Zhu Bai secretly laughed: It’s exactly the same as what I said when I flattered Lao Zhu.
He raised his chin to the first fat man on his left who looked blessed and said: "Come on, Mr. Wang, you talk first."
This man is amazing. He is from Shanxi, the leader of the local Shanxi merchant gang, and the younger brother of Wang Qianhu.
Most of the medicinal materials and wood in Changzhou have been in his hands. The profit is thousands of taels a year.
This is undoubtedly the richest man in Changzhou.
Sun Yong didn't even call him just now, haha.
Mr. Wang wiped his sweat and said, "Your Highness, the Bureau of Civil and Dental Administration is fair and strict, and the fees are reasonable. The common people have no objections."
Wang Qianhu told him a few days ago that Zhu Bai was coming and asked him to hide at home and not come out until he could, so as not to get into trouble.
Unexpectedly, even if he was hiding at home, Zhu Bai would find him out.
He didn't know if Zhu Bai knew about his relationship with Wang Qianhu and didn't dare to see his brother.
Zhu Bai nodded slightly and asked, "May I ask whether the goods in your store are transported by land or water?"
Mr. Wang hurriedly said: "Land."
The canal was used to transport government supplies. Even if he used it secretly, he couldn't say anything.
Zhu Bai asked again: "Do you think land transportation is faster or water transportation is faster? Which one saves money."
Mr. Wang's heart trembled: How to answer the question of death?
Although the answer is there.
He wiped his sweat and whispered: "Probably, probably, it should be water transportation."
It must have been transported by water! !
A large ship can transport more things than ten horse-drawn carriages, and if the wind is not blowing too hard, the river is not frozen, and the river is flowing downstream, its speed is basically not affected by the weather and seasons.
Land transportation is different. The mountain roads are rugged, and people and horses are prone to injury and fatigue.
If the weather is bad, the speed will be very slow and the price will be extremely high.
Zhu Bai asked the next one: "What do you think?"
This person is even more powerful. He is a distant relative of Li Shan's family, a native of Anhui, also surnamed Li, and the leader of the local Anhui merchant gang. Most of the grain and salt in Changzhou are bought and sold by him. The profit is also several thousand taels of silver a year.
Mr. Li also wiped his sweat and replied: "Of course water transport is fast."
Zhu Bai tilted his head and said, "Well, then I don't understand. Since everyone knows that water transportation is fast, why do they all use land transportation?"
Then the entire seating area fell into deathly silence.
Everyone knows the reason, but no one dares to say it.
Water transportation is fast, but the canal is blocked.
To transport water, the river must be dredged.
After the canal was dredged, the government first used it to transport official rations, and it was their turn to transport ordinary goods.
To put it bluntly, it means a lot of effort, little benefit, and thankless effort.
Zhu Bai said: "I understand your worries. I will never do this kind of thing by letting the horses run without letting them eat grass. I have a suggestion. You can pay people to clear the section from Tongzhou to Suzhou. Canal. According to the amount of money you pay, the amount of cargo you are allowed to use for water transportation will be determined in the future. The Guan Ya Bureau also needs to use water transportation, so the Guan Ya Bureau also has to pay. What do you think?"
It would be a good thing if the government can keep its word.
If the Guanya Bureau wants to use the canal, it can certainly be used.
They may not, so in the end their work is in vain.
The wealthy businessmen present exchanged complicated looks and shouted crazily in their hearts, but no one made a sound.
Zhu Bai said to Mr. Wang: "Come on, you speak first."
Mr. Wang was helpless and whispered: "If Your Highness can make the decision, this is naturally the best way."
In fact, he wanted to say: If you, a little brat, can't make the decision, what's the use of talking so much?
Zhu Bai looked at Mr. Li and others.
Others quickly said: "We have the same idea as Mr. Wang."
Zhu Bai nodded lightly, slowly took out an imperial edict and handed it to Fugui: "Read it."
The thought of wealth and honor: "I will carry the emperor's edict according to heaven."
Everyone knelt.
The general idea of this imperial edict was to appoint Zhu Bai as the supervisor of water transportation. Both the director of the water transportation department in Yingtian, the director of the water transportation department, and the supervisor of the water transportation department along the coast, all obeyed his orders. If necessary, officials from all prefectures and counties along the route must cooperate. Violators will be killed without mercy.
Lao Zhu added at the end: "Boy, use the 'I'm here in person' sign. Don't be afraid."
Zhu Bai calmly put away the imperial edict and said, "You two can take a moment to speak."
Not only are these two people rich, but they also have people behind them. The key is that someone in their family holds the position of supervisor of the Water Transport Department.
As long as the two of them nodded, it would be easy for the others.
Mr. Wang and Mr. Li followed Zhu Bai out and stood in the corridor with their hands lowered and their heads lowered.
Although he was two heads taller than Zhu Bai, he looked as if he was kneeling in front of Zhu Bai.
Zhu Bai said: "I know that you Shanxi merchants and Hui merchants are businessmen with great ambitions. You want to use water transportation to expand your business nationwide. This strategy is not wrong. But only if you pay hard will you gain something."
Mr. Wang and Mr. Li nodded and bowed: "Your Highness is wise."
"Your Highness, you really have extraordinary eyesight."
Zhu Bai: "My original intention in opening the Guanya Bureau is actually the same as yours."
Mr. Wang and Mr. Li looked up at Zhu Bai in surprise.
Zhu Bai smiled and said: "If you don't do it for yourself, you will be punished by heaven and earth. If I want to say that I only do it for the court and not for myself, isn't it obvious that I am treating others as fools?"
Mr. Wang said cautiously: "Your Highness's intention."
Zhu Bai: "It's better to be experienced than to be experienced. It would be best if the Guanya Bureau has a capable and ambitious regular partner like you. Now that I am the Water Transport Supervisor, I can give you a promise, as long as you are willing to contribute money and efforts." , to handle the matter of dredging the canal this time, I still have this right, and the Government Bureau and Water Transport will open the door to facilitate you."
Mr. Wang and Mr. Li quickly calculated in their minds.
Lao Zhu's love for Zhu Bai is obvious to all, and he simply responds to every request.
They had just said these few words to Zhu Bai, and they had already seen how powerful Zhu Bai was.
Zhu Bai will stay with Lao Zhu for at least seven or eight years.
If they can really embrace Zhu Bai's thigh, these seven or eight years will be enough for them to expand their business to the banks of the Yangtze River.
Mr. Wang first handed over his hand: "In this case, the common people are at the mercy of His Highness King Xiang."
Then Mr. Li also handed over his hand: "The common people only obey His Royal Highness King Xiang."
Zhu Bai nodded: "You two are indeed people who are doing great things. You will understand it as soon as you talk about it."
Then after he entered, he said calmly: "What I have just told you. Have you understood it?"
Mr. Li and Mr. Wang said together: "We are willing to pay and work hard to dredge the canal."
When the others saw that these two old fritters agreed, they also hurriedly said, "I am willing to do my little bit."
Sun Yong listened silently, his mood rising and falling, and several strands of his beard were pulled off in his excitement.
The benefits to him were obvious.
Water transportation is his biggest headache every year, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The court didn't allocate money yet, so he had to figure out his own solution.
As long as the canal is dredged, the cost of water transportation will be reduced by more than half.
