Our family has been rebelling for generations, and you've become the top scholar in the imperia

As night fell.

As Duke Ma and his group of nobles came down from the mine, their expressions were complex. They wanted to say something several times, but when they saw Qin Feng's figure in front of them, they immediately held back.

The entire Xishan Coal Mine is managed in an orderly manner.

In the past, they wanted to curry favor with the King of Fortune. Although they had never been up there, they had seen these miners.

They were all pale and emaciated, with tattered clothes.

She is completely different from how she is now.

They work with smiles on their faces. In the past, they would slack off whenever they could, but now they don't even need a supervisor to urge them on. They are all working faster than each other, afraid that they will not be able to transport enough.

As for the simple meals they ate, Duke Ma could even say that this was how their household usually ate.

They even add a meat dish in the middle, stewed with big bones. You drink a bowl of meat soup, gnaw on a few bones, and eat two bowls of noodles.

Among ordinary people, whose family can afford such good food?

"The last transport team has been dispatched, Your Excellency. The accountant should have finished calculating the results by now. Shall we go and check on them?"

"If you all think this business is feasible, how about we discuss it in more detail?"

Qin Feng walked at the front, smiling as he turned back and said.

He had strict requirements for the transport team.

Work must stop before dark; coal transportation at night is not permitted.

As for how many trips a day...

Three trips are more than enough. Qin Feng had tested this beforehand and there were absolutely no problems.

Tung oil is applied to the wooden rails, and it is reapplied to the wheels after each trip.

Reduce friction to increase speed.

The only drawback is that the wooden tracks laid with this strength can only last for a maximum of five years, and they need to be replaced in the fourth year.

It's a pity that this is ancient times, and it's impossible to build railway tracks here. Otherwise, if we used railway tracks, they could last for thirty years without any problems.

"How did the calculations go?"

We arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Duke Ma looked at the several accountants who were walking over and hurriedly asked.

I really don't know if what Qin Feng said is true or false.

An income of about ten thousand taels of silver a month.

As for wages, there are only so many workers in total, so they can't pay much money per month.

After deducting the cost of raising horses, at least eight thousand taels of silver can be saved.

That's nearly 100,000 taels a year!

"My lord, I've calculated it clearly. There are a total of 100 carts. They all made three trips today. The transportation cost per trip is 100 taels of silver. With 100 carts a day, the total transportation cost is 300 taels of silver, and the monthly cost is 9,000 taels of silver. After deducting all costs, we can save at least 7,000 taels!"

"If we increase the number of vehicles to two hundred, that would be six hundred taels of silver a day..."

I couldn't listen to it anymore.

Duke Ma and the many nobles behind him began to breathe rapidly.

A profit of over ten thousand taels of silver a year?

Is this the job of hauling coal at Xishan Coal Mine?

In the past, they could never have imagined that such a lowly business could bring in so much money in a month.

"Lord Qin...we...well, how about we find a place to discuss this in detail? We don't need to wait until tomorrow; we'll have nothing to do back home anyway. How about tonight?"

Duke Ma turned around and said with a solemn expression.

"good!"

Qin Feng nodded with a smile.

They found a teahouse nearby and invited the many dignitaries to sit down.

"The profit margin for the Xishan Coal Mine transportation business is at its peak. If you all join in, you won't actually get much money."

These words were spoken.

Everyone, including Duke Ma, had a drastic change in expression.

What does this mean?

Should we exclude them from involvement?

"Please don't be in a hurry, everyone. If we're going to do it, we should do big business. I wouldn't need to discuss a small business like the Xishan Coal Mine with you all, would I?"

"You bastard, bring me the map!"

Qin Fengchong reached out his hand from behind.

Qiu Tuizi, who was standing outside the shed, immediately took out a map from behind his waist.

He handed it over respectfully.

Those sitting inside the shed were all nobles from the capital; it was unexpected that they would be so obedient to their superiors.

Do whatever you're told.

"My lord, this is a map of the area around the capital. Besides coal transport, there are many caravans entering the city, like here..."

"At the canal port, all the cargo of ships coming from here is unloaded here and then transferred to the capital."

"Three hundred kilometers from Beijing!"

Duke Ma trembled as he looked at the canal on the map.

I immediately understood.

What kind of big business is Qin Feng talking about?

The wooden tracks laid to the canal port—you know, the amount of coal transported by the Xishan Coal Mine in a day may seem like a lot, but compared to the hundreds of thousands of people in the capital, it's nothing at all.

The amount of goods shipped to the capital from the port every day was truly enormous.

"Does Lord Qin mean to lay wooden tracks to the canal port? To take over all the cargo transportation there... Hmm, the profits are indeed high, but thirty kilometers of wooden tracks will require an investment of thirty thousand taels of silver, and it will take an investment of three hundred thousand taels of silver to build it."

Duke Ma rubbed his cheeks vigorously and took a deep breath before speaking.

Make money?

earn!

Once the road is paved, the price for transporting goods will be significantly higher than that for transporting coal. Moreover, the journey is a full 300 kilometers, so the toll will naturally be more expensive.

Moreover, it can greatly shorten the time. In the past, it would take at least five or six days for a caravan to reach the capital, but with wooden rails, it would arrive within three days.

but……

The investment is too large.

Three hundred thousand taels of silver—even if all these nobles combined, they would have a hard time scraping together that much money.

Unless other nobles are recruited to join.

But in this way, the amount of silver distributed will be less.

For a time, all the nobles were conflicted. They clearly had a way to make a lot of money, but they just couldn't get started. They felt extremely distressed.

"Duke, the investment is large, but once it's built, the 300,000 taels of silver can be recovered in six months at most, a sure profit. Of course, I will also invest a portion, up to 100,000 taels of silver, to take 30 shares. The remaining 70 shares can be divided among you all. Moreover, you can continue to invite others to invest."

"Wouldn't that mean we got less silver?"

Questions were raised.

Upon hearing this...

Qin Feng stroked his chin and smiled.

"The canal ports are 300 kilometers away. Look at this place, everyone. The capital is a trading port, and this place is 400 kilometers away. What about the other prefectures? The closest county to the capital is 60 kilometers away. Every day, the fruits and vegetables from the capital are transported out from here..."

"Gentlemen, the timber track business didn't specify that only one track could be built!"

"Imagine what kind of business it would be if we could lay wooden tracks connecting all the other state capitals and transportation hubs in the future, connecting state capitals? Wouldn't we be transporting goods instead?"

Qin Feng paused slightly.

Continue to increase investment.

As a time traveler, he knew all too well how important the railway network was and how much it could accelerate economic development.

"My lord, this is just for transporting goods. In the future, could we lay wider, more comfortable wooden tracks and have craftsmen build carriages large enough for people to ride in? If we were to transport people, could we charge a fee?"

Upon hearing this...

Duke Ma gasped.

His expression was blank.

Transporting people?

The fee is much higher than the goods themselves!