The price gap between white sugar and brown sugar is undoubtedly huge.
No, when He Rong heard this, he couldn't help but said in surprise: "Is this impossible? How could he know how sugar is made?"
"I don't know about that!" He Zhen listened. After a while, he became more confident. "Just keep it in mind. Even if it's not sugar, it's definitely very profitable. The prince-in-law takes action. If you still attach such great importance to your actions, there will be no ordinary products!"
When he said this, he suddenly remembered something, and a very shocked expression suddenly appeared on his face.
He Rong looked at it and asked a little strangely: "Dad, what's wrong?"
All his life, he remembered that his father had such an expression. It was only when his father learned that Zhu Yuanzhang from the north had unified the world and defeated other forces.
At this time, how could something happen that shocked his father so much?
He was wondering when He Zhen said in a shocked tone: "Have you noticed that the most profitable things in Xiangshan County are the Xiangshan County Government-run Cement Factory, the Xiangshan County Government-run Fish Floss Factory, etc., plus this Xiangshan County Government-run Sugar factories are all government-run!”
"Well, it's all government-run, what's wrong?" He Rong asked his father doubtfully, not hearing any problem.
He Zhen stared at his son and continued to speak loudly in a shocked tone: "The government office belongs to the Xiangshan County Government, not his consort. In other words, the money earned from these workshops belongs to the county government, and It’s not his consort. When the three-year county magistrate expires, he will leave Xiangshan County. These workshops are all from Xiangshan County, what does he want?"
Previously, the grain fields in Xiangshan County were distributed to the public, which might harm the interests of the He family, which made them very dissatisfied. Unexpectedly, the prince-in-law built such a profitable workshop, but it was not owned by him personally, but by the county government.
Just such a comparison, He Zhen was really shocked.
You know, in these workshops, almost all of them are chickens that can lay golden eggs, and the money they earn, even he is very envious of.
The prince-in-law did not ask for such a huge amount of wealth, but instead returned it to the county government!
If someone else becomes an official, if they don't make money, they will be the master of Qingtian! But when the prince-in-law came to be this official, he got the job backwards and forwards, all the way!
It is simply unheard of that there are such people in the world! Even if He Zhen knows the past and present, he has never seen such a person in history!
These workshops, except for the government-run salt factory, are not inseparable from the county government. The prince-in-law can do the same in his own name, and he can take all the money he earns as his own!
At this moment, He Zhen suddenly discovered this problem and was really shocked!
After He Rong understood what his father was shocked about, he was also stunned.
He is more greedy and cares about money than his father, otherwise he wouldn't always be resentful of the prince-in-law. Suddenly, what his father discovered was the kind of situation that shattered his outlook on life: There are still people in the world who give such profitable things to others?
Crazy?
When he came to his senses, he asserted: "Dad, this is just a name. The money earned must belong to the consort."
After He Zhen heard this, he immediately asked: "Xiangshan County Government Office, Xiangshan County Government Office, how could it be him after he left Xiangshan County? Also, did you see the library? How much does it cost? Don't you give it all? It is used by ordinary people, instead of like our family, where only the children of the clan are allowed to borrow a few?"
Anyway, He Zhen didn't agree with his son's words. After thinking about it for a while, he immediately said: "Let's go see the prince-in-law!"
………………
Not long after, the two arrived at the county government office and were led into a side hall to wait. After waiting for a while, Zhang Yifan appeared.
Zhang Yifan's age and official uniform are unique in Xiangshan County and are very easy to recognize.
When He Zhen saw him, he immediately stood up and took his son to greet Zhang Yifan in a polite manner: "He Zhen, a country squire from Dongguan County who has retired from old age and returned to the countryside, brought his eldest son He Rong to pay homage to the prince-in-law!"
"Get up!" Zhang Yifan replied casually, then went to sit in his seat, looked at the old man and asked, "I have been here for so long and I haven't seen you contact me. What's the matter with my sudden visit?"
After He Zhen stood up, he immediately replied respectfully: "The common people have received His Majesty's secret order to ensure the safety of the Prince Consort. They are afraid that dealing with the Prince Consort will put people on guard, so they protect the Prince Consort secretly and do not dare to make any mistakes." Relax!"
