Therefore, although Zu Dashou does not have such a high reputation and status as Sun Chengzong, Zu Dashou is actually more important to businessmen and locals in Liaoxi and Liaodong than Sun Chengzong!

Because Zu Dashou is like a door god of the Ming Dynasty, if you want to go out to see, especially if you want to go out from the land, you must pass through him!

Qiao Dongsheng's eyes widened suspiciously.

A grain merchant shopkeeper beside him said softly: "Master Qiao, even the ancestor is here?" This is very difficult to do, doesn't it mean that the ancestral family has a big dislike with Wei Bao? ”

Qiao Dongsheng shook his head, indicating that he didn't know and was in no mood to speak.

If Zu Dashou really helped Wei Bao, Qiao Dongsheng knew very well that Zu Dashou's face could not be refuted.

However, Qiao Dongsheng still has a glimmer of hope, he wants to see the relationship between Zu Dashou and Wei Bao again, and he wants to test it himself!

Maybe Zu Dashou is selling Wu Xiang's face, just to have a drink?

"General Zu, you can come, it really makes the trumpet shine." Wei Bao hurriedly greeted him in person, and made a two-handed gesture and deepened the bow.

Wei Bao was nervous in his heart, because he didn't know why Zu Dashou came, and he was worried that Zu Dashou had heard the news that he was going to buy food, so he came to sabotage it?

Because Zu Dashou still has Wei Bao's old enemy behind him, Zu Dashou's adopted son Zu Kefa.

Now Wei Bao is a disciple of Sun Chengzong, and Sun Chengzong is still in power, so Wei Bao feels that Zu Dashou came over to sabotage and was in front of Sun Chengzong, this possibility is still relatively small, but it is not impossible.

Because Zu Dashou is a general after all, he values the territory and power more, unlike Wu Xiang, where the identity of the trader is more than the identity of the official.

But if Zu Dashou wants to say that he is here to help himself, this possibility is even smaller.

Because Zu Dashou is a native of Liaodong, he basically doesn't need to rely on anyone!

No one can instruct Zu Dashou what to do, and order Zu Dashou to do.

Zu Dashou was polite to Sun Chengzong on the surface, but in fact he was not afraid of Sun Chengzong at all.

Even Wei Zhongxian, who is now in power, can't help Zu Dashou in fact.

If it is the official who dismisses Zu Dashou, Zu Dashou is just right, and he will divide one side.

It really doesn't work, just turn it around and go to Jiannu, he has military power in hand, as long as he doesn't leave Liaoxi and Liaodong, who dares to treat him?

"I heard that Wei Gongzi is going to Beijing to catch the exam, and there are many people at the banquet, how can I not come? I'm here to wish Wei Gongzi success in advance. On Zu Dashou's dry yellow and thin face, he didn't smile, and he couldn't see the congratulations at all.

This made Wei Bao even more uneasy, and he laughed dryly.

"I came from Jinzhou City Pegasus before dawn in the early morning, and I didn't stop for three hours." Zu Dashou continued.

"It's been hard all the way, Wei Bao is grateful!" Wei Bao said sincerely: "I have always wanted to get close to General Zu, but I can't find a suitable opportunity. ”

"Here's your chance!" Zu Dashou smiled: "I want to have a few words with Wei Gongzi alone." ”

Wei Bao Yiqi, I don't know what Zu Dashou has to say to himself alone?

Over there, Wu Xiang saw Zu Dashou and Wei Bao talking, and it didn't look like a simple politeness, he was afraid that something would happen, so he hurriedly asked Sun Chengzong for a leave and rushed over.

Sun Chengzong has also been staring at Zu Dashou, since Zu Dashou entered, Sun Chengzong's eyes have never left Zu Dashou, for fear that Zu Dashou will come to make trouble today.

Although Wei Bao's purchase of grain is not well known, the ears and eyes of high-level people such as Sun Chengzong and Zu Dashou are very well-informed.

Even if Wei Bao's banquet before going to Beijing to catch the exam is reasonable, it is still easy for these people to think about buying food.

Sun Chengzong knew that the relationship between the Wu family and Wei Bao was good now, and Wu Xiang was in the middle to reconcile, and he believed that Zu Dashou should not harm Wei Bao, even if he harmed Wei Bao, Wu Xiang would also mediate from it.

