It was only bright when he woke up in the morning. After breakfast, Shen Zechuan boarded the car with Kong Ling and went to the Zhifen shop last time. The front hall was doing business as usual, Qiao Tianya and Fei Sheng stood in the backyard, and Jin Yiwei kept a close eye on the inside and outside.
At two o'clock, Luo Mu's sedan chair also arrived. Today, he was wearing a sauce-colored robe with a slanted collar and large sleeves. The shopkeeper's cleverness, seeing a few eye-catching attendants behind Luo Mu, he raised his voice and said, "The sun will be hot for a while, and it will be hard to stand outside. Take my brothers to the room to have tea and rest."
The eyes of the attendants met, and they thought that Luo Mu would not be able to run away, so they followed the man to the room. When they entered the house, they wanted to hang the curtains so that they could keep their eyes on the front door.
The guy followed Luo Mu and asked Luo Mu to wipe his hands with a handkerchief. Luo Mu wiped it as usual, and looked at the goods on the counter. The shopkeeper greeted him with a smile and said, "Last time the adults came, the little ones didn't have all the goods ready. This time, they have prepared them early in the morning. There are also some jade toys that only arrived in the east. They are all in the back, please!"
Luo Mu seemed to hesitate and glanced at the servants.
The shopkeeper continued: "The distance between the front and rear feet will not delay you much. Some goods are rare, and it is difficult to pick them up from the front, and it will not look good."
Luo Mu nodded reluctantly and followed the shopkeeper to the backyard.
Qiao Tianya slapped the curtain himself, Luo Mu repeatedly thanked him, leaned in, and bowed to Shen Zechuan first. After the ceremony was over, he looked at Kong Ling again, and saw that the two of them looked relaxed before taking their seats.
Shen Zechuan saw that Luo Mu was dressed as a scholar today. He must have carefully chosen his clothes and shoes before going out. Although he was sitting upright after entering the house, as long as there was a conversation, he would unconsciously look at Kong Ling. As soon as Kong Ling opened his mouth, he focused his attention.
"In the past few days, Cai Yu has made great efforts to crack down on small gangs, but he is measured, he knows the truth, and he is also afraid that he has done too much to betray the family, so while fighting against small gangs, he uses the method of 'helping everyone with cheap food'. Try your best to win over the remaining juniors." Because Shen Zechuan was on the side, Luo Mu had already restrained his gaze, and he said, "This method is to sell cheap food to the gangs who are not making troubles."
Kong Ling asked, "How much is that?"
Luo Mu replied, "One or two to five buckets."
Kong Ling smiled and said, "The price is not much lower. The so-called 'cheap grain' is just a little less than what he earns outside. Cai Yu used to be righteous and sparse wealth, and he didn't take gold and silver things in his eyes. , Now that I'm old, I'm so stingy."
Not only can this price not be called "cheap grain", it should also be called "expensive grain". The current price of rice in Chazhou is one tael of silver and two buckets of rice, and the price of rice is one tael of silver and two stone of rice. At this moment, in order to buy people's hearts, he just changed it to one tael of silver and five buckets of rice. It can be seen that he really wants money and is reluctant to give too much.
Shen Zechuan brushed the foam and said: "Cai Yu is also difficult to ride a tiger, and now everyone inside and outside the city is complaining that the price of rice is too high. If he drops too much to win over the little bandits, the ordinary people will hate him even more, and he naturally dare not dare. ."
"Not only Chazhou, Fanzhou is also causing public anger." Luo Mu knows Cai Yu's business best, "At the beginning of this year, Lei Changming cut off contact with the Yan family for some reason, and Yan Heru no longer supported the Luoshan bandits. I will think about capturing Izuku and grabbing the granary of Izuku, and the reason is that I can’t afford Cai Yu’s food.”
"Let Cai Yu sell it for a few days first," Shen Zechuan flipped over the folding fan and tapped against the table top, "Whether it's one or two buckets, or one or two to five buckets, ordinary people and little bandits can't afford it. Cai Yu reluctantly Opened, naturally I hope that the people below will be obedient and stop fighting against him, but his attitude is not low enough, this will only be counterproductive."
"Don't talk about ordinary people," Kong Ling sighed, "even officials and eunuchs can't afford it according to the monthly salary issued by the imperial court. On the way we came, we saw that everywhere in Chazhou were selling their bodies with grass, and all the children of the family were sold. I just hope there is a way out.”
"People are worthless these days, and they sell children cheaply." Luo Mu had already heard of these things, "Besides, now, how can anyone in Zhongbo be willing to spend money to buy people? Only the kilns in Fanzhou are willing to come and collect them. From a good book to a cheap one, even a bucket of rice can’t be exchanged.”
Shen Zechuan didn't know the situation in Fanzhou, so he asked, "Since Fanzhou is having trouble eating, where will the money come from to run these kilns?"
Luo Mu replied: "It's also a bandit. He specializes in the skin and meat business for the bandits in Luoshan and Dengzhou. The price is very low. This small profit is also swallowed by the yaozi."
Kong Ling asked strangely: "Then they bought so many people to go back to do business, so they have to support them? Do they also buy food from Cai Yu?"
Luo Mu shook his head and said, "Humans are cheaper than dogs. They are fed with swill and weeds. If you die of starvation, you can buy them again. Anyway, the price is cheap, so you won't suffer."
Kong Ling sat in a daze, his face gradually showing pain, he said: "Zhongbo fell into this situation, if the court is willing to help, it will not become like this. In the early years, I said that Hua Siqian..."
