Chapter 72 Chapter 72 [VIP]
Chapter 72
Qian Tong said he would work hard, and got up early the next morning to find the prince and Wang Zhao to discuss the plan for the salt fields.
Seeing that she looked carefree and was chatting and laughing, Wang Zhao couldn't help but look up at the prince several times. Last night, she hid Park Dae-ja in the house and was caught red-handed by the prince.
Such a big thing is over?
He thought she would either leave or stay in the prince's room, but he was wrong. Nothing happened to her. She even got up earlier than him and the prince today. After they finished breakfast, she had already returned from inspecting the salt fields.
"The salt fields were previously owned by the Pu family. They were managed fairly well, but they were small. I propose widening them by a few acres and building a canal to connect them to the inland river. Once the canal is open, our sea salt can be transported through the canal to the inland of Dayu..." Qian Tong finished his thoughts and humbly asked, "Your Highness, please feel free to raise any requests or ideas your Excellency has. The Qian family will abide by your Excellencies' wishes."
She was very generous, as if she was just a merchant negotiating business with the imperial court.
Apart from the interests of cooperation, there are no other distractions.
Don’t talk about feelings, talk about business.
Good.
Song Yunzhi didn't get enough rest last night, and his eyes were slightly blue. But at this moment, his face was calm and there was nothing unusual about it. As Qian Tong said, he was not the kind of person who would hold a prejudice against the other party just because the relationship didn't work out. He also said the same thing, "Draw the style and thunder diagram, and I will take a look at it first."
The copper coins were already prepared and handed to him immediately. "It's out. Please have a look, my lord."
After discussing the cooperation, it was time for the remuneration. Song Yunzhi didn't ask her how much she wanted, not wanting to bargain with her. He simply said, "Twenty-eighty split. Any objections?"
This is divided for her according to the current salt tax.
Logically speaking, this salt field originally belonged to her Qian Tong, and a 280 split would be a loss. But in the long run, a 280 split would be a considerable sum.
Qian Tong smiled and said, "Your Highness has given me the opportunity to serve the court. This is already a blessing and an honor for me. Now that you have given me such a generous reward, how could I not be satisfied? Your Highness, rest assured, I will do my best to serve the court well."
Businessmen are full of flowery words.
Song Yunzhi didn't want to see her hypocritical face, so he handed the rest of the matters over to Wang Zhao. He took the Yangshilei map and went to the salt fields in person.
Qian Tong also has things to do.
The salt field was previously owned by the Park family, but now it is under the control of the government. All the people in the field must be replaced, especially those who have signed a contract with the Park family. No one can be left.
Wang Zhao cleared out this type of people yesterday and returned them all to the Pu family.
The rest were temporary workers hired by the Park family. If they were driven away, the salt field would be left without manpower. However, if Wang Zhao continued to employ them, he was worried that they would become spies of the Park family.
Finally, the decision was given to Qian Tong.
People need to be exchanged, but the method of exchanging money and copper is different.
Hundreds of workers were ordinary people who had earned their living here for years, their families depending on their wages to support them. If they were driven away, where would they go to make a living? After conferring with Wang Zhao, Qian Tong gathered everyone and officially announced, "From now on, the Lianxiang Salt Field no longer belongs to the Pu family. It will be returned to the imperial court. My Qian family is honored to work for the imperial court and will be responsible for all affairs of the salt field. Anyone here who wishes to leave may do so; I will not keep them. Those who wish to stay and continue to serve the salt field will have their accounts re-entered by my Qian family."
In order to save money, businesses like to hire temporary workers. They are paid low wages and can be fired at any time if they become sick or disabled. This is definitely more cost-effective than long-term workers.
Despite such harsh conditions, there were still starving people in the recovering Dayu every day, and the people were still waiting to be hired in order to get a bite to eat.
Therefore, the people here are afraid of losing their jobs due to illness, and they dare not say a word when they are sick, so many people fall headfirst into the salt fields and never get up again.
Those who have worked in this salt field for the longest time have been there for two or three years. When they heard today that they could get the money into the Qian family's account and become long-term workers, there was a sudden commotion among the people.
