Chapter 438: Winning over the Aristocratic Family
Chapter 438: Winning over the Aristocratic Family
Xiao Xia then held a simple appointment ceremony in the General Administration's Mansion, appointing Xiao Lin as the Governor of Wu County and handing the governor's seal to Xiao Lin.
After a long conversation with Gao Jiong and Liu Wenjing, Xiao Lin went to Wu County to take up his post, escorted by 300 soldiers and accompanied by officials from the General Administration's Office.
The next day, Liu Kun's family and Wu County Magistrate Wang Younian were taken to Jiangdu.
At the same time, Xiao Xia also received an express letter that Lu Shenyan from the Wujun Lu family was coming to Jiangdu to pay a visit to him. Judging from the time, he should arrive in Jiangdu tomorrow.
Xiao Xia couldn't help but secretly praise the Lu family's political acumen, but this was exactly what he wanted.
Everything is going on in an orderly manner, and the first thing to do is to take over Wujun.
At this time, Gao Jiong and Liu Wenjing came to Xiao Xia's official room, and Xiao Xia asked them to sit down.
Gao Jiong sat down and asked, "Your Highness, there is something that confuses us. What is a special treasury?"
Xiao Xia laughed, "You are talking about that matter!"
"That's right!" they said in unison.
The 300,000 strings of cash confiscated from the Wei family, together with the property and money confiscated from Liu Kun, amounted to about 400,000 strings of cash. According to normal procedures, it should have been deposited into the general treasury, but Xiao Xia's instructions were to deposit it into the special treasury, which confused the two.
Xiao Xia smiled and said, "I plan to use this money to open a business specializing in salt business. Since it is not ready yet, I will put this money into a special treasury. However, this treasury is not a separate storehouse. Instead, I will prepare a separate account book and do not mix it with other money."
The two of them suddenly realized it. Gao Jiong thought for a moment and asked, "Your Highness is planning to set up a Salt and Iron Bureau. You told me about it last time."
Xiao Xia shook his head. "Don't alert the enemy for now. I will set up the Salt and Iron Bureau after I have taken over all the salt industry in Jiangnan."
"Your Highness has considered everything!"
Gao Jiong approved in his heart that he was doing salt business in his personal name. Although the Guanlong nobles would be unhappy, they had nothing to say. After all, they could make money and could not stop others from making money. But once the salt was sold in the name of the government, the nature would be completely different. It would no longer be a competition, but a life-and-death battle.
Liu Wenjing became very calm. The Guanlong nobles had been hiding behind the scenes and working in the south of the Yangtze River for more than ten years and had completely occupied the market. It would be extremely difficult to compete with them now!
"Does your Highness have a strategy?"
Xiao Xia smiled slightly and said, "I plan to specialize in refined salt business, not crude salt. We will stagger our markets, and then gradually snatch their business. That's probably it. Many details have not been considered yet."
Liu Wenjing seemed to understand something. "I understand. So Your Highness should go find coal, and then use the coal to make refined salt to reduce costs."
Xiao Xia nodded, "That's right. In fact, five or six catties of coarse salt has the same saltiness as one catty of refined salt. The two are almost the same. In fact, everyone knows that coarse salt has too many impurities, and eating too much can easily make you sick. It's just that when you think that fifty cents can buy five catties of coarse salt, but only one catty of refined salt, everyone thinks that five catties of coarse salt is more cost-effective, after all, there is more!
But if I sell a pound of refined salt for only 20 cents, do you think anyone would still be willing to buy coarse salt?"
Gao Ying finally couldn't help but nodded in approval. Price is king, everything else is fake.
"Your Highness's idea is correct!"
Xiao Xia smiled and said, "So the key is capital. I not only have to reduce my own capital, but also increase the other party's capital."
"The other party is just drying salt, no capital is needed!"
Xiao Xia said calmly, "The land belongs to the king. The land belongs to the government. You can rent the salt field, but you can't use it for free. In addition, the commercial tax law doesn't say that salt can be tax-free. They haven't paid a penny in taxes for so many years. My salt pays taxes, and my salt field pays rent. I don't believe they dare not pay."
Gao Jiong and Liu Wenjing looked at each other, and they finally understood that His Highness was determined to take back all the salt markets in Jiangnan, and perhaps also the Central Plains.
The next morning, Xiao Xia specially met with Lu Shenyan, the head of the Lu family who came from Wujun.
