Fu Zhiyu also knew about this, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with it: "Qian Manguan didn't break up with the Qian family after all, he still has some conscience, and the few shops he wanted in the end were really nothing. Deng Qian heard all these things, including the coachman incident, and he knew in his heart that the Deng family still owed the Qian family, and he didn't regard that incident as adding insult to injury."
"So... are you really going to let these two go?"
"It's not a big deal. I just want to teach them to be obedient and not be too lawless," Fu Zhiyu waved his hand and said, "The whole of Jiangnan still depends on them. Besides, I will need them in the future. We have a long way to go. Even if I slap someone, I have to give them a sweet treat."
He gave the medicine to Qian Manguan just to test the character of the two families. It seems that the result is not bad. Although the Deng and Qian families have harmed him, they were driven by interests at the moment, which does not mean that they have done evil.
If Qian Manguan had really pushed too much at that time, it would actually have been a bad thing.
After Fu Zhiyu finished speaking, he collected the incense ash and muttered in a low voice where Doctor Chen couldn't hear: "...It's getting more and more excessive."
Deng Qian should have had a good rest during this period. When Fu Zhiyu returned home today, he happened to see him visiting.
His face looked fine, just a little pale, but better than being unconscious.
"Prince Zhao," he came forward and bowed as soon as he saw Fu Zhiyu's carriage, "I came here specially to express my gratitude."
Fu Zhiyu lifted the curtain and glanced at him: "What are you thanking me for?"
"The Qian family told me that the antidote was given by King Zhao," Deng Qian said. "My son was immature and reckless, and he offended King Zhao, but he didn't expect that King Zhao would not bear grudges. This really makes our Deng family ashamed, so I came here to thank him and apologize."
Fu Zhiyu got off the carriage, his tone still indifferent: "To be honest, I didn't poison you, but it was indeed caused by me. Doesn't Patriarch Deng hate me?"
"I dare not talk about resentment," Deng Qian lowered his head, "it was my Deng family who made the mistake first."
"You better take care of yourself," Fu Zhiyu said, "If you try anything else in the future, it won't end like this."
After he said this, he went in and ignored Deng Qian.
Deng Qian, who stayed where he was, breathed a sigh of relief.
Later, Fu Zhiyu heard the news that after Deng Qian returned, he called the family rules and beat his beloved son Deng Lang so hard that he was covered in wounds and is still recuperating.
"He is indeed not very smart," Fu Zhiyu commented after hearing it. "If it were me, I would smoke too. If the Deng family's business were handed over to him in the future, I think the four great merchants would become just three great merchants."
Now the plot has changed drastically. Deng Jinghe, who had been shining brightly during this period of time, has not made any movement. However, Yuan Lu mentioned it with gloating eyes, saying that his hand was broken and he is now recuperating and has not come out for several days.
"They said he fell accidentally, but I think he was beaten up," Yuan Lu said, "This kind of villain deserves to be condemned by everyone!"
A few days later, the Deng and Qian families learned from the practice of the medicine shop and set up porridge shops in other cities in Jiangnan, still under the name of Fu Zhiyu. For several days, they were quite successful.
Many people outside actually didn't understand what was going on. Although the previous affairs between the Deng and Qian families could not be concealed, there were only a few people who knew about it, and they were confined to this small circle of businessmen. Information transmission channels were very limited these days. Unless someone was interested, no one would know the full extent of the undercurrent.
But distributing porridge was a good thing. Fu Zhiyu had a very good reputation outside during this period, to the extent that everyone praised King Zhao for his kindness. This made Fu Zhiyu's plan go much more smoothly, and at least laid a good foundation.
Yuan Jiangwen had long known what Fu Zhiyu was going to do in Jiangnan. He had already met Fu Zhiyu several times and told him his ideas.
"You are now in good spirits, and your uncle is very happy to see you," he said, "If you are short of money, come to me. I think that porridge shop is good, why not add a few more?"
"I appreciate your kindness, uncle, but don't just focus on the porridge shop," Fu Zhiyu poured him a cup of tea and said with a smile, "The porridge shop is only a temporary solution, and it's not suitable to have too many porridge shops, and it shouldn't be open for too long. The medicine shop has been closed a long time ago, and it's almost time to stop the Deng and Qian families.
If it has been there for a long time, people will get used to it and think it is natural. If it is gone later, they will complain. Porridge shops and medicine shops are just for emergency relief. If people get used to getting something for nothing, it will be bad.”
"I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to start," Yuan Jiangwen said, "Jiangnan is actually difficult to manage. Even if the four major families listen to you now, it is still difficult to manage."
Fu Zhiyu knew that Jiangnan was a place with a solid foundation. It was not like some barren lands. The situation was already very poor, so no matter how much trouble it took, it would be fine. But it was different here.
