Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 332 The Storm is Already Surge
"Before I leave, there is one thing I don't understand."

Xiao Chenzi is leaving today. He had sneaked out to ask for help from his father who was far away in the south. Now it has been long enough. If he does not go back, he might be plotted against. After all, the time is not too long. He can still say that he stayed in Jizhou for a few more days, but if it is longer, he will have no explanation.

Before leaving, he finally mustered up the courage to ask the biggest question in his heart.

"If you have to fart, just fart, don't make a sissy noise."

Xia Lin is having breakfast now. Today's breakfast is thick porridge with a salted egg. He cherishes this hard-earned salted egg very much. You know, Dong Niang would never allow him to touch these things in the past.

Xiao Chenzi pursed his lips, mustered up his courage and spoke again: "There is one thing I have always been puzzled about, that is why these business companies of aristocratic families and bureaucrats are so well-behaved in your place. You know, when they were in my Dantu County, they..."

"Before I answer your question, I have to first call you a fool." Xia Lin laughed, and then scolded Xiao Chenzi: "Do you know why these people behave well in my place but do whatever they want in your place?"

"I'm not asking you that."

Xia Lin put down his chopsticks and raised his head slightly: "In the final analysis, it's just one word, rules."

“These are two words.”

"Are you fucking listening?"

Xiao Chenzi really didn't dare to get angry at this moment. This guy was really unreasonable, so he could only endure it after being scolded.

Xia Lin sat up straight. "Why do I say you are an idiot? What was the first thing you did after taking office as Dantu? You cleared out other businesses to make way for Gao Shilian. I think you are going to get yourself killed. The first person to follow the rules is the one who makes them. You made the rules so that no one can do anything. If you can do anything, then naturally others will do the same."

There is nothing to say about Xiao Chenzi, he really did it. Now it seems that he was extremely stupid. Although Dantu County developed well in the beginning because of this, he was actually unable to cope with it later on, as the major businesses were no longer under control.

Now that Xia Lin had said this, it turned out that the root of the problem was still in himself. He had to admit defeat this time.

"Another thing is that for some things, you have to let people see you lose money."

"Losing money?" Xiao Chenzi was stunned for a long time: "What do you mean by that?"

Xia Lin pointed at the rice porridge in front of him and said, "Let me take rice as an example. You know that Fuliang's business can sell rice, but why is no one selling it?"

"Because... it's cheap?"

"Because I lose money. All grain is losing money, and the county is losing money. I am the only one in the world who dares to say that a pound of rice costs two cents. You can do the math. I buy two pounds of rice at a price of three cents. And that's millet, not rice. I lose money on the rice bran, storage, manpower, and transportation. And salt costs twenty cents for three ounces. Salt in the capital costs seventy cents for one ounce. It's very expensive."

"You're also losing money on salt?"

Xia Lin touched his chin and said, "This can make a little money. The technology is advanced, but people don't know about it."

"Then give me some of this technique...

"You bastard..." Xia Lin was amused by his shamelessness: "Don't worry, the team of 500 people I will give you includes talents in all aspects, including salt making."

"Oh... that's great." Xiao Chenzi was so happy that he said, "I thought this was a secret that you didn't want to tell anyone."

"It is indeed a secret that cannot be passed on, but since it is given to my son, I will give it to him."

After that, Xia Lin continued, "If you let them see that you are losing money, they won't compete with you for this losing business. As for why you are losing money, let me tell you this. If you want to make money from people's livelihood, you are not far from death. Basic livelihood industries are basically losing money, but you have to hold on to these things tightly and never let businessmen touch them."

"understood."

Xia Lin nodded: "The third point is that you not only need a pen, but more important than a pen is a gun. The rules I set, either follow them or get out. You can do whatever you want within these rules, but if you get out of the pool, don't blame me for taking action against you. You will know then that people who break the rules will be attacked by everyone. You must remember these three points. Once a balance is reached in an area, don't touch it, otherwise people will have plenty of ways to mess you up."

"It means everyone can make money, but you don't mess around?"

"Well, you are quite insightful." Xia Lin nodded: "You are worthy of being my child."

"I understand." Xiao Chenzi took a deep breath: "It seems that I was too immature before."

"You are still immature now, but you are still young, don't panic."

Xia Lin continued to eat his salted duck eggs. Seeing him pick out the residue on the eggshell bit by bit with chopsticks, Xiao Chenzi couldn't help asking again, "How much money have you collected over the years?"

"I still owe tens of thousands of taels to the outside world." Xia Lin rolled his eyes. "I'm still amassing wealth, but I'm almost destitute. I was able to get a little out of my father-in-law's 100,000 taels at the beginning, but in the end I lost it all at the dock, and I didn't get a penny from the rest. It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't. As soon as I open the door, they will swarm in like flies smelling rotten meat. I can withstand it once, but I can't withstand it a hundred times. You think that abusing power for personal gain is that some idiot gets a princess from some small country to sleep with me and then my wish comes true, but the real abuse of power for personal gain is when an old friend who has known you for many years comes up to you and kneels down and says, 'If you don't help me, my brother will die this time.'"

