Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

As soon as he finished speaking, the only son of the richest man in Jiangnan came forward, changed his previous arrogance, and respectfully clasped his fists and said, "I am honored to have you, Boss Di. I hope that Boss Di will take care of my business in the future."

Di Hu smiled and patted his shoulder: "As long as your business is honest, Kaiping Silver Casket will not treat you unfairly." He glanced at the silver bills scattered on the ground, and then looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, "This must be Boss Zhu, right? I heard that there was a big show last night."

Zhu Yuanzhang calmly put away the banknotes, bowed and smiled, "Boss Di, you are too kind. I just want to make some business friends and work together for great things. But I have heard of Boss Di's reputation. Today I see that it is indeed well-deserved."

Di Hu looked Zhu Yuanzhang up and down, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes: "Boss Zhu is so generous and so concerned about attracting investment in the new city. I wonder what his plans are?"

"Please excuse me, Boss Di." Zhu Yuanzhang said meaningfully, "After the new city is built, it will surely be crowded with merchants. Although I am financially limited, I would like to have a piece of the pie. I hope Boss Di can give me some convenience in terms of money." As he spoke, he intentionally or unintentionally revealed the jade pendant with coiled dragon pattern on his waist, which flickered slightly in the sun.

Di Hu's eyes lingered on the jade pendant for a moment, his expression slightly changed, and then he laughed and said, "No problem! As long as Boss Zhu's business is reliable, Kaiping Silver Cabinet welcomes you at any time." He turned to look at everyone and said loudly, "Today everyone is here to attract investment for the new city of the court, so don't ruin the harmony for a few trivial matters. Once you enter the Ministry of Revenue, everything will be done according to the rules!"

Everyone agreed. Wang Hongru leaned close to Zhu Yuanzhang's ear and whispered, "Boss Zhu, this Di Hu is not simple. He was able to grow the Kaiping Silver Cabinet to such a scale in just a few years. There must be a big man behind him to support him. Moreover, I heard that he has contacts with many officials in the court, and the relationship is complicated. If we can make friends with him, it will be much easier to attract investment in the new city."

"I heard that the real boss behind the Kaiping Silver Cabinet is the Prince Consort Ouyang Lun, and Di Hu is just the Prince Consort's steward."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly. He naturally understood it very well.

At this time, the gate of the Ministry of Revenue slowly opened, and officials came out one after another, began to maintain order and guide the merchants in.

An official in official uniform came out, cleared his throat, and shouted loudly: "Dear merchants, today is the day for the imperial court to register for the new city. Please enter the government office in order and submit the relevant documents and deposit."

As soon as the words fell, the crowd suddenly became agitated. The merchants put on their clothes, picked up the documents and money bags they had prepared, and rushed to the government office impatiently. For a while, a long line formed in front of the Ministry of Revenue. Everyone hoped that they could complete the registration procedures as soon as possible to increase their chances of obtaining an investment quota.

In front of the Ministry of Revenue, the scorching sun made the bluestone slabs hot.

Merchants holding documents crowded in front of the vermilion lacquered gate. Those in the front row stood on tiptoe to look around, while those in the back row were squeezed to the ground.

Someone wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered: "It's already past noon, why hasn't it been our turn yet?"

Chen Yongnian, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, who was wearing a scarlet robe, sat upright on the armchair on the inside of the door's threshold, slowly and leisurely using the tea lid to stir the jasmine petals floating on the tea soup.

The yamen runners behind him also stood with their hands hanging down, as if the noise before them had nothing to do with them.

When the crowd urged him to do so, Chen Yongnian simply raised his eyelids and winked at the bailiff.

"Be quiet!" The guards struck the gong, "Line up according to your numbers. Anyone who makes noise will be disqualified!"

The crowd fell silent in an instant, with only the sound of heavy breathing rising and falling in the heat wave.

In the back hall of the Ministry of Revenue, Zhu Biao paced back and forth, and the hem of his black dragon robe swept across the blue brick floor, making a rustling sound.

He looked at the drooping locust tree outside the window, his brows furrowed more and more tightly. "It's been almost two hours, and we've only let in more than twenty people. Brother-in-law, these merchants are here to give us money, shouldn't we speed up?"

He turned and looked at Ouyang Lun who was leaning on the Arhat couch, his eyes full of anxiety.

Ouyang Lun calmly placed the white jade snuff bottle in his hand on the table and said slowly, "Your Majesty, don't be anxious. Do you know why the Ministry of Revenue is so slow?" He stretched out his hand to call the attendant beside him, took the warm wet towel and wiped his hands, "It's like cooking porridge. If the fire is too strong, the porridge will overflow, not only damaging the stove, but also scalding your hands."

