Chapter 133: Using Power to Overwhelm Others
"Also, find a way to make some paper bags. Use the paper used by our Banknote Bureau to print banknotes. They need to be sturdy, able to hold heavy objects, and not break when moved. After the cement powder is mixed, seal it in paper bags and remember not to let it come into contact with water."
"Ah?" Old Liu was a little confused when he heard this. "Sir, is this appropriate?"
"Just do it when I tell you to. I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong." Zhu Chong didn't like to waste time explaining. He had the patience for Old Zhu and Zhu Biao, but he didn't need to do that for Old Liu.
It's not that I look down on Old Liu, but there is no point in explaining to him. Instead of wasting time explaining, it's better to do more things. At most, he will have to work harder and just keep a closer eye on him.
After Old Liu left, Zhu Chong summoned Zhang Quan to his presence. He explained the two things he had instructed Old Liu to do, and then asked, "Any news on the civilians assigned by the court?"
"Sir, someone just sent a letter from the Eastern Palace saying that the civilians will be sent from the Eastern Palace and they will have enough manpower within five days. We should prepare first."
Five days would pass. Zhu Chong calculated the time, nodded, and instructed Zhang Quan again, "Then you should ask Old Liu to speed up the construction of the lime kiln, so that when everyone arrives, there won't be enough cement."
"Please rest assured, sir. I will take care of this matter. However, there is one matter that I am afraid I need your personal intervention to resolve."
Zhang Quan thought about it and told Zhu Chong something, which surprised Zhu Chong. It turned out that it was Yu Tong, the magistrate of Changning County, who came to visit him.
To be honest, if Zhang Quan hadn't mentioned this person, Zhu Chong would have almost forgotten who Yu Tong was. Now that he mentioned him and understood the purpose of Yu Tong's visit, Zhu Chong couldn't help but laugh. He waved his hand and said, "Okay, let him in."
Not long after, Yu Tong, with a fierce face and looking exhausted, walked in.
"Sir Yu, you are a rare guest. Please take a seat." Zhu Chong smiled and bowed to Yu Tong, but he didn't even show any intention of standing up.
When Yu Tong saw Zhu Chong's behavior, his already unhappy mood suddenly became even worse.
Zhu Chong bought the barren mountains and wastelands in Changning County that had been bothering him from him, but in the blink of an eye, they turned into coal mines where every inch of land was worth a lot of money.
Even though he wrote a letter to defend himself and was worried about being punished by the court, Yu Tong was always very nervous in his heart. But strangely, the punishment he thought he would receive from the court never came.
Yu Tong was puzzled, but his name had already spread throughout the eight counties of Yingtian Prefecture.
After all, those things in official circles are no secrets, not to mention that Yu Tong sold the coal mine as if it were wasteland. This has long become a laughing stock in Yingtian Prefecture, and even the people of Changning County have become a joke.
Therefore, Changning County has now been spread as a laughing stock. Yu Tong was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. He ran straight to Yingtian Prefecture to find Zhu Chong to argue with him.
When Yu Tong came, he had already thought about how to argue with Zhu Chong, but when he saw Zhu Chong's behavior, he became furious and wanted to fight Zhu Chong one-on-one.
After all, he still retained a little rationality and was not impulsive, but the tone of his speech was naturally unpleasant.
"Master Zhu is truly resourceful. He knew there was coal beneath the barren mountain, but he kept it secret. He even deliberately lowered the price to buy it at the price of a barren mountain. As a result, he hasn't even left a single slag for Changning County. Isn't this too much?"
"Too much?" Zhu Chong was immediately amused when he heard that. When Yu Tong treated him as a fat sheep to be slaughtered, did he ever think that this day would come?
Zhu Chong would certainly not tolerate such a confused person, but then he thought again, he was on someone else's land, he had robbed the person of such a large coal mine, and it didn't seem very fair to leave him any benefits.
Moreover, Zhu Chong had some thoughts about Changning County before. After all, it was part of the Ming Dynasty and there was no need to treat it as an enemy.
"Lord Yu, I have been waiting for you to come so that we can discuss cooperation. But I didn't expect you to come only now. You really kept me waiting!" Zhu Chong took the initiative and said it first.
Yu Tong was stunned when he heard this. "Master Zhu, you are deceiving me again. I have carefully re-inspected the area around Changning in recent days. Apart from your coal mine, there is no other coal mine anywhere else..."
"Master Yu, you misunderstood." Zhu Chong laughed. "I'm not talking about the coal mine. Besides, I found it purely by luck. If Master Yu thinks that I deliberately tricked you, then you are really wronging me."
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. My coal mine has been approved by the court and can be fully mined. I wonder if Lord Yu is interested in joining forces with me to mine the coal mine?"
Yu Tong had a prejudice against Zhu Chong, and Zhu Chong's frivolous tone of voice made him think differently.
"Master Zhu, please don't go too far. You've taken advantage of our county's coal mines and you're expecting me to help you find laborers to open the mines. You're really just wishful thinking!"
"I'm putting this out there today. As long as I'm in Changning County, you can't dream of getting a laborer to help you mine coal!"
"Seriously!" Zhu Chong's face turned cold when he heard Yu Tong's attitude. He had tried to negotiate with him in a nice tone, but ended up being rejected coldly. How could Zhu Chong tolerate this?
"Don't you believe it, sir?" Yu Tong sneered. He asked himself, although he could not do other things, he could still do this kind of thing. However, he obviously underestimated Zhu Chong. Until now, he still had not found out what Zhu Chong's background was.
"Of course I believe that Lord Yu has such great ability, but I advise Lord Yu not to do that." Zhu Chong sneered: "Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!"
"You're threatening me!" Yu Tong sneered. "Even if you're a fifth-rank official, your Treasury and Banknotes Administration has no jurisdiction over Changning County!"
"It's true that the Treasury and Banknotes Administration Office has no jurisdiction over your Changning County, but I'm more than just an official in charge of the Treasury and Banknotes Administration Office!"
Zhu Chong casually threw out a sign, which fell at Yu Tong's feet. Yu Tong looked at it carefully, and when he saw the words written on it clearly, his face suddenly changed drastically.
"You, you are the King of Qin, you are..."
"That's right, the current emperor is my father, the prince is my brother, the queen is my mother, and I am the King of Qin of the Ming Dynasty. Do you have any objections?" Zhu Chong looked proud.
He usually uses his power to bully others, but for a local tyrant like Yu Tong, although Zhu Chong is not afraid of him, he also does not want to be disgusted by him.
A local tyrant like Yu Tong is more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything, so Zhu Chong didn't intend to play dumb with him. He simply beat him to death with a stick to let him know how powerful he is, saving him the trouble of dealing with him later!
Just like when Zhu Chong first came to the Baochao Tizhusi, he would never do anything roundabout and troublesome if it could be done once and for all.
There is no need to waste time on someone like Yu Tong!
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