Although Li Lu and Wan Wendong have been entertained with delicious food and drink, they have been in Runing Mansion for so long that they have waited a little like they have been thanked. Just when they were waiting anxiously, Li Lu received a notice from Chang Meng and asked Li Lu to go to Wu Shigong's family banquet alone. The briefing gave both of them a sigh of relief. They understood that Wu Shigong finally had a result here. Even if it is rejected by Wu Shigong, it is much better than waiting endlessly!

As expected, Wu Shigong was at the family banquet, and after the three rounds of wine, he immediately told Li Lu the theme of today's family banquet: "Brother Li, our family will not talk to each other. You've been waiting here for so long these days, and you should know that it's a bit troublesome to ask your younger brother's Runing battalion to send troops. The younger brother doesn't hide it from Brother Li, about sending troops, the younger brother's subordinates are very controversial! ”

Seeing that Li Lu wanted to argue, Wu Shigong made a gesture, stopped Li Lu's words and said, "What's the key? The key is that the miners who are making trouble are powerful. Brother Li also fought against those troubled miners, and he also knew their strength. The younger brother's subordinates are afraid that after the troops are dispatched, the casualties of the soldiers of our Runing battalion will be too great. ”

"But after all, the younger brother and Brother Li are a family, and if Brother Li is in trouble, it is not good for the younger brother not to lend a hand. Therefore, under the persuasion of the younger brother, Zuihou our Runing battalion still decided to send troops. ”

"But the little brother doesn't live alone, and he also has to give an account to his subordinates. Therefore, the benefits that should be collected by this army are always inevitable. To tell the truth, thousands of miles of officials are only for money, and without silver, it is difficult to say anything. Besides, Brother Li is also a matchmaker in the middle, so Brother Li's share should also be taken into account. ”

"That's it!" Wu Shigong's words went to Li Lu's heart, "How many benefits does the brother-in-law want?" ”

"The younger brother doesn't like to give up halfway, and the younger brother doesn't like to pit his friends and fatten himself. So this time, they came to entrust the younger brother, if the younger brother opened his mouth, the younger brother would be too dangerous, and it would be too unrighteous to do things. So the younger brother came up with a way to benefit both sides. ”

"You say!" Li Lu also became interested in Wu Shigong's method.

"That's what the younger brother thinks. If the younger brother drives away the bandits and takes back the iron mines, those iron mines must be integrated to form a large iron mine. And the younger brother also has to have a share in it. ”

After listening to Wu Shigong's words, Li Lu also nodded and said, "Since my brother-in-law said it so thoroughly, I won't hide it from you, big brother." This time, Wan Yuan came out to find his brother-in-law, and he was also prepared for the iron ore to be given to his brother-in-law. I also told my brother-in-law that their possible bottom line was to give my brother-in-law 20%. ”

Wu Shigong smiled slightly when he heard this. The purpose of his family banquet today was to find out the bottom line of the negotiations of those private mine bosses, and now that purpose has obviously been basically achieved. However, Wu Shigong of course understands that this is not the ultimate bottom line of the private mine bosses, because they will never completely reveal their hole cards in front of Li Lu.

So Wu Shigong pretended to be a little dissatisfied and said: "Those old people are too picky." They've all lost the iron ore, and they're still so concerned about what they don't have anymore. Can such conditions be sincere? ”

"Then what are the conditions of the brother-in-law? It's not hard to talk about. ”

"At least three and a half. Brother Li, don't be idle, half of this is considered by the younger brother for you. ”

Wu Shigong's words made Li Lu smile. Wu Shigong wanted to achieve this goal, give Li Lu some benefits, and let Li Lu help him put pressure on Wan Wendong and these private mine bosses.

Wu Shigong continued: "The younger brother still has a few conditions. One is that in addition to the iron mine, the younger brother will also contribute a part of the silver to build an iron-making workshop with the gentry outside the ten thousand people. And in this ironmaking workshop, the younger brother's share is about to take the lion's share. ”

"You ask those people outside the ten thousand people to think about it, how much silver can be obtained from selling iron ore? Or do you get more money from selling iron? In addition, the younger brother's trading houses have some outlets in Guide and Runing Mansions, as well as on both sides of the canal, and the output of this iron ore will also be greatly increased. The future income of these gentry will definitely not be less than the previous income. ”

