The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Yan Chengjin looked back and saw Changning Bo Zhou Yu standing behind him holding a basket. In the basket were several roast chickens.

The hawking sound stopped abruptly.

Zhou Yu turned around with a look of surprise on his face: "It's your nephew. Does your nephew want a running chicken? Your Majesty bought three of them. It only costs half a tael of silver. It's much more, and it can be cheaper..."

Yesterday, I noticed that Zhou Yu had a calculating look on his face. Unexpectedly, he actually came up with the idea of ​​​​running chicken.

The chicken in Dongshi costs only seven cents of silver per catty, and one of his chickens costs half a tael.

And sold it to Emperor Hongzhi?

Except for the Zhou family, no one is so brave, right?

Yan Chengjin looked strange and glanced at the running chicken in his basket. It was a gift from himself. This shameless person is taking my chicken and selling it to me again?

"Uncle Changning sells half a tael of silver, aren't you afraid of getting beaten?"

"Hmph! I am a relative of the state, who dares to beat me! But, dear nephew, do you want it? I will give you a cheaper price, half a tael of silver, two! I will provide it for a long time."

My relatives often sold things to the court.

The so-called official merchants mostly refer to relatives who use their status to cooperate with some supervisors in the palace who are responsible for procurement to make money.

It seems that Zhou Yu also learned from his master. Wanxi, the younger brother of Concubine Wan Guifei of the previous dynasty, often bought some antiques and rare treasures from various places. He colluded with the imperial eunuch to purchase the eunuch Liang Fang and sold them to the court at high prices.

Selling it to friends in the Forbidden City is also an easy thing. The officials see that His Majesty has bought it, so how can they not give it face?

Otherwise, how could all of them be so rich based on their meager salary and no land?

Yan Chengjin was completely unmoved, his eyes were cold, as if he had a natural dislike for the running chicken: "If you don't buy it, the students' homes won't be able to finish it."

"Then you move the books, and I'll ask other adults if they want them." Zhou Yu laughed and walked away with the basket, presumably because many officials gave him face.

Yan Chengjin came to the cabinet to move books, and heard a familiar voice again, "You three adults, do you want chicken? This chicken is soft, tender, smooth, crispy and delicious. Your Majesty even bought three of them, half a tael of silver each. You want more. It’s even cheaper.”

Zhou Yu carried the basket and swaggered into the duty room of the cabinet.

Even the cabinet dares to come?

Liu Jian scolded: "This is a rental house! It's not a place for hawking on the street. How... are you?"

Zhou Yu chuckled: "Of course I know this is a room value. I came here to find the adults. Do you want chicken, Master Liu? This running chicken is much more delicious than the ones raised at home. You can taste it, no money is required!"

Liu Jian and Li Dongyang looked at each other.

I would rather compete with a gentleman for profit than argue with a villain.

Rather than arguing with him for a long time, it would be better to just buy one and send him away, not to mention that even His Majesty bought three.

Li Dongyang said helplessly: "I want one, how can I sell it?"

Liu Jian snorted coldly.

Xie Qian was not afraid of trouble: "I also want to buy it, but I want to ask clearly, how do I know if this chicken is really as delicious as Uncle Chang Ning said?"

Zhou Yu became angry and opened the cloth of the basket: "Try it!"

Xie Qian took a bite and nodded: "It's delicious, but...how to prove that this chicken is the running chicken that your uncle Chang Ning said?"

What?

Zhou Yu knew that he was deliberately irritating, and even blinded me with a chicken leg in vain. I was not willing to eat it myself, and said angrily: "Don't beg me to buy it, I won't sell it to you!"

Immediately, he smiled at Li Dongyang and Liu Jian again: "One tael of silver for a running chicken, and it will be delicious again."

Li Dongyang and Liu Jian's faces twitched, but they still reached out and took out the money, treating it as a clean purchase.

Zhou Yu thought happily in his heart, the running chicken is so fresh. Who in the capital has eaten it? Let alone eating it, I am afraid they have never even heard of it. But for some reason, this meat is so delicious.

Not only can it be sold to the palace, but in the future, these officials will come to him for purchasing, which is more profitable than selling salt!

