When Huo Shiqi talked endlessly about the Liu Lingtai case, Huo Lun sat silently all the time, not opening his mouth, not interjecting, not asking questions, not admiring and sighing, and he didn't even cough, just sat quietly and listened......

Actually, he didn't listen much. Whether it is Liu Lingtai's case or the Gongyuan fraud case, these things are extremely far away from him. He is forty years old this year, since he entered the Yixian County Government at the age of 16 to do a small book office of copying and writing, it has been 26 years, and 26 years of monotonous and boring literary career have long been a hot and burning enterprising spirit that he once had when he was a teenager. This is a very shrewd person, and he has always known what he can and can't do, so he has never entered the examination room since he was twenty-one years old when he was a talent in the state school examination. He knew that he didn't have that fate, so he never had the luxury of expecting any further progress in fame. He thinks that being a scribe is not necessarily not a way to get ahead, rather than squeezing the dragon gate, it is better to stay in the yamen and work hard to get ahead; If this path is taken well, it is difficult to say that the future creation will be inferior to that of people. And he did. In the past twenty-six years, he has gone from an ordinary small bookstore to the current master bookkeeper, and he has also earned the rank of undertaker from the eighth grade. No matter how his undertaker came from, and no matter what others think of him, at least he himself is very satisfied with himself, except for Qiao Zhun, the entire Duanzhou, and even the entire Yanshan, there is no one who can achieve his achievements as a talent; This is especially something he is proud of!

However, in addition to being complacent, he also has his own troubles and regrets. What annoys him is that because he is just a showman, Cheng Lang is probably the end of his career in this life. What he regrets is that he only has a reputation for showing talent! Alas, if he is a lifter, then he is at least a county magistrate in the upper county now, and maybe he can also be the county magistrate of the middle county; In that case, when he retires, the court will give him a seven-rank official body according to the custom, and his children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy his blessings and grace......

Every time he thought of this, he couldn't help but sigh. I knew that there was today, and in the early years, he gritted his teeth and endured hardships to take the exam and come back! It's too late to say anything. Although there is no distinction between young and old, and he has heard of the matter of writing to the old and the elderly taking the exam, he can't let go of a lot of official and mundane things now, and the key is that he can't raise that heart. Taking the exam is easy to say, but if he really has to endure three years of suffering, he will definitely not be able to do it.

In the summer, he also took advantage of Shang Cheng's inspection of Yandong and quietly asked Huo Shiqi to find an errand for him to be the commander of Nanzheng County. But he soon regretted his absurdity. If he really made a county order, wouldn't it be a big joke in the world? The court pursued it, not to mention that his county order could not be made for a long time, and Shang Cheng would have to go around without eating! Fortunately, the matter was not followed later, and he gradually settled down.

He wants to have an official body when he retires, and the only thing he can do at the moment is to do more things and make more achievements, and see if he can be promoted to a higher rank by accumulating political achievements and evaluations. However, it is also difficult. The key is that in terms of his fame, the eight-pin contractor is a special case, and it is impossible to go further without outstanding achievements.

Fortunately, the seventeenth brother, who has been developed, has not forgotten him, the sixth brother, and entrusted him with the important task of presiding over the brewing of high-concentration liquor, and specially told him in person that the shorter the time for this thing to be done, the greater the credit, and according to the military merits, he can be promoted one or two levels lightly. And he did not live up to Huo Shiqi, and successfully completed this important task that he thought was very arduous.

But the wine was made, but he had new troubles.

The benefits of this high-concentration liquor are too thick. According to the calculation of seven catties of grain and one catty of liquor in the current workshop, it is at least half of the gross profit. Even though Huo Shiqi had told him at the beginning that this liquor was profitable, he never thought that the benefits of this spicy and heart-burning high-concentration liquor would be so thick. This wine is not only profitable, but also in short supply, the guys of several big restaurants in the county are keeping an eye on the workshop at any time, as soon as the fire is lit here, there are people who take horses and carry cash to buy, and the opening is that I have all the bags for this stove. It's all acquaintances who don't look up and don't look up, and it's not good to sell to anyone or not, and in the end he has no choice but to nest in the yamen under the banner of busy official business. But the yamen is not a pure realm, and his subordinate colleagues are talking to others, and even Qiao Zhun, whose relationship has improved slightly, also inquired about when the workshop will burn the stove and when the wine will be produced......