"Brother, you actually came all the way from Jinzhou City? Would you like to take a seat? Let's have a few glasses of wine, brothers. Wu Xiang greeted Zu Dashou warmly.

"It's okay, Brother Xian, you go and accompany Master Overseer first! I'm going to say a few words to Wei Gongzi alone. Zu Dashou said with a smile.

When Wu Xiang heard this, he also looked at Wei Bao suspiciously.

Wei Bao asked, "General Zu only talks to me alone?" Lord Wu, can he listen to it together? ”

"Yes, there's nothing you can't do, the two rings are my brothers." Zu Dashou said lightly.

The two rings are Wu Xiang's words, and martial artists generally don't use words, so only close people occasionally call other people's words.

"Brother, if it's inconvenient, I still don't want to listen, you and Xiaobao are talking alone, you should know Xiaobao's relationship with me now, take care of Xiaobao more, right?" Wu Xiang was still worried that Zu Dashou wanted to harm Wei Bao, so he took a preventive shot.

"Two rings, you don't have to worry! I'm here to help Mr. Wei! Zu Dashou was still expressionless.

Wei Bao then said: "Uncle Wu, since General Zu said so, you can come along?" Go to the back hall of the Maritime Chamber of Commerce to talk. ”

"I'm going too, uncle, can I listen?" Wu Xuexia said.

When Zu Dashou looked at Wu Xuexia, his expression eased a little, he originally wanted Wu Xuexia to marry Zu Dashou and get close to the Wu family, but now that Wu Xuexia has publicly followed Wei Bao, he has no choice but to give up.

is a girl who has been loved since childhood, Zu Dashou has passed away, but he is not too jealous, he loves the house and Wu, because of the relationship between Wu Xuexia, in fact, Zu Dashou is now a lot closer to Wei Bao in his heart, and he treats Wei Bao as one out of ten of his own people, and he is not as hostile as he seems on the surface.

It's just that Zu Dashou doesn't smile, and he always looks very serious, which makes people feel that they can't get close.

If you want to talk about people like Zu Dashou and Wu Xiang, they value interests more, they can kill each other, they can also love each other, and the premise is to go for interests.

For example, several sons may have loved the second child the most, but they found that the third child could help the family and their career better, and maybe the third child would be favored.

Zu Dashou's grudge against Wei Bao can be said to have been slightly resolved, and a large part of the reason is that Wei Bao fully showed his talents in southern Liaoning, so that the Heaven and Earth Society gained a firm foothold in southern Liaoning, and opened up a base in Jiannu's lair, making Jiannu unable to disturb Liaodong in the spring of this year, which reduced the pressure on Liaodong a lot, these are the reasons why Zu Dashou had to look at Wei Bao.

It's not easy to move Wei Bao, so why don't you get close to this half of your relatives?

Zu Dashou touched Wu Xuexia's hair: "Of course you can come!" Uncle has loved you the most since he was a child, and he won't hide anything from you. ”

Wu Xuexia smiled happily and coquettishly: "Uncle is the best for Xuexia." ”

Wei Bao saw Zu Dashou interacting with Wu Xuexia like this, and his mood suddenly relaxed a lot, at least he could feel that Zu Dashou was not here to find trouble.

As long as Zu Dashou is not here to find trouble, Wei Bao is not afraid of anything.

Several people went to the back hall of the Maritime Chamber of Commerce under the suspicious gaze of everyone in the audience.

The most worried was Qiao Dongsheng, Qiao Dongsheng saw Zu Dashou talking with Wu Xuexia intimately, knowing that Wu Xuexia was Wu Xiang's daughter, and now that she had followed Wei Bao, he suddenly had a bad premonition.

"Master Qiao, things are getting more and more difficult to handle, although Nazu Dashou is only a deputy general, he has a lot of real power, and the soldiers and horses in the area of Jinzhou City are all his! If you want to do business with the Mongols and Jiannu outside the Guan, you can't get around him at all! A big shopkeeper of a grain merchant in the customs whispered to Qiao Dongsheng: "From this point of view, Zu Dashou is really more important than Inspector Sun to us businessmen, and it is impossible to offend easily." ”

"I know!" Qiao Dongsheng said with a gloomy face: "Let's take a look!" Zu Dashou is not a big deal! It's all for the money! We haven't fed him less in the past, and after eating our silver, can he help Wei Bao deal with us? ”

All the grain merchants from the customs did not answer, thinking that he could eat our silver, but not Wei Bao's silver?

