Chapter 69: Spend when you can, save when you can

Chapter 69: Spend when you can, save when you can

Chapter 69: Spend when you can, save when you can

Sun Keding shook his head and said slowly, "I'm afraid those merchants are afraid of the Jinyiwei like a tiger. If they hear that you are going north with the Jinyiwei, no one will dare to come."

Pei Yuan thought so too.

What kind of evil are the Jinyiwei? How can ordinary people not be afraid of them? Compared with those fierce officials and highway robbers on the road, the most dangerous ones are still the Jinyiwei, right?
Then an idea occurred to him.

He immediately said to Sun Keding, "It's okay, I have a way to make them believe it."

Sun Keding looked at Pei Yuan in silence, and he would have to wait until the sun rose from the west.

Pei Yuan chuckled and said meaningfully, "We'll take the money."

"What?" Sun Keding was stunned by Pei Yuan's words.

Pei Yuan explained, "You can spread the news that the imperial court is escorting the tax silver to the north this time. There are guards and government offices along the way to escort them. There will be absolutely no problem with safety."

"Lie to them that I, Pei Yuan, am a greedy person and that as long as they bribe me, they can take advantage of the court. With the Jinyiwei in front, all parties will turn a blind eye."

Sun Keding was stunned by Pei Yuan's reverse operation. After a while, a smile appeared on his face, "Good idea!"

The reason is very simple.

If you tell the merchants that the Jinyiwei will kindly protect them along the way, no one will believe it.

But if you tell the businessmen that they can get benefits from the imperial court by bribing the military officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a lot of people will definitely believe it.

Taking money to do things is the cornerstone of official ethics.

Pei Yuan smiled and added, "Tell them that this is an assignment for the imperial court, and Captain Pei is not someone who doesn't know the importance of things. If I take the money but don't do the job, who will give me money in the future?"

Sun Keding stroked his short beard and said with a smile, "I know what to say. But I hope you can be more sensible, otherwise my reputation will be ruined."

Pei Yuan was still counting on using the reputation of Sun Keding, the former magistrate of Jingjiang County, as a guarantor. Of course, he couldn't make a one-time deal, which discouraged him.

Besides, there will be plenty of opportunities for Sun Keding and I to make use of each other in the future.

So he spoke to comfort him, "Brother Sun, you also know what a life-threatening job I am on this trip. I can't even take care of myself, so how can I think of attacking them. Even if someone attacks us on the way, they are after our tax silver. No one would dare to cause trouble when attacking a large number of government troops."

Sun Keding had no objection to this.

He thought for a moment, stared at Pei Yuan and said, "There is one ugly thing I must say in advance. If there is any problem with the businessman who comes here to get connections, I dare not guarantee it."

Pei Yuan knew that Sun Keding meant that if someone from the enemy side pretended to be a merchant and secretly followed the team escorting the tax silver, if anything went wrong, it would not be his fault.

But Pei Yuan didn't care too much.

The core team for escorting the tax silver this time was composed of more than a hundred skilled fighters from the Zhenxie Thousand Households. The next level of support was the guards and transport troops along the way. The next level of support was the recruited officials from the county yamen along the way. After that, there were also skilled fighters recruited from the martial arts world through temples and monasteries.

According to Pei Yuan's estimation, if the enemy wanted to raid the team escorting tax silver, the most likely thing they would do was to use those gangsters.

Those gangsters have no ties and their names and origins are unclear, making them the most suitable for this kind of life-threatening business.

As long as they escape somewhere else after the incident, it will not affect their continued carefree life at all.

Captain Han had specifically reminded him of this matter, but Pei Yuan felt that it was better to ease the situation than to block it. Putting them in the open and letting them restrain each other without knowing who was the enemy or us might have a miraculous effect.

In this way, hiding among merchants would cause much less trouble, as large sums of silver would be required for bribes, and the goods carried were also an investment.

Moreover, these accompanying merchants have to stay on the periphery of those gangsters. As their investment increases, their opportunities become smaller. Any person in charge with a bit of brains will weigh the pros and cons here.

What's more, by that time, Han Qianhu, the sixth man, will be waiting nearby.

Pei Yuan smiled and said to Sun Keding, "This is my business. There is no reason for Brother Sun to be implicated."

Pei Yuan glanced at Duan Min, and maintained a little respect for Han Qianhu's spy, "What do you think, General Duan?"

Duan Min didn't dare to show off to Pei Yuan, and said politely, "Even in the eyes of Captain Han, Lord Pei is more capable than Captain Tantai and Captain Sikong. I am of low ability and I just obey your orders."

Pei Yuan thought, judging from the tone of this guy, he might be a subordinate of Tan Tai Fang Tu or Si Kong Sui.

Speaking of which, the two guys escorting this time have to protect their own safety.

Pei Yuan was not worried that they would not cooperate. After all, Han Laoliu was there to back him up.

