Fan Yanghou Mansion.
The broad street in front of the mansion is full of bustling houses.
Many wealthy gentry and big businessmen were queuing up to buy shares, carrying boxes after boxes of real money and silver. The queue stretched for miles!
"Those in front, move faster! Why are you waiting so long!"
The people in the back row were shouting, their faces full of anxiety, and they wanted to rush forward and kick the people in front away.
But they dare not act rashly.
Because there were hundreds of soldiers from the Hou Mansion maintaining order.
The soldiers were armed with swords, and the weapons in their hands were all real things. The sharp spear tips exuded cold air. These gentry and big businessmen did not dare to mess around again.
"Why are you urging me? Are you going to reincarnate in a hurry? Wait in line slowly at the back!"
Those who were lucky enough to be at the front of the queue were naturally elated, squealing and hating the people behind them...but there was nothing they could do.
By the way, why did these people who had maintained a wait-and-see attitude for most of the day suddenly burst out and rushed to the Hou Mansion to deliver money before dusk?
Because Su Xian used some tricks.
In the first step, he secretly sent a large number of troops to the streets and alleys of the city, working with teahouses and restaurants, to publicize in front of people the benefits of Nanchen Kaihai trade, how to make money every day, and so on.
The second step is to look up Su Xian's past achievements, trumpet them, and then focus on exaggerating Su Xian's character. The implication is: there is no danger in following Su Xian, and there are only benefits!
After passing the above two steps, many people who hold a wait-and-see attitude can no longer sit still. After all, wealth is exciting, and the profits from opening up sea trade are indeed very generous!
Furthermore, Su Xian has saved the building from collapse several times, and his character is trustworthy. If you follow Su Xian, you can be very popular!
But even so, those who could no longer sit still did not take action.
They always have some concerns in their hearts. After all, this is cooperation with the imperial court. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be disastrous!
At this time, Su Xian took the third step and said that someone had brought boxes of silver to the Hou Mansion!
Of course, that was actually arranged by Su Xian.
But these people didn't know it. Seeing someone trying crabs, they finally couldn't sit still and stood up one after another and said: "Go and prepare money quickly!"
As soon as the money was ready, news came out that after dark, the Hou Mansion would no longer accept business for individuals to invest in the Chamber of Commerce!
Because this is the regulation of the Chamber of Commerce.
After hearing the news, these people couldn't sit still anymore. They felt a sense of urgency in their hearts and ordered them to take the money and set off immediately!
Oddly enough, this Chamber of Commerce was not something they had noticed just now, but they suddenly had a mentality of "too high to reach", fearing that they would miss out on the opportunity to invest in it if they arrived late.
…
Hou Mansion.
In a flower hall near the mansion gate.
Su Xian, Lan Ling and others gathered here.
Officials in the Taiwei Mansion were constantly coming and going, reporting the grand events in front of the mansion one by one.
Princess Lanling looked at Su Xian and said:
"After dark, the Chamber of Commerce will no longer accept individual shares. This is indeed the rule that Taiwei said in advance."
"But they are here, and they all bring real gold and silver. Why not make an exception for them? Didn't the official estimate that the gold and silver they brought together exceeds four million taels."
"Four million taels! What can't you do with so much money? Even if you invest it all in the shipyard to build sea-going ships!"
"..."
Su Xian smiled and said:
"Your Highness, this is a good opportunity to establish rules. It has the effect of 'building a tree at the city gate' and 'buying bones for a thousand gold'. This will be of great benefit to the City Shipping Department."
"How do you say that?" Lan Ling was puzzled.
"First of all, Xianguan has made an estimate. When the investment closes after dark, we will eventually be able to raise three million taels of silver. Three million taels is completely enough."
"The remaining one million taels, according to ordinary people's opinions, should not be given away. After all, it is not a small amount."
"But our shipping company is different. As soon as it gets dark, no matter how much money is left behind, we will cut off the work. This has two advantages."
"First, it shows our confidence. After all, it is extremely difficult to do business at sea. Only if we have sufficient confidence can they, even His Majesty, civil and military officials, etc. have confidence."
"Secondly, Xianguan just wants to emphasize that rules are rules. Whether it is the Chamber of Commerce or the Municipal Shipping Department, as long as the rules are set, everyone needs to abide by them, without exception."
"..."
After hearing this, Lan Ling pondered for a while, and finally nodded slowly and said: "What the Taiwei said makes sense, but I still... That's one million taels!"
Su Xian smiled and said: "Your Highness, as long as the opening of the sea for trade goes smoothly, within half a year, one million taels can be earned back quickly. How can we lose a big thing because of a small thing?"
"It makes sense!" Lan Ling smiled heartily, "I'm actually very angry."
"..."
time flies.
In a blink of an eye, it was dark.
The business of investing in the Chamber of Commerce is indeed over!
Tell the truth.
