Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 211 Is Zhang Shiyuan the real leader of the Huizhou merchants?

Nine pounds and eight ounces!

Yin Zhengmao felt like he was suffocating.

"What crime have you committed!"

He stepped forward, holding wads of cotton thread, his eyes practically shining, and kept saying...

"A hero! You are a great hero!"

This number is not ten times what Zhang Yunxiu said.

Neither Yin Zhengmao nor Hai Rui would stubbornly argue about this point.

Because they are very clear that whether it is nine times or ten times, it is already a tremendous improvement!
What I saw with my own eyes was not some kind of magic trick; the effect was right before my eyes.

But Hai Rui had no time to rejoice. His body trembled slightly as he stepped forward and grabbed Zhang Jianxiu's arm.

He was a civil official, but at this moment his fingers gripped Zhang Jianxiu tightly, like eagle claws.

“Zhang Qianshi! Tell me the truth: how much did this loom sell for? Do you truly intend to teach this method to the people, or are you simply using this opportunity to profit from the Jiangnan Textile Bureau?”

Whether the Tiangong textile machine was intended for ordinary people or for the imperial court to use the name of the textile bureau for business profit, the two are vastly different.

The former benefited the country and its people, providing livelihoods for many people in the Jiangnan region.

The latter is the authorities using various pretexts to exploit millions of cotton farmers and weavers across the country!

Feeling the eagle-like gaze of the other party, Zhang Jianxiu felt a chill in his heart. This was someone who dared to challenge the emperor.

He smiled and patted Hai Rui's stiff shoulder.

"What are you saying, Hai Xiantai? Do you think my Zhang brothers are the kind of wolves who would abandon righteousness for profit?"
My father and Shiyuan made it very clear in their letter.

This loom was similar to that of the Xishan Money Shop, where looms could be rented to the people, who would pay a certain amount of rent periodically. The Xishan Money Shop also provided low-interest loans to the people.

Everything is as it should be, and has received His Majesty's approval. Any deviation would be a crime of deceiving the emperor!

Upon hearing this, Hai Rui's stiff body finally relaxed somewhat.

He had seen too many corrupt officials' methods of profiting. In comparison, if Zhang Yunxiu really had ulterior motives, he would be more terrifying than any corrupt official in the past!
Hai Rui let out a heavy breath and asked, "Is there a set of rules for this method? How much will be lent and how much interest will be collected? How will it be implemented? Where will reliable people be found? Most importantly, how will the people be taught? How will unscrupulous people be prevented from taking advantage of it?"

"Naturally there is."

Zhang Jianxiu took out a booklet from his pocket and said.

"You two gentlemen can refer to this for guidance. Also, the Jiangnan Textile Bureau and the Xishan Money Exchange are both joint ventures of the Ministry of Revenue, the Imperial Treasury, and Xishan, with Xishan acting as their manager."

The weaving bureau provided the people with a set of looms for a fee, and the people also enjoyed the bureau's protection and technical support.

"And then there's me, the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

He patted his chest and said.

"With a Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) from a thousand-household unit accompanying us, the operation of the Textile Bureau can be guaranteed to proceed smoothly."

Finally, Zhang Jianxiu handed the booklet to Hai Rui and said...

"Shi Yuan has written down all the details. I will take the lead now, and later Yu Xiangdou, Zhao Rui and other key personnel from the capital will come to support us."

There's no shortage of manpower; if there really is, the Anhui Merchants Association can send some people.

"The Huizhou merchants?" Hai Rui was very sensitive to this group.

Seeing the other party's concerns, Zhang Jianxiu said with a smile, "Hai Xiantai, please rest assured, these people will naturally follow our lead and dare not do anything rash. If you find any corrupt officials, just arrest them all."

Seeing his confident demeanor, Hai Rui frowned and said, "Why is Zhang Tongzhi so confident? Huizhou merchants are known for their tea and salt business. Various business tycoons have connections with court officials. How can they be underestimated?"

"If we let them manage the Jiangnan Textile Bureau and the Xishan Money Exchange, aren't we afraid they'll cause some trouble?"

It wasn't just the Huizhou merchants, but also the Shanxi merchants and the Longyou merchants; Hai Rui made no attempt to hide his disgust for these people who mostly made their fortunes by hoarding and speculating.

