The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 18

Chengguo government office.

On this day, Zhu Feng was summoned by Mrs. Cheng Guotai, that is, his grandmother Hu Shi, to the inner hall for a lecture.

"...It's outrageous! The son of a majestic prince, even if you can't inherit the title in the future, you will still let you be rich and prosperous. Why do you want to humiliate yourself? If the censor said that my government is competing for profit with the people, your father Even if you are far away in the capital, I will take the blame for you! When will you become a weapon?"

Hu was an important official in the early Ming Dynasty, the daughter of Hu Wei, Minister of Rites, from a scholarly family, with extraordinary knowledge, and she was not as arrogant and domineering as ordinary old ladies. She wanted her grandson to restrain himself and return to ritual.

Now that Zhu Feng is in a good time, how can he listen to the old lady's persuasion?
He showed eloquent eloquence and said: "Grandmother, you have misunderstood your grandson. The rice grains that grandson bought this time are not folded in your hands. You don't know that since the Jianghuai flood, the price of rice in the city has been increasing day by day." However, the food purchased by my grandson was before the flood. Put in a tael of silver, and get back two taels of silver.”

Hu frowned upon hearing this.

The grandson didn't seem to understand what she was saying at all.

Is what we are discussing with you now about making money or not?Could it be that Duke Cheng's mansion is short of your little money to live on now?Besides, if you make money, will you allocate a penny to your family?
What I'm talking about right now is that you have done something extraordinary and messed up the rules of the Duke's Mansion.

"Okay! Stop talking!" The old lady stretched out her hand and interrupted her grandson, "Your father wrote a letter a few days ago. He traveled around the capital for you and won an errand for you. It's okay to keep you idle like this." No, Nanjing Jinyiwei commanded you to go to the capital to pick up an errand. After you go to the capital, don’t mess around and listen to your father and brother’s orders!”

"what?"

When Zhu Feng heard this, his face was filled with displeasure.

Even if he was given the command of Nanjing Jinyiwei, he also knew that this was just a false job, and he would never give him a job that was really lacking. Would it be better to get some salary to dawdle than to do business now?

Most importantly, with his hands and feet tied up, how can he play happily with his friends in the future?
"Grandmother, can I wait until next year? The grandson has not yet sold the batch of rice. If the price of grain falls, the grandson is not in Yingtian Mansion, so there is no time to deal with it..."

"Nonsense! This is an edict from the imperial court. Do you think that I came here today to discuss with you? Leave immediately, no boats or carts are allowed along the way, and all must ride on horses. I am the Duke of Chengguo. Your sons and grandchildren should all be brave and good at fighting, how can you be so weak and inexperienced? I will send another 20 people to go with you, and I will clean it up immediately!"

……

……

Zhu Feng came out of the inner courtyard with an aggrieved expression on his face.

"I made money and wanted to show off in front of grandma, but grandma didn't listen to me at all and asked me to go to the capital? Who am I provoking?"

A person who looked like a steward came over to him, and he was Zhu Feng's most capable general, a person who was equivalent to a housekeeper next to him, named Zhu Daqi, and said respectfully: "Second son, Mrs. Tai has ordered you to come down today and tomorrow. We are leaving in two days, the horses are already being prepared at the stables, and the manpower has been adjusted. We are just waiting to set off with you."

"Leave today and tomorrow? Can't it be two days later? Is this going to drive ducks to the shelves?"

"...Second Young Master, I know that you still have business on hand, why don't you let the knowledgeable people around you look at it first? Go to the capital, if everything goes well, maybe you can come back a year ago."

These words seemed to remind Zhu Feng.

Zhu Fengdao: "Rely on the people in the Duke's Mansion? Who knows how to do business? It's the suave Mr. Zhang, who can be said to be a good businessman. Come, go to Zhang Zhou and call Mr. Zhang! I'm going to hand over the business first. he."

Zhu Daqi shook his head helplessly and said: "Second Young Master, I'm afraid this matter will not be possible. I just heard the news that Zhang Zhou and Zhang Bingkuan won the first place in the list this time. I'm afraid he won't set foot in business again in the future. thing."

"what?"

Zhu Feng almost dropped his jaw when he heard that, "You mean, Mr. Zhang, who was joking with me a few days ago and talking about business, passed the Jieyuan exam?"

"Exactly."

