Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 35

Liu Jing and Ma Ming dressed up as ordinary people, came to the Yamen of the prefect of Dezhou, handed over to the gatekeeper, and explained the reason.The concierge took the door bag and said, "You guys, I can't see the magistrate."

Liu Jing said: "We are relatives of the magistrate. We came all the way from Shanxi. Please inform me." The porter just shook his head.

Ma Ming thought the door bag was too small for the porter, so he had to dig out his pocket again.The concierge shook his hand and said, "That's not what you mean. You two are relatives of the master, and we are all brought by the master from Shanxi. Tell you two, I really can't see my master."

Liu Jing asked: "Can you tell us why?"

The concierge raised his eyes to look inside the door, and whispered, "My master has been invited to Jinan by the second governor. I heard that the imperial envoy has come."

Ma Ming asked: "Second governor? Why is there a second governor?"

The porter just shook his head and refused to say another word.

The two had no choice but to come out, not knowing what to do.Ma Ming said: "In this case, let's go to Jinan and reply to the master!"

Liu Jing thought about it and said, "No, you really think we are visiting relatives? The master wants us to find out the situation here. Since Mr. Zhang has gone to Jinan, we might as well visit the people unannounced."

Ma Ming said: "The master didn't give orders, so we can't make up our own minds, can we?"

Liu Jing said: "What's the use of going back if we've made a trip for nothing? Why don't we go to the countryside to see."

After leaving the city, the two of them didn't know the north and the south, so they just walked forward ignorantly.When they saw a village, they went in and knocked on the door, but no one answered.Open the door and go in to see, it's all empty.Finally seeing an old man squatting in front of a family, Liu Jing and Ma Ming hurriedly stepped forward to talk.

Liu Jing said: "Master, we are businessmen, we know that you produce corn here, and we want to collect some corn."

The old man looked at them and said, "Look around, do you see half a corn cob somewhere? We have suffered from famine in recent years, and the villagers have probably fled away!"

Ma Ming said: "We businessmen have sharp ears. I heard that Shandong has a bumper harvest this year. The people thanked the imperial court for their relief in the past few years and volunteered to donate [-]% of the food to the government?"

The old man let out a long sigh and said, "That's all done by the government to coax the court!"

Liu Jing said: "How can the court be coaxed? If there is no food to hand over, how can you hand over the business to the court!"

The old man said: "Then there is no need to ask? The only way is to force the people!"

Not long after, some people came around, all of them old and weak.An old lady interjected: "People in the government today don't know what they eat to grow up, and they don't know anything about the world. What do you say, if you don't have food to pay, you will pay money!"

The old man said: "Yes, it's a big joke. There is no harvest in the field. Where did the people get the money?"

A middle-aged man said: "I heard people outside that the current governor himself is clean and honest. He doesn't take money or take possession. It's just too harsh! I heard that he grew up in the palace and doesn't understand civil society. Suffering, being harsh on yourself, and being harsh on the people! Alas, it is better than corrupt officials!"

The old man shook his head and sighed: "Yeah, it's just that the heavens don't have eyes, and they always send disasters! This governor, we people are really not good, so why blame him!"

Ma Ming asked: "You have no food, and you have to donate food voluntarily to the superior. Not to mention that you can't pay the job, the government can't pay the job either!"

The old man said, "That's not necessarily the case. Some big families have a lot of fields and good land, so they still have food."

Liu Jing asked: "Old man, can you tell me which family has the most land? We want to have a look."

The old man shook his head and said, "Then I'm an old man? Look at the big courtyard, it must be a big family. I advise you not to go. You are foreigners, and you don't know much, and you will suffer!"

Ma Ming said: "It's okay, we are just doing business, and there is no righteousness in buying and selling!"

The two resigned from their hometown and continued to move forward.Sure enough, he saw a big house with high walls and rich doors, very grand, so he went up to buckle the ring.Someone answered the door and asked who it was.Liu Jing replied: "Business."

A small side door next to the main gate opened, and a person came out and asked, "Business? What do you want to do?"

Ma Ming didn't know that the concierge of rich families like this in the countryside also required money, so he just said, "We want to meet your master!"

The gatekeeper looked at the two visitors and said, "See our master? Let me tell you, Mr. Zhang, the prefect of Dezhou, is better than our master!"

Seeing that this person was rude, Liu Jing couldn't help getting angry: "Your master's family is a big family, and it should be a family of benevolence. Why are you talking so rudely? Are you afraid that your master will spank your ass if he finds out?"

