Wu Haogu's house in Jishanfang occupies a large area. It is much larger than his small courtyard in Kaifeng Mansion, but it is not worth much - the current Luoyang City is still an old city passed down from the Tang Dynasty. It’s not that big!
The circumference of a palace city alone exceeds eighteen miles! And this palace city only occupies a corner of Luoyang City. You can imagine how big Luoyang is as a whole.
However, Luoyang University is quite big, but its population is not large. Before Zhao Kai moved the capital here, the city had evolved into a "garden city". In the vast outer city on both sides of Luoshui River, there were gardens of wealthy families everywhere. Most of the owners of these gardens are descendants of important ministers of the Song Dynasty, and some are high-ranking officials with legitimate authority.
Maybe it’s because living in Kaifeng is not easy? After becoming official, these officials who live in Kaifeng Prefecture as "old and poor" or who can only rent houses often buy large houses in Luoyang, where the land price is cheap, the environment is good, and it is very close to Kaifeng Prefecture and has the reputation of Xijing. , and sometimes their descendants will also become Luoyang people.
Wu Haogu's ancestral home is Luoyang. His ancestor is said to be the founding hero of the Tang Dynasty, the warrior Yu, who is Wu Zetian's father. His family's ancestors settled in Luoyang since Wu Zetian became powerful. Although they went through ups and downs during this period, his family always settled in Luoyang. It was not until the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty that a great painter named Wu Zongyuan came out, and he moved to Kaifeng Mansion. However, there are many relatives here in Luoyang. Wu Haogu also lived in Luoyang for a period of time when he was young and liked Luoyang very much.
So after he earned some money as a contractor in Luoyang, he immediately bought a large house in Jishanfang, the best area in Luoyang City - this house was originally the residence of a descendant of a high-ranking official. Although it was already a little old, it was It's been well maintained, but if there's any downside, it's that it's a little too big. Wu Haogu did not have many family members. He only had a wife named Pan Qiaolian and a pair of children with whom he had been through thick and thin.
His son, whose name is Jiu, is twenty-six years old this year. He is a painter like Wu Haogu. He already had a wife, but he caught a cold on the way from Kaifeng Mansion to Luoyang and lost her... His daughter is famous and beautiful. Mom, who is only fifteen years old, was originally engaged, but her husband's family disappeared.
Therefore, Wu Haogu's family has a total of four people. In addition, he hired two elderly women in Luoyang Mansion to help with cleaning and cooking.
It's a bit deserted for six people to live in such a big house... How about adding another concubine?
While he was thinking about taking a concubine, his wife Pan Qiaolian's voice suddenly came to his ears: "Da Lang, you are back!"
Wu Haogu was thinking about something he was sorry for. When his wife yelled at him, he was startled - taking concubines is something he should just think about, but he doesn't dare to do it!
Think about it...it's not against the rules of heaven, right?
Pan Qiaolian is about the same age as Wu Haogu. She is in her forties, a mature woman, but she still has a lot of charm. She was originally from a family of officials. Her ancestor was Pan Mei, the founding hero of the Song Dynasty. Her father and brother were both military attachés in the Forbidden Army. Wu Haogu married a high-ranking man, so he was always a filial husband to his wife, but he did not dare to do bad things...
"Da Lang, why are you standing there like that? We have an honored guest!" Pan Qiaolian didn't know what Wu Haogu was thinking - he knew people, knew faces, but didn't know the heart! Seeing him in a daze, he quickly called him home to meet his guests.
"Dignified guest?" Wu Haogu was stunned, "Who is it?"
"Mr. Zhengdao," Pan Qiaolian stepped forward and gave her husband a hand, "It's been a while!"
"What? Then I have to go see him quickly!" How could Wu Haogu dare to neglect? I trotted all the way in and went in.
This Mr. Zhengdao is incredible! His surname is Zhang, Zhengdao is his font name, and his given name is Zeduan...Zhang Zeduan, he is the one who painted "Along the River During the Qingming Festival"!
However, the reason why Wu Haogu and Pan Qiaolian fawned over Zhang Zeduan was not "Along the River During the Qingming Festival", but Zhang Zeduan, who was serving at the Hanlin Academy of Painting and awaiting imperial edict, was sent by Zhao Kai to promote the repair of the palace, that is, The general person in charge of the Luoyang Palace decoration project, he is Wu Haogu’s bread and butter!
Zhang Zeduan is also in his forties, with a rectangular face, a big nose, high cheekbones, a goatee, and a green official uniform. He is sitting in Wu Haogu's hall with a big look, holding a bowl in his hand. After ordering tea, Wu Haogu's son Wu Yijiu was chatting with him.
Seeing Wu Haogu walking in, Zhang Zeduan immediately stood up and said to him: "Finally I'm back... Da Lang, the officials have asked you to enter the palace. Please pack up quickly and come with me!"
"What?" Wu Haogu was startled, "Guan, the official summoned me to the palace? What's the matter?"
Zhang Zeduan shook his head, "I don't know...Da Lang, come with me!"
When summoned by officials, how could Wu Haogu dare to shirk? Although he is no longer waiting for orders from the Hanlin Painting Academy, he is still the contractor for the palace decoration!
