Seven days later, at night, in the study room of the governor’s mansion in Lanzhou City…
"I didn't expect that Yan Liqiang is such a capable kid. He resolved the run on the Zhong family bank just like that!" Gu Tong'an, half lying on the couch, looked at the latest issue of the Han Empire Times in his hand and said in a nonchalant tone, "But it's resolved. This time, I just want to take this opportunity to warn the Zhong family and make them behave. If we really provoke the Zhong family, the consequences may not be easy to control. The Zhong family is a big family in the northwest, and it's not that easy to deal with..."
In front of Lanzhou Governor Gu Tongan, there was still Yun Ou, the strategist whom he relied on as his confidant.
"Yan Liqiang made a big fanfare this time to get the world's No. 1 factory to deposit 10 million taels of silver into the Zhong family's bank. The newly established wool trading market in Bianji, Yingwei County, also allowed the Zhong family's bank to invest in it, accounting for 20% of the shares. Everyone knows that the wool trading market will be the goose that lays golden eggs in the future. Not only did the Zhong family's bank invest in the market this time, but all transactions in the market were specified to be in cash and silver bills issued by the Zhong family's bank. Silver bills from banks outside the six northwestern states are now difficult to cash and are somewhat difficult to use. These two things added together, and then promoted through the "Great Han Empire Times", made it known to everyone. Everyone knows that the Zhong family's bank has money, so the crisis of the Zhong family's bank is naturally resolved, and no one runs on it anymore!"
"This is 10 million taels of silver, and he took it out as soon as he said it. That kid is really rich. In the whole Northwest, there is probably no one richer than that kid. All the wealth I have accumulated in all these years as an official is not as much as one of his workshops can take out..." Gu Tong'an's tone was full of envy and jealousy.
"The world's No. 1 factory is making a fortune every day, and the manufacturing bureau and Yunyan, which are all lucrative businesses, are all in Yan Liqiang's hands. Now the wool of the Gulang grassland will soon be under his control. Not to mention the northwest, in two years, I'm afraid there won't be anyone richer than him in the entire Han Empire. His success has attracted the jealousy of the wealthy families in the northwest, and everyone is following his example. There are not many products in the northwest. In the past, the main income of many wealthy families in the northwest actually came from land rent, so they valued the land. But now everyone knows that if you want to make a lot of money, you can't just rely on land, you have to rely on factories and workshops, machines, and wool. In the past two years, the entire northwest has set off a trend of opening factories and workshops. Even the countryside in Lanzhou has opened steam mills and steam sawmills. Speaking of which, this trend is really learned from him!"
"You're right!" Gu Tong'an shook the Han Empire Times in his hand. "Speaking of this thing, I really didn't realize that this small newspaper has such a great use before, and I didn't pay much attention to it. Now I find that this thing is so useful at critical moments. It is even more useful than the government's announcements and the court's reports. Whoever masters this can influence public opinion. As soon as this newspaper reports the good news about Zhong's Bank, everyone thinks that Zhong's Bank has no problems, and the run on the bank disappears in an instant. It is more effective than anyone's words. I think we should also do this in Lanzhou. We can also make a copy. Yunou, you remember this, you are responsible for this matter, find a few people, it shouldn't be difficult, all financial expenses, you go to Gu Butler to withdraw..."
"Yes, I've got it. Yan Liqiang is indeed a pioneer. He invented things like the newspaper, the water-fire machine, and the four-wheeled carriage. Each of them is very useful. We can keep a closer eye on him in the future to see what new things he comes up with!"
"Now that you mention it, I remember that our craftsmen's camp has already imitated the water-fire machine produced by the manufacturing bureau a few days ago. I heard that they have also made a boat that can run on the water. I have been pretending to be sick in the mansion these days and have not visited them. I heard that the water-fire boats of the manufacturing bureau under the command of that yellow-haired boy are now running on the river, carrying people and goods. I wonder how effective our craftsmen's water-fire machine and water-fire boat are?"
"Ahem, this... Although our craftsmen camp has imitated the water-fire machine and the water-fire wheel, the effect is not very good. The water-fire machine has frequent malfunctions, and the water-fire wheel has been tested twice, but it didn't run far on the water before it broke down..."
