Chapter 70 I'm going to build a ship and get involved
Bao Zheng's justice was mostly given to the people of the Song Dynasty, leaving only a little bit for outsiders.
Bao Zheng looked at Lu Sen's happy face and asked, "Oh, are those two Semu people annoying Master Lu?"
As Bao Zheng asked the question, many people around turned their eyes over.
"If I say that I can see something unusual, will Governor Bao believe me?" Lu Sen asked with a smile.
Bao Zheng thought for a moment, then said slowly: "Sir, don't speak!"
Then he bowed and walked aside.
This was the second time Bao Zheng said "three words", which was enough to prove that he kept his distance from supernatural powers.
Lu Sen chuckled and didn't care.
Lu Sen knew a little about what kind of person Bao Zheng was. He was a good official who had his own persistence but could also work flexibly.
Lu Sen stood back next to the Prince of Runan, and further to the side were Di Qing, Cao Yi and others.
These people are now all neutral. They can take part in and manage political affairs, but they will never get involved in the struggle between the conservatives and the reformists.
Cao Yi walked over slowly and asked, "Since those two Semu people have offended Master , should we ..."
For Cao Guojiu, who came from a family of generals, if he was asked to kill two Song people for no reason, even if they were two beggars, he would openly scold you for being cold-blooded and ruthless.
Private conflicts of interest are another matter.
But when he was asked to kill two Semites, he did it without blinking an eye.
You can even dare to shout loudly in public without worrying about being investigated by the censors.
"No need." Lu Sen shook his head: "After I saw those things, the situation has changed. I just simply don't like those two people."
"Is this how to defy fate and change your destiny?" Cao Yi asked with a smile.
"Not really..." Lu Sen didn't feel very confident either.
Hearing Lu Sen's unconfident answer, everyone around him smiled, thinking that the former was really humble.
Afterwards, the morning court proceeded as usual, with the new and old factions still arguing fiercely.
The video is still being broadcast these days, but after such a long time, the people in Bianjing City have gradually become accustomed to the almost completely real scenes.
I also got used to the deep middle-aged man's voice in it.
People in the market call that kind of voice "celestial sound".
People also began to discuss the content of the images, such as the overwhelming flocks of birds, the king penguins in Antarctica that look honest but are actually very ferocious, and some nocturnal creatures.
Especially when the video was projected in a desert, the whole city of Bianjing was shocked by the fierce-looking black-footed cats.
It was no less than the first time they saw a movie.
The reason is simple: people in the Song Dynasty loved cats and loved to pet them extremely.
All wealthy families have cats.
Even Bao Zheng had two cats in his own house. After handling government affairs every day, when he returned home, this cold and iron-hearted Bao Gong in the eyes of outsiders would pet the kittens for a while.
Lu Sen still remembered that at the court the next day, Zhao Zhen excitedly said that he would send people to Africa to bring those cats back and raise them in the Song Dynasty.
And nearly half of the court officials supported this decision.
In the end, it was Master Pang and Bao Zheng who joined forces to suppress the opinions of the ministers.
Although on the surface the people in Bianjing City did not seem to have changed much, Lu Sen, an "outsider", knew very well that both the civil and military officials in the court and the common people in the market had unknowingly gained a certain understanding of this world.
The world is big.
The world is rich in resources.
There are many unowned lands waiting to be developed.
Although only the three envoys in the court had taken any action for the time being, there was already an undercurrent among the people.
Whether it is the Spice Islands, the exaggerated animal resources on the African savannah, or the gold sand and gold nuggets that can be seen everywhere in the streams on a certain continent, they all make people greedy.
At this time, the status of merchants in the Northern Song Dynasty was not too bad, so they were very enterprising.
In fact, the main force in catching sons-in-law under the list is also these wealthy merchants.
Lu Sen was still watching the show. After the court was dismissed, he walked on the street towards home.
As a result, before he even walked out of the inner city, there was a slightly plump middle-aged man waiting for him on the road he had to pass.
Seeing him coming, he took the initiative to step forward, bowed and said: "Master Lu, I have been waiting here for a long time. Could you please do me a favor and let me host you and invite you to the Fan Tower for a gathering?"
Lu Sen looked at the middle-aged man and said, "I remember you, one of the owners of Fanlou, Manager Li."
"Master Lu has a good memory." The middle-aged man said proudly, "It's just me."
"Then please." Lu Sen made a gesture for us to go together.
The two of them went up to Fanlou, and the sensible waiter of Fanlou immediately opened the best and extremely quiet private room for Lu Sen, the immortal "son-in-law".
After entering , Lu Sen sat down first, and Shopkeeper Li bowed and then sat down as well.
