The news of the four Qincha in the Shang Mansion quickly spread through various channels in the various yamen of Yanzhou City.

After hearing the news, many officials didn't say anything, but they all breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts. Although several Qincha have not interfered in the specific affairs of Yan Shanwei until now, it has to be said that they still have a great influence on the local area. With them, many people can't even walk and talk a little more cautiously, and they are even more careful in doing things, for fear of accidentally leaving a bad impression on Qin Cha. This is clearly a delay in something that should be done as soon as possible. Of course, while some people are becoming more cautious, there are also some officials who speak louder and act more vigorously and resolutely, and they want to leave a good impression on the chincha. Alas, they did so, likewise, wrong......

Now, the senior officer is finally leaving, and everyone can finally let go of the heart that has been worried for a while. People can't help but care about the itinerary of the Qincha. People who have a lively mind and a way to start thinking about what kind of Cheng Yi to send are good.

Just when these people racked their brains to think about how to stammer without a trace, they didn't know where a dumbfounded news came out:

At the end of last month, on that stormy and rainy night, the Admiral General and an orchid were in the west of Zhangguo Station, a lonely man and a widow shared a room......

The first reaction of everyone when they heard this gossip was that someone was spreading rumors. But if you think about it carefully, the time, place, and people are all clear-cut, not as vague and ambiguous as ordinary rumors, and it seems to be true. After a little inquiry about the behavior of the governor last month, he was indeed near Zhang Guoyi on the night of the rainstorm; And that orchid is indeed a person, and she has only returned to Yanzhou not long ago, and she is now in the city. It is said that after this woman entered the city, she immediately went to the church to handle the matter of leaving the music membership, and the rest of the time she stayed in the hotel and rarely went out. Some people even inquired that this orchid was the bearded girl Sangxiu sent to Beijing by the Yanzhou Sect last year, and she was able to go to the inner garden of Shangjing, and there were people from the Admiral's Mansion who spoke for her behind her back......

Well?

Not.

Oh......

Many people have a sudden realization in their hearts. This "fair lady and gentleman" is a good man, and he is ...... It seems that in addition to giving Qin Cha a copy of Cheng Yi, he also has to think about how to congratulate the general on a big gift......

The news soon reached Shang Cheng's ears. He didn't explain, and he didn't try to refute the rumors. He knew that whenever this kind of thing happened, the more he explained it, the more it was taken seriously, and the faster it spread; Only if it is treated cold, after a few days, the people who transmit it and the people who listen to it will find it boring, and it will naturally disappear.

But this time he was wrong. He also didn't want to think about what kind of identity he was now. Such a thing, even if it happens to ordinary people, it will make people talk about it for a long time, not to mention that he is still the fourth rank general of Admiral Yan Shanwei? What's more, he doesn't have a woman around him now...... So the more he ignores it, the more others take it seriously. In the past two days, some people have joked with him about this, and they all said that they must ask him for a cup of happy wine. He could only grin and ignore him.

In the afternoon of this day, he and Guo Biao discussed the matter of requesting the imperial court to replenish a group of soldiers from the Yanshan border army into the Chinese army, but before they had read the last two books, the guards came in and said that Chang Xiu, the right attendant of the Ministry of Industry, had come to visit.

He hurriedly put down what he was doing and walked to the courtyard to greet him.

He invited Chang Xiu and a petty official of the Ministry of Industry who came with Chang Xiu into the main room, let them sit casually, poured a cup of herbal tea and handed it to them, and sat down with them himself, and asked, "What is the matter with Wen Shigong looking for me?" As he spoke, he glanced at the nine-rank petty official in a light green gauze robe, pondering in his heart the relationship between this person and Chang Xiu and their intentions.

Chang Xiu came by horse-drawn carriage. The weather was big, he was sweating all over in the carriage, there were large water stains on the chest and back of the tulle shirt, he held a folding fan in one hand and hurrah the wind, and in the other hand he held a wet brocade handkerchief and kept wiping sweat in his forehead and sideburns and neck, and it took him half a day to catch his breath and say, "It's not a big deal." It's just a bit of a hassle. But this trouble is tricky for us, but for the commander, it is easy, that is, the matter of a general's words......" He took two sips of water and said to the junior officer next to him, "Lord Yang, it's still you." ”

That Yang was only sitting in the seat with a little bit of a corner, and as soon as Chang Xiu greeted him, he immediately stood up. Shang Cheng beckoned him to sit down again and said, "Just sit down and talk." What is it that makes the two of you run in person? ”

Director Yang had probably never seen such an important person like him who did not pay attention to the rules of the officials, first glanced at Chang Xiu, saw that Chang Xiu lowered his head and drank water, and saw that Shang Cheng's expression did not seem to be polite, and his eyes were also very kind, so he arched his hand and said: "Yang Heng, the director of the Gyeonggi Xiaoluo Dafang of the Ministry of Lower Officials, Xie Shang Governor Yun Shuai." Then he sat back down in his chair.

