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Hearing Bai Mingyu's impatient inquiry, Huo Zhengyuan and Huang Yourong both laughed again, seeming to appreciate Bai Mingyu's straightforward performance.
But in fact, the smile on Huang Yourong's face may be sincere, but Huo Zhengyuan's smiling eyes also concealed a hint of scrutiny.
Also before Huo Zhengyuan left the capital, Zhao Junchen also introduced to Huo Zhengyuan the specific situation of the wealthy businessmen in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. When Zhao Junchen mentioned Bai Mingyu, he only commented one sentence - "Be careful with this person, never do it." letter".
Huo Zhengyuan secretly speculated that Zhao Junchen was secretly wary of Bai Mingyu because Bai Mingyu had a secret relationship with the inner court, but it seemed that there was something else going on.
In the eyes of the world, Zhao Junchen is considered to be the official who most values trusting merchants in the temple. On one hand, he cooperated with Shanxi merchants to develop Sichuan salt, and on the other hand, he co-founded the "United Shipping Company" with Jiangsu and Zhejiang merchants, and also gave Shanxi merchants Shang and Huizhou merchants have great autonomy. They are simply the temple spokespersons of merchants all over the world, and they have also won the common trust of different merchant forces.
However, as Zhao Junchen's confidant, Huo Zhengyuan knew very well that whenever Zhao Junchen mentioned these wealthy businessmen, he would always make comments such as "seeking profit and neglecting justice" and "short-sighted and reckless".
Moreover, Zhao Junchen knew very well that the Shanxi Merchants Group was still secretly colluding with the Jianzhou Jurchens, and the Jiangsu and Zhejiang merchants were still in contact with overseas Japanese pirates. They would take action sooner or later in the future, but they couldn't take action at this stage - again In other words, these merchants still have value at this stage.
While his thoughts were turning, Huo Zhengyuan had already withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, nodded and replied: "If you are willing to contribute to the imperial court's plans, the imperial court will naturally be willing to provide you with some conveniences... However, I still have a question here. Ask for your opinions.”
Lin Yunpu saw that Huo Zhengyuan's expression became a little more serious, and knew that Huo Zhengyuan's question was definitely not a trivial matter, so he quickly asked: "Just ask Academician Huo to ask, and we will definitely answer everything you know."
Huo Zhengyuan nodded lightly again and said: "Everyone here has a close relationship with Zhao Gechen, and we are all our own people. There is no need to hide some things...
As far as I know, before the establishment of the United Shipping Company, everyone had their own smuggling business, but it was just a fragmented business. Although there were occasional cooperations, they basically did their own thing. After the establishment of the United Shipping Company, Everyone merged their former smuggling fleets into one place, and coordinated and acted in a unified manner under the supervision of the Hubu Yamen...
But I don't know, in your opinion, which business model was better before the establishment of 'United Shipping Lines'? Or is the business model after the establishment of 'United Shipping Company' better? "
Hearing Huo Zhengyuan's question, Dai Fengfu's expression was filled with a contented and honest smile, and he quickly replied without any hesitation: "Of course the model after the founding of 'United Shipping' is better! And it's much better!
Before the founding of the 'United Shipping Company', we had to take care of everything when smuggling goods, and we had to take care of everything. Whether it was the imperial center, local yamen, river yamen, guarding eunuchs, or local garrisons, we couldn't leave anything behind when clearing the way. Not only It is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and unexpected mistakes often occur. From time to time, you will encounter ruthless officials. If you are not careful, you will lose both people and money. It can be said that you are on tenterhooks...
How is it like today? After registering with the Ministry of Household Affairs, the fleet can move smoothly. This not only saves time and effort, but also makes it safe and worry-free! "
Xie Bingde also nodded repeatedly and agreed: "Scholar Huo is a close confidant of Zhao Gechen and a good friend of Mr. Huang Ge. I don't need to hide anything. Since joining the 'United Shipping Company', my related business has increased." With a profit of 60% to 70%, I feel nothing but joy and gratitude, so naturally I am extremely satisfied!”