There was still a long queue in front of the Hou Mansion. They made a fuss and begged for a while, but when Su Xian never let go, they finally had to leave with their heads down.
"I regret it!"
A wealthy gentleman with a big belly touched a box full of silver and sighed: "If I had known this, I should have come earlier, but now I regret it too late!"
"..."
When the crowd gradually dispersed, Su Xian ordered the work to end.
Then they intensively counted and raised the silver they received.
After a lot of work, officials from the Taiwei Mansion came to report:
"The items raised today include silver, gold, expensive jewelry, etc., converted into silver, the total is 3,225,061 taels!"
"Okay! More than three million taels, in line with my expectations, it is more than enough to build a sea-going ship!" Su Xian was overjoyed.
"This matter has been completed, and it's time for me to go back." Lan Ling stood up with a smile. She glanced at the mountains of silver and warned:
"Such a large amount of money is too eye-catching. The lieutenant must be well protected."
Su Xian laughed softly:
"Princess, don't worry. There are hundreds of personal guards in Xiaguan's mansion. In addition, Xiaguan has also arranged for internal guards and people from the Prison Department to watch overtly and covertly. There will definitely be no problems!"
"Jinwu Guard, Qianniu Guard and other forbidden troops, as well as the lower officials, have also said hello. In the past few days, ordinary thieves have not dared to go out in the Divine Capital City."
"..."
Lan Ling nodded, said a few more words, turned around and left, returning to the princess' mansion without mentioning anything.
When Su Xian came back from seeing off Lan Ling, he just walked to the warehouse where the three million taels of silver were stored. Unexpectedly, he ran into his sister-in-law Tang Shujing.
Tang Shujing seemed a little nervous, looking left and right, looking a little sneaky. When she saw Su Xian appeared in front of her eyes, she was startled, patted her heart and said:
"Brother-in-law, do you make no sound when you walk? You scared me to death."
"You came just in time. I have a task for you!" Although Su Xian felt that there was something strange about her, he did not go into details. He had a busy day today and was already very tired.
"You give me a mission?!" Tang Shujing's fair face was full of shock. Like a cat whose tail was stepped on, she jumped up and exploded.
"What?"
Su Xian stared, very dissatisfied with Tang Shujing's performance, and said loudly: "Have you forgotten that I am the head of the prison department, and you are my subordinate!"
Tang Shujing looked at him blankly, and after a while she smiled and said, "I forgot."
Su Xian had no time to chat with her and went straight to the point:
"There is an extra three million taels of silver in the house. I believe you already know that. Brother-in-law, I have transferred many detectives from the Prison Department."
"To be honest, I still can't trust them, so I ask you to be the leader."
Tang Shujing hurriedly asked: "How many arrests are there?"
"Totaling up the big and small agents, there must be more than a thousand people." Su Xian said.
"Don't worry, brother-in-law, I guarantee that the amount of silver will not be less than one tael!" Tang Shujing patted her heart and vowed, but even as she said this, her bright eyes were still spinning.
Su Xian nodded, and suddenly his voice dropped:
"I can rest assured that I will leave it to you to guard. After all, you are the best goddess catcher in the world. Besides, if anyone dares to touch this batch of money, I will capture him even if he escapes to the ends of the earth and punish him severely!"
"..."
After Su Xian said this, he turned around and left. He was very tired after a busy day.
Tang Shujing looked at Su Xian's back, her fists clenched and her teeth clenched, as if she was making some kind of decision.
boom!
Finally, she punched a nearby tree and murmured:
"I am the number one goddess hunter in the world, so I cannot touch this money. Besides, my brother-in-law just now... was so cruel!"
"..."
It is said that Princess Lanling returned to the mansion and was preparing to take a bath and rest, but the Queen sent someone to invite her into the palace.
Lan Ling thought that the Queen probably wanted to know about the Chamber of Commerce, and she did not dare to neglect it. After a little preparation, she entered the palace and met the Queen in the side hall of Huiyou Hall.
After the courtesy of a monarch and his ministers, the Queen indeed asked about the Chamber of Commerce's investment in shares. Lan Ling did not dare to hide it and told her everything, including the matter of Su Xian's "building a tree at the city gate."
"Su Aiqing is a person who knows that the sky is the limit and rules are rules. I totally agree with this." The Queen praised.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"To raise more than three million taels of silver in one day, I think only Su Aiqing can accomplish this kind of thing. I am very pleased. Opening up sea trade is related to the rise and fall of our dynasty. My dear, you also need more help."
"Your Majesty, don't worry, I understand."
"Okay, it's getting late. You're tired after a busy day. Go back and rest early."
"My son, please retire."
"..."
Lan Ling said goodbye and exited the palace city, returning to the princess mansion to take a bath and rest.
The night is getting darker.
The city of Shendu, which had been noisy all day, was completely quiet.
But this silence did not prevent the scene that happened in front of the Hou Mansion at dusk from spreading wildly. Within half an hour, everyone knew about it.
