The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 398 New Nobles

Cui Guodong brought his wife and two adult sons, and joined his eldest nephew Ke Sidi and his family to look at houses in the East Outer City of Shuntian Prefecture.

Kosidi originally followed his uncle Cui Guodong to the south to escape famine, and by chance he went to Wu State Australia to work as a craftsman.

Because he was a minor at the time and could write and do math, he was assigned to a government-run factory to do bookkeeping. After he became an adult, he became the factory's accountant.

After Zhu Jianxuan's Northern Expedition to destroy the Qing Dynasty, the Wu court moved from Australia to Shuntian Prefecture and began industrial construction in the northern region, which required skilled craftsmen and managers.

Kosidi was born into a disaster-stricken family in Shandong Province. He was assigned to a team responsible for local industrial construction and later transferred to Shuntianfu Supply Company.

Now Kosidi and his family usually live in Beiwaicheng, in the official residence of Shuntianfu Supply Company.

Shuntianfu Supply Company provided a dedicated fleet of vehicles and drivers for the nobles. Now the fleet was carrying Cui Guodong and his nephew Ke Sidi and their families out of Chaoyang Gate first.

Now Chaoyangmen has five doorways, forming eight lanes and two sidewalks. East Street outside Chaoyangmen is naturally also a two-way four-lane asphalt road.

The convoy drove eastward for about 500 meters and arrived at a square at a T-junction.

Behind the T-junction square is a comprehensive shopping mall set up by a supply company, which provides a variety of daily necessities and services. It is also the office area of ​​the supply company.

Behind the supply square is the Dongyue Temple.

To the north of the T-junction is "Wangfu Street". On both sides of this north-south street are the palaces of princes and dukes of the royal family.

To the south of the T-junction is "Gongfu Street", and on both sides of the street are naturally the mansions of the dukes and county dukes. The dukes and county dukes were specially allowed by Zhu Jianxuan to use the word "fu".

The convoy carrying Cui Guodong's nephew and uncle's families drove south along Gongfu Street for about 1,400 meters. After passing Ritan Temple, they walked to another intersection, turned east, and arrived at the gate of Cui Guodong's Duke's Mansion.

This place is roughly where the Polish and Czech embassies were located in later generations.

The two families got off the car in front of the Duke's Mansion. Cui Guodong took his wife and children to look around the new house. It did look bigger and more imposing than the official residence.

The door was already open, and the official in charge of the supply company, accompanied by several guards and servants, stood at the door to greet us:
"Welcome Master - Madam - Master - Cousin back home -"

Cui Guodong raised his eyes and took a look:
"My dear nephew, your accent doesn't sound right to me. How were these people arranged? Who is in charge of them? They shouldn't be slaves who sold themselves here, right?"

Kosidi worked at the supply company and came directly to explain to his uncle:

"Most of these people are from Japan and Korea. They are not slaves who sell themselves. They are all hired for life. Now the emperor does not allow the use of slaves who sell themselves.

“Even if the family members of some criminals were sentenced to lifelong hard labor, if they were called to work in the palaces of nobles, they would still be counted as lifelong employees.

"Their files are in the supply company, and their wages are paid by the Duke's Mansion, that is, by you, my uncle. It is also up to you to decide how to manage them.

“The supply company sets a set of basic rules, and you have to tell them if you want to set any special rules at home.

“If you think someone is unsuitable or disobedient, you can scold them or fire them back to the company, but you cannot torture them to death or leave them disabled.

"You can do without these people and hire someone to clean and service the place yourself. Just tell the supply company or you can tell me directly.

"But we are family. I'm telling you the truth, uncle. The conditions in the government-run factories are too good. Local people cannot sell themselves, and they will not sign lifetime employment agreements.

“If it weren’t for the current situation, we wouldn’t have to ship servants in from Japan and Korea.

"The population density in Japan and North Korea is even higher than in our mainland, so the labor there is the cheapest, so supply companies hire people from there to do the work."

Cui Guodong immediately understood the underlying logic:

"You want me to be the one paying their wages? That's right, if you guys are the ones paying their wages and you can't beat them to death, I really might not be able to control them.

"Since it's hard to hire ordinary people to do the work, let's just make do with these Japanese and Koreans.