Lin Yunpu rolled his eyes, then expressed doubts on his face, and said: "For the establishment of 'United Shipping Company', Xiaomin, as the head shopkeeper of 'United Shipping Company', is naturally the most satisfied! Speaking of which, Xiaomin has always prided himself on being shrewd. , but there is one thing that I always can't figure out about the operation of 'United Shipping Lines'!
That is, since the founding of the 'United Shipping Company', in order to prevent jealousy and obstruction from all parties, about 30% of the profits have still been set aside to be distributed to all parties involved, whether it is the central court, local yamen, river yamen, or guard eunuchs. , or stationing troops in various places, the benefits received have not decreased but increased. At the same time, the 'United Shipping Company' will also pay taxes to the court in accordance with the law, and the tax money that should be paid is not less...
It stands to reason that the expenses have increased so much, but in the end the profits have increased even more. It is really strange! "
After saying that, Lin Yunpu looked up and looked at Huo Zhengyuan, as if hoping that Huo Zhengyuan could answer his questions.
However, before Huo Zhengyuan could speak, Bai Mingyu was the first to explain: "President Lin's doubts have been carefully considered by this junior and are believed to be due to the increase in shipments and the reduction of costs!
In the past, when we were smuggling, we were very cautious and never dared to transport too many goods at once. But now with the 'United Shipping Company' and the support of Zhao Gechen and the imperial court, the volume of shipments has increased in one go. After buying it twice, the profits will naturally increase greatly!
At the same time, whether it is the reduction of intermediate links, the unified arrangement of shipments and transportation, or the improvement of business efficiency, our business costs have been reduced a lot, and our profits have also increased a lot. !
The younger generation can only say that the founding of 'United Shipping Company' can be said to have transformed decay into magic! Zhao Gechen's wisdom and methods are even more breathtaking and admirable! "
After hearing Bai Mingyu's explanation, Lin Yunpu's face showed a look of sudden realization, but when his eyes glanced at Bai Mingyu, a trace of blame flashed across his face.
As a wealthy businessman, the president of the Salt Merchant Association, and the boss of the United Shipping Company, how could Lin Yunpu really not understand this truth?
In fact, Lin Yunpu raised such a question, on the one hand, to test Huo Zhengyuan's wisdom and understanding of business methods, and on the other hand, to give Huo Zhengyuan an opportunity to show off his knowledge and show off his wisdom in front of others. Regardless of Huo Zhengyuan's final answer Whether he was correct or not, Lin Yunpu would act like he was suddenly enlightened and enlightened, and then he would praise him repeatedly and take the opportunity to please him.
However, because Bai Mingyu's preemptive answer not only ruined Lin Yunpu's calculation intention, but also made him look stupid and ignorant. Lin Yunpu was naturally unhappy and secretly guessed whether Bai Mingyu's actions were intentional. Or unintentionally?
After hearing the answers from several wealthy businessmen, Huo Zhengyuan still smiled and nodded. He seemed not to notice the small thoughts of these people at all. He just said slowly: "Zhao Gechen founded the 'United Shipping Company' in order to solve the problem of smuggling in the imperial court. It can be said that the results have been remarkable and everyone is happy with the problem, but it has only solved the problem of domestic smuggling, but ocean smuggling is still rampant!"
Several wealthy businessmen all looked embarrassed at Huo Zhengyuan's statement.
Compared with domestic smuggling, the threshold and investment for ocean smuggling are much higher. In the ordinary sense, wealthy businessmen are simply unable to participate. However, the four people in front of Huo Zhengyuan are not wealthy businessmen in the ordinary sense. The few people with the strongest financial resources, influence, and connections in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are also secretly running the ocean smuggling trade. Although the scale is far smaller than that of the Eight Kings Shipping Company and the Zheng family in Taiwan, they should not be underestimated. They all have ten people under their command. The remaining ocean-going ships.
But the embarrassment of the wealthy businessmen only lasted for a moment, and they soon understood Huo Zhengyuan's deeper meaning.
