Chapter 528 Solve the problem, not the person
Chapter 528 Solve the problem, not the person
The scorching summer heat was still raging unreservedly, but Yingtian City inexplicably had an unusual atmosphere.
The news that Singapore and Malaysia Trading Company will no longer be involved in tricycle-related affairs,
The news spread quickly in the city like the wind, shocking many people who were originally ready to do something big.
They were looking forward to making a difference in this matter.
At least we should push this matter to a conclusion.
But now, not only did the Xinma Trading Company withdraw from the business, but even the manager was replaced.
This has inevitably sparked a lot of speculation among the public.
In the Ministry of Works, Zhou Mingli, who arrived early to work, soon learned the news.
He sat in the yamen with a gloomy face, exuding suppressed anger.
Ever since I found out about the owner of Xinma Trading Company,
He kept an eye on the business moves, fearing that they would back down halfway.
But now, the other party's actions were so fast,
He didn't even have time to think about how to fill the vacancy left by the withdrawal of Xinma Trading Company.
This situation precisely shows that
The retreat of the Singapore and Malaysia Trading Company was not due to problems within the company itself, but rather to pressure from higher levels.
As for who is putting pressure on us, it is self-evident.
Thinking of this, Zhou Mingli took a deep breath, trying to calm the depression in his heart, and then slowly exhaled.
However, the quietness of the Construction Department not only failed to relieve his mood, but made him even more depressed.
At this time, an official approached quietly, with a respectful look, and reported in a low voice:
"Master Zhou, the Minister invites you to come over."
"Got it." Zhou Ming responded.
Not long after, in the office of the Left Vice Minister, Zhou Mingli saw Ji Yuchen sitting behind the desk.
"Greetings, His Excellency the Minister." Zhou Mingli said as he bowed.
Ji Yuchen nodded slightly, pointed to the seat next to him, and motioned for him to sit down.
Zhou Mingli didn't hesitate and sat down directly.
The atmosphere in the room was dull, and he said in annoyance:
"Mr. Minister, you are truly a master of foresight.
Xinma Trading Company withdrew from the matter yesterday afternoon without giving any reason.
I sent someone to check and found that even the manager of Xinma Trading Company had been replaced."
Ji Yuchen's face was calm, with a slight smile on his lips. He gently threw the document in his hand onto the table, making a crisp "pop" sound.
"This is to be expected. Duke Cao has a shallow foundation and is obedient to the imperial court.
How could they allow the Singapore and Malaysia Trading Company to disobey the imperial order?
I guess the shopkeeper acted on his own initiative and misjudged the boss's intentions. Humph, he ended up losing his life in vain."
Zhou Mingli's eyes flashed with surprise:
"he died?"
"He was beaten to death in the company. Many shopkeepers of the Xinma Company witnessed it with their own eyes and were terrified into silence."
Zhou Mingli felt a chill all over his body, as if a cool air was rushing from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
"Sir, Li Yongxiang has been the shopkeeper for nearly ten years.
Even if he didn't have any merit, he had worked hard, but he was beaten to death? Duke Cao is so cruel! "
Zhou Mingli's pupils trembled violently and his face was full of disbelief.
"The servants want to make decisions for their masters.
Moreover, he was disobeying the imperial court. What's the point of keeping such a person?"
Ji Yuchen's expression was calm, but there was a hint of depth and meaning in his eyes.
“This Duke Cao is becoming increasingly difficult to deal with.
After Li Yongxiang's death, it would be difficult for anyone to cause trouble for Duke Cao by using the tricycle issue in the future.
The palace will also know that it was Li Yongxiang who acted on his own.
This will make the palace trust Duke Cao even more."
At this point, Ji Yuchen shook his head helplessly.
"If I didn't know Duke Cao well, I would have thought this was a deliberate torture trick set up by Duke Cao."
Zhou Mingli stopped talking and sat there lost in thought.
After an unknown amount of time, Ji Yuchen slowly stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked to the window.
The sunlight shone through the curtains onto him, casting spots of light.
He spoke thoughtfully:
"Yingtian Commercial Bank's move to send people to the countryside has angered many people.
If you want to make a difference, you can work on this.”
Zhou Mingli raised his head suddenly and clenched his fists at his sides.
I felt a surge of nervousness in my heart for no reason and asked:
"May I ask, sir, what happened?"
“Some officials were very dissatisfied with the business people going to the countryside to buy goods, thinking that this was stealing their business.
Yesterday, clashes broke out in several villages and some people died.
Today, the Jingfu County Office received many complaints from officials. "
"what?"
Zhou Mingli's eyes suddenly widened, his face full of disbelief.
"Does the county government have the guts to accept a complaint?"
Almost all the officials in Beijing knew about the affairs of Yingtian Commercial Bank.
This is the business of the Governor's Office and the Ministry of Works, and the palace is also involved.
How dare the county government in Beijing act like this?
