Chapter 469: Golden Leaf
After Lu Youpeng sent Duan Xiaolin away, he came to see him and asked why they had to come up with such a complicated exchange of old weapons for new ones. Was it really just to cover up the fact that we were exporting weapons to Dali?
Zhao Yulin pointed at the tea bowl and asked him to have some tea, and asked with a smile if he felt thirsty after being busy for most of the day.
He told Lao Lu: As our tools are constantly improved, the quality of the steel and the overall accuracy of the newly made weapons have been greatly improved. Why should we sell such high-quality weapons to our opponents?
If the young emperor of Dali gets hot-headed and comes to fight us again, at least the quality of our border defense weapons should be better than theirs.
Lu Youpeng let out a long sigh and said: So that's how it is, there's always something I want.
He said: "They are still two different countries now, how can we know what will happen in the future? Although these weapons look exactly the same, it is only in appearance."
The materials used to make our weapons have changed dramatically, and the quality of new weapons is definitely better than before. In the first half of the year, we fought against Android in Lingzhou. The old muskets were deformed and damaged due to long-term high temperatures after continuous firing. This situation would not have been discovered if it had not been used.
But it would be dangerous if we only found this problem on the battlefield. At the least, it would lead to the failure of a war, and at the worst, it would lead to the failure of a country's struggle for national destiny.
He asked Lao Lu to explain to Tan Yousan the principles of distribution of new weapons, and told Miao Gui that in the future all obsolete old weapons should be transported to the south for preparation for war or export.
Lao Lu understood the logic and agreed immediately. He took a sip of tea and left happily.
The next day, Zhao Yuqing came to him excitedly and asked what kind of livelihood his third brother was going to provide.
Zhao Yulin took him to find the old scholar and said that his livelihood was with his father.
Zhao Yuqing frowned and said, "Dad is angry now. Why are you looking for him?" As he spoke, he followed .
The two of them came to the courtyard where his father lived. The old scholar was wrapping cigarettes on the stone table under the osmanthus tree. When he saw Zhao Yulin, he immediately smiled and said, "Come and teach me quickly, I can't wrap it well."
Zhao Yulin sat down and skillfully cut the paper, applied glue, and spread the tobacco in one go. He easily wrapped three cigarettes and cut them neatly with scissors, then gave them to his father and Zhao Yuqing, then lit them up and started smoking.
The old scholar immediately used a fire stick to light the cigarette in his hand, and after skillfully blowing out two smoke rings, he asked Zhao Yuqing to light it up, "Light it up." "What a good thing! It was sent by Ma Yiguo."
Zhao Yuqing was still waiting for Zhao Yulin to make money for him, so he picked up the cigarette and lit it helplessly. He started coughing after taking just two puffs.
Zhao Yulin said that it was always like this the first time, but he would feel better after smoking two cigarettes.
The old scholar also said cheerfully, "Yes, yes, yes, I want to have a second cigarette after I have had one. Wrap some more for me."
While wrapping a cigarette for him, Zhao Yulin said that smoking too much is harmful to the body. I told you in advance that you should smoke sparingly, Dad, there is not much tobacco left.
The old scholar was displeased and asked him if he could get him some more. He immediately said that he knew that it was a cigarette to wake up in the morning and a cigarette to help him sleep soundly before going to bed at night.
Zhao Yulin felt amused that he had become addicted in just a few days.
After teaching the old man to wrap two cigarettes, he said to Zhao Yuqing: This is the livelihood you want to earn. Big brother, go to Guiyang and find some land to grow these tobacco leaves. I guarantee you will make money.
Zhao Yuqing looked at the tobacco on the table with disappointment, and murmured that he thought it was a good job, but it turned out to be farming.
When the old scholar heard that he asked Zhao Yuqing to grow tobacco, he was overjoyed. He scolded Zhao Yuqing and told him that tobacco was the top-grade tribute that the Mayi Kingdom paid to the New Song Dynasty, so he knew nothing about it.
If this thing is made, it will definitely make a lot of money.
Zhao Yulin convinced the old scholar so that he would no longer worry about his elder brother. He said that it would be within five years, and he would give his elder brother 30,000 strings of cash to help him grow tobacco in Guiyang. If he could not earn 500,000 strings of cash after five years, he would ask Ma Ling'er to make up the difference.
The old scholar said happily that this was right. He was unfamiliar with Guiyang and no one knew his past. He could just grow tobacco leaves peacefully for five years and then come back with 500,000 strings of cash in his hands. It would be a huge amount of capital for any other business he wanted to start.
Seeing that Zhao Yuqing was still hesitating, he told him that he would only give him five years, and at most one more year. After six years, whether it made money or not, the business would be nationalized. Because this was a tribute from Mayi Country to the New Song Dynasty, the rights to the seeds belonged to the court. If someone in the Central Council proposed to take it back to the government, he, the deputy envoy of the Central Council, would not be able to stop it.
When Zhao Yuqing heard that tobacco was so magical, he began to believe it. He told Zhao Yulin that he had to go to Jiangbei to discuss with his sister-in-law before deciding when to set off.
Zhao Yulin let him make his own decision and spend the money from Si Niang, and never do anything illegal again.
Zhao Yuqing nodded embarrassedly and left.
He reported to the old scholar that he was also going to Chengdu as the New Year was approaching and he had a lot of things to do.
His father then showed a skeptical look and asked him: Can you really make a lot of money by growing tobacco?
Just now he was afraid that the boss would not agree, so he deliberately exaggerated the efficacy of tobacco. Can he really make a lot of money?
