Bachelor

Chapter 133 New Competitors

This should be Sun Dan's first Spring Festival in this world. The 16th year of Zhengde came as scheduled, and the New Year's Eve is here.

The snow came and went, and the warm winter was replaced by the harsh cold.

Emperor Zhengde's health has been very bad recently, and Sun Dan has not been to him for several days.On the morning of the New Year's Eve, Bi Yun brought two brocade robes over, saying that they were given to Sun Dan by the emperor.

Bi Yun repeated the emperor's words: "The cold has been severe recently, and little brother Sun is not in good health. If you are careful, you should wear more clothes during the day."

Touching the robe, Sun Dan felt a little emotional.Generally speaking, Emperor Zhengde was a good person, and he was sincere to others.It's just that it doesn't have a good reputation in history books, and it's a mess written by literati.If there is an opportunity in the future, I might as well write something for this emperor and help him rectify his name.

Sun Dan asked Zhengde how he was again, and Bi Yun said with tears in his eyes, "General Cheng is groggy during the day, and his stomach hurts badly. Recently, the palace is busy with Chinese New Year, and it is estimated that it will be after the fifteenth day. Sun Dan You just go in when the time comes."

Sun Dan nodded: "I also have some things to do at home, and I can't enter the palace recently."

After Bi Yun left, Sun Dan prepared to go back to Huichanghou's mansion for the new year.After all, he is a child of the Sun family, so according to the rules, he should also go back to pay his respects to the two patriarchs and the three wives.Since he was going, he had to take Zhiniang with him.

Zhiniang is a gentle person, and she doesn't say anything when her husband says he wants to go back to Sun's house.I was only a little worried that a big family like the Sun family would not know what to say and what gifts to bring when they met the patriarch and wives who lived there.This thought made her worry, and she was so worried that she could not sleep all night.

At dawn, looking at Zhi Niang's dark circles, Sun Dan laughed dumbly: "It's just to have a meal. Everyone is lively and lively, so there is no need to be nervous. I will go shopping with you later, and if we meet something Just buy something and send it over. It’s done when you want it, don’t be too particular about it.”

Sun Dan is also a rich man now, but both he and Zhi Niang are casual people, and they don't pay much attention to food and clothing.Still wearing old clothes, Sun Dan discussed with Zhi Niang after they went to the street. The Sun family is originally a rich family, no matter what they send over, they don’t care too much, and they are worrying about what to buy.Just met Jin, this guy was elusive, even though he was the treasurer of the Lu family, he didn't appear much in this month, even Sun Jia, who went to Huguang Guild Hall every day, only saw him twice.

The golden face has a beardless face, and his face is a little unhealthy blue. When he saw Sun Dan, he said that he had been looking for him for a few days.Ask him what he's been up to lately.

Sun Dan said that it was Chinese New Year, so he just stayed at home all day and didn't go anywhere.

Jin Jin was a little anxious: "My god said you go out every night, why don't you go out recently?"

Sun Dan became a little vigilant, and only replied: "The place I went to is also busy celebrating the New Year! Why did shopkeeper Huang ask about this?"

Only then did Huang Jin feel relieved: "That's true, people also have to celebrate the New Year. By the way, Brother Sun, the palace sent a lot of citrus over here. I brought ten baskets for you, but you are not at home. If not, I will find coming."

Sun Dan smiled and said: "It's just in time, I was thinking about what to send to Sun's residence, it's just for me."

Shopkeeper Huang ordered someone to bring all the tangerines. Sun Dan unpacked a box and looked at them. He found that they were all ordinary red tangerines, and immediately lost interest.This thing can be found all over the mountains and plains in the south in later generations, and it costs two cents a catty, so you can't even give it away, and it can only rot on the branches in vain.However, for the people of the Ming Dynasty, it was a novelty.

I thanked him and was about to ask someone to move away.Jin Jin suddenly pulled Sun Dan to a secluded corner of the street, and whispered, "There is something I need to talk to you about, it's very important."

Seeing his serious face, Sun Dan was surprised, and then glanced to the side, and found that there were a few people who were guarding the side as if nothing had happened, blocking the idlers intentionally or unintentionally.

Sun Dan asked, "What's the matter?"

"It's not about money."

"Hehe, I got it, it's time for dividends. Didn't Sun Jia say that you have at least 6000 taels of dividends. Why, is there something wrong with the data?"

"That's not it." Shopkeeper Huang gritted his teeth and said bitterly, "I got a piece of news that someone also wants to issue money tickets in the capital."

