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

Chapter 259: I still need to continue treatment!
Mengding Stone Flower is also known as Mengshan Sparrow Tongue.

It was first recorded during the Ganlu period of the Western Han Dynasty, and was listed as tribute tea during the Tianbao period of the Tang Dynasty, making it the most outstanding tribute tea in the past thousand years.

After being stir-fried and dried three times, the Mengding stone flower carries a fragrance of orchids and a hint of honey.

Every time it's brewed, the whole house is enveloped in a fragrant cloud, with a high and long-lasting aroma.

This tea is precious and elegant, naturally making it highly sought after by scholars and literati.

But in Wang Shimao's eyes now, it was nothing to mention. He waved his sleeve and said.

"Don't we have enough money now? So what if we squander it? Let alone thirty taels of silver, even three hundred taels of silver would only take the time it takes to burn an incense stick. This little bit of silver is nothing."

After only a few days in the teahouse, Wang Shimao's speech had taken on a commoner's air, and he spoke with extreme arrogance.

He seemed to be in a very good mood, leaning back in his chair, rubbing his stomach and letting out a sigh.

“In the past, I thought the futures market was a disaster for the country and its people, but now I see it as completely different. Zhang Shiyuan is a very bad person who often does things against the tide, but he has quite a bit of experience in making novel things.”

“Nephew, you’ve already mentioned this.” Wang Shiqi smiled and shook his head. “This man is eccentric, but he’s quite skilled in unorthodox ways. The futures market is a wonderful thing, but he doesn’t know how to use it. It’s a real waste.”

Wang Shimao then offered a reminder.

"Jiongbo, don't be too proud and complacent. We've only earned forty or fifty thousand taels of silver in the past few days, which is nothing. Let's work harder and try to earn more silver so that we can achieve the path of a sage!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shiqi's expression turned quite strange. He touched the corner of his mouth, which was slightly bluish, thanks to this uncle.

A few days ago, Wang Shimao led a group of servants to the entrance of the teahouse, determined to capture Wang Shiqi and take him back.

He even slapped Wang Shiqi in public.

But when it came time to return the money and settle the accounts, this elder was surprised to discover...

Contrary to expectations, Wang Shiqi did not lose money in the futures market.

On the contrary, they made a fortune by taking advantage of the rising prices in Jiangnan.

Wang Shimao said something about being uncivilized, but his actions betrayed him.

From initially giving it a try, to later seeing it as an opportunity not to be missed, and now planning to "make a fortune."

The sage's way that Wang Shimao spoke of ultimately succumbed to the allure of money.

Upon seeing that his nephew's expression was off and that he was wiping the wound on the corner of his mouth, he realized that he was still holding a grudge about what had happened earlier.

Wang Shimao looked rather embarrassed, and he smiled as he spoke.

"Uncle Jiong, what's the matter? I was just confused for a moment."

He patted his nephew on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, this is our chance to turn the tables. Zhang Shiyuan is playing with fire and will get burned. How can he easily control the futures market?"

Recently, your father, along with other insightful individuals from Jiangnan, have gathered gentry and merchants from across the land to teach Zhang Shiyuan a lesson.

Wang Shimao gritted his teeth and said, "At that time, prices will soar across the country. Whether it is cloth, silk, or grain, Jiangnan is an important economic center of the country, and it will inevitably affect the whole country if one thing happens."

In the Jiangnan region, we can thwart the wolfish ambitions of the Zhang family father and son.

"In the capital region, can't we also rely on this futures market to recoup the losses we suffered at the Seosan workshop?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shiqi's eyes lit up immediately: "So the Shanxi merchants are also on our side?"

"It's natural."

"Zhang Shiyuan's perverse actions have aroused the wrath of both gods and men, and this is the only way to quell the anger!"

Wang Shiqi sighed, but then he realized something was wrong.

"Nephew still has some concerns. What if Zhang Shiyuan, seeing that things are not going well, resorts to desperate measures?"

Absolutely not.

Wang Shimao, looking completely at ease, shook his head with great certainty.

“If Zhang Shiyuan dares to overturn the table, he'll be ruining his own business. This huge futures market is now not only related to the circulation and sale of goods in Xishan, but also involves the trade of daily necessities such as firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea in the capital.”

