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

Chapter 431 Many Years Have Passed, but the Original Intention Has Not Changed

"General, what do you think the imperial court means by the sudden arrival of this Xia boy?"

Wang Shichong held a ceramic teacup in his hand and examined it carefully: "Look at this cup."

The staff member at the side came forward and said, although he didn't understand what he meant, "The porcelain cups from Fuliang are the best in the world. Although there are imitations in other places, no one can compare to them."

"Yes, I have used this cup for three years, and the more I use it, the more I like it. Do you know how much this set of tea sets costs?"

"I don't know."

"One thousand seven hundred taels." Wang Shichong took a deep breath: "The demand still exceeds the supply."

"Overseer... this is a bit expensive."

Wang Shichong turned around and said with a smile: "Zhuo Heng, there is no right or wrong when it comes to price. I think this 1,700 taels is worth it, and it is worth this much silver. The truly amazing person is the one who can sell this mud for 1,700 taels. The same is true for the Great Wei. Some people say that the Great Wei is bigger than a horse even if it is skinny. Some people say that the Great Wei is strong on the outside but weak on the inside and not worth mentioning. So whether the Great Wei is bigger than a horse or not worth mentioning depends on who is running it."

"That kid today was able to sell a piece of mud for 1,700 taels, and he was also able to keep the Great Wei alive. He came here to keep the Great Wei alive, or at least to prevent it from dying so quickly and ugly. And I am the key to this."

"But Commander-in-Chief, if this is done, the great cause will not be accomplished..."

"What great cause?" Wang Shichong walked to the sand table and pointed upwards. "To the east is the Shanhai Army led by Li Jing's son, to the north is the Guo Family Army, to the west is Li Yuan's Black Armor Army, and below is the Po Lu Army. I, Wang Shichong, am right in the middle. What can I use to fight for this great cause? You? Or the 50,000 remaining soldiers?"

"So the governor's intention is to still rely on the imperial court?"

"No, no, no, it's not called dependence. I am originally from the Great Wei, and it is my duty to guard the country for the emperor. I want money, I want people, I want salt and iron, I want war horses. If there is no court, none of this can be done. With the court, I can talk to that kid, talk to the Dugu family, and talk to the Yuwen family."

"That warlord, it was that man who lured us here, and he personally led people to block our way south."

"Heroes emerge young. I, Wang Shichong, was defeated by a teenager. I admit it. But if I think about it carefully, I didn't lose to him, but to my own cowardice." Wang Shichong waved his hand: "Forget it, forget it. It's fate. Tomorrow I will go to him to talk about the shared trade between Xuzhou and Hongzhou. You come too, so that you can see what a genius is."

"But...Father..."

"Huh!?" Wang Shichong frowned, "It's called a job title outside."

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief." The staff member bowed his head and whispered, "I did see him today, but I didn't see anything extraordinary about him."

"Hahaha, you'll know tomorrow. You know, he can maneuver among the aristocratic families, warlords and merchants with ease. If Wei can have a wise ruler, no, no, no, even if it can have a ruler like Adou who can maintain the status quo, he alone can extend the life of Wei for a hundred years."

"Only a hundred years?"

"Yes, a hundred years." Wang Shichong put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky: "After all, he is just a human being, not a god. A hundred years is already a great ability. Zhuo Heng, you must remember one thing, the rotation of the country is not destiny but a given. It took me thirty years to figure out this truth."

"Please give me some advice, Commander."

After all, he was his own son, so Wang Shichong was not shy about it. He patted his son on the shoulder and said, "Zhuo Heng, you can see from reading history books that when the lower classes become increasingly poor and the upper classes become increasingly wealthy, that is when the dynasty is declining. When those powerful families indulge in wine and meat all day long while the people cannot get enough food, the dynasty will fall."

“Died because of the people?”

"No, they died for justice." Wang Shichong waved his hand and said, "What reason do you think the Li family would use to start a rebellion? To purge the emperor's entourage? They have no reason. The court is actually still okay now. All forces are stable and healthy under the control of Emperor Hongbao. There are no relatives interfering in politics and no eunuchs disrupting the court. They have no reason to start a rebellion. The only reason left for the Li family to start a rebellion is that a certain family is cruel to the people, and they are acting as the mandate of heaven. Acting as the mandate of heaven sounds good. All emperors in the world are the same. They just treat their people as livestock. Those who have been local emperors for a long time will naturally be the same. All crows in the world are the same black."

Wang Shichong said and walked out with his hands behind his back: "It is a great pity in life to see everything but be helpless. Zhuo Heng, don't learn from me, learn from Xia Daosheng, he is a man who can accomplish great things."

“Father…Father, I don’t understand.”

"You'll understand tomorrow when you see it with your own eyes."

On the second day, Wang Shichong naturally had to hold a banquet to find Xia Lin. After all, his current identity was an angel with a very high rank. He was considered a substitute for Emperor Hongbao, so some things still had to be discussed in person.