Zhu Biao frowned slightly, obviously not satisfied with this statement: "If these merchants get tired of waiting and leave, we will be the ones who suffer! The construction of the new city urgently needs money, and the court's treasury silver can't last long."

Ouyang Lun stood up and walked to the window, looking at the pomegranate tree in the yard, with a slight smile on his face: "Your Majesty seems to still not understand businessmen very well. This new city investment promotion seems to be a business, but it is actually a big game. If we put everyone in today and hurriedly collect the documents and deposit, who will be held responsible if there is a problem in the future?"

He turned around and looked at Zhu Biao with burning eyes, "Think about it, there are good and bad people among these merchants. If someone with bad intentions takes the opportunity to sneak in and runs away with the money, how will the court save its reputation?"

Zhu Biao was stunned for a moment, then retorted: "We can't just keep them waiting! Look outside, they're almost in chaos."

"This is the key point." Ouyang Lun raised a meaningful smile, "Letting them wait is the first step in screening. Merchants who are truly sincere and patient will naturally wait. As for those impetuous people, even if they enter the Ministry of Revenue today, it will be difficult for them to achieve great things in the future. Besides, we also need time to check their documents and verify their background."

Zhu Biao was still a little worried: "But what if they think we are deliberately making things difficult for them and spread rumors everywhere, saying that the court is not interested in attracting investment, then what should we do?"

Ouyang Lun walked to the desk, picked up a wolf hair brush, and casually sketched on the rice paper: "Rumors stop at the wise. Besides, we hold the power to attract investment, so even if they have complaints, what can they do? They are just angry but dare not speak out."

He put down his pen and pointed at the Tai Chi diagram he had just drawn on the paper. "When it comes to attracting investment, it's all about the balance of yin and yang. We need to let them see hope, but we can't let them feel that it's too easy. Only in this way can we select truly reliable partners." Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and seemed to understand something, but he was still a little unwilling: "That being said, I always feel that this is too slow. It would be great if we could come up with a solution that would satisfy both parties."

Ouyang Lun patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry. There is nothing perfect in this world. We just need to grasp the general direction and adjust the details slowly. By the way, does your majesty still remember Di Hu?"

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "I saw him outside the government office today. I heard that he is the manager of the Kaiping Silver Cabinet. Is he your man?"

Ouyang Lun chuckled, "To be precise, the Kaiping Silver Cabinet works for the imperial court. Di Hu is a very capable person with extensive connections in the business community. I have ordered him to secretly keep an eye on the merchants who come to attract investment today. If there are any worthy partners, he will report them."

Zhu Biao's eyes flashed with surprise: "It turns out that my brother-in-law has already made arrangements. I was too impatient."

"Your Majesty is concerned about state affairs. I understand your anxiety." Ouyang Lun returned to the Luohan couch and sat down. He took a sip of the teacup and said, "But some things cannot be rushed. Just like this cup of tea, it is boiling hot when it is just brewed. If you drink it in a hurry, it will inevitably burn your tongue. Only when it cools down can you taste its true flavor."

At this time, a clerk hurried over and bowed at the door and said, "Your Highness, Prince Consort, there is a merchant named Zhao outside the door. He claims to be the president of the Jiangnan Silk Guild. He is willing to pay double the deposit and request priority processing."

Zhu Biao's eyes lit up when he heard this. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Ouyang Lun raising his hand to signal the clerk to leave. After the clerk left, Ouyang Lun said, "Brother, what do you think of this man?"

Zhu Biao frowned and said, "You are willing to pay double the deposit. It seems that you are sincere. Maybe you can let me off the hook?"

Ouyang Lun shook his head and chuckled, "Brother, you are too kind. This businessman is willing to pay double the deposit, which seems to be sincere, but in fact he has a hidden agenda. If he really has the ability, why is he in such a hurry? He just wants to test our bottom line. If this precedent is set today, more people will follow suit tomorrow. By then, our rules will be disrupted."

Zhu Biao suddenly realized and felt a little annoyed: "My brother-in-law is really thoughtful. I almost fell into his trap."

Ouyang Lun consoled him, "Your Majesty is concerned about attracting investment and is eager to raise money for the court. This is understandable. However, people in the business world are complicated and we have to be on guard."