"They are all good-for-nothings who only know how to ask me for money. Even if I ask them to make something, they still make it worse than others!" Gu Tongan was furious. "It's okay that they can't compare to Yan Liqiang. After all, Yan Liqiang is a great craftsman. There are few people in the Han Empire who can compare to him. But can't those good-for-nothings even compare to the craftsmen in the manufacturing bureau under Yan Liqiang? Those craftsmen in the manufacturing bureau were just people from the Pingxi Artisan and Machinery Camp. They don't have any skills. They are all craftsmen from the Yizhou Artisan and Machinery Camp. How can they not compare to others? They can't even do such a simple thing as buying things and imitating them?"
"My Lord, please calm down. The craftsmanship of a craftsman cannot be improved overnight. Besides, the craftsmen in the manufacturing bureau have been taught by Yan Li, and their abilities have probably surpassed those of the county-level craftsmen camp. I heard that all the rules in the manufacturing bureau are different from those outside, even the tools used are different from those outside. Moreover, the manufacturing bureau has absorbed a large number of top craftsmen from the northwest capital area who have fled, and their strength is already far beyond what it used to be. My Lord, I'm afraid it's unrealistic to ask the craftsmen in our craftsmen camp to make things that are exactly the same as those made by the craftsmen in the manufacturing bureau in a short period of time..."
Hearing his confidant speak for the craftsmen, Gu Tongan's anger was slightly relieved, but he was still very angry, "Then give them a little more time, just one year. If they can't reach the level of the Manufacturing Bureau after one year, all the people in the Lanzhou Craftsmen's Battalion will be punished and fined. I don't believe that they can't even imitate such a simple thing. What's the point of keeping them..."
The counselor named Yunou looked at Gu Tongan helplessly, unable to say anything else. "We can put the matter of the Artisan Camp aside for now. I think the establishment of Gulang Province and Heijie Province published in the Han Empire Times by Qiyun County, as well as the means of recruiting talents for the civil and military examinations, are truly worthy of your attention. Yan Liqiang is quite ambitious. If you want to deal with him, you must make plans early..."
"Let him do whatever he wants. I have a solution that will solve the problem once and for all..." Gu Tongan's voice suddenly turned cold, with a dangerous light flashing in his eyes and a sneer on his face, "I don't believe that we can't find someone else to do it..."
"My lord, this is absolutely not allowed!" Yun Ou lowered his voice and tried to dissuade him. "I opposed it when you sent someone to contact Youming before, and I still disagree now. You and Yan Liqiang are both important officials in the northwest. The dispute between the two of you is a political dispute. The Jinzhou court appointed Yan Liqiang as the King of the Northwest. You can disagree with this result and use your own methods, but if you use such methods to deal with Yan Liqiang, the nature of this matter will change. Once this matter is exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable. Now, except for the White Lotus Sect, others..."
"You don't need to worry about this matter, I will take care of it!" Gu Tong'an interrupted his trusted adviser coldly, with an expression of pointing fingers at the country, "Yun'ou, you are good at everything, but sometimes you are not ruthless and decisive enough. If one person dies and the northwest can be saved, why not do it? I think the timing is right now. If Yan Liqiang is assassinated, the White Lotus Sect or the Shatu people will naturally be the most suspected. Who would suspect me? Moreover, if something happens to that yellow-haired kid, the current Pingxi Palace will definitely fall apart. At that time, we can just fish in troubled waters. What's wrong with that? Why do we have to play tricks with him all day long like now, and care about what he does all day long..."
"grown ups… "
"Okay, I'm a little tired and want to rest. Yunou, you can leave..." Gu Tongan waved his hand impatiently.
"Then your Excellency should go to bed early..." Yun Ou looked at Gu Tongan, sighed, and could only step down and leave the study!
Seeing Gu Tongan leave, Gu Tongan shook his head, leisurely picked up the teacup in front of him, blew it gently, took a sip of tea, and then said to himself, "Pedant, the officialdom of the Han Empire is not as clean as you think. How can you be a governor without a knife in your hand? This is what His Majesty told me back then..."
"You're right!" A sudden voice sounded in Gu Tong'an's ears so calmly.
In just a moment, all the hairs on Gu Tong'an's body stood up. He instinctively wanted to scream, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a hand suddenly stretched out and grabbed his throat and neck. At the same time, another hand quickly stretched out, holding something, a round and golden thing slightly smaller than a pigeon egg with runes flowing on it. It was like a pill, and it was poured directly into his mouth and slid into his stomach...
(End of this chapter)