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Chapter 331 You can kill me
After having had enough wine and food, the Queen left the imperial study room with satisfaction after getting the promise of ten full-length mirrors from Master Liu.
"Outsiders all say that this young master is Liu Papi. They have no idea how kind-hearted this young master is compared to the real Papi." Watching the queen leave in a dignified manner, Liu Mingzhi said to himself while suppressing his words.
Is this the way it is? A bullock that has just been killed has come to honor you even before the night has passed. It would be better for you to eat my food and still have to extort my money.
As the saying goes, when an emperor is angry, he bleeds and floats in the oars; when an ordinary man is angry, he eats one meal and then another. Confucius said: "You are right to say you are tired."
Young Master Liu could only endure it in frustration.
After the queen left, Li Zheng took off his thick cotton clothes and put on a light robe. Now the temperature in the imperial study can be said to be like spring all year round. Young Master Liu felt that his back was wet with sweat. It was so clear that I felt uncomfortable all over.
Prince Li Baiyu also kept twisting and twisting. I guess the situation would not be much better than that of Young Master Liu, but he did not dare to take off his robe. One of his disadvantages was that he was disobeying the emperor.
Li Zheng moved his body a few times: "The robe is still light. Liu Aiqing, you have done a big thing for me."
"I am willing to sacrifice my life and blood for Your Majesty. Your Majesty is my guiding light on the road of life, shining the direction of my progress."
The prince could only pretend to look to the side. He really couldn't stand the expression of Young Master Liu patting the horse like a dog. We are all human beings. How can you be so shameless?
Although Li Zheng was very pleased with Young Master Liu's shamelessness, he still pretended to reprimand Young Master Liu: "Liu Aiqing, pay attention to your words and deeds. If you stand in the court one day and still talk like this, Xia Aiqing will have to read your book to seduce the king." .”
"Yes, I obey the order, but even Master Xia and his ten subordinates are unswerving because this is what I mean."
"Okay, okay, the prince is here now. Let's talk about the ten million taels of silver. I'm still waiting for you to issue a military order."
Li Zheng was afraid that Young Master Liu would be bald and talk too much, so Li Zheng had to interrupt Young Master Liu's flattery.
Prince Li Baiyu also looked at Liu Mingzhi seriously. After eating and drinking, it was time to talk about business. Ten million taels of silver was not a small amount for anyone. If he could really earn one for the national treasury, With tens of millions of taels of silver, my position will be more secure.
The prince has positioned himself very well. The money he says is his own, but actually belongs to his father. If he really takes the ten million taels of silver as his own, his position will be over.
When talking about business, Liu Mingzhi also straightened his expression: "Your Majesty, the land of the capital is now in a severe cold season. It is already so cold before it snows. When the snow melts, it will definitely be freezing. As far as I know, now The price of charcoal in the capital has been stuck for a long time, even three liters a day, one tael of silver, two taels of silver. If the weather continues to be cold, it is not impossible that the price of charcoal will rise to five taels of silver. I am definitely not being alarmist. Your Majesty should understand what I mean."
Li Zheng nodded solemnly: "What you said is true. Now the price of charcoal is rising steadily, and even the palace's expenses are being saved again and again. This shows how the situation among the people is."
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, I understand that the price of charcoal in the capital today is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Even ordinary wealthy families are frugal and live frugally. Moreover, charcoal burns very quickly and cannot be maintained for a long time before the temperature in the room changes. It’s getting cold, so I came here this time to collaborate on a business with His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Li Zheng frowned, his eyes wandering between Young Master Liu and the Crown Prince: "Liu Aiqing, do you know what you are talking about? The Tian family cannot compete with the people for profit, and you actually want to cooperate with the Crown Prince on business matters?"
"Your Majesty, of course I know what I'm talking about, but Your Majesty, it's ten million taels."
Li Zheng thought about it for a while: "The ten million taels of silver you mentioned are the bonuses for doing business with the prince?"