As the two were talking, the noise outside the Ministry of Revenue suddenly became louder. Zhu Biao walked to the window and saw people arguing in the crowd. It turned out that several businessmen had a conflict over the queue, and the yamen runners were struggling to pull them apart.

Zhu Biao looked worried: "If this continues, there will probably be trouble."

Ouyang Lun remained calm and composed: "It's okay. These are just some minor incidents. When they have had enough of the noise, they will naturally calm down. We just need to follow the procedures and do our own things." He walked to the desk and spread out a new city planning map. "Your Majesty, do you have any idea about the layout of this new city? Is there anything that needs to be modified?"

Zhu Biao temporarily put aside his worries and walked to the desk to study the plan with Ouyang Lun. As they discussed, they marked the map with cinnabar. Before they knew it, the sun had already set.

The merchants outside the government office were exhausted after a day of waiting. But as the sun was about to set, they became even more anxious, fearing that they would not be able to complete the registration today. Complaints and sighs were heard from the crowd from time to time.

Chen Yongnian looked at the sky, finally stood up, and told the yamen runners: "Let's stop here today. Tomorrow at noon, we will continue to handle the investment promotion matters. Let them all go."

The yamen runners immediately struck the gong and loudly announced the end of the business invitation for the day. Although the merchants were unwilling, they had no choice but to leave, dragging their exhausted bodies.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood in the crowd, looking at the closed door of the Ministry of Revenue with deep eyes. Wang Hongru came to him and whispered: "Boss Zhu, if you can't get it done today, will you come tomorrow?"

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled slightly: "Of course I will come. This new city is seeking investment, and I must get it." He turned and looked at the gradually darkening sky, already having a plan in mind.

In the back hall of the Ministry of Revenue, Zhu Biao looked at the slow progress of the investment promotion work after a busy day, and still had doubts in his heart: "Brother-in-law, we only completed the procedures for less than 50 people today. If it is still like this tomorrow, when can we complete the investment promotion?"

Ouyang Lun said confidently, "Your Majesty, rest assured. With today's lesson, the merchants will definitely come early tomorrow to line up. Moreover, after today's screening, the remaining merchants are sincere, and the procedures will be smoother. We just need to wait patiently, and everything will fall into place."

Zhu Biao looked at Ouyang Lun's calmness, and the anxiety in his heart gradually dissipated. He understood that in this game of attracting investment, patience and strategy were equally important. And he also learned a lot of things in this competition that he had never touched before.

At 3:30 in the morning, the morning mist had not yet dispersed, but the rustling of footsteps could be heard on the stone road in front of the Ministry of Revenue. The old shopkeeper wearing a felt hat wrapped tightly in fox fur, with documents wrapped in layers of oilcloth tucked under his armpits and a hand warmer in his arms, the white breath he exhaled condensed into frost in the cold air. The young merchant following closely behind pushed a wheelbarrow, which, in addition to the heavy money boxes, also carried exquisitely crafted bamboo stools, and the stools were even padded with brand new cotton pads.

Just after the hour of Mao, the queue of people had already snaked out three streets. Some merchants set up blue cloth tents and placed abacus, seals, and account books neatly on their desks; the guys from the silk guild brought carved sandalwood chairs with scarlet satin draped over the backs; some wealthy people even hired a band, and the tunes of the pipa and three-stringed instrument drifted in the cold wind, as if they were attending a feast.

"Look, fellow villagers!" the peddler carrying a load on his shoulder shouted, "Freshly-baked pancakes, hot and filling! And ginger tea to ward off the cold, one penny a bowl!" The crowd suddenly became agitated, and several merchants at the front of the line hurriedly took out their copper coins, fearing that they would lose their place.

Chen Yongnian, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, was still not in a hurry. He was wearing a gold-woven cloud-patterned official uniform, and he slowly put on a mutton-fat jade ring on his right hand, and carefully adjusted the tassel on his official hat in front of a bronze mirror. When the yamen runner came to report that "there is a long queue outside the door", he just slowly picked up the gold-painted tea cup and sipped a sip of the pre-rain Longjing tea: "Ask someone to bring some charcoal, don't let the documents get frozen."

It was past midnight, and the sun was climbing up to the zenith. The line in front of the government office had long lost the noise of yesterday, replaced by a suppressed silence. The merchants clenched their frozen hands and stared at the closed red lacquer door. An impatient merchant couldn't help stamping his feet: "We've been waiting for three hours, and there's not even a sound!"

"Silence!" The bailiff banged the gong so hard that the icicles under the eaves fell off. "If you dare to make a noise again, you will be kicked out immediately!" (End of this chapter)