In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 642 Borrowing Money from All Over the Place, Deep Brotherly Love

In the afternoon, Mi Chen, who had just left Sanming Tower, sat in the carriage, his face flushed, too excited to control himself.

He kept muttering to himself:

"It's out! It's out!"

Only now does he realize the benefits of having a powerful backer!
We only collaborated once.
He didn't take it seriously at first, but now he's reaping such a huge reward!
Mi Chen thought that Lord Lu in the Military Command was truly a kind and honest person.
I can't help but praise myself for the wise decision I made earlier!
"I really do have some good fortune."

Taking a deep breath, Mi Chen struggled to suppress his emotions.
With a quick glance, he had already come up with several foolproof plans!

In short, he must get the rights to sell the white sugar this time!
Back at the Mi residence, Mi Chen excitedly entered the inner hall.

They found Mi Bin lying on a bed recuperating in an inconspicuous room.

Compared to when he first returned home covered in wounds,
His injuries had mostly healed by now, and he looked much more energetic.

Seeing Mi Chen arrive, he propped himself up and sat up:

"Brother."

"Lie down, lie down. Your injury hasn't healed yet, don't move around."

Mi Chen looked at the beautiful woman serving Mi Bin and scolded her:

"Quick, come and help me!"

The woman then realized what was happening and quickly came over to help Mi Bin lie down.

Mi Chen glanced at her with some annoyance:
"Alright, alright, you can go now. You can't get anything done properly."

"Yes"

The young woman felt a little wronged, pouted, and moved her feet to walk out.

Seeing his elder brother's furious expression, Mi Bin's eyes flashed with a hint of helplessness:
"Big brother, Yueyao just arrived at our house."

It's understandable that she doesn't know how to serve others; you don't need to be angry with her.

"Isn't she, a courtesan, good at serving people?"

This was bought at a high price from Beiping. If she does anything to harm you, I'll kill her!

Mi Chen was furious.

Mi Bin shook his head helplessly:
"Don't worry, big brother, my injuries have almost healed. Yueyao can take care of me enough."

Seeing that he wanted to say something more, Mi Bin quickly spoke up and changed the subject:

"Brother, why are you in such a hurry?"

"Good news, great news!"

Mi Chen went to close the door first.

Then he recounted everything that had just happened at Dusi, his voice trembling with barely suppressed excitement.

But when Mi Bin heard that it was Lu Yunyi and Liu Heiying from the Commandery who were in charge, a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.
He suffered a lot of torture while in prison.
There are twelve hours in a day, and all we do is fight, all thanks to these two.

"Big brother, is there something fishy going on? I think things might not be as simple as they seem."

Mi Chen grasped Mi Bin's hand and gently patted it.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure everything goes smoothly this time."

I've already inquired about it from Dai Qiufeng.
Such a method really exists, and it has been sold in Yingtian for some time now.
It finally stopped due to the entanglement of various parties and conflicts of interest.

Now, our Daning is located outside the Great Wall, far from the reach of the emperor.
The powerful officials of the imperial court have no jurisdiction over this place, so sell with confidence!

Then the Mi family will be rich!

My older brother calculated that as long as there's enough stock, they can sell for a year.
We can then earn most of our life savings.

You want to go to Yingtian, right? I won't stop you then.
We'll also provide you with land and housing, so you can live a good life there.

Seeing that he was getting more and more agitated, Mi Bin felt that the matter was unreliable, so he reminded him:
"Brother, I'm afraid this might be a trap."
What if Lu Yunyi abandons us after we've served our purpose, and all he cares about is the Mi family's wealth?

"If they just accuse us of something, we're finished."

At this point, a hint of fear flashed in Mi Bin's eyes:
“Prison. Brother, you don’t know what those dark, hopeless days are like. I never want to live like that again.”

Mi Chen also calmed down and said in a deep voice:
"I've thought about this carefully. If Lu Yunyi wants our family fortune..."

