Is it as prosperous as Bell Tower Street?
Zhu Di's eyes suddenly gleamed, and then he showed a look that was indeed the case, "Huh, we know that according to Guo Qing's ability to attract money, since Guo Qing attaches so much importance to Zhangjiawan Pier, it must be profitable.
So, we're right.
This matter will be left to Guo Qing. If you need any taels of silver, you can ask He Zhong to get it. "
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Guo An slightly bowed his hands.
Then, he looked up at Zhu Di again and replied honestly: "Your Highness, Wei Chen also wants to wait until the construction of Zhangjiawan is completed to buy a shop to add some business to Wei Chen's house."
Zhu Di was startled, thought of something, and asked, "Is Guo Qing getting married?"
Guo An replied honestly: "Your Highness, the wedding date is scheduled for April 26th."
"Very good."
Zhu Di nodded with satisfaction, "You have contributed to our Yan Palace, and even to the Ming Dynasty.
Since you want to earn more money, we will give you two shops and a warehouse after the Zhangjiawan Wharf is built. "
Hearing this, Zhu Fu's eyes became hot.
However, he saw Guo An shaking his head quickly, "Thank you, Your Highness, but I just want to spend money to buy it."
"Um?"
Zhu Di took a deep look at Guo An and nodded slightly, "As you wish."
"Thank you, Your Highness, for making it possible."
Guo An quickly thanked him.
As for the extraction of one percent of Zhangjiawan Pier, Guo An was very sensible and did not mention it.
The benefits were too great for him to eat.
Zhu Di was obviously not aware of this problem yet, but was still worried about his fishing trip.
"But how are our four big ships going to go to sea?"
"this……"
Guo An thought for a moment and then said: "Your Highness, if we hire a few small boats to tow in front, and then hire hundreds of young men to tow on both sides of the river, can we pull the big ship out of the Tonghui River?"
Zhu Di's eyes lit up and he hurriedly asked Xu Xiang who was standing aside.
"Xu Xiang, how about this method?"
"Your Highness, I think this matter is feasible." Xu Xiang replied quickly.
"Very good."
Zhu Di nodded slightly and then ordered: "He Zhong, quickly send someone to get money to hire people and find a few boats!"
"Yes, Your Highness."
He Zhong responded.
However, before He Zhong could leave, Zhu Liang hurriedly said: "Your Highness, I have something to ask of you."
Zhu Di asked quietly: "What's the matter?"
Zhu Liang quickly said: "Your Majesty, since we hire common people to tow the big ship, why not hire our own guards? Maybe our guards will be more powerful than the common people in towing the big ship."
Zhu Di couldn't help but cursed angrily, "You're such a tough guy, how can this matter be compared?"
Zhu Liang sneered quickly and did not dare to speak anymore.
Guo An on the side was thoughtful and said: "Your Highness, I think we can give it a try. Your Highness can mobilize two hundred soldiers. If these big ships can be dragged out of the Tonghui River, each soldier will be rewarded with five Ten articles.
In this way, it is equivalent to hiring those people's money. "
On the side, Zhu Liang and Xu Xiang looked at Guo An with grateful faces.
These days, the soldiers who serve in the army are also very poor.
Zhu Di glanced at Guo An lightly and did not continue to object, "Let's give it a try."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Zhu Liang and Xu Xiang quickly bowed to Zhu Di with grateful faces and hurriedly retreated.
As for He Zhong, he quietly retreated and then prepared money.
Wait until evening.
Zhu Liang brought good news. All four large ships had been towed out of the Tonghui River.
A smile finally appeared on Zhu Di's face.
Guo An didn't pay too much attention to this. Instead, he took the map of Zhangjiawan Wharf in Tongzhou and kept studying it.
So, on the second day.
Yu Rentian, the prefect of Peiping, arrived at Prince Yan's Mansion early with fellow magistrates Zhao Jie and Tongpan Dangfu, accompanied by Cui Shijian, the magistrate of Tongzhou.
The new Tongzhou magistrate Cui Shijian is a thin man in his forties with an honest face.
Upon seeing Guo An, Cui Zhizhou greeted him respectfully, which shocked Guo An and quickly returned the greeting.
After the clerk served tea, Yu Rentian got down to business.
Similarly, a clear map of Zhangjiawan Wharf was also handed over to Guo An.
"I would also like to ask Guo Changshi to take a look at it. This is the map of Zhangjiawan Wharf. I wonder which piece of land Guo Changshi wants?"
Guo An was not polite, he picked up the pen and circled the center of the pier.
"Cui Zhizhou, please look at this piece of land."
Cui Shijian just took a cursory glance and said directly: "Only half of the fields on this land.
The total price of this piece of land is five thousand taels of silver, but what does Guo Changshi think? "
Guo An narrowed his eyes slightly, "Is it a little too cheap?"
Cui Zhizhou replied very honestly: "Don't worry, Guo Changshi, half of the 500 acres of land is wasteland, so the price of 5,000 taels is considered the normal market price."
"I see."
Guo An nodded slightly, "That's five thousand taels."
"Guo Changshi is really refreshing."
Cui Shijian and Yu Rentian suddenly beamed with joy.
Guo An nodded slightly, then thought of something again, and said again: "I wonder how those people will be settled?"
Cui Shijian said quickly: "Don't worry, Guo Changshi. With the money from selling the land, they will work as tenant farmers for some gentry families, and their lives will be much better than before."
"I see."
Guo An nodded with satisfaction, "I wonder if Cui Zhizhou brought the land deed?"
Cui Shijian's eyes widened and he asked with some surprise: "Guo Changshi wants to buy it directly without consulting His Highness King Yan?"
"It doesn't have to be this way."