The doorman opened his eyes wide: "I'll spank your ass first!"

The doorman punched people as soon as he spoke, but Liu Jing dodged and slapped the doorman with a backhand, and the doorman fell down.The doorman shouted: "You are so bold, you ran to the front of Zhu's house and beat someone. Come on, there are robbers!"

Immediately, four men flashed out of the door, all of them were as strong as bulls, and without any explanation, they swung their fists and hit Liu Jing and Ma Ming.Liu Jing and Ma Ming are very skilled, and the four men are no match for them.Suddenly, the main door opened wide, and the four men fought and retreated.Liu Jing and Ma Ming followed closely to enter the door, and the door creaked shut. Dozens of strong men swarmed in and surrounded the two of them.

At this time, I heard a loud shout: "Where is the diabolical man so bold?"

At the opening of the human wall, there stood a middle-aged man who looked like the owner.The doorman bowed his head and said: "Master Zhu, these two people are acting wild here. Look, they beat me like this!"

This man named Master Zhu looked at the doorman and said, "Go, beat him back!"

The doormen tentatively walked a few steps towards Liu Jing and Ma Ming, but did not dare to go forward.Zhu Ye said angrily: "It's really useless, so many people support you, you are such a bear! Do you want someone else to call back for you?"

Liu Jing cupped his hands at Mr. Zhu and said, "This master must be the master, right? We are businessmen, and we came to discuss business. But the gatekeeper of your house spoke harsh words and beat people. I just fought back."

Master Zhu snorted, and said, "Going to the gate of my Zhu family, I have never seen anyone who dares to fight back!"

Hearing this Zhu's speech, Ma Ming was full of insults, and said: "Look at the couplets written on the doorpost of your house are beautiful, the poems and books are handed down for thousands of years, and benevolence nourishes all blessings! The family of benevolence and benevolence, how can it be like this?"

Master Zhu smiled coldly: "You two dare to talk hard! We don't need to fight, as long as I yell, everyone in the whole house will spit, and you will drown!"

Liu Jing said: "I don't think your family lives by spitting? You have to do something serious. We just came to discuss business. How could we cause such trouble?"

Someone shouted again: "Who is making noise here?"

The one named Master Zhu immediately humbled himself and bowed his body.A middle-aged man with the appearance of a scholar walked over.It turns out that this is the master of the Zhu family, named Zhu Ren.The person named Master Zhu just now was just Zhu Fu, the housekeeper of the Zhu family.

Zhu Fu said: "My lord, here are two wild strangers!"

Zhu Ren and Yan Yue said: "What are you two doing?"

Liu Jing said: "We are businessmen from Shanxi. We wanted to come to discuss business, but we didn't want to be beaten and scolded by your family members, so we collided."

Zhu Ren looked back at those family members and said, "You are really presumptuous! I told you that everyone who comes to your door is a guest. Why are you so rude?"

Zhu Fu quickly apologized: "Master, it's because I didn't discipline them well!"

Zhu Ren cupped his hands and saluted: "Zhu's single name is Ren. After studying for a few years, he passed the stage and failed the rankings, so he didn't want to try anymore. He lived on his ancestral family business. His family offended the two, and Zhu apologized. Please sit inside." Liu Jing and Ma Ming also registered their names.Zhu Ren invited the two guests in and watched the tea like a ceremony.

Zhu Ren asked: "Zhu has had contacts with merchants in Shanxi. May I ask which firm you two belong to? What kind of business do you do?"

Liu Jingxin said: "Taiyuan Hengtaiji mainly makes ironware, and also does other businesses."

Zhu Ren said: "Heng Tai Ji, your owner's surname is Wang, and you have admired him for a long time. I am disrespectful and disrespectful! It's just that my Zhu family has never been in the ironware business, and we are separated by mountains. I don't know what business you two want to do with Zhu?"

Ma Ming said: "Shanxi has a severe drought this year, and the harvest is not good. We heard that your land has a bumper harvest this year. We want to buy some corn and sell it there. One is to help the people, and the other is to make some money!"

After hearing this, Zhu Ren was very vigilant: "How do you two know that we have a good harvest here?"

Liu Jing said with a smile: "It's spread everywhere! It's said that Shandong has a big harvest this year. We have a branch in Jinan, and there we heard that the people will donate [-]% of their surplus grain to the imperial court."

Ma Ming said: "Yes, we plan to buy some wheat in other places in Shandong and some corn in Dezhou."

Zhu Ren smiled and said, "Your ears are very sharp! But, do you know? The governor's yamen has announced that not a single grain of Shandong grain can be sold to other provinces!"