Of course, there are conditions for entering the Qian family account. Qian Tong said loudly: "Anyone who enters the Qian family account must abide by the Qian family's rules. If you violate the rules, the contract will be invalid immediately, and you will never be able to work for the Qian family again in your lifetime."
She stood before the crowd, adorned with jewels and expensive silks. She didn't stir up jealousy or discomfort, but instead gave everyone a sense of solidity and attachment. She said, "Similarly, as long as you become a member of my Qian family, I will never let you go hungry. Those who wish to join my Qian family, please line up immediately and come one by one. The first rule of the Qian family is to respect order and not push or shove."
As soon as the words fell, the crowd below immediately moved around in an orderly manner, and soon formed a long line.
Of the four great families, only the Qian and Pu families are left. The Pu family is unwilling to hire them, but the Qian family is willing. If they become long-term employees of the Qian family, not to mention this salt field, even if the salt field is gone, they can still find a job elsewhere in the Qian family.
Qian's Teahouse is an example.
The Seventh Lady of the Qian Family dared to hire them, and after such a long time, those people worked well in the teahouse and their wages were not reduced at all, secretly.
Moreover, this salt field has been owned by the imperial court, and the Qian family is working for the imperial court, so their future is immeasurable.
Who wouldn't be happy about such a good thing? Almost no one present left, and they all lined up to join the Qian family.
Qian Tong then ordered Fu Yin to bring over a table and chairs, and then he said, "Get a pen and make a list."
After the workers of the Park family left, some positions were vacant. Wang Zhao did not interfere in the workers' affairs. In the evening of that day, he saw someone coming to the entrance of the salt field.
There were men and women, all dressed in tattered clothes, with a look of vicissitudes. After getting off the carriage, they seemed to be unable to believe that they had found a job. They gathered in a group.
Qian Tong went to pick him up in person.
One of them recognized her and smiled, "It's Miss Qi."
The other lady..."
"They didn't lie to us. The Qian family has been hiring people..."
When Qian Tong arrived, everyone came forward happily to express their gratitude.
"Seventh Lady has the heart of a bodhisattva..."
"Thank you, Miss Qi..."
The sun was strong at the seaside, and there were no trees to provide shade. Qian Tong used his palm to create a canopy on his forehead, glanced at the refugees who were approaching, and said in a clear voice, "Don't be so quick to thank me, everyone. Let's see if you can do it first. I don't want to keep idle people here."
A woman once accepted a bouquet of flowers from her on the street, and Qi Niangzi once told her, "Don't be sad, auntie, everything will be fine."
Unexpectedly, she was the one who fulfilled her promise. She immediately shed tears of gratitude, "Madam Qian, don't worry. We can't let down Madam Qi's kindness even if we risk our lives. Thank you Madam Qian for not despising us homeless people and taking us in..."
The people who came today were all refugees who had poured into Yangzhou City in the past year. Each of their hometowns had suffered varying degrees of disaster. After coming to Yangzhou, they could not find work and had to live under bridges.
Every winter, I wonder how many people will die.
They were lucky enough to be hired by Qian Qi Niang before winter came, and they had to seize the opportunity to stay.
Qian Tong said, "You don't have to risk your life. Come to my Qian family. If you are sick, you can see a doctor. If you are injured, you can rest. As long as you abide by the house rules, no one will chase you away."
She paid to hire people, not to take their lives.
To her, what she does today may be a piece of cake, but to the common people who are struggling in the world just to make a living, it is a life-saving straw.
As soon as she finished speaking, the woman and a man behind her who was carrying a child about ten years old began to kneel down.
"Don't kneel." Qian Tong saw this and stopped them, saying, "Kneel above, kneel below, kneel on the ground. If you want to kneel, kneel to the current emperor, but not to me. I also work for the court. We have the same status and the same goal. We need to make salt well, get our wages, support our families, and live our lives well... Come on, I'll take you to the salt fields first..."
Song Yunzhi and Wang Zhao had just returned from the salt fields riding horses when they saw such a spectacular scene.
The seventh lady of the Qian family was leading the way in a bright dress, followed by a group of ragged refugees. They were talking and laughing as they came towards the salt field passage opposite.