Sun Dan was startled: "Who is it, and what is its strength?" The profit of the money ticket business is beyond the imagination of the ancients, and the money is touching.It is certain that once the huge benefits hidden in the money ticket are discovered, someone will definitely jump out to compete with the Lu Family Bank.Besides, there are a lot of rich people in the world, and as far as the sixteen big firms in the capital are concerned, each of them is no weaker than the Lu family and Xingwangfu.If they intend to compete, things are a bit more troublesome.

"I heard it's a businessman named Ping from Qingzhou."

"I've never heard of any big business in Qingzhou, what are you afraid of?"

"Although this man surnamed Ping is not strong enough, somehow he contacted six Shanxi merchants in Pingyang, planning to issue new money notes after the Chinese New Year. The Shanxi merchants are well-known and rich, so naturally there is no shortage of cash. What's more, the most troublesome thing is that this businessman surnamed Ping has a reputation. He was the son of Shandong Zhengde for 12 years, and he is closely related to a group of powerful figures in the officialdom. It is said that his mentor is the cabinet minister Mao Ji. Jin Jin gritted his teeth even more: "The government and business colluded, we are in big trouble this time."

Gold, in fact, is Huang Daban of Xing Wangfu. Huang Jin was so anxious that it seemed like a fire was burning.No need to think too much, this businessman surnamed Ping from Qingzhou was sent by King Jianghua to the capital for activities.

To accomplish that great event in the capital, not only would it require an extremely wide network of contacts, but also a huge amount of money would be invested.

Recently, after the Lu family issued money tickets, their money has become more abundant, and it has been much smoother to buy or win over key figures in the capital, vaguely suppressing Qingzhou.

But it is a pity that Qingzhou discovered this inexhaustible financial source of Xingwangfu.King Jianghua was also moved, and he was also planning to get a money ticket in the capital to accumulate activity funds.Although King Xing had a noble status, the princes of the Ming Dynasty could not directly participate in politics, so naturally they could not compare to a powerful figure like Mao Ji, a cabinet minister.Moreover, although the Lu family is rich, they are not as good as Shanxi merchants.

The Lu family was originally a firm in the south, but this time they recruited people to buy shares. Most of the shareholders were Huizhou businessmen from Huizhou, and the benefits fell into the hands of the southerners.When Shanxi merchants saw the benefits of money tickets, how could they not be jealous and hate, so they naturally turned to King Jianghua.

As a result, the balance of power began to tilt towards Qingzhou.

Huang Jin was originally an ambitious person, and when he thought of this, a big pimple burst out of the corner of his mouth.

"So it's like this!" Sun Dan also felt that the matter was a little serious, but he didn't expect to go to the level of political struggle.In business and business, it is his subconscious reaction to overthrow competitors and monopolize this huge market.If this new opponent is allowed to develop and grow, with the superficial financial knowledge of the ancients, it is very likely that money tickets will be turned into a tool for misappropriating money.In the end, it will surely harm the entire industry and turn money into waste paper like precious banknotes that no one cares about.

Sun Dan: "Master Huang, does Lu Bing know about this? Where is he now?"

Shopkeeper Huang: "Lu Bing knows it. He is inquiring about the enemy these days to see how many Shanxi merchants are involved and how much money they have invested. He also didn't think of a good way. No, just Let me ask you to see if you can come up with any regulations."

"Now my eyes are darkened, so what can I make up my mind." Sun Dan smiled wryly: "In any case, we have to wait for Lu Bing to figure out the situation first, it's too early to make up his mind."

"That's true." Huang Jin nodded, and then said grimly: "These Shanxi merchants are really hateful. If they fall into my hands in the future, I will swallow them alive. Brother Sun, who will engage in Shanxi merchants in the future At that time, we have to deal with those guys who are greedy for money."

"Shanxi merchants are notorious for wanting money without shame. If there is a chance, they should rectify it." Sun Dan said.

Shanxi merchants have a very bad reputation in history, especially in the last years of the Ming Dynasty, a critical moment for the survival of the nation.These greedy scumbags kept exporting food and ironware from the Central Plains to the Houjin regime in exchange for huge profits.It is also because of the material support of these unscrupulous businessmen that the Houjin army invaded the south again and again, and there was a mountain of corpses and blood in the Central Plains, and there were ten days in Yangzhou and three massacres in Jiading.

Sun Dan believes that doing business to make money is justified, but betraying the nation and being a traitor is not.It would be good for the country if this Shanxi merchant group could be killed in advance.

He asked shopkeeper Huang: "Old Huang, when is Qingzhou going to issue a new ticket number?"

Shopkeeper Huang: "Preparation is underway. It is estimated that after the fifteenth day of the new year, it will start."

"Okay, let me think about it first and see if I can come up with a good idea."