Pei Yuan discussed the details with Sun Keding directly, "How much tael should I pretend to accept as a bribe?"

"Pretend?" Sun Keding looked at Pei Yuan in reproach, his face showing that he was insincere.

Pei Yuan quickly added, "For the sake of the important matter, we must all retreat."

Ok?
Sun Keding's face immediately turned from gloomy to bright.

In other words, it doesn’t use public funds.

This money has nothing to do with Qianhusuo.

Retreat? Of course I must!

Sun Keding returned the money and did the accounting, and Pei Yuan and he divided the money together.

Sun Keding weighed the scale of the business. Few small merchants dared to trade long distances. They usually traded goods in nearby prefectures. Because the cost of long-distance trade was too high, it was usually based on bulk goods that had stable profits and were easy to ship, such as porcelain, silk, tea, lacquerware, etc.

A trip to the north, plus the medicinal herbs, furs, and beans that can be traded in the south on the return trip, can earn at least two to three thousand taels of silver.

He asked Pei Yuan tentatively, "One hundred taels per business, what do you think?"

Pei Yuan's eyelids twitched.

Even if the one hundred taels were split 50-50, Pei Yuan could still get 50 taels.

If there were more than a dozen of them, the unexpected income alone would be enough to equal Pei Yuan’s salary for several years!
What else is there to say?

Pei Yuan said generously, "Brother Sun, just do it yourself."

As Sun Keding became an accomplice, this guy's status in Pei Yuan's heart also rose.

Pei Yuan wanted to give him a position, but it would be very rude to ask him to borrow money in this atmosphere.

An idea suddenly occurred to him, why not do him a favor?

Then he asked tentatively, "Brother Sun, if someone recommends you, would you like to go to the north to be an official, or stay in the south?"

Sun Keding was a little surprised. Could this small centurion have such power?

He thought for a moment and replied, "It would be best to live in the south. Even if it means living a life of drunkenness and dreams, it is better than living in the north where one's life is in danger every day." Pei Yuan laughed, "Then I will do you a favor. Zhang Chun, the Junior Secretary of the Imperial Household Department of Nanjing, will be put to great use in a few days. Maybe he can fill the vacant post of the Governor of Yingtian Prefecture nearby."

"Zhang Chun?"

Sun Keding was stunned for a moment, slowly thinking about the name in his mind.

Jingjiang County, where Sun Keding had previously stayed, belonged to Changzhou Prefecture and was adjacent to Yingtian Prefecture, both of which belonged to the area of ​​Nanzhili.

Therefore, Sun Keding also had some understanding of the Nanjing officialdom.

Sun Keding thought for a long time before he thought of Zhang Chun, a marginal figure.

He couldn't help but wonder, "Zhang Chun ranked 34th in the third class of the 23rd year of Chenghua. He was just a fellow Jinshi. How could he have the opportunity to become the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture? Moreover, the root cause of the civil unrest in Bazhou was the problem with the imperial horse policy. As long as the unrest is successfully suppressed, the imperial court will definitely review the horse policy. By then, he, the Shaoqing, will probably have to bear the consequences."

This is when the danger of being the second-in-command in the officialdom becomes apparent. Zhang Chun is probably now in a state of disarray, waiting to be blamed.

What Pei Yuan said, about jumping directly from the fourth-rank Taifu Shaoqing to the third-rank Yingtian Prefecture Yin, sounded more like a joke.

Pei Yuan could only pretend that there was someone behind him and spread the gossip in the urban areas of Beijing.

"When I left Beijing, Fei Hong had already been promoted to Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. I heard that recently Liu Chun became the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Jiang Mian also became the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Maybe their department will be promoted to a higher level. The current emperor loves military affairs, is very vigilant about border troubles, and likes to promote capable officials who can pacify barbarians. This Zhang Chun has experience in pacifying the Miao people in Guizhou, and the Ministry of Personnel and the Cabinet have the help of the same department. If the emperor wants to use him, it will be smooth sailing."

In fact, there is another top-2 student in this subject who is also very active, and that is Lu Wan, the student who was bullied in Suzhou No. 1 Middle School.

Unfortunately, Lu Wan’s eunuch party background was too strong and he was not accepted by the core circle.

Sun Keding thought for a moment and asked Pei Yuan, "You mean that I should befriend Zhang Chun?"

Pei Yuan said, "That's right. It's better to give timely help than to add icing on the cake. And you can give him a hint. He will definitely be grateful for your friendship in the future. If Eunuch Gu guarantees you a job in Nanzhili, it will be a strong help."

Before Sun Keding was dismissed, he was only a seventh-rank county magistrate. Even if he was reinstated, he could only start from the seventh rank. If he could climb up to the third-rank position of Yingtian prefect, his career in Jiangnan would definitely be smooth.

Sun Keding hesitated for a moment, "Then what should I do?"