In fact, if he could eliminate the powerful gentry, he would first target these parasites of the Ming Dynasty.

But Zhang Jianxiu dismissed it, saying, "Does Hai Xiantai understand economics? Does he understand business?"

“I am an official of the imperial court; how can I engage in business for profit?” Hai Rui said, frowning.

“That’s right.” Zhang Jianxiu smiled and explained. “Hai Xiantai doesn’t understand business, Governor Yin doesn’t understand business, and neither do I, Zhang Jianxiu. So who will handle all these affairs?”

"Using Huizhou merchants is absolutely not a good strategy! I will never agree to it!" Hai Rui said resolutely.

Zhang Jianxiu had no choice but to squint and lower his voice.

“What Hai Xiantai said is indeed reasonable. The Hui merchants used to be arrogant and domineering, and committed all kinds of evil deeds, but this is my younger brother’s business, so they dare not act recklessly.”

"Why?" Hai Rui still didn't understand.

Zhang Jianxiu said helplessly, "Doesn't Hai Xiantai know that my younger brother already has a share in the Anhui Merchants Association in the capital?"

In other words, Shiyuan is now the true leader of the Huizhou merchants!

He chuckled and patted Hai Rui on the shoulder in a disrespectful manner.

"With Shi Yuan keeping them in check, they naturally wouldn't dare to have any ideas. Besides, with you, Hai Gangfeng, here, it's easy to keep them in line."

Most importantly, the Huizhou merchants also coveted the lucrative Jiangnan region!

"."

For a moment, Hai Rui was at a loss for words.

What caught his attention most was the sentence: "Zhang Shiyuan is the real leader of the Huizhou merchants."

"By imperial decree, Xishan established the Jiangnan Textile Bureau, which was specifically responsible for the procurement and supervision of imperial silk fabrics in Jiangnan."

"Yin Zhengmao, the former governor of Yingtian, is hereby promoted to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, overseeing military affairs in Southern Zhili, Zhejiang, and Fujian, concurrently managing provisions and supplies, and commanding the generals of the various garrisons in Jiangnan." "Hou Jigao, the former deputy commander of Jinshanwei, is specially promoted to Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Jiangnan, stationed in Jinshanwei, and responsible for the defense of the naval base against Japanese pirates."

"Shen Yourong, formerly the Wusong Military Commander, is hereby promoted to Acting Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Jinshanwei, assisting in the defense of Jinshanwei, concurrently leading the naval forces, and overseeing the patrol and suppression of pirates."

As the contents of the official gazette were read aloud, the three men, who had been leisurely drinking and making merry in the pavilions and terraces, felt their hearts sink to the bottom.

Wang Shizhen slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "Zhang Jiangling is a wolf in sheep's clothing! He wants to take over Jiangnan. Does he really think that there's no one else in Southern Zhili?"

"Weaving Bureau?"

Wang Xijue looked puzzled.

"In the past, there were textile bureaus, but they were all under the jurisdiction of the Inner Court's textile supervisor and jointly managed by the Ministry of Works and the Directorate of Ceremonial."

What exactly is this Jiangnan Textile Bureau in Zhangjiangling? It doesn't seem like a government-run operation; it looks more like a private one.

"That was Zhang Shiyuan's idea."

Xu Jie opened his aged eyes, and his tone of voice seemed to be a sigh.

“Uncle Zhang is not older than me, yet he seems even more confused than I am? He is simply thinking of using this textile bureau to alleviate the predicament of Jiangnan.”

It's a pipe dream for a mere weaving bureau to try and get a piece of the silk and cloth business in Jiangnan!
This sets a precedent for government-run private enterprises, and the consequences will be endless.

All three were extremely confident in this regard.

They grew up in Jiangnan and have worked there for generations. How could Zhang Yunxiu, who is far away in the capital, know Jiangnan better than them?
"They were just thinking of making a few bolts of cloth to profit from it."

Wang Shizhen said with considerable disdain.

"With just that little bit of cloth, Zhang Shiyuan thinks he can implement his economic policies? That's utterly absurd. Only the Shanxi merchants are stupid enough to fall for his tricks."

"There is no Western Hills in Jiangnan, nor is there the protection of an emperor. If we act carefully, we will naturally not make any mistakes."

