Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

After a night of chaos and fighting, it is now late at night.

Gu Mingli followed Xiao Ye through the dilapidated temple corridor and back to the east side hall.

The situation inside the palace has been brought under control by the Imperial Guards.

The hundred or so men of the Qinglong Hall squatted in three rows, with machetes and sticks piled up in the corner, under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Guards.

Qian Dajiang squatted in the middle of the front row, looking as aggrieved as a little wife.

He miscalculated this time and ended up kidnapping an ancestor!

He wanted to deny that he had robbed anyone, but he had already pocketed the stack of silver notes that Gu Mingyue had given him.

It's really hard to explain.

Xiao Jue stood at the door, waiting for instructions.

Xiao Ye glanced at the group of men squatting in the hall, his tone devoid of warmth.

"Keep him in custody for now. The governor of Jiangzhou will take over the interrogation tomorrow."

"Second Master, wait a moment."

Gu Mingyue squeezed her way from the back to the front.

Her skirt was still covered in dust from the dilapidated temple, and her hair was a little disheveled, but she was still full of energy.

Xiao Ye turned his head to look at her.

"What is it?"

"Please, Second Master, show mercy and do not hand these people over to the governor."

Gu Mingyue thought to herself, if she handed it over, she would be convicted as a bandit, and the punishment would be exile or beheading.

All eight hundred able-bodied young men were killed.

Xiao Ye didn't respond, waiting for her to continue.

Gu Mingyue walked up to Qian Dajiang and looked down at the Green Dragon Hall Master of the Canal Gang who was squatting on the ground.

"Master Qian, will you accept the conditions I just mentioned?"

Qian Dajiang tilted his head back and his Adam's apple bobbed twice.

His gaze shifted from Gu Mingyue's face to the man in the light blue brocade robe behind her.

Although he didn't know who they were, he couldn't afford to offend someone who could mobilize the Imperial Guards to seal off the city.

Qian Dajiang's voice was hoarse, "Who is this gentleman?"

Gu Mingyue did not turn around.

"You don't need to know who he is. You just need to know that I mean what I say."

Qian Dajiang gritted his teeth and turned to look at the group of brothers squatting behind him.

The skinny underling blinked frantically at him, his lips moving silently, "Yes, Master."

Niu Jiaojin squatted down next to him and bumped him with his shoulder.

"Master, this girl is really rich. And she seems to be trustworthy too."

The oxen strained so hard that only two people could hear them.

"If we keep arguing, the soldiers' knives won't have eyes."

Qian Dajiang closed his eyes.

If one could truly live in the sunlight, who would want to live in the gutter?

"I'll take it."

He opened his eyes, his expression solemn.

He straightened his clothes and bowed to Gu Mingyue.

"We, the servants of the Azure Dragon Hall, greet our master!"

Upon hearing this, all the staff of Qinglong Hall's eyes lit up instantly.

This is an identity that can both save your life and allow you to make money legitimately!

One by one, they all knelt down and kowtowed.

"Greetings, Master!"

Gu Mingyue smiled with satisfaction and turned to look at Xiao Ye.

"Second Master, look! These are our newly recruited workers at the dock. We can't take them away."

Xiao Ye's gaze fell upon them, and he said coldly, "Do you know their original identities?"

Knowing she couldn't hide it from the emperor, Gu Mingyue simply admitted it openly.

"I know, the Green Dragon Hall of the Canal Gang."

"The Grand Canal Gang?"

Xiao Jue frowned and stepped forward, coldly surveying the bandits kneeling in the hall.

The canal gangs controlled the canal transport for decades and have transformed from江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) gangs into water bandits.

No one dared to crack down on it before because some of the canal gangs had already colluded with local powerful families.

In recent years, there have even been instances of extorting money from prefectures and counties, extorting money from docks, and obstructing merchant ships in order to collect protection fees.

It wasn't until Xiao Ye ascended the throne that he began to order the rectification of the canal transport system.

Xiao Jue was ordered to oversee the water transport office and suppress the bandits along the canal.

Now Gu Mingyue actually wants to find someone from the Canal Gang to be her employee?

This is like inviting a wolf into the house!

Xiao Jue immediately denied it.

"No! The shipping gang has deep roots; you can't control them."

The members of the Azure Dragon Hall all looked up, staring at Gu Mingyue in horror.

They were already under the soldiers' blades; there was no way they could survive if they resisted.

At this point, all we can do is pin our hopes on the employer.

Gu Mingyue naturally couldn't let go of this ready-made team of money-devouring beasts.

She looked at Xiao Jue's expression that said, "This is not negotiable."

My brain is working at high speed.

A grand plan suddenly emerged.

