If the business woman does not help the poor, the villain's dream of prosperity will be shatter

Chapter 271: Build a city on the border between two countries

After watching the artillery and washing up and resting, Qin Shu held a banquet to welcome Zhou Min and others.

Zhou Min's whereabouts were kept secret, so Qin Shu only sent Yan Huai to catch up with Dongping and go to Jiyang Pass to inform General Shen.

Seeing that Qin Shu didn't even invite the governor of Jizhou, Zhou Min knew that Qin Shu must have something to tell him about the illegal salt.

After the banquet, Qin Shu invited Zhou Min to the small side hall where she usually handled government affairs.

Li Youlin and Fu Rong were guarding outside the door, one on the left and one on the right.

Fu Ying looked at Li Youlin, raised his eyebrows at him, and called out softly, "Hey, brother-in-law."

Li Youlin rolled his eyes vigorously, turned his body to the other side, and faced away from Fu Rong.

Fu Ying touched his nose and chuckled, "When Shu'er and I get married, what gift will my brother-in-law give me?"

Li Youlin sneered and shook his head.

Fu Ying said: "Why not drive your bounty house to Linbei Road?"

Li Youlin glanced at him sideways without waiting for him to refuse.

Fu Ying had already said, "Otherwise I will tell Shu'er that you had killed that quack doctor surnamed He a long time ago and still took money from Shu'er."

Li Youlin was startled and rushed over to cover Fu Ying's mouth.

He turned his head to look inside the door, then leaned close to Fu Ying's ear and whispered in a low voice, saying viciously, "If you dare to say that again, I'll beat you up!"

Li Youlin raised his arms and put them around Fu Rong's neck, dragged him aside, and whispered, "The Bounty House doesn't belong to me alone. When I asked you to take the position of Right Hall Master, didn't you refuse it?"

Fu Ying broke free from Li Youlin's hand, straightened his clothes, and said innocently, "I am the dignified head of the Fu family..."

Li Youlin patted Fu Rong's chest and whispered, "Don't come on. Don't think I don't know that the Beggars' Sect is now the power of the eldest lady."

"You already have the Beggars' Sect and mechanical devices, as well as muskets and cannons, and now you want the Bounty House. Do you think the Emperor is too kind?"

Fu Rong listened carefully to the noise in the room and whispered, "I don't plan to take it. I just want you to open the bounty building to Linbei Road."

The Bounty House does more than just murder business.

Information that cannot be bought through legitimate channels can also be purchased from the Bounty House as long as enough silver is paid.

Although the Beggars' Sect is well-informed, it is still no match for the Bounty House that exchanges silver for information.

One is the bottom-level secret of interactions between people.

One is the real secrets in officialdom and private residence.

With the two combined, there is probably nothing in this world that can be hidden from them.

Li Youlin suppressed his smile and said softly, "You must know who the real owner of the Bounty House is, right?"

Fu Yu raised his eyebrows, "Can Brother Li give up the position of Left Hall Master..."

He curled his lips towards the room and said, "Besides the person inside, there won't be anyone else, right?"

"I know you still want it?" Li Youlin said solemnly, "Linbei Road is an important border area. The Bounty House does not distinguish between enemies and friends, as long as you take the silver, you can do the work. Do you think the emperor will agree to build the Bounty House here?"

Fu Ying chuckled and whispered in Li Youlin's ear: "Want to make a bet?"

Li Youlin said with great disdain: "Who would bet with you! Every time we bet, you would never bet with me unless you are absolutely sure?"

Fu Ying sneered, "Do you have to be so boring?"

Li Youlin asked back, "Why, are you feeling bored staying in Linbei Road now?"

Fu Ying was immediately alert, "No!"

Li Youlin snorted heavily, straightened his collar, and stood up again.

After a while, Li Youlin winked at Fu Rong again, "Hey, is there no progress over at Longshan?"

Private salt?

Fu Rong gave a wicked smile, "Want to know? Beg me!"

Li Youlin's forehead veins throbbed, he drew his sword and slashed forward.

Fu Ying retreated quickly, tiptoed into the courtyard, and shouted loudly: "Shu'er, my brother-in-law is going to hit someone!"

Inside the house, Qin Shu pressed her forehead, rolled up a Longshan feng shui map, put it into a paper tube, and sighed, "Childish!"

Zhou Min smiled silently and said, "What do you think about the next peace negotiation contract?"