He still had Shen Wei's name stuck in his throat.
Luo Mu had a good heart, afraid that Kong Ling would say something unpleasant that would leave a knot in Shen Zechuan's heart, so he quickly changed the subject and said, "According to Tongzhi's plan, what will you do next?"
However, Shen Zechuan said, "If Shen Wei hadn't shied away from fighting, Zhongbo would not have been defeated so thoroughly. Mr. Cheng Feng has a heart for the common people, and I admire him the most. There are some words that need not be avoided."
Shen Zechuan was so sincere, but Luo Mu felt embarrassed. Kong Ling's heart sank. He has been following Shen Zechuan and avoiding Shen Zechuan recently. He is a smart man. Shen Zechuan is very dangerous. The unfathomable master is the most difficult to serve.
Kong Ling could stand in line, but he was reluctant to support Shen Zechuan like Zhou Gui. Shen Zechuan repeatedly hinted that Kong Ling turned a blind eye and pretended to be stupid. At this moment, seeing Shen Zechuan not only not angry, but also going down the steps, he felt even more panic.
Seeing Kong Ling's expression floating, Shen Zechuan turned his long fingers lightly back on the folding fan, paused for a moment, and then said, "Stop the news of Cizhou coming to sell grain for a few days, and wait until the bandits have their own interests and refuse to accept Cai Yu's favor. Let it out when it is at your mercy. Don’t let the grain trucks in reserve enter the city, but set up a porridge shed outside the city and tell the refugees that Ibaraki is here to sell grain at normal prices.”
Luo Mu asked tentatively, "What if you don't have any money?"
Shen Zechuan smiled and looked at Luo Mu: "Isn't this the garrison and reclamation households of Chazhou in the future? The common people have no money, you have taken a lot of that money with Cai Yu, and even if you take Cai Yu, his Most of the family's wealth will fall into the hands of adults. If you use these money to do business with Ibaraki, in exchange for people's will, you will be able to solve your future troubles. To this day, I still want to remind adults that Ibaraki is here to do business. Business is not about tightening your belt to help others."
Luo Mu sweated on his forehead, wiped it with a handkerchief, nodded and said, "This is nature, this is nature..."
* * *
Shen Zechuan returned to the yard this time, not with Kong Ling.
Qiao Tianya sat in front of the carriage, wearing a bamboo hat and pillowing his arms, and said through the curtain, "Master doesn't want him anymore?"
Shen Zechuan couldn't stand the heat, so he closed his eyes and slumbered inside. He listened to the hawkers along the street for a while, and then he said, "Both hard and soft, he is determined not to."
Qiao Tianya held the tender grass core between his teeth and said, "Yes, he has hid himself in front of you several times, just because he was afraid of being forced. When he finished his studies and was discharged from the hospital, he didn't join Zhou Gui and Luo Mu, just because he wanted to. Be a white robe. People like him are born to be strategists, and the only arrogance is to be able to choose their own future."
Shen Zechuan half-opened his eyes and said, "I, Shen Lanzhou, don't have to."
Shen Zechuan didn't want to force it, but he was too short of people. Originally, he also thought that Kong Ling and Zhou Gui would be the best arrangement. If these two were put together, they would be able to settle one side, and at least it would not be a problem to settle Cizhou. But now, there are no talents around Shen Zechuan who can make plans. What he lacks is no longer a pair of eyes or hands, but a counselor who can assist him in coordinating the overall situation.
Kong Ling is quite famous in Zhongbo. He is both Zhou Gui's classmate and Luo Mu's classmate. From a personal point of view, he can coordinate many things for Shen Zechuan in these two prefectures, just like this time, he You can directly drop the name post to visit. He also has the contacts he established in the Dunzhou army when he was Tantailong's advisor. As long as these people are not dead, they can be used in the future. Furthermore, when Lei Jingzhe designed to deceive them, Shen Zechuan didn't take a fancy to Kong Ling, because Kong Ling was deceived too easily, but Kong Ling's voice in front of Cizhou City attracted Shen Zechuan again, until this time. Before leaving, Kong Ling quickly stood in line, which completely moved Shen Zechuan to the idea of income.
But Kong Ling had no idea of changing hands.
Shen Zechuan was too young, not only did he have a rough life, he also studied under Qi Huilian. Qi Huilian once had three ups and downs in Qidu, and served as the head of the East Palace for several years. What kind of students would such a teacher teach? Qi Huilian was the emperor's teacher, and Kong Ling didn't dare to think about it any further. The most important thing is that he was afraid of Shen Zechuan and could not trust Shen Zechuan.
In Kong Ling's eyes, Shen Zechuan was a cold-hearted person who would give up his personal relationship at any time. If it were Zhou Gui today, he would never have said that to Luo Mu.
Shen Zechuan raised his head in annoyance and looked at the car curtain that was shaking due to bumps. Strands of sunlight flickered in the gaps, hitting his knees, dizzy on the white.
After Qi Huilian died, Shen Zechuan wore white. He never asked Qiao Tianya where Han Cheng put his husband's body after he left. His cry that night only stayed in Xiao Chiye's palm, but the names headed by Xue Xiuzhuo, Han Cheng, and the Queen Mother were imprinted in Shen Zechuan's heart, and it was fixed that Qi Du was dyed red in the pouring rain. of the city walls.
He has to stand, he needs counselors.
Shen Zechuan meditated silently.
A strategist who can stand up to Xue Xiuzhuo.