Everyone knows the relationship between the Wu family and the ancestral family, as well as the relationship between Wei Bao and Wu Xiang now, if you calculate it, Wei Bao and Zu Dashou can also be regarded as half a relative.

"I'll get straight to the point! I'm a person who doesn't like to beat around the bush. Zu Dashou arrived at the back hall of the Maritime Chamber of Commerce and said directly.

Wei Bao hurriedly said, "General Zu has something to say directly. I don't like to beat around the bush either. ”

"I know you're talking to a bunch of grain merchants in Kannai about buying grain, and you know you need a lot of food! I can say they sell you for twice the market price! They don't dare to turn their backs on me unless they never want to do business outside the border again! Zu Dashou said.

Although Wu Xiang, Wei Bao and Wu Xuexia were more or less prepared in their hearts, they guessed that Zu Dashou might have come for this, but when Zu Dashou said it directly, they were still a little surprised.

Because of these business matters, Zu Dashou is directly handed over to Wu Xiang to take care of, and he sits and waits for the money every year, and rarely asks directly by himself.

"Thank you General Zu, but what I can accept is the market price! The market price is not cheap! Why should they ask for twice the price? Moreover, I will buy grain from them at most this time, and I am confident that within a year, Weijiazhuang and southern Liaoning can be self-sufficient in food, and there is no need to look at the faces of others! On this trip, even if they couldn't buy food, the people of Weijiazhuang and southern Liaoning would not starve to death. Wei Bao said.

"Market price?" Zu Dashou frowned: "This is a little difficult to do!" Merchants make profits, and they traffic grain from such a distance to Liaoxi, just the market price, what do they want? ”

"The market price is my goal, and I can only accept one and a half times the market price." Wei Bao continued: "Twice the price is still too high. I want to know more about what General Zu wants? ”

"If it's one and a half times the market price, if I can help you negotiate with Wei Gongzi, I want 10 million taels of silver!" Zu Dashou said.

Wei Bao, Wu Xiang and Wu Xuexia were stunned at the scene, Zu Dashou has such a big appetite!

"Uncle." Wu Xuexia said coquettishly.

Zu Dashou shook his hand to stop Wu Xuexia's coquettishness, and said to Wei Bao: "Everyone is profitable!" There is no interest, and I will not help you for no reason, what do you think of the father and son? Yes, I'll help you say it to Qiao Dongsheng! If not, I won't ask about it, and I won't hurt you! Otherwise, as long as I say a bad word about you to Qiao Dongsheng, they grain merchants will never be able to sell it to you at a reduced price. ”

Wei Bao thought for a moment, and then said, "If it's twice the market price, how much does General Zu want for the intermediary fee?" ”

Brokerage fees?

Wu Xiang, Zu Dashou and Wu Xuexia are all hearing this term for the first time, but it is also appropriate, and you can understand it as soon as you hear it.

Daming is not called intermediary fees, there are many names, and with the evolution of history, it is constantly evolving.

During the Western Zhou Dynasty, intermediaries were called "hostages".

"Zhou Lidi Official Hostager": "The hostage, the bribes, the people, cattle and horses, weapons, and treasures of the city."

They are government officials who manage the market, approve prices, and charge a fee.

In the pre-Qin period, the earliest intermediaries appeared.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, the famous Jin State man Duan Ganmu was an intermediary, "Huainanzi" cloud: Duan Ganmu, the great man of the Jin Kingdom, and the Marquis of Wen.

In addition to being an intermediary, he also served as Wei Wenhou's teacher.

In the Han Dynasty, intermediaries were called "donkeys", and "donkey" referred to horses, strong horses, horse dealers, and horse trading brokers.

Because after the opening of the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty, the Central Plains products were often exchanged for horses in the Western Regions, and due to problems such as language barriers, intermediaries came into being.

However, in ancient times, when agriculture was heavy and commerce was suppressed, the puppet belonged to the last industry, and the social status was relatively low.

