collect debts, causing tragedy all over the world."
Compared with those green men among the people who collect debts, the government officials and petty officials will be more ruthless in collecting debts.
The green-skinned people would still consider it when they hurt people's lives, but the government servants and petty officials would not.
Once an opening is opened, who knows what harm will happen to the people.
At that time, it is probably very common to lift the door and twist the lock, like a bandit.
It is precisely because of this that Kou Ji was willing to give up the opportunity to make huge profits for the court rather than let go of loans.
Wang Zeng saw that Kou Ji knew how powerful Bafang Jiaozipu was in lending, and immediately said: "Since you know the powerful relationship, why don't you care?"
Kou Ji glanced at Wang Zeng and said in a nonchalant manner: "If this matter needs to be taken care of, it is for the officials to take care of it..."
Wang Zeng glared and said: "As Tong Zhongshu, you should be in charge of everything in the government and the public."
Kou Ji asked back: "But they haven't violated my laws in the Song Dynasty. You can't let me wrongly accuse a good person, right?"
"But their actions jeopardized the country of the Song Dynasty!"
"It is precisely because of this that official approval is needed."
Wang Zeng raised his hands in the direction of Bianjing City and said, "I have already gone to see the officials. The officials asked me to choose someone to handle the matter."
The official family is the official family, so naturally it is impossible to deal with such matters personally.
Kou Ji said quietly: "So you have taken a fancy to me?"
Wang Zeng nodded unceremoniously.
Kou Ji said with a half-smile, "Are you planning to come down to me?"
What Kou Ji said left him speechless.
Kou Ji had a higher official position than him, so he couldn't give instructions to Kou Ji.
Wang Zeng stared at Kou Ji for a long time and shouted in a low voice: "Don't you see the harm in it?! Do you want to watch the Song Dynasty collapse?"
Kou Ji stared at Wang Zeng and said with a serious face: "So what if you saw it? You should have heard that businessmen pursue profit over separation. As long as there is enough profit for them, they will dare to commit the crime of decapitation.
Today I took action to deal with a Bafangjiaozi shop, and tomorrow a Sifangjiaozi shop will pop up.
There will be three, two, or even more Jiaozi shops popping up the day after tomorrow.
As long as they don't break the law, it's within the rules for them to open a house alone.
If today we do not obey the rules and respect the law, we will deal with them.
So what credibility does the court’s rules and laws have?
Others don’t know what is going on with people’s hearts.
Don’t you know that too?”
After hearing what Kou Ji said, Wang Zeng's face turned blue and white. After a long time, he stared at Kou Ji and asked, "Are we going to watch them grow up and become a scourge to the court?"
Kou Ji said bluntly: "To solve the problem, we must find the root of the problem. In the case of Jiaozipu, the root lies in the law.
If the imperial court had a set of corresponding legal restrictions, then private businessmen would not spread Jiaozi everywhere."
Wang Zeng gritted his teeth and said: "Then first clean up the Bafang Jiaozi Shop, and then make a law to prevent private people from opening Jiaozi Shop."
Kou Ji asked: "Do you think it is a good thing that the Yizijiaozipu family is the only one?"
Wang Zeng glared and shouted: "So far I have not discovered that Yizijiaozipu has done anything that has harmed the country and the people."