Baidu otaku as Chongzhen

Chapter 645 Lu Xiangsheng

The city of Beijing in the second year of Chongzhen was the busiest place in the world, attracting the attention of people from all over the world all the time, and there were a lot of people rushing to Beijing city.

There are ordinary people from various places who can't survive and want to come out to find a buddy; there are also famous local families who are going to go to Beijing to find a way; there are also business travelers from all over the place, selling and sending goods; .

Most of the common people who came out to earn a living were plainly dressed and had simple luggage. They were either a family or a couple of people walking on this crowded avenue. With hope, the sky seemed to brighten up and their feet lightened up. , and the voice became louder.

There are also gorgeous motorcades passing by in a hurry. The fleet is often composed of several carriages, one after the other, and the lineup is not small. The masters are all hiding in the carriages. What can be seen outside are only servants and coachmen.

Business travelers often use a carriage or a number of carriages to transport their own goods. The carriage is not so gorgeous, it is very simple, and the most important thing is to transport the goods.

In this crowded team, today, there is a special person.

Speaking of this person, he should be counted among the officials, but he has no horse or cart. He is just followed by a young man, and he enters Beijing with many Kuhahas in this crowded carriage.This person was Lu Xiangsheng who was summoned to Beijing by the emperor. He set off from Daming Mansion, went up the canal, and arrived in Tongzhou. Lu Xiangsheng immediately jumped on the rumored stagecoach. He wanted to experience this novelty, and he resolutely refused to listen to the servants hiring a carriage. if.

The carriage bumped very badly, because it was for the poor, and they only wanted to be cheap. Naturally, as many people as they could fit in, there were several people hanging on the outside besides the ones sitting in the carriage. I bought a lot of cloth and made the most of every place.Fortunately, here is the north, the terrain is flat, there is no need to go up and down, otherwise, it is impossible to transport so many people.

Seeing the crowds of people outside the car, Lu Xiangsheng felt a lot of emotions. He had walked this road before. Although this road was also lively, it was definitely not as lively as it is today. It is unimaginable. There are so many changes.

Lu Xiangsheng sighed at the side, while the boy next to him covered his nostrils and rolled his eyes. The smell in this carriage is really not very good. The traffickers and pawns tend to sweat easily, so the smell is strong naturally. Even if the carriage is moving, but this The smell is not so pleasant. The servant can't bear the smell, but he has to accompany the master, so he can only cover his nostrils and roll his eyes. The master of his family was called to Beijing by the emperor. He is a high-ranking official and has status. People, but mixing with these people now is really losing their status.

"Old man, you're being polite..." Lu Xiangsheng watched the bustling scene and the crowds, and started to chat with the people in the car. Lu Xiangsheng felt that it was necessary for him to understand how ordinary people feel about these things. .

"My lord, you're being polite." The old man who was questioned by Lu Xiangsheng hastily bowed his hands in return.Seeing that Lu Xiangsheng had a fair face and was accompanied by a servant, he knew that he was a scholar, and his status was naturally superior. When Lu Xiangsheng asked him something, he naturally agreed quickly.

"Dare to ask the old man, but are you from the capital?" Lu Xiangsheng asked. Although he was a Jinshi and a high-ranking official, he didn't care about mixing with ordinary people. When it comes to dealing with ordinary people, he is very good at it and is also very happy.

"If you come back to my son, that's right." The old man replied seriously. Seeing that Lu Xiangsheng's demeanor is also extraordinary, the old man has seen some of the world, and he knows that he is not an ordinary person, but he is a little reserved.

"You don't have to be polite, old man. Dare I ask old man, how much did you spend in this carriage? I spent ten coins..." Seeing that the old man was a little cautious, Lu Xiangsheng was very good at opening up a conversation, and asked such a question.

"Hehehe, that little old man is going to be taken care of, young master, is he afraid of being bullied by the courier? This is absolutely impossible..." The old man was a little cautious at first, but after hearing this, he let go of it a little Now, less formal.

"Oh, really? How can you tell? How much money did the old man spend?" Lu Xiangsheng saw that the old man and the people around him were a little cautious, and knew that his presence might make them uncomfortable, so he deliberately asked such a question to open up Chatterbox, when seeing the old man strike up a conversation, he asked along.

"My lord, it is said that the price is set by the higher-ups, and no one dares to raise the price without permission..." The old man pointed up while talking.Because the question is too simple, he can speak as an insider.

"Above?" Lu Xiangsheng asked deliberately pretending not to understand.

"Of course it's up..." the old man said with a smile, pointing his finger upwards again.