Shang Cheng casually bowed his hand in the seat and returned the salute, just looked at him, and waited for him to speak.

“…… Xia Guan is also an attaché of Chang Daren on a business trip to Yanshan. Yang Heng said. He glanced at Chang Xiu again. He is low-minded, and in the face of a big man like Shang Cheng, some things are not easy to say at all; Besides, Shang Cheng still has a lot to do with the official business he wants to handle this time, so he doesn't know how to open his mouth. Chang Xiu understood what he meant, so he led the conversation for him, and said with a smile: "Zida, the wine field of the Huo family in Yixian County, you know, right?" ”

Shang Cheng nodded.

"Na Zida must also know that now in the Central Plains and Shangjing, the liquor brewed by the Huo family liquor is selling hot, right?"

Shang Cheng knows this. Although he didn't have the time and mood to care about how Huo Lun's business was doing, judging from the fact that Huo Shiqi no longer begged for Huo Lun, the liquor business should be very good. Nothing else, it's just Yanshan Weifu, from last winter to now, at least 50,000 catties of liquor have been bought from the liquor field. The Wei army alone needs such a large amount of liquor, and it has to be supplied to all parts of Yanshan, and it has to be sold to the Central Plains, but I am afraid that Huo Lun's liquor field is no longer the scene of steaming wine in four cauldrons.

The Governor joked. You probably haven't been back to Huojiabao for a long time, right? Yang Heng said with a smile, "The Huojia Liquor Farm is located by the Girl River in Huojiabao, and the workshop alone covers an area of at least twenty acres. Merchants who come and go all say that the location of the Huo family is at least in the top three in the world's brewing workshops. He only came back from Yixian three or four days ago, and he was very clear about the situation in Huojiabao today, and carefully recounted the scene of the gathering of merchants with the fragrance of wine in the market town, and finally said, "Xia Guan has been in the Ministry of Industry for a long time, because he has been to many places on business, but a border town like Huojiabao actually has a prosperous scene like the Central Plains, but it is also in Yanshan that I have seen it for the first time." ”

Shang Cheng knew it as soon as he heard it, this was a vague compliment. Huojiabao is such a big town, there are only a few hotels and restaurants, which are a long distance worse than the boundary card set outside Yanzhou City, what to take to compare with the Central Plains more prosperous and lively? But he was still very happy, and easily added bitter tea for Chang Xiu and Yang Heng, and asked with a smile: "If Director Yang has anything to say, just say it directly." I know that there are many merchants in Huojia Liquor Farm, and one of the waist bags is bigger than one drum, and the first one is bigger than the other, so although you are from the Ministry of Industry, if you want to cut the queue to load a few more truckloads of wine, I am afraid it will be difficult. In this way, if you are in urgent need of liquor, I will write you a note and allocate it from the military supplies first. If you want to get involved in the liquor business, I am also close to the owner of the liquor shop, so I can hand you a few good words from the side. It's just that the wine shop has regular customers in all major states and counties in the Central Plains, and if you rush to intervene, you are afraid of losing a reputation for competing with the people. "Chang Xiu is a member of the Ministry of Industry, so he didn't mention the increase in liquor tax. As far as he knew, the household department had twice sent someone to audit the account books of Huo Lun Liquor Farm, and was preparing to levy a liquor tax separately, but it was Huo Lun who asked Zhang Shao and Wei Fu to come forward, so that he temporarily avoided the past in the name of the liquor farm's heavy burden of military needs. But it is clear that this tax avoidance is unlikely to last. He estimated that it would be impossible for the household department to let go of such a lucrative liquor, and a specific tax rate would soon be determined......

Yang Heng sighed bitterly and said, "The commander is extremely worried. Our Ministry of Industry is also experiencing this problem. Indeed, we cannot do anything that competes with the people for profit. That's why I wanted to ask Tuo Dushuai to come forward to see if he could take a workaround and let the Huojia Liquor Farm dedicate the process of brewing liquor to the imperial court. ”

Shang Cheng looked at Yang Heng and Chang Xiu with his eyes open in surprise. What does the Ministry of Industry think, and actually want Huo Lun to hand over the liquor process? Where is this to compete with the people for profit, this is simply a clear robbery!

