The bear child of the Red Chamber, Jia Cong

The prince of Shu was in a bad mood, so he led his two confidantes to wander the streets.Strolling to a tea house, I finally saw more people, so I wanted to go in and sit.

Walking to the door, I ran into a woman head-on, and behind her was leading a man and a woman to go to the teahouse.This woman is in her thirties, she is not a peerless beauty, but she has an astonishing manner, and those who pass by can't help but look at her.Although the girl behind her looks plain, she has a bookish air rushing toward her face.On the contrary, the young man seemed indistinguishable from male and female at first glance, and his expression was indifferent and relaxed.Of the three, it was obvious that this man was the best-looking.There were many idle people at the entrance of the teahouse, and they all looked sideways curiously.

Tong Buye looked at the young man on the opposite side, and then at their elder son, and smiled quietly.The prince glanced back at her.Ming Duan said: "She laughed at the uncle for being short."

Tong Buye hurriedly said, "Not at all! I'm wondering who is better looking, my lord or that young master."

The leading woman on the opposite side stopped walking and asked with a smile, "Who looks good?"

Tong Buye tilted his head to look at the two of them again, and said sincerely, "Your young master looks a little better."

The girl on the opposite side covered her mouth and smiled: "Good eyesight."

The young man gave her a sideways glance: "Shopkeeper, it's time for tea."

The shopkeeper nodded towards Shizi, and led his two subordinates in first.The girl whispered: "Shopkeeper, shouldn't you let others advance?"

The shopkeeper said: "As the saying goes, women come first. We have a lot of women here, so naturally they let us."

Tong Buye was stunned, and said in a low voice, "My lord, is there such a saying?"

"Yes." The prince looked at the backs of the three of them thoughtfully, "The saying from the south came from the West."

The waiter from the tea house has come to greet him.When the three of them entered, they caught a glimpse of the three in front going upstairs, so they also went upstairs.On the second floor, the three were walking towards a table by the window, Shi Zi pointed to the next door to them.The six people met again and nodded to each other.

Not long after I sat down, I heard the girl at the next table say: "I can't imagine that the state of Shu is in such a sudden depression."

The shopkeeper said: "This is just the beginning. Shu has entered the market economy for many years, and the whole country has already adapted to it. Suddenly, the capitalists withdraw their capital on a large scale, and the court has no experience and will not deal with it. The economy will inevitably collapse."

The girl said: "It's like the state of Qi."

"No." The shopkeeper said, "Qi has always been a small-scale peasant economy, and it is slowly declining. Shu is like a sudden illness, which can be as fast as half a year or as slow as a year. Prices are soaring, the unemployment rate has jumped, and bandits have increased in vain. The people migrated in large numbers because they couldn't survive. The nobles had more than enough money, and these things would not affect their lives too quickly, so they were not so easy to perceive how serious the problem was. It was too late for them to understand. It's easy to be frugal, but difficult to go from extravagant to frugal, and it's universal." She looked at the tea customers in the teahouse and said, "Although these people are drinking tea, most of them are worried. I think I used to come to Chengdu, and the seats were full. They are all satisfied."

The girl said, "What about our business?"

The shopkeeper said with a smile: "It has nothing to do with us. The state treasury of Shu has plenty of money, and our business has always been done, and there will be more."

The young man asked, "Why?"

"There are many bandits and robbers, and the consumption of military supplies will naturally increase." The shopkeeper said, "Shu Kingdom is full of gunpowder. Otherwise, why would I come in person?" The three looked at each other and smiled.

Ming Duan thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and said: "The shopkeeper invited you." The shopkeeper also returned the gift.Ming Duan said, "I didn't pay attention to what the shopkeeper said down here. Dare I ask the shopkeeper, although the market in Chengdu is deserted and the prices are still stable, why does the shopkeeper think that the prices in Shu will soar?"

The shopkeeper said: "The capital has just been evacuated, and the products produced before are still waiting for sale in the warehouse, so they can't be seen. When factories and shops are closed in large numbers, the market will naturally be out of stock. Can prices not soar?"

Ming Duan said: "What if the government doesn't allow merchants to raise prices?"

The shopkeeper asked, "Does this gentleman know why the capital of the Shu Kingdom evacuated so abruptly?"

Ming Duan said: "Because of the HSBC bank, they are afraid of being asked for money by the imperial court."

"No. In some cases, others will only think that HSBC is unlucky." The shopkeeper said, "Capital is born to pursue profits. What they fear most is not offering sacrifices to the court, but the government intervening in the economy in violation of market laws. For example, as you just said, Merchants are not allowed to raise prices. It should be noted that there are fewer local products in Shu, and merchants have to go to other countries to purchase goods, which increases the cost a lot. If workers do not move to other countries with their bosses, they will not be able to find new jobs, and there will be many bandits. The four incidents have increased the cost of hiring bodyguards and the risk of being robbed. If the government does not allow the price to be raised, the business will not be able to continue. If it cannot continue, it will naturally close its doors and change to other countries to do business. This is a cycle."

