Come on, Your Highness

The prince's gift of marriage has already been given, but the princess of Zhenguo is still in the period of filial piety. After three years of filial piety, she can get married.

The wedding was set for two years later.

"That's good too. I feel uncomfortable seeing your big wedding. You happen to be in the western region, so you won't be coming back."

During this period of time years ago, He Xichao was handing over the affairs of the Prince's Mansion at hand, and he was away from Beijing for a long time, so he couldn't take care of these anymore.

And Xiao Hong just watched helplessly, he felt that this was not a normal handover of personnel, but that He Xichao was brushing aside any involvement with him bit by bit.

Just like what he cried to Emperor Tiangan, he no longer expects He Xichao to like him if he refers to marriage.

This person can leave him anytime and anywhere, but he is not even qualified to keep him.

Xiao Hong didn't dare to ask He Xichao if he still wanted to wait for him, now it seems that only business can bring the distance between them closer.

He settled down and said: "Xie San went to the Western Regions to celebrate the enthronement of the king of Yuewan Kingdom, and to take the opportunity to make good friends with the countries in the Western Regions. It's just that he lobbied the countries to participate in the mutual market and signed a border trade access agreement. It's small, but there will always be news back to Daqi, and I guess many people already know that the emperor will promote border trade. You, Honglu Temple Minister, will be a bright target as soon as you take office."

However, He Xichao didn't care about it: "The target is the target. Back then, the He family hoped that I could plead with you to save Lin Cenyan's life because of the huge profits from smuggling. Since I have killed my relatives righteously, this time I will naturally deny my relatives. For the sake of smooth border trade, smuggling It must be banned."

Xiao Hong's reputation on the outside is that he doesn't take the hard way, but when the expulsion of the He family came out, people found that He Xichao's tough attitude in this regard was even worse.

Now he is completely different, there is only one mother in the family, and he has nothing to do with the He family, and he can't even find a clue.

To be honest, many people have already started to have a headache.

"Xi Chao, it will be very dangerous."

When you can't chew on this hard bone, naturally you have to throw it away and change it.

In Xiao Hong's original plan, he was the one to do the border trade, just like the flood control in the east of the Yangtze River, the two of them helped each other to move forward.

But now, he can't go.

This heavy burden had to rest on He Xichao's shoulders.

The danger in the officialdom is not only intrigue, but also real swords and guns.

He Xichao, a weak scholar, was out of breath after running two extra steps. He was really worried, but he hated himself even more for being useless.

He Xichao saw Xiao Hong's remorse, and he smiled and said, "I cherish my life very much, so if I set off, I must be protected. Since you are not by my side, you have to be responsible for selecting the best People protect me. Apart from these, I heard from my nephew that there is a lot of wind and sand, the food is not delicious, and it is very difficult. I am so weak, so someone must take care of my daily life. You have to find this person, okay?"

"En." Xiao Hong nodded vigorously quickly, "I promise you whatever else you want."

As long as He Xichao is still willing to let him protect and let him participate in life, Xiao Hong will be at ease, and always feel that there is still something to look forward to.

And speaking of this, He Xichao looked at him, thought for a while, and then said in a slow but deep voice: "You are very sad that your concubine is not me, and neither am I. The reality is cruel, although I have to agree to your marriage, but that's all That's all. Xuan Ling said that after one compromise, there will be a second one, but I don't have that good tolerance. Xiao Hong, we made an agreement, just this time, when I come back, I hope you can fulfill your promise , Give me back a couple for the rest of my life! If we can’t do it, let’s really forget about each other. To be honest, fame and fortune are not that important to me. In life, what you want is freedom.”

He Xichao's eyes sharpened instantly: "Did you understand?"

He only gives one chance, even if you love him deeply, when you can't hold on, learn to let go and retain your dignity.

These words were not only for Xiao Hong, but also for He Xichao himself.

"Understood, no more clear."

"I've sorted out all the materials, and I'm drafting a memorial. You'll submit it after the New Year's Eve. The imperial decree invites big merchants from all over the world to come to Beijing to discuss tariffs. It's expected to leave for the Western Regions in half a year."

