Fu Xiaoguan decided to skip work in the afternoon.
Compared to reading those boring memorials in the Secretariat, he had more important things to deal with.
Since Yan Beixi had said so, going to the Northland was obviously unavoidable. It seemed that there were still five or six months before Wu Chaowen would return, but that time flew by!
The lunch bowls and plates in Li Chenxuan have been cleared away, and Dong Shulan is now making tea for her future father-in-law.
Only then did Fu Xiaoguan say to Fu Daguan, "According to the current situation, the engagement will have to be postponed for at least a few months..." He turned to look at Dong Shulan, a little embarrassed, "Shulan, you know I'm anxious to marry you, but I didn't expect this to happen so suddenly..."
Dong Shulan smiled sweetly, and of course she was very upset in her heart, but she knew that this was not Fu Xiaoguan's business, but involved Yu Wenjun, so she had to do it another day.
"Don't think too much. Just like the story you wrote about the 'Magpie Bridge Fairy', I can wait."
It was the saying that if love between two people is long-lasting, why should they be together day and night? Because Mr. Fu was here, Dong Shulan was naturally embarrassed to say this out loud, thinking that Mr. Fu would definitely understand.
"Yan Beixi gave me a task at the government office today, and I have to tell you about it."
Fu Xiaoguan said Yan Beixi's words very seriously. Dong Shulan immediately raised her head and looked at Fu Xiaoguan, with worry in her eyes, but because Fu Daguan was here, she still said nothing.
However, when Mr. Fu heard this, he frowned.
"I once heard traveling merchants talk about Yongning Prefecture. The bitter cold there is even worse than in the Qiang, Miao, and Western Rong regions. Why would that old bastard Yan Beixi want you to go there to investigate? There's nothing there except endless loess plateaus and weak red sorghum. Oh, and there's even a Yellow River bandit named Gong Shenzhang there right now. Don't go. Don't put that off, you can't go!"
Fu Xiaoguan didn't want to go either, but what else could he do?
He was the prime minister of the dynasty, and he was just a small fourth-rank official. He couldn't twist his arm against the thigh, so he could only say: "You don't have to worry about this. I think it's okay to go and take a look."
"No, my son, did you bully his granddaughter Yan Xiaolou, and that old man is taking revenge on you?" Fu Daguan suddenly remembered that Fu Xiaoguan had told him that he had another daughter-in-law, Yan Xiaolou. He thought that Yan Shidao failed to win Yun Qing's heart, and now Yun Qing's son is going to marry a woman from the Yan family. Did the father and son plan to trick Fu Xiaoguan?
Fu Xiaoguan smiled awkwardly: "Don't think too much, it's not true."
After a pause, he continued, "Here's what I've planned. Dad, you have to go back to Linjiang and tell the heads of the various workshops to wait for my news before coming to the capital. Remember to invite Old Fourth Feng along, and have him bring a few blacksmiths who know how to observe the mountains. Also, give me a steward who must be stationed in Pingling and Quyi counties. Have them come to the capital in the carriage of the West Mountain Express, and the head of the West Mountain Express must also accompany them. That's basically it."
Officer Fu's eyes widened. "What do you want to do?"
“I want to open workshops in those two places.”
Dong Shulan's eyes lit up, and she wondered if she could open her small clothing workshop.
According to Fu Xiaoguan's usual advice, if this business wants to expand, it needs a nationwide presence. If we can establish a workshop in those two locations, we can supply the northern market. I'll have to talk to him about this later, and I'll also be accompanying him.
Fu Xiaoguan thought of his six mothers and said, "Dad, when you go back, tell them about the tax reductions in those two places and see if their families are willing to go. If they are willing, ask them to come along."
The main ones are Wu Niang, Liu Niang and Qin Niang. Wu Niang's family is an iron merchant. If Pingling Quyi can mine iron ore, they can set up a workshop there.
Liu Niang's family is a tailor, so there will always be someone who wants to wear these clothes.
Qiniang Qu Linglong's family happens to be cloth merchants, so I think they are also interested in the market in the north.
But Senior Official Fu shook his head. "What merchants fear most these days is trading with someone from another region. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Local merchants and the government already have a vested interest. If we southern merchants go north... not only won't we get to drink a sip of the soup, we might even end up losing the pot."
This is exactly the state of business right now.
The court's extensive restrictions on merchants made operating in other regions difficult, hindering the distribution of goods. However, driven by profit, merchants would do whatever they could to get their goods out the door, inevitably using money to establish connections or collaborating with merchants from other regions. This significantly increased intangible costs, kept commodity prices high, and ultimately hindered sales.
It was a thankless job, so more merchants moved to a corner and made a living from their own small plots of land. The circulation of goods became even scarcer. Unless there were huge profits or they had the support of a big tree, ordinary merchants would not run away.
Fu Xiaoguan sighed inwardly, but continued to persuade, "Dad, if I can get the document from the Prime Minister of Yan—I mean, let the Prime Minister of Yan endorse everyone's investment in Quyi and Pingling—wouldn't that solve their worries? Tell them that this is their only chance. If they miss this opportunity, they'll never have another one. If they want to earn more money and make their family's reputation more prestigious, they'll have to be bold. Otherwise, by the time all the conditions are met, they won't even have enough to eat!"
