Talent is the first resource and the first productive force. The first time Li Mu saw this sentence was in the political textbook of the junior high school in his previous life. At that time, the teacher didn't explain too much, probably because he wanted to, and no one would listen to the explanation, so it was better to save some spit, just let the line be crossed, memorize it, and say that the exam would be examined.

Li Mu has always been very hard working when he was studying. Because he understands in his heart how hard it is for an orphan to be able to go to school. Whatever the teacher tells him to do, he will do it, and he memorized this sentence, maybe it is smooth? Since the day he memorized it, he has never forgotten it.

People often have such feelings, in a word, when I was a student, the teacher let me memorize it, but what does this sentence mean, but no one wants to understand, as I grow up and experience increases, suddenly one day, when this sentence comes out again, I will think it is true, and then wonder, I have known this truth for a long time, but why can't I remember it?

Li Mu now has this feeling.

The original Ministry of Works, the craftsmen have never been enough, otherwise they would not have repaired the garden for the eldest grandson Wuji. However, in the current Ministry of Industry, the craftsmen can't wait to become the three-headed and six-armed Monkey King - there are too many places that need them, even if at Li Mu's request, everyone brings apprentices, but these apprentices are all orphans, and they are not very old, so they can't be a complete laborer, so they can only fight and can't solve practical problems.

Person! You have to be a strong man, where can you find it?

The first choice, naturally, is Tunwei.

There were thousands of soldiers in the garrison, and there was nothing to do every day except drills. If Li Mu goes to open his mouth and finds Cheng Yanjin, or even Hou Junji, it will not be a problem to lend thousands of people.

Li Mu had thought about using this method, but after thinking about it carefully, he still gave up.

There are two hidden dangers in doing this, one is to owe favors, the favors of the Tang generals are the most difficult to repay, just like Cheng Biting Jin, he helped you once, you paid him back once, but he can only remember that he helped you, but he can never remember that you have paid him back. is so cheeky, it's better to stay away. Second, it is easy to arouse Li Shimin's suspicion, although this possibility is very small, but Li Mu still feels a little uncommitted. Moreover, Tunwei is not a craftsman after all, he can only borrow it, not use it all the time, and cannot fundamentally solve the problem.

Well, there's only one place.

Xishikou Maxing, a place where slaves were traded in Chang'an City. Li Mu went there once and bought Li Chongyi and Li Zhien there. Because he couldn't see the eyes of those slaves, and he couldn't change the current atmosphere of buying and selling slaves, he never went again. Now the situation is different, the Ministry of Industry needs manpower, isn't slave manpower? Li Mu's plan is to buy all the slaves who can work, the men work, the women cook, only two yuan per person, is there a more cost-effective deal?

The slaves of the Tang Dynasty are cheap. The reason for this is that, just like the jeeps of later generations, why do many people like jeeps, but they end up buying ordinary cars? It's not that you can't afford it, it's that you can't afford to spend money on gas! It's the same with slaves, they can afford it, they can't afford it, what are they buying it for?

Moreover, the descendants of slaves are lowly and cannot be done even for the sake of inheritance. You can go to the government to revoke your untouchable status, but the procedure of removing your untouchable status is not free, it costs more than ten yuan, just imagine, if you have so much money, isn't it good to marry a good girl? Crazy to buy slaves.

But these shortcomings do not affect the work! The slaves here are either boys and girls, or young and strong laborers, and there are almost no slaves over forty. It's not easy to sell slaves in the first place, but can you sell them at such an age? Even if they are prisoners of war, they are too old, and they are basically given up and will not bring Chang'an. Unlike the Sect Division, they are all family members of convicts, men, women, and children.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the horse shop, Li Mu didn't go inside, he took out a piece of silver from his sleeve, threw it to the little guy at the door, and said: "Go and call Hu San'er over and tell him that there is a big deal, come if you want to do it!" ”

When the little guy saw the tiger fur on Li Mu's body, he knew that he was either rich or expensive, so he answered, pulled his legs and ran into the mouth horse shop.

After a while, Hu San'er rushed over panting. Seeing Li Mu, his footsteps quickly sped up a little, and when he came to Li Mu, he bowed ninety degrees in one go: "Master Hou, Hu San'er is here, what do you command?" ”

Li Mu raised his eyebrows: "Do you recognize me?" ”

"Recognize," Hu San'er hurriedly said: "A few months ago, you bought a big tall man from me, and also bought a delicate little beauty, I still remember that the little beauty is extraordinary, it is Goguryeo's secret training——"

"Stop!" Li Mu's face sank, and he said, "Now that she is my second wife, what do you mean by talking like this?" ”

Hu San'er's face changed, and he hurriedly bowed to the end again: "The villain doesn't know, and I ask Master Hou to forgive me." ”

"That's it, I don't care about you." Li Mu said in a deep voice: "This time I came to buy a batch of slaves. ”

When Hu San'er heard the words of 'a batch', his heart was alive. If it were three or five people, Hou Ye would definitely not say that it was a batch? How many people are in that batch? Dozen? Dozen? The more I think about it, the more excited I become, I should make a fortune today! Who doesn't know that chasing the deer marquis spends money like running water, he is the first person in Datang who doesn't care about money, if he can make a sum of money from him, maybe he doesn't have to do this kind of lack of virtue anymore!