Maybe the guy below didn't do his job neatly, and the officials want to arrest him for questioning?
But even if he wanted to be questioned, Wu Haogu could only follow Zhang Zeduan... Maybe the crime was not big?
In fact, Wu Haogu's worries are unnecessary. Because he was not the only profiteer who was going to see the official today... All the Luoyang merchants who had received the emperor's mission, one by one, were called to the palace.
In addition, the big businessmen doing other business in Luoyang City were also invited by the Imperial City Department - this is even more scary!
When Wu Haogu arrived outside Zhenguan Hall, there were already two to three hundred trembling businessmen standing in the hall, looking like they were in court.
However, these businessmen are more or less feeling a little guilty, and they are all thinking deeply about what mistakes they have made. As soon as they made eye contact, they both quickly avoided each other. Infinite Heavenly Lord, Amitabha...don't let anything happen to you!
"The officials are here!"
Following the loud roar of Tiance's soldiers, all the profiteers standing in the main hall bowed and bowed, shouting long live the mountain. Then the sound of footsteps was heard, followed by Zhao Kai's smiling voice: "No courtesy, no courtesy!"
Everyone straightened up and looked up furtively. Then I saw Zhao Kai, who had become black and strong, with a beard all over his face (many of the businessmen here are from Bianliang, and they all know Zhao Kai who likes to go to brothels and Chu houses for private visits). He was dressed in a Tang-style dragon robe, with his hair on his head. Wearing a soft-footed futou, he had already sat down on the throne with a smile... He didn't look like he was looking for trouble.
Seeing many acquaintances below, Zhao Kai was very happy and said with a smile: "I called everyone here today because I want to hear your opinions on the purchase of land in Shaanxi, Jingxi, Hebei, and Hedong... We only give one to three bolts of silk per acre of land, and we can't give them in cash, but can only give them cloth coupons, and the cloth coupons can't be given all at once. Do you have any objections?"
How dare you have an opinion? I don’t dare to talk to Zhao Kai, a crazy official!
To be beheaded!
"No no......."
"no comment!"
"The officials want the grassroots' land without any compensation. The grassroots will donate it voluntarily!"
"Yes, yes, yes, the common people don't want compensation!"
What a good grassroots person this is... Zhao Kai was a little touched!
"Then...you are not allowed to buy the four Yingtian Road land in the future, do you have any objection?" Zhao Kai then asked for advice.
"No, no objection."
"We don't know how to farm..."
"When we buy the land, we just leave it there and collect a few rents. It's useless..."
No one wants to buy land... If you have capital, of course you have to invest in 12th-century black technology projects. Where can you buy land and collect rent?
Actually, the rate of return from buying land and collecting rent is not high. How could a profiteer who was lured by Zhao Kai today not be able to earn rent even after taking the capital?
In the past, the reason why people bought land and collected rent was because it was easier to do it... How much effort does it take to do business? If all the energy is used for business, how can one still read the book of the saint?
Under the imperial examination system, businessmen in the Song Dynasty paid attention to getting rich by using their skills and keeping their business. The way to keep the business is to let the children study and make progress.
If you want to study, you must concentrate on studying in the end. You cannot spend time in the mall all day long. It will be difficult to pass the exam.
But now that the imperial examination is almost closed, there is little point in buying land to study.
As for the "miscellaneous subject" exam, it is originally necessary to take "professionals", those who open a medical clinic will be tested as a doctor, those who open a pawnshop will be tested as a mathematician, those who sell sheep and horses will be tested as a horse, and those who open a blacksmith shop will be tested as a craftsman... ....No delay at all! Those who don’t know how to do it won’t be able to pass the exam!
Of course, if Zhao Kai does not suppress the merger, these people will still invest their spare money in the land.
Zhao Kai was quite satisfied with the answers of these profiteers, and then asked: "You all know how to do business... I want to ask you, now there are so many landowners on Yingtian 4th Road who are selling. After acquiring the land, is there any easy sale that can be made?”
Easy buying and selling?
This sounds unprofessional!
Where is this kind of business?
Seeing the silence of the people below, Zhao Kai knew that he was a bit stupid for asking... He knew that in future generations, it would not be easy to open a pancake stall!
He paused and then said: "Oh, what I mean is that now that the world is in chaos, it will be difficult to do business. Do you think there is any business that can make huge profits in this chaotic world?"
This question is easy to answer!
Anyone who does business knows... there are no easy deals, but there are hugely profitable deals. And profit-making transactions are generally written in the law!
What's human trafficking, what's illegal, what's arms trafficking... these are all good deals! Of course, none of these deals are as good as Zhao Kai’s deal!
Thinking of this, a really quick-tongued businessman said it.
"So that the officials know that today's world is not good, and ordinary business is not easy to make money. Only selling military horses, equipment, armor, gunpowder, cowhide, beef tendon and other military items is the easiest to make money."
Yes, selling arms is the easiest way to make money!
Zhao Kai looked at the profiteer who was speaking and asked with a smile: "Then do you want to do these businesses?"
"I don't want to, I don't want to, the common people are good people and they don't dare to engage in such a business of beheading..."
The businessman was so frightened that he knelt down in front of Zhao Kai.
Zhao Kai smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. If I allow you to do these businesses, do you want to do it?"
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