The main reason why Lu Sen accepted the other party's invitation was that this person was one of the white gloves of the Prince of Runan, and was a confidant. When the Prince brought Lu Sen to Fanlou for tea, he also casually introduced this person.
In the Northern Song Dynasty, officials and royal families could do some small business, but if they focused entirely on business, they would be looked down upon.
Therefore, they must cultivate people who can help them do business secretly and are loyal.
"Shopkeeper Li has a rosy complexion. It seems that he is quite happy recently."
"No, no, I dare not say that I am proud of myself in front of Master Lu." Shopkeeper Li bowed his hands, looking a little nervous: "I know that Master Lu is very busy, so I dare not say nonsense. This time I dare to invite Master Lu to come up, mainly because I have something important to ask you to listen to."
"Speak." Lu Sen poured a cup of tea for the other person and then poured one for himself.
This was a very normal action, but Shopkeeper Li seemed a little flattered.
After taking a sip of tea, he said respectfully, "It is said that the Three Envoys intend to send a fleet to the Spice Islands, and we also want to go to the Spice Islands to see if we can take a ride on the court's ship. If possible, can Master Lu help us talk to the government? We will definitely be rewarded in the future."
Lu Sen pondered for a while and asked, "Is this what Taishan meant?"
"Not really." Shopkeeper Li chuckled twice: "We are just a group of people who got together and wanted to get some benefits. Of course, we won't force it. We will work hard and pay money when necessary. We just want to make a living."
Lu Sen only believed half of what the other party said.
The Prince of Runan has strong business capabilities, so it would be strange if he couldn't see the profits from the Spice Islands.
I guess it's because as a father-in-law, it's not easy for him to ask his son-in-law these questions.
That's why Manager Li was sent over.
To be honest, Lu Sen was a little happy that Prince Runan got involved in this matter.
Because the white gloves of the Prince of Runan, such as Manager Li and others, are not completely official forces.
White gloves make money, but they will keep a portion for themselves and send the rest to the real owner.
Lu Sen hopes that the government and the public will work together to promote this matter.
Especially sea transportation.
With huge profits, they will have more courage to explore the outside world.
Then attract more people to participate in this matter.
Forming a virtuous cycle.
"In that case, let's go to the Three Officials' place and have a seat now."
After saying that, Lu Sen stood up.
Shopkeeper Li was startled: "Is it so urgent?"
"We have to discuss things anyway, so it's better to do it two days earlier than two days later." Lu Sen said with a smile as he walked, "I don't like to drag things out for too long."
My son-in-law is really decisive!
Shopkeeper Li followed Lu Sen and couldn't help but think so.
The two men went down Fan Tower and headed straight for the Sansi Envoy's Mansion.
When he arrived at the door, Lu Sen reported his identity and was soon respectfully invited into the government office.
Luo Zhao met Lu Sen in his office.
He was reviewing official documents when he saw Lu Sen coming in. He immediately stood up, clasped his fists and said with a smile, "Master Lu, it's been a short while since we retired from court. We meet again."
Lu Sen clasped his fists in return and said, "Please do not blame me for disturbing you, Luo Jixiang."
Shopkeeper Li, who was standing by, bent his waist almost to the ground and bowed deeply.
There was no way around it. Shopkeeper Li was a commoner. When he saw Luo Zhao, a fourth-rank civil official, the biggest tax chief, who was in charge of the merchants, he was like a mouse seeing a cat.
In fact, if you really think about it, Lu Sen's rank is not high, so when he meets Luo Yu, the Prime Minister, he still has to show great respect.
But Lu Sen's level of prestige is unmatched.
Who now would not admit that he has achieved success in magic?
Maybe he will become an immortal in the future.
Luo Zhao asked Lu Sen to sit down, and Manager Li could only stand behind Lu Sen.
"Master Lu, did you come here specially for the matter of the Spice Islands?" Luo Yu asked after asking someone to serve tea.
"Yes." Lu Sen put his right hand on the teacup and nodded. "I've been thinking about it these past few days and I feel that the three envoys alone may not be able to take over such a large area. It would be better to bring some more people."
Luo Yu glanced at Shopkeeper Li behind Lu Sen, then retracted his gaze and said with a smile, "Indeed, the Spice Islands are very large according to the images, but how much sincerity can Shopkeeper Li show in cooperating with my Three Envoys?"
Luo Yu also knew Manager Li, and he knew that he was one of the pawns in the hands of the Prince of Runan.
Specializes in helping the Prince of Runan run some businesses that are not easy to handle.