The person looking for him is also Liu Ji Warehouse. Liu Ji's big shopkeeper, Gao Xiaosan, was refreshing, and the price of each catty of liquor was increased by ten wen, on the condition that half of the liquor warehouse from the workshop should be bought. A shopkeeper of Yongshengchang, a big firm in Beijing, was even more arrogant, and was willing to increase the price by 20 per catty, not to mention, and invited him to go to Beijing to start a workshop, as long as he promised to let Yongshengchang participate in the workshop, the land of the workshop and all other expenses, including sales, were all borne by Yongshengchang. In order to win his trust, Yongshengchang's shopkeeper Yuan was even willing to give him a note on the spot.

The goods are very profitable, which would have been a good thing. But what he is struggling with now is this heavy profit. On the one hand, there is the silver money that I have never dreamed of, on the other hand, it is the merit that can be calculated for military merits, on the other hand, it is rich, on the other hand, it is expensive, on the other hand, it is the rich party, and on the other hand, it is the shadow of the descendants...... Faced with this sudden choice, he was a little at a loss. When he came to Yanzhou this time, in addition to showing his merits and reporting the good news, he also had the intention of discussing with Shang Cheng and Huo Shiqi. He hoped that they would help him get an idea of whether it would be better for him to be a rich man or to trade it for a first-class rank.

Huo Shiqi's attitude is very clear, change the rank one by one! It is true that liquor is profitable, but it is necessary to make this kind of wine from grain, and the more it is brewed, the more grain will be consumed; And Yanshan is a border town, and it is absolutely forbidden to have a large trade of grain, and this article alone determines that Huo Lun will never be able to brew liquor in large quantities, and it can only be a good wish to rely on it to become rich.

But Aunt Seventeen thinks that making a fortune is more important. As for the grain for winemaking, Yanshan is not allowed to trade in large quantities, and it may not be allowed in the Central Plains? If you can't do this good business in Yi County, then go to Beijing. As for the money needed to start a workshop in Shangjing, Huo Lun doesn't have to worry at all, this money is out of Liu Ji Warehouse! She can be the master!

It was only at this time that Huo Lun knew that Liu Ji's owner had changed; This time-honored brand is now surnamed Liu, not Liu.

However, whether the store's surname is Liu or Liu, they can't help him get an idea.

Now, when Shang Cheng mentioned the matter of liquor to him, he still didn't know how to choose. He clumsily told Shang Cheng about his dilemma, and finally asked, "Look, what should I do now?" He thought that the insight of a general commander should be better than that of a chief bookkeeper in any case, right?

Shang Cheng laughed and said, "I don't dare to make an idea for Liubohu. "In business and career, it is difficult to say which of the two roads has greater achievements, especially when high-concentration liquor is barely a high-tech product, it is even more difficult to make a choice. He just told Horen what he had in mind and let him make the decision himself.

"Some time ago, I went to Beijing to report on my work, and I discussed with the Ministry of Works, and they agreed to build four new craftsman camps in Yanshan. I originally envisioned that based on the liquor workshop you ran, a large craftsman camp would be set up in Yixian County, specializing in the deep processing and storage of liquor, as well as its application in other aspects. In addition, an iron battalion should be set up to be responsible for maintaining and repairing the ordnance of the Nanguan battalion. It depends on whether you are willing to be the master of the two artisan camps. ”

Hollen's lips quirmed. Usually, the master book of the supervisor of the craftsman camp is generally the official rank of the eighth grade and the ninth grade, and the supervisor of the two battalions is at least a positive eighth grade, which is only one step away from the official body he yearns for...... But what is steamed out of the workshop is money, and even the air is filled with a refreshing copper fragrance, and a sip of it can make people intoxicated......