When Zhang Yifan heard this, he laughed, stared at He Zhen and asked: "So, I am still alive, thanks to your He family?"
When He Zhen heard this, he knew that the consort knew about the emperor's secret decree. He mentioned this, firstly, to test, secondly, to show his goodwill, and thirdly, to show that his He family was also valued by the emperor.
Therefore, after Zhang Yifan finished speaking, he immediately replied: "Don't dare!"
Zhang Yifan stared at him and suddenly said in a cold voice: "But why did I hear the Zhu family remind me to be careful of your He family? Did you do something secretly to make the Zhu family remind me? "
When He Zhen and his son heard this, they were all shocked. Of course, He Rong was really scared, but He Zhen was just pretending. I saw him shouting: "Prince Consort, the common people have the emperor's secret decree in their hands. Even if our He family has a few heads, we don't dare to resist and disobey the decree!"
"Really?" Zhang Yifan listened, stared at him, and replied lukewarmly.
When He Zhen saw it, he patted his chest and said: "The conscience of heaven and earth, my He family has never done anything to feel sorry for the prince-in-law. The prince-in-law doesn't know that our He family has some status in Guangdong. It's so popular that people are jealous of it. Something like this, I have encountered this before, but time can prove my He family’s innocence!”
He Rong was a little surprised when he heard that. He didn't dare to raise his head. He lowered his head and tried to recall similar things?
He Zhen was filled with righteous indignation and continued: "Please give me a warning from the Prince Consort. The common people came here to ask for help from the Prince Consort, so how could they do anything to disgrace the Prince Consort!"
"Oh?" Zhang Yifan heard this and didn't say much. After all, there has been no evidence so far. He just considered it from the perspective of interests. The He family was probably involved in last year's events. After listening to He Zhen's words, He then asked, "What's the matter with you?"
He Zhen listened and quickly replied: "The cement in Xiangshan County is cheap and good. Therefore, the common people want to buy cement in large quantities for the construction of roads and houses in Dongguan County. As long as the prince-in-law is willing, the He family is willing to be Xiangshan County cement Agent in Dongguan."
The government-run cement plant in Xiangshan County has been expanded. When demand in Xiangshan County was strong, it didn't even have enough cement in its own county. But now more than a year has passed. The streets, alleys and houses in Xiangshan County have all been converted to cement. Although there is still new demand, it is not as big as it was some time ago. There is already some surplus cement production. .
Probably around the time Zhu Biao arrived, cement was already sold to the outside world, but the quantity was not large.
At this time, the He family came over and said that they wanted to be the agent of Dongguan County, which would definitely be a good thing for the Xiangshan County Cement Factory. They say they want Xiangshan County to help, but they actually give Xiangshan County an extra sales outlet.
After hearing this, Zhang Yifan nodded and said truthfully: "This is a good thing for Xiangshan County, so there is no problem. You can just go and talk to the cement factory."
He Zhen showed a grateful face, and then said to Zhang Yifan: "The grassroots also tried the fish floss, which has a variety of flavors and is really delicious. Therefore, our He family is willing to buy in large quantities and send them to other provinces for sale, hoping that the Prince Consort We can make the fish floss factory guarantee supply to our He family!"
There are still few people in Xiangshan County, and Zhang Yifan has even fewer people at his disposal. Moreover, he is restricted by his father-in-law and can only work in Xiangshan County.
Therefore, I am really powerless when it comes to developing business. For now, we still have to rely on businessmen from other places to come to Xiangshan County to purchase goods. And because of strength, most of these are short-distance, that is, only in Guangdong Province.
Now the He family has proposed that they are willing to purchase large quantities to sell in other provinces. For Xiangshan County, this is definitely a matter of mutual benefit.
However, after hearing this, Zhang Yifan did not agree immediately. Instead, he said to He Zhen: "This is no problem, but the trademark cannot be changed. Expired or broken ones cannot be sold. There are also some rules that must be followed!"
When He Zhen heard this, he nodded quickly and said: "No problem, the common people know that they will never break the rules."