"If that doesn't work, I'll clear them out and hire someone from my hometown. It doesn't matter if it costs a little more money, the key is that they are reliable..."

Cui Guodong's last two sentences were addressed to the servants in front of him.

Kosidi, who was standing next to him, glanced at these people and echoed his uncle's words:

"Uncle, you are right... You must serve me attentively, otherwise if the Duke doesn't punish you, I will."

The last half of Kosidi's sentence was also directed to these servants.

The servants bowed and swore to do their best.

These people really dare not not do their best.

They knew who they were serving: nobles who had just fought in wars and generals who had unified the world.

Cui Guodong glared at them for a few seconds, then walked in accompanied by his nephew.

The two families walked slowly into the yard, looking around at the surroundings:
Cui Guodong's wife looked at the specifications of the first courtyard and asked casually:

"How big is this house?"

Cui Guodong himself couldn't remember clearly, but Ke Sidi who followed him said with a smile:
"Aunt, the Duke's residence is 66.666 meters wide from east to west and 99.99 meters long from north to south. The total area is approximately 6,666 square meters, which is 10 acres."

Both families were happy to hear these numbers. The number of ten acres may sound ordinary, but it sounds good when converted into square meters.

Cui Guodong couldn't help laughing, patting his nephew on the shoulder and muttering:
"You, the manager of this government-run factory, are really good at talking. You deliberately don't use integers like sixty and one hundred. Is this also the specification set by your supplier?"

Kosidi shook his head:

“These figures were determined by His Majesty himself, and they were not very convenient to design and calculate.

“The layout of the Duke’s Mansion is three-room and three-entry, but the east and west courtyards currently only have servants’ houses and warehouses, and most of the space is still empty.

“Now there is only a wall around it, and the nobles can add to it and make alterations themselves.

"Originally, we were going to complete the building, but most of the nobles liked to renovate it themselves, so we just left two empty lots."

Cui Guodong and his wife both sighed subconsciously after hearing this:

"Your Majesty is so thoughtful..."

Cui Guodong's eldest son Cui Deren said somewhat dissatisfiedly:
"My dear cousin, although the number 666 sounds nice, the size of the house is not that big. I read in a book that the Duke's mansion in the past was 100 acres."

Kosidi smiled and said:
“That is a Duke’s Mansion built in the fiefdom, which contains administrative facilities. It is not a residence in the capital city.

“No one can occupy a hundred acres of land in the capital to build a house. The prince’s mansion in the city is only twenty acres, unless the emperor grants it personally.

"But didn't my uncle also get a hundred acres of land in his hometown? If you want a big manor, you can build one in your hometown.

“If you want something bigger, there’s even 1.5 million acres of land in Linzhou.

"Even if your father is willing to go overseas to be a vassal king, he can also get tens of thousands of square kilometers of land."

Cui Deren shook his head after hearing this:

"Who wants to go back home? It's more comfortable here in the capital. Linzhou is a pure wasteland with nothing in it.

"Brother, if you want the land in Linzhou, it won't be a problem for my father to give you hundreds or thousands of acres..."

Cui Guodong himself sighed and shook his head and said:
"We went back to our hometown together before the Lunar New Year, but I probably won't live there anymore. I have to go back to the capital to work, and my children don't want to go home either.

“The most valuable reward from His Majesty is actually the shares of the two major government-owned factories in the north. The land outside is more of a wish, a feeling that I have such an industry.

“If I go overseas to be a vassal king, even if I become the controlling shareholder of the vassal state, I will lose the shares of the local government-owned factories. It’s not worth it at all.

"Now the most valuable things in Ming Dynasty are not grain fields, but various factories and businesses. Ordinary land is useless no matter how much it is."

Kosidi reminded again:

"Our hometown has actually developed very well in the past two years. The northern water network and the canal water supply trunk line pass through the south of Cao County. Our area is now full of factories and freight yards.

"The most valuable things in Ming Dynasty now are not grain fields, but various factories and businesses. However, factories and businesses also need land, especially land in suitable locations.

“Although the one hundred acres of land in my hometown is certainly not as valuable as the one hundred acres in Beijing, it is certainly worth fifty or sixty acres, and it will become more and more valuable in the future.

“Because the capital does not allow factories to be built, we can build factories directly in our hometown. Raw materials and goods can be directly transported through the canal network, which is very convenient.

