"The Xu family can't fall after all." Li Chunfang was half-lying on the couch, loosely dressed, and holding a miscellaneous book for recreation. Of course, he was overjoyed when he saw the mantle disciple come to visit, and he was even more relieved to hear Li Teng tell about his trip to Liaodong.

Li Teng said: "Xu Jinglian's loss is not obvious. The disciples came into contact with him for a long time and found that his current writing skills were probably not enough to take the township exam. ”

Li Teng said very politely. In fact, in his opinion, Xu Yuanzuo was able to pass the county exam because he had a good teacher who protected his shortcomings, he was able to skip the government exam because he had a good grandfather, and he was able to pass the aisle exam because he found another way to ask for archaeology, which happened to hit Xu Yuanzuo's knife edge. Therefore, Xu Yuanzuo can mix with a living person, but it is really a blind cat that bumps into a dead mouse. This kind of luck is no longer possible, let alone passing the township examination, I am afraid that he is not even qualified to participate in the township examination with his talent and learning.

Li Chunfang said: "No need. His eldest brother Xu Yuanchun and Xu Zhenheng have already won the promotion this year, and their ranking is quite high. I have also read his current writings, and his skills are solid, although his pen power is insufficient, he is taking the light and spiritual path of the Zhejiang school. If there are no accidents, next year's Lianjie Emperor List will be visible. ”

Li Teng suddenly realized: "I see." Then the Xu family really can't do it. If Xu Yuanchun can choose Shu Jishi, maybe he can have another pavilion assistant. ”

What a huge impact the Jinshi House has on the local community! Not to mention the Xu family, a wealthy family of three generations and two jinshi. Longqing's five-year examination is another opportunity for Zhang Juzheng to harvest protégés, if Xu Yuanchun is in high school, the relationship between the Xu and Zhang families will be closer. As long as it does not prevent Zhang Juzheng from realizing his ambitions, he is generally a person who takes care of his feelings.

Li Chunfang shook his head and said, "Ge Fu is not easy to say. And Xu Huating may not be able to avoid this level. ”

Li Teng was puzzled: "Isn't the matter of "Gusu Times" already over? ”

Li Chunfang said slowly: "Gao Gong has never been tolerant of people, although the report is not loud, it also makes him lose face. If the old man is in the court, he will definitely drive the old man away first. Now that the old man has become a master, he only needs to concentrate on revenge on Huating. The result of reporting the case was to urge him to do it quickly. ”

Li Teng suddenly realized. Said: "The disciple who reported the case also heard about it, but he didn't know what it was, and he didn't know why there was such a reversal. On the way here, I also heard that the richest man in Gusu was also implicated, and he was detained in the yamen at an old age. ”

Li Chunfang smiled and didn't say much. He knew that someone was behind it. This method is so clean and neat, and there is also a sentence of "the shadow of the moon under the clouds in the sky", it seems to be the handwriting of an old man. Considering that this old man is under the Xu family, then the answer is obvious. But he also knew that this old man seemed to be easy-going and gentle, but he was not a person who was willing to bow his head and surrender. Xu Yuanzuo is not in Songjiang, but he is willing to take the initiative to take this burden, and obviously has a very high opinion of Xu Yuanzuo.

This old man Li Teng actually knew Wu Chengen, who was in Li Chunfang's curtain. It's just that Li Teng didn't know that Wu Chengen still had this kind of means, and he couldn't think of Old Master Wu anyway. Seeing that the master refused to speak. Li Teng didn't ask any more questions, and retired after a few gossips. As for going to Songjiang to help Xu Yuanzuo make cement and gunpowder in a few days, he hadn't figured out how to tell his master.

Could it be that I want to be Xu Yuanzuo's younger brother?

It's also too shameless.

Li Teng was still a little entangled in his heart. However, Xu Yuanzuo obviously had some goods in his stomach and ate him to death. After observing the journey from Beijing to Liaodong, Li Teng found that Xu Yuanzuo always had a way to make others have an "illusion": we are both prosperous and lossy.

First found this position, and then, with his own tongue and capital, he easily became a leader. Even if he refuses to be the leader on the surface. Others still ask him to be. At the beginning, I always felt that it was due to Xu Ge Lao, but we have been together for a long time. found that even if Xu Ge Lao's face was not considered, Xu Yuanzuo was also a very good partner.

- Maybe this is the spirit of a king?

Li Teng said secretly.

……

Xu Yuanzuo returned to Tang Xing from Huating, and listened to Cheng Zai's report on the collection of summer taxes in his base camp, the humble Renshoutang Office.

