"Brother Six, Mr. Liu asked you to go back. He said he had something to discuss with you." At this time, a team member from the mountain came down and found Zhang Rui, who was discussing things with Wu Zhishui.
"Oh? Do you know what it is?" Zhang Rui asked
"I don't know this very well. At that time, he just asked me to find you. It seemed that it was about the issue of prisoners." The team member replied
After listening to what the team member said, Zhang Rui thought it might be a question of ransom. It has been more than twenty days since Yang Yingju and the others were released.
In order to allow them to give the money as soon as possible, Zhang Ruike put forward the condition that each prisoner staying in Zhilian Mountain would be given two taels of silver per day for food expenses.
They didn't agree with it at first, but the form was stronger than the person. People are so strange sometimes. As long as you start, you won't care about the rest, even if you continue to make mistakes.
At the same time, Zhang Rui also explained that in addition to the food and medical expenses for them, the money also included the interest on the 1.5 million silver. They couldn't refute this reason, so they gritted their teeth and agreed.
You must know that Zhang Rui has nearly 1,500 prisoners here. In other words, for every day they postpone, the two of them will have to pay an extra three thousand taels of silver to Zhang Rui.
These twenty days are sixty thousand taels...
Although this is not much compared to the 1.5 million taels of silver they paid Zhang Rui. However, sixty thousand taels of silver is not a small amount after all. Many small landowners may not be able to save this amount in their lifetime.
Therefore, Yang Yingju and the others had to worry, unless they really wanted to kill everything and refuse to pay the money. But judging from their looks, they wouldn't do that. After all, no one wants to die if they can survive.
…
Because of the arrival of this team member, Zhang Rui could only temporarily hand over all the work in his hands to Wu Zhishui.
Wu Zhishui was very satisfied with Zhang Rui's trust in him.
In fact, Wu Zhishui didn't know that Zhang Rui couldn't find anyone he could use.
Those craftsmen are all illiterate, and they just do things according to the traditional methods taught by the older generation. He has a single thinking mode, doesn’t think too much and rarely adapts.
No one knows the true purpose of this hydraulic workshop.
Because not all of them have been built, Zhang Rui is not in a hurry to install the gear equipment for their purpose. So there is nothing to worry about.
The hydraulic workshop was really not a difficult thing for the Manchu and Qing court. But they don't know how to use it, and they don't understand it even if they do.
Wu Zhishui is a rare scholar who is willing to take the initiative to help Zhang Rui at this time, although he has the temperament of a "rich boy" who likes to do things. However, if Zhang Rui doesn't know how to win over him, he would be stupid.
Several children who were hired by Zhilian Mountain to teach "Duan Zheng" literacy, all clamored to leave after learning that Zhang Rui had been labeled as a rebel by Emperor Qianlong. Therefore, Zhang Rui could only coax, deceive, and threaten him. It was impossible to say that there was no teacher in Zhilian Mountain now.
In fact, I don’t blame those scholars, after all, they are not completely bankrupt and unable to survive. They decided that if they continued to follow Zhang Rui, they would definitely be dragged down.
Zhang Rui's current strength is too weak, like a small boat in the storm, it will be destroyed by "our Qing Dynasty" at any time, making people unable to see the future.
Therefore, unless the Qing Dynasty really forces me to survive or is a scholar who really wants to fight against the Qing Dynasty. Otherwise, no scholar with a long-term vision would rashly join Zhang Rui's team.
…
After explaining the general work to Wu Zhishui, Zhang Rui followed the team member back to the village.
At this time, the scenery of Zhilian Mountain has changed from the deserted scenery of the past. The tracts of houses at the foot of the mountain are full of people, and the surging crowds of people walking around make the entire mountainous area exude exciting vitality.
Although everything here in Zhilian Mountain is just a simple creation. However, everyone who works hard will get their own share of wages and rations.
When passing through the housing area at the foot of the mountain, every citizen who knows Zhang Rui will take the initiative to say hello to Zhang Rui. Of course, many of them were cautious and restless, not as lively and cute as children, and Zhang Rui responded to them one by one.
Since he had a lot of things to do, Zhang Rui didn't stay on the road long and quickly returned to the village.
…
Directly connected mountain village meeting hall
There is a top chair in the hall, and ten chairs are displayed on the left and right below.
At this time, Liu Muxiu was here to receive Yang Yingju's Green Camp Counselor Li Kaifu.
"Mr. Liu, what do you want from me?" Zhang Ruiren's voice came before he even entered the door. He didn't have the composure of someone who is doing great things.
Entering the meeting hall, Zhang Rui found someone sitting next to Liu Muchiu.
"Who is this?" Zhang Rui asked, looking at Kaifu Li who was looking at him.
In fact, it’s not surprising that Zhang Rui didn’t know Kai-Fu Lee, even though he also surrendered. But then he was selected as a personal soldier by Yang Yingju and returned to Guangzhou. So Zhang Rui probably just looked at him a few times and didn't remember it carefully.
Li Kaifu stood up from his chair and looked at Zhang Rui a little. I sighed in my heart:
"You are so young, it's unbelievable. We actually lost to such a young boy. It's true that talented people come out from generation to generation, and each generation is better than the next."
"I am Li Kaifu, the green battalion counselor under Governor Yang. I have met Sixth Brother." After speaking, Li Kaifu hugged Zhang Rui and said.
Since ancient times, warriors only obey the strong, while generals admire those who defeat him.
Although Li Kaifu didn't know how good Zhang Rui was in martial arts. But after the last battlefield failure, it was clear that Zhang Rui gained the respect of Kai-fu Lee.
"Oh, it turns out to be General Li. I have admired him for a long time." Zhang Rui also cupped his fists and saluted Li Kaifu.
"I dare not use the word "general", Brother Six is too polite." Although Kaifu Li said so, he was still a little secretly happy when he heard a person like Zhang Rui call him "general".
"Easy to say, easy to say. I wonder what General Li is looking for?" Zhang Rui asked Li Kaifu.
Kaifu Li looked around and then at Zhang Rui, looking like he was hesitant to speak.
At this time, there was only Liu Muxiu in the meeting hall.
Upon seeing this, Liu Muxiu was about to excuse himself and leave. But I heard Zhang Ruiyan say:
"This is Liu Muchiu, the manager of my village. You must know this too. He is not an outsider. If you have anything, you can tell him in front of him."
"Yes, Sixth Brother. But it's not that I don't want to listen to Sixth Brother, but the order I received from Mr. Yang is that I can only discuss matters with you. No one else can be present. So..." As he said that, Li Kaifu looked at Now Kaifu Lee next to him said
"I'm sorry, Manager Liu. It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that the military order is difficult."
"I understand. Now that Sixth Brother is back, it's time for me to do my thing." Liu Muxiu looked indifferent and clasped his fists at the two of them.
"Then thank you, Mr. Liu, for your hard work." Zhang Rui also clasped his fists at Liu Muxiu and replied.
After Liu Muxiu left the meeting hall. Zhang Rui sat down where Liu Muchiu had just been sitting, picked up the teapot next to him, poured a cup of tea, and drank it.
"Tell me, what do you want from me?"
