Since Wang Qifu knew that someone in Datong was going to deal with the Tiger Flag, he got on the carriage and returned to Zhangjiakou early, leaving his servants behind and followed the Tiger Flag's motorcade back to Zhangjiakou.
He rode a carriage by himself, which was much faster than following the Tiger Flag convoy, and returned to Zhangjiakou first.
The carriage stopped outside the gate of Fan's house. As soon as he got off the carriage, he met Fan Yongcheng walking out of the door.
"Third Master." Wang Qifu shouted respectfully.
When Fan Yongcheng saw Wang Qifu, he showed a hint of surprise and said, "Shopkeeper Wang, didn't you go to Lingqiu to do some business? You came back so soon and the matter was not completed?"
"The thing was done," Wang Qifu said, "but some other things came up later, and I needed to come back and ask my boss for advice."
Hearing this, Fan Yongcheng asked curiously: "What is going on? I still need one of your shopkeepers to come back in person. Is there something wrong with the Tiger Flag?"
As Fan Yongdou's cousin, he knows more about the Tiger Flag than many members of the Fan family. The last time the Fan family's caravan was robbed on the grassland, many Fan family members thought it was done by horse bandits. Only he knew. Behind the back is the hand holding the tiger character flag.
Wang Qifu put his hands on his chest and said humbly: "Third Master, I'd better talk to my boss!"
There was a hint of rejection in his tone.
Fan Yongcheng became interested and said with a smile: "I'm getting more and more curious. Come on, I'll go with you to see my cousin."
Wang Qifu hesitated for a moment and then said: "Third Master, please come!"
He raised his right hand and made a gesture of invitation toward the door.
Fan Yongcheng, who planned to go out, followed Wang Qifu and turned back to the Fan family compound.
Although the Fan family at this time was not short of money and was a well-known Shanxi merchant, it was still far from the level it was with the Eight Great Imperial Merchants, and its relationship with the Liaodong Jurchens was far from as close as it would later be. .
The Fan family has been doing business with the grasslands since the early Ming Dynasty, and it has been passed down to Fan Yongdou for several generations. The Fan family is a well-known wealthy businessman in Zhangjiakou, and the Fan family's house is second to none in Zhangjiakou, and is far inferior to that of ordinary wealthy families. The Fan family's residence.
With Fan Yongcheng leading the way, Wang Qifu was not blocked and made his way smoothly to Fan Yongdou's study.
There is no shortage of pens, inks, paper and inkstones in the study room. There are also some books on the bookshelf standing on the wall.
"Lao San, didn't you just leave? Why are you back so soon? Is there anything else?" Fan Yongdou asked in confusion when he saw Fan Yongcheng who had just left him.
"I've met my boss." Wang Qifu, who followed him into the study, took a step forward and bowed to salute.
Fan Yongdou looked at Wang Qifu, frowned, and said, "Are you coming back from Lingqiu?"
Wang Qifu replied: "To be fair to my boss, I have just returned from Lingqiu, and the things my boss told me have been completed. In a few days, the convoy of the Tiger Flag Mule and Horse Company will arrive at Zhangjiakou."
Seeing that the matter assigned to Wang Qifu was completed, Fan Yongdou nodded slightly and said: "You have worked hard on the journey, so you haven't gone home yet. Go home and have a good rest for two days."
"Thank you, boss." Wang Qifu saluted.
Fan Yongcheng, who was standing next to him, said at this time: "Cousin, don't rush to let shopkeeper Wang go back. Shopkeeper Wang still has something to say."
"Oh!" Fan Yongdou looked at Wang Qifu and said, "Is there anything else?"
Wang Qifu told him everything about the people from the garrison who came to him and the deputy tiger character flag, including the benefits that the garrison had promised to the Fan family.
After listening, Fan Yongdou fell into deep thought.
Fan Yongcheng on the side said happily: "Cousin, this is a good opportunity. Once the Tiger Flag falls, no one will dare to threaten our Fan family's caravan on the grassland. Moreover, 30% of Lingqiu Iron is only the price of ordinary Jin Iron. This It’s such a big sum of money, it’s like our Fan family doesn’t have to do anything, so it’s just a big sum of money for nothing.”
