Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 55 A profitable business

Taiyang County Government Office.

Qiu Zhuo originally wanted to take a sedan chair home.

But when he received the news that a distinguished guest was visiting, he hurriedly changed his route and went to the county government office.

When Qiu Zhuo arrived at his study in the yamen, he saw an old man already waiting there.

The old man looked to be over sixty years old. He was wearing a brocade robe, a jade belt, and a fine fox-white cloak.

Even the chair he sat on was made of specially brought in fine huanghuali wood, and was covered with an intact leopard skin.

Four beautiful maids serve on both sides.

One maid was lighting a heater for him, while another was lighting an incense burner.

The remaining two maids were massaging him.

There was another man standing silently behind the old man. From his high and bulging temples, it was not difficult to tell that he was a powerful warrior.

Qiu Zhuo hurriedly went to greet the old man and saluted respectfully:

"Mr. Yang, why are you here?"

"Your Excellency did not inform me in advance of your visit, so that I could have come to greet you early."

The old man was warming himself by the stove and did not return Qiu Zhuo's greeting.

He had an extraordinary bearing, and when he sat here, he seemed as if he was the master of this county government office.

The old man's name was Yang Jingye. He was neither an official nor a scholar, but just a businessman.

But even so, a county magistrate like Qiu Zhuo did not dare to be negligent in the slightest when facing Yang Jingye.

Not only because Yang Jingye is the most famous businessman in the entire Qingzhou Prefecture, but also because he has a very powerful background.

After Yang Jingye took a sip of ginseng tea, he slowly said:
"Qiu Zhuo, you've been a seventh-rank official for quite a few years, right?"

"I'm an old acquaintance of your father. I should have warned you earlier."

"I happened to come to your place today because I have something to do, and I wanted to see if you are ready."

Qiu Zhuo was overjoyed when he heard this.

If he could get advice from Yang Jingye, his official career would naturally be smooth.

"Thank you, Mr. Yang, for your appreciation!"

"I wonder what use this young man has for you, Master Yang? Please feel free to ask. I will be happy to help you."

Seeing the opportunity right in front of him, Qiu Zhuo couldn't help but lower his posture.

Until now, he only dared to stand beside Yang Jingye and did not dare to sit down.

Yang Jingye nodded with satisfaction:

"Yes, children can be taught."

"Let me be frank. I'm here to discuss a business deal."

"It's a conversation with that... Great and Good Teacher in your county."

Qiu Zhuo was greatly surprised. He didn't expect that the person Yang Jingye specifically asked for was actually the Great Sage Teacher.

But since Yang Jingye had spoken, Qiu Zhuo naturally couldn't refuse.

"Master Yang, please wait a moment. I will send someone to call the Great Sage Master over."

Qiu Zhuo said this and prepared to do it.

Yang Jingye shook his head:
"No need. My time is precious and I can't waste a moment."

"By now, my men should have been talking to that...oh, the Great Sage Master."

Qiu Zhuo didn't dare ask Yang Jingye what he wanted to discuss with the Great Sage Master.

But he already had a general idea in his mind.

Yang Jingye has many businesses, but his main one is the medicinal materials business, which makes a lot of money during the plague.

The Taiping Dao's talisman water was given away for free, which inevitably damaged Yang Jingye's business.

"Mr. Yang, please forgive me for saying something unpleasant."

"I'm afraid that the Great and Good Teacher...is not easy to talk to."

Qiu Zhuo kindly reminded.

He had been negotiating with the Great Sage for a whole day and was already filled with anger.

Yang Jingye sneered.

He lay down on the chair and two maids immediately began to massage him.

"When I do business, I'm never afraid of meeting someone who's difficult to negotiate with."

"If we can't talk, then there's no need to talk."

Yang Jingye responded domineeringly.

Qiu Zhuoxin believes this.

Yang Jingye has one characteristic in doing business, which is being tough and domineering.

He wants to make his business the biggest, leaving no room for survival for other competitors.

Many medicinal material merchants in Qingzhou were forced to leave Qingzhou and seek other ways to make a living elsewhere.

They didn't dare to provoke Yang Jingye.

In the entire Qingzhou Prefecture, few people dare to mess with Yang Jingye.

Qiu Zhuo smiled awkwardly:

"Old Yang, I've already imprisoned that great and virtuous teacher once, and it almost sparked a civil uprising." "If it happens again, I'm afraid..."