Shang Cheng smiled and said, "It's okay if you're not happy." It's normal, and I won't blame you. The profit of liquor is extremely high, as long as you know the doorway of this liquor and understand the operation and management, it is not necessary to become rich in the world after more than ten years. He smiled and refilled the two men's bowls with tea, and said, "Don't look at me, I know some how to make wine, and the others are just like you, but they are also blinded." However, this wine is different from our usual wines, the more sour those wines are, if this wine can be sealed tightly, the longer it is stored, the more mellow the flavor of the wine, and of course, the higher the price. ”

He put down the teapot and said, "It's rare for the sixth uncle to come back, so I will stay for a few more days and go back after the winter solstice festival." In the past two days, you should also think carefully to see whether you should be a big wine merchant or a master of the craftsman's camp. It is necessary to remind you that if you are not willing to go to the craftsman's camp, the silver and grain consumed in the early stage of the liquor workshop will have to be returned, and the interest will be paid according to the official loan. ”

Holren nodded. Even if Shang Cheng doesn't mention this matter, he will take the initiative to bring it up. If he really wants to continue to build a liquor workshop, he can't avoid this problem. He only worries about one thing, how should the process of steaming wine be calculated? If this is also an official matter that needs to be returned, then he should go and be the superintendent of the master book. Is it that he knows the process of steaming wine? is just a grain for winemaking, and he can't compete with the government-run workshop. Grain, grain is the foundation of making this wine!

Shang Cheng hadn't thought about it too much. After pondering for a while, he said: "This craft is something I have figured out in my thoughts, and it has nothing to do with the officials. However, in order to prove that this method can be effective, the money and food for the experiments were spent from the military treasury...... In this way, the money, grain and interest that have been spent will be used as the fixed money paid to you by the Wei Mansion for the purchase of liquor, and in the future, the Wei Mansion will also have a certain discount for the purchase of liquor in the workshop. He stood up and found a piece of paper on the table, wrote a text message, and put his own private seal on it, and handed it to Hollen. Looks like you're trying to be a wine merchant. Tomorrow, you will take this letter to the Wei Mansion to find General Zhang Shao, and you will discuss and coordinate the specific matters. I have one request, before March next year, the more high-strength liquor you provide to Weifu, the better, at least not less than 3,000 catties. ”

Hollen didn't care too much about the number. His workshop can produce about 100 catties of wine a day, and if he starts work at night, the output can quadruple. The storage and transportation of wine is also easy, and if it is a big deal, you can spend more money to collect large jars, and if you can't do it, you can buy thousands of dried gourds. The key issue is food! Without grain, what steamed wine does he take?

"For the problem of food, you can find General Zhang Shao. He'll take care of it for you. ”

"Then I'll have no problem." Hollen said. But he immediately realized there was another problem. He asked, "If I go into business, will I quit my current job?" ”

Shang Cheng laughed immediately. Holren went to sell liquor himself, of course, he had to quit his official duties, otherwise he would go to the street with his front foot, and the Inspector General would knock on his door.

"You can let my two brothers come forward." Shang Cheng said. He didn't like the family members of officials to go into business, but the reality was like this, and he couldn't help it.

Hollen laughed too.

Only Huo Shiqi kept silent with a black face.

Horen was so stupid that he was fascinated by that little money. The monk made his words so clear that he didn't react at all. He didn't think about it, what is "deep processing of liquor", and what is "use in other places"? And that iron battalion, can it really be an ordinary craftsman battalion repairing ordnance? The Nanguan camp originally came with an iron battalion, and now the Admiral's Mansion actually wants to set up a larger iron battalion there, didn't the sixth brother hear something?

He knew what Shang Cheng meant by those words. Shang Cheng had already mentioned to him that high-concentration liquor would continue to be purified and would be applied to other aspects, such as the processing of medicines; And the Iron Battalion will experiment with some new ordnance.

He knew these things, but he couldn't tell Horren......