Fang Yuan's approval to build an official road connecting the seven mansions and the Grand Canal in the south of the Yangtze River had just been sent to the cabinet, and at noon on the third day, Xu Hua, a big official businessman, came to the door.

He didn't have to guess, he knew that it was Xiao Yuan who was ventilating and reporting to Xu Hua, such a big fat shortage, Xiao Yuan obviously wanted to take care of Xu Hua of her faction.

Fang Yuan glanced at Xiao Yuan leisurely, and said lightly, "Mrs. Yuan, you sent a message to Xu Hua again?" ”

Xiao Yuan pouted and said, "Childe doesn't like me to see him, so I haven't seen him in person, this time I just asked the maid to pass the word." ”

Fang Yuan smiled faintly and said, "Mrs. Yuan, Mrs. Yuan!" You are wasting your efforts, because Xu Hua will never agree to the construction plan I want to propose this time. This time, with the construction of this official road, I will teach you another lesson, what is the virtue of carrying things! ”

Xiao Yuan couldn't guess Fang Yuan's thoughts when he heard this, so he could only be silent, and Fang Yuan met Xu Hua in the lobby with an unmoved face.

As soon as Xu Hua entered the hall, he hurriedly asked Fang Yuan and Xiaoyuan for peace, and said with a smile, "Governor Fang returned from a great victory in Zhejiang and returned to Suzhou City, so he didn't know me, and I can also pick up the wind and wash the dust for Governor Fang!" ”

Fang Yuan casually exchanged a few polite words with him, and then asked straight to the point, "Boss Xu, what are you doing when you come to me this time, just say it!" ”

Xu Hua rubbed his hands and said, "Governor Fang, this, it is rumored that an official road connecting the Seven Prefectures and the Grand Canal will be built in the south of the Yangtze River, but I don't know if it's true or not." ”

Fang Yuan said lightly, "Yes, Boss Xu is very well-informed!" Do you want to contract the construction of this official road? ”

Xu Hua said with a smile on his face, "Yes, I have a wide range of doors in Nanzhili and Zhejiang, and this official road is handed over to me to do, and Governor Fang will put a thousand hearts, ten thousand hearts." ”

Fang Yuan sighed lightly and said, "Boss Xu is so enthusiastic about government affairs, I am really moved. This official road is indeed to be built, and the estimated amount of silver is two million taels. What about me! Recently, there have been many wars, and the silver in the treasury has been beaten, and it is impossible to make up two million taels of silver for a while. So be it! I also have an idea that we will spend money together to build this official road. ”

When Xu Hua heard what he said, his smile froze on his face, he thought it was a fat shortage before he came, but now he suddenly found that he had jumped into a pit dug by Fang Yuan, and said hesitantly, "This, Governor Fang is joking?" Let's spend money together? ”

Fang Yuan Zhengrong said, "Boss Xu, I didn't joke with you, my idea is that I will contribute half and you will contribute half to jointly repair this official road." After the completion of the construction, but anyone who crosses this official road will have to pay tolls, and the right to operate this official road within 30 years will belong to you, and the toll collected will be half of us. Do the math of the general ledger, and you will earn at least one million taels of silver. If you include the maintenance and operating expenses after 30 years, it is innumerable. ”

Xu Hua is a businessman who speculates to make quick money in commodity circulation, where does he dare to invest heavily in such a large-scale infrastructure project with unknown future profitability?

He secretly thought about it, thought about it, this hot potato must not be accepted, and began to excuse himself with a bitter face, "Governor Fang, I can't take out such a large sum of silver!" ”

Fang Yuan sneered secretly, Xu Hua had taken at least one million pieces of silk from him for distribution over the years, plus he had monopolized the business of the Qinglou in Zhufu, his net worth was at least two million silver. Just one million taels of silver is crying poor, that is, I don't want to build.

Fang Yuan didn't bother to expose him, he just said with a calm face, "Boss Xu can't do it, then I'll ask the other businessmen!" ”

Xu Hua wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, answered continuously, and hurriedly said goodbye.