The prime ministers, high-ranking officials, princes, etc. all praised Su Xian's methods, but in the end, Su Xian's move of turning away one million taels of silver gave them mixed reviews.
The Tang family, the Lin family, the Su family, the Liu family, etc., some are happy and some are sad.
In the East Palace, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was in a coma after vomiting blood, has regained consciousness after being diagnosed and treated by the imperial doctor. He felt very uncomfortable, and despite the Crown Princess's dissuasion, he forced Qian Zhongshu to continue drinking to drown his sorrows.
After drinking dozens of glasses of fine wine, the prince could no longer bear it and cried bitterly in front of Qian Zhongshu. This prince was really such a coward.
He felt miserable.
Qian Zhongshu was deeply touched when he saw this, but Princess Lanling was so powerful that he was alone in the court, so he really couldn't help the prince much...
Suddenly, a flash of lightning flashed through his mind:
"Your Highness, Your Highness, I have thought of a plan. Even if it cannot bring down Su Xian, it can still leave a grudge in His Majesty's heart and make His Majesty gradually alienate Su Xian."
"What? What did you think of?"
Qian Zhongshu's eyes were bright and he said excitedly:
"Your Majesty, think about it. Your Majesty is struggling for millions of taels of silver, but Su Xian can raise more than three million taels in one day!"
"How come Su Xian is more powerful than His Majesty? Why do the prime ministers, princes, gentry, big businessmen, etc. who have invested in the chamber of commerce in the city just listen to Su Xian so much?"
"If Su Xian raises his arms one day, will the people of the world respond positively... Your Highness, when that day comes, will the people in Daliang still have the surname Li?"
"..."
After hearing this, the prince sobered up from the wine. He held Qian Zhongshu's hand tightly and said with excitement: "What a way! What a way! Why didn't I think of this?"
At that moment, the two of them put their heads together and discussed secretly for a long time.
At midnight, the two of them separated and went back to their rooms to rest.
The next day.
Qian Zhongshu got up and dressed neatly, without bothering to use breakfast, he went straight to the palace city, saying that he had something big to report to the Queen, which was related to the country and the country of Daliang!
At that time, the Queen was having breakfast in the side hall of Huiyou Palace. After hearing what Qian Zhongshu said was serious, she ordered Nangong Wan'er: "Xuan!"
After a while, Qian Zhongshu entered the side hall.
After performing the courtesy of a monarch and a minister, he enumerated Su Xian's sins impassionedly, indignantly, and heartbroken...
This was all discussed between him and the prince last night. In addition to a lot of unfounded charges, the most important thing is that Su Xian's "prestige" is too great.
Raising more than three million taels of silver in one day, this method is simply appalling.
You know, even the Queen is worried about this. How can he, Su Xian, be so virtuous?
The Queen's expression remained unchanged, and she ate her breakfast slowly and gracefully. She seemed to have not heard Qian Zhongshu's roar, which seemed unfathomable.
However, Qian Zhongshu became more and more excited as he talked, thinking that he had caught Su Xian's fatal weakness. This time Su Xian would have to shed his skin even if he died. He was so happy that he didn't notice the queen's face.
After finally waiting for him to finish speaking, he found that the Queen had no reaction. He was stunned on the spot. This shouldn't be the case!
"His Majesty?"
Qian Zhongshu had a bad feeling in his heart.
"Are you done?" The queen was still eating her breakfast without raising her head.
"Old minister... Finished speaking, then Su Xian..."
"Now that we've finished talking, please step aside and don't disturb me while I'm eating." The Queen was quite polite.
"But Your Majesty." Qian Zhongshu's eyes widened and he was very puzzled, and said: "Su Xian is trying to usurp the throne. His crime cannot be punished. Your Majesty, please be aware of it!"
"presumptuous!"
The Queen suddenly flew into a rage and slammed the table. The sudden sound frightened Qian Zhongshu to kneel on the ground, not daring to raise his head to look at the Queen's angry face.
The Queen was furious, raised her finger and pointed at him and scolded:
"Su Aiqing has solved my worries every step of the way, from preventing the plague, to containing the food underground in Jiacang City, to pacifying the Liao Kingdom. Which one of them is not a great achievement that benefits the country and the people?"
"But you happen to be a treacherous minister like you, who spreads slander and intends to murder Zhongliang. Your sins are too numerous to record and you will never be redeemed by death!"
Qian Zhongshu felt like he was dead and was running cold all over. He didn't expect the Queen's reaction to be so strong. He kept kowtowing and said: "I know my mistake, please spare my life..."
The Queen's face softened a little, her tone softened a little, and she said slowly:
"Get out of the palace. You are not allowed to enter the palace for half a month. If I hear this kind of slander again, I will give you a fifty-fifty blow and then you will be dismissed and never hired!"
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Qian Zhong wrote with a pale expression. After the last bow, he stood up and ran away in confusion.