There are large salt fields on both sides of the passage, and the puddles reflect the vast and empty sky above.
Only heaven and earth can accommodate all things.
Under the vast sky, the rich and the poor, businessmen and the people can support each other and walk together in this way.
What is a dishonest businessman?
Seeking profit is evil, being cunning is evil?
Everyone claims to be a sage, but who can tell the difference between male and female crows?
Wang Zhao couldn't describe what a contradictory scene it was. He was stunned watching it from afar, and his complicated feelings towards the Qian family's seventh lady emerged again.
Turning around, Song Yunzhi's expression was equally calm.
Wang Zhao also sighed and said, how could he see through someone that even the prince couldn't understand?
She doesn't even want to be the Crown Prince's wife, which means she is not seeking fame. She is a woman who pursues freedom.
Qian Tong also saw the two men and approached them with slow steps. Since they had met, he said to the refugees behind him, "These two gentlemen are officials sent by the court. They are the Minister of Revenue, Mr. Song, and the Deputy Minister of the Supreme Court, Mr. Wang. Your Majesty cares about the people's livelihood. These salt fields are now owned by the court. It was Your Majesty who saved you, and it was the court that gave you a bite to eat. If you want to thank someone, thank Your Majesty and these two gentlemen."
When the refugees behind him heard that the other party was an official of the imperial court, they all knelt down to express their gratitude.
Qian Tong stood beside the Prince Song's horse, looking at him head-on. Her skirt was stained with mud and too heavy for her to walk, so she held it in one hand. With her other hand, she raised two fingers. The setting sun cast a halo around her head. She shook her fingers at him and said proudly, "Two hundred refugees! I've taken in another two hundred refugees for the prince. How about that?"
Seeing him staring at him in silence for a long while without saying anything, Qian Tong smiled at him and said, "Sir, don't you want to praise me?"
Wang Zhao had already dismounted to meet the refugees.
Song Yunzhi moved the horse aside, got off, and finally gave her the answer she wished for, "Madam Qian did a great job."
Qian Tong's face lit up with joy, and he pressed on, "Prince, are you willing to continue cooperating with me?" Lei Ting had also examined the salt fields' design, wondering if he was satisfied. "When are we going to sign our agreement?"
The terms were agreed upon and her people had arrived, but Prince Song had not yet signed the contract.
Song Yunzhi led the horse alongside her, and they always kept a distance of one person between them. With the attitude of doing things as they came, "Madam Qian, please draft it, and I will review it."
Song Yunzhi went to the salt fields, and his clothes, like the coins and copper coins, were also covered with mud and water. After returning to the house, he called for water and went to the bathroom first.
He probably didn't expect her to come so soon. Halfway through his bath, he heard a knock on the door. "Sir, I've finished my design. Could you take a look?"
This time when Song Yunzhi came to Yangzhou, he brought no servants except the secret guards. Without his call, the secret guards would not show up during the day.
When he was at the Qian family, the person who served him was Ajin. When he arrived at the prefectural government, there were special servants. This time he came to Yantian on a whim, and except for Wang Zhao, there was no servant guarding the house.
The moment the door was pushed open, Song Yunzhi's face changed and he shouted, "Get out!"
Qian Tong was so anxious to settle the contract as quickly as possible that he returned to his room without even changing his clothes. He checked the contract several times, and after confirming that it was correct, he immediately rushed to the next room.
But she overlooked the fact that Prince Song was a very clean person, and the first thing he should do after returning to the house was to take a bath and change clothes.
Now that she was here, she didn't want to go back and wait.
"Is the prince bathing?" Not only did she not leave, she also considerately closed the door for him. She walked closer to the bathroom and spoke to the person inside, "Don't worry, prince. I'll watch the door for you."
Song Yunzhi: ...
Who should we guard against?
Song Yunzhi came out very quickly, without even having time to wipe the water droplets off his hair or head. He was wearing a thin undershirt, which was soaked by the water and was almost invisible...
He walked out of the bathroom, his face as cold as ice as he stared at the woman who had broken in.
