Ma Chaoren did not hesitate and said bluntly: "I don't care about your grievances with Zhang Han, and I don't mean to favor any party." However, I don't want to be involved, I just want to have nothing to do, write poems and compile books, and spend the rest of my life. ”

Ma Chaoren is still in his prime, and what "for the rest of his life" is of course, but the attitude of not intervening in this matter is also very obvious from the language, and there is almost no room for negotiation.

The two Xiucai were dumbfounded, they didn't expect such a result.

"Local matters, you can discuss them." Ma Chaoren said again: "My grain, this period is an appointment in advance, if Zhang Han does not raise the price after a long time, of course the one with the highest price will get it, and Fan Dongzhu can also rest assured." However, I may not sell it to the Fan family, food is in short supply, and I can also get out of it myself, this matter is not yet final, I can't give you an exact answer. ”

"Okay, Senior Ma said so, I can't get entangled." Guan Zhaotong blinked, stood up and said, "Just look at the seniors of the horses." ”

"Of course." Ma Chaoren said coldly: "I have probably never done anything treacherous in my life. ”

……

Sending away the two Guan surnamed Xiucai, Ma Chaoren was upset, although today's incident is not considered to offend people, but his own interests have also lost a lot. Of course, he didn't make this decision for any Xinyi, but he faintly felt that the battle between Zhang Han and Fan Yongdou and Han Qi had just begun, and he had promised to cooperate with Zhang Han in public, but now that the victory was not scored, he hurriedly chose a side, not only seemed to be a villain, but also had no substantial benefits.

However, if Zhang Han is really defeated, then his loss will be really big.

In the evening, Ma Chaoren was waiting for dinner in the house, when a long entourage came to report that there was someone sent by Zhang Han outside asking to see him.

At this moment, Zhang Han also sent someone, Ma Chaoren felt very coincidental, he didn't think much about it, and asked Chang Sui to take the person to the study.

The man who came was a man of medium stature, less than thirty, with a smile on his face, a neat-looking gray robe, and a cowhide belt around his waist that was very tight, revealing a very good figure.

"In Xia Jiang Kui, he is the guard next to my family." Jiang Kui clenched his fists when he entered the room and said, "Today I am here to talk about the matter of Guan Zhuang." ”

Ma Chao said: "I already know about the village, it's my tenant farmer who is wrong, I plan to go and reprimand them." ”

Jiang Kui said: "The relationship between the tenant farmer and the landlord is only a tenant, how can my family be so embarrassed for Mr. Ma to do such a thing, we can deal with it ourselves." I was afraid of hurting Mr. Ma's face, so I specially asked him to run down and explain the reason to Mr. Ma. ”

"Nothing." Ma Chao said: "You have a heart. ”

He felt a little strange and disappointed in his heart, Zhang Han only took care of his emotions at this moment, if this was the case, Ma Chaoren would have to consider his previous decision.

"In addition," Jiang Kui continued, "our lord asked the proprietor that if he was willing to pay the money, he could ask someone to build a few dry canals for the area of the village to be managed, and the tenants of the proprietor Ma could divert water, and it would be used after a while." ”

Most of the land of the Ma family is concentrated in the area of Guanzhuang, if it can really lead the canal into the water, the increase in production is a certain thing, but Zhang Han said in advance that he would charge, which made Ma Chaoren a little hesitant...... He didn't feel like it was worth it.

At that moment, Ma Chaoren politely refused: "I can't make a decision on this matter for the time being, I'll talk about it after a while." ”

Jiang Kui said with a smile: "Our adults also said that the proprietor Ma was afraid that he would not be able to settle this matter for a while, and he said that this matter is not in a hurry, and he will talk about it in half a year and a year." ”

Ma Chaoren heard Jiang Kui's words and had a strong confidence in Zhang Han's decision, he didn't think that repairing some water conservancy could solve the big problem of grain, besides, everyone's grain still mainly depends on buying, Shanxi is not enough is Henan, Shanxi province's cultivated land was only 2.8 million mu at the beginning of the country, now of course far more than that, but compared with Henan, a neighboring province, and the central region, buying grain is much stronger than farming by oneself.

"Since the proprietor Ma has nothing to worry about," Jiang Kui stood up and said goodbye: "I'll go back to my life in the next place." ”

"Hmm." Ma Chaoren felt a little confused in his heart, Zhang Han called this person to show goodwill, but in Ma Chaoman's opinion, there was nothing practical, he hadn't seen anything else, he felt the storm gradually rising, and his heart was extremely nervous.

"That's right." Jiang Kui finally said: "This morning, Ma Dongzhu said that there is no treachery in his life, and my family listened to it, and he praised it, and he said, if everyone in the world is as faithful as Ma Dongzhu, I am afraid that everything will be much easier to do." ”

Ma Chaoren was submissive and didn't say anything for a while, and after Jiang Kui went out, he slammed open the window and stretched out his head to look out.

Everything was as usual all around, a few small servants were sweeping outside the second gate, through the moon cave door, I saw that there were a few gatekeepers sitting on the bench and laughing at the gate, and there were a few servants in the inner house doing needlework under the eaves, and there was no movement in the inner rooms.

There are more than a dozen people in the entire Ma family's mansion, more than 30 slaves, and less than 40 people in their own family, and there are not many guests who come and go every day.

Ma Chaoren felt a chill in half of his body, and he sat down in his chair in a dejected manner, knowing that his decision to stay out of the matter for the time being was still the right one anyway.

……

"Wen Lan, the experiment on Lingqiu's side has been successful."

