In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 873 As the year draws to a close, a gathering of wise men arrives.

Beiping Commandery, Daning City!
As the Lunar New Year approaches, the entire city is immersed in joy.

Despite the biting winter wind that stung my face like a knife, I still felt a chill.
But it still couldn't extinguish the warmth in people's hearts!

The city streets were decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, with large red lanterns hanging all over the streets and alleys, swaying gently in the cold wind and emitting a warm glow.

The shops along the street are filled with a dazzling array of goods, offering everything imaginable.

The shop owner and his staff stood at the door.
He greeted passersby warmly, his face beaming with smiles!

All merchants know that this year is the richest year for ordinary people, and they all hope to make more money during this period!

The children, dressed in brand-new cotton-padded clothes, laughed and played despite the cold.
Holding various small toys, they chased and played.

A moment later, they curiously gathered around the stall.
His eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked at those novel gadgets.

Their laughter was crisp and melodious.
Like silver bells echoing in the air, they added a touch of vitality to this cold winter day.

The young women wore brightly colored clothes made of fabric transported from Jiangnan.

Adorned with exquisite hair ornaments, they walked together, weaving through the streets and alleys.

The young men, in groups of three or five, carried New Year's goods.

With light steps and a smile on her face, she walked home!

The winter cold hardens the earth, and your breath instantly turns into white mist.
But the people of Daning City were not afraid of the severe cold!

It's all because there's a fire burning in his heart!

At the Military Commandery, Lu Yunyi was in an excellent mood lately.

As the year draws to a close, there are many things to do.

However, the officials and clerks worked much faster.
Everyone was eager to finish the work as soon as possible, get some rest, and receive their bonuses.

He also enjoyed a rare period of leisure.

At this moment, he is in the office, reviewing the gross domestic product calculated by many students over the past few days.

Because the office was staffed entirely by clerks, there was no charcoal fire inside; instead, the fire was lit outside.

The kettle is then connected to the stove to continuously boil water, thus providing warmth, much like a radiator.

Lu Yunyi, dressed in a black brocade robe, sat upright at his desk.

He held a document in his hand and looked at it carefully.

His gaze was focused, sometimes he frowned slightly, and sometimes he nodded gently.

"Excellent, excellent, the calculations are very accurate. You've all worked hard these past few days."

Lu Yunyi put down the document in his hand, raised his head,

He looked at the students standing to the side and showed his approval.

The students beamed with delight upon hearing the praise.

They quickly bowed and said in unison:
"Thank you for your praise, sir. It is all we should do."

Xia Yuanji mustered his courage, took a step forward, and said:

"My lord, we are newcomers here."

I thought we would encounter many difficulties, but things have progressed so smoothly.

The students can be certain that GDP is the standard for measuring whether a country is good or bad!

Others nodded.

Lu Yunyi smiled and nodded, saying:
"I am very pleased that you have this understanding."

To get things done well, you need to write down the rules and regulations, instead of just relying on your feelings.

The calculation of gross domestic product is not only related to the development of the military command, but also to the court's governance of the local areas.

You were able to take it seriously and calculate it carefully.

We must continue to work hard and not slacken in the slightest.

The students nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with determination and resolve.
"Rest assured, sir, we will do our utmost to live up to your expectations."

Many people looked at the young adult in front of them.
I had long heard that the leaders of the Beiping Military Command were young and promising, and were at the forefront of reform.

After spending the last few days with him, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved.

Others become high-ranking officials in their twenties, their words and actions influencing the imperial court.
They were still struggling to find an opportunity to enter officialdom in their twenties.

This difference made them feel ashamed of themselves.

At this moment, Gong Xianzhi, a personal guard, hurriedly walked in.

He walked quickly to Lu Yunyi's side and said softly:

"My lord, a letter has arrived from Liaodong, it's urgent."

Lu Yunyi's eyes narrowed slightly. He stood up and said:

"Let's go back to the government office."

The group quickly arrived at the yamen, where Lu Yunyi sat at the desk and slowly opened the letter.

The first letter was written by Xu Cheng, which detailed the chaos in Liaodong.

The letter mentioned that a mutiny had occurred.