Hearing this, Xiao Chenzi's heart skipped a beat and he became panicked. He even thought about how he would deal with such a situation if he were in the other person's shoes. He found that he was helpless. If he helped, he would have a handle. If he didn't help, it would be unjust. As long as he opened a hole, people would say "Why did you help him but not me?" If it happened again and again, he would fall into the abyss and there would be no return.

Xiao Chenzi was silent for a long time: "So no matter who comes to ask you for help, you won't help?"

"Yes, I won't help. All I can do is remind you that this road is blocked and you should not move forward."

Xiao Chenzi nodded, then bowed to Xia Lin and said, "Goodbye. It has been a long time since we last met. I hope you are in good health."

"You too, don't let Daddy send off the young."

Give your grandma a chicken thigh...

Xiao Chenzi cursed in his heart: You just keep saying such unlucky things.

He left. He was alone when he came, and when he left, he brought with him five hundred skilled workers who were willing to go to the north to open up the new land, a wife he had married in a formal ceremony, and a set of books that could never be passed on to anyone else.

Of course, he didn't think there was anything to thank Xia Daosheng for. This was something he had earned by being bullied every day these days, and it was used to heal the scars in his heart...

However, Xia Lin's behavior just proved what the Jiujiang County Magistrate said. This guy would give people a lot of things after scolding them, so everyone was both afraid of being scolded by him and looking forward to being scolded by him...

Speaking of the Jiujiang County Magistrate, he has now started the long journey of filing a complaint with the Emperor with his beloved nun. The timing was just right, not a step too early or too late, as their complaint was submitted on the first day that the Crown Prince began to rule the country.

Because Emperor Hongbao believed in Buddhism, although he did not define Buddhism as a state religion, it was almost the same. When the prince saw the complaint, his heart skipped a beat, and then he was ecstatic.

He felt a shudder because someone actually dared to sue Xia Daosheng. Didn’t they know that Xia Daosheng was a staunch supporter of his master, the Crown Prince?
As for ecstasy, after thinking for a while, he suddenly understood the meaning of it. This was clearly a gift from Xia Daosheng to celebrate his sitting on the throne.

This generous gift can even directly alleviate the current emptiness of the national treasury and the people's grievances, and increase public support for itself.

Destroy Buddhism!

He looked at the petition in deep thought for a long time, then casually handed it to Mr. Zhu, who was squinting his eyes to handle government affairs, and said, "Sir, take a look at this petition."

Mr. Zhu took it and looked at it, then he burst into laughter: "Oh, Daosheng, Daosheng, this is either a demon or a good omen. Your Highness doesn't even need to mention it, he will know how to deal with it."

"Then what should I do?"

"We must investigate strictly." Mr. Zhu said with a smile, "We must investigate strictly, as strictly as possible. We must not only investigate Daosheng, but also investigate other temples to see if there are such filthy and obscene things that are insulting to Buddhism."

"and then?"

Mr. Zhu opened his eyes slightly and said, "Ask Xu Jingzong to investigate. The Ministry of Rites should have taken care of this immoral matter."

Xu Jingzong was from Fuliang, so it was assumed that he was on the side of the Crown Prince. The plan proposed by Mr. Zhu was actually very simple. It was to increase the political achievements of his own people. Isn't this both reasonable and logical?

Xu Jingzong was from the Ministry of Rites. These matters of etiquette, law and discipline would not be appropriate for the Dali Temple, and even less so for the Ministry of Justice. Isn't the Ministry of Rites the most appropriate place to deal with them?

It just happened to be the perfect opportunity.

The prince laughed out loud: "Great! Great! Let's do as Mr. Zhu says. Then how should we deal with Xia Daosheng?"

"Then...then I'll fine you half a year's salary."

"Well, let's do it this way, but I heard that Xia Daosheng is very poor. What will he do if he is fined half a year's salary?"

"He is poor... Yes, he is indeed poor. Didn't I go to Fuliang a few days ago? Fuliang is such a prosperous place, but Xia Daosheng still lives a frugal life and even has to buy buns on credit."

"Ah? No way?" The prince was extremely shocked: "I remember when I met him, he was quite generous."

"Old Taishan has spent all his money."

The prince laughed so hard that he fell backwards. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Go, fine him one year's salary, and then give him some money in the name of your personal friendship."

"He won't want it." Mr. Zhu shook his head and said, "Based on my understanding of him, if he wanted money, he would have been rich enough to rival a country. Your Highness, just let him be poor, the poorer the better."

(End of this chapter)