"Oh,... I understand, I understand..." Lu Xiangsheng pretended to understand again.

"...In other words, the old man also spent ten cents?" Lu Xiangsheng continued to ask. Although this question is simple and even a bit "idiot", it is a good way to eliminate barriers. Once the chatterbox is opened, he will naturally Listen to real voices.

"That's natural. Of course, it only costs ten coins. If it's too much, I won't give it..." The old man said with a smile. Facing this unusual person in front of him, the old man has become natural from the rigidity at the beginning. This unusual person is still easy to talk to.

"It's really cheap!" Lu Xiangsheng said.

"Hehehe, it's only in this age that such a cheap thing can happen. In the past, it was absolutely impossible, but are you worried that it will cost money?" the old man asked with a smile.

"Yes! It's hard to imagine, how could it be so cheap?" Lu Xiangsheng asked.

"No, no, the young master doesn't know. They do this business with the capital given by the emperor. The car doesn't need money, and the animals don't need money. Naturally, it can be cheaper. Now, they just manage it well. Take care of the animals yourself..." The old man hurriedly said, although this was a new thing, he felt very knowledgeable and could explain it to this fair-skinned young man.

"Oh, that's right! If you only care about yourself, then this cart will always break down, and this horse will always need to be replaced. Will His Majesty give it to you in the future?" Lu Xiangsheng asked.

"My lord, I don't know. As far as I know, this, I'm afraid they have to figure it out themselves. The emperor gave me the money for this time..." The old man replied with a smile.

"Didn't the old man say just now that they can just care about themselves?" Lu Xiangsheng asked, asking a very "idiot" question to start the conversation, and the latter question gradually asked him what he wanted, a lot Things, although he also has guesses and understands, but he still wants to find out the truth and find out by himself, which is considered instinct.

"Hehehe, don't you know, my lord, whether it's a change of carriage or a horse, it's not a one-time change. Although they do this business, although it's cheap, it's better to save a few pennies every day when they are old. It's a lot of money to go down in old age. When the carriage needs to be changed and the horse needs to be changed, he will naturally have money. Therefore, he can do this business so cheaply, and he can only rely on them. Only the little old man can go to Tongzhou to buy goods, and some people are willing to endure hardships and go to Tianjin to buy goods..." The old man opened his chatterbox, and felt that the fair-skinned young man in front of him was easy to talk to, and he was happy to talk to him, and he was also happy to talk about this book. Something the son-in-law doesn't know.

"Oh, that's how it is. I understand. Dare I ask what kind of business does the old man do?" Lu Xiangsheng asked and understood a doubt in his heart, and started talking again. He believed that to know the changes in the capital in the past two years, and Dealing with these people, one can get a lot of very intuitive things, and the things heard on the scene may not be so intuitive and detailed after they penetrate into the common people.

"Hehehe...Young Master, you are too polite. The little old man doesn't dare to say anything about business. The few pieces of cloth on the roof of this car are the goods that the little old man bought from Tongzhou..." The old man said hastily.

"Oh, it turns out that the old man is in the cloth business! This is a good business, and the business should be good in the future!..." Lu Xiangsheng said again.

"Hehehe,...Young Master, you are being polite. You just set up a stall on the side of the road and rely on this to support your family...." When the old man talked about his business, he smiled brightly, as if intending to show his ability and ability. Achievement, after thinking for a while, said again: "...Actually, it's just picking a bite of food between other people's fingers, and it's not really a business..."

"Then why do you want to go to Tongzhou to buy goods? I just heard from my husband that it seems that there are still people who go to Tianjin to buy goods?" Lu Xiangsheng asked again.Lu Xiangsheng was summoned by the emperor, and he was about to face the saint. He felt that he should know more about the emperor and what the emperor did. This is undoubtedly helpful to him, and undoubtedly, it is a good choice to learn about the emperor's actions through these people. The news in the officialdom is too ostentatious.

"Hehehe,...isn't it because I can get a few pennies cheaper, that's why I came here, otherwise, who wants to travel so far to pick up the goods? Like the little old man who went to Tongzhou to pick up cloth, and what else to buy? I went to pick up the iron goods in Tianjin..." The old man smiled happily, thinking that he was also proud of being able to go to Tongzhou to pick up the goods, and proud of what he knew.

"Oh... If the old man doesn't mind the trouble, can you tell me how much it will be cheaper?" Lu Xiangsheng asked again.It's quite polite.