Yan Chengjin took the books in the cabinet and was about to return to Hanyuan. Li Dongyang spent a tael of silver and was getting angry. He happened to see Yan Chengjin and called him over, "How many books are there in Wenyuan Pavilion, how many are the general catalog and the individual copies?"

Yan Chengjin blinked and thought for a while: "Including three types: regular, miscellaneous, and classified. The total number is 46,700 volumes and the unique volume is 3,820. What do you want to ask?"

Li Dongyang's face froze for a moment: "You...how can you remember it so clearly?"

Yan Chengjin looked innocent: "My lord, I'm just afraid that His Majesty will suddenly ask about it."

Li Dongyang: “………………”

……………………

After checking in, I returned to my house.

Yan Chengjin saw Zhou Yu sitting next to the chicken pen, carefully counting every chicken in the cage.

When he saw Yan Chengjin, he ran up all the way and said with a smile: "My good nephew is back. I came to borrow chickens today. I caught them all, just enough."

Yan Chengjin fell into deep thought and felt that lending it to Zhou Yu was a bit unreliable. If the chicken is lent out, can it be returned?

"My father told me that sheep are like limbs and chickens are like clothes. How can you lend clothes to others and leave yourself naked?"

Zhou Yu's old face twitched fiercely, and he said hurriedly: "Oh, I know, I will guarantee it with my personality, and I will definitely pay it back. I have a piece of land in the suburbs, which is just used to raise chickens, but I can't do it for a while. If you can’t raise it, I’ll pledge something and pay it back in the future!”

Yan Chengjin calculated the money and paid a hundred taels of silver. Zhou Yu had already promised the officials to deliver them to his door today. He had no choice but to buy them, so he took away all the running chickens under six months old.

But my heart is happy.

The running chicken was sent to the duty room. The chicken was so delicious that word of mouth spread. The running chicken was really novel and tasted different. Officials from the six ministries signed long-term business orders.

Considering the daily wages of ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty of about seven cents, eating meat was a bit of a luxury, but it was not a problem for most officials.

Most of them had fields and shops in their hometowns, and their family background was relatively rich.

In just two or three days, Zhou Yu expanded the business of the Forbidden City circle of friends.

On this day, the gatekeeper eunuch of the Eastern Palace hurried to the Hanyuan to report to Yan Chengjin: "Sir Yan, the Earl of Changning and the Earl of Jianchang are fighting! It is said that because of the running chicken given by the Lord, His Majesty is furious and is afraid that he will summon you. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asked me to bring you a verbal order, asking you to pretend to be sick and take a few days off."

Jianchang Earl thought that the Earl of Changning had taken away his business. He was originally selling antiques for the Forbidden City circle of friends, but his business was not good. Seeing that the business of the Earl of Changning was good, he was furious and beat up the Earl of Changning.

According to Zhu Houzhao's logic, when the Emperor Hongzhi was angry, it was definitely better to stay away. When the Emperor Hongzhi was angry, he would be fine, so he sent someone to report to Yan Chengjin.

Before Yan Chengjin could come to his senses, the eunuch of the Fengtian Hall came to summon him.

Yan Chengjin followed the eunuch to a side hall in the harem. On the way, he asked casually and heard that Emperor Hongzhi was going to summon the Zhang brothers and the Earl of Changning and set up a small banquet in the palace.

When he arrived at the hall, he saw only Zhou Yu.

The two Zhang brothers were so cruel that he could hardly recognize Zhou Yu.

If it weren't for that outfit, Yan Chengjin didn't dare to call him.

"Hello, Earl of Changning!"

Zhou Yu's swollen face forced a smile, and he didn't care at all: "My dear nephew, don't be nervous. Today, His Majesty is holding a banquet and ordering me to reconcile with the two bastards of the Zhang family. I'm used to it. Business always has risks."

At this time, two people outside the door were chatting enthusiastically.

"Yanling, I think this palace maid is beautiful. Let her be your concubine?"

"Why don't you want it, brother? Obviously not as beautiful as my concubine. I just counted all the way, this one is really not the most beautiful." Zhang Yanling smiled sinisterly.

"Nonsense!"

"I'm talking nonsense!"

Zhang Heling couldn't answer, pouted, and thought seriously: "I haven't counted this, I'll count it when I get back later?"

Zhang Yanling laughed secretly: "I'll count it!"