Lin Yunpu asked softly on behalf of several people: "Master Huo, do you mean that... the future ocean trade will also follow the model of the 'United Shipping Company'? Let's unite and do business together?"
Huo Zhengyuan nodded first, then shook his head slightly and said: "To be precise, it was not my intention, but Zhao Gechen's! Zhao Gechen said that only by concentrating your efforts can you accomplish great things and make big money!
What Zhao Gechen means is to take advantage of His Majesty's opportunity to go to sea to find immortals, gather all the ocean-going ships under his command, and put them all under the name of the Southeast Patrol Envoy Yamen. When there is no interoperability, no one dares to make things difficult whether it is going out to sea or entering the country. When the time comes, everyone's ocean trade profits will increase greatly just like when they joined the United Shipping Company. What do you think? "
This time, Lin Yunpu and others couldn't help but show hesitation.
After all, what happened this time was fundamentally different from when the "United Boat Line" was founded.
First of all, the establishment of the "United Shipping Company" was endorsed by the imperial court's express decree and was much more reliable. However, this time it was only a private action by Zhao Junchen and Huo Zhengyuan. It relied heavily on the power and stability of Zhao Junchen and Huo Zhengyuan. Once Zhao Junchen loses power in the future, If it collapses, or Huo Zhengyuan is transferred from his position as the southeast patrol envoy, this plan will easily die.
Secondly, the establishment of the "United Shipping Company" was legal and compliant, and there was no risk. However, this time, under the guise of going out to sea to find immortals for Emperor Deqing, they were actually engaged in ocean smuggling, which still violated the court's laws. If they Participating in this matter without reservation is equivalent to giving away the evidence of your own guilt. Once the court liquidates in the future, it will be easy to catch them all.
Finally, the relationship between them and "United Shipping Lines" is a franchise. Although their respective fleets are handed over to "United Shipping Lines" for unified deployment, these fleets are still property under their names, but this time it is for them to They put all the ocean-going ships in their hands under the name of the Southeast Patrol Envoy Yamen, and they might not come back in the future.
Considering these circumstances, although Lin Yunpu and others were moved, they were also hesitant. For a while, everyone was silent and did not respond in time.
Seeing that the atmosphere seemed a bit dull and awkward, Lin Yunpu planned to say something like "the matter is important and needs a few days to carefully consider".
But at this moment, Huang Yourong, who had been watching with a smile, nodded slightly towards Xie Bingde.
When the "United Shipping Company" was officially established, Xie Bingde and Huang Yourong cooperated internally and externally and cooperated tacitly. They almost wiped out all the merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang who were hostile to the "United Shipping Company". This was a great achievement. Since then, Xie Bingde has been deeply trusted by Huang Yourong. , and usually looked at Huang Yourong with his horse's head.
Compared with Lin Yunpu, Bai Mingyu, and Dai Fengfu who joined "United Shipping Company" immediately after its establishment, and also met and contacted Zhao Junchen many times, Xie Bingde joined "United Shipping Company" much later. He had no friendship with Zhao Junchen, but he still had a place in the "United Boat Company" because he hugged Huang Yourong's thigh tightly.
At this time, after noticing Huang Yourong's hint, Lin Yunpu also had doubts in his heart, but after all he did not dare to go against Huang Yourong's will. Instead, he gritted his teeth and stood up, rushing in front of Lin Yunpu, and said loudly: "For Zhao Gechen, We, the merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, have always admired the smart methods and have great trust in Zhao Gechen that he will not let us suffer. Now that this plan was proposed by Zhao Gechen, personally presided over by the great scholar Huo, and with the full assistance of Mr. Huang Ge, What else am I worried about?
Starting today, the ten ocean-going ships owned by the Xie family, as well as the related sailors and shipwrights, will all be owned by the Southeast Patrol Envoy Yamen! "
Hearing Lin Yunpu's first statement and the trust that Jiangsu and Zhejiang merchants had in Zhao Junchen, Lin Yunpu's expression changed slightly.