"As for the 1.5 million mu of Linzhou, you can treat it as a large industry passed down to future generations. You can slowly develop and operate it in the future. Uncle, you don't have to rush."

Cui Guodong patted his nephew on the shoulder again and said:
"You have been smart since you were young. Give me some advice on how to save more for the family business in the future..."

Kosidi gave direct advice:
"Uncle, if you have some spare money, you can go to Tongzhou or Fangshan to buy a piece of land."

Cui Deren asked directly:
"Cousin, are you serious? We already have a house in the capital, and we can build a house outside the city wall. Why do we need to go to Tongzhou and Fangshan?" Ke Sidi said with a smile:
"Land in a good location will become more and more valuable. Ordinary people cannot buy land around the capital, so they can only buy it in Tongzhou and Fangshan districts, where the potential is very high.

"The key is cars and asphalt roads. Tongzhou is only a dozen kilometers away from here, and it takes 20 minutes to get here.

“Even if I live in Tongzhou, it does not affect my work in the inner city.

“Once ordinary officials understand this, some will definitely start to invest in industries in Tongzhou and Fangshan.

"The key is that people from other places who cannot buy property in Beijing will also consider moving to Tongzhou and Fangshan, so Tongzhou and Fangshan will naturally become more and more prosperous.

"Tongzhou is close to the old Grand Canal, and Fangshan is next to the new North-South Water Diversion Canal, both of which are places with convenient transportation.

"Uncle, if you don't want to buy it yourself, I can pay for it in your name and rent it out to me permanently.

"If I make money from your land, I can give you half of it directly.

"With my current job title, I can only buy 2,000 square meters at most, but you can buy 10,000 square meters now, uncle."

Cui Guodong's parents died early, so his sister and brother-in-law were half his parents, and the Kosidi family were Cui Guodong's only remaining relatives when he was young.

Cui Guodong and Ke Sidi are uncle and nephew, which is a very close relationship among traditional relatives.

The two men escaped famine together when they were young and developed a life-long friendship.

Although Cui Guodong didn't quite understand what Ko Sidi was saying, he completely trusted his nephew Ko Sidi.

So I didn't think much about it and just agreed to it:

"Okay, then I'll go buy the land for you tomorrow to run the business, but I can't let you pay for it all. You don't have that much money, so I can just buy it myself.

“I don’t have the ability to run a business, and more importantly, I don’t have the time.

“So let’s just think of it as the two of us opening a business together. I’ll invest with land and capital, and you’ll invest with your management skills.

"The final profits will still be split 50-50, but I will be a completely hands-off boss."

After hearing this, Kosidi was stunned for a moment:
"Are you serious, uncle? I am actually just an agent for you. This job shouldn't be complicated. Can you just take half of the dividends?"

Cui Guodong scratched his head:
“To be honest, I can’t spend all the salary and dividends that His Majesty gives me. I don’t know what I can do with the money. I have no interest in that piece of land.

“I don’t feel comfortable lending money to others for investment, but the key is that there is no need to worry about whether they make a profit or a share, or when they will give me the dividends.

"Why not just do it for you? You are my nephew after all. Anyway, no matter what, the land will not be lost. It's just a matter of price."

After hearing this, Kosidi was speechless and moved.

Hearing words like, "My uncle is really lucky and he can't spend all his salary and dividends," makes me speechless.

At the same time, his trust in himself also comes from the heart.

Kosidi bowed to Cui Guodong on the spot:
"You are really my uncle..."

Cui Guodong laughed:
"Then the 100 acres of land in our hometown and the 1.5 million acres of land in Linzhou will also be given to you to develop?"

This time, Kosidi just shook his head and waved his hands:
"This is really not going to work. The one hundred acres in my hometown is already difficult to manage, and the scale of Linzhou's one thousand square kilometers is even more frightening. Development and construction are too complicated.

“I usually have to work for the court, so I’m really too busy in my spare time.

“We can ask my aunt’s family to send someone to look after the 100 acres of land in my hometown, and then find a local business to develop it.

“Linzhou’s land needs to be developed by a specialized development company.

"But I can help you review the development plan and the developer's accounts to make sure the development company is not cheating you."

When Cui Guodong heard Kosidi talking about his aunt, he subconsciously looked at his wife.