Guo An shook his head slightly, "It's just 500 acres of land, we can make the decision."
A hint of disappointment flashed deep in Cui Shijian's eyes, and then his smile grew stronger, "Guo Changshi is so trusted by His Highness, I admire him very much."
"That's not the case. Once the land deed is signed, we still have to report it to His Highness." Guo An said with a reserved smile.
Cui Shijian's face froze slightly. The land deed has been signed. What's the difference between reporting to His Highness King Yan and making your own decision?
However, Cui Zhizhou did not forget the business and took out a land deed directly from his pocket, which was stamped with the land deed of Tongzhou Yamen. He could fill in the number of acres and price at will.
Seeing this, Guo An was a little surprised. This was the first time he had seen such an operation. He couldn't help but ask: "Cui Zhizhou, can this be done?"
Cui Zhizhou chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Guo Changshi."
"That's good!"
Guo An nodded slightly, and then gave instructions to a scribe.
The scribe walked out quickly.
Not long after, a middle-aged eunuch who looked familiar to Magistrate Yu and others walked in, followed by two young eunuchs.
Guo An directly handed over the land deed in his hand to He Zhong, and immediately informed the amount and price. He Zhong didn't say much and directly stamped it with a big seal.
Then, he left directly.
Guo An then handed the land deed in his hand to Cui Shijian, "Cui Zhizhou, please take a look at it and see if there is anything else we need to fill in?"
Cui Shi took it and took a look at it in a daze, then looked at Guo An with a surprised look on his face, "Guo Changshi, this is the seal of King Yan...is it done?"
"It's done!"
Guo An nodded slightly.
Cui Shijian still couldn't believe it, "Who was that just now?..."
"Prince Yan's Mansion and the General Manager."
Guo An replied and asked again: "I wonder if Cui Zhizhou has anything else to do?"
Cui Shijian was stunned for a moment, then asked with a sneer on his face: "I wonder when Guo Changshi can deliver the five thousand taels of silver from selling the land to me... Tongzhou Prefecture..."
Guo An straightened his face and explained: "Please rest assured, Cui Zhizhou, about the silver. Early tomorrow morning, we will send the palace clerks and guards to Tongzhou with the silver.
At that time, Cui Zhizhou was also asked to summon a group of people from Zhangjiawan and ask them to come with their land deeds in exchange for money. "
This time, Cui Shijian's face froze in place.
"Tongzhou is so far away from Beiping Prefecture, and it only costs five thousand taels of silver. So there is no need to work so hard, right?"
Guo An just smiled lightly, "We don't want to bother people like this, but it involves the fields and livelihoods of hundreds of households. If something goes wrong, I will behead you. I'm afraid that His Highness, King Yan, will be stigmatized."
"Furthermore, Cui Zhizhou also knows that those officials have always been rough in their work and have dirty hands and feet. It's better to keep an eye on them..."
A smile appeared on Cui Shijian's face, and he quickly praised: "No wonder His Highness King Yan trusts Guo Changshi so much. Guo Changshi is serious in doing things..."
Guo An just smiled and nodded slightly.
Afterwards, after a few words of greetings were exchanged, Cui Shijian, Yu Rentian and others stood up and left.
…
Cunxin Palace.
Zhu Di just glanced at the land deed casually, and then looked at Guo An.
"What does Guo Qing mean?"
Guo An looked guilty and a little heavy, "Your Highness, I am ashamed of myself."
"Um?"
Zhu Di's expression condensed, he stared at Guo An and asked: "Are you greedy for ink on this matter?"
Guo An's eyes widened, "How could Wei Chen be such a person?"
Zhu Di asked curiously: "What do you feel guilty about?"
Guo An sighed slowly, "Your Highness, there is something wrong with this land lease."
Zhu Di's expression became serious: "What's the problem?"
"The Tongzhou magistrate sold this land at a very low price!"
Guo An said, "Not to mention anything else, just the land at Zhangjiawan Wharf is worth thousands of taels of silver.
Moreover, coupled with the hundreds of acres of surrounding fields, it also costs thousands of taels of silver.
And that Cui Zhizhou only sold His Highness five thousand taels of silver, and according to the tone of that Cui Zhizhou, if the minister is dissatisfied, it can be lowered..."
Zhu Di directly sneered and said, "What's the big fuss about this matter? It must be that the Tongzhou magistrate deliberately sold it at a low price to please us."
Guo An said: "Your Highness, this is where things go wrong.
It makes sense that Tongzhou Zhizhou wanted to please His Highness for his official career.
However, the common people around them cannot throw away the fields they depend on for their livelihood just to please His Highness. "
Hearing this, Zhu Di's expression condensed and he stared at Guo An closely, "What did you find?"
Guo An replied: "Your Highness, even the ministers can't say for sure. I can only ask Your Highness to send the guards from the palace to investigate this matter."
Zhu Di's face turned solemn, "Those hard-working people in our house can't handle this matter. We have to let the Jin Yiwei investigate."
"Your Highness is wise!"
Guo An was stunned. He didn't expect that Zhu Di dared to command the Jin Yiwei and could command them.
However, he just complimented him casually and didn't think much about it.
Anyway, this matter is not something he should worry about.
However, regarding the Zhangjiawan incident, he had already used the name of Prince Yan's Mansion to warn the officials in Tongzhou in advance, hoping that the honest-looking Cui Zhizhou would be wiser and stop making random mistakes.
Otherwise, alas...
Thinking about it, a cold light flashed in Guo An's eyes!
Early the next morning.
Without waiting for news from Zhu Di, Guo An sent two scribes and a team of guards to Zhangjiawan Wharf in Tongzhou with five thousand taels of silver.
…
(End of chapter)