After hearing this, Zhang Yifan agreed: "That's okay, but let me explain in advance. If the imperial court decides to purchase fish floss as military ration, I'm afraid it will have to satisfy the imperial court first."
He Zhen was stunned for a moment, and even He Rong couldn't help but raise his head when he heard it. Are fish floss used as military rations?
He suspected that he had heard wrongly, so he asked, "What do you mean, Prince Consort, this fish floss may be used as military rations?"
Zhang Yifan looked at the expressions of his father and son, nodded and said: "Of course it can be used as military rations. It is not a staple food, but side dishes are no problem. I mentioned it to my eldest brother before, but I guess he was busy with other things and didn't implement it. This matter. When I get back, I will write a letter to Fourth Brother and ask him to purchase it from the Navy. It should be no problem."
He Zhen listened and thought about it in his mind. The eldest brother is His Highness the Crown Prince, and the fourth brother is His Highness King Yan. This network of connections... is truly incredible, who can compare to it?
Thinking about it this way, he knew that there was probably something about purchasing fish floss as military rations.
Thinking about the energy behind the Prince Consort, He Zhen thought for a moment, and then said respectfully: "The Prince Consort helps the common people so much, and the common people are really grateful. Whenever the Prince Consort has any errands, please feel free to ask the Prince Consort, and the common people will try his best!" "
He Rong was stunned for a moment. This was not mentioned in advance, but he did not dare to speak. He left everything to his father.
After hearing this, Zhang Yifan looked at He Zhen and said, "Don't tell me, I really have something to do. It would be more appropriate to leave it to the He family."
So, he said to He Zhen: "I really have something to do here, and I am considering suitable candidates to handle it. It would be great if your He family could handle it!"
He Zhen heard this and quickly responded: "In this case, please give me the prince's orders, the He family will go all out!"
He knew very well that in order to repair the relationship with the consort, the first two things alone were obviously not enough. It could only be said to be a win-win situation, and the He family could also benefit from it.
Therefore, in order to be recognized by the consort, it is best to help him do a difficult thing and solve the problem of the consort!
What he said just now is also his sincerity. It is best to make it difficult to handle. The He family will go all out and if it is done well, then the relationship with the consort can be truly improved.
At this time, Zhang Yifan listened readily to He Zhen's agreement and said to him: "I have sent people to Nanyang to investigate the food production there. The result is that there is no shortage of food in Nanyang, but the indigenous people there are. A person with a muddled temper will not work hard to farm because of the high grain yield. I talked about this with my eldest brother. I originally wanted to ask my father to help me turn Nanyang into the granary of the Ming Dynasty, but I am afraid that it will not be possible in a short time. Maybe. My father's attention is still in the north."
He Zhen heard that this matter involved the emperor, prince and others, and he immediately became extra focused.
"Xiangshan County is a special zone and can handle special matters. Therefore, I thought about doing business with Nanyang in the name of Xiangshan County and purchasing a large amount of grain from Nanyang. Anyone who transports grain back from Nanyang will collect a lot of tariffs. Low. But the price of grain is far cheaper than other goods. We have not yet found suitable merchants to go to Nanyang to purchase grain, and it is best to urge the powerful merchants in Nanyang to plant grain vigorously."
When Zhang Yifan said this, he looked at He Zhen and said: "Your He family has this strength. The most important thing is to investigate the actual situation in various places in Nanyang. Are you willing to accept this matter? Even if Emperor E has no intention of Nanyang in the end, he can When the crown prince ascends the throne, or when the next emperor ascends the throne, the Ming Dynasty will definitely have time to expand its territory. How about your He family becoming a hero of the Ming Dynasty's expansion into Southeast Asia?"
His request was not just about selling food. The purpose is to spy on the details of Nanyang and pave the way for the Ming army to move south in the future.
This is why Zhang Yifan temporarily raised his demands when he saw that the He family was standing up. If it were an ordinary maritime merchant, he would definitely not disclose this intention.
For Zhang Yifan, since he has traveled through time, Nanyang must be captured. Not only is it a granary, but it is also a planting site for important strategic materials such as rubber in the future, as well as various minerals. No matter what, the Western Yi cannot occupy it.
