After a few days of exploration, the division of power in Suzhou City had basically taken shape.

It can be roughly divided into three major parts.

Government officials, wealthy businessmen, and gentry.

As far as branches are concerned, there are relatively many large merchants in the city, and most of the shop deeds are in the hands of large merchants. They have their own caravans, goods, and a complete set of mature operating models.

The main distribution area of ​​the gentry and landlords is outside the city.

They controlled most of the unofficial land in Suzhou Prefecture and, to some extent, a considerable number of private guards as well.

Maybe they don't have much money, but in terms of food reserves, it is more than enough.

Even if there are one or two disaster years, they can easily get through it, and they can also gather the land of some individual investors and expand their scale.

If the weather is good and the harvest is good next year, you will make a lot of money.

Even if the situation isn't very good next year, it won't be a big problem if we can hold on for another one or two years.

The Jiangnan area has always been a land of fish and rice, and it is rare for major disasters to occur for two or three consecutive years.

Compared with businessmen, gentry have more power.

Even though the taxation in the Jiangnan area was heavy, as long as one was willing to donate grain, one could get the opportunity to become an official through recommendation.

No matter how much money a merchant has, his household registration is that of a merchant, and even his descendants are not qualified to serve as officials.

Wanhua Tower, the largest restaurant in Suzhou city.

There are no uneducated people among the people, and all the scholars are present when talking and laughing.

This is the best portrayal of Wanhua Tower.

Although it is called Wanhua Tower, it is actually a combination of several courtyards and high-rise buildings.

There is no such thing as levels here. As long as you are willing to spend money, you can go to a more elegant place.

The lobby in front of the roof is naturally dominated by storytellers.

Listening to music in brothels has gradually become a niche and private activity. What the general public still likes is to listen to the storytelling related to the court newspapers.

At the back, in the elegant and quiet yard.

More than a dozen men, dressed simply but with big bellies, walked over slowly.

They are the representatives of the wealthiest merchants in Suzhou City.

"Master Li, this way please."

"Master Zhang, I haven't seen you for a long time."

"Oh, what's the wind blowing today? Even Master Liu is coming here."

"Master Chen, I am here, this way, please come this way."

A middle-aged man bowed and nodded, welcoming the guests in front of the door.

There are not many outsiders here, and the call of "Master" makes these businessmen, who usually feel bullied, very happy to hear it.

Some of those who were happy took out some change as a reward.

This made the man's smiling face bloom even more cheerfully.

The next day was already night. The backyard faced the river, which was dotted with pleasure boats. The sound of boats could be heard constantly, and there were twinkling lights. It was a prosperous and lively scene.

After the eight businessmen sat down, they bowed to each other.

We are all acquaintances and there are many areas for cooperation between us, so there is no need to be overly polite.

However, there is still some inner comparison.

For example, a certain Mr. Chen seemed to casually lift up the linen clothes he was wearing, revealing the finest silk underneath.

Mr. Liu rolled up his sleeves, and a string of Bodhi seeds appeared.

Mr. Zhang unbuttoned his clothes, and the palm-sized jade Buddha was particularly eye-catching.

Among them, only Mr. Li, leaning on the crutch, looked like an old farmer, without any unnecessary movements.

Bang bang!

Mr. Li was the oldest, with deep wrinkles on his face and a head full of white hair. He picked up his cane and knocked twice, and everyone stopped their private actions.

"I called you all here today to discuss the idea proposed by the Qunying Chamber of Commerce to build a Suzhou Shipyard."

"Now I am selling four shares. What I want to say is that we should have a good discussion and lower the price."

"We have all been doing this for many years. I don't need to explain the intricacies of this. You can see it clearly at a glance. The 40% of shares sold are probably enough to build the entire shipyard, and there will be some left over."

Listening to what Master Li said, everyone started whispering to each other.

Whisper a few words on the left and whisper a few words on the right.

Generally, those who sit next to you are the ones who cooperate with you, and we have more friendships on weekdays.

Mr. Li did not do so, but just waited quietly.