Ming Duan nodded unconsciously: "The shopkeeper's words are reasonable. The shopkeeper just said that the court of Shu Kingdom has no experience and can't deal with it. The person who wants to come to the shopkeeper is an expert. Please tell me how to deal with such a situation?"

The shopkeeper said with a smile: "It is inconvenient for me to discuss this."

Ming Duan walked over directly, cupped his hands and said: "To be honest, Wan Sheng's younger brother is a guest of a nobleman, and even the house where Wan Sheng lives is temporarily borrowed by the nobleman. The younger brother of Wan Sheng is worried day and night, and Wan Sheng is also very worried. .Ask for advice from the shopkeeper."

Coincidentally, the seat of the shopkeeper was not far from the crown prince, so he glanced at her and said: "I'm just talking casually, sir, listen to whatever you want, don't take it seriously."

"The shopkeeper is just chatting."

The shopkeeper then invited Ming Duan to sit down, took a sip of tea and said, "If you are in another country, there is no other way but a complete reform. However, the Taishang King of Shu is old and his ideas are outdated and cannot be changed. Although the son is wise, but as a grandson , Can only stare blankly. However, the state of Shu has been robbing outside all year round, and the treasury is full. Now only the imperial court pays to go to other countries to buy rice, flour, cloth, etc., and then sell them to the people at a low price. It also negotiates with the chamber of commerce and promises that the imperial court will not interfere in the market .It’s just that the court must not put on a high face, otherwise people will not believe it. If there are enough talents, they can also send officials and businessmen to set up factories. These can barely relieve the urgent need and treat the symptoms.”

Ming Duan pondered: "What about the root cause?"

The shopkeeper simply said: "Join the Federation." Ming Duan smiled wryly.

The girl said: "In fact, reforms are also possible."

The young man said: "Reforms are useless. Chu State and Lu State followed Yan State's reform, and sooner or later they will decline. You see, since the rise of Shanghai, Lu State has declined a lot."

Ming Duan was puzzled and said, "Why is this?"

The shopkeeper said: "After all, they did not copy all the new laws of the Federation, such as the abolition of slavery and land tax. If the land tax is not changed, the land will always be in the hands of the big family. If the slaves and tenants run away, the farmland will be barren. I bought rice. When the railway is built, the gap will widen.”

The girl held her chin and said: "Shopkeeper, according to what you said, the crux of the problem is still in the population."

"Ah."

"Then Shu has a way." The girl said, "Don't they have a colony? Wouldn't it be good to go to the colony to recruit people and come back to farm and work?"

The shopkeeper glanced at her: "The Kingdom of Shu will soon be destroyed."

Ming Duan hurriedly asked, "Why?"

The shopkeeper said: "All the colonies of the Kingdom of Shu believe in the Great Food Cult. This religion is extremely exclusive, and children learn it from an early age, and it is rooted in their hearts. Jia Cong, a Taoist priest, can tolerate Buddhism and Western Nestorianism, the most intolerant of the Great Food Cult. If this religion is introduced in my dynasty, he will be the first to attack." The prince and Tong Buye at the next table looked at each other.

Ming Duan said: "Just don't allow them to believe."

The shopkeeper said: "Difficult."

Ming Duan smiled lightly and said, "It's nothing difficult. There are so many taboos in Dashi Cult, just break them one by one."

The shopkeeper said: "Anyway, I just want to remind you. If the Shu Kingdom wants to use the Dashi Cultists, they have to change their religion. Otherwise, the Yan army will destroy Shu sooner or later."

Ming Duan hummed: "Although the Yan army is strong, my Shu army is a vegetarian?" The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows indifferently and said nothing.

The prince said leisurely at the next table: "Could it be that Hongguji sold the best firearms only to the Yan Kingdom and not to others? That's not good, shopkeeper Wu." Ming Duan and Tong Buye gasped together.

The shopkeeper raised his head and glanced at Shizi: "This uncle is so clever. My real surname is Wu."

The prince smiled and said: "The female shopkeeper who is a military supply is as magnificent as a mountain, but Wu Xiaoxi is the only one in Red Bone."

"Young Master's praise is ridiculous." This person is indeed Wu Xiaoxi, and after hearing the praise of the Young Master, he couldn't help but smile. "Yan Guo didn't sell me all kinds of firearms."

The prince frowned: "They really made firearms."

Wu Xiaoxi said: "Yan gun Yan Pao Yan Lei has long been better than Western ones, and now it is the main supplier of Hongguji. Western goods have only been sold to maritime merchants, bodyguards, Qi and a few small countries in recent years." She sighed , "Qi country no longer wants western goods."

The girl said: "Isn't it good for them to buy swallows?"

Wu Xiaoxi said: "The cost of western goods is low, so we earn a lot!"

The girl chuckled: "With such financial resources, the shopkeeper still cares about those two small coins?"