Ji Yuchen laughed and nodded gently:
"The county government in Beijing is so bold. The people who accepted the lawsuit are their nephews and nephews. What is there to be afraid of?"
A trace of doubt flashed across Zhou Mingli's eyes.
I don't quite understand, what does this mean?
Ji Yuchen did not keep the secret and explained:
"I have heard that many aristocratic families have taken a fancy to this business.
He found Li Zhigang in a roundabout way, hoping to get in touch with Lu Yunyi.
But Lu Yunyi ignored it, which led to this incident."
"A family of farmers and scholars?" Zhou Mingli was startled.
As a Beijing official, he knew very well that there were many people in the world who, although not very conspicuous, must not be provoked.
Just like the farming and reading families in the counties around Yingtian,
They opened private schools, compiled history and wrote books, and were quite influential among the scholars in the court and the country.
He even knew that the family histories of several families could be traced back to the Song Dynasty, with a long history.
These noble families included both high-ranking officials who were sent to other places and officials who were in Beijing.
More importantly, some scholars who came to Beijing from other places to take the imperial examinations often received their help.
In short, one or two of these farming and reading families may not be a big deal.
But if they unite, the voices of many people will become an extremely terrifying force.
Thinking of this, Zhou Mingli couldn't help but feel happy.
A smile appeared on his face unconsciously, but it quickly disappeared.
Ji Yuchen saw this smile and chuckled:
"Don't be too happy yet. For His Majesty in the palace,
The more the enemy opposes, the more it proves that the company is doing the right thing.
From the current perspective, these people's actions will bring some troubles to the business.
But in the long run, the support from the palace to the business will only continue.
No matter how I look at it, this is a bad thing."
Zhou Mingli's face froze, and he soon understood the key point. It was indeed true.
"Then Master Ji, what should we do?"
"Remember, we are solving problems.
Change your and my situation in the Ministry of Industry, rather than targeting any particular individual.
If you stick to this goal, even if something goes wrong later, you won't end up in a complete fall-out.
If we can force Minister Qin and Lu Yunyi to make concessions, we will win. Don't be greedy."
Zhou Mingli seemed to be thinking about something, his eyes flickered, and he asked tentatively:
"Master Ji's intention is to make the business more and more troublesome.
But it won't put the company to death.
Can we maneuver this and take back some of the power of speech?"
Ji Yuchen shook his head helplessly:
"Sir Zhou, to be honest, since Lu Yunyi arrived, I have been prepared and have prepared some means.
But whether it is a bicycle, a tricycle, or a business,
Or maybe the newly-developed concrete was beyond my expectations.
It is almost impossible to get a piece of the pie from these things.
If we do this, we will lose face for the Ministry of Works in front of many court officials, and you and I will also find it difficult to move forward.
So, we took the initiative to stir up trouble.
It is to preserve the existing interests, not to rob others.
You have to understand this truth before you can do good things. " Zhou Mingli understood what Ji Yuchen meant, but he was still a little unwilling:
"Mr. Minister, has the situation become so bad? Do we need to give in step by step?"
A trace of impatience flashed across Ji Yuchen's eyes, and he took a deep breath:
"Anyone with eyes can see that this is their achievement.
If you force your way in at this moment, you don’t want your reputation, but I do!”
"I understand."
Seeing that Ji Yuchen was a little angry, Zhou Mingli quickly stood up with a respectful look on his face.
"Pay more attention to Yaohua Ice House on Dongping Street in Upper City."
Ji Yuchen suddenly said, which made Zhou Mingli startled, and then he continued to bow and responded:
"Yes, Minister!"
In the afternoon, the once bustling Jubao Gate was
Suddenly it was occupied by a group of soldiers in silver armor.
The streets were also cleaned up.
Lines of soldiers stood neatly on the roadside, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The people around were already used to this kind of scene and just waited obediently by the roadside.
Some curious people even stood on tiptoe to take a closer look.
I was looking forward to seeing the great men from the palace.
Li Wu and his nephew were also among the crowd waiting on the side.
"Uncle, what's going on?"
The young man, who was about eighteen or nineteen years old, asked curiously, with a strong rural accent in his voice.
Li Wu quickly waved his hand, signaling him to lower his voice:
"Keep your voice down. Judging from the scene, it should be someone from the palace going out.
Stay aside quietly, don't make any noise, and don't move. "
The dark-skinned young man nodded ignorantly:
"I know, Uncle."
After a while, the young man asked curiously:
"Uncle, do the people in the palace pull the golden carriage?"
Hearing this, Li Wu was stunned.
When the many drivers nearby heard this, they all had complicated expressions on their faces.
Looking back to the year when Li Wu first came to Yingtian, he also had such thoughts.
"Silly boy, people in the palace don't need to pull the cart."
The young man was shocked: "If you don't pull the cart, how will you eat? Are you collecting rent like Master Wang?"