Although the commander eventually quelled the mutiny, the road construction project was put in a difficult situation as a result.

Moreover, Commander Pan Jing almost died.

After reading Xu Cheng's letter, Lu Yunyi frowned deeply, his expression becoming extremely strange.

"Are there still rebels in Liaodong?"

Lu Yunyi couldn't help but utter a sentence.

The guards not far away looked at each other in bewilderment.

Having witnessed too many shady dealings, Lu Yunyi didn't want to think about it.

But things just happened too coincidentally. The mutiny happened just as road construction was about to begin, and it also emptied out the military headquarters.
If this were just a coincidence, Lu Yunyi would have been tempted to smash his head against a block of tofu and die.

He remained silent for a long time, reading through the entire background and context.

Then I opened Pan Jing's letter, which contained only a single, brief line:

[I have agreed to what Lord Lu mentioned last time. Please carry it out as soon as possible.]
Lu Yunyi stared at these words, his eyes deep-set, lost in thought.

He knew that Pan Jing must have struggled and weighed his options before writing these words.

Pan Jing was unable to control the complex situation in Liaodong, and the internal opposition made it impossible for him to make any progress.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have changed their minds so quickly.

Lu Yunyi pondered for a long time, then looked up at Gong Xianzhi:
"Has Black Hawk returned?"

"Reporting to my lord, Lord Liu has not yet returned. Judging by the time, he should be at the Tuntianwei outside the city, counting the remaining grain and fodder."

"Okay, remember to have him come see me when he gets back."

"Yes!"

After giving his instructions, Lu Yunyi picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and seemed lost in thought.
Is Lord Li at the yamen?

"Reporting to your Excellency, Lord Li has gone to the border market outside the city."

As the New Year approached, many people arrived from the grasslands, and Lord Li was in charge of the situation.

"Where is Asu?"

"Lord Asu led his men out of the city this morning, saying he was going to a village more than ten miles away to reinforce its defenses."

"Zhang Bin and Duan Zhengze aren't here either, are they?"

"Lord Zhang, Lord Duan, and Old Master Sun have gone to the fields outside the city."
They said they wanted to take advantage of the time while the regional commanders were in Daning City to thoroughly study how to farm.

Lu Yunyi scratched his head.
He suddenly realized that he had become the most leisurely person in the military headquarters.

"Alright, since you have so much free time, go check out the storeroom."
"Is the money all prepared? Don't wait until it's time to distribute the money and the warehouse is still empty."

Upon hearing that he was going to the warehouse, Gong Xianzhi burst out laughing:

"Rest assured, sir, the silver in the treasury has long been prepared."
I heard the list of all the reward recipients is being compiled, and it should be ready in the next couple of days.

"Okay, let's go take a look."

Lu Yunyi led Gong Xianzhi through several corridors to the military warehouse.

Outside the warehouse, a dozen guards stood ramrod straight, like pine trees.

Upon seeing Lu Yunyi arrive, he quickly bowed and greeted him, his voice loud and clear:
"grown ups!"

Lu Yunyi nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over them, and nodded in satisfaction:

"You've all worked hard, you'll all get your bonuses this year! You'll all get them!"

"Yes, my lord!"

The crowd responded in unison, their voices echoing in the cold wind, yet carrying a wave of warmth.

The warehouse door slowly opened, and a faint smell of copper rust wafted out.

Lu Yunyi strode closer; the warehouse was brightly lit.

Rows of wooden shelves were neatly arranged with large wooden crates.

The wooden box was sealed with a seal, on which the words "sealed" were written in cinnabar.

Gong Xianzhi strode to a wooden frame, pointed to the wooden boxes on it, and said:
"Sir, these boxes are filled with cash, totaling 150,000 taels."

Lu Yunyi walked to the wooden frame.

I reached out and gently stroked the wooden box, feeling its rough texture.

A hint of excitement flickered in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Open it and take a look." Gong Xianzhi responded, took the key from the warehouse manager, and turned it gently.

With a "click," the lock opened.

He slowly opened the wooden box, and a box of gleaming silver shimmered brilliantly in the candlelight.