Qian Tong also stared at him with a dazed look on his face. It was not like he had never seen him naked before. When he was injured by Duan Shaowang, he took off his clothes in her house to treat his wounds.
At that time, what impressed her most was Prince Song's firm abdomen.
At this time, his lower abdomen was covered by his fur pants and nothing could be seen, but the cloth on his chest was extremely thin. After being soaked by water, it was almost transparent and stuck to his body, making the two pink bags on his chest particularly obvious.
Qian Tong: ...
"Turn around!"
When she turned around, Qian Tong immediately turned around and clarified, "Prince, I'm here to deliver the contract." He had no other thoughts.
It was just getting dark outside. Why was he taking a bath? It was so hot and he had to sweat before going to bed.
She turned around and waited for Prince Song to put on his clothes. The weather was hot, so he had been showering with cold water. With her sudden intrusion, he couldn't help but feel hot all over. He just put on a cloak, tied the belt, and sat upright on the futon beside her. He stretched out his hand and said to her, "Things."
Qian Tong sat down opposite him and handed him the contract.
As Prince Song flipped through the book, her eyes unconsciously stared at the water droplets on his hair.
One drop, two drops, three drops...
Still dripping.
It kept dripping, and a large area of my cloak was soaked.
I don't know what Song Yunzhi said, but it seems that he pointed out a few points that need to be revised. However, she found that she could not concentrate at all. Finally, she had to give up and interrupted, "Prince, my mind is full of you without clothes. Let's talk about it tomorrow morning."
Song Yunzhi had no intention of checking the contract with her so soon, but she rushed in in a hurry. He had to come out in the middle of taking a shower to cooperate with her to check.
He finally calmed down and took in the conversation, but she suddenly said something provocative, completely shattering the little bit of rationality and defense he had held on to.
Since she had no intention of marrying him, she shouldn't continue to flirt with him. He warned her, "Qian Tong, do you know what you're saying?"
Qian Tong didn't know what was wrong with him. He couldn't resist the temptation. He rubbed his burning cheek and said sadly, "My Lord, I think I know why you couldn't help but kiss me secretly that night. When it gets dark, people tend to do stupid things, just like how I feel now. I really want to kiss you."
Song Yunzhi: ...
Qian Tong looked at the endless stream of water dripping down the body of Prince Song under the light, and asked unwillingly, "Prince, do you want to talk about love?"
Perhaps because he was extremely angry with her, Song Yunzhi calmed down. He slowly closed the contract in his hand and suddenly asked her, "Want to kiss?"
Qian Tong nodded.
Some thoughts.
"Don't want to get married?"
Qian Tong nodded again. Did he agree?
Song Yunzhi slowly leaned over, holding her shoulders with his hands, getting closer and closer. The masculine scent enveloped her, constantly engulfing her. Qian Tong smelled the familiar, crisp fragrance on him, and her heart beat like a drum. The two of them were getting closer and closer. She raised her chin, and her lips were only five fingers away. Suddenly, he turned her shoulder in a direction, toward the door, "Get out. I won't see you off."
Qian Tong: “…”
She didn't know how she got out. When she got outside, the night breeze from the sea blew away all the paint in her heart. She slapped her forehead, turned around and apologized to the prince inside. "Prince, I was confused. Please don't take it to heart. I promise I won't make the same mistake again next time."
As soon as Song Yunzhi heard her voice, he couldn't help but breathe heavily.
After sitting quietly for a while, he stood up and returned to the bathroom.
——
The next day, Wang Zhao was the one who came in with the contract. "Seventh Lady said she had reviewed the contract again and asked the prince to review it. If there was no problem, he would sign it."
All subsequent messages were delivered by Wang Zhaocong.
When Song Yunzhi left in the afternoon, he did not see Qian Tong again.
There has been progress on the canal project. Shen Che has sent a letter saying that the troops are ready to be deployed.
On the second day after the Hongmen Banquet, Song Yunzhi had the deed signed by Mrs. Park delivered to Shen Che. Before Shen Che led his troops to their positions, he had someone ambush them halfway and robbed the letter that Mrs. Park had sent to the palace.
In this way, the news of the opening of the canal was passed on to the royal palace by Chen Che before the Pu family.