Qin Shu took out another paper tube from the large urn beside the table, pulled out another geomancy map from it, and unfolded it, "Your Majesty, please look, this is the geomancy map of the border between Beiyi and my Great Zhou."

She pointed to the center of the geomancy map and said, "This time, our Great Zhou has won a great victory. As the defeated party, the Northern Barbarians must cede land and pay tribute to show their sincerity."

"To be honest, artillery is not mature now, and muskets are not enough to arm a large army."

"And the muskets are really expensive. To be honest with you, Your Majesty, these things in my hand were displayed on the city wall for less than an incense stick of time, and the entire harvest of the Linbei Road Jiedufu in the past six months was lost."

"We were able to force the Northern Barbarians to retreat this time because we caught them off guard. The firearms were powerful, and they suffered heavy casualties. They also had no idea of our strength, so they retreated in a hurry."

Zhou Min nodded slightly.

"This time we are talking about peace. Our Great Zhou, whether it's national strength or muskets, will need a long time to improve and become stronger."

"The Northern Barbarians have always been tough and militaristic. If the conditions of our Great Zhou are too harsh during this peace talk, it will be detrimental to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries."

"Even if we succeed in establishing diplomatic relations and opening up trade, we still need to guard against the Northern Barbarians unilaterally tearing up the contract and invading our border territory."

Qin Shu gently tapped a point on the map. "This place has Wushan Mountain to the east and Longshan Mountain to the west. This is the only way for the Northern Yi to go south, and it happens to cross the border between the two countries."

She smiled and said, "I would like to ask Your Majesty for permission to build a city here. The two countries will open up trade, with this place as the hub. Goods going south and north must pass through this city before they can be traded."

Zhou Min paused slightly while looking at the geomancy map, and looked at Qin Shu with a half-smile, "You said so much, but this is the only key point, right?"

Qin Shu's face slightly heated up, and she said forcefully: "I am innocent, I am also thinking about the safety of the Great Zhou."

Zhou Min clasped his hands together, clasped them in his arms, and leaned forward slightly to look at Qin Shu, "Do you still want to ask me for permission to exempt you from taxes for a certain number of years after this city is built?"

Qin Shu smiled awkwardly, "Your Majesty is really a man of insight. I can't hide anything from you."

Zhou Min snorted and said, "Stop flattering me! Do you want to establish your own kingdom and establish yourself as a king?"

Qin Shu immediately cried out with a bitter face, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I am a member of the Great Zhou in life and a soul of the Great Zhou in death. In this life, I will never betray the Great Zhou."

Zhou Min stared at Qin Shu coldly without saying a word.

Qin Shu had no choice but to continue, "Besides, Your Majesty, you have never given me a single ounce of silver since I arrived at Linbei Road. You must let me take some benefits to earn back the silver, right?"

Zhou Min snorted and sneered, "I didn't give you any money? That day in the Jinzhou governor's prison, I heard clearly that all the huge fortunes earned by the great manager Qin were given to me by you, my dear minister, didn't you?"

Qin Shu was startled, and stared at Zhou Min with wide eyes, "How could Your Majesty hear it?"

Judging from Zhou Min's appearance, could it be that he was also in prison at that time?

Qin Shu quickly denied, "Your Majesty, please don't wrongly accuse me. That was all Qin Jingchang's wild speculation. I never said that."

Zhou Min sneered and said, "You never said it, but you never denied it when others asked you. Until now, everyone who knows about this still thinks that you gave all the property in your mansion to me."

"I have never asked you where your property has gone. I have been taking the blame for you for so many years. Is it not too much to ask you for some interest?"

Qin Shu smiled and said, "Your Majesty is rich as the world, why are you still arguing with me about these things?"

Zhou Min snorted, "You start to act like a spoiled brat when you're in the wrong. You're the only one in this world who dares to talk to me like this."

Isn't it because I favor you?

But you, on the other hand, are being affectionate with that boy surnamed Fu...

Now you actually want me to grant you a marriage.

Are you trying to stab me in the heart?

Qin Shu scratched her forehead awkwardly.

In fact, Zhou Min thought that Qin Shu’s plan was feasible.

This city was independent of the Northern Yi and Southern Zhou, and at the same time served as a trade gateway between the two countries.

Whether going north or south, this border fortress is like a throat.

Being in Qin Shu's hands would do more good than harm to Da Zhou.

And Fu Rong was there to assist.

But she held the art of gun-making in her hands.

Zhou Min believed that Qin Shu had no intention of rebelling.