Pei Yuan was not vague and gave direct instructions, "A large sum of money, a beauty worth more than six taels, no matter whether he is willing to accept it or not, you have to treat this mess of mud with more respect than the Prime Minister, then the relationship will be in place. As the saying goes, a scholar will die for his confidant. If he can die for you, what else is he unwilling to do for you?"

Sun Keding gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll spend the money to make friends with this person."

He looked at Pei Yuan again, and thinking of his favor, he said tactfully, "Whether it succeeds or not, I will remember this favor."

So Pei Yuan saw the system prompt as he wished.

A debt of favor.

Debts receivable (1/1): Sun Keding verbally promised to owe you a favor.

There was unexpectedly one more line at the end.

Validity period remaining: 30 days.

Pei Yuan couldn't help but look at Sun Keding, whose face was filled with inexplicable emotion.

As expected, you are the person I have chosen, awesome.

Fortunately, Pei Yuan did not expect too much from Sun Keding's plastic friendship, so it was enough to be able to locate him at any time within these thirty days.

Seeing that Pei Yuan had nothing else to say, Sun Keding immediately asked the housekeeper to serve the freshly cooked dishes, and then drank a glass with Duan Min and Cheng Leixiang.

Duan Min looked a little uncomfortable. Pei Yuan and Sun Keding had not avoided him when they were discussing the division of the spoils, nor had they avoided him when they were discussing the matter of running for office. This feeling was more like disregard than trust.

As for Duan Min, apart from reporting to Han Qianhu, she really couldn't tell anyone else.

He came here to represent Han Qianhu's eyes and ears. What kind of ideas should ears and eyes have?

When the singing girls came up to accompany the drinking, the atmosphere gradually became lively again.

Pei Yuan's side was replaced by someone with an even more serious look. Seeing Pei Yuan's slight surprise, Steward Sun smiled and explained, "After Qin Lingbo and Bai Yujing left, our flower boat lost its anchor. Seeing that the master didn't have much fun just now, the old servant took the initiative to invite a girl from another boat."

Pei Yuan was deeply moved after hearing this. Even his own father was not so considerate.

Pei Yuan looked at the girl a few more times. She still couldn't compare with Qin Lingbo and Bai Yujing, but she was about the same size as him.

Pei Yuan asked, "What's your name?"

The girl replied in a soft voice, "My name is Cheng Wan'er."

Pei Yuan asked jokingly, "Are you still a prostitute?"

Cheng Wan'er blushed and nodded shyly.

Pei Yuan felt a little regretful. According to the price-earnings ratio of the No. 1 lady in Hangzhou at 30 times, Cheng Wan'er was worth 210 taels tonight. It would be difficult to let Sun Keding treat her with this money.

And next time it will drop to seven taels.

Even though Pei Yuan knew the difference, he still felt that the money was wasted.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh that decent girls depreciate slowly, and some even appreciate in value.

For example, Song Chunniang, who was an unknown courier girl three years ago, is now worth five hundred taels.

After a moment of ideological struggle, Pei Yuan decisively changed his hand from moving downward to moving upward.

Just do it for fun and touch each other. We are all decent people. We should spend when we should and save when we should.

Sun Keding smiled and looked at it, then changed the subject.

Pei Yuan was not worth spending more than two hundred taels to treat him now, so both sides were careful to maintain a sense of propriety even when they were being perfunctory with him.

Pei Yuan thought of something and asked Duan Min, "Yingtian Prefecture is your territory. How about letting you recruit martial arts experts to protect you?"

Duan Min had just listened to the conversation between Pei Yuan and Sun Keding, and knew that recruiting these martial arts masters might be a trap, so he did not hide anything and asked directly, "What if these recruited people have bad intentions?"

Pei Yuan said calmly, "Captain Han and I have reached a consensus. We want people with bad intentions."

Duan Min heard this and said seriously, "Then I'll ask Captain Han. If that's the case, I'll have people send letters to all the palaces, temples and monasteries asking for the person."

Pei Yuan thought for a moment and said, "If there are those who are unwilling to come, don't force them. We will divide the conscription into two batches. The first batch will include those who are willing to obey the orders of the thousand households. The remaining palaces, temples and monasteries that have no people to send will be recruited by force in the next batch."

Seeing Duan Min was stunned, Pei Yuan said, "The first batch must be a mixture of people who obey the Qianhu Office and people with ulterior motives. They can restrain each other when mixed together. The second batch is people who don't want to get involved in this matter. These people are slightly more trustworthy."

Duan Min said "hmm", his face expressionless, but a thought subconsciously turned to his mind. He is worthy of being the man who ranked first in the martial arts examination in Han Qianhu's words. Would Captain Tan Tai have such a plan?
Thanks to the tips from Abao's Xiaohao, Yuhai Kuanghui, I have a plan, Haotian is justice and other classmates. I also saw the names of many old friends in the background, thank you for your support!
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(End of this chapter)