Liu Jing was very puzzled and asked, "Why are people not allowed to sell the surplus food?"

Zhu Ren smiled mysteriously and said, "Actually, hey, it's okay to talk to you outsiders. In fact, there is no food surplus in Shandong! There is a reason why the two of you were rude to Zhu's family just now. There have been years of famine in our place, and many people gathered to protest Robbers. The doorman shouted that there were robbers, and the servants rushed away when they heard the sound."

Ma Ming looked at Liu Jing in surprise, and asked, "There is no food left? Why is it groundless?"

Zhu Ren said: "It can also be said that only big households like my family have surplus food, and others have nothing to eat. Where did the surplus food come from?"

Ma Ming got angry on purpose: "Hey, who is talking nonsense? It made us travel hard. Brother, let's not disturb Master Zhu, let's go back."

Liu Jing told Ma Ming not to worry, and turned to Zhu Ren and said, "Master Zhu, my brother is just impatient. I think since Master Zhu's family has surplus food, can we do business?"

Zhu Ren looked very embarrassed: "Didn't I tell you? The governor's yamen announced that it is not allowed to sell grain to other places!"

Liu Jing said: "Master Zhu, all of us who do business have dealt with the yamen. There is always a way to clear the yamen."

Zhu Ren was quite proud, and said: "To tell you the truth, if you want to talk about the yamen in Shandong, no matter how you try to clear it up, I can't understand it. As long as the price is good, the yamen will be fine."

Liu Jing was very bold and said: "Master Zhu, as long as the price is negotiated well, we can ask for as much food as you have."

Zhu Ren became interested: "Really?"

Once you come and go, the business is closed.Liu Jing was very happy and said, "Master Zhu is really a cheerful person. Okay, let's take us to the warehouse to see the goods."

The two were about to get up, but Zhu Ren shook his hands and said, "My family's food business is all done in Jinan, and the wharf over there is good. The corn is stored in the Zhu's granary in Jinan."

Liu Jing looked embarrassed and said, "We can't see the goods, this..."

Zhu Ren laughed loudly and said, "Don't worry, both of you, don't worry, both of you! It's getting late today, you two are wronged to stay in the humble house, everything will be discussed tomorrow."

Liu Jing and Ma Ming pretended to evade a few words, and then stayed at Zhu's house.The two discussed quietly at night, and felt more and more that Zhu Ren was an extraordinary person, so they might as well lure him to Jinan tomorrow.After breakfast the next day, Zhu Fu had already drawn up the sales contract and sent it to his master for review.Zhu Ren took it for a look and handed it to Liu Jing.After Liu Jing watched it, he was puzzled and asked, "Master Zhu, why is the pick-up location in Yicang? Isn't it in your Zhu family's granary?"

Zhu Ren didn't say much, just said: "Don't worry, both of you, you just need to sign and don't care whether you pick up the goods in the righteous warehouse or where, as long as you have the food for storage."

Liu Jing said: "Of course I don't worry. But I have an unkind request."

Zhu Ren cupped his hands and said, "But it's okay to say!"

Liu Jing said: "Such a large transaction, the contract has to be signed by my master. But running back and forth, I am afraid that the business will be delayed. Can I ask Master Zhu to go to Jinan in person, so that I can meet with my master?" noodle?"

Zhu Fu interjected and said: "Bosses, my master is a scholar. He only reads books all day long, recites poems and composes poems. He manages all business affairs. He never shows up."

Liu Jing said: "My master is also a scholar, so he is good at making friends. Maybe we can get along well with Master Zhu."

Zhu Ren smiled and said: "Really? If that's the case, I would like to meet your master. Well, I'll go to Jinan! I have many old friends over there, and I want to meet too!"

Liu Jing turned around and said to Ma Ming: "That's great. Ma Ming, you might as well go back to Jinan and report to Master Ming, and I will accompany Master Zhu and arrive soon!"

Zhu Ren laughed and said, "Brother Liu is really impatient!"

Liu Jing said: "My master has a saying that shopping malls are like battlefields, and soldiers are expensive!"

Zhu Ren clapped his hands and smiled: "Well said, well said, no wonder your Hengtaiji business is so big!"

Ma Ming left Zhu's house, hurried on his way, went straight to the post station, showed the inspection certificate of the Ministry of War, asked for a good horse, and flew to Jinan.Here Liu Jing and Zhu Ren took the carriage and went to Jinan at a leisurely pace.

(End of this chapter)