This Northern Song Dynasty is a bit weird

Chapter 144 The Apprentice
At night, on the inland river of Hangzhou City, there are bright painted boats floating, and the lights are feasting and feasting.

As an important economic center, Hangzhou's nightlife culture is not much worse than that of Beijing, and in some respects it is even more 'advanced'.

But if you really want to talk about nightlife culture, Yangzhou is actually the most powerful.

The famous, or notorious Yangzhou thin horse, is said to have had a basic prototype training system since the Northern Song Dynasty, and it was only developed after the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

There is no way, Yangzhou has always been a gathering place for salt merchants. These people are extremely wealthy, and they have too much money and can't spend it. They will make some weird, even bottomless things to satisfy their empty souls.

If the rich merchants in Hangzhou still need to go to sea to earn profits, these salt merchants can eat enough to eat by lying on the salt grains.

There is also a chain of contempt among wealthy businessmen.

Most merchants discriminate against salt merchants, thinking that they can only concoct table salt, relying on the salt monopoly privilege issued by the imperial court to do business, without any technical content, they are pure upstarts.

It is probably equivalent to the feeling that modern e-commerce companies secretly despise coal bosses.

Hong Shizhong was a salt merchant from Yangzhou.

Three ships of yellow salt and one ship of green salt brought to Hangzhou City are exaggerated profits.

Although Hangzhou is close to the sea, the technology of drying sea salt was not popular during the Northern Song Dynasty, and few people in Hangzhou City had the privilege of 'selling salt'.

Even though it is a harbor city, it still has to import salt from outside.

It only took a few days to sell out the four boats of salt. Hong Shizhong bought two expensive treasures in the Qizhen Pavilion in Hangzhou City, and then came to Xiangyang Palace.

Ordinary salt merchants are not qualified to ask to see the prince, but after Hong Shizhong handed over a token, he was qualified to enter.

After half a stick of incense, Hong Shizhong saw the King of Xiangyang. Even though he was sitting, his back was bent, and even his face was full of charming smiles.

"My lord, Xin Wang ordered me to bring a letter to you old man." After speaking, Hong Shizhong stood up, bent down and handed over a light yellow envelope respectfully: "I said that I would like to read it when there is no one around."

King Xiangyang was taken aback for a moment, and then said: "This king knows, is there anything else?"

"My lord! I brought two skinny horses from Yangzhou. They are the best goods in our Yangzhou in the past three years. I feel honored to see my lord's face this time, so I thought of the best goods. Naturally, I have to give A true gentleman will do."

Skinny horse... King Xiangyang was slightly taken aback.

Although Yangzhou Shouma is not very famous at this time, it has already been said among some high-ranking officials and nobles who have hobbies in this area.

He thought for a while, and said, "You have a heart. After it gets dark, send people in through the side door. By the way, what's your name?"

"The villain's name is Hong Shizhong." The salt merchant was very happy, he knew that he had successfully connected with King Xiangyang.

"I remember it." King Xiangyang picked up the teacup.

It was time to see off the guests, Hong Shizhong immediately got up and left.

After coming out of Xiangyang Prince's Mansion, he was very happy.

Those who can get the salt monopoly generally have a background in the capital.

Behind him is King Xin, and now he has successfully hooked up with the prince of Hangzhou, and the road will be wider in the future.

This person is happy, even his body seems to be a little lighter.

He staggered and walked back to the hotel where he was temporarily staying, and led the two beautiful little girls out, planning to buy some better clothes for them and dress them up.

Although generally Yangzhou thin horses are raised with rich clothes and fine food when they are cultivated, and there are also various literary and artistic talents, but that is only for the general dignitaries. If they are sent to the King of Xiangyang, their clothes should be It needs to be better.

The two little girls timidly followed behind Hong Shizhong, their expressions full of bewilderment.

They already knew their fate, and they were probably going to be given away, so they were in a state of anxiety.

Hong Shizhong took them to the best cloth store in Hangzhou City. As soon as he entered the door, he was surprised by the rainbow silk hanging in the back of the hall.

It was as if the rainbow had been plucked and placed in this shop.

Hong Shi watched it again for a while, and then exclaimed: "As expected, it is something from the fairy family, and it is full of spiritual energy just looking at it."

The shopkeeper was standing behind the long counter, and when he heard this, he smiled proudly.

Now almost all the rainbow silks on the market have been eaten up, and his one is extremely precious.

He is not afraid of being robbed of such good things, so he puts them carelessly in the shop.