"Second Master, Fourth Master, since the dock business is being run jointly by our two families, wouldn't you like to expand the business even further?"

"Let our influence be based on the Grand Canal, eventually covering both land and water routes, radiating throughout the entire territory of Dayong?"

Xiao Jue didn't understand. "What does this mean?"

Gu Mingyue becomes very energetic when she talks about business operations.

"For commerce to flourish, goods must circulate quickly. The free flow of goods between the north and south benefits merchants and increases tax revenue for the imperial court."

"Timely transport of military provisions and supplies ensures a stable border defense; during famine years, grain can be rapidly transported for relief, and the people's hearts are at ease. When the nation's lifeblood flows smoothly, all industries naturally prosper."

Xiao Ye and Xiao Jue exchanged a glance, remaining expressionless.

Seeing that the two did not refute, Gu Mingyue knew that they were swayed by this argument.

After all, the national treasury is currently empty, and the emperor would love to hear any method that could replenish it.

Gu Mingyue turned to look at Qian Dajiang, who was still kneeling on the ground.

"Manager Qian."

She changed her title; she no longer addressed him as Master Qian.

This is to protect his innocence.

Qian Dajiang was taken aback, and quickly replied.

"Yes, boss!"

Gu Mingyue asked, "How many people are there in the five branches of the Canal Gang combined?"

Qian Dajiang squatted on the ground, stunned by the question.

"A little over three thousand."

Gu Mingyue's eyes lit up, and she seemed somewhat satisfied.

"How many people are in each branch, and which sections of the waterway are they distributed across?"

Qian Dajiang raised his head, looked at Xiao Ye, and then at Gu Mingyue.

"The Azure Dragon Hall has eight hundred men and is based in Jiangzhou. The Crimson Dragon Hall has six hundred men and is based in Xuzhou. The White Crane Hall has four hundred men and is based in Yuezhou. The Black Tortoise Hall has seven hundred men and is based in Yangzhou. There is also the Iron Anchor Hall with five hundred men, based in Tongzhou."

Gu Mingyue quickly drew a line in her mind.

"Jiangzhou, Xuzhou, Yuezhou, Yangzhou, and Tongzhou. These five branches are located precisely at five key points along the main channel of the Grand Canal."

"If a transfer station is set up at each node, merchant ships will not have to wait when they arrive; the goods can be unloaded, sorted, and transferred directly at the station. Small ships will travel on tributaries, and large ships will travel on main lines."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ye quickly drew a map in his mind.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at Gu Mingyue.

"continue."

Gu Mingyue knew the emperor had taken her words to heart, so she continued to speak earnestly.

"It normally takes forty days to travel from Jiangzhou to the capital by canal. In between, there are checkpoints, waiting for dispatch, changing boats, and sometimes being stuck at the ferry crossing for ten days to half a month."

"But if all five transfer stations operate simultaneously, sorting and transferring goods in a relay, without waiting or stopping, the fastest turnaround time can be 15 days."

The hall fell silent.

Qian Dajiang squatted on the ground, dumbfounded.

He had made a living on the river for twenty years, and no one had ever told him about this method.

Can a whole ship's cargo be sorted and transferred?

Xiao Ye's train of thought didn't falter at all; he kept up with Gu Mingyue's pace.

"Is this something that the existing grain transport offices of the imperial court can't handle?"

"I can't do it," Gu Mingyue replied curtly.

"The canal transport authorities were in charge of collecting taxes and releasing goods. They didn't handle the goods, the ships, or the people. Each checkpoint operated independently, without unified coordination."

"I'm talking about a complete transshipment system. From receiving, sorting, loading onto the ship, to delivery, the entire process is overseen by personnel from the operating organization, with verifiable records and time-definite delivery guarantees."

Although the Great Yong Dynasty lacked modern information systems, the martial arts world still adhered to strict sect rules.

Once you enter Pujitang, you must follow its rules.

Orders must be obeyed without question.

"The government can't do this kind of thing. Because nobody in the yamen understands the practicalities of water transport. But the canal guilds do. They've made their living on the river their whole lives, they could transport goods from Jiangzhou to Tongzhou with their eyes closed."

"What they lack is not ability, but status."

Gu Mingyue glanced at Qian Dajiang, who was squatting on the ground.

"Give them a legal status and a set of rules, and they can transform from river bandits into the most capable transport team on the canal."

Qian Dajiang swallowed hard, his lips trembling slightly.

Xiao Ye didn't reply, his gaze falling on the group of canal gang men squatting inside the hall.

"Does this business model you just described have any legitimate name?"

Gu Mingyue spoke without hesitation.

"Yes! Call the logistics company."