Dongguo Xianyang was wearing an official uniform, sitting in a car with a gorgeous crown, and his heart was very beautiful. The Dongguo clan of Qi Di has sold sea salt for hundreds of years since the pre-Qin era, but no one has ever been a top member of the imperial court. Especially since the Qin Dynasty, the national policy of the imperial court has been heavy on agriculture and suppressing business, and the political status of merchants has been constantly suppressed.

Dongguo Xianyang, as the eldest son of the contemporary head of the Dongguo family, should have inherited the business status and could not become a scholar and an official. However, when the Haiyan workshop of the Royal Industrial Group was displayed in front of his eyes, as a calculating businessman, Dongguo Xianyang decisively chose to join the royal family.

Not only did he mortgage all the workshops under his name to the Royal Industrial Group, but he also wasted all his efforts to convince the elders of the family, especially his father. As a result, the Dongguo family completely fell to the far-reaching royal family, and even the affiliated small and medium-sized salt merchants were all taken over by the royal industrial group.

The news that the Dongguo family, the largest salt merchant in Qidi, joined the Royal Industrial Group caused great repercussions. In just over a month, there are almost no more salt merchants in the entire Qi region that are operated by Reading Power, and the Royal Industrial Group can be said to have integrated all the salt industries along the northern coast of Dahan without much effort.

For a guy like Dongguo Xianyang who knows the current affairs and has real skills, Liu Fei, the king of Jiangdu, is undoubtedly extremely satisfied. Out of the intention of repaying the favor, Liu Fei not only recommended him to join the Shi by showing filial piety, but also made him a salt supervisor of Qidi, responsible for integrating the local salt industry.

Since Dongguo Xianyang became a salt supervisor, he was responsible for dumping sea salt in the surrounding counties of Nanyang, and he was too busy to celebrate his transfer from a merchant to a scholar. However, in just a few months, even greater benefits fell from the sky, almost knocking him unconscious.

Da Nong Cheng, the deputy of Da Nong Ling, ranks a thousand stones, which is equivalent to the deputy ministerial level in later generations. In modern terms, Dongguo Xianyang was first admitted to the civil service from a self-employed person in just a few months, and became the deputy director in charge of the salt industry of the local taxation department and the finance department, and then suddenly entered the central political axe and became the deputy minister of the Ministry of Finance. In any era, this speed of promotion is insane!

Dongguo Xianyang was suddenly appointed by the imperial court as a big farmer in charge of the salt industry, which made the entire Dongguo family excited. The old face of the old man of Dongguo is even more smiling like a chrysanthemum, first leading the clansmen to worship their ancestors, and then taking out a lot of money, giving alms everywhere in Qidi, showing off his precious son when he meets people, and faintly feels that his family is much more noble than those wealthy businessmen and giants in cloth clothes.

Dongguo Xianyang didn't know that the reason why he was able to break through the ranks and ascend to the sky in one step was the result of the crown prince Liu Che's strong recommendation in front of the emperor's father. Liu Che, as a traverser, naturally knew that even if Dongguo Xianyang was not an official now, he would still have to invite him out after Liu Che ascended the throne. As one of the most important economic officials of the Wudi Dynasty in history, Liu Che has long been secretly paying attention.

Sang Hongyang is only six years old now, and Dongguo Xianyang and Kong Wei have not yet reached the age of establishment, Liu Che originally did not intend to interfere with their normal growth process, so as not to help the seedlings grow.

However, the young Dongguo Xianyang was greatly appreciated by Liu Fei, and it was obvious that gold would shine at any time. When Liu Fei recommended Dongguo Xianyang to Liu Che, Liu Che had already decided to hand over the important task of integrating the Dahan Salt Industry to him. As for Kong Wei, he is the son-in-law of the contemporary head of the Confucian family in Nanyang. Nowadays, the attitude of the Confucian family in Nanyang is extremely ambiguous, and even many clansmen secretly fund to help Nanyang salt merchants and hoard sea salt. If Kong only participates in it, even if Liu Che regrets his talents, he can't let him go.

It stands to reason that the great farmer made Cao Luan rank in Jiuqing, and as the crown prince, Liu Che was not qualified to designate a deputy for him. Even Prime Minister Yuan Ang had to seek his consent before appointing a new farmer.

However, at the banquet prepared by Liu Tong, the old Zongzheng, several important ministers of the imperial court were all present, and they learned that His Majesty the Emperor was extremely angry about the affairs of Nanyang, and specially ordered the crown prince Liu Che to handle it strictly, but he could act cheaply. In this way, the promotion of a big farmer will pass without doubt, even Liu She, the imperial historian who supervises hundreds of officials and even the emperor, is silent, and does not dare to speak out against it.

Dongguo Xianyang had just arrived at the Great Agricultural Mansion in Chang'an City and received the official uniform, so he rushed to Nanyang County non-stop, and he was the confidant of the prince Liu Che, the prince's concubine Zhang Qian and the prince's concubine Chen Cheng.

Although Dongguo Xianyang, who was newly appointed, was high-spirited, he did not dare to show arrogance in front of Zhang Qian and Chen Cheng. These two teenagers who have not yet reached the crown have too hard backgrounds. Not to mention that Zhang Qian, the prince's concubine, has reached 600 stones, and his level is not low. It is said that Chen Cheng, the prince's concubine, is the eldest grandson of Chen Yu, the secretary of the Shaofu Dynasty, and the future head of the Chen family of the Shaofu.