"Hehe, I don't see you as an ordinary person, nor are we people who do small business. It's okay to tell you, hehe, just say it, but you will make me laugh..." The old man blushed, even though he said so , but in my heart I am willing to say what I am proud of. There are not many things that ordinary people can say. Although it is only a few pennies, it will definitely not catch the eyes of this "big man".

"It's okay, old man..." Lu Xiangsheng said.

"Hehehe, this Tongzhou, Tongzhou, you can tell the origin of this place just by hearing the name. Most of the people in our capital have to pass through Tongzhou. There are few things that can go around Tongzhou. The canals can still be walked on the sea, and all of them have to pass through Tongzhou..." Before the old man said, he also showed off his knowledge a little.

"That's not bad. What the old man said makes sense. In my Ming Dynasty, all food, cloth, and other materials have passed through Tongzhou. If you say that Tongzhou is an important place for traveling from south to north, it is indeed..." Lu Xiangsheng agreed, Tongzhou Needless to say, all kinds of things transported by the canal are landed here. In addition to the canal, things transported by sea also pass through here. This is actually a cargo transshipment center.

"...In the past, ordinary people would not come to Tongzhou to pick up goods, they didn't have the ability, and they didn't have the capital, but now it's different. The stagecoach can go to Tongzhou with twenty or thirty cents. Come here, I left home this morning and arrived in Tongzhou before noon. I bought the goods in Tongzhou and went back. It was still dark and I could catch up. That's why we people went to Tongzhou to pick up the goods. , I have to hire a car myself, most people can't afford it, and we don't have the ability..." The old man said shaking his head.

"Hmm..." Lu Xiangsheng kept nodding while looking at the rickety car. After talking with these people, he felt that he understood some of the emperor's intentions again.

"...Actually, when you calculate it, it is not much cheaper to buy goods in Tongzhou than in the capital. A piece of cloth is only a few pennies less, and one piece of cloth is only ten or twenty pennies more. However, you can always save a hundred or so pennies in one trip. Money, there is always a profit... The main reason is that in this good time, the number of people who come to the capital to work and buy clothes is also increasing, so this business is also easy to do, and you can go a few more times a month In Tongzhou, after a month, there are quite a few taels of silver, and after a year, you can get a few more taels of silver..." The old man introduced his own business experience, but he was very eloquent and felt very happy.

Lu Xiangsheng understood what he heard, and expressed his emotions. It is really not easy for the people in this world, and it is not easy for the people in that place. They are all the same. Happy with a few pennies.

"...The old man is also good at business. He knows a lot about the business..." Lu Xiangsheng came over with emotion, and said that he planned to take advantage of the old man's enthusiasm and tell all the words in his stomach.

"Hey..., my son is just joking. The little old man dares to say that he is in business, let alone a good businessman. He just set up a stall on the side of the road, relying on working in Beijing now. There are too many people here, so I just pick something to eat through other people's fingers..." The old man denied Lu Xiangsheng's flattery.

"Old man, I'm just joking. You can do this kind of business with a stall on the side of the road? Can you go to Tongzhou to pick up the goods yourself? Although I have never done business before, I am not ignorant! Don't lie to me, old man..." Lu Xiangsheng still fell down. The old man's words.

"There, there, the little old man is determined not to lie to the young master. This is all the truth. Don't look at the young master, it seems that the young old man bought a lot of cloth at once, but they are all coarse cloth, worthless, and they are all sold. Those who came to Beijing to work have it in their hands, so the price should be cheap and the things should be real. The little old man dare not compete with those who open stores and shops, because they are all business that they don’t like, little old man I just picked it up and made it,...hehehe, relying on the large number of people, although the profit is thin, I can still make ends meet..." The old man said with a smile, and when he said this, his expression became a little unnatural.It is impossible to do cloth business without a backstage. Setting up a roadside stall like him to do business is destined to be small. That is to say, relying on the rapid increase in the number of workers in the capital, there is some gap, and the business will pick up. Well, if you open a storefront or set up a store in a serious manner, there are connections.

"Oh, so that's the case.... I just heard the old man mention that there are many people coming to the capital? Do you mean?" Lu Xiangsheng said.

"Young master is talking about this! It sounds like the emperor is kind, and he can't bear to see our people suffer. It is said that the reason why this road needs to be built is to find a job for the people who can't survive, so that the people can survive. In fact, this The road has been like this for hundreds of years, and it’s okay if it’s not repaired..., so why spend a lot of money to transport oil residue from a long distance..." said the old man.

"Oh..." Lu Xiangsheng nodded, this statement is the same as the official statement.