Chang Xiu had already listened to Yang Heng carefully talk about the various situations of the Huo family's liquor farm, and knew that behind this liquor shop was not only a Bapin scribe of the Yamen of Yixian County, but also a very powerful general of Yanshanwei, but also Huo Shiqi, who was banned from the Yanshan Patrol Division due to the Duanzhou Li Shen case; Shang Cheng's relatives run a storehouse and trade, and they also had close contacts with the wine market; As for the relationship between the Shang and Huo families, it is even more needless to mention. It is precisely because of the shadow of Shang Cheng and Yanshan Weijun behind the wine shop that several big businesses in the south that originally had the intention of stepping in no longer moved their minds in this regard, and turned their heads to do real business with the wine farm...... Seeing that Shang Cheng lowered his eyebrows and remained silent, he persuaded and said: "Shang Du, this matter, the imperial court may be wrong, but Zida have you thought about it, Huo's liquor consumption is very large, and the liquor made is extremely profitable, and it will inevitably cause criticism for a long time." Nowadays, although the Huo family covers it up on the grounds of supporting military supplies, it is also afraid that the villain will not be troubled. Moreover, various large military supplies such as food, clothing, armor, and medicinal materials have always been assigned by the imperial court to be planned by the Ministry of Household and Industry, and there are divisions in various prefectures and counties. In addition, I listened to the words of Lord Zhen, the power of baijiu has been clearly proven, and after he returns to Beijing, he will make a suggestion to the military department and the imperial court, and it is necessary to classify baijiu into the army. Zida, once the liquor is included in the army, the imperial court will inevitably order the Ministry of War and Industry to prepare for the construction of the big fang. It's the secret of Huo's winemaking, and it can't be kept at that time......"

Shang Cheng smiled. Huo Lun's method of steaming liquor is not only that it cannot be kept in the future, but even now, it is not a secret. The process is so simple and crude, you can understand the trick at a glance and think about it. People don't dare to blatantly steal teachers because of their faces, but there are many people who secretly steam liquor and sell it. But stealing a teacher is one thing, and robbing openly is another, and the two cannot be confused. Of course, what Chang Xiu said is also the truth, when the liquor is included in the military quartermaster, the military order, whether to pay the process or not is not a matter that Huo Lun or other businessmen can decide. He asked, "What do you mean by the Ministry of Works?" ”

Yang Heng said beside him: "The Ministry of Industry has put Huo's brewing method at one hundred and fifty yuan. ”

"This price is too low, it is impossible for the Huo family to agree." Shang Cheng said to two officials of the Ministry of Industry. Yang Heng smiled bitterly. Because he was an official of the Ministry of Industry and was negotiating business on behalf of the Ministry of Industry, the Huo Family Liquor did not kick him out. But except for the first time he met Huo Lun, the owner of the wine shop, the two stewards later came forward to entertain him, and they accompanied him with delicious food and drink, but they didn't have a word of accuracy; And Hollen has been hiding from his illness. Shang Cheng continued, "The Huo family's winemaking method is indeed easy to imitate, and it can be learned as soon as you learn it. But others also spent their efforts at the beginning, and as soon as the wine market saw profits, the Ministry of Industry bought it with a mere 150 yuan, and if it was spread, it would damage the face and reputation of the imperial court. In this way, who will want to spend time on process improvement and innovation in the future? ”

Chang Xiu and Yang Heng were silent. Comparing their hearts to their hearts, they also feel that the price is indeed too low. But they can't help it; How to value the method of making liquor is not their business. They just used one hundred and fifty guan to buy this secret that was not a secret at all and brought it back to Shangjing.

Shang Cheng thought for a moment and asked, "Lord Chang, Lord Yang, is there room for negotiation for this price?" ”

Chang Xiu and Yang Heng shook their heads together.

"Can we do it another way?"

Chang Xiu said: "If the commander has a good plan, he might as well put it forward for everyone's discussion." As long as it doesn't make me and Yang too embarrassed, I can negotiate with the ministry. ”

"One hundred and fifty times to buy other people's crafts, I can't talk about it anymore. My idea is two. First, the Ministry of Industry negotiated with the Huo family, the Huo family provided the technology, the Ministry of Industry built its own workshop for production, and the liquor was only used for military supplies and not for the government and the people; In this case, I can guarantee that the Huo family will not have any objections, nor will they ask for any compensation. ”

Chang Xiu shook his head. He made it very clear, liquor is highly profitable, and the Ministry of Industry also wants to use the process to make liquor and sell it to earn political achievements and performance, but if you supply military supplies, your political achievements may be a little, but how can the performance be highlighted?