"Of course it is. Your Majesty knows clearly that even though I have some family fortune, I cannot give away tens of millions of silver assets at will. Not only is it bitterly cold in the capital, but the weather in the thirty-six prefectures in the North is not far behind that of the capital. Yingzhou and Suzhou are adjacent to the grassland border, and it is extremely cold. They cannot afford luxury items like charcoal, but they can afford things like briquettes developed by the ministers."
"How much does it cost to make briquettes? How much does it cost to build briquettes? Can you figure it out clearly?"
"I have made precise calculations. The benefits are astronomical. The people of the thirty-six prefectures in the north are enough for me to make a lot of money. Moreover, this business is a partnership between me and the Marquis of Guannei. He has now The acquisition of all the mines in the capital is enough to maintain the supply of briquettes before this year's thaw. His Highness the Crown Prince does not have to do anything, and the profit is 30%. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Li Zheng stood up and walked to the coal stove. He squatted on the ground and groped for a few piles of coal briquettes: "You want to pull the prince into your chariot with 30% of ganli. The prince's human shield is worth 30% of ganli? Liu Aiqing will inevitably Don’t you think that the prince of a country is too worthless?”
"Your Majesty, 30% is a lot of profit. I and the Marquis of Guan Nei have spent more than one million taels of silver on purchasing the mine. Among them, making briquettes and building a coal stove require a lot of capital. Duke Jing and Duke Wu each We also need to share 20% of the ganli, plus the 30% from His Highness the Crown Prince, so that I and the Marquis of Guannei can make some money. The third-level ganli will be nearly ten million taels. I will collect a total of ten million taels of silver and give it to His Highness, which is quite a lot. Oh, Your Majesty, my heart is bleeding!"
"Oh? It turns out that Wan Aiqing and Yun Aiqing are also involved in this business. They happen to be practicing bathing in the mansion. If you have nothing to do, why don't you call the two Aiqings together to discuss it? They will definitely be happy to do so. .”
Li Zheng smiled playfully and looked at Young Master Liu who looked as sad and angry as if he had been cut into pieces.
"Uh!" Young Master Liu smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty, the two princes are already old. It would take a lot of effort to summon them together. It's freezing outside, so let's forget it."
"It doesn't matter. I can send a carriage to pick up the two beauties and prepare a charcoal basin for them to keep warm. It won't delay much."
Prince Li Baiyu also raised his lips slightly: "Father, I am willing to take the lead and personally welcome the two adults."
Li Zheng glanced at the prince with satisfaction. He was indeed his own son, and his cooperation was perfect.
He sighed helplessly. He couldn't be fooled. It looked like he was about to bleed profusely: "Your Majesty, what do you mean? Please make it clear. I am all ears."
Li Zheng gently walked back to his original position and sat on the dragon chair: "You said it yourself, the interests are overwhelming. You must know that in a place like the capital, people who are obsessed with interests are indispensable. Once things get too big, don't talk about the prince. Even I can't stop him. The prince is pushed by you and the Marquis of Guannei to stand in front of the gun. It's not appropriate for 30% of the total to be beneficial to both emotions and reasons. Let's not talk about how much risk the prince has to bear, even if it is the remonstrance of the censors. I also have a headache. Just like what you said to me at Erlong Mountain that day, in business, no matter how much effort you put in, how much money you will get, the name of the prince is more valuable than the two of you. Liu Aiqing, what do you think? "
Young Master Liu looked at Li Zheng with a complicated expression. How could he be the dignified person of the country? He was clearly a philistine businessman, and he was also the kind of ruthless person who would eat people without spitting out their bones.
"How many times do you think it will be good, Your Majesty?"
"Seventy percent, the prince will cooperate with you at the risk of competing with the people."
Young Master Liu felt suffocated for a while, feeling that a mouthful of old blood was about to spurt out, and he wanted to spit it into the emperor's face. "You'll kill me 70% of the time."