Later, just after Xie Bingde finished speaking, Bai Mingyu also expressed his position: "That's it. We, the merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, have always trusted Zhao Gechen. Not to mention only a dozen ocean-going ships, Zhao Gechen asked the junior for his entire net worth today. , the juniors can offer it with both hands without any hesitation!
Starting from today, the thirteen ocean-going ships, as well as the related sailors and shipwrights under the junior's name, will all be under the name of the Southeast Patrol Envoy Yamen! "
Then, Dai Fengfu turned his head and glanced at Lin Yunpu. A helpless smile flashed at the corner of his mouth, but he quickly returned to his usual honest and kind appearance. He also stood up and said: "The villain's ocean business has always been small in scale. In two years... We suffered heavy losses due to a tsunami before, and we only have seven ocean-going ships. From now on, all of them will be handed over to Academician Huo!"
In the end, Lin Yunpu sighed in his heart, knowing that it was inevitable, and he quickly pretended to be willing to dig out his heart and soul for Zhao Junchen, and said loudly: "Xiaomin has eleven ocean-going ships in his name, and at the same time, he also We have recruited several Western sailors and will hand them over to Academician Huo from now on! I have nothing to worry about Zhao Gechen, Huang Gelao, and Academician Huo, even if it means risking my life!"
As he spoke, Lin Yunpu looked impassioned on the surface, but his heart was secretly bleeding.
Ocean-going ships are not only expensive to build, they are also marketable and priceless. The time, craftsmanship, and various resources required to build the ships are even more difficult to evaluate. It took Lin Yunpu ten years to finally get eleven ships together. The ocean-going ship is now about to be given away, which is as heartbreaking as losing a million taels of silver in business.
In fact, Bai Mingyu, Dai Fengfu, and Xie Bingde had the same idea. God knows how much money and effort they spent on collecting these ocean-going ships.
In this way, taking advantage of the opportunity of this meeting, Huo Zhengyuan's number of ocean-going ships was increased by forty-one in one go, which was eight more than the number of ocean-going ships seized from the "Eight Kings Shipping Company".
Huo Zhengyuan was naturally extremely satisfied with such a harvest, and his smile became more and more cordial, saying: "If you are willing to trust me, I will never let you down. I will definitely use these ocean-going ships with my heart. Your profits will only be greater in the future." No less! If your profit growth in three years is less than 50%, then I, Huo, am incompetent!
In addition, please rest assured that these ocean-going ships are only superficially owned by the Southeast Patrol Envoy Yamen, but in fact they are still your property! If you want to ask for it back in the future, all you need to do is mention it, and there will never be any obstacles when I return it! Of course, because of the sensitivity of the matter, I will not write a written guarantee with you, just treat it as a gentleman's agreement between us! "
Although I don't know whether Huo Zhengyuan is a gentleman and whether he is willing to abide by the agreement, after hearing Huo Zhengyuan's words, several wealthy businessmen finally felt better!
Next, Huo Zhengyuan discussed some details with several wealthy businessmen, and by the way got 800,000 taels of stock from them. The meeting ended in the atmosphere of "the guests and the hosts enjoyed themselves".
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Probably because they got too many benefits, when Lin Yunpu, Bai Mingyu and others were saying goodbye and leaving, Huo Zhengyuan and Huang Yourong actually got up and sent them out of the lobby in person.
Looking at the retreating figures of several wealthy businessmen from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Huo Zhengyuan suddenly smiled, turned to Huang Yourong and said, "Mr. Huang Ge, look at these businessmen... they have a lot of little thoughts! Not only are they hiding little thoughts towards me, , they also have little secrets hidden in each other... It’s interesting to see them tripping each other up! Lin Yunpu claims to be the leader of merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but he can’t convince the public.”
Huang Yourong was an elder in the front cabinet. Although he could not compete with Zhou Shangjing, Zhao Junchen and others, he could definitely be said to have a sophisticated vision and extraordinary insights. He said leisurely: "If a person does not have distant worries, he must have immediate concerns; if external troubles disappear, internal strife will It's bound to happen! That's how things are in this world. At any time and for anything, there are ups and downs. Don't think it will be smooth and peaceful forever...
