The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 401 Dongshan Meeting

December 1737, 7, Chang'an, Taiyi Palace.

"Your Majesty, I am here to see you in compliance with your imperial decree." Led by his attendants, Prince Rong Qi Zeyu entered the Wanhe Hall and saw his brother, Emperor Yonglong, standing in front of a wall on one side of the hall, staring in a daze at several large geomancy maps of the world. He then stepped forward carefully and bowed deeply.

"Oh, you're here." Emperor Yonglong turned his head and glanced at him, then said calmly, "Sit down first. I have something to ask you later."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Qi Zeyu stood up, found a soft chair, leaned forward and sat down, feeling a little uneasy.

I haven't done anything excessive in recent times, so you shouldn't find fault with me, right?
In addition, the emperor's brother is currently very anxious about the ongoing Qi-France war and would not be in the mood to chat with him or talk about brotherhood.

So, what was the matter with summoning me to the emperor early this morning?
"Third brother, what have you been busy with recently?" Emperor Yonglong stared at the map for a long time, and seemed to have made up his mind. He ordered his attendants to take down the maps one by one, then turned around and sat on the imperial steps.

"Your Majesty, I have recently found a group of people to study self-driving cars."

“What is a self-driving car?”

"Oh, it's a replica of a two-wheeled vehicle that was passed down by Emperor Taizu. ... Well, it's a vehicle that can be pedaled by a person."

"But what's the use?"

"Your Majesty, this self-propelled vehicle can be used as a personal means of transportation. It can be used for physical exercise and can also be used to transport a small amount of cargo. It is light and free, and is superior to a horse-drawn carriage."

"Really?" Emperor Yonglong smiled and said, "That sounds good. If you make a finished product, bring it to me for a look."

"Of course." Qi Zeyu was very happy to see that his brother did not blame him for wasting his time on trivial things, but was more interested in the new toys he had made.

"Is the Daxing Qushuiwan Jockey Club your property?" After chatting for a while, Emperor Yonglong asked casually.

"Uh..." Qi Zeyu's heart skipped a beat. He stole a glance at the expression on his brother's face, but couldn't see any clues, so he replied carefully: "I invested some money in that horse racing club a few years ago and hold a few percentage points of the shares, but it can't be said that it is entirely my own."

"How much money did you spend and what percentage of the shares did you take?" Emperor Yonglong looked at his brother steadily. "Tell me the truth and I won't make things difficult for you."

Hearing the words "I won't make things difficult for you", Qi Zeyu suddenly panicked.

"I spent... I spent 10,000 yuan, and I own... 20% of the shares."

"It is said that the Qushuiwan Jockey Club is making a fortune, with an annual profit of more than 200,000 yuan. If the shares are sold at a price, the premium must be very high." Emperor Yonglong looked at his brother with a smile, "You actually bought 20% of the shares for only 10,000 yuan. You got a great bargain!"

"Your Majesty, I was foolish..." Qi Zeyu stood up from his chair with a sad face and bowed deeply to Emperor Yonglong, "What I did was suspected of plundering. Tomorrow, I will return the shares and all the dividends I have received over the years. ... I know I was wrong!"

"Besides the Qushuiwan Jockey Club, what other properties have been given to you at a discount?"

"..." Qi Zeyu became even more panicked when he heard this.

Is the Emperor planning to punish me?

Just because he cooperated with some domestic commercial capital, acquired some shares, and made "some" money?
"Third brother, do you know the Shanxi merchants during the early Ming Dynasty?" Emperor Yonglong sighed slightly when he saw Qi Zeyu's frightened expression.

"……Know."

"The Shanxi merchants played a great role in the fall of the former Ming Dynasty and the rise of the Tartars." Emperor Yonglong said slowly, "These merchant groups were initially formed by merchants with strong capital who hired local merchants to jointly operate and make profits, forming a relatively loose merchant group. Later, it developed into the Donghuo system, which is similar to the current joint stock system, and the Shanxi merchants prospered from this. They built guild halls, cross-invested, intermarried with each other, and banded together to fight against the Ming court and local governments. Later, they developed into a large-scale commercial consortium that safeguarded the interests of their entire group, peers and fellow townsmen."

"..." Qi Zeyu stared at his royal brother in a daze, not understanding why His Majesty suddenly mentioned the Shanxi Merchants Group on the mainland.

"In this world, once commercial capital unites, it will explode with tremendous power and exert unimaginable influence and control. In the late Ming Dynasty, Shanxi merchants almost monopolized the sales rights of important commodities such as tea, grain, fur, and ironware in the entire north. Their tentacles not only extended to the border towns of the Ming Dynasty, but also colluded with the Mongols and the Qing invaders. They played a pivotal role in the border areas and even had a certain say in the court."

"..."Qi Zeyu.

"Third brother, do you think there are any business groups or consortiums similar to the Shanxi merchants in our Qi State?" Emperor Yonglong walked up to Qi Zeyu and asked in a deep voice.