He smiled and continued, "I went to a restaurant some time ago and heard scholars talking about governance. One of them said that if we just take out the money of the four great merchants and share it with everyone, there will be no poor people in Jiangnan. Uncle, do you think this makes sense?"
Yuan Jiangwen smiled, and seemed to think that this idea was very naive. He shook his head and said, "It's not that I don't want to spend the money, it's just that I want to do this..."
"It's the same as the porridge shop. Giving money can only save the family temporarily. If a family has no ability to make money, giving money is useless," Fu Zhiyu said. "It's useless to just blame the wealthy merchants for sucking blood. It sounds very infuriating that a wealthy merchant sold a piece of cloth for ten taels but only gave fifty wen when he bought it. But I have also read the files. Before the business was established, it was already very good to sell a piece of cloth for twenty wen. It was the caravan that opened up the channels for buying and selling, which made the price of cloth rise year by year. It is very unfair to only remember them for sucking blood and not remember their contributions.
Uncle, don't worry. If I need anything, I will look for the Yuan family."
After Yuan Jiangwen left, Fu Zhiyu sat alone at the desk, staring at the sentences he had written in a daze for a long time.
He looked confident in front of Yuan Jiangwen, but he knew in his heart how nervous he was facing all this.
In fact, these things were not the first time he had thought of them. Fu Zhiyu had already thought of them when he was the emperor in his previous life.
Everyone has his or her own strengths, but in Jilin's country it seems that only being an official can bring real honor to the family, as if the rest are of the lowest class and cannot be put on the stage. Those with a little ability have to squeeze into the imperial examination, and there are too many people who take the civil and military examinations to succeed.
It’s not bad to take the imperial examination, but there are only so many official positions. What should most people do
In terms of the four trades of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, Jiangnan has actually realized part of Fu Zhiyu's vision in his previous life. It is ahead, but it is still not enough.
Due to the developed business and high status of merchants, there are more ways to succeed here. In addition to merchants, there are also craftsmen.
But not everyone can be a craftsman. In fact, from the perspective of Jilin as a whole, the status of craftsmen is higher than that of businessmen. This skill is not something that everyone can learn. It is usually passed down from generation to generation and only a limited number of apprentices are taught.
Not to mention farming. He looked around and saw that there were many kinds of rice in Jiangnan, and the crops were very single. The lower-class farmers did not know how to adapt and were unable to do so. The farm tools they used were also very simple. Old oxen for plowing the fields were considered a luxury in many villages, and most of the farming was still done by manpower.
Fu Zhiyu has seen many worlds in the main god space. He knows that the ancient world of "Famous History" is backward in level, but due to the limitations of the times, Fu Zhiyu cannot create too many epoch-making things. He is not yet so omnipotent and omniscient, but it is still possible to make some improvements on the current basis.
Institutional matters are also difficult to change in the short term, and require more caution. For example, Fu Zhiyu knew that allowing farmers to directly own land could greatly change their living conditions, but if he did so, it would be like touching the deepest interests of the upper landlord class of the era. He himself was a big landlord, and Fu Zhiyu's desire to reform himself did not mean that others agreed.
The times are limited, and he cannot do whatever he wants. Fu Zhiyu had already made plans, but his experience in the main god space made him feel more deeply, and he was able to see from top to bottom what currently exists and what can be changed.
This is a rare free world where people can change. Fu Zhiyu feels that he has been reborn and has been living a very good life so far, but if he can do this, he can change the fate of more people.
Not only for his mother, Ming Dao and the Yuan family, this was actually... just his own regret.
However, when he thought of this, his fingers tapped on the table unconsciously. Before that, should some hidden danger be resolved
When returning home today, Fu Zhiyu went to the largest tavern in the city and bought two pots of peach blossom wine.
He did not invite anyone today. He sat alone in the pavilion, drinking under the moon, and drank both pots of wine. He seemed to be even more drunk this time. He staggered back to the room, then fell asleep on the bed without even covering himself with a quilt.
Although the weather is getting warmer now, it starts to get cooler at night. Fu Zhiyu was not wearing thick clothes, and he opened the window without closing it. There were gusts of cool wind, and he seemed to feel it while lying on the bed. He shrank his body, but he seemed to be in a deep sleep and did not reach out to pull the quilt.
Not long after, there was a slight noise from the window and a figure flashed in. He first closed the window quietly, then walked to the bed and tried to cover him with the quilt.
But when Fu Zhiyu lay down, he happened to be pressed on the quilt. The man was afraid of waking him up, so he moved more carefully. But halfway through covering the quilt, he heard the cold voice of the man on the bed: "How long have you been here?"
Fu Zhiyu opened his eyes and looked at him. There was no sign of drunkenness in his eyes, but rather clear ones.