"Also, the younger brother knows that there is a saltpeter mine in the iron mine. More than 50% of this saltpeter mine will also belong to the younger brother. The younger brother knew that no one had come to buy the saltpeter before, so it was thrown in the barren mountains and wilderness and no one cared about it. In the future, the output of the saltpeter mine will also be purchased at seventy percent of the market price. To tell the truth, this is also a gift of silver from the gentry outside the ten thousand people! ”

Li Lu listened to Wu Shigong's words, the look on his face also softened, and he said to Wu Shigong with a smile: "My brother-in-law has such generous conditions, and if I can't talk about it anymore, it's too faceless." ”

Wu Shigong also laughed with Li Lu for a while, and then said to Li Lu: "But in this matter, Brother Li also has to promise the younger brother a condition. ”

"Oh? My brother-in-law has something to ask me for, so let's talk about it. As long as my brother and I can do it, it is absolutely obligatory. ”

"If the younger brother is lucky enough to recover the iron ore this time, he must ensure that the iron ore will not be able to stop production in the future, won't it cut off our financial route? But this time the mining work was chaotic, and it is difficult to guarantee that the miners will not be chaotic in the future. There is no reason for this thousand-year-old thief prevention. ”

"Therefore, the younger brother asked Brother Li to give up some soldiers, and the younger brother sent some soldiers, nominally hanging under Brother Li's account, so that these soldiers could maintain the stability of the iron mine."

"But Brother Li, please rest assured, the food and salary allocated by the court to Brother Li, the younger brother will not take a penny, and it will all belong to Brother Li. And the food and wages of these soldiers were paid by the younger brother. ”

"And how many soldiers are you going to send?"

"Of course, the more the merrier. But we are all a family, if Brother Li is really in trouble here, these soldiers can also help Brother Li. ”

Li Lu rolled his eyes and thought about it for a while, he thought it out: "I came to Henan to be an official to make a fortune, and I didn't come to fight, why do you want so many soldiers?" ”

"Now that there are Wu Shigong's soldiers to replenish, then Li Lu himself can justifiably eat empty salaries, so why not do it? Besides, Wu Shigong is always his relative, and no matter what he does, he won't cheat himself. ”

So Li Lu, who had figured it out, immediately smiled and said, "Since my brother-in-law has said so, of course I have to support my brother!" There are still 300 personal soldiers around my brother, and the rest of the soldiers are arranged by my brother-in-law? I can't let my brother-in-law suffer too much, and it would be too much if the salaries of those soldiers were to be solved by them outside the ten thousand soldiers. However, the soldiers should also bear the food and grass. ”

Seeing that Li Lu agreed, Wu Shigong said in Zuihou: "The younger brother is a martial artist, not a businessman. So I ask Brother Li to say to Wan Yuanwai that the above conditions must either be agreed to or not. The younger brother doesn't like someone to bargain. If you don't agree, then the junior brother Runing Battalion will definitely not send troops. ”

"However, let the gentry outside the ten thousand people also relax. The younger brother has never done anything like crossing the river and demolishing the bridge. Let Wan Yuanwai go to Runing Mansion and Guide Mansion to inquire, the cooperation between the younger brother and the gentry has never done anything to break their promises. ”

Li Lu nodded, Wu Shigong's reputation for credibility was indeed spread very loudly among the local gentry in Henan. Otherwise, these private mine bosses outside the ten thousand people would not dare to seek skin with the tiger and discuss with Wu Shigong to recover the private mines.

Li Lu also assured Wu Shigong: "My brother-in-law is so conditional, if they still have to bargain, my brother and I will not be the first to look at it." Brother-in-law, don't worry, this matter is on my brother and me. ”

Unconsciously, Li Lu was completely on the same side as Wu Shigong.

The atmosphere of the family banquet suddenly relaxed, so the two began to talk about some past events and ups and downs in the capital. As he spoke, Wu Shigong said to Li Lu: "Little brother, there is still a way to make a fortune here, thinking about Brother Li." The younger brother has a salt farm in Yangzhou......"

The laughter of the two of them echoed in the room.

And after the family banquet, after Li Lu told Wan Wendong about Wu Shigong's conditions, Wan Wendong was a little relieved. Because Wu Shigong put forward such high conditions, this shows that Wu Shigong will not regret this matter.

This time I came to Runing Mansion, in fact, those private mine bosses had already handed over the power of negotiation to Wan Wendong. Therefore, after Wan Wendong repeatedly weighed the pros and cons, and also under the beating of drums on Li Lu's side, Wan Wendong finally fully agreed to Wu Shigong's conditions the next day.