Wu Xiaoxi said sternly: "Business people never dislike high profits." She glanced at Shizi again, and said to Mingduan, "But Shu still has to abolish slaves, or the guerrillas will help you. Anyway, it's such a big place. , One by one state and county was fought, and it didn't take three or two years to finish the fight."

The prince nodded, and murmured: "I don't lack money or people, and I don't lack firearms, so I can afford them." Nai sighed softly and signaled Mingduan to return to his seat.

The people at the two tables then had tea separately.The prince didn't talk much at this table, but Wu Xiaoxi's table was full of chatter.At first it was Wu Xiaoxi who talked about the customs and customs of various places, and later it was the man named Axi who talked about North America.

Wu Xiaoxi smiled and said, "It sounds like you're going."

Axi said: "Isn't my sister here? She sent me a letter and many photos."

The girl asked: "Speaking of which, your sister has been gone for more than a year, how do you feel?"

A Xi said: "We're getting engaged soon."

"Puff, cough, cough..." The girl choked, and patted her chest for a while before saying, "Engaged... engaged? So soon?"

"Someone was chasing her, and she was chasing her tightly. She has never been pursued by a man like that in her life. She is also handsome."

"Uh... who is that?"

"I didn't ask." Axi said, "I probably forgot."

Wu Xiaoxi said: "The environment has changed so much, people seem to be reborn. Ah Xi, you really want to go. I want to keep you."

"I won't do it." Axi dismissed, "I will leave next year. The manager remembers to promise me a bonus."

Wu Xiaoxi snorted, "Your uncle is as rich as a country, and he still misses my two small coins."

A Xili said confidently: "Didn't I earn those two small coins by myself? My man is a nerd, and it costs a lot of money to raise him."

"That's all!" Wu Xiaoxi waved his hands, "It's as if such a big project needs to be supported by family members." Axi snorted.The three of them ate some tea, checked out and left.

Looking at their backs, Ming Duan and Shi Zi were thoughtful.Tong Buye said first: "That Ah Xi is a man, right?"

Ming Duan said: "Although she was born as a woman, she is a man."

"He said just now that he wanted to raise his man." Tong Buye blinked, "My lord, this young man is really good-looking, grab him here?"

The prince said calmly: "A gentleman does not take away what others love." Ming Duan coughed twice, and gave Tong Buye a warning look.Tong Buye shrinks his neck.The crown prince rubbed his temples, "Treasurer Wu is right, the slavery must be abolished no matter what. My grandfather should understand in his heart, but it's just because of his face."

Ming Duan said: "Then it's easy to deal with. Find someone he can trust with a good tongue to persuade him, just treat it as an old man who is soft-hearted and persuaded, so he will go down the slope."

The prince said sadly: "No one he believed in supported the abolition of slavery." His eyes glanced downstairs unconsciously.

Wu Xiaoxi and the other three were leaving the teahouse when they met a person head-on.The man let out an "Oops", quite surprised.The son heard it familiar, but he couldn't look at the man's face.He and the girl who followed Wu Xiaoxi stood in front of the building and said a few words, then saluted, and the girl left with her companion.The man entered the teahouse.

Not long after, footsteps were heard on the stairs, and the man led the man downstairs to come up.Shizi took a look and immediately recognized it.This person is Qiu Liang's son, Qiu Xingzheng, who was working as a secret worker in the Qin State, and I specially transferred him to come back to work, and he has just arrived in Chengdu.Qiu Xing was coming upstairs, so he picked a corner table and sat down by himself.After waiting for half a day, seeing that he didn't look like he was inviting someone, the prince called out his phone to call him over.Qiu Xing was listening to Ming Duan's words, and just followed his finger to look at it, and saw Shi Zi looking at this head smiling, and hurriedly stood up.So he followed Mingduan.

The prince smiled and asked him to sit down, and they got to know each other.The prince asked: "Second brother Qiu, just now you were talking to a girl in front of the building, who is she?"

Qiu Xingzheng clapped his hands and said: "This woman is a strange person! My son, I want to pry her to become an official in the Kingdom of Shu." The son raised his eyebrows.Qiu Xingzheng said excitedly, "The girl with eyebrows was originally a poetic prostitute in the state of Qin, but I later found out that she was actually the niece of Sir Ding, the official censor. She went to Hualou because she was the inner guard. Two years ago, she was promoted to be the commander of the inner guard. make."

Ming Duan hurriedly asked: "But Master Ding Mei?"

"Exactly!" Qiu Xingzheng said, "It's a pity that Qin State joined the Federation not long after she took office, and all officials were redeployed. She is the first official like her who can't keep it. I have also asked, she left Qin State to go to other places to relax , I never thought that I would do business with a merchant." Nai gave a thumbs up and said, "He is really a rare talent, it is a pity to do business."

Shizi and the others looked at each other.Ming Duan sighed: "I'm afraid we won't be able to grab the shopkeeper."