"Big merchants?" Xiao Hong frowned, "These are involved with various forces, and I'm afraid they don't cooperate so well. You must know that the second and third not only control one or two Jiangnan merchant forces, they are also involved in border smuggling. , of course they are all people from the bottom.”

He Xichao smiled and said: "It's okay, we have collected price and cost information from various places in the past few years, and they are basically accurate. Their information is just for reference. But this time, we have other plans to invite them here."

"How to say?"

He Xichao sat down in the study and held a tea ceremony: "First, it shows that the imperial court attaches great importance to it. Speaking of border trade activities, they are the main body. Imperial court officials don't do business, so they don't know much about it. Those who do business must have more appropriate ideas. , the doorway is also clearer, and it will be a good thing to brainstorm and improve the system. Second, it can be regarded as a beating, and the border will be opened for them. If you smuggle again, don’t blame the court for being rude. There will be mistakes. Third, select personnel to go to the Western Regions together to negotiate tariffs with various countries. For their own sake, they will definitely fight for their reasons. It will definitely be a satisfactory tariff..."

He Xichao glanced at Xiao Hong: "Finally, let's see who is behind these merchants. Can you take this opportunity to shuffle the cards, clean up the collusion between government and businessmen, and help some new forces to go up, which is also beneficial to you."

The status of merchants in Daqi is not low, so it can't help but be scientifically tested. For example, Luo Li and You Ziqing are both descendants of merchants.

Although it is still ranked below the workers and peasants, but because of the money, they are actually very prestigious.

A well-established family of merchants is a terrifying force, after all, money is important everywhere.

It is not a false statement that wealth can rival a country, and some aristocratic families in Daqi are indeed more powerful than the treasury.

However, this is not a good thing for those in power.

He Xichao thought very clearly: "The border trade has just started, and there must be a trial run stage. In the first two years, it is impossible to release all lists, and not everyone is eligible to participate. There must be a screening. At this time, let's see if there are any. Whoever is willing to vote first, to be No.1 who eats crabs, pay a market access fee."

Xiao Hong was surprised: "Market access fee?"

Regarding the border trade, the two of them had discussed many times, but this was the first time Xiao Hong heard He Xichao talk about it.

He Xichao nodded: "Yes. To put it bluntly, each of these big merchants is involved in smuggling. In addition to their vested interests, they have to hand over a part to the people in this chain to buy relationships. Once the border trade opens, smuggling stops. The benefits of the people behind this chain will be gone. There will be many people who will prevent me from promoting border trade. The most effective way is to force the smuggling merchants to refuse to participate, let me alone, or even the entire court stage a one-man show, let Border trade has become a joke."

Xiao Hong nodded: "That's right, but smuggling is banned, only border trade, and there will always be people coming. The big deal, it's the same to support a few companies to do it first."

"No, I thought the same way before, but now I think it's too boring. If you don't bother me, I'll make people criticize me and say I'm deceitful, which makes me look very incompetent." He Xichao shook his head. "It's obviously a lower risk, more upright way to make money, so you should flock to it. Why use this method."

He Xichao was also a businessman in his previous life, so he understands these people's thoughts very well.

Speaking of this, he smiled mockingly, and said with a touch of expectation: "It's okay, they can wait and see, and I will give you a month to think about it. In the past two years, there were five lists of tea ceremony, silk, porcelain, common medicinal materials, and handicrafts. I only give three quotas for each list. If you want to qualify, you should sign up as soon as possible, subject to paying the market access fee. Once the quota is full, no matter who the rest are, they can only wait for the border trade to start in two years. Join later. And these two years have watched others make money, do you think someone will come to grab the spot?"

Xiao Hong thought for a while, and felt that this idea was simply absurd.

"I don't know if I will grab it, but I will definitely not be able to sit still."

Opportunities are no longer missed. How could people who are immersed in the interests of copper coins be willing to watch this opportunity slip away from their hands.

Lost two years of mutual market power, how much money will be lost?

Money touches people's hearts, no matter how intimidating and tempting the superiors are, I'm afraid they can't let go of this fat, right?

Otherwise, how can merchants be called merchants?

Xiao Hong nodded again and again: "By the way, how much is the market access fee? Is too little meaningless?"