Just like last year's autumn grain, this year's Huating summer tax was also covered by Renshoutang. For the Jiangnan provinces, the most important thing in the summer tax is raw silk. Suzhou and Hangzhou all have weaving yamen, and the eunuchs are mercenary and difficult to speak, so it is also a headache for the local government.

This year, Renshoutang came forward and won the battle again in the collection of summer tax, allowing Zheng Yue to pass the test smoothly. The greater harvest is besides the silver. There is also the "friendship" of the Yamen clerks. After the two cooperations, everyone felt that Renshoutang was in place, and there was no bullying - the secretary felt that he was still a vulnerable group in front of the local wealthy families. In particular, the income is obviously higher than that of other large households, and the grain households even feel that Renshoutang is very benevolent, with fewer bad rules than other people's families, and the floating income is much less. is so happy up and down, naturally even the matter of the next autumn grain has been finalized.

"In addition to selling to Xu's Silk Company, we have sold everything else to sea guests." Cheng Zai said: "I have already received the money." ”

Xu Yuanzuo said: "This thing is done beautifully. He took out the report of the Xu family silk line again, although it was not very ideal, but it had doubled several times compared to when Xu Kun was in charge, and Wang Laoshi seemed to be doing things with money and did not cut corners. Only a small part of this silk was used in the production of high-quality fabrics, and most of the rest were sold as raw materials to maritime merchants to Japan and Southeast Asia.

Xu Yuanzuo calculated the profits, in fact, the Japanese route should be run by itself. However, there are too few ocean-going ships now, and there is really no way to get involved, so I can only obediently be a material supplier.

Cheng Zai said again: "Brother Zuo, there is something I want you to know. ”

"What's so serious?" Xu Yuanzuo smiled.

Cheng Zai said more rigorously: "Some shareholders in the Lower Exploration Hall secretly sold dividends to outsiders. ”

Xu Yuanzuo frowned slightly: Is this a spontaneous stock trading market?

Cheng Zai thought that Xu Yuanzuo failed to understand what was going on, and explained: "They privately made a white deed, and outsiders bought the dividend shares of my Renshoutang shares with a few silver taels. For example, after collecting the summer tax this time, one share can get ten taels of silver, and the dividends they bought for one tael of silver earlier can earn nine taels for nothing. ”

Xu Yuanzuo nodded: "I understand." This kind of technique is not uncommon in later generations, sometimes not only for dividends, but also for anonymous investment. The need for practical control. If there is a big case, the nominal shareholder will have to suffer a lawsuit, but the actual controller behind it can easily get rid of the involvement.

Of course, it seems that it should still be the most basic investment dividend behavior. For the shareholders of Renshoutang, the risk was avoided and the cash was obtained in advance. For purchasers. Although they took some of the risks, such as the amount of dividends being lower than the amount invested, it is clear that their investment is still profitable.

"Everyone knows that my Renjudo can make money." Xu Yuanzuo said with a smile.

"I'm afraid it's not that I believe in Renshoutang, but I believe that you can make money." Cheng Zai held it just right, smiling.

Xu Yuanzuo also smiled: "If that's the case, then it's the best." In fact, this matter is not a big problem, and shareholders who do this kind of thing must also have their own difficulties. We can be considerate. However, the articles of association are the articles of association, and if they are agreed at the beginning, the shareholders have the right of first refusal. They go directly to outsiders to buy bonuses, which is not in accordance with the rules. You've got to bang it. ”

Cheng Zai nodded and said, "The student understands." ”

"Also, remember what I said about the bank, right?" Xu Yuanzuo said: "At the beginning, I was afraid that the backer would be unstable, so I stopped. ”

Cheng Zai was puzzled, what does this have to do with the matter of buying and selling stock bonuses.

"If there is a bank, you can leave the matter of buying and selling shares to it." Xu Yuanzuo sighed and said, "This is also a great deal. ”

Cheng Zai remembers that at that time, he was not only worried that the backer was not reliable enough, but also that there was a shortage of manpower. He said: "Today, there are more than 200 students in the School of Economics. ”

It's okay if he doesn't say it. said the numbers, but it made Xu Yuanzuo feel a headache. The pace of talent training is too slow. Obviously, the population base is not small, but it is a headache to expand. However, this is a big improvement compared to last year.

"Come on." Xu Yuanzuo said.

Cheng Zai laughed. He didn't know how Zuo Ge'er came up with this "come on", but intuitively, everything with oil must be lubricated. The originally dry things can slip past, and it's really quite vivid.

After finishing the report, Cheng Zai went out to "come on". In any case, the oil and water at home are getting more and more abundant, which is the result of Xu Jinglian's refueling.

