Autumn of the third year of Wanli.
South Zhili Yingtianfu.
When the warm sun shines through the window lattice.
Liu Quexian, a boy with a foreign surname who had gone to Wang's private school to study in Jiaoyin, just sat down and took out the lunch prepared for him by Laidei, a bag of fried rice, and put it on the desk.
"Que Xian!"
And this time.
A member of the Wang family named Wang Changgeng suddenly came over and called Liu Quexian.
Liu Quexian is not yet old enough to be named, so his classmates and friends just call him by his first name.
When Liu Quexian saw that it was Wang Changgeng who was here, he was pleased that Wang Changgeng was a member of the Wang family who never cared about poverty, loved wealth, and was not arrogant. He was willing to get in touch with Wang Changgeng, so he also smiled and asked: "Chang Geng, they said , didn’t you go to the capital, why are you back again?”
Chang Geng was not yet old enough to be given a nickname, so Liu Quexian also called him by his first name.
"Originally, according to my father's instructions, I followed my uncle to Beijing, where I sought out famous Confucian scholars as my teachers. Unexpectedly, my father opposed further opening up the sea. Jiangling was so angry that he asked the emperor to dismiss him and never give up. Xu Yong! I can only go back to my hometown with my father."
Wang Changgeng replied.
Liu Quexian was also shocked after hearing this: "Why do you object? Isn't it because Jiangling has the final say in the world now? Even the emperor has to call him sir?"
"Everyone knows that Zhang Jiangling cannot be messed with. But this time is different. This time we are going to open the sea!"
"Originally, clearing the father-in-law's land was enough to make people dissatisfied with Zhang Jiangling. If not for the support of the Xu family and the desperate Nanzhi governor of Hai Rui, even if the memorials to impeach Zhang Jiangling had not piled up, his high hall in Huguang would not have been piled up. He will die suddenly!"
"And now that Zhang Jiangling is going to open the sea, it means that in the future, Haili from Nanzhi will give a lot to the court and make a lot of money for the common people."
As Wang Changgeng spoke, he looked at Liu Quexian and said, "Do you understand now?"
"My father and the others are not ignorant of world affairs, but this time they have touched the fundamentals. They would rather not become officials first than oppose something."
"Of course, I am not directly intervening with Zhang Jiangling. I am just discussing the matter and opposing the opening of the sea. So I won't lose my life."
Liu Quexian nodded and asked: "Why does opening the sea make ordinary people make a lot of money?"
"You, all you know is reading."
"You don't even understand this."
Wang Changgeng explained to Liu Quexian like a teacher: "Think about it, once the sea is opened, it is necessary to establish a navy, destroy pirates, and make the sea area clear of troubles. Only then can the common people dare to go to sea. In this way, more people will go to sea, so that taxes can be collected." More, not to mention that the people themselves are more cooperative in paying taxes."
"So, as long as the sea is open, more people will go to sea, and you have to know that the profits earned from a trip to the sea will be doubled!"
"So even if ordinary people dare to go to sea, the money they earn when they come back is not only enough to support their families, but also enough to be rich enough to study, buy land and luxury houses, and travel around the mountains and rivers."
"Even if we don't go to sea, the price of cloth and silk will continue to rise, and ordinary people can earn more."
Liu Quexian nodded after hearing this, and suddenly he was quite willing to support the opening of the sea. However, because he knew that Wang Changgeng's father was against the opening of the sea, and he was now studying in the Wang family, he just smiled and said:
"Even if I don't study, I don't understand these principles. It's only thanks to the guidance of a high-ranking disciple like you that I understand."
"makes sense."
Wang Changgeng said with a smile. He felt quite pleased when he saw Liu Quexian flattering him. At the same time, he also started to do his own business of greeting Liu Quexian and asked: "Why are you back to study again, and your family is rich again?"
Liu Quexian nodded.
Wang Changgeng was overjoyed after hearing this. He quickly took out an ink scroll from his sleeve and slapped it in front of Liu Quexian: "This is the examination essay of Sun Jigao, the new champion, and I brought it here specially for you. Don’t copy it?”
Liu Quexian nodded hurriedly, and looked at Shi Wen in front of him with feigned surprise: "You are so amazing, you can even do this."