Why go through all this trouble? By relying on Kuang Xiaofei's words, we'll be in deep trouble.

Now that you've been released, and Luchar is dead...
The commander didn't cause us any more trouble, and everything returned to normal!
After much deliberation, I learned that Lu Yunyi had summoned me.
They value our connection with the Baisong tribe.

"Brother, do you mean he also wants to sell sugar to the grasslands?"

Mi Bin was very smart and immediately figured out the key point.

"With so much money, who wouldn't want to earn it? Going over to the top leader would be ten times the amount!"

A fiery glint flashed in Mi Chen's eyes as he said in a deep voice:
"Little brother, do you know?"

I heard Dai Chunfeng say that the most impressive thing about this new method isn't the cost reduction.
Instead, it has a huge production volume, ensuring a continuous supply of goods, and the products remain almost unchanged.

"Really?"

Mi Bin was stunned.

He also did sugar business with Shiramatsube.

The white sugar that came from Beiping was sometimes good and sometimes bad; some of it was completely unusable for military purposes, so we had to eat it as is.
As a result, the price is significantly reduced.

Mi Chen nodded:

"I also learned many secrets; this method has already circulated among many powerful and influential people."
But they kept it a secret and didn't publicize it, all for the sake of making money.

We, on the other hand, have the advantage of favorable timing, location, and popular support.

And we can't wait. By then, the border troops, nobles, and even princes on the Ming Dynasty's frontiers will be in trouble.

They all sold white sugar to the grasslands.

The price is bound to plummet, so we need to act quickly!

"Yes, yes, now that the method has been figured out..."
It's only a matter of time before they start advertising; they might only make money for a year or two.

Mi Bin also strongly agreed with this statement.

"Therefore, I plan to borrow some silver from various families in the city to hold the auction!"

On the one hand, it gives us more money in our hands.
On the other hand, it means they have less money in their hands.

"Although the commander intends to entrust the business to us, there's no guarantee that nothing unexpected might happen." Mi Chen said thoughtfully.

"Still going to auction it off?" Mi Bin asked, his expression questioning.

Mi Chen let out a cold laugh:
"How can they make their first profit if they don't auction off Lu Yunyi?"

"Little brother, how much do you think this money should be?"

"How many?"

Mi Bin frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought.
His suspicions about Du Si's involvement have lessened somewhat.
After all, if you want money, you don't need to go to such lengths.

After thinking for a moment, Mi Bin said in a deep voice:

"Brother, it will cost at least fifty thousand taels of silver."

"Hmm, that's about what I was thinking."

There are only a handful of families in the city who can come up with 50,000 taels of silver in cash.

The other day, the commander took a lot of money from me, so I have even less left.
Our competitors number in the range of three to five.
Even if I were to borrow some money, it might only be by ourselves.

"What about Ya Rong from Kang Le Lou?" Mi Bin asked, his face showing inquiry.

"She has a shallow foundation, how much money could she possibly have?"

Moreover, if the Commander-in-Chief wanted her to do this job,
Why bother telling me this when you've already done all that?

Upon hearing this, Mi Bin also felt that it made a lot of sense, and his face immediately lit up with excitement.

"Brother, if we can really get this done..."

"Then our Mi family has truly risen to the top in one fell swoop!"

"Yes," Mi Chen nodded repeatedly.
"Not only can you make money, but you can also get associated with the Commander."
I've made up my mind. If this matter is accomplished,
"Of the profits, the Commander-in-Chief will receive 70%, and we'll only take 30%!"

"So little? Will the Commander..."

Mi Bin looked hesitant; he had also collaborated with some powerful figures.

If you end up with 10% in your hands, that would be excellent.

Taking 30% now is a bit too much.

Mi Chen waved his hand:

"No, no, this is a lot. Things are different now. We've taken risks, so we can't be soft-hearted."
If Lu Yunyi is not satisfied in the end, we can always add more.
not to mention.
I think Lord Lu is easier to get along with than Lord Zhou.