"This... This is really strange, but it is also reasonable. After talking to him for a few words, you can feel that he is very talented. Since such a person is always in business, he will not be far behind in other things! Now He knows Yuan among them, and he wants to find him, so I should congratulate him no matter what."

"The rice grain business..."

Zhu Feng had a smile on his face: "The business is still given to him. In fact, I just asked him to give advice, and sell it at any time when the price of rice is high. Could it be that he is really in charge of the business of the Duke's Mansion? At that time, as long as he says the price is right and let you sell it, you sell it."

"Isn't that okay?"

Zhu Daqi thought to himself, even the decision-making power of sales has been handed over to outsiders, so isn't that called handing over the business?

Zhu Feng couldn't help thinking of what the old lady said earlier, and said in an old lady's tone: "Who do you think is in charge of the family? I'm looking for you to discuss with you? Forget it, I'll go in person, just to see where it is Fengshui treasure land can raise such a capable person, and there is a celestial master beside him, so I will pay a visit when I find a chance."

……

……

Outside Zhang Zhou's small courtyard, in the afternoon, the running water mat was still being held, and it was very lively.

And at the octagonal table in the courtyard, only Zhang Zhou and Jiang Dezhong and his son were left. This time they didn't come to fight for wine, probably because Jiang Pingyu was afraid of drinking too much, so she didn't even prepare ordinary water and wine.

"My son-in-law, you will be prosperous in the future, but don't forget about my father-in-law. My father-in-law didn't mean to harm you before. When you are in trouble, who has reached out to you? That is your encouragement!"

Jiang Dezhong spoke beautiful words.

Jiang Shanquan on the side didn't take it seriously, frowning tightly, almost scolding his father for insincere words.

Can you fake it any more?When Bing Kuan is a fool?Can't see that you just wanted to add insult to injury?

Zhang Zhou said with a smile: "I will never forget what my father-in-law said to my son-in-law."

"Haha."

Jiang Dezhong laughed and said, "Speaking of which, the price of rice has gone up too crazy recently. You said yesterday that the price of grain will rise again, right?"

"Probably so."

Zhang Zhou's speech is also ambiguous now.

If you pass the exam, your business cannot stop. After all, he has no grudge against Yinzi, but if you want to leak more business information, it may be counterproductive. In many cases, it is necessary to go against the tide. If everyone If you follow his waves, he will become a wave, so how can you go against him?
I dared to say it before because he didn't even have a social status, and no one would accept him.

But now when you understand Yuan, you will have social credibility, and naturally more people will follow suit if you talk too much.

Jiang Dezhong was still grinning from ear to ear, and said happily: "Father-in-law doesn't compete with you for business, and now it is not easy to buy some bulk rice in the city. I saw the opportunity, and said that after the flood in the north, the epidemic was prevalent , Even the city of Yangzhou on the opposite bank has recently begun to have an epidemic, and I think it will spread to Nanjing soon. I want to buy some medicinal materials, and I will take the opportunity to hand them over, what do you think?"

Zhang Zhou wanted to say that they were all merchants, and they were all profiteers who made the country rich.

I don't have the ability to change anything, I just take advantage of the situation to make small noises and drink soup, but those big merchants who are really speculative really don't care about the life and death of the people, and they drive up the price of medicinal materials, so ordinary people can still afford to see the disease if they are infected with the epidemic?

"alright."

Zhang Zhou couldn't comment.

He suddenly thought of a question, couldn't help but look at the northern sky, and even stood up.

Jiang Dezhong also followed Zhang Zhou's gaze, and asked puzzledly, "What's the matter?"

Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "It's all right."

Then he sat down again.

What he thought of was that the only daughter of Emperor Hongzhi of the Ming Dynasty, the little princess Zhu Xiurong, would die of smallpox in just over 20 days according to historical development.

"... At the age of Wuwu, the Yuxiu Pavilion was built on the Longevity Mountain. After it was completed, a little princess suffered from acne, and all the doctors were ineffective. Drinking amulet water, she died."

At present, it seems impossible to change this matter.

Zhang Zhou thought to himself: "Unless someone can go directly to Datian Ting and pass on my strategy in time, and they must be convincing enough that even the emperor will abandon everything to adopt it, there will be a chance of survival. But how is this possible? Who Will you believe me as a small person? After all, I am just a Jie Yuan in the Jiangnan provincial examination."

(End of this chapter)