Hu San'er pressed the excitement in his heart, became more and more submissive, and said, "I don't know what kind of slave Master Hou wants?" I use it to see the home nursing home, and I have Turkic youth here. If you use it as a maid, I have the most servant Silla maid here. In addition, there are some special colors, has the Hou Ye seen the blue-eyed Guishan woman? I happen to have one in my hand, and I've never opened a meat before—"

"I said, why are you doing this!" Li Muyi was righteous, and he said loudly: "What kind of person is I, Li Mu, the Marquis of Zhulu personally sealed by His Majesty!" From the Minister in Charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Third Grade, I will be greedy for women? Who doesn't know that I don't squint at Xiao Langjun's good name, you dare to slander me? ”

"Don't dare, don't dare, the villain said the wrong thing, the villain should be beaten." Hu San'er raised his hand and gave himself a mouth, but he slandered in his heart, why don't you squint at Xiao Langjun, you should call Xiao Langjun without turning your eyes, right, when you spent fifty yuan to buy that little beauty that day, your eyes were going to pop out, when I was blind, couldn't I see?

He would never dare to say this. Glancing at Li Mu carefully, he asked; "I don't know what the Hou Ye wants, the villain is looking for the Hou Ye."

"You want to be young and strong, and you have the strength to work, do you have one here?"

"Yes!" Hu San'er hurriedly responded, such a young man, he has the most here, and it is also the most difficult to sell. Two-thirds of the slave business of this horse shop was maintained by the sale of female slaves, and very few people bought slaves to work. Those who have land have tenants, and those who have no land cannot support themselves, who can buy slaves?

Hu San'er hurriedly said: "Master Hou, there are young and strong!" Turkic, Tae, Tiele, and those Miao barbarians, how many do you want, thirty or fifty, there are now! ”

"Is there three or five hundred?"

Hu San'er was stunned for a moment, grinned embarrassedly, and said, "Master Hou is joking, how can you buy so many slaves-"

"Who was kidding you!" Li Mu said solemnly: "Okay, don't talk about counting, just say how many young and strong slaves there are in this horse." It's not just what you have in your hands, count it all, estimate it. ”

"Count it all......" Hu San'er saw that Li Mu didn't seem to be joking, and counted with his fingers, there are only a few big slave traders in this horse, and their strength is counted by each other, but it is not difficult to calculate.

"If you count them all, there must be six or seven hundred. Master Hou, shouldn't you have it all? ”

"All of them!"

Hu San'er exclaimed and said, "I really want it!" ”

"Of course you really want to, otherwise you think Ben Hou is so idle and goes here to gossip with you? You help me to get in touch, I'll pay two dollars a price, and don't bargain with me, you can't lose this price. Don't be injured or sick, besides, you can find me twenty more women who can cook, it doesn't matter what you look like, it's also two dollars. Give you three hours, I will wait for you in the Ministry of Works, no need to make a deed, the money will be paid in person, and you will be given cash. ”

"Okay!" Hu San'er's voice has changed its tune!

Originally, the price of young and strong slaves was two-thousand, that is, there was a leader, and the real transaction price was at least one or two hundred wen less. Li Mu bought so many slaves at one time, even if it was always one money, he would sell it if he gritted his teeth. He didn't know if Li Mu didn't know how to do it, or if he was too lazy to calculate, so he even gave a price of two runs. This is equivalent to turning wholesale into retail, making a lot of money!

More than 100 slaves in his own hands are still secondary, and the slaves in the hands of other slave traders are the ones who make a lot of money. Those people didn't know the news yet, and they went to buy their slaves for 1,000 yuan, or 1,200 yuan, and sold them for two dollars, and the price difference between the left hand and the right hand came, and the price difference of seven or eight hundred wen came, which is tantamount to picking up money!

Hu San'er was excited, and said: "Master Hou, it won't take three hours, at most two hours, you wait for me, and in two hours, I will send someone to the Ministry of Industry for you!" In addition, the blue-eyed Guishan woman I just talked about, according to the market price, will have at least ten yuan, and I will give it to Master Hou, so I should make a friend. ”

Li Mu raised his hand and slapped him, and scolded: "Dogcai, what kind of thing are you, and you are also worthy of making friends with Ben Hou." Hurry up and run errands, and then grind and break your legs! ”

Hu San'er didn't expect Li Mu to turn his face when he said it, and he was stunned for a while, covering his face and not knowing what to do.

Li Mu ignored him, snorted, got into the carriage, and said to Dugu Jiu: "Go to the Ministry of Industry." ”

Dugu Jiu threw off the whip, walked out dozens of meters, and suddenly asked, "Big brother, is there really a woman with blue eyes?" ”

"Want?" Li Mu laughed and said, "It's really grown up, wrap it up on my brother, I'll tell that Hu San'er later, I'll send you to your room at night." ”

"No, no, no!" Dugu Jiu's head shook like a rattle, and said, "I'll just ask casually, what does a woman mean, I don't want it." ”