At least their methods will be much more conciliatory. They shouldn't get bogged down in such matters.

Mi Bin looked down at himself lying on the bed, his lips trembling.

In the end, he didn't say anything.

As evening approached, Mi Chen had already passed three houses and arrived at the fourth, the Hu family residence in Fu'an Lane.

Once the carriage came to a stop, Mi Chen glanced at the densely packed silver coins inside, a smug glint in his eyes.
"Once you've run out of money, let's see how you fight me."

"Master, we've arrived." "Hmm."

Mi Chen stepped down from the carriage and tightened his clothes.

Arriving at the gate of the Hu family's residence, I gently pulled the copper ring.

A short while later, an elderly steward poked his head out.

"It's Manager Mi. What brings you here?"

"Is Brother Hu home? I need to talk to him about something." Mi Chen said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Mi, please come in quickly."

Before long, a hearty laugh echoed through the spacious main hall, preceding the person's arrival:

"Hahaha, Manager Mi, it's been a long time! How have you been?"

Mi Chen looked in the direction of the sound and saw Hu Chongyi, the person in charge of the Hu family!

He was in his forties and had a very fierce appearance.

He also had a scar on his left cheek, which, combined with his muscular physique, made him look exactly like a bandit.

Mi Chen knew his background; the man in front of him was indeed a grassland bandit ten years ago, robbing caravans everywhere.

After the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Yuan Dynasty went to war, they finally settled down and hid in the city of Daning.

Now it has transformed.
He became a wealthy landowner in the Ming Dynasty, which can be said to have completely cleansed his name.

Mi Chen stood up, gave a bitter smile, and slowly shook his head:

"Things haven't been good lately at all."

"Haha, sit down, sit down."

As Hu Chongyi spoke, he sat down.
"I heard that Manager Mi had a conflict with the new Lord Lu. Has the matter been resolved?"

A bitter smile appeared on Mi Chen's lips as he shook his head helplessly.
"To be honest, Brother Hu, my younger brother still hasn't returned."

He's still in jail, and I'm trying everything to get him out.

"Still not out?" Hu Chongyi asked thoughtfully, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.
"This new Lord Lu is so stubborn?"
I think he has already taken control of the situation in the military command.

Duan Zhengze hasn't dared to utter a word lately. Last time I invited him to drink, he didn't come.

Wei Qiwen's situation is even worse; I heard he's already been taken to Beiping?

Mi Chen nodded:

"It seems Brother Hu knows something."
Our new Lord Lu is not someone to be trifled with.

Hu Chongyi laughed.

"Hu does not change his name or surname."
I never do anything illegal or criminal, and I have nothing to be afraid of.

Mi Chen shook his head helplessly:
"Brother Hu, those brothers of yours haven't paid their taxes and are still on the run, aren't they?"

Hu Chongyi's expression changed:
"What do you mean by that, Manager Mi?"

"Brother Hu, I'm not bringing this up to cause trouble."

Rather, I, in my humble opinion, believe that none of us are truly clean.

One should still act discreetly and cautiously.
Otherwise, if Lord Lu catches me on a crime, I'll be thrown into jail.

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more discouraging to you."

"Manager Mi, please speak frankly. What brings you here today?"

Mi Chen's expression shifted repeatedly, finally gritting his teeth fiercely:

"Brother Hu, if you have the means, could you lend me some silver?"
Interest is 30%, to be repaid in one month.

"Borrow money?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Chongyi immediately straightened up and looked him up and down:
"Manager Mi, you're one of the richest people in the city. When did you start needing to borrow money?"

Mi Chen smiled helplessly:
"Don't even mention it. I went to Lord Lu several times to redeem him, but he wouldn't budge."
I'm planning to go all out this time, using money to pave the way, I'll do whatever it takes to get my brother out.

To be honest, I've already borrowed from several places.