Fang Yuan looked at Xu Hua's back, tasted Biluochun, and said coldly to Xiao Yuan, "Mrs. Yuan, this is the person you want to promote and reuse, the mud can't support the wall!" ”

Xiao Yuan pouted, still unconvinced, and retorted, "Childe's plan is too harsh, Xu Hua is forgivable if he is unwilling, I estimate that there are no businessmen in Jiangnan who are willing to take over." ”

Fang Yuan smiled faintly and said, "Really? Then let's wait! ”

Five days later, Xi Benzhen and Shen Xiang came to the door again together, and they were still talking about the sale of this official road.

Fang Yuan called Xiao Yuan to stand respectfully on the side of the seat, and also listened to Xi Shen's words.

Fang Yuan did not beat around the bush, and directly reported half of the construction plan of the government and the contractor's family to the two.

Xi Benzhen and Shen Xiang glanced at each other, before they came, they had already received the news that Xu Hua had failed to negotiate the construction, and the plan originally proposed by the other party also came to the door after several days of discussion.

Xi Benzhen didn't hesitate too much, and asked rhetorically, "Governor Fang is really willing to hand over the management and toll collection rights of this official road to us?" ”

Fang Yuan smiled and said, "I won't joke with you, in thirty years, how to operate, the fees are all up to you to decide." Thirty years later, the Governor's Office took over the official road, and the toll on the road was reduced to 50%, but the daily maintenance can still be handed over to you, and the government will pay for it. ”

Fang Yuan's gaze fell on the two of them, and he said, "I can also give you two families a privilege, and the naming of this official road is up to you." ”

This official road that runs through the seven mansions and connects the Grand Canal is at least a fifty-year plan in the south of the Yangtze River, and the naming of the official road is left to the Xi and Shen families to decide, which is to give the two families a chance to make the family famous. This kind of good reputation that circulates local government records, and even the entire Jiangnan, is by no means something that can be bought by a mere one million taels of silver.

What's more, the construction of this official road itself still has a lot of surplus, but it takes a long time to precipitate and accumulate.

Xi Benzhen and Shen Xiang glanced at each other and nodded in unison.

Xi Benzhen said, "Governor Fang, this big official road, my Xi and Shen families are willing to pay one million taels of silver to build it, so let's name it Dongting Official Road!" ”

Dongting official road, as soon as I heard this name, it was built by the famous business seat and Shen Erjia in Dongting Dongshan. As long as this official road exists for a day, the reputation of Xi Shen's family will spread for a day.

Fang Yuan smiled slightly, took a sip of tea, and continued, "Master Xi, Shen Gongzi, then it's a matter of words. After you have completed your calculations, hand them over to the Governor's Palace! ”

After Xi Shen's second family went, Fang Yuan glanced at Xiao Yuan, who was standing beside him, and said lightly, "Mrs. Yuan, what should I say about this?" ”

This time, Xi Shen's family would agree to take over this transaction, which took many years to recover the capital, which was a big surprise to Xiao Yuan.

She sat on Fang Yuan's lap obediently and asked softly, "Childe, I really don't understand, if you lend one million taels of silver, even if you make two percent of the profit every year, you will return to the capital in four or five years." It will take at least ten years to build an official road to pay off, and it is clearly a bad deal, why would they agree? ”

Fang Yuan smiled and said, "Xu Hua is looking at silver when he does business, and the Xi Shen family is a business family that has been doing business for hundreds of years, and what they want to calculate is not only silver, but also reputation and virtue." ”

"Didn't I tell you earlier, I want to teach you a lesson, what is virtue? The larger the family property, the more it needs to be supported by good family style and virtue. Without the support of family style and virtue, no matter how big the family property is, it will collapse with a bang. The so-called rich is only three generations, and the two of them can stand in the south of the Yangtze River for hundreds of years. ”

"Mrs. Yuan, how can an upstart like Xu Hua, who only recognizes silver in his eyes, understand the big truth in the middle?"

Xiao Yuan was convinced by his knowledge, hugged Fang Yuan's neck like a coquette, and said coquettishly, "I am a woman's family, where can I have such far-reaching insight as a child?" In the future, I will never interfere in the military and political affairs of the outer court, and if I annoy my son, my son will spare me once! ”

Fang Yuan stared at her cunning eyes, and couldn't tell if she really listened or if she was deliberately pleasing herself.

While the two were talking, the brocade guard came to report that Cohen of the Dutch East India Company had come to pay a visit.