Lu Yunyi squatted down, picked up a piece of silver, weighed it in his hand, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face:
"Excellent, of excellent quality."

"Here, the ledger."

The steward stepped forward and respectfully handed over the ledger, whispering to himself:

"Sir, part of this silver is fines paid by merchants who caused trouble in the city."
You wouldn't believe it, but when they delivered the silver, they were much more efficient than when they paid their taxes before!

"The other part of the silver came from the profits earned from acquiring the trading company a few days ago."
Thanks to the brilliant strategies of Lord Wu of the Bureau of Experience, the acquired trading company underwent a period of reorganization.
Business was booming after reopening, and we made a lot of money; it's all here.

A hint of appreciation flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes as he looked at the ledger and said:

"Well done. The economic base determines the superstructure, and the development of commerce and trade is an important part that the capital cannot ignore."

Only with thriving commerce can people's lives improve; what about the rest?

The steward pointed to several wooden crates not far away and said:

"Another portion is the money earned from the cooperation with Beiping Taxue Trading Company, which was just delivered yesterday."

"Oh? People from the Snowwalking Merchant Guild have arrived? Where are they?"

Gong Xianzhi spoke softly:
"Reporting to you, sir, Manager Shi is currently dealing with the matter of the merchants in the city. He said he would come to visit after he finished dealing with the matter."

"hold head high"

Lu Yunyi nodded and continued flipping through the documents:

"Where is the silver for commercial taxes?"

"This adult is here."

The steward led him to the innermost corner of the warehouse, where more than a dozen large boxes were piled up.

"Sir, this silver has just been delivered and hasn't been counted yet."

I plan to count all the commercial taxes from the other merchants once they arrive, and then launder the silver as well.

Lu Yunyi nodded:
How many are there, I estimate?

"Sir, there are at least 60,000 taels. Some large merchants in the city have not yet sent their money, so it will be much more than it is now."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yunyi frowned slightly:
"A 30% tax, and that's all?"

The steward bowed even lower and whispered:
"Sir, the commercial tax and vehicle tax we pay are mostly one-thirtieth of the total tax."

Only a dozen or so large households in the city were open to outsiders.

So far, only the Mi, Cui, and Hu families have delivered their tax payments. There will be many more to come, sir.

"Hmm, that's more like it."

Lu Yunyi nodded in satisfaction and said:
"The commander risked public condemnation to do business with the grasslands, and if after half a year of hard work he only earned this little bit of silver,..."

This business is worse than robbery.
Tell them to send it over quickly. What's with all this dawdling? Don't make it so that everyone has to come and get their measurements taken right before the New Year."

"Yes, sir. I will go and urge them immediately."

"By the way, spread the word that the reward money won't increase this year."

"what?"

The manager was somewhat shocked. If he remembered correctly, the documents from a few days ago had already mentioned this.

Compared to last year, the reward money will increase by at least 30%.

"That's how it should be done; one pressure and one lift is the right way."

Lu Yunyi waved his hand, and the matter was settled.

After making another round of inspections in the warehouse and carefully reviewing the accounts, Lu Yunyi nodded in satisfaction after confirming that everything was in order.

"Very good, this silver must be kept safe."
Once the list of recipients is finalized, the rewards will be distributed as soon as possible, so everyone can have a good New Year and receive a pleasant surprise.

The manager said with a smile:

"Rest assured, sir, I will make all the arrangements."

As evening approached, the sky gradually darkened.
The last rays of the setting sun disappeared, completely obscured by thick clouds.

The lively atmosphere on the streets of Daning City remained undiminished, as people were busy making final preparations for the New Year.

Inside the military headquarters, Lu Yunyi was sitting in his study, eating dried fruit and leisurely reading military books.

Personal guard Gong Xianzhi hurriedly entered the study, bowed, and said:
"Sir, Manager Shi of the Taxue Trading Company has come to visit with his son, Shi Baifeng."

Lu Yunyi slightly raised his head, put down the book in his hand, and said:

"Invite them in."

A short while later, Shi Yu led Shi Baifeng into the study.

Shi Yu was dressed in a gray robe, with a kind face and shrewd and capable eyes.