Lu Xiangsheng really thought about it, and a voice in the carriage said: "Dare to ask my son, old man... the young one also went to Beijing to find a job. I don't know if it is good to find a job in the capital? We have never gone out, so I still invite you, old man. I can give you some pointers..."

Everyone looked over and saw a lively young man with a burden on his back. He didn't seem to be alone, and there was a companion who was younger than him, a little jerky and nervous.

"In the capital! It's not difficult to find something to do. As long as you have the strength and can bear hardships, you can always find something to do. If you have the ability, you are not afraid of death. It is not impossible to join the new army and find an official position in the future. It's just that It is extremely difficult for the new army to enter..., and if the fate is good, and it is valued by a big business like Liulizhai, it has a bright future. In two years, it is not difficult to marry a handsome daughter-in-law. You can get a lot of wages every month, and those who are worse can still have a full stomach, but the wages are less, and it is more difficult..." The old man opened his mouth immediately, and seemed to be quite clear about the things in the capital.

"Thank you, old man, for your guidance..., thank you, young master..." After receiving the letter, the lively young man thanked him immediately, bowed to the old man, and also bowed to Lu Xiangsheng, as if Lu Xiangsheng was worthy of trust.

Lu Xiangsheng looked at this young guy and his companions. During his journey to the north, he encountered many situations. Many of them were unable to live at home and came out to make a living, and some were young people who wanted to make a living. , some people travel long distances, relying on walking north, and there are also those who take cars and boats like this. In addition to this kind of young people who invite them, there are also families who come out. There are not a few people. Looking at these two guys, I think Lu Xiangsheng was even more emotional about the flow of people flowing towards the capital. Without these actions of the emperor, some people would have died of starvation in the countryside. They were nameless and unknown, as if they had never been here before. The world is ordinary, and he used to complain about the emperor spending huge sums of money to do these things. Seeing so many strangers moving towards the capital looking for hope, Lu Xiangsheng felt that maybe it should be done.

Looking at the fair-skinned young master, the "big man" was deep in thought, and everyone in the carriage stopped talking so as not to disturb the "big man".

"Brother, where are you from?" Lu Xiangsheng asked again, chatting with different people and understanding their affairs is what Lu Xiangsheng has been doing this time he went north.

"If you come back to my son, the younger one is from Baoding Mansion..." The lively young man said immediately, his voice full of hope.

"Oh, Baoding Mansion! It's supposed to be a good place to live there, why, there are some people who can't live there?" Lu Xiangsheng asked with a frown.

"If you go back to your son, the little Baoding Mansion, as far as I know, although this year's harvest is owed, it can generally survive, but there are also some people who can't sustain it, and many families move away. There are more people like us who want to make a fortune like this..." The young man replied seriously, and his words were also organized.

Lu Xiangsheng nodded. Although the situation he knew was somewhat different from what he knew, it was roughly the same. Like Baoding Mansion, there were not as many people who ran away without food. Fans, at least they still have the ability to take a car.

Just as he was speaking, the carriage suddenly jolted violently. Although the people in the carriage were prepared, they were still jolted high.

Lu Xiangsheng's servant quickly supported his master, and overtook the car again and again, shouting: "Driver, driver, how did you drive? How did you drive like this? You ruined my master, can you afford it..."

The driver wanted to reply and reprimand, but he remembered that there seemed to be a master in his carriage, and he apologized again and again, saying that it was the road construction, there was nothing he could do, please forgive me.

"Shaozu, don't worry too much, it's not the driver's fault..." Lu Xiangsheng was indeed jolted hard, but he didn't take it seriously, and taught his servant a lesson.

The boy was taught by his master and immediately stopped talking.

Although the boy didn't speak anymore, the people in the carriage also felt the difference in this fair-skinned young man. Judging by the tone of the boy's speech, he was really not an ordinary person.

The cabin was stuffy again.

"Speaking of road construction, it is said that it cost a lot of money. The oil residue was transported from Shaanxi. It is said that the oil residue road is particularly easy to walk. I wonder if I have seen this oil residue road before?" Lu Xiangsheng saw that everyone was silent. , So I found another topic.Since the conversation was cut off just now because of the road problem, I also mentioned this matter incidentally, so it can be regarded as a connection.Talking about this with these ordinary people, Lu Xiangsheng felt that he could better understand some of the emperor's actions, and he could better understand the emperor's mind. Before, he only listened to the general talk of the official people in the officialdom. The feelings of the participants were completely different, and Lu Xiangsheng felt that it was necessary for him to understand these things. Only by understanding these things could he say he understood the emperor better and his heart better.

(End of this chapter)