After a while, Master Zhang stood up, bowed to all four directions, and then said, "Master Li, I would like to say a few more words here."

"That's true, but the Heroes Chamber of Commerce is not a pushover."

"The factories in the capital previously sold shares. How did they do it? They set a base price for each share, and then they cast votes secretly. Whoever wrote the highest number got it."

"Everyone here understands that money is one thing, but more importantly, they want to board the ship of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"I heard that even in places like the capital, those who have invested have to speak in a heroic manner when they go out. Even the Jinyiwei and the Public Security Bureau have to greet them when they see them."

Hearing this, everyone present looked a little excited, and even a little expectant.

Even though he is rich, outside, even the smallest yamen runner doesn't treat him well.

When doing business, one has to try all kinds of tricks, build relationships, and beg for help, but even if one has money, they may not be able to spend it.

In front of those gentry, I am naturally inferior.

This is still the Jiangnan area. Behind them, they have the support of wealthy families, or they are representatives of their own clans in the business world.

According to the current household registration system of the Ming Dynasty, the descendants of merchants are also merchants, belonging to the category of lowly status, and they do not even have the opportunity to change themselves.

This is why Zhu Ying always receives standing ovation whenever he organizes fundraising activities.

Mainly for all the merchants, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s ship is their only hope to change their own destiny.

Even if there are no obvious benefits now, it is worth it no matter how much money you spend, even if it is just a side benefit.

Among them, the only one who was not very happy was Mr. Li.

He is a real master and also has the title of scholar.

Although they are criticized for handling their own chamber of commerce on a daily basis, for these businessmen, their status is completely different.

This can be seen from the style of the clothes.

So Mr. Li hopes that everyone can unite so as not to raise the price even higher.

The reason for this idea is that the size of the shares, in everyone's opinion, determines the status.

If you can get 10% or 50% success, you might even have a chance to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

"That's a good idea, but you guys don't think about it carefully. If we don't unite, can we definitely get these shares?"

"There are some things that I am not afraid of you knowing. According to the information I have, the operation of this shipyard is not only about money, but also about craftsmen and ship materials."

"You guys think that you can take over this share just by waving your precious money?"

"When the time comes, it will all be in vain. Don't blame me for not warning you."

Mr. Li said with a sullen face and a cold voice.

This was like a bucket of cold water poured on their heads, leaving the other business leaders speechless.

After a long while, Master Chen finally stood up, bowed and smiled, "We will naturally follow Master Li's arrangements."

"We are all gathered here, hoping that Mr. Li can show us a clear way forward."

When Master Chen spoke, there was a chorus of agreement in the room.

Everyone was smiling.

Seeing this scene, Master Li finally gave up and snorted coldly: "It's good to know. Don't think that I can still deceive you."

"Okay, now let's talk about how to proceed with this matter."

What is about to begin is basically Mr. Li’s special show.

The people serving tea and water beside them also applauded and agreed with what Master Li said.

Little did people know that in the corner of this room, a thin wire connected to the small courtyard next to it.

Things like wired receivers have long been standard equipment for the Jinyiwei.

Especially when it comes to gathering intelligence, it can almost be said that he is invincible.

It doesn't mean that we can hide away just by standing a few servants at the door.

…

The next day, Zhu Ying flipped through the booklet and read about the discussion of the businessmen last night.

"Interesting. This Li Shuming has an idea to lower my price to 50,000 coins per share."

"You want to take 40% of my shares with a total price of 200,000 treasure notes. You really have some ideas."

After reading it, Zhu Ying couldn't help but sigh at Li Shuming. It turned out that the old ones are the most experienced and have very accurate control over some market prices.

According to current calculations, the estimated cost of building the entire shipyard would be over 150,000 strings of treasure notes.

Obviously, Li Shuming has already calculated a rough range of the current cost.

Adding some surplus, 200,000 strings of cash and 40% of the shares is a relatively reasonable amount.

But Li Shuming forgot one thing.

This transaction was not conducted on a fair footing from the very beginning.