"A few days ago, I received a letter from Lu Miao, a member of the clan, and learned that he had been accepted by His Highness. In the letter, he expressed his gratitude to His Highness for giving him a salary from the Yang family, so that he could support his mother from now on. I was ashamed and touched. I was ashamed that my family did not take care of the child, and I was touched that the child was simple-minded and knew how to be grateful. I thought I must come to thank His Highness for giving the child a chance to be filial." Xiao Xia smiled and said, "Don't thank me. It's because Lu Miao himself is talented. He writes very well. Although he is not very old, his handwriting is very sophisticated, with some of the skills of a master. It can be seen that he is very talented in calligraphy, so he was selected as the first to be admitted."
Lu Shenyan's heart sank. Could it be that he was being too sentimental? His Highness did not favor the Lu family at all, and it was Lu Miao's own abilities that earned him recognition?
He forced a smile and said, "Yes! This child's father died early, and his mother was a maid. She raised him with great difficulty. He is very sensible and has been practicing calligraphy since he was a child. Even the professor of the county school praised his good handwriting."
At the end of his speech, Lu Shenyan's eyes were filled with loneliness.
Xiao Xia saw this and smiled, "Last time I went to Wu County, I wanted to visit Patriarch Lu, but time was too tight, so I planned to visit him next time. I didn't expect Patriarch Lu to come to Jiangdu on his own initiative. I am very grateful for Patriarch Lu's sincerity, and I hope that my future policies will be supported by Patriarch Lu."
These few words immediately revived Lu Shenyan's despair. He quickly put on a smile and said, "Your Highness thinks too highly of me. As long as Your Highness can use me in any way, the Lu family will fully support me."
Xiao Xia nodded. Everyone can say nice things, but if they really need help, there is no benefit, so they can only talk.
Xiao Xia pondered for a moment and said, "There have been great changes in the officialdom of Wu County. Yesterday, the new governor Xiao Lin went to Wu County to take office. I hope that the Wu family will support him more in the future."
"sure!"
Xiao Xia then added: "I originally wanted Gu Changqing to recommend the Wujun Sima, but seeing the sincerity of the patriarch, I think I should change the plan and promote Lu Heming to the position of Wujun Sima!"
Lu Shenyan was overjoyed. His trip was not in vain. He bowed and saluted, "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. The Lu family is willing to serve you at your utmost!"
Xiao Xia simply did his best to show his favor, and said with a smile, "There is another county magistrate of Wu County. I have already dismissed Wang Younian. Does the head of the Lu family have a suitable candidate for the new county magistrate?"
Lu Shenyan thought for a moment and said, "Wu County Magistrate Zhu Lie is diligent and self-disciplined, loves the people like his own children, and is deeply loved by the people. I recommend him to be the Wu County Magistrate!"
Xiao Xia nodded, "Then it's decided. Although I don't have the power to directly appoint, I have the power to recommend. I will submit a letter to the court as soon as possible. The appointment from the Ministry of Personnel will come down in about a month!"
"Thank you again, Your Highness, for your kindness!"
It was already late and Lu Shenyan had no time to go back, so Liu Wenjing arranged for him to stay in the inn.
Lu Miao then came to visit the head of the family. Lu Shenyan encouraged him and asked him to work hard and strive to be promoted from a clerk to an official. At the same time, he said that the family had some real estate in Jiangdu and could arrange a small courtyard for him so that he could take care of his mother.
Lu Miao burst into tears and left with great gratitude.
After Lu Shenyan sent Lu Miao away and came back to rest for a while, the postmaster personally brought him dinner. The postmaster was also from Wu County. Since the head of the most aristocratic family in the county had come, of course the postmaster had to curry favor with him.
Lu Shenyan saw that the meal was quite sumptuous, and what surprised him most was that there were three red-shelled boiled eggs on the plate.
"Whose baby is one month old?"
According to Jiangnan customs, when a child is one month old, red eggs are given to the villagers to express joy. Three eggs are given to boys and two eggs are given to girls. After receiving the red eggs, the villagers must give ten cents in return as a congratulations.
The postmaster smiled and said, "It's the full moon celebration of the young master of His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin, and there are officials and guests at the post station."
"Oh? I wonder how many children His Royal Highness Prince Jin has." Lu Shenyan asked curiously.
"Just one, it's just been a month."
Lu Shenyan was stunned. "Only one? Doesn't he have many wives and concubines?"
The postmaster shook his head. "I heard that there was only the princess and a concubine, that's all. This is probably the tradition of the Sui Dynasty royal family! Not having many wives and concubines."
Lu Shenyan's heart moved. What did he suddenly think of? This is an opportunity!
(End of this chapter)