Shi Baifeng, dressed in a white fox fur coat, had a handsome face and a somewhat reserved look in his eyes, following closely behind his father.

"It's been a long time. I hope you are well."

Shi Yu bowed respectfully, a warm smile on his face.

Lu Yunyi smiled and stepped forward to greet him, saying:
"Manager Shi, how have you been? Please have a seat."

As he spoke, he pointed to the chair next to him.

Shi Yu pulled Shi Baifeng to sit down.
Lu Yunyi also sat down to the side, and after his personal guards served him tea, they withdrew.

Lu Yunyi picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said:

"Manager Shi's arrival must bring good news."

Shi Yu smiled and nodded, saying:
"Lord Lu is indeed a man of foresight; his visit today..."
First, I wish you a Happy New Year in advance, and second, I have some great news to share with you.

"tell me the story."

Lu Yunyi put down his teacup and leaned forward slightly.

Shi Yu cleared his throat, his face beaming with excitement, and said:

"Sir, the sewing machines that you asked our company to promote before were a huge success in Beiping!"
After the workshops and shops adopted sewing machines, their efficiency increased several times over, costs were greatly reduced, and profits multiplied several times.

Many people in the capital are now inquiring about how the Snowwalking Trading Company operates.

As Lu Yunyi listened to Shi Yu's story, a relieved smile appeared on his face:
"The sewing machine's positive market response was entirely expected."

However, this success is also inseparable from the meticulous operation of the Snowwalking Trading Company.

Shi Yu quickly waved his hand and said:
"You flatter me, sir. It is all thanks to your foresight."

"If you hadn't entrusted the sewing machine business to our company, we wouldn't have had this opportunity to make such a significant impact."

Lu Yunyi smiled and said:
"No need to be modest, this is a win-win situation."

"My lord, there is one more thing."

The Prince of Yan's residence had placed several orders with the trading company for winter clothing for the army, and the company delivered the goods as quickly as possible.

The Prince of Yan's residence also took notice of the merchant guild as a result.

Before the villain arrived, the steward of the Prince of Yan's residence had revealed that...

His Highness the Prince of Yan is also aware of this matter and wishes to engage in the cloth trade with us.

"The Prince of Yan's residence?"

Lu Yunyi was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised.

The Prince's Mansion's swift response was somewhat unexpected.

Lu Yunyi fell into deep thought. After a moment, he raised his head and said:
"This is a good thing. Cooperating with the Prince of Yan's Mansion is a rare opportunity for the Taxue Trading Company."

We'll find a suitable opportunity to launch the sewing machine later.

Upon hearing this, both Shi Yu and Shi Baifeng had somewhat strange expressions.

They couldn't figure out or understand the person in front of them.
Such a lucrative business, and it's only been less than six months, yet they're already willing to expose it.
Shi Yu bowed slightly, a hint of hesitation on his face:

"Sir, if the sewing machine is exposed too early..."

This will likely attract a lot of competition, which will be detrimental to the future development of the business.

In my humble opinion, we might as well wait a little longer.

It's not too late to make plans after the business has established itself.

Lu Yunyi waved his hand gently, his expression calm, and said:
"Manager Shi, you need to broaden your horizons."

While sewing machines can bring temporary benefits, the wealth they can create is ultimately limited if they are confined to our own hands.

To grow a business, you can't just focus on immediate profits.

Shi Yu frowned, pondered for a moment, and still felt somewhat worried:

"What you say is absolutely right, sir, but I have some concerns."
Once sewing machine technology leaks out, some merchants will maliciously drive down prices and disrupt the market.

At that time, not only will the interests of the merchants be harmed, but the trade of the capital region will likely also be affected.

"Don't worry, the money you can make from fabric processing is ultimately limited."

As sewing machines become more widespread, the profit margin for fabric processing decreases.

At that time, the Commander-in-Chief could collaborate with the Taxue Trading Company and the Prince of Yan's Mansion to establish workshops and produce sewing machines.
The real money comes from selling it all over the country.

Shi Yu was somewhat suspicious, but since the adult before him hadn't made a mistake, he nodded.

"Since you have said so, Sir, then the Snowwalking Merchant Guild will fully cooperate!"

(End of this chapter)