Take these Jiangsu and Zhejiang businessmen as an example. They used to be quite united. That’s because they were all mainly engaged in smuggling business. The court’s laws and regulations were their common enemy. With such a common enemy, they naturally became united. , so Lin Yunpu’s words are still effective!
But what about now? With the establishment of the 'United Shipping Company', they no longer have to fear the punishment of the court's laws and regulations, and the common enemy is no longer there. Only the struggle for common interests is left, and then there will naturally be internal fighting... Hey, 'United Shipping' The shipping company is a cornucopia. If we can win one more point during the allocation of resources, it will be a benefit of millions of taels. Even I can't help but be tempted, let alone these profit-seeking businessmen!
Now there are just some signs that have just emerged. Just watch, the conflicts between these people will only get more intense in the future... They are all difficult to mess with. Although this conflict is not as intriguing as the center of the temple, it will definitely be exciting. Very, I am just waiting for a good show! "
Huo Zhengyuan also smiled and complimented: "Huang Ge has a wise eye and can see through them at a glance. From now on, sitting firmly on the Diaoyutai, I will be able to calmly control the overall situation!"
Huang Yourong chuckled and said, "Zhao Junchen originally recommended me to be the governor of Southern Zhili, so that I could help him keep an eye on the United Shipping Company and prevent this behemoth from getting out of control. Naturally, I have to pay more attention!
However, in my opinion, the person sitting firmly on Diaoyutai is not me, but Zhao Junchen! The "United Shipping Company" he founded is not only a treasure trove for merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but also a quarry for them. After they join the "United Shipping Company", they will only have internal fighting in the future. They must wait until they fight. When he is exhausted, it is time for Zhao Gechen to take action! "
Huo Zhengyuan did not respond to Huang Yourong's probing, but just shook his head and said: "The thoughts of Zhao Gechen are not something that the lower official can guess."
"Although you, Huo Zhengyuan, lack some courage, in terms of scheming and wisdom, how many of the officials can compare with you? Can't you really understand? You just don't dare to understand! If you were courageous back then, If you're stronger, I won't..."
As he spoke, a hint of sarcasm and sadness flashed across Huang Yourong's expression.
After all, Huo Zhengyuan was once Huang Yourong's crony, but he eventually abandoned Huang Yourong and switched to Zhao Junchen. Although times have changed, Huang Yourong and Zhao Junchen have turned enemies into friends, but he still can't help feeling a little sour from time to time.
But in the middle of the conversation, Huang Yourong stopped talking, obviously knowing that if the topic continued, it would hurt the harmony.
Therefore, Huang Yourong quickly changed the subject and sighed: "In the past six months or so, I have been away from the center of the temple. Being on the outside, without the disturbances in the capital, many things have become clearer. For Zhao Junchen's vision of means is becoming more and more admired. He only feels that he did not lose unfairly at the beginning, but now he is willing to cooperate with him...
So your decision to follow Zhao Junchen is right. The depth and breadth of this person's layout may have exceeded the imagination of most people! Judging from his current situation, I may be the next Zhou Shangjing, and even younger... If he can also learn Zhou Shangjing's method of advancing and retreating, he will even be stronger... Therefore, you must seize the opportunity seriously and think more. If you think too much, you can't always be as hesitant as before. "
"I respectfully follow Mr. Huang Ge's teachings!"
When Huo Zhengyuan responded respectfully, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He didn't expect Huang Yourong's evaluation of Zhao Junchen to be so high.
In fact, Huang Yourong had always believed that Zhao Junchen was just a scapegoat used by Emperor Deqing to attract public resentment. When Emperor Deqing abdicates in the future, Zhao Junchen will fall out of power and his family will be ransacked and executed!
