Although Cao Rui is not a businessman, he is also a figure who has been a feudal official, and he is still relatively proficient in practice. So after the governor of Sichuan and Shu said that, he was a little silent.

Because Cao Rui understands that although the investment in this project does not seem to have the slightest risk, in fact, the risk behind the scenes is not ordinarily small.

Yunnan, Guizhou and southwest Sichuan provinces, tens of thousands of businesses jointly invested, who can guarantee which business's capital chain has been intact?

Especially for several large businesses, once one of them is in financial trouble, the consequences will be comprehensive, or even the entire project will be stopped.

So after thinking about it again and again, Cao Rui asked the governor of Sichuan and Shu: "The return on this investment is a long-term thing, I don't know what the merchants plan?" ”

Although the merchants also understand the importance of this road, it is clear that Cao Rui will not believe that if the investment cost cannot be recovered as soon as possible, the merchant is willing to pay such a huge sum of money.

"You guessed it!" The governor of Sichuan and Shu chuckled and said: "Before, several big merchants here in Sichuan and Shu discussed with me that after the road was built, they wanted to set up toll booths at various checkpoints and collect tolls for a period of thirty years. ”

"Thirty years?" Cao Rui was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, this period is too long." ”

Not to mention 30 years, I am afraid that in less than 20 years, these participating businesses will be able to recover their investment. What's more, after so many years, their profits through trade with Myanmar and Tianzhu are at least ten times more than tenfold.

"Then how many years does Master Shangshu think it should be appropriate?"

"The old man thinks that ten years is already very good!" Cao Rui said a word, and when he saw the cousin of the governor of Sichuan and Shu, he continued: "In ten years, although these merchants participating in the investment cannot recover all the costs, in these ten years, the profits obtained from the competition of their goods are only ten times more than that, right?" ”

Cao Rui is not unfamiliar with practice, where do you not understand, after the road is built, they will levy high tolls on businesses that do not participate in the investment, and they are completely free.

But in this respect. Their transportation costs are much lower than those of other merchants, and naturally, in the market, they are much more competitive than other merchants.

I am afraid that it will not take ten years at all for them to squeeze those businesses that have not participated in investment in the markets of Myanmar and Tianzhu without any signs of rising.

Therefore, Cao Rui will give a deadline of only ten years.

Seeing Cao Rui say this, the governor of Sichuan and Shu was a little difficult for a while. After all, when convincing these merchants to participate in the investment, the governor of Sichuan and Shu promised them that he would give them at least twenty years.

The reason why he said thirty years before was actually to give Cao Rui a room for bargaining, but he never thought that Cao Rui would be so shrewd.

At this time, the governor of Sichuan and Shu had to tell Cao Rui the truth: "Lord Shangshu, when the lower officials persuaded the merchants to participate in the investment, they promised them at least twenty years. You cut out half of it at once, so that the lower officials can't explain. ”

Cao Rui said with a smile: "Actually, it's not that the old man can't be forgiven in terms of the deadline, but you have to give the old man a guarantee here." ”

"Lord Shangshu, you said that as long as the subordinate officials can do it, they will definitely do their best."

Cao Rui nodded with satisfaction and said, "As long as the pricing power of the toll is handed over in the end, the old man can call the shots and give them fifteen years." ”

"Pricing power?" Hearing this, the governor of Sichuan and Shu hurriedly shook his head, "Lord Shangshu, aren't you joking?" The pricing power is handed over to the imperial court, where do they still have to earn? ”

"Don't think that the old man is a fool and doesn't understand anything!" Cao Rui glanced at the governor of Sichuan and Shu, and sneered: "In case these merchants deliberately raise the road and crowd out their peers, I am afraid that in a few years, the entire Tianzhu and Myanmar markets will be completely monopolized by these merchants."

As a feudal official of the imperial court, do you want to watch them monopolize the market and then lose the interests of the imperial court? ”

Cao Rui's words are a bit heavy, where does the governor of Sichuan and Shu dare to refute? hurriedly defended: "Lord Shangshu, don't I know the hardships of the imperial court? But the actual situation of eyeliner is that these merchants are all masters who don't see rabbits and don't scatter eagles, and if they don't give them enough benefits, they are unwilling to give this money. ”

"Then this road will not be repaired!" Cao Rui said coldly, "When the treasury is rich in the future, they just want to participate in investment again, but I am afraid that the imperial court will not allow it." ”

"Could it be that the imperial court also has a plan in this regard?" Seeing Cao Rui say this, the governor of Sichuan and Shu hurriedly asked.

"Naturally!" Cao Rui saw that the governor of Sichuan and Shu did not know much about the major policies of the imperial court, so he said: "Now Your Majesty and the central government are appointing the first five-year plan of the imperial court, and they already have major policies, so they don't pay so much attention to your three southwestern provinces.

However, once the first five-year plan of the imperial court is completed, in the second five-year plan, the imperial court will independently fund the construction of roads leading to Burma and Tianzhu in the three southwestern provinces. ”

"But why didn't the lower officials hear the news?" The governor of Sichuan and Shu asked.

"That's because of this plan, Your Majesty only mentioned it to the cabinet and the six ministries and nine secretaries, and never leaked it, how did you know?

Besides, with such a big market as Tianzhu and Burma, do you think the imperial court will be indifferent? It's just that I can't scruple about it right now. When the imperial court is financially rich, you won't know what the scene will be when the time comes. ”

"In that case, the lower official knows what to do, and Lord Shangshu is waiting for the good news from the lower official!" After speaking, the governor of Sichuan and Shu hurriedly left the post station.

Looking at the back of the governor of Sichuan and Shu leaving in a hurry, Cao Rui sneered: "Fight with the old man, I'm afraid that you are still a little tender." ”

That night, the governor of Sichuan and Shu summoned several influential local merchants to the governor's yamen and said today's conversation with Cao Rui.

Some merchants said: "Lord Governor, do you think Cao Shangshu is deceiving us?" ”

"Probably not!" The governor of Sichuan and Shu shook his head and said: "First of all, the imperial court attaches great importance to Tianzhu and Burma, and even did not hesitate to station 200,000 troops in Tianzhu.

On the other hand, Myanmar is a feudal country of the three princes, and Cao Shangshu, as the foreign family of the three princes, will not take into account the interests of the three princes. ”

Seeing that the governor of Sichuan and Shu said this, everyone thought about it. Regardless of the major policies of the imperial court, just talking about the three princes, the sooner the road to Myanmar is built, the sooner the interests of the three princes will be rewarded. Therefore, even if it is for the benefit of the three princes, Cao Shangshu will supervise the implementation of the road construction plan as soon as possible......