Shang Cheng also smiled and said, "There is another way, that is, the Ministry of Industry and the Huo family jointly operate." The Ministry of Industry negotiated a contract with the Huo family...... That is, the contract that both parties abide by, specifying in detail how much liquor the Ministry of Industry workshop will brew during the contract period, as well as the price of the liquor and the area where it will be sold, and then on this basis, the two parties agree on a total price, and then the Ministry of Industry will pay a certain fee to the Huo family every quarter or every year. Of course, the Ministry of Industry wants to monopolize...... If you monopolize the national market and monopolize the share of liquor in various places, then renegotiate a price and buy out the Huo family's liquor process at one time. I don't think it's going to be 150 or 1,500 yuan; I estimate that even if the Ministry of Industry comes up with 15,000 yuan, most of them will not be able to negotiate. is what Chang said, the benefits of liquor are too rich. He spoke in fits and starts, because there were so many words that he didn't know how to say. In the end, the two Ministry of Industry officials finally understood.

Chang Xiu hadn't done much practice, and was still waving his folding fan and frowning and thinking about it, Yang Heng had already figured out the joints, and raised his head and asked, "Then the commander thinks which method is better?" ”

"Personally, of course the latter is better." Shang Cheng smiled. He refilled the tea for the two of them and continued, "What could be more profitable in the world than a monopoly business?" But the price of buying a patent is not cheap; The ministry still has to discuss, and the official documents have to be repeatedly considered, and when there is a decision, maybe there is no process for brewing liquor to be kept secret. In addition, the government camp also has the disadvantages of the government camp. Both of them are people from the Ministry of Industry, and they must know the advantages and disadvantages of government-run workshops, and large-scale intensification is an advantage, but the complexity of the links is also a disadvantage, and it is difficult for the ship to turn around, and it is difficult to keep up with the changes in market demand; Especially in the case of monopoly management, it is the first in the world, no one looks at it, for a long time is the one-sided pursuit of expanding the scale, and finally from the ideological concept to the business ideas to the all-round backwardness of the production process. So I still think the former is better. At least one private workshop is there, and the government-run workshop also has a comparison, and if you chase after me, you may be able to make something else out of this brewed liquor. ”

He has a problem with talking to people, sometimes he can't keep his mouth shut as soon as the conversation box is opened, but he speaks happily and happily, but he doesn't care whether others can understand it or not. A series of unheard of fresh words made the big waiter of the Ministry of Industry stunned and ignorant, blinked his eyes and looked at him half clearly and incomprehensibly, and only after a while did he look at each other and said, "...... Taught. He himself reacted, stroked his chin and grinned, and said without words: "If the two adults agree to the previous plan, I can write a letter to Huo Liubo, and ask him to sit down with the Ministry of Industry to discuss the specific content of the contract in detail." ”

Chang Xiu was still pondering the meaning of the new words, and nodded with a sweaty fat face, but he didn't pay attention to what Shang Cheng said in his mind. Yang Heng hurriedly stood up and thanked him, and asked, "What price does the governor think is more appropriate for this annual contract fee?" ”

Shang Cheng had already returned to the table, opened a blank letterhead in his left hand, dipped the ink in the inkstone with a pen in his hand, and said in a deep voice: "I can't say the specific number, it depends on the two of you to sit down and negotiate." However, I think the Ministry of Industry might as well be generous and give some benefits to the Huo family. Seeing that Chang Xiu and Yang Heng had bitter faces at the same time, he said with a smile, "The benefits don't necessarily have to be gold, silver and copper coins." For example, the Ministry of Industry can help send the refined liquor from the liquor field to Ouchi as a tribute wine, one or two adults don't have a bitter face, and no one stipulates that the tribute wine must only be the same, right? Fruit wine is also divided into peaches, apricots and plums, can't there be a difference between liquor? The grains of winemaking, rice, wheat, and sorghum are separated, and one steamed and two steamed are also separated, and soaked peaches, plums, or medicinal herbs are still separated. What's more, you can still designate the liquor brewed by the Ministry of Industry as a special wine for official banquets, isn't it the same reputation when it is passed on, and it is not the same signboard? ”

When he said this, Chang Yang and both of them laughed. Chang Xiu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I was really taught today." I didn't face each other in front of me, and I thought that the general was only good at military affairs, but two days ago, I had a discussion in the house, and I realized that the adults' work in agricultural affairs should not be underestimated. When I saw it today, I knew that even if I managed the way of management, Zida was also well versed. It's rare, it's rare, it's really rare. But I couldn't help but wonder in my heart, this merchant is not yet thirty years old, but his knowledge is so broad, and his knowledge is so deep, this can never be an overnight effort; It is said that such a graceful person, I should have heard of it anyway, but it is strange, why have I never heard anyone talk about such a young monk before?