In a blink of an eye, it was the middle of September in the forty-eighth year of Wanli, the weather was already very cold in the morning and evening, and soon after dawn, a pond horse rode into the camp from outside, and first arrived at Sun Jingting's house, and then Sun Jingting was only wearing a single coat, barely tied a belt on his head, and trotted all the way to Zhang Han's residence.

Zhang Han got up early and was eating breakfast.

In front of him was millet porridge, a few plates of pickles, a few meat steamed buns, and a plate of eggs.

If this breakfast is celebrated in a farmhouse, it may not be eaten, but for Zhang Han, it is already extremely frugal.

Sun Jingting came in panting, raised the letter in his hand, and said to Zhang Han: "The double-chamber melting casting method has been completed!" ”

"Oh?" Zhang Han pushed the dishes, and he didn't care about eating, so he immediately stood up and took the letter to read.

At present, the method of smelting pig iron into fine iron is to cast a single room, put the charcoal on the bottom, and the pig iron on the top, and then blow the air to heat, as soon as the temperature arrives, the pig iron will be soft, and then the fine iron will be forged.

The method of steelmaking is similar, but the temperature needs to be higher and the technology is more difficult.

With the quality of China's iron ore, there are many impurities in pig iron, and the iron quality is poor, and a large number of impurities are infiltrated in the process of refining fine iron, and the iron is brittle and easy to break.

The reason why Fujian iron is expensive is mainly because of the use of wood, and the use of charcoal in the north, the impurity content of the two is different, and the quality is of course very different.

At this time, quite a lot of weapons were only forged from ordinary wrought iron, and the quality was very poor, and the weapons made of high-grade fine iron were expensive, and ordinary soldiers could never afford to use them.

"Hu Lao Liu's method is very ingenious...... Sun Jingting said excitedly.

Recently, the business war between He Yusheng and Fanjia Commercial Bank has been very fierce, and both sides have gradually begun to go all out. Here in Tianchengwei, many businesses that originally cooperated with Zhang Han have chosen to side with the Fan family, because there is a conflict of interest between the two parties.

In Lingqiu, because of Han Qi, many iron merchants who entered the Chamber of Commerce also began to start at both ends.

Sun Jingting believes that the key is profit, and if the pig iron industry makes a breakthrough, even if there is no northern smuggling route, the profit is very considerable.

The important thing is that this new technology was developed by Lingqiu and Yusheng Iron Field, and Zhang Han's initiative is much stronger.

"Dongshan will definitely be on your side......" Sun Jingting finally said: "Whether it is pricing, procurement, or export, anyway, you have the idea." ”

Sun Jingting has been on Li Zhuang's side recently, he is half a subordinate and half a friend, and he is also the future leader of the Dongshan Society, but the Dongshan Association is much looser than Zhang Hanjian's Iron Industry Chamber of Commerce, and it is needless to say which side has a stronger centripetal force, and now Sun Jingting has regarded himself as half of a person who is with Yusheng, and even the Dongshan Association is faintly included.

"This is a matter of careful planning......

The form of Lingqiu, Zhang Han felt that it was much better than Tianchengwei or even Xinpingbao.

Again, there is a fundamental difference.

On the one hand, there is a loose business alliance and a partnership relationship, and it is easy to have different intentions when encountering twists and turns, especially when it comes to business and land, as well as officialdom and power.

Lingqiu is also a chamber of commerce, but they are much closer to each other, because the connection between the iron yards is closer and more united.

On the one hand, it is traditional and strong, on the other hand, it is weak and suppressed, the mine iron yard has always been the object of government suppression, low profits, high risk, miners are grouped, and the iron farm owner is not a traditional gentry.

In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, there were several large-scale miners' rebellions, almost one-man initiation, Wanfu Jingcong, not only ordinary miners, but more furnace capitals joined in it.

With the Dongshan Society and his own strength, Zhang Han planned to truly integrate the power of Lingqiu.

"No matter what, Dongshan will definitely follow and Yusheng to advance and retreat." Sun Jingting listened to Zhang Han's plan, thought about it for a while, and nodded in promise.

"You don't have to write a package ticket first." Zhang Han smiled: "Your uncle hasn't agreed yet." ”

"There's only one thing that makes trouble with my uncle." Sun Jingting glanced at Zhang Han with an expression of looking at a joke.

"Ah......" Zhang Han also had a headache.

This time I went to Lingqiu, but there was no reason not to see Yu Niang, and I had to see Sun Anle, how should I deal with myself when the time comes?

Zhang Han didn't go back during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but he was also avoiding these troubles, in case the Chang family was given a family affair after he went back, how would he explain to the Sun family at that time?

Zhang Han had already mentioned the matter of Jade Niang to Chang Shi a few times, of course he didn't dare to say it directly, and Chang Shi pretended to be confused when he heard it.

This is not surprising, Zhang Han praised again, after all, Yu Niang had never asked Chang to see it in person, and the girl who dared to sneak out was still too wild in the hearts of the older generation.

Chang Ning is different, he knows the roots, and his appearance, temperament and temperament are not to be picked.

Even Zhang Han himself admits that compared with Yu Niang, Chang Ning is his own virtuous helper.

But the grace of saving each other on the prairie of Yu Niang, as well as the affection at the bottom of his eyes, also made Zhang Han difficult to give up.

Zhang Han admits that he is not a soft-hearted person, but this kind of thing makes him make a decision, and it is still too difficult.

"Filial piety ......" Zhang Han slammed to the ground: "Don't have a hateful face of a dead friend who doesn't die and a poor man, help me think of a way, don't embarrass everyone too much!" ”

Sun Jingting scolded with a smile: "How can you beg for someone like this, you didn't say a few good words, so you scolded first." ”

"Brother Xiaozheng save me."

Zhang Han had no discipline in this matter, so he simply pulled Sun Jingting's cuffs and didn't let go.