But after Huang Yourong's experience of cooperating with Zhao Junchen during this period, he seriously thought about Zhao Junchen's actions and arrangements in recent years, coupled with the Shaanxi-Gansu victory that was destined to go down in history, he had no feelings for Zhao Junchen. Junchen's future evaluation has undergone earth-shaking changes, even reaching the level of Huo Guang of the Western Han Dynasty and Zhang Juzheng of the previous dynasty.
Huo Guang and Zhang Juzheng were both representatives of powerful officials in history, and even had the power to depose and establish emperors. No one dared to compete with them during their lifetimes, but when they died of old age, the descendants of the family all ended tragically.
In Huang Yourong's view, Zhao Junchen's future development is probably the same. Zhao Junchen's means and vision are enough to ensure that he will have world-wide power and a stable status during his lifetime, but it will be hard to predict after his death.
It is precisely because of this change in views that Huang Yourong became more active and sincere when working together with Zhao Junchen.
There are many self-proclaimed smart people in the current government and opposition parties, and their judgments about Zhao Junchen's future are similar to Huang Yourong's. Few people think that Emperor Deqing can still burn bridges against Zhao Junchen.
It must be said that this is a very subtle change, and it also means that many seemingly inconspicuous, but far-reaching changes are taking place.
However, just when Huang Yourong was pretending to be an old boss to teach Huo Zhengyuan, he saw a master from the governor's office quickly walking up to the two of them and reporting: "Mr. Huang Ge and Bachelor Huo, there is a man named Li Zeguang." A merchant from Huizhou has come to see these two gentlemen with heavy gifts, and is waiting outside the Yamen."
After hearing this report, Huo Zhengyuan didn't take it seriously at first. He thought it was another Huizhou merchant who wanted to use money to invest in the ocean trade, so he planned to summon him for a meeting.
Who would have thought that before Huo Zhengyuan could say anything, Huang Yourong had already waved his hand and said, "No, let's return all his gifts! If he still insists on seeing us, we'll just send him away!"
Huo Zhengyuan was slightly startled and asked, "Mr. Huang Ge, why is this?"
Huang Yourong glanced at Huo Zhengyuan and explained leisurely: "I guess you were in a hurry when you left the capital, and there is a lot of news that you don't know... This Huizhou businessman named Li Zeguang must be completely bankrupt within three months. It is best to Owing huge debts and desperate!
Zhao Junchen personally wrote a letter to explain this matter half a month ago. I don’t know why he deliberately targeted this person... but I guess it must be related to his son! You should also have heard of his son, Li Chunchen, who wrote the "Theory of the Hanging Sword" in the imperial examination last year!
Because of Zhao Junchen's instructions, all walks of life in South Zhili quickly took action. In order to make things difficult for Li Zeguang, they all tried every means and resorted to any means. The four wealthy businessmen from Jiangsu and Zhejiang you just saw were the most active in this matter. ! Today, Li Zeguang must be almost at the end of his rope, so he came to ask for a meeting with the two of us. Presumably, he hopes that the two of us will make the decision for him.
But Zhao Junchen must have other plans for this matter, and we'd better not interfere at will! "
Hearing Huang Yourong's explanation, Huo Zhengyuan nodded thoughtfully, and suddenly raised his head to ask the official who reported the news: "You just said that Li Zeguang asked for an audience with a heavy courtesy. I wonder what the heavy courtesy was?"
"An authentic calligraphy and painting by Dong Qichang, a jade Guanyin, and five hundred taels of silver."
Huo Zhengyuan nodded and said: "This gift is worth a lot of money... Since Zhao Gechen hopes that he will go bankrupt as soon as possible, then we should make a little effort when we see the opportunity... Tell the concierge that if you accept Li Zeguang's heavy gift, we will He said that I agreed to meet him, but I am busy with affairs at this time, so the time of meeting cannot be determined. If he can afford the time, let him stay in Suzhou and wait."
This time, it was Huang Yourong's turn to be stunned.
After a moment, Huang Yourong nodded slightly and said, "After you followed Zhao Junchen, you learned some... new methods."
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Two chapters in one, seven thousand words!
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