He was shaking the folding fan here and thinking nonsense, Shang Cheng had already written a text message, added a private seal and filled in the envelope, stood up and handed it to Yang Heng, and said: "Lord Yang takes this letter and goes to Yixian County, Huo Liubo will definitely see you, how to deal with it then, that is, the two of you sit down and discuss it carefully." As for the specific content of the discussion, I think Chang will definitely explain something. ”

Chang Xiu and Yang Heng both heard that this was actually Shang Cheng sending off guests.

The two of them thanked each other again, and outside the door of the Admiral's Mansion, Chang Xiu said to Yang Heng: "Gongdu, there is a private message from Shang Zida, you don't have to rush back to Yi County for the time being, it's okay to be in Yanzhou for a few days first." When I turn around, I have time to come to the post house outside the city to find me; I'll think about the charter carefully, you take it to Yixian County and talk to the person named Huo Lun in the Huo family. ”

"Yes." Yang Heng replied respectfully, and at the same time helped him to get into the car with Chang Xiu's entourage, and stood by the high wall of the Admiral's Mansion with his hands down until the horse's hooves clicked and the wheels rolled away, and he was ready to go back to the new post house where he was temporarily staying in the city.

He had just taken a step to identify the direction when he heard someone shouting, "Brother Gongdu! When I looked up, there happened to be a seven-rank civil official riding a horse in front of the Yimen, and his face was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was.

The man turned over and dismounted, his face was full of joy and he almost trotted all the way over, and before he didn't speak, he was a hand-wrenching hand, straightened up and smiled: "Brother Gongdu, don't you remember me?" I'm Ran Tao, Chuzhou Ran Tao Ran Yanqing! ”

Only then did Yang Heng recognize Ran Tao. He grabbed Ran Tao's arm and looked up and down for a long time, only to remember that he hadn't returned the salute yet, so he let go of his hand and stretched his hands and feet to salute, Ran Tao hurriedly grabbed him and said with a smile: "Don't come here!" We are in the same year, why pay attention to such hypocrisy? When did you come to Yanshan? Don't even say write a letter before coming, so let's come and visit you? Didn't you come to Yanzhou and pass by Dun'an, why didn't Xiaoqi know that you were here? ”

Yang Heng hadn't woken up from the excitement of his old friend at first meeting, and Ran Tao couldn't answer a series of questions, staring at the green gauze robe on Ran Tao's body in a daze, and only said after a while: "Yanqing, have you achieved the seventh grade?" ”

"From the seventh grade, I was only promoted the month before last." Ran Tao smiled proudly. At this time, he saw clearly that Yang Heng was still wearing nine-grade light green, and the smile on his face slowly disappeared.

"Ouyang Xiaoqi, have you also achieved the seventh grade?"

Ran Tao's face was no longer smiling, and he lowered his gaze and said, "He is the county commander of the eighth grade." He knew that his friend in the same department was the most enthusiastic and good at drilling, but his character was not bad, if it weren't for the flying disaster back then, his current position would be not in Shangzhou but in Dafu...... I didn't want to hide it from him, so I said again, "I met Xiaoqi when I was in the post house just now, and he said that this time I came to Weizhi, and I probably got promoted, and I went to Duanzhou to make a general judgment......"

Hearing that Ouyang Zhi had also been promoted from the seventh rank, Yang Heng was sad and couldn't speak anymore. He is the Tanhualang of the seventh year of the Eastern Yuan Dynasty, but now he is only the head of the workshop of the Ministry of Industry of the Ninth Grade, and the talent is far inferior to his two best friends of the same year, but now they are both the Seventh Rank Officials of the Imperial Court......

Ran Tao was about to say a few words of relief, when a scribe came out of the Yimen, stood at the door and asked loudly: "Deputy Envoy Ran of Geping Daku, has you arrived?" ”

Ran Tao hurriedly replied: "The next official is here!" ”

"Don't get in yet! The chief inspector of the sixth room or so has been waiting for you for a long time! ”

"Xiaguan will go over!" Ran Tao said. asked Yang Heng again, "I still have important official business, so I can't talk to you more now." Tonight, General Zhang of the Weifu Mansion is going to hold a banquet to entertain a few of our transit envoys, and he can't get out...... Where do you live? Tomorrow is Hugh Mu, I will make an appointment with Xiaoqi to come to you all the way, and the three of us will sit together and have a good get-together! ”

"My new post house in the city......"

"Good! Okay, I made a note of it! We'll come over tomorrow! As he spoke, Ran Tao lifted the corners of his robe and hurried away......