Chapter 1181: Laying the Plan and Closing the Net (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
People shouldn't, and absolutely shouldn't, fall in love with working illegally!
You absolutely cannot fall in love with the illegal foreman while fighting!
This fact is explosive from any perspective.
Cui Zhi rubbed his forehead, unable to figure out what the meat bun was thinking even after an incense stick's time. It was the dog's fault the meat bun was taken, not the bun's, but since the meat bun willingly went with the dog and didn't mind being eaten, both the dog and the meat bun deserved a beating!
"Did you go and find out what happened?"
Cui Zhi didn't mind a subordinate's departure; people naturally strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill. However, he couldn't help but be bothered by the inexplicable nature of the man's departure. What had Cui Shi done to wrong him?
The confidant said, "We asked, but we didn't get any information."
Communication between the two sides was difficult, so the man with the meat bun used a tai chi-like tactic, stalling for time until he lost patience. The other side didn't explicitly say they had betrayed the Cui family; they only said they were loyal to Second Master Cui Mi.
Cui Xiong has already been betrothed and is expected to marry within two or three years. According to the customs of aristocratic families, the marriage of a male member of the family is not far from the division of the family property. The brothers live separately and rarely live together – it's not like they are a small family that can't afford to provide a new house for the newlyweds.
It's perfectly reasonable for Roubaozi to choose Cui Mi.
Well, Cui Mi should take some of his "family fortune" in advance.
Judging from the results, Roubaozi remains a vassal of the Cui family.
Even Cui Zhi, the head of the family, couldn't say anything. He couldn't very well accuse this "meat bun" (a nickname for a young man) of trying to sow discord between the Cui and Xiong brothers, could he? As far as the "meat bun" was concerned, his position wasn't that important. It was like the brothers splitting up the family property, with one side voluntarily siding with Cui Mi.
The problem is—
Cui Mi is a special child.
The so-called defection to Cui Mi was merely a pretext to deflect Cui Zhi's questioning; in reality, he had definitely defected to Shen Zhongli! Cui Zhi pondered for a moment and then ordered, "Send men to investigate secretly over there, but remember not to alert them. Also, bring me all the accounts from that place!"
The head of the Cui family is a very busy man.
Shen Zhongli was busy with his farcical martial arts contest to find a husband, and his days were pretty much the same each day. Cui Zhi also had a large family to attend to, so he couldn't possibly keep an eye on what a lowly county magistrate was doing every day. Asking about him occasionally was already a sign of respect. He never expected the other party to play like this!
Cui Zhi carefully read the report twice.
A keen eye spotted some details.
"Grain seeds? Who did Shen Zhongli borrow grain seeds from?" It wasn't a good time for planting then, so why did Shen Zhongli buy so many grain seeds? To prepare for next year's spring planting? That's way too early. "Did Madam get involved? Or was it Er Mi who intervened?"
Mei Meng and the King's initial intentions for reform were good, but how many people's interests would be harmed in the process? These people would all be obstacles! Even if Cui Zhi stepped forward to suppress some of the powerful families and allow the new policies to be implemented layer by layer, it doesn't mean that everyone will cooperate.
As the policy was pushed down the social ladder, the main force behind its implementation was the local officials and clerks. These officials were mostly locals with deeply entrenched connections in their respective areas. In their small territories, their influence could be more powerful than that of powerful families, and the local officials were more effective than the county magistrate.
The common people wanted to borrow money from the government to buy grain seeds.
Whether or not to lend it is up to these people.
Shen Zhongli's jurisdiction had accumulated three years' worth of bad debts. If it weren't for the Cui family stepping in to cover them, these debts would have had to be covered by the higher-ups. Now that the Cui family has indicated they won't interfere, there's no way to secure tax revenue for the new year. How could the prefectural government dare to lend Shen Tang seeds or grain? If they don't lend seeds, at most, they'll just add another year's worth of bad debts. But if they do lend seeds, the bad debts will extend beyond just uncollected taxes.
Shen Zhongli's attempt to borrow grain seeds was destined to end in a humiliating defeat.
Unless Cui Mi or Cui Hui secretly intervenes to give them face.
Cui Zhi did not object to this development.
Shen Zhongli's ability to fully utilize her existing network to achieve her goals is commendable, but one can only feel some disappointment—is this all the skill Qi Yuanliang's people possess?
The confidant replied, "Not yet."
He paused for a moment, then said, "It was borrowed from private merchants."
Cui Zhi chuckled inwardly, his fingers deftly manipulating a few jade beads as he asked his confidant, "Did she borrow from private merchants? How much interest did she borrow? When the time comes, will she return seeds or grain?"
There is interest on the return of the grain seeds.
There is interest on the returned grain.
Regardless of the method, the interest rates were far higher than those offered by the government's new policies. If the weather was favorable and luck was on your side, there was a small chance you could break even; more likely, you'd lose everything! Farmers toiled, the fields lost their fertility, the county government bore the lending risk, and in the end, it all benefited the merchants. These merchants were mostly affiliated with powerful families and were incredibly ruthless!