I saw with my own eyes the change in my wife's expression, from being unhappy before, to being relieved and satisfied.

Obviously, Cui Guodong paid to buy land in Tongzhou for Kosidi to run the business, which made his wife not very happy.

But later, Kosidi reminded Cui Guodong to give the land in his hometown to his wife's family for management, and his wife immediately became happy.

Cui Guodong found his wife in his hometown after he became the head of the group. She also came from a small business background.

He is a little clever but not much, and his likes and dislikes are shown directly on his face without any concealment.

At the same time, she also knew that there was a huge gap in status between her family and Cui Guodong, so she didn't dare to show her temper in front of Cui Guodong, but she couldn't hide it on her face.

Cui Guodong thought about it in his mind and decided that the family land could be handed over to his father-in-law to look after, but it could not be left to his father-in-law's family alone to manage it.

Compared with his father-in-law, Cui Guodong trusts his sister's family more. After all, he has lived with his sister and brother-in-law since he was a child.

So he instinctively considered it in his mind, and his elder sister Cui Dajie and brother-in-law Ke Da also got involved to jointly supervise the land development of his hometown.

Cui Guodong had such thinking and Ke Sidi had such suggestions because their generation of nobles were no longer feudal aristocrats.

They have given up the idea of ​​direct small-scale farming and instinctively consider commercial operations.

Zhu Jianxuan also knew that this would happen, so he no longer gave too much land to the nobles near the capital to prevent them from becoming British-style landed aristocrats.

That would hinder the further advancement of industrialization and would also hinder subsequent urban master planning and construction.

"Okay, let's go home and discuss it together before the New Year..."

Cui Guodong decided on the development first. At the same time, the nephew and uncle's families, led by the servants of the mansion, took a tour of the newly allocated Duke's Mansion.

Cui Guodong’s original official residence was not small, but it was still inconspicuous compared to the Duke’s Mansion.

Cui Guodong's two children shouted that they wanted to move in directly, so Cui Guodong agreed on the spot and invited Kosidi's family to live with them as well.

Cui Guodong is the first generation of nobles, and there is no one left from the previous generation.

Cui Guodong wanted to invite Kosidi's family to come and live with him, so that the house would be more lively.

Although Kosidi has a very good relationship with Cui Guodong, as a manager for many years, he is more meticulous.

Knowing that two families are two families after all, if they don’t spend every day together, occasionally meeting and chatting will be very lively and will make them seem very close.

However, if you live together for a long time, various conflicts may arise, which will affect the relationship between the two parties.

So Kosidi gave a reason:

"Of course I want to live with my uncle, but I usually have to work in the company, so it's most convenient for me to live directly in the official residence in North City.

“To get to the North City from here, you have to pass through two city gates. Traffic jams are very common at the city gates, and you might be late if you’re not careful.

“My clients are all royal relatives, princes and nobles, and I have to be careful in dealing with them.

"But in the future, during holidays, I will definitely come to your uncle's house to bother him, and then I will drink with him."

Cui Guodong also felt that what his nephew said made sense. Cui Guodong himself even wanted to live in the official residence in the inner city. The place was not big but it was the most convenient for work:

"Well, then, when you toast me later, I'll give you a red envelope..."

Cui Guodong laughed halfway through his speech. He said that he is already fifty years old and his eldest nephew is already in his forties, so why are they still talking about red envelopes?

Cui Guodong thought about his youth and couldn't help but sigh:

"It has been almost thirty years since we fled south from Heze. Thinking about it now, it really seems like a dream..."

Kosidi also said with the same feeling:
"Life is like a mist and an illusion; a dream lasts for thirty years."

Cui Guodong laughed again:

"My eldest nephew is indeed a cultured man, unlike a rough man like me. I can have my current status only because of luck and the care of the emperor."

Then Cui Guodong looked at his sons:
"From now on, you should learn more from your eldest cousin, study hard in school, and pass the imperial examinations. You will have a bright future whether you become an official in the imperial court or work in a government-run factory.

"Now that the world is peaceful, there is no need to fight. The army will have no chance to gain military merit in the future. There is no future for you to learn from me."

Although Cui Guodong's two sons were not completely convinced in their hearts, they began to agree verbally:

"I've got it in mind..."

(End of this chapter)