I hope Manager Hu will be lenient and help this old man out.
"Once the money arrives in Beiping in a month, it will be returned immediately."

"How much to borrow?"

Hu Chongyi's eyes flickered, and he asked the question almost without thinking.

"Twenty thousand taels!"

"So much? How much money are you planning to raise, Brother Mi?" Hu Chongyi was taken aback.

"One hundred thousand taels!"

Mi Chen gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, and said through gritted teeth:

“I only have one younger brother, and the family business depends on him. I can’t just abandon him.”

"One hundred thousand?" Hu Chongyi's eyes widened suddenly.

"Brother Mi, don't be foolish! You could get the Prince of Yan to help you with 100,000 taels of silver."

If you don't have any connections, I can introduce you to two people in Beiping.

"Even the Prince of Yan won't do; I've already inquired about it."

Lu Yunyi and the Crown Prince's men are beyond the reach of the Prince of Yan's words, and even if they were, it would be too late.

My brother has been locked up for a month and is suffering terribly inside.

If they don't want to save him, he probably won't last much longer.

As he spoke, Mi Chen's eyes became bloodshot and glistened with tears.

"This this."

Hu Chongyi's expression changed repeatedly, the scars on his face twitching slightly as he pondered something.

"Since Manager Mi is so eager to save his brother, Old Hu will not hesitate to help as well."
The silver will be sent to Manager Mi tomorrow.

But the interest that should be paid cannot be less, otherwise I cannot explain it to the brothers.”

"Don't worry, Brother Hu, I, Mi Chen, have never taken advantage of anyone in my life."

The interest will be returned along with the principal one month from now, in full!
"But is the cash at Brother Hu's house? I'd like to take it with me now."

"So eager?" Hu Chongyi was somewhat surprised.

"It's too late. Tonight, I must ask someone to contact Lord Lu."

"I might have to pay you tonight; I can't delay."

"Alright, drive the carriage to the backyard. The silver is in the cellar; I'll have someone move it."

"Thank you so much, Brother Hu. I will never forget your kindness today!"

Mi Chen bowed deeply, very solemnly.

Two quarters of an hour later, Mi Chen's carriage slowly drove away from the Hu residence.

Mi Chen went from house to house searching.
He visited almost everyone in the city who had cash on hand.
The news that he was going to spend a large sum of money to redeem his brother quickly spread.

It's touching to see such deep brotherhood!
Two days later, the sun finally peeked out from the gloomy sky.
Golden sunlight streamed down, dispelling the darkness of the night.

At this moment, passersby who were passing by the commander's office and the government office were surprised to find that...
Huge notices were erected at the entrances of the two government offices, with soldiers standing guard on both sides.

Many officials and passersby came forward to investigate.

Soon after, a commotion arose.

Duan Zhengze, the Vice Commander of the Capital Garrison, also came over.

He was quite angry. It was outrageous that he, as a mere assistant clerk, didn't even know about such an important matter as setting up a notice!
But when he saw the words written on the notice, he frowned somewhat absentmindedly and muttered to himself:

[Wanshou Sugar Workshop Business Notice]
Merchants of Daning City:

"Our workshop has recently acquired a new method for making sugar, and the price of the white sugar we produce is almost the same as that of brown sugar, which is a great boon to the sugar industry."

We now intend to recruit distributors in Beiping City to expand sales channels and benefit all regions.

Anyone interested may participate in the auction.

Regardless of the size of the establishment, everyone is eligible.

The successful bidder will be treated with generous benefits, and will be guaranteed a sufficient supply of goods and worry-free after-sales service.

We encourage all merchants to register enthusiastically and participate in this grand event.

For details, please contact Wanshou Sugar Workshop.

"What? Sugar distribution opportunities?"

An absurd expression appeared on Duan Zhengze's face.

But seeing the Commander's Seal at the end, he became somewhat unsure.
"Is that so? How come I didn't know?"

(End of this chapter)