If you're even slightly bad at arithmetic, you'll be in deep trouble.
As expected—
The confidant said with a complicated expression, "It's two-fifths of a cent!"
Cui Zhi's fingers, which were moving the abacus, stopped.
Looking at the amount on the abacus in disbelief, she almost couldn't hold back: "Five and two percent? Shen Zhongli really dares to lend money! Is her brain filled with straw? Even aristocratic families wouldn't dare to secretly lend money at such a high interest rate, and she actually dares to borrow it?"
What does 5.2 cents mean?
The highest interest rate the government lends out for grain seeds is only 1.7 percent!
The new policy initially stipulated that commoners could only borrow from the government. After encountering strong resistance, Mei Meng had to compromise with the powerful families and allow commoners to borrow from private individuals instead of the government, but stipulated that the annual interest rate could not exceed 1.7%.
If any amount exceeds 1.7 cents, it can be reported to the authorities.
One fen and seven li is approximately equal to an annual interest rate of 20%.
This interest rate wasn't low, but even this 0.7% affected the interests of many. As a result, Shen Zhongli, desperate for a solution, resorted to borrowing at an interest rate of 0.52%, which was significantly higher than the prevailing rates. Did Shen Zhongli not even calculate the previous years' yield per mu before borrowing grain?
Cui Zhi could almost foresee the scene where this guy would lose all his money for his coffin.
Even his trusted aide clicked his tongue in astonishment: "Who would have thought..."
If the interest rate were 1.7%, Shen Zhongli might still be able to turn her accounts around. With an interest rate of 3.4%, there was a very small chance that she could break even. But with an interest rate of 5.2%, the compound interest of private loans would bankrupt her in less than two years.
Despite his headache, Cui Zhi asked.
"Have you found out who she borrowed it from?"
Cui Zhi thought of another possibility.
If Shen Zhongli borrowed money from Qi Shan's merchants to buy grain seeds, it would be understandable for her to falsify accounts and charge such high interest rates.
The trusted aide handed over a report: "We've found out."
Cui Zhi opened it and fell silent.
Haha, the merchant isn't from out of town; he's a local from Qi State.
What really irked Cui Zhi was that he knew this merchant; he was affiliated with a second-rate family in the southwest region and regularly paid "protection money" to this family. Cui Zhi muttered, "Being stupid is one thing, but how could he be this stupid? Why let the good stuff go to outsiders!"
That's an exorbitant interest rate of 0.52%!
It's better to borrow from the Cui family than from outsiders.
At least the Cui family members are more polite when collecting debts and won't resort to violence to collect them from their own son. It's hard to say about other people.
Cui Zhi took another sip of herbal tea to calm his nerves.
He said, "Order someone to investigate this merchant's background thoroughly."
The confidant asked, puzzled, "Should we continue investigating this person?"
Cui Zhi's eyes flickered: "Hmm, let's see if this merchant has any connections with the Northwest Kang Kingdom. I won't comment on Shen Zhongli's abilities, but she is, after all, Qi Yuanliang's person, and I can still say a few words about Qi Yuanliang. I don't really believe that Qi Yuanliang would raise such a stupid and useless person. Five percent and two percent interest? Humph!"
Is this really not a fake account?
The trusted confidant accepted the order and withdrew.
An interest rate of 0.52% is indeed outrageous.
Even the meat buns that Cui had given out felt that Shen Tang was courting death. He hesitated several times before finally turning to his second son, saying, "Second son, this grain seed cannot be lent!"
Young people can't do math at all.
Compared to Roubaozi's anxiety, Cui Mi remained calm.
Even with an interest rate of 0.52%, we can still make a profit.
Roubaozi was so anxious that cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He tried his best to explain the math to Cui Mi, telling him what 5.2% meant. The government's interest rate of 1.7% was barely enough to make ends meet! 5.2% was equivalent to borrowing 100 coins at the beginning of the year and having to repay 163 coins at the end! These unscrupulous merchants always calculated the yield per acre when lending out grain seeds, making it impossible for anyone to make a profit.
Cui Mi calmly replied, "I've studied abacus calculation."
My grades are definitely better than theirs, so there's no need to calculate these things for him.
Meat Bun said weakly, "[Forgive my bluntness, but even if you, Second Young Master, are skilled in calculations, you still can't succeed if you don't understand farming! This grain seed absolutely cannot be lent out; if it is, it's all over!]"
Cui Mi laughed and asked, "Do you know how much this grain yields per mu?"
Meat Bun paused, then took a deep breath: "Even a seasoned farmer, skilled in all aspects of agriculture, can only increase the yield by two or three tenths at most. Are those unscrupulous merchants trying to trick you and the county magistrate into doubling the yield?"
No, not at all.
Just as Roubaozi was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Cui Mi corrected him, "It's not doubled, it's said to be at least five times the yield per mu in this county. The 5.2% interest is calculated based on ordinary grain, but this grain really does have a five-fold effect. Even if the heavens are unkind, you won't lose money. You can rest assured and go about your business."
I almost couldn't hold my meat bun in my mouth.
Five times the yield per mu...