Wang Qifu also said: "My boss, we can agree on this matter. It's not a loss anyway."
Fan Yongdou clamped his fingers on the lid of the tureen and gently tapped the edge of the tureen for a long time before saying, "You shouldn't have come back so early."
Wang Qifu was stunned for a moment, with confusion in his eyes.
"Cousin, does this have something to do with Shopkeeper Wang..." Fan Yongcheng suddenly stopped, then slapped his thigh and said, "Shopkeeper Wang, you should come back with the Tiger Flag's motorcade."
Wang Qifu has been a shopkeeper for many years, and his brain is not slow to react. He immediately came to his senses, with regret on his face, and said: "My boss, I did this wrong."
Fan Yongcheng, who was standing next to him, complained: "You are also an old shopkeeper with many years of experience. Why did you handle things this time in such a confused manner?"
Wang Qifu said with a grimace: "I was also anxious to come back so that I could tell the news to my boss as soon as possible. I didn't think much about it at the moment."
"Alas!" Fan Yongcheng sighed.
"It doesn't matter." Fan Yongdou blew the tea leaves floating in the cup and said, "At most, it will alert the Tiger Flag, but as long as we don't get involved in this matter, Liu Heng won't find anything."
"Cousin, what do you mean is that we wait and see what happens?" Fan Yongcheng said.
Fan Yongdou put down the tureen and said: "Originally I didn't intend to get involved in this matter. After all, Datong is far away, and some of the benefits are not available to our Fan family."
Fan Yongcheng said in confusion: "Cousin, you can't be confused at this time. The Tiger Flag left such a big piece of fat. Even if we, the Fan family, don't take the first bite, we have to take a bite of the fattest part."
Fan Yongdou shook his head slightly and said: "Third brother, remember, our Fan family's wealth mainly comes from outside the customs. No matter how big the fat is in the Ming Dynasty, it is still the meat of the officials and gentry clans. Our Fan family is just a businessman, not what we have in our bowl." Don’t worry about the meat.”
Looking at Fan Yongcheng's still confused look, he said: "Forget it, you don't want to get involved in these things. Now you are also a scholar. When can you be like Fengpan Gong and pass the Jinshi examination, the Fan family will be able to I'm eating meat after you."
The Duke Fengpan he mentioned had been the chief minister of the cabinet during the Wanli period and was a Shanxi merchant. Many Shanxi merchants hoped that their children would have a Duke Fengpan, and the same was true for the Fan family.
In these years, the Fan family not only allowed their children to study for imperial examinations, but also supported some poor scholars. Several censors from the Xuanfu family in the court received financial support from the Fan family.
Fan Yongcheng said: "I have tried my best to win a scholarship, but I don't have much hope of winning the exam."
"Try your best to try." Fan Yongdou said, "If it doesn't work, you can also enlighten the young boys in the clan and cultivate a few more seeds of reading."
At this time, Fan Yongdou did not realize that the Jurchens would occupy the Central Plains in the future. In the eyes of many people, the Jurchens were no more than scabies and their destiny was still in the Ming Dynasty.
After talking about Fan Yongcheng, Fan Yongdou looked at Wang Qifu again and said, "This time you will go to the grassland with the caravan. When you come back from the grassland, the matter about the Tiger Flag should have a result."
"Yes." Wang Qifu cupped his hands.
Fan Yongcheng said: "Cousin, we don't need to be so careful. Since someone in Datong is preparing to move the tiger flag, we are naturally confident."
Fan Yongdou took a sip of tea as he picked up the bowl and said, "Do as I say. The Fan family will not interfere with the tiger-shaped flag. Whoever wins or loses has nothing to do with us."
Seeing what Fan Yongcheng wanted to say, Fan Yongdou said: "That's it. The matter ends here. None of you are allowed to spread the word. Please step aside!"
"Yes." Wang Qifu bowed and exited the study.
Although Fan Yongcheng didn't understand, Fan Yongdou was the one in charge of the Fan family, and he would not go against his cousin.