In the Tang Dynasty, the intermediary was called "tooth", the tooth man had sharp teeth and sharp mouth, quick thinking, and the intermediary in addition to buying and selling livestock, field property, but also buying and selling people, and there was a tooth man "female nephew" engaged in slave and maid trade.

Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, buying and selling houses through intermediaries has become a necessary procedure.

The most famous intermediary in the Tang Dynasty was none other than An Lushan.

An Lushan is fluent in six Chinese languages and once served as a tooth lang for negotiated prices.

This period of the Song Dynasty was the golden age of the Ya people, and their range of activities spread all over the country and abroad.

With Wang Anshi's change of law, the government set up "city affairs".

The recruiter assisted the government in managing the market, and the tooth man became a national civil servant, and his social status jumped sharply.

The "Ya Po" in the "Three Aunts and Six Women" is the representative of female intermediaries, the most famous of which is the Wang Po in "Water Margin".

With the further development of the commercial economy in the Ming Dynasty, the number of tooth merchants increased greatly, and a special trade union was formed, called Yaxing.

There are dental shops in various places, and Tiandihui is also engaged in this business.

What Wei Bao, Wu Xiang and Wu Xuexia didn't expect the most was that Zu Dashou actually made a tooth man this time.

"If Wei Gongzi, you buy the grain of these grain merchants in the customs at twice the market price this time, I will only charge you 5 million taels of silver! Bargain enough, right? Zu Dashou said.

Wei Bao shook his head and said: "If General Zu can help me negotiate it at the market price, I can give you 10 million taels of silver, if it is negotiated at one and a half times the market price, I can only give you 5 million taels of silver!" If it is negotiated at one and a half times the market price, it will cost 10 million taels of silver, which is equivalent to me buying grain from the Jin merchants and the grain merchants in the customs at twice the market price. ”

"The market price is impossible! At one and a half times the market price, you can only give me 5 million taels of silver? Zu Dashou was a little unhappy: "No wonder people say that you are born to do business, Wei Gongzi, the benefits of co-authoring have made you alone?" ”

"Most of the reasons why I buy grain are so that the people have something to eat, and I will never use this grain to make a profit." Wei Bao immediately said with a righteous and awe-inspiring look: "The reason why Qiao Dongsheng and these customs grains haven't left without being able to talk to me is mainly because I explained this point from the beginning!" This transaction is not simply a transaction, but also related to the food and clothing of millions of ordinary people. In the same way, the areas under my rule have obtained such a huge amount of grain and grass, and the grain prices in the entire western and eastern Liaoning will immediately drop to the lowest point in history, and in the next two or three years, the grain prices in western and eastern Liaoning will be stable, which is very beneficial to the common people in western and eastern Liaoning, and is also extremely beneficial to the local economic development. ”

"What do you have to do with us? If we can't make money, what will we do to feed so many people? If there are no horses to follow, why does the court value us? Zu Dashou said coldly. What annoys him the most is to listen to these big truths.

Wu Xiang is the same, in essence, Wu Xiang is no different from Zu Dashou, and even attaches more importance to interests.

"5 million taels of silver is a lot, and I also took the silver out to reward General Zu without making any money." Wei Bao refused to budge.

Wu Xiang also helped: "Brother, it's almost such a price, Xiaobao really didn't talk nonsense." ”

"Uncle, can you help Xiaobao? Xiaobao is not an ungrateful person, you helped Xiaobao and the Heaven and Earth Society this time, and I will definitely thank you twice next time. Wu Xuexia also took out a coquettish offensive.

Zu Dashou hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Okay! I want cash! ”

"No problem! As soon as the transaction is sold, I will pay the cash at that time. Wei Bao smiled slightly.

Wei Bao has never been afraid to negotiate the price with others, he is afraid that the other party will ignore him, as long as he wants to get benefits from him, he can negotiate anything.

"One more! You have gained a firm foothold in southern Liaoning, and most of the population of the entire western and eastern Liaoning has gone to your territory, and we will not be able to settle the fields in the future, and we will not be able to collect the land rent, so what can we use to feed so many people? "Zu Dashou threw out another big question! The question was even more important than the amount of money he was going to earn on this trip.

Wei Bao's heart tightened, he didn't want to face this problem.

Because this problem is also unsolvable for Wei Bao, one mountain cannot tolerate two tigers, he has developed, and it must have touched the interests of the local big landlord group, which is a fact that cannot be changed! You can't give up the rights and interests of Liaoxi by yourself, right?