Those damned young masters from wealthy families and the shady foreman Shen Zhongli! Do these two even know what five times the yield per mu means?
The unscrupulous merchant just opened his mouth and these two idiots actually believed him?
Meat Bun, suppressing a twitch at the corner of his mouth, said sarcastically, "[I've also heard of a type of grain that can yield ten times the profit per mu, with interest rates that high. Why don't you discuss with Magistrate Shen and suggest switching to that company?]"
They managed to trick these two dimwits into borrowing money from the Cui family.
It also allows you to pocket a kickback.
Cui Mi rolled his eyes at this.
He truly witnessed a bumper harvest where the yield per mu (unit of land area) increased at least fivefold.
Two or three months have passed since the final martial arts contest for marriage. Surprisingly, over 70% of the remaining warriors have shown courage and determination, and the remaining 30% have indicated they will return once their families are settled. Shen Tang has gone from a lone commander to a small force of over two hundred men in her private retinue. It wasn't that she brainwashed them or gave them Stockholm syndrome; she won them over with genuine affection.
Hmm, how can diluted spirit wine not be considered true affection?
Whenever someone was "released upon completion of their term," Shen Tang would order a small table to be prepared to thank them for their hard work over the past month. As the saying goes, one cannot hit a smiling face, and those martial artists, wanting to see what she was up to, patiently sat down and listened to her rambling.
Want some food?
tasty!
Want to have a drink?
The long-awaited rain has brought much relief to Danfu!
A glass of wine swept away the fatigue accumulated over the past month.
The feeling was too mysterious to describe even a fraction of their limited language! Seventy percent of their resentment towards Shen Tang vanished instantly! The remaining thirty percent dissipated completely amidst Shen Tang's singing, acting, and nonsensical tales, and they even began to understand him.
Starting a business alone is indeed not easy.
The government office was destitute, and she, as a county magistrate, could not hold it up alone.
There are hardly any able-bodied young men in the area. Things he could do with a single finger and his eyes closed might take five or six old men three to five days to accomplish. With no money and no manpower, she was forced to resort to this desperate measure. Everything she did was to try and support the local population.
Shen Tang: [I have offended you before, so I will punish myself with a cup of wine.]
He drank it all in one gulp, a sight that even made martial artists feel sorry for him.
She hurriedly pressed down Shen Tang's hand, saying, "What are you saying, Lady Shen? If I had known your plan beforehand, I would have agreed!"
Obviously, this is a lie.
The ultimate goal is still to drink one more sip of the spiritual wine.
Shen Tang didn't compete with the other party and treated them to a good meal and drinks.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Shen Tang finally asked the ten men what they thought of the work they had been doing lately. They remained silent. Their honest opinion was one of dissatisfaction. They were martial arts experts, yet they were being treated like convicts—a humiliating disgrace! They would rather stand guard for Shen Tang for a month than do this kind of work.
For the sake of the spirit wine, we obviously can't say that.
These tasks are trivial for martial arts masters, but they are too tedious. If Lady Shen insists on doing it this way, I suggest that she recruit more projects in the future. For example, build a bridge today, repair a road tomorrow, and blast mountains to build dams and reservoirs the day after.
Interspersing them adds a touch of novelty.
The other nine people looked at the man who had spoken in horror.
No way, how can you even say such insincere nonsense?
Shen Tang clearly took his words to heart and even thought the suggestion was brilliant. A single conversation with a wise man is worth more than ten years of study!
She praises people without batting an eye, which makes them feel embarrassed.
The group of wandering knights is quite special.
The area is a melting pot of people, teeming with thugs and hooligans, with a terrible reputation, many of whom have murder on their hands. Those who are successful locally become local bullies, while those who are less successful wander around, claiming to be chivalrous and righteous. Wherever they go, they pose a significant threat to public safety.
Even though Shen Tang's words sounded like polite formalities, but—
No one had ever told me this before.
Not to mention drinking this spirit wine himself.
Immediately, someone asked Shen Tang about the origin of the wine.
Shen Tang didn't miss the greed in their eyes: "You mean this wine? When I was traveling in the Northwest, I saved a wine merchant. To repay his kindness, he would allocate a batch to me every year. I heard it's quite sought after in the Northwest… but there was a prior agreement that this spirit wine couldn't be resold, nor could the news be spread, otherwise the other party's business would suffer."
Everyone had different thoughts.
Some of them have already considered murder and robbery.
How many similar situations has Shen Tang dealt with?
How could I not know what they were up to?
Shen Tang feigned a troubled expression: "Actually, I have another request, however difficult it may be. If you gentlemen are willing, I am willing to offer you a high salary!"
Recruiting means making short-term workers work long-term jobs.
Anyway, I've gotten the hang of it after a month.
Recruiting new people would take time to train, so it's better to have existing ones.
The others, harboring their own ulterior motives, disdained Shen Tang's promise of a high salary, their attention entirely focused on the [batch of spirit wine]. Where would Shen Tang hide the spirit wine? Certainly within her territory.
If we stay a little longer, we'll eventually figure things out.
|ω`)
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