As early as when I was in the capital, whether it was New Year's Day or the Spring Festival, people were selling shares.

Zhu Ying has completely understood the businessmen's minds.

Judging from the last time, Zhu Ying felt that he had suffered a loss. If he had known this situation earlier, he would have tried harder.

The confidence and desire of these big investors are even greater than he imagined.

"Lantian."

"I am here."

"Find a reason to tie up Li Shuming and put him in jail for a few days. But be careful not to make him sick."

"I will follow the orders of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Zhu Ying never said what business strategies he would play with them.

As the crown prince, to put it bluntly, the entire Ming Dynasty belongs to me. There are no rules to speak of. The rules are set by me.

What twists and turns do you want to play?

Hey, if anyone plays this game with you, just teach him what it means to break all barriers with one force.

No matter how you jump around, once you catch someone, you are nothing.

Li Mansion in the city.

Li Shuming is over 60 years old this year and gets up early.

After a short activity and breakfast, he began to read the court newspaper.

Li Shuming cares a lot about the court reports, because so many things can be analyzed from these aspects.

No matter whether it is external or internal wars, or some policy changes, as a businessman for half a year, Li Shuming can see too many business opportunities.

If you can get any one of them right, that’s the way to make a fortune.

Whenever he arrived at the Suzhou Prefecture's official gazette, he would buy a copy, and he would read them over and over again, chewing on some of the ideas contained in them.

Just as Li Shuming was drinking tea and reading the official newspaper, there was a sudden noise coming from the courtyard outside.

Li Shuming's concentration on reading the official newspaper was suddenly interrupted and he frowned.

He wanted to see which servant was so ignorant and should be taught a lesson.

While he was thinking, an old servant came running over: "Master, disaster, disaster."

"The police are here and they say that the master has violated the law and they want to bring him to justice."

Hearing this, Li Shuming stood up suddenly.

"What nonsense! I am a scholar. What reason does he have to arrest me?"

After saying that, he prepared to go up and meet with them in person.

But at this time, the runners from the Public Security Bureau had already broken in.

"Master Li is here, that's great, it saves my brother and I from having to look for him. Come on, the Public Security Department wants to see you."

The leading yamen runner saw Li Shuming and said with a smile.

Li Shuming straightened his face, and bowed to the east with both hands, "Your Majesty, I am a student of the fourth year of Hongwu, and I have the title of scholar."

"According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, a scholar cannot be put into chains. If you come to arrest me, you must clearly state what crime you have committed."

"Do you have any documents from the Public Security Bureau? Which case is it? Is it related to me?"

"If you can't explain it clearly, I will leave it at that today. I will never go with you."

The two yamen runners were immediately intimidated by Li Shuming's momentum.

Although he joined the Public Security Bureau, he was just a private before. He dared to fight and kill, and only then did he have a way out.

In ancient and modern dynasties, during peaceful times, scholars naturally had a sense of oppression towards military men.

This was also the reason why the two yamen runners were afraid to take action.

But before I came here, it was the commander-in-chief who gave the instructions personally.

"Listen carefully, Li Shuming, you are summoned to the yamen this time, but it was Lord Lantian who personally issued the order."

"You have to go today, whether you want to or not. If you behave yourself, you can suffer less. If you don't behave yourself, don't blame us two rough guys for not being serious."

The leading bailiff spoke in a deep and serious voice, leaving no room for maneuver.

Hearing this, Li Shuming frowned immediately.

After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, he instructed the old servant beside him: "After I leave, you will immediately go to the prefect and report the situation here to Mr. Song, the co-prefect."

Li Shuming was able to achieve this not only because of his own achievements, but also because of his former classmates and friends.

He came from a well-off family, and during his school years he tried to win over many of his classmates.

Song Xin, the co-magistrate of Suzhou government, was his close friend.

When I was studying, I bore most of the expenses.

The fact that he is so successful now is also due to the help of his classmates.

After finishing his explanation, Li Shuming snorted coldly.

He held his head high, chest puffed out, and, leaning on his crutches, walked out under the supervision of two yamen runners.