"…Probably not?" Qi Zeyu answered subconsciously.

"No?" Emperor Yonglong asked back.

"Then... maybe there is..." Qi Zeyu said stutteringly.

"In addition to the Shanxi merchants, the Qin State also has the Huizhou merchants, Fujian merchants, Shandong merchants, Guangdong merchants, Jiangyou merchants, Ningbo merchants, and even the Hanzhou merchant group formed by our Qi merchants. Third brother, you have been involved in business for ten years, so tell me, what merchant groups or business groups are there in our Qi country?"

"Your Excellency..., Your Excellency..." Qi Zeyu seemed to realize something, his face turned pale and sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Those who monopolize political resources are called aristocratic families. If they monopolize domestic commerce or industry, what should we call them? Monopoly capital? Or commercial chaebols?"

"Your Majesty, I am confused! I am guilty!"

"Whether it's a business consortium or a monopoly chaebol, if they want to gain more benefits, increase more influence, or strengthen greater control, they will definitely try their best to win over power and use it for their own benefit." Emperor Yonglong patted Qi Zeyu's shoulder gently and sighed, "Alas, you think you can use your own power to gain a lot of economic benefits from those consortiums or capital associations, but in fact, they use your identity and status to grab unimaginable wealth. Moreover, they have also obtained a certain amount of power protection, which makes them even more fearless and daring!"

"Starting tomorrow, I will sell off all my properties and will no longer be involved in business." Qi Zeyu said solemnly, "As for the various mistakes I made before, I am willing to accept your majesty's punishment."

"No need to do that." Emperor Yonglong smiled. "Normal industrial and commercial activities can still be carried out, but remember not to use yourself as a bargaining chip for others. The royal family of Daqi should have its own dignity and integrity, and should not let down the legacy left to us by Emperor Taizu."

"I will keep this in mind."

"By the way, do you know Dongshan Society?"

"……Know."

"Are you in?"

"Your Highness...Your Highness attended the event as a royal guest six years ago." Qi Zeyu lowered his head in shame. "Your Highness, it was because I invested in the shares of the Qushuiwan Jockey Club that I received the invitation letter from the Dongshan Club at that time."

"Tell me about the Dongshan Society." "...The Dongshan Society brings together some of the largest overseas trading companies, large factories, large plantations in Southeast Asia, railway companies, banks, and mines. Membership requires that each person must have a net worth of more than 500,000 yuan, or have an industry with an absolute monopoly advantage in a certain business field. So far, there are 24 members in the Dongshan Society, all of whom are leaders in domestic industry and commerce. ...The Dongshan Society stipulates that members hold a general meeting every year to keep in touch with each other, talk about friendship, study the policies and decrees issued by the empire, and introduce and recommend opportunities to make money. ...Inside the Dongshan Society, members help each other. After members make a request, they must provide sufficient financial support and political resource support to help members overcome difficulties, or monopolize and control a certain industry."

"Haha..., the Dongshan Society has money, power, and huge resources. When combined, I'm afraid it can influence all of Qi's political and economic initiatives."

"Your Majesty, although the Dongshan Society is financially strong and influential, it can only influence certain industries or regions in the country at most. They... they will not have an impact on the politics of the empire."

"Humph, is that so?" Emperor Yonglong snorted coldly, a hint of anger showing on his face, "As a member of the royal family of Daqi, apart from using you, I'm afraid you haven't gained enough trust in the Dongshan Society? When these people do something dirty, I think they will exclude you."

"..." Qi Zeyu wanted to refute, but when he saw that his brother's expression had changed, he was afraid and dared not say a word.

I am the Prince of Da Qi and the biological brother of His Majesty. These people are already trying to curry favor with me, so how dare they hide the truth from me, ignore me, and then exclude me from many affairs?

Um, wait, what is “some dirty stuff”?
Could it be that Your Majesty has discovered that the Dongshan Society has committed crimes?
"Third brother, do you still remember that in the 24th year of Taiping, my father was hunting outside Chang'an and fell off his horse for no reason. He died of his injuries at the Royal Medical College."

"...I remember."

"Then do you know what the clues are?"

"A clue?... Wasn't my father's death an accident?" Qi Zeyu was shocked and looked at Emperor Yonglong in disbelief.

"Yes, it was a conspiracy." Emperor Yonglong said word by word: "A group of daring merchants, in order to resist my father's tax audit, actually planned a conspiracy against the most serious case of treason against my Great Qi royal family!"

"...Dongshan Society!?" Qi Zeyu suddenly came to his senses.

Shanxi merchants, business groups, monopoly chaebols... The emperor's brother brought up so many topics and asked him about the situation of the Dongshan Society. It turned out that he wanted to point out the cause of his father's death!
The Dongshan Society murdered their father and the Crown Prince Mingde of the Empire!

How dare they? !