Xu Yuanzuo waited for Cheng Zai to leave. After looking at Renshoutang's report again, he filed the documents and asked Mei Chenggong to take them to the warehouse.

Now Renshoutang's income is the majority of the Xu family. Cloth is a traditional industry, in a stable state of income, no need to rush to change. The silk line has just had a little sprout, so let it grow first. The role of the salon in Xia Wei New Garden is becoming more and more prominent, and those who want to join the club will have a very high fee, but this is just a false price, and there is no income if there is no place to give up. Xu Yuanzuo also considered whether to appropriately relax the market flow of membership. However, it is better to wait for the spring of next year to come out and see what new Jinshi are in Nanzhi and Zhejiang provinces, and membership is also a good "gift".

Xu Yuanzuo sorted out the Xu family's industry and his own industry one by one in his mind, and they were all quite satisfactory. This is also an inevitable thing, if there is a germ of capitalism in the Ming Dynasty, it is also the germ of bureaucratic capitalism. Of course, this sprout actually started in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty can only be regarded as an inheritance.

According to the textbook definition, bureaucratic capitalism is a form of capitalism that seeks rents through power for the purpose of obtaining excessive profits. In the Ming Dynasty, even power rent-seeking has weakened, and as long as you are a member of the bureaucracy, you can naturally enjoy excess profits. This has become a class privilege.

If Xu Yuanzuo does not have a higher pursuit, just by taking advantage of the political status of the Xu family in Huating, it is enough to become the richest man in Jiangnan, or even higher. However, if he wants to go further, he will face the bottleneck of bureaucratic capitalism: the reduction of social and economic efficiency.

If you can earn money lying down, who would think about pushing productivity?

Xu Yuanzuo sometimes slacks off: Anyway, his water is always sent by someone when he is ordered, so why build a water pipe.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuanzuo still stood up, and for the first time found that his ambition was so great that it was not something that a huge amount of silver taels could satisfy. No matter when and where, he pursues self-realization, not simply "making money".

To change the world!

And of course, to make more money!

Xu Yuanzuo walked to the window, took a deep breath, and suddenly found that the mica sheet on the window frame was so backward and low-level, not as transparent as glass at all. The wind blowing in from the window still carried a strong summer dry air, which made people who had just returned from the cool Liaodong couldn't help but be anxious - I didn't even make an air conditioner.

- Looks like there's still a lot to do!

Xu Yuanzuo said secretly in his heart, and turned his head around, but it was the report and work report sent by the machinery factory. In terms of income, the machinery factory is not bad, which greatly improves the manufacturing speed of textile machines and reduces costs, so that the middle class also dares to borrow money to buy machines. This can also be seen in the income of the cloth shop, the number of fabrics collected in the second quarter of this year has increased significantly compared with the same period.

This can be regarded as liberating the productive forces to some extent, but it does not substantially promote the development of the productive forces.

Xu Yuanzuo secretly said in his heart: Should we invest more money in technology research and development?

Any modern person knows the importance of technology research and development, and many people have even experienced it themselves: many large-scale state-owned enterprises, precisely because of the lack of attention to technology research and development, have lost to emerging private enterprises. However, as Xu Yuanzuo realized, in the context of bureaucratic capitalism, if a simple expansion of production can bring huge profits, why is it necessary to invest large sums of money in scientific and technological research and development?

The first is that the benefits are very problematic, the second is that the cycle is too long, and finally there is the issue of intellectual property protection.

It's not easy for a businessman to come up with this idea.

Xu Yuanzuo returned to the Huanghuali chair, settled down, spread out the rice paper, and picked up the pen to paint.

Soon, as the ink on the nib of the pen flowed, a strange set of machinery emerged on the paper.

It was a hollow metal ball, and an airtight pot filled with water, joined together by two hollow tubes. As illustrated, the operator heats the bottom of the pot to bring the water inside to a boil. The water vapour enters the metal ball from the hollow tube, and finally the water vapour is ejected from two nozzles on the hollow metal ball, causing the ball to rotate.

It is a gadget invented by humans in the first century AD, and its creator was Heroh of ancient Greece. Compared to the steam organ, vending machine, syringe invented by this Hiro...... The spinner ball is just a purely ornamental toy, without any utility, but this thing is the ancestor of the steam engine in later generations, and it is the proof that human beings consciously used steam power for the first time.

Xu Yuanzuo put down the pen, moved his wrist, and said secretly in his heart: There will be no problem with releasing this beast so early, right?

*

*

The End of the Volume

*

*Ask for a monthly pass, ask for a recommended ticket~!

*(To be continued.) )

PS: Ask for a recommended ticket, ask for a monthly pass~!