Official Fu thought about this for a long time, and then decided to leave Shangjing and return to Linjiang in the afternoon.
"Son, you must get proof of Yan Zai's endorsement. Otherwise, if my fathers-in-law believe Dad and really run off to Pingling and Quyi to spend a fortune, only to end up like throwing money in the water without a single bubble... Dad thinks your mothers will strangle me to death!"
…
…
Fu Xiaoguan and Dong Shulan saw off Fu Daguan, and it was getting dark when they returned to Fu's house.
News arrived from Drizzle Tower that Fei An had been released from the Jinling government prison and returned to the Nanling Villa by carriage. After washing up, he took his polished sword and rode out of Nanling County on his warhorse, heading eastward, his destination unknown.
He was not surprised that Fei'an could come out. What surprised him was that this guy didn't take the hoe but picked up the knife again... What did he want to do?
"Keep a close eye on Fei An's movements and report back as soon as you have any news!"
On the twelfth floor, Ye Wusui bowed and left. Only then did Dong Shulan tell Fu Xiaoguan what she was thinking.
Fu Xiaoguan pondered for a long time and said, "I agree with your idea, but I don't agree with you going with me. You can ask your second brother to do it."
"I don't trust him in what he does."
"...That's right," Fu Xiaoguan pondered for a moment before expressing his concerns. "Gong Shenchang is in the Pingling Mountains. Quyi and Pingling counties are not far from the mountains. After all, his father-in-law Liu Sanbian and his two great Vajra were killed because of me. So, on this trip... I have one more thing I need to do."
Dong Shulan's eyes narrowed, and she stared at Fu Xiaoguan with a serious expression: "Are you going to suppress the bandits again?"
"We must eliminate the bandits," Fu Xiaoguan shook Dong Shulan's hand and said slowly, "Think about it. Those two places are already unstable. If we don't eliminate Gong Shenchang, how can there be a good business environment? As soon as our workshop is built and the goods are just produced, they come to rob us - think about it, can this business still be carried out?"
"If we want to make money there, we must first eliminate Gong Shenzhang. The North is poor, so the people are not very smart. Although they are simple, they are also very tough. Eliminating Gong Shenzhang has two major benefits. The first is of course to solve the worries, and the second is to deter some unruly people. This must be done, and it must be done!"
"The northern border troops are powerless against Captain Gong."
Fu Xiaoguan laughed. "It's not that they don't have a solution. They're just keeping the head of the palace so they can ask the court for money."
Dong Shulan looked at Fu Xiaoguan in silence for a long time. She understood what Fu Xiaoguan meant, but became more worried.
"Have you ever thought about the consequences if you cut off their source of income?"
"There are still a few months left. I will make more plans and won't be as foolish as last time. The reason I asked your second brother to go is because the two places in Qingluan Lane will start construction after the cement is delivered. Only you can keep an eye on this matter..."
"No," Dong Shulan pouted, "I think it's better to let my second brother take care of the construction of these two places. I'm going with you anyway."
Well, Fu Xiaoguan did not try to dissuade Dong Shulan anymore, and Dong Shulan left Fu's house happily. She had to go to the Temple Street of Chenghuang Temple. She planned to buy the shop that she had taken a fancy to last year.
Fu Xiaoguan sat alone in Taoranting, thinking about what to do next.
The Queen Mother's funeral will be held tomorrow, and his name is on the list of attendants.
I took this opportunity to visit Purple Mountain.
That Eunuch Wei had never been seen before. His attack at Lantingji was extremely extraordinary. According to Su Jue, this old eunuch was at least a first-class master, because Su Su was unable to activate the Qin Sword.
Could he be the eunuch in Zijin Mountain?
Su Jue thought it was very likely, because although there were many people in the martial arts world, most of them were third-rate masters like the Great God King Kong and the Poison-Repelling King Kong.
People like Su Su and the Seven Swordsmen of Jianlin are basically second-rate masters, and their numbers are already very rare.
As for people like Su Rou and Ximen Piaoxue, they are in the lower first-class level, and as for Senior Brother Su Jue... he said that he has not reached the Half-Step Saint level, and is only in the upper first-class level.
Well, anyway, I am still a nobody now and not worth mentioning.
Fu Xiaoguan did not hold any hope that he could find anything by going to Zijin Mountain.
Then comes the Dragon Raising Day on February 2nd, and hunting in the Nanshan Royal Gardens. This was a proposal made by the eldest prince years ago and approved by His Majesty. I just don't know if it will be changed because of the Queen Mother's passing.
Next we will go to Wu Dynasty.
The distance between Shangjing of the Yu Dynasty and Guanyuncheng, the capital of the Wu Dynasty, is more than 3,800 miles, and the journey takes nearly forty days!
Then I returned to Shangjing, and had to go to Quyi again... I would stay in Quyi to suppress the bandits and delay it until next year, so that I could avoid the hard task of sending the third princess to the desolate country!
There is a Tuoba Qiu in the Wild Country. This guy wants to kill me. We are playing away games there, so it’s better not to go!
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