"Yes, the Dongshan Society." Emperor Yonglong said with a gloomy face, "Although the Public Opinion Research Office is still investigating and has not yet obtained solid evidence to show whether this merchant group is fully involved in this treason case, the threat of this Dongshan Society cannot be underestimated. A few years ago, they dared to commit treason and murder the crown prince. Will they think of treason and rebellion the next day?"

"Then... kill them all!" Qi Zeyu said sternly with a ferocious look on his face.

"Since Emperor Taizu, the royal family of Great Qi has been known for its generosity, gentleness, and closeness to the people. Bloodlust and cruelty are not what the royal family does. But if anyone thinks that the royal family can be deceived, then don't blame my royal family for showing the emperor's wrath and using the power of Wei Tuo."

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go through fire and water to protect the royal family and clear my father's name." Qi Zeyu said as he bowed deeply to his brother.

"You don't need to do anything. Just stay in Taiyi Palace for the next few days and don't go anywhere else!"

"...Your Highness, I obey your order."
-
Compared to many wealthy people who like to gather in Chang'an City, or live in the prosperous and bustling Daxing City, Su Zhengsheng, the helmsman of Qishun Ocean Company, is fond of the beautiful beaches and warm sunshine of Yongchang (now the Gold Coast of Australia).

Yongchang is close to the subtropical region. Although it has four seasons in a year, the summer is particularly long and the sunshine in winter is also warm.

At this time of year, while people in the south of Hanzhou were shivering in the cold wind of only a few degrees, Su Zhengsheng was able to lie on the warm beach and enjoy the comfortable sunshine.

When the sun sets, the beach of Yongchang looks like it is covered with gold powder. In the afterglow of the setting sun, flocks of seagulls fly over impatiently to snatch the food abandoned by people. The sea water still washes the beach with waves. In the distance, the vast Pacific Ocean is seen, and the dusk mist connects the sea and the sky into a gray.

Late at night, after the hustle and bustle, the coastal beach seems particularly quiet. Only the moonlight shining through the gaps in the clouds illuminates the still warm sea water, which is still swaying gently, spitting white foam onto the beach wave after wave.

Under the sunshine, the Gold Coast is full of golden light. After nightfall, only the sea breeze stirs up the waves and sways the shadows of the trees, exuding a strong poetic and picturesque atmosphere.

"Dad, something happened!..." The eldest son Su Zongqing hurried to the beach belonging to the Su family with a panicked look on his face.

"Zong Qing, how many times have I told you to stay calm when faced with a big event?" Su Zhengsheng was suddenly disturbed from his sweet dream, and was very annoyed. He sat up from the recliner and lectured him with a stern face: "Only when you are calm can you be at peace, and only when you are at peace can you think, and only when you think can you achieve! When you are in a panic when encountering some things, how can I trust you to entrust the huge Qishun Shipping to you in the future?"

"Dad, something really bad has happened!" Su Zongqing still looked panicked, and said anxiously: "This disaster may cause our Su family to fall into an irreparable situation. ... Zong Zhao has been missing for seven days, and it has just been confirmed that he was arrested by the Public Opinion Survey Office!"

"What?" Su Zhengsheng immediately stood up from the recliner, "Why...why did they want to arrest Zong Zhao?"

"Is he suspected of conspiracy to rebel?"

"Nonsense!" Su Zhengsheng's eyes widened with anger. "My Su family has always been doing business in an orderly manner and being a decent person. How could we have the intention of treason? Did you get the letter from the polling station? Are they trying to blackmail my Su family?"

"Dad, the spy from the Public Opinion Investigation Office who informed us said with certainty that our Su family was indeed involved in a major treason case!" Su Zongqing was obviously a little confused. "He also secretly told me that this case has been exposed to the world, and even the royal family has sent many people to supervise it."

"Treason case?" Su Zhengsheng grabbed his eldest son's arm. "What treason case? ... What did Zong Zhao do?"

"..." Su Zongqing was stunned for a moment, and suddenly thought of something. His face turned pale and he began to tremble uncontrollably. "Dad, Zong Zhao might...may have organized the assassination of Prince Mingde..."

"Assassinating Prince Mingde?" Su Zhengsheng was stunned when he heard this. "Didn't His Royal Highness the Prince fall off his horse and die?"

"Dad..." Su Zongqing shook his head in despair.

"The prince fell off his horse. Was it Zong Zhao... who did it?" Su Zhengsheng looked incredulous.

"..." Su Zongqing nodded with difficulty, "Several years ago, Zong Zhao vaguely mentioned this to me. But I didn't take it seriously at the time, thinking he was talking nonsense..."

"Is he crazy?" Su Zhengsheng slapped him hard and roared angrily, "Why did he do this? Does he want to bury the entire Su family with him?"

"...or maybe he was upset about the national tax audit presided over by the crown prince..." Su Zongqing murmured, "Perhaps, he didn't want to kill the crown prince, but just wanted..."

"Master, Young Master..."

As he was speaking, the housekeeper came running over, shouting as he ran: "...the spies and military police from the Public Opinion Survey Office have surrounded our Su Mansion!"

"It's over!..."

(End of this chapter)