King Pingchang was not aware of this in advance. After hearing the news, he rushed from his fiefdom to the Huainan Canal overnight to stabilize Chen Che first, and planned to arrive in Yangzhou the next day to meet with the Crown Prince of Song in person.
Song Yunzhi left in the afternoon, and Prince Mingfeng arrived at Yantian in the evening.
She didn't get off the carriage, but asked Lan Xiaomiao to get off and look for someone. "Since you are an old acquaintance of her, ask her to get on the carriage. I will ask her what her relationship with Park's eldest daughter is."
On the first day she arrived in Yangzhou, she told Mrs. Pu that if the Pu family still wanted this marriage, they would give Da Mozi to her.
Mrs. Park was very straightforward and agreed immediately.
The eldest son of the Pu family rushed back in the evening of the same day. After meeting her, he told her that he had already made an engagement with the seventh daughter of the Qian family.
The eldest lady of the Pu family also knew about this, but because she was under pressure from the prince, she didn't dare to speak out. After Da Mozi explained everything to her, he solemnly apologized, "This marriage is because my family has wronged the prince. However, I have an appointment with Miss Qian Qi before, so I dare not deceive the prince, and I can't be a person who goes back on his word just to curry favor with the prince. I hope the prince can understand."
The Park family wants to use the Pyeongchang Palace as a backer, and the palace is also reluctant to give up the Park family's gold mine. Mingfeng knows that in the face of the interests of the palace, her father will not even blink an eye to give up her, a daughter.
Since the marriage with the Park family is a done deal and there is no way to escape it, she will try her best to find someone who satisfies her.
The eldest son of the Park family is quite good. He is better than the second son in terms of appearance and upbringing.
Moreover, Ermozi was almost useless in her hands.
She came today to see who the young lady who was engaged to Park Damozi was and whether she was willing to give up the marriage.
After Lan Xiaomaozi brought the person to her, Mingfeng was stunned. She didn't expect that the other person was the girl who dodged her horse in the street that day.
Qian Tong was also a little surprised. He stepped forward and knelt down to greet her. "A humble girl greets the prince."
Mingfeng asked her carefully, "Are you Qian Tong, who is going to marry the eldest son of the Pu family?"
Qian Tong did not deny it, "Replying to the Prince, it is indeed my daughter."
Mingfeng felt it was a little prickly.
Since she came to Jiangnan, this Lady Qian was the only woman she had ever met who could be called a beauty. No wonder the eldest son of the Pu family would rather reject the marriage proposal from the palace and choose her. Mingfeng called her to the carriage and said, "Come up, this prince has something to say to you."
Although she has always been known as a vicious woman, she never makes things difficult for an innocent woman. Since he wants to snatch this marriage from Qian Tong, he should give her corresponding bargaining chips.
Mingfeng said, "Name your price."
Qian Tong was stunned and didn't quite understand.
Mingfeng told her clearly: "This prince has taken a fancy to the eldest son of the Pu family. You give him to me. Name your price."
After she finished speaking, she saw the beauty opposite her was stunned for a long time, but there was no anger in her eyes. After the surprise, her expression was hesitant, wanting to say something but stopping. After a while, just when she was about to lose her patience, the beauty finally spoke, "If the prince likes him, how dare I compete with him for him, but..."
But what?
Qian Tong asked her softly, "I wonder if the prince has heard the story of me and Da Mozi?"
How could a princess like her possibly know their story? Mingfeng frowned. She had no interest in their past. She only wanted to know what it would take for her to let him go.
But she said: "Back then I wanted to elope with Da Mozi..."
It is not uncommon for women to elope with others these days, but how many of them have the courage to go against their family for a man?
Mingfeng's ears twitched slightly.
Seeing that she didn't stop him, Qian Tong lowered his head and continued, "The Pu family and the Qian family are old friends. Da Mozi and I have been playing together since we were young. We are childhood sweethearts. We fell in love with each other at the beginning and secretly agreed to get married early on. Unfortunately, the elders of both families disagreed..." She paused, "But if the two of them were really in love with each other, how could they not find a way to be together? It's not a done deal..."
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