Mr. Wang is a member of the Eighteenth Village in their hometown.
The family owned a lot of land and had thirty or forty tenant farmers under them.
"You are much more powerful than Master Wang. The whole world belongs to your Majesty.
The land of Mr. Wang in the village also belongs to Your Majesty."
When the young man heard this for the first time, his eyes widened and his face was full of disbelief.
But soon, he reacted and said suspiciously:
"Uncle, you are wrong. Mr. Wang's land belongs to him.
He doesn't have to pay taxes, and Master Hongwu is so far away from us that we can't control him."
Li Wu was shocked by these words. He quickly covered his mouth and shouted in a low voice:
"You little bastard, don't you want to live?
Shut up, or I'll send you home if you keep mumbling."
The young man quickly shut his mouth, not daring to say another word, while holding tightly onto the cart behind him.
This is his most beloved item, and pulling a cart is also his favorite livelihood.
He doesn't want to go home because he can earn a lot of money and it's easy.
At this moment, a majestic guard of honor appeared at the end of the sight.
More than a hundred soldiers walked in front with orderly steps and stern expressions.
Behind them was a bright yellow carriage surrounded by cavalrymen, and behind it were eunuchs and palace maids following.
Seeing this scene, many people present were well-informed.
He immediately realized who the visitor was and knelt down and kowtowed.
Among the team of drivers that Li Wu was in,
Before he could remind him, the young man next to him knelt down early.
"How come you are faster than me?"
But soon, Li Wu reacted.
Yingtian City is full of officials. If I had to kneel every time I saw an official, I don’t know how many times I would have to kneel that day.
Therefore, Yingtian City has unwritten rules.
Except for people in the palace, there is no need to kneel even when meeting officials from the six ministries.
But in a small place like their hometown,
No matter whether it is the county magistrate or the officials in the yamen, they have to kneel when they meet.
In this regard, his nephew next to him is much more skilled than him.
Li Wu knelt down and whispered:
“The person sitting in the carriage in front of me is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
From now on, except for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Master Hongwu, you don’t have to kneel when you see other officials in Yingtian, just stay away from them.”
The young man kept his head down and spoke in a low voice:
"Uncle, don't talk, or you'll get spanked."
A hint of helplessness flashed across Li Wu's eyes.
He supported himself with one hand and scratched his head with the other:
"This is Yingtian City, not my hometown, it's okay to talk.
Today, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is leaving the city, and the people in the capital have not made any arrangements in advance.
It means it's not a big deal, don't be so nervous."
The young man raised his head.
Watching the huge crowd slowly leaving, a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly said:
"Uncle, is that General Lu?"
Li Wu looked in the direction he pointed.
There was a young man wearing black armor, riding on a tall horse.
He was swaying beside the prince's carriage, with only his profile showing.
Even so, Li Wu recognized him and his eyes lit up:
"It's General Lu!"
"Second Uncle, General Lu is amazing. He can go with the prince."
"That's not right. General Lu is now one of the top three people in the Ministry of Industry. He is not much older than you."
The young man suddenly raised his head and looked at their receding backs, his eyes gleaming.
Something called ambition began to grow quietly in my heart.
He suddenly felt dry in the mouth and pursed his lips gently:
"Second Uncle, you said that Yingtian City has many gates and roads, so can I become an official?"
Hearing this, Li Wu was stunned.
To be honest, he had never thought of this possibility.
His biggest wish was to open a carriage business, own more than a dozen carriages, and have a wife and children to live in.
Li Wu looked at the young man next to him.
His dark face was full of simplicity, innocence, and a little curiosity.
Although he is still young, Li Wu sees himself many years ago in him.
At that time, he had just arrived in Yingtian and was also so ignorant.
This child is still young and has a bright future.
But soon, Li Wu put away his fantasy.
He stood up and cursed:
"How can you be an official if you can't read a single word?
If you join the army, there is no way.
When the time comes, I'll send you to a remote place, where you'll have to plow the fields all day long, which is worse than pulling a cart.
Didn’t you see what those soldiers in our village look like?
Digging mud in the river all day, people are exhausted, you want to do that job?"
The young man couldn't help but shudder and shook his head:
"Don't want to, don't want to."
"Then keep driving the car, and we can buy a few more cars later.
Recruiting all the young people in the village can be considered a sign of prosperity.”
The young man showed excitement on his face and nodded repeatedly.
But there was still a hint of disappointment in his eyes, and he muttered quietly:
"Uncle, I want to learn to read"
Seeing him like this, Li Wu pursed his lips and didn't speak for a long time.
As the crowd dispersed, the two of them remained standing there, enjoying the sunshine.
Li Wu looked at his nephew several times, and finally waved his hand impatiently:
"Alright, alright, stop being so grim. I'll send you to the community school to learn how to read some other day."
"Really?"
"Nonsense, I mean what I say!"
(End of this chapter)