"What does General Zu want?" Wei Bao frowned.

"It's very simple, if you pay Mao Wenlong every year for renting southern Liaoning, we will also charge it at the same price, 200,000 taels of silver a year, plus 1 million stone grains and grass." Zu Dashou said.

Burst.

Wei Bao almost spurted blood out of breath, Liaonan was originally defended by Mao Wenlong, it was leased to me by Mao Wenlong, and it was not leased to me by your ancestor Dashou, why are you ripping off?

This is an authentic rip-off, obviously out of nowhere.

"Wei Gongzi, you are a smart person, you should know that if I get in the way, your heaven and earth will not be able to stabilize Liaonan." Zu Dashou threatened further.

Wei Bao, Wu Xiang and Wu Xuexia all knew what Zu Dashou meant, Zu Dashou meant to unite with Jiannu and help Jiannu fight against Wei Bao and Tiandihui, in that case, Liaonan is indeed very dangerous.

"General Zu, the good development of southern Liaoning will only make the economy of western Liaoning more developed, and with it, the entire eastern part of Liaoning will be more prosperous, and you will be able to collect a lot of profits in business, which will almost make up for your loss in land rent!" But since you have spoken, you can, I can give you 200,000 taels of silver and 1,000,000 stone of grain and grass every year according to your request! However, I will hand over these silver, grain and grass to the Wu family. Wei Bao said angrily.

This loss, originally based on Wei Bao's personality, would rather continue to tear his face with Zu Dashou than suffer this kind of loss! But for the sake of a short period of peace, in order to create a better development environment for Weijiazhuang and southern Liaoning, Wei Bao still endured this breath.

To hand over 1 million stone grain and grass and 200,000 taels of silver to the Wu family, the main reason is that he is afraid that the ancestor will be difficult to handle, and he will not admit the silver and grain and grass after receiving it.

Hearing Wei Bao say this, Wu Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, smiled appreciatively at Wei Bao, and then happily said to Zu Dashou: "Brother, it's okay now, Xiaobao has agreed." ”

Zu Dashou also said: "This is good! It's okay to hand over your silver, grain and grass to the Wu family, our ancestral family and the Wu family are not separated from each other! However, the silver, grain and grass have to be used for the soldiers and horses in Jinzhou! ”

Wu Xiang was originally very happy, but when he heard that Zu Dashou wanted to take away all the 200,000 taels of silver and 1 million stone grains and grass every year, and he didn't keep a single hair for himself, he almost fainted on the spot.

Wei Bao looked at Wu Xiang with some amusement, and the smile on his face instantly froze, and secretly thought, didn't you just persuade me to take care of the overall situation and be patient in everything? I'm going to see how you endure it now?

Wei Bao looked at Zu Dashou, and seemed to think of a very funny scene in Stephen Chow's movies in the future.

A group of people sent a woman to the catcher played by Xu Jinjiang, originally for him to choose, and then the catcher played by Xu Jinjiang stretched out his five fingers, clenched his fists fiercely, and said, "I want them all!" ”

Wu Xuexia saw that her father's face was not good-looking, so she hurriedly glanced at her father, and then said, "Dad, just follow what your uncle wants, right?" After all, the soldiers and horses in Liaodong are important. ’

"Xue Xia is still sensible! Two rings, without the support of Liaodong's soldiers and horses, what are we in the eyes of the imperial court? Soldiers, horses, and military quartermasters, which one should not use silver and grain and grass, you should work hard to make money every year in Liaoxi. Zu Dashou said.

Wu Xiang nodded helplessly: "What my brother said is, then everything should be done according to what my brother said." ”

A private small meeting on pork distribution quickly came to an end, and in the end, Zu Dashou was satisfied, Wei Bao could be regarded as happy to accept it, and Wu Xiang was sad and helpless.

In fact, Wu Xiang didn't suffer a loss, but he saw that Zu Dashou and Wei Bao could get benefits, and he couldn't get anything.

People who do business are the most red-eyed when they watch others make money.

Don't say anything for her daughter or for her daughter, Wu Xiangken let her daughter follow Wei Bao like this, most likely she also wanted to get benefits from her daughter after following Wei Bao, this is good, you can't get anything.