Zhang Qian was extremely approachable, and seeing that Dongguo Xianyang's behavior was a little too restrained, he took the initiative to find a topic and said: "This time the big farmer is carrying a heavy responsibility, I don't know if he has planned carefully?" ”

Although Dongguo Xianyang had a bit of a plan, he didn't dare to hold it up, so he just smiled slightly: "In the past few months, Nanyang salt merchants have purchased more than 4 million stone sea salt at a price of 80 yuan per stone, and it is estimated that it has cost 500 million yuan plus taxes. According to the informant's information, many salt merchants have now exhausted everything they have, and if it were not for the secret support of the iron merchants led by the Confucian family in Nanyang, I am afraid that they would have collapsed long ago. ”

Zhang Qian nodded and was silent. On the contrary, Chen Cheng said with disdain: "Just a businessman, he also dares to confront the imperial court, and now the big farmer is ordered to clean up the salt industry, and the Prime Minister's Mansion, the Imperial History Mansion and the Tingwei Mansion have all sent important ministers with a large number of officials to strictly investigate the collusion between officials and businessmen in Nanyang and the surrounding counties, what are you afraid of?" If the Kong family really doesn't know each other, is it possible that the more than 1,000 tiger guards we accompanied are vegetarians? ”

When the tiger general who was riding a horse to escort the car forward, he smiled faintly and was noncommittal. This time, more than 1,000 tiger guards went to Nanyang County to govern Wancheng with the new big farmer Chengdong Guo Xianyang, and the order they received was only to protect the safety of the officials sent to Wancheng by the imperial court, and did not let them go to the house to exterminate the clan. Of course, Zhang Qian, as the concubine of the crown prince, has the right to make decisions on the spot, but Chen Cheng, a hairy boy, can't call these tiger guards at all.

Zhang Qian also frowned helplessly, a little unhappy with Chen Cheng's slightly frivolous words and deeds. As the future head of the Chen family of Shaofu and the future butler of the Han royal family, Chen Cheng is obviously extremely inexperienced.

"It's a pity that I can't throw you to the Tiger Ben camp to hone for a while like Qin Li." Zhang Qian glanced at Chen Cheng back and forth with ill intentions, as if he was thinking about something, and had already pointed out.

When Chen Cheng heard this, he was paralyzed. Qin Li's tragic experience is very clear to him, not only was he trained half-dead in the Huben camp, but now he was also sent to the northwest to clear out the Qiang people, Chen Cheng felt miserable just thinking about it.

Dongguo Xianyang is good at observing words and feelings, and said to relieve Chen Cheng: "What Chen Jun said is not unreasonable, since the Nanyang merchants hoarded sea salt, they have gathered many local ruffians to guard the wharves and salt shops everywhere. However, if the salt merchants did not sell the sea salt to them, they used the excuse to make trouble, and many salt merchants in Qidi suffered a great loss. ”

Zhang Qian said: "Da Nong Cheng doesn't need to worry, according to His Highness's orders, if the Nanyang salt merchants buy sea salt openly, they can sell it to them as much as they want." But if it is a tribulation, as long as evidence is found, it will not hurt to exterminate his family. ”

Dongguo Xianyang couldn't help but show joy, their Dongguo family has been in business for generations, and they have been squeezed by wealthy and powerful people in the past. Now that he can use the force of the imperial court to bully others in turn, it really makes him feel like a salted fish turning over.

He stroked his beard and said excitedly: "If this is the case, I am afraid that the salt merchants of Nanyang will not be able to jump for a few days, and now that the sea salt is continuously transported to Nanyang, they will definitely be able to support them to death, and they will be obedient in the future." ”

Zhang Qian shook his head and said: "It seems that Da Nong Cheng still hasn't understood the true intention of the imperial court, it is not difficult to solve the Nanyang salt merchants, why spend so much effort?" This time it is actually to kill chickens and monkeys, and the court wants to let the merchants of the world see, even if they do not use force, they can destroy the merchants with pure businessmen's skills! ”

Dongguo Xianyang was stunned when he heard this, and said with a wry smile: "If this is the case, it is really not easy. Even if they can't afford to continue to buy it in the future, as long as the hoarded sea salt is sold at the purchase price, it will not hurt the roots, and they can even make a small profit. ”

"Who says they can sell at the purchase price? Some time ago, the imperial court had exempted all the additional taxes on the salt industry, and only collected commercial taxes. When the time comes, the Royal Industrial Group will cooperate with Da Nongcheng to start to reduce the price of sea salt significantly......" Zhang Qian lowered his voice and sneered darkly.

Dongguo Xianyang opened his mouth wide, and secretly congratulated himself in his heart that he knew about current affairs and took refuge in the royal family as soon as possible, otherwise he might really lose all his money. He calmed down, frowned again, and said: "It's just that now a large number of salt shops under the Nanyang salt merchants are closed, even if the imperial court has a large amount of cheap sea salt, it can't be sold to the people." Unless an army is sent to seize the salt store, just in this way, I am afraid that it will ruin the dignity of the imperial court. ”

Zhang Qian agreed: "Naturally, force cannot be used lightly, and the officials sent by the imperial court can only be used to deal with the ruffians who come to make trouble, and cannot forcibly plunder the merchant industry." Otherwise, the imperial court can solve the problem by sending a few military generals, so why bother to promote you to be a big farmer? The imperial court values your mastery of businessmen, and hopes that you can handle this matter more decently, so as not to cause disgust and panic among businessmen everywhere. ”

Dongguo Xianyang nodded to indicate that he had fully understood the intentions of the imperial court, and no longer spoke, but calmed down to reassess the situation, in order to carry out a series of follow-up plans immediately after arriving in Nanyang. He knows very well that only by solving the matter of Nanyang beautifully can he really sit in the high position of Da Nongcheng. If you can become a capable official in the eyes of the emperor and the crown prince, it is not an extravagant hope to go further in the future. (To be continued.) )