Because this cloth shop is also owned by the King of Runan County, as long as the name of the King of Runan County is displayed, no one will dare to do anything wrong.

Who doesn't know, the Runan County King is Lu Zhenren's father-in-law.

The two little girls behind Hong Shizhong looked at Hongsi, their eyes were full of astonishment, and their hearts were shining with longing.

Few women in the Northern Song Dynasty could refuse the fabrics and clothes made of rainbow.

Hong Shizhong pointed to the rainbow silk and asked, "Shopkeeper, are you selling it?"

"What do you think?" The fat shopkeeper asked triumphantly.

Hong Shizhong sighed, and he knew it, he asked nonsense.

"Please tell the shopkeeper to choose the best fabric and make two sets of the best flower skirts for these two girls."

The shopkeeper frowned: "Flower skirt?"

It is not strange to have patterns on skirts, but if the term 'flower skirt' is used specifically to refer to ready-to-wear, it has a different meaning.

Generally, this kind of floral skirt is only worn by young ladies, and the pursuit of a faint and half-revealed dress is not revealed.

"Yes! Can't do it? I heard you have the best cloth shop here."

The shopkeeper shook his head: "Sorry, we haven't made flower skirts for two or three years."

"Why?" Hong Shizhong asked strangely.

The shopkeeper of the cloth shop smiled and said, "The master won't allow it."

"What's the reason?" Hong Shizhong asked again.

"There are so many why!" The shopkeeper waved his hand, and his smile faded: "Customers who want to make flower skirts can go out and turn right. There is a shop called 'Li's Cloth Shop' about a hundred feet away. They should help make them." Flower skirt."

The shopkeeper is too lazy to tell outsiders that since the king of Runan County became Lu Sen's father-in-law, he has intentionally or unintentionally closed down many previously 'dirty' businesses.

Most of the original brothels have been closed, or they have changed hands.

"But I just want the best cloth shop and the flower skirt made by the master." Hong Shizhong was unhappy, he leaned forward and said in a low voice, "These two are going to be sent to Xiangyang Prince's Mansion."

This is the instinct of a businessman, and he will always find ways to use his interpersonal relationship to obtain more convenience and benefits.

The shopkeeper smiled: "I really can't do it, our master's status is no lower than that of the King of Xiangyang."

Hong Shizhong was taken aback, he had lived in Yangzhou for a long time and rarely went out.

Besides, he doesn't have to worry about selling salt, so his actual business network is not that extensive.

Of course I don't know that the shop in front of me is the property of the King of Runan County.

No lower than King Xiangyang?
An important minister in the court, or another prince?

No matter what kind, Hong Shizhong is not something that can be offended.

"Excuse me." Hong Shizhong turned around and was about to leave.

As a businessman, it's normal to be cowardly.

But when he was about to leave with his people, someone suddenly said, "Please wait a moment."

Hong Shizhong turned his head to look, and found that at some time, there was a man in white clothes next to him. He looked extremely handsome and had a dusty air, he didn't seem like a mortal.

And next to the young man, there was a woman in a green dress and a woman's hairstyle. She was glamorous, but also had a sassy temperament. Presumably, she was the man's wife and concubine.

Hong Shizhong felt that it was not easy for someone to come, so he clasped his fists and asked, "My lord, is there something important to call a villain?"

The man in white is naturally Lu Sen. He came out of the mountain this time because he wanted to relax.

Both Pang Meier and Bilian were practicing martial arts in the mountains, and Yang Jinhua was with him.

Of course, there are also a few generals, just hidden in the crowd outside.

Both of them were wearing ordinary silk clothes instead of rainbow silk, so no one connected him with the identity of Lu Zhenren.

After all, in this era, there is no photography or video.

Moreover, it is rumored that the real Lu is three-headed and six-armed, and his appearance is so shocking that no one dares to look directly at him... Anyway, the rumors are always getting more and more crooked.

So as long as he doesn't show his unique "immortal method", ordinary people will not connect him with Lu Zhenren.

"The two girls standing behind my friend are toothies?" Lu Sen asked with a smile.

Hearing this, Yang Jinhua, who was looking at the cloth, immediately approached and asked with some grievance: "Officer, can the three of us still not satisfy you, and still want to marry a concubine?"

In fact, it's just two...Pang Meier is still the girl of Huanghua.

"Without that thought, they're kind of different."

The two girls, who were only about 12 years old, looked at Lu Sen timidly, with some expectation in their eyes.

The two of them knew their fate, and they were going to sell it to others after all.And there is a high probability that it will be sold to an old man, or an ugly man.