"Okay, little brother Sun, you have a quick mind, and you should be able to think of a good way to deal with them."

Sun Dan smiled wryly: "That is to say, as for the method, whether it is useful or not is up to you."

……

Shopkeeper Yu Huang broke up, and it was already afternoon when Sun Dan carried the oranges to Sun's mansion.

Red lanterns were hung everywhere in the courtyard, and the faint sound of firecrackers continued to ring.

It was the first time for Zhi Niang to enter the mansion, and everything she saw was very fresh.

She gasped and said to Sun Dan: "Sun Lang, why is this courtyard so big, how many people can it accommodate?"

Sun Dan: "The third room of the Sun family, the owner is a girl, and there are a total of two or three hundred people. How big is the place you said. Don't envy them. We will start buying such a big house in the future."

"Then...how much will it cost...how can I put it in tens of thousands of taels?"

"Not only, not only. The Sun family's house in the capital cost more than 4 taels this year just for maintenance. If you really want to buy a house like this, you will have to spend 30 to [-] taels."

"There are so many...then I can't bear it. Sun Lang, let's live in the small courtyard. Although the place is small, as long as you and I can see each other every day is enough."

"Even if we change to a bigger house, we still see each other every day. You and I are husband and wife!"

It is not an ordinary thing for a big family, especially a big family like Huichang Housun's family to celebrate the New Year.The stewards of the manors from all over the country gathered in the capital, and they crowded into the mansion with a year's account books and local products, creating a lively scene.

Some people brought a hundred sheep, fifty pheasants, two hundred cured ducks, and sixty pigs; some brought more than a dozen buckets of fresh Yellow River carp; Yu Jin...

Because Sun Dan was thinking about money tickets, he asked Zhiniang to go to Sun Jia's place to play temporarily, while he chatted with Sun Zhong in the tent, waited until dark for a reunion dinner, and then left.

While chatting, I saw a person rushing in from outside, stretched out his fist and punched him on the shoulder.

A voice of surprise sounded: "Brother Dan, I finally saw you, and I miss you brother."

Sun Dan saw that it was Sun Hao: "Yo, Mr. Sun is back."

Sun Hao: "Come on, come on, who am I, Sun Hao? Brother Dan, you don't know yet. The official with sesame seeds and mung beans just burns charcoal. We all ate the oranges you brought over just now, everyone said The taste is good. By the way, my father and second uncle are meeting guests in the lobby, and the guests have heard your name, so they want to see you by name."

Sun Dan asked, "Who is this guest, and why do you want to see me?"

Sun Hao: "There are no important people, just a few colleagues from the Ministry of Rites of my father, and colleagues from the Ministry of Households of my second uncle. By the way, the person who wants to meet you is a Shandong Juzi named Ping. What is Ping Qiuli? A student of Prime Minister Mao. He said that when he was in Qingzhou, he heard that there were two talented people from the Sun family in Shandong.

"The one whose surname is Ping, from Qingzhou?" Could it be him, if you say Cao Cao, Cao Cao will arrive, and the city of Beijing is too small.

"Yes, this Pingqiuli is not an ordinary person." Sun Hao said with a smile: "Just now you sent oranges to the mansion, and it happened that this Pingjuren and officials from the Ministry of Households and the Ministry of Rites were all guests at my house. After eating oranges, they all said they could It is not easy to eat this kind of fresh fruit in such a cold weather. I asked where it came from, and only after I asked, I realized that it was sent by you, Brother Dan. Hearing your name, this Ping Qiuli suddenly said, "Is it The Sun Dan and Sun Jingyuan who wrote "Chuanqing Xiaoji"?" Let us invite you over. Although this Ping Qiuli is a juren, he is quite talented and famous. He is a student of Mao Xiang, and his future is limitless. He is 22 years old this year. At the age of [-], he won the fame of Juren. Originally, he was going to be a Jinshi and enter the Imperial Academy. Unfortunately, his father died that year, so he had to go home to observe the mourning system, which was delayed for a few years. He is very familiar with officials from various ministries and courts, and has a wide range of people."

Sun Hao was a little excited, rubbing his hands together and said: "Brother Dan, you are so awesome. Little Bachelor Yang admires you very much, and now, Ping Qiuli praises you very much. Needless to say, Little Bachelor Yang will be in the cabinet sooner or later .Then Ping Qiuli is also going to enter the Imperial Academy. You have to agree with these two people, and I also feel honored."

Sun Dan smiled lightly, this Pingju was a friend or an enemy, and he wanted to see himself, but it was not as simple as it seemed on the surface: "Okay, I'll go and meet this Ping Qiuli."

(End of this chapter)