Even the usually composed Wang Xijue felt that this was not a problem, and after thinking for a moment, he said.

"Speaking of which, what students are more concerned about is Zhang Jiangling's arrangements in Jiangnan, with Yin Zhengmao, Hou Jigao, and Shen Yourong jointly assisting in the defense of Jiangnan. I'm afraid it's a case of Xiang Zhuang's sword dance, with his real intention being Liu Bang!"

Wang Xijue narrowed his eyes, his words clearly referring to the maritime ban and the Japanese pirates.

"The sea frontier must not be opened, otherwise Japanese pirates will invade. This is a consensus among the gentry in Jiangnan and the officials stationed there."

Xu Jie said with a cold laugh.

"We have made some money, but which of the officials in the court has not benefited? Which of the prominent families in Jiangnan has no business?"

Only Zhang Shuda and Zhang Shiyuan considered themselves superior and thought of opening up the sea frontier to increase the court's annual revenue.
I believe Zhang Shiyuan is bewitching the Emperor, using money to cloud the monarch's judgment; he is a treacherous and rebellious minister!

When it comes to matters of interest, Xu Jie doesn't hesitate to show his fangs even to former students.

Wang Shizhen smiled and shook his head, saying, "I heard that this scoundrel held some kind of auction in the capital a few days ago, and it was quite a spectacle. It is said that the auction made a fortune every day, and a mountain of gold grew in his backyard. It was so dazzling under the scorching sun that it could be seen from a mile away!"

"The world is going to the dogs! The world is going to the dogs!" Wang Xijue said in anguish. "Not a single official in the capital, not even one of the six censors, dares to criticize the current affairs, allowing His Majesty to be misled by this Zhang Shiyuan. It is truly lamentable!"

Xu Jie nodded and said, "This has provoked public outrage, but we don't need to take action. Someone will come looking for trouble. We can just sit back and watch the show."

"What Xu Gong means is," Wang Xijue said in a low voice, "the Shanxi merchants?"

"They won't let this go."

Xu Jie, his clothes still covering him, leaned back in his armchair and spoke with his eyes closed.

"Having suffered a great loss last time, how could we let go of such an opportunity?"

He continued to give instructions.

"We must not underestimate our enemy. Since the Zhang family has already made their move, we should play along. The floods in Jiangnan are severe, affecting the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people. Does the imperial court dare to allow Jiangnan to descend into chaos?"
Not only that, there were also invading enemies at sea.

With a little manipulation, elongate the ears and make the eyes brighter.

Just you all watch, Zhang Shuda will eventually have to talk to the gentry of Jiangnan.

Just like Hai Ruxian during the Longqing era!

Xu Jie's old eyes were blurry, as if he was thinking of Hai Rui's "invasion" in the past, which ended in a great victory for his side.

He could not imagine any chance of victory for the imperial court.

"Jiangnan doesn't ask for much, just a peaceful life and a little money," Xu Jie said, shaking his head. "But the court is pressing us relentlessly; it's truly bitter and tragic."

"What Master Xu said is absolutely right."

Both Wang Xijue and Wang Shizhen wore expressions of resentment, yet their demeanor became increasingly relaxed.

After a few more brief analyses, the three of them started chatting about everyday things.

As they were talking, Wang Shizhen suddenly slapped his forehead and said...

"Speaking of which, I recently acquired a priceless treasure and was just thinking of asking Master Xu for some guidance. I hope Master Xu will grant my request."

Saying it's seeking advice is just a euphemism for giving a gift. After all, how can you directly give gifts when it comes to matters concerning scholars? That would be too vulgar.

"What is it?" Xu Jie didn't even open his eyes, seemingly not caring much.

Wang Shizhen then cupped his hands in greeting.

"To be honest, it's quite infuriating. Zhang Shiyuan dared to bring out the Sage Confucius when he auctioned off a bunch of treasures in the capital. It's really an insult to culture."

It just so happened that my son was studying in the capital, so I bought this item and specially transported it to Southern Zhili.

The students thought that Zhang Shiyuan was of poor character, but his skill in tinkering with treasures was quite good.

This statue of the Sage Confucius, it seems, can only be recognized by Master Xu's discerning eye!

(End of this chapter)