Haha, even though this old man enjoys smoking, he still doesn’t believe that the grass grown in the fields can generate such high profits.
Zhao Yulin asked him to imagine how much tobacco could be made from one leaf, how many leaves a tobacco plant had, and how much tobacco could be made?
The pricing power of such unique cigarettes is in our own hands. We can set the price as high as we want, and making money is not certain.
After listening to his detailed explanation, the old scholar suddenly understood everything and nodded in agreement.
Zhao Yulin said: This kind of monopoly and profiteering business is not allowed to be owned exclusively by individuals. It must be run by the government and special tobacco taxes must be collected. Otherwise, the wealth will be taken away by unscrupulous businessmen for nothing.
The New Song Dynasty would never allow this to happen.
The old scholar was immediately surprised that his son was so far-sighted in thinking.
He asked again: Then why let Yuqing plant it?
Zhao Yulin said: "It hasn't been pushed yet, this is called eating crabs. If we tell other people this truth, will they believe it?"
Brother Yuqing was skeptical.
Not necessarily.
Who is willing to invest huge amounts of money just to grow grass and believe that they can make money? Are the leaves that grow gold?
No one will believe it.
Although crabs are delicious, the process of catching and steaming crabs is very dangerous. If you are not careful, the crabs may pinch your fingers and make them bleed.
So, this is called trying something new, and this is also an opportunity for Brother Yuqing. Only we know that tobacco will definitely be popularized and become a man's favorite. We know that only Guiyang can grow the best tobacco leaves, so he has to make money.
The old scholar became more and more excited as he listened, and was even more surprised when Zhao Yulin told him that he only knew that the best tobacco leaves could be grown in Guiyang. He asked him: This tobacco is still in Leizhou, how did Saner know that the best tobacco leaves can only be grown in Guiyang?
Zhao Yulin was stunned immediately, knowing that he had said something wrong again. He smiled and said that the secret could not be revealed. He knew that Guiyang's climate and soil were suitable for growing tobacco leaves, and it could definitely produce the best tobacco leaves at the time.
The old scholar found it amazing the more he listened, and he decided to go to Guiyang in person to help Zhao Yuqing grow tobacco.
Haha, that’s a story for later.
Two days later, Zhao Yulin returned to Chengdu. The streets and alleys in the city were being repaired and cleaned in preparation for the New Year.
Ma Linger took it at the gate with a big smile and told him that banks had been fully opened in Jiangdong, and that the new currency was still as strong as before after issuing 20 million new coins. There was no devaluation as his brother was worried about.
He hugged the woman and walked towards the backyard, saying as he walked that it was the best that there was no one, which showed that the financial manager of our New Song Dynasty was well managed and the country was strong.
The woman was delighted and she shuffled on his shoulder, enjoying this rare moment of happiness.
He helped Ma Ling'er in, only to see several wives sitting in the warm room. Yang Jin immediately said that Ma Ling'er was not a child but was still acting cute, but that posture was obviously not fake, she was completely in the mood, thumbs up.
Ma Linger laughed happily. Oh, these women usually exchanged these feelings about the future at home, and they were already familiar with the words.
The family was enjoying a rare moment of relaxation when a guard came in to report: The king wants to invite my brother and Madam Yangjin to go to Courtyard No. 9 immediately to discuss urgent matters in Liangzhe.
Yangjin stood up and bowed to Ma Ling'er, telling her to sit down and rest, saying it was her turn. Then she pulled Ma Ling to sit down, took Zhao Yulin's hand and walked out.
Zhao Yulin muttered: We just got home and there's no need for me to rest.
Yangjin bit his neck and said: His concubine is calling you, why don’t you go quickly.
The two of them arrived at the conference hall and saw that all the gentlemen were there. Zhao Feiyan also invited Mr. Ding, Mr. Li and Lao Cao from Taijiantang to attend.
This was Feiyan's habit. Whenever she discussed the affairs of Liangzhe, she would always call them to discuss the matter together.
Mr. Ding said happily that his brother had been in Yibin for two months and he missed him so much.
Zhao Yulin was drinking tea and almost spit out something when he heard this. He thought the old man became more humorous as he got older. He smiled and asked Ding Gong, "Isn't that so exaggerated?"
Li Gong and Lao Cao were both helping to speak: Really, Ding Gong has been nagging why Yulin brother hasn't come back yet? There have been many happy events in the New Song Kingdom recently, so he wanted to have a drink together and have some fun.
Shunzhidi has already distributed the agenda to everyone. While Zhao Yulin was reading the agenda, he also looked at the king Zhao Feiyan who was sitting in the main seat. I was also staring at him with resentment.
That look seemed to be blaming him for sending a weak woman to the throne and letting her be treated coldly. What a cruel man.
Zhao Yulin quickly withdrew his consciousness and focused on the topic.
Zhao Feiyan coughed twice and said: Ever since our Central Court announced it to the world and everyone spoke out, the situation in Liangzhe Road has evolved very quickly during this period of time. It is not an exaggeration to say that it changes three times a day.
Earlier, Qingyuan Prefecture had already voluntarily submitted to our New Song Dynasty, and we just received news that Wenzhou had also raised the flag to submit. In addition, a large number of knowledgeable people entered Shanghaipu in Huating County and sneaked across the border into Fujian and Jiangxi. It is roughly estimated that at least 30% of the officials and wealthy families in Liangzhe Road have surrendered to our New Song Dynasty.
The Central Council needs to discuss the next countermeasures: should it immediately advance troops to directly occupy Liangzhe, or continue to squeeze Liangzhe's living space?