The gentleman in front of me, with fluttering white clothes and jade-like skin, when he smiled lightly, seemed to smell like the warm sun in the spring snow, which made people feel very comfortable.

So, if you really want to sell someone, just be bought by this beautiful gentleman in front of you.

Hong Shizhong looked Lu Sen up and down, and then Yang Jinhua out of the corner of his eye, feeling his scalp tingling more and more.

In Yangzhou City, he can be regarded as a well-known wealthy businessman. He often visits high-ranking official residences, and he also went to the capital to pay respects to the nobles.

In the young man in front of him, besides the dusty aura, there is also an aura of nobility, the kind that is beyond words.

"My lord, the two of them are indeed idiots, and I brought them back from Yangzhou." Hong Shizhong bent over with fists folded, and said cautiously, "But it has been promised to the King of Xiangyang."

Lu Sen frowned slightly.

Yang Jinhua next to him asked: "Officer, are these two little girls really special?"

Lu Sen nodded, and whispered in Yang Jinhua's ear, "It's luck, these two are also the fish that slipped through the net."

Yang Jinhua was slightly surprised.

Although she, Bilian, and Meier have also been in contact with the "immortal method", they have also asked Lu Sen before, and know that the three of them are "forcibly blocked" under the supervision of heaven. Certain limitations.

Every bit of progress on the Immortal Dao requires more resources.

But people who are born to slip through the net are different. When they practice, they will make rapid progress and will not consume many resources.

But this is actually just what Lu Sen said to the outside world.

The real reason is...he is now LV3, in addition to the increase in personal attributes, there are more recipes, and a 'teacher and apprentice' function has been unlocked.

And judging from the dimmed parts of the system functions that are not illuminated, this master-apprentice function should eventually evolve into a 'sect' function.

This is nothing unusual, after all, many online game systems have similar functional blocks.

It's just called differently.

Now Lu Sen can accept 6 apprentices, but the problem is that the conditions are very harsh.

Only when a person's fortune reaches a certain value can the system consider him eligible to be a teacher.

In Lu Sen's "spouse" candidate column, there are at least two to three thousand character cards, but none of them can meet the standard. Even the stronger Marshal Mu, Fuyuan is only two-thirds of the system requirements .

Not to mention other people, most people don't even have one-third of it.

But for these two pretty little girls in front of them, Fu Yuan not only met the standard, but also surpassed it by a lot.

In Lu Sen's eyes, the outlines of these two girls were even 'highlighted' by the system mark.

There are many benefits to accepting apprentices. One-fifth of the spiritual energy obtained from apprentices' cultivation will be directly provided to Lu Sen. At the same time, each time an apprentice is recruited, the area of ​​the home system will increase by two acres.

In addition, every time Lu Sen takes an apprentice, he can also get a bonus in attributes.

and many more!

It can be said that, personally speaking, Lu Sen definitely wants to recruit apprentices.

As far as Yu Gong is concerned... accepting apprentices is also an important part of Lu Sen's plan.

He thought it would be difficult for him to find an apprentice, and he thought that in a year or two, he would hold a grand audition here in Hangzhou.

However, I didn't expect that when I went out for a walk, I would meet two of them.

And it's twins.

Hearing that it was related to the official's plan, Yang Jinhua stood up and said: "Outside of this official, my official is very interested in the two little girls, can you part with them?"

"I have just said that these two girls have been given to the King of Xiangyang." Hong Shizhong said cautiously: "Please forgive me."

When the two 'skinny horses' heard this, their eyes immediately darkened. Although King Xiangyang had a good reputation, he was already an old man, so how could he compare with the handsome man in front of him.

"I heard it." Yang Jinhua smiled and said, "We will talk to King Xiangyang about this."

"Please don't embarrass me." Hong Shizhong said hypocritically: "If I break my promise and let people know, how will I do business in the future?"

Naturally, Lu Sen and Yang Jinhua would not be fooled by Hong Shizhong's performance. They glanced at each other and smiled.

Lu Sen said: "Don't worry, King Xiangyang will not refuse what I offer."

Hong Shizhong's expression became curious.

Lu Sen took out a Zhao character token, put it in front of the shopkeeper, and said, "I want this piece of rainbow silk first, can you give it up?"

Lu Sen didn't want to reveal his identity, so he wanted to borrow this rainbow silk first.

When the shopkeeper saw the token, a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes, and then he smiled and said, "Please, sir."

Then Hong Shizhong looked at the rainbow silk placed in front of him with a very nice expression.

(End of this chapter)