Wang Changgeng raised his eyebrows and showed off: "My aunt and cousin have chosen Shu Jishi, and they are of the same year and fellow countryman as Sun Gong. It is not difficult to get his articles for me. I treat you as a friend, so I brought them back to you specially." .”
"Thank you!"
Liu Quexian stood up and cupped his hands.
"Three denarii!"
Wang Changgeng stretched out three fingers and said: "Everyone else charges me five cents! What's more, the writing style of the new top scholar will be the mainstream writing style in the future."
Liu Quexian hurriedly took out about five pieces of broken silver from his body and handed it to him: "No need to look for it. Do you have any other examinations from other places, colleges, counties, or government examinations? Should I copy them too? These five coins If it’s not enough, I’ll just make up for it.”
"You are clever. You are suitable to be my friend."
Wang Changgeng said as he put the money into his sleeve: "My father is going to Wuxi at the end of this month. I will definitely visit his home. I will go to his home to help you ask."
"Why are you going to Wuxi?"
Liu Quexian asked curiously.
"Of course I am going to gather the students to give lectures. My father is also a well-known scholar in the country. As long as he goes there, students from several nearby counties will definitely go."
"And my father will take this opportunity to criticize the disadvantages of opening up the sea, so that the local gentry will denounce the disadvantages of opening up the sea more, and then form a big material discussion, affecting the opinions of the Nanzhi bureaucrats, and then affecting the capital. I am afraid that by then the emperor and The Queen Mothers of both palaces will hear that the public is too loud to oppose the opening of the sea, so they will have to suspend the opening of the sea."
Wang Changgeng said: "Don't you really think that my father would be so kind-hearted that he would travel long distances to give lectures to the students just to spread the knowledge of the saints?"
After hearing this, Liu Quexian felt a little uneasy: "That's right. Then will you pass through Suzhou?"
"nature."
Wang Changgeng said.
"Can I go with your boat? I want to go directly to Changmen to sell cloth. My sister has weaved a lot of cloth. I don't want to sell it directly to Yahang. Maybe I can make more money by going to Changmen. I'll draw it for you then. point?"
Liu Quexian asked.
Wang Changgeng said: "I don't like this little profit! What's more, how can a scholar value profit over righteousness? So I promise you, what you give me will be used as a reward to my boys, so that they won't worry about you because they know you." Bullying you without any foundation."
Liu Quexian said: "Thank you very much!"
So, at the end of the month, Liu Quexian followed Wang Changgeng and his father on a boat trip to Suzhou, and came back with Wang Changgeng and others. In this way, he was not exploited by officials on the way, and except for Wang Changgeng, I also made a lot of money, at least more than if I sold it directly to a local dental shop or an intermediary.
Therefore, when Liu Quexian came back, he also bought two maidservants who had been sold off by wealthy families because of their father-in-law's death.
The maidservants of these wealthy families are all good at weaving, which are the so-called technical talents of this era.
Liu Quexian naturally wanted to expand the scale when he bought it.
"You come home with me first, and I will give you money. I don't have enough money on me."
Since Wang Changgeng had brought him the records of Sun Jigao and several Wuxi Juren, Liu Quexian needed more money, so Liu Quexian suggested that Wang Changgeng go home with him to collect the money.
"Okay! I'll go tell my father."
Wang Changgeng agreed. The monthly money at home was not enough for him to work as a courtesan outside, and he also needed to make money from people like Liu Quexian in the name of helping his classmates.
When Liu Quexian returned home with his two new maids and Wang Changgeng, Laidi happened to be weaving. When she heard the footsteps, she ran out of the door happily: "Brother Xian, you are back!"
As Laidi said this, she smiled brightly and ran towards Liu Quexian.
After just a few steps, Laidi stopped in front of Liu Quexian and asked disappointedly: "Are you still going to sell me?"
Wang Changgeng cupped his hands and said, "Sister, I misunderstood. I'm not here to buy people. These two maids were bought by Brother Liu from Suzhou to serve you and honor you. Brother Liu has made a lot of money this time, at least fifty taels of silver!"
"Really?!"
Laidi's worry suddenly turned into joy, and two pairs of pear dimples appeared on her fair and pretty face.