Today's reception for Xia Lin was very high. Wang Shichong's subordinates, big and small, all arrived, but Xia Lin had nothing prepared. He just came with a scent of the Dugu family master. But Xia Lin's most amazing thing was this: he could make up stories without a script, relying on his terrifying memory and on-the-spot language organization ability.

He turned a banquet into an annual work meeting.

"Last year, the court's tax revenue was equivalent to 33.51 million taels of silver, and the expenditure was 45.5 million taels, with a deficit of nearly 12 million taels. The country is in trouble right now, and Lord Wang should bear more responsibility. Of course, the court also knows Lord Wang's difficulties, so it did not ask Lord Wang to pay taxes, but just said that it wanted to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. Xuzhou is a place that connects the upper and lower levels, and we hope that Lord Wang can open up trade routes and make Xuzhou an important trade route node in the Central Plains, and use the convenience of transportation to solve warehousing, transportation and transit problems."

Wang Shichong sat there listening quietly, while his aide son Wang Zhuoheng sat there writing furiously the whole time. In his hand he was even holding a sketch pen produced in Fuliang, which was the first generation of ink storage fountain pen. This was a gift that Xia Lin gave to Wang Shichong when he first came, and it was already in his son's hands.

This shows how much he values ​​his youngest son.

"Then may I ask, Lord Xia, how much is the profit from this warehousing and transportation?"

Wang Shichong raised his head to ask the question, while Xia Lin laughed. He crossed his arms and said, "That depends on the infrastructure and basic services here. The more merchants there are, the more money they can make. In theory, the highest amount can be 10% to 15% of the average value of the goods."

Upon hearing this figure, everyone present could not help but look up with bright eyes. With the current prosperity of the business community, even if it was 10% a year, it would still be an astronomical figure.

"Then Lord Xia, do you have any good ideas? I really know nothing about business."

"Since I've brought it up, there must be a suitable solution." Xia Lin rested his hands on the table. "It's just that I can't explain it in a few words. Please, Lord Wang, send a reliable person to me."

Upon hearing that he was willing to teach, Wang Shichong was really happy, although he didn't show it on his face. However, he still had to control his attitude, so after pretending to think for a long time, he said: "Zhuo Heng, you can go to Xia Tianshi to learn. If you dare to neglect it, don't blame me for the military punishment."

Xia Lin glanced around and then fixed his eyes on Zhuo Heng, who had not yet reacted. Just this moment of glance gave Wang Shichong a shock. Before he could say who Zhuo Heng was and Zhuo Heng did not respond, Xia Lin's reaction speed was even faster than Zhuo Heng himself.

This can only mean two things: either he has already figured out who is under his command, or his brain is really as lightning-fast as the rumors say.

Wang Shichong was curious, but as a warlord he did not have too many concerns, so he just smiled and asked, "How did Lord Xia know who Zhuo Heng was at first sight?"

Xia Lin glanced at Wang Shichong and said, "The people who came today are all pillars of Xuzhou, except for this young man who seems immature. I have been keeping an eye on him. The sketch pen I gave to Lord Wang the other day is now in his hand. He must be my son or nephew. I asked Lord Wang to call a reliable person, and Lord Wang called out the name without hesitation, so I naturally know who this person is."

"Hahahaha, Lord Xia is indeed meticulous and attentive. I admire him. This boy is my youngest son, only sixteen years old. He is currently serving as my staff. Lord Xia, please give him more guidance."

Xia Lin crossed his arms and smiled, muttering softly, "Sixteen... Sixteen is good."

As soon as these words came out, Wang Shichong instantly thought of the dirty affair between Xia Lin and the Dugu family. His heart trembled, and he opened his mouth but did not say anything in the end. He just couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"By the way, Lord Wang." Xia Lin smiled and said, "I have some personal matters to ask for your help later."

"It's okay. I will definitely cooperate with Master Xia."

When most of the people had left, only Wang Shichong, Xia Lin, and the sixteen-year-old boy Wang Zhuoheng were left in the room. Xia Lin asked, "Master Wang, do you know a man named Gao Ping?"

"Gaoping?" Wang Shichong was silent for a moment, then turned to ask his son: "Zhuo Heng, is there such a person in Xuzhou?"

"General, Gao Ping is a cousin from my mother's side. He followed us all the way from Luoyang."

"Oh... May I ask Sir Xia, what is the matter?"

"There is a little grudge." Xia Lin said with an embarrassed look on his face: "If Lord Wang feels embarrassed, forget it."

"That's not a big deal. I've never heard of this name before. I just don't know what's wrong with Lord Xia? Why would he want this unknown person by name?"

"When I was in Luoyang, his wife's family bullied me. I was locked in a dog cage in the cold winter."

Wang Shichong raised his eyebrows and said, "It's just a trivial matter. Sir Xia, you underestimate me. Sir Xia, please do as you please."

(End of this chapter)