In Qiu Zhuo's opinion, Yang Jingye was planning to collude with officials and businessmen and use his power to force the Great Sage Master to compromise.

After all, this is also a method often used by Yang Jingye.

Who knows.

Yang Jingye sneered:
"Qiu Zhuo, you've been a minor official for too long, and your vision is not high enough."

"If I need to use official means, how can a small county magistrate like you help me?"

"There's a rebellion going on in neighboring Yangzhou. If Qingzhou stirs up another uprising, it will be difficult to explain to the higher-ups."

"So keep it simple. If he doesn't obey, just kill him. He's just a nobody anyway."

Qiu Zhuo's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

He never imagined that Yang Jingye would actually kill the Great Sage Master!

In an instant, Qiu Zhuo was in a state of confusion.

He kept thinking about the various scenarios that might happen after the Great Sage Master's death, but none of them were good.

This made Qiu Zhuo unable to help but speak again:
"Master Yang, if the Great Sage Master dies, the talismanic water that can cure the plague will be gone."

"Then this plague..."

Qiu Zhuo really couldn't imagine that Taiyang County would return to its original state.

Yang Jingye glanced at Qiu Zhuo with disdain:
"So, your vision is still too low."

"Kindness does not command the army, and righteousness does not command wealth. How can you make money if you are kind and soft-hearted?"

"This plague breaks out every few years. What's the big deal? It always subsides in the end."

"This is the norm in the world. The most important thing is how to find opportunities within it."

Speaking of this, Yang Jingye's face seemed to reveal a look of reminiscence.

He sighed and said:
"Did your father ever tell you how I started my business?"

"Qingzhou only produces a precious and special medicinal herb called Xuanyin Grass. The medicinal fields that can grow Xuanyin Grass are only a hundred acres, and the annual profit is two thousand taels of silver."

"I ordered the medicinal fields to be dug three feet deep and filled with quicklime, completely destroying ninety-nine acres, leaving only one acre."

"The price of Xuanyin Grass immediately increased a thousand-fold, and the annual profit is more than 20,000 taels of silver!"

"This money is so easy to make."

Having said that, Yang Jingye waved his hand.

A maid brought in an exquisite jade bowl.

There was water in the jade bowl, but the water was not clear and there was some black ash floating on it.

Qiu Zhuo was very familiar with this water. He knew it was the Taiping Dao's talisman water at a glance.

This made Qiu Zhuo a little surprised. Isn't it true that the Taiping Dao's talisman water can only be obtained by believers and is strictly prohibited from being sold?

When every believer receives the talisman water, he or she must drink it in front of the Taiping Dao people to prevent the talisman water from leaking out.

But Qiu Zhuo immediately understood.

Money can communicate with ghosts and gods.

Yang Jingye is rich, so he can buy anything.

Yang Jingye picked up the jade bowl, looked at the magic water in the bowl and said with regret:
"This thing should be worth a fortune."

"It's a pity that the Great Sage Master is a fool who doesn't understand business. He just foolishly gives it away for free, wasting such a good thing."

Having said that, Yang Jingye threw the jade bowl in his hand away.

"Bah!"

The priceless jade bowl smashed to pieces on the ground.

The talisman water in the bowl also spilled all over the floor.

Yang Jingye sat up straight and looked directly at Qiu Zhuo:

"If that great and virtuous teacher dies, the talisman water will never be regenerated, and I will purchase all the talisman water that has been produced at a high price."

"Tell me, how much can I sell the talisman water for then?"

Qiu Zhuo was speechless.

But he knew that if this happened, Yang Jingye would definitely make a fortune, and the amount of gold and silver he earned would be incalculable.

Only a business with such exaggerated profits could attract a big shot like Yang Jingye to come to a small place like Taiyang County to take charge.

But Qiu Zhuo also knew.

By then, a large number of poor people in Qingzhou will die, and only the rich will be able to buy talisman water to save their lives.

Even the rich would spend all their money to get a bowl of talisman water and become poor overnight.

Yang Jingye is selfish and never cares about the lives of others.

But it is precisely this kind of selfish people who are thriving.

Qiu Zhuo remained humble on the surface, but he was very indignant in his heart and hated businessmen like Yang Jingye.

After all, Qiu Zhuo had also read the teachings of the saints.

But he didn't dare say a word about it.

Because the person behind Yang Jingye was someone he didn't dare to offend...

(End of this chapter)