He Xichao said: "50 taels a year, two years at a time, tax exemption in the first year, and [-]% discount in the second year, what do you think?"

A sip of tea almost spewed out of Xiao Hong's mouth, he looked at He Xichao in disbelief: "Ahem... how much..."

"Well, you don't like it?" He Xichao asked in surprise.

Xiao Hong immediately shook his head: "No, I just want to say... why are there so many?"

Xiao Hong felt that compared with He Xichao, he was like a countryman who had never seen the world in terms of money.

"Xi Chao, the annual treasury revenue is only a little over 3000 million taels, and if you talk about it, nearly half of it will come into the account." Xiao Hong reminded.

He Xichao looked up at him: "So?"

Xiao Hong asked anxiously: "Is it too much?"

He Xi looked him up and down, with bright disgust in his eyes.

"I've learned economics from me for so many years, so it's all paid back to me? Is this much? These people got so much money by doing business."

"Have it?"

"Do not believe?"

Xiao Hong thought for a while, then shook his head.

"You can secretly investigate how much filial piety the Prince Shun's Mansion and Prince Li's Mansion receive each year? This goes up layer by layer, and finally reaches their hands. If you want to get through this relationship, you have to rely on money." Pile it up." He Xi said with deep meaning in his eyes.

"That's too much! The tariffs we calculated before are not so much."

"So what is market access? If you do the math, there are three companies participating in each directory. The market is so big and there are almost no competitors. If the three companies negotiate, even if they monopolize, do you think they can only make this little money? Only What they should consider is how to expand the scale and speed up production, so as not to run out of stock!" Having said this, He Xichao sneered, "In less than a year, all the money will be earned back. Isn't it pure profit in the second year? The tariff is only [-]% of the original, it's just a drizzle!"

Xiao Hong felt that his head was a little dizzy, and he said with emotion: "If this is the case, then the previous smuggling is simply..."

"Otherwise, otherwise, why are so many people opposed to border trade and smuggling? The papers haven't been published yet, it's just a sign, and now the threshold of my house is about to be broken, otherwise you think I will come to you and provoke the emperor's eyes ? You can ignore the rest of the salary and painstaking efforts for this lucrative business. I’m taking their lives, can you not worry about me?”

He Xichao sipped tea calmly, with a sneering arc on his mouth: "You are the only one who is not infected, so life is hard haha. Once the Prince's Mansion is expanded and the mansion soldiers are expanded, I think you will cry. By the way, the Emperor Are you still subsidizing you?"

"Can we not subsidize, otherwise we will all drink the northwest wind! I didn't see that the rewards this time are all gold, silver and jewelry, which can be exchanged for money."

Xiao Hong lacked nothing but money. During the year of war, food and clothing were all provided by the household department's logistics, and he had already saved money.

Emperor Tiangan knew it all, so in the past few years his private money was used to support his son, and Xiao Hong gnawed even more after he opened the mansion independently, which is ashamed to say.

He Xichao then spread his hands: "So, pretending to be rich for those corrupt officials and your younger brothers, it's better to hand over to the state treasury and treat it as a performance for me, isn't it?"

These words are very reasonable, Xiao Hong's time in Beijing is a bit short, but every time he sees Xiao Ming and Xiao Yi making connections like a boy who spreads money, he is very unhappy.

Well, kind of jealous, he also wants money bags.

"But will these people and merchants consider it? The commercial tax is only half of it. They guess that even if they use this money to build relationships, they don't want to throw it into the treasury. Doesn't it make sense?"

"When the border trade progresses well, the era of business tax half will be over. With such a big business, there is always some foresight, right?" He Xichao put down the tea cup, stood up, and said affirmatively, "It won't be a loss. of!"

"Then our cotton cloth, shouldn't it be time to start?" Xiao Hong asked.

He Xichao shook his head: "Don't worry, our domestic needs are still sufficient. There are so many soldiers in the Northwest. What kind of border trade is there? It's enough to fill up our wallets by eating military supplies. Let's equip our soldiers first. Five years later, you promised Xuan Ling Don’t forget those who sent troops to the Huns.”