Zhu Yuanzhang's opinion was too strong, and Zhang Yifan was not sure that he could definitely convince him. However, if Zhu Biao became emperor in the future, he would have enough confidence to explain Zhu Biao's troops in Nanyang.
And Zhu Xiongying, who is only three years old now, is a little emperor who is easy to train.
When He Zhen heard this, his expression was very serious, and he immediately asked: "Is this what His Highness the Crown Prince means?"
"No!" Zhang Yifan listened, shook his head and said, "This is my plan. Nanyang is actually a treasure house. In order for the people of the Ming Dynasty not to starve and freeze, the food and other things in Nanyang must be grown for the Ming Dynasty! In the future, When the Ming Dynasty expands its territory again, it can use Nanyang as a stepping stone!"
He Zhen: "..."
At this moment, he was shocked again.
He didn't expect that at such a young age, the prince-in-law would already have his sights set on distant overseas lands? His ambition is too big, right?
However, the domineering nature of these words is unquestionable. He could feel that in the eyes of the consort, Nanyang would definitely belong to the Ming Dynasty.
No, He Rong behind him was already a little excited when he heard this. He missed the founding of the Ming Dynasty. It would be great if he could squeeze in a new round of territorial expansion!
However, He Zhen was obviously not excited. Instead, he had a serious expression and said to Zhang Yifan: "Your Majesty, you know that war is dangerous. We, the Ming Dynasty, want to capture Nanyang first. How much will it cost? Over there in Nanyang, there are constant winds and disasters, and even the earth dragon turns over. If you don’t stop, won’t the gains outweigh the losses if you occupy that place?”
After hearing this, Zhang Yifan was not unhappy because of He Zhen's doubts. Instead, he ordered Zhu Wudao, who was standing beside him as a guard: "Serve tea!"
Before, He Zhen and his son were waiting in this side hall without even a glass of water. Now that the prince-in-law ordered tea, he obviously paid more attention to it.
But at this time, He Zhen was not happy. Instead, he looked at Zhang Yifan, waiting for his answer.
Zhang Yifan did not let him wait, and said to him seriously: "I know the situation in Nanyang better than you. What you said does exist objectively. Therefore, I have no intention of trying my best to convince my father now. Those who are plotting Nanyang Things can even wait until the prince ascends the throne."
"As a result, I will work hard to improve the conditions of the Ming Dynasty, make the Ming Dynasty's army stronger, make the people of the Ming Dynasty live better, and make the Ming Dynasty stronger. By then, my Ming Dynasty will have enough strength Let’s start a new round of expansion!”
At this point, he saw a slight change in He Zhen's face, and guessed that he didn't believe it.
Thinking about it, what he said just now is too exaggerated. It is just one of the things that no matter how many wise kings and wise ministers work hard to pursue, they may not be able to achieve it. Not to mention, he was so exaggerated.
So, Zhang Yifan looked at He Zhen and asked, "Do you think all this in Xiangshan County now could have been imagined two years ago?"
He Zhen was obviously shocked when he heard this, and then shook his head truthfully and said: "I never imagined that Xiangshan County would become so good!"
Zhang Yifan listened, nodded, and then said: "Just watch it, there will be more and more Xiangshan counties in the Ming Dynasty. Or not to mention anything else, as far as the Ming army is concerned, I invented the Mandarin Duck Formation before. Improved gunpowder, invented new artillery, etc., these have not yet shown their power, but just watch, the remnants of the former Yuan Dynasty will soon be vulnerable. The army of the Ming Dynasty will be the most powerful army in the world, and it will inevitably There is no doubt about it!”
He Zhen had heard about the Yuanyang Formation and the improvement of gunpowder, but had never seen it. Hearing Zhang Yifan's words at this time, he also believed in others more. Not to mention, when he first came here, he happened to see soldiers from the Xiangshan County Armed Forces Hall entering Beijing to face the Holy Spirit.
With all these things, He Zhen's eyes can naturally see that it is true that the Ming army is the best in the world.
Otherwise, he would not have surrendered to the Ming Dynasty.