Manager Li swallowed his saliva and said, "We can send out thirty ten-foot boats. The cargoes carried by fifteen of them will be handed over to the Three Officials for handling."
Hearing this, Luo Yu raised his eyebrows and said in surprise: "You are willing to do it?"
A 10-zhang ship is a large ship, about 34 meters long and nine meters wide. It can carry no less than 4,000 shi (200 tons) of cargo. If spices can really be transported back from the Spice Islands, the price of fifteen ships of spices would be sky-high!
It would take some courage to just send it out like this.
"It's not a question of whether we are willing to give it up or not." Shopkeeper Li said humbly, "Without the support of the government and Prime Minister Luo Ji, we wouldn't be able to bring back even a shipload of spices."
"Hahaha!"
Luo Zhao stroked his beard with great satisfaction. He was very happy with Manager Li's tactfulness, and at the same time he admired the Prince of Runan very much.
Shopkeeper Li was so generous that he didn't believe it without the permission of the Prince of Runan.
"So the matter has been settled?" Lu Sen asked with a smile, "I wonder how the three envoys have resolved the ocean issue and the issues I mentioned before?"
"It was originally difficult." Luo Zhao said with some pride, "But now that Manager Li is here, everything is easy. They have experience in ocean-going, so just leave it to them."
After hearing this, Lu Sen thought about it for a while and felt that there should be no problem in handing the matter over to Shopkeeper Li.
Because he had recently heard that the Prince of Runan's business also included shipping.
The three envoys really made a lot of money this time.
Not only did someone help solve navigation problems, but they also directly "lent" them a boat for use.
Originally, the three envoys could mobilize no less than thirty small and medium-sized ships, plus fifteen ten-meter-long ships, so at least there would be no problem with the carrying capacity.
You can make money almost without doing anything.
Of course, the prerequisite is that they can really reach the Spice Islands and successfully transport the spices back.
"In that case, I'll get involved as well." Seeing Luo Zhao so happy, Lu Sen said, "I'll draw the sea chart later, and I'll build a big ship and lend it to you."
Luo Zhao was a little surprised when he heard this, and couldn't help asking: "Big ship, how big is it?"
"How about a fifty-meter ship?" Lu Sen chuckled and said, "It will take about 200 people to start it. As for the amount of cargo, it's hard to estimate."
A fifty-zhang ship? At that time, a ten-zhang ship was considered a large ship, so what was the concept of a fifty-zhang ship?
Luo Zhao and Shopkeeper Li both gasped at the same time.
"So, when and where Luo Jixiang sends the fleet to depart, he must inform me at least two months in advance." Seeing how surprised they were, Lu Sen smiled and continued, "It takes time to build a ship, and it has to be built by the sea. This ship is too big to travel by river."
Of course these two people understood.
The holds of river and sea vessels are not alike.
"Once the fifty-meter-long sea ship appears, it will really enhance the prestige of our Song Dynasty." Luo Zhao shook his head and said, "No, this kind of immortal ship cannot be used to transport goods! It is the right way to treat it as a dragon boat and use it to guard the northern sea area."
"Let's transport the goods first. I will also give half of the spices to the three envoys." Lu Sen looked at Luo Jixiang with a smile: "Besides, I didn't say that the ship I was going to build would be given to the court."
Luo Zhao smiled awkwardly. He just wanted to use his words to pressure Lu Sen, so that the latter would subconsciously follow his words and say that he would treat the boat as a dragon boat and give it to the court in disguise.
As a result, Lu Sen was not fooled and even wanted to laugh inside.
Build a big ship and give it to people immediately?
impossible!
He was counting on this big ship to bring back more spices, so that the staggering maritime transport income could stimulate the entire city of Bianjing and let the people of Song know that there was money to be made outside, and as long as they took the risk to go out and come back, they would be extremely rich.
After that, Lu Sen and Luo Zhao discussed some details and then left.
He returned to Aishan and spent his time with his two wives.
Luo Zhao immediately went to the palace to meet the emperor.
He repeated what Lu Sen had just said, and begged the emperor to agree as soon as possible to their three envoys forming a fleet to go to the Spice Islands.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was no concept of keeping intelligence confidential.
All decisions made in the court meeting will be known to everyone in the city in the afternoon.
Even military decisions are rarely kept secret.
Not to mention that Lu Sen wanted to build a 'fifty-zhang' immortal ship.
Luo Zhao came out from the office, and then the news was "leaked".
In less than half a day, everyone in the entire Bianjing city knew about it.
Then... many merchants took action and used their connections everywhere to buy a few ships so that they could follow the imperial fleet.
Since even Master Lu is optimistic about the business, of course they have to follow suit.
Only a fool wouldn’t follow!