He squinted at the other person.

"If this causes great chaos in the capital, even with the emperor and Zhang Jiangling protecting us, can we quell public anger and silence the clamor of the people?"

“In that case,” Wang Shiqi raised an eyebrow, “Zhang Shiyuan has dug a hole for himself and found a way to die.”

"He should not be underestimated, and there is also Zhang Jiangling."

Wang Shimao had been navigating the officialdom for over twenty years and was very wary of Zhang Juzheng's methods.

In the past, if Zhang Juzheng had not been in charge of the government, why would he have retired and returned to his hometown so early?
But he still smiled and shook his head, saying, "However, the situation is generally in our favor. Zhang Shiyuan's move is a risky one, and it is clear that he is still far behind his father."

All the goods in the world are in the hands of gentry and merchants, and the Jiangnan region is the most prosperous in terms of trade.

"We hold the goods in our hands. Even if Zhang Shiyuan has a futures market, the pricing is ultimately up to us gentry and merchants."

He stroked his beard and said leisurely.

"In my opinion, the Zhang family father and son are courting death by trying to deal with the gentry and merchants of the world!" Upon hearing this, Wang Shiqi couldn't help but show joy on his face.

He originally thought he had become a spendthrift in his father's eyes, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and he even got involved in the world's conflicts.

For a moment, Wang Shiqi felt incredibly proud and clenched his fists, speaking with great excitement.

"We need to teach that brat Zhang Shiyuan a lesson. If we make a fortune in Beizhili, it will be a great help to Jiangnan!"

“It’s a pity,” Wang Shimao said with some worry. “Chen Yu has been missing recently. If something happens to him, I don’t know how to explain it to Brother Yuan Yu.”

I thought that Wang Xijue's eldest son, Wang Heng, would be much more sensible and reasonable than Wang Shiqi, but I never expected that this kid would run away from home.

Wang Shimao, carrying the entrustment of his elder brother and friend from Jiangnan, was naturally anxious.

Wang Shiqi said nonchalantly, "I have already sent people to look for him. Brother Chenyu is a dragon among men, but he has been bewitched by Zhang Shiyuan. I think he will come back on his own when he figures out the problem."

“This child has aspired to become Yangming Gong since childhood, which seems to indicate that he has gone astray.”

Wang Shimao sighed and said through gritted teeth.

"Zhang Shiyuan is misleading young people; he is utterly despicable!"

At this point in the conversation, he suddenly noticed that the price of silk below the stage had increased by fifty coins, and without hesitation, he stood up and shouted.

"I'm buying top-quality silk, eight taels and two mace per bolt, one thousand bolts in total!"

Just like the "Two Kings," the resistance of the Jiangnan gentry sparked a positive response from the gentry and merchants in the capital region.

Many people were holding back their anger, eager to see Zhang Yunxiu suffer a setback.

Seeing that the futures market could not only make money, but also support the gentry of Jiangnan, and most importantly, allow them to fleece Zhang Shiyuan, why not?
Zhang Yunxiu wants to stabilize prices, right? Then he'll have to throw piles and piles of silver at the market!
In this back and forth, countless gentry and merchants tasted the sweetness of the futures market and began to take out their hoarded silver and invest it in the futures market, hoping to make money from it.

Of course, some people will have doubts.

This way of making money is too simple and crude. Is Zhang Yunxiu a fool? Doesn't he have any countermeasures?
But seeing that everyone around them was making money from the futures market, even more people couldn't sit still any longer.

They all joined in the revelry.

For a time, even the original teahouse at the Thirty-Ninth Tea House was not enough to accommodate everyone, so a second market had to be set up next door to satisfy the "speculation" of the powerful and wealthy in the capital.

The world has suffered under the Zhang family for too long.

This phrase became a common saying among many gentry and merchants.

Using this as an excuse, they became increasingly bold, even affecting prices in the capital region, which rose step by step.

Everyone wanted to see how Zhang Yunxiu would handle this situation.

The gentry and merchants, in particular, were calculating their business plans, waiting for the Zhang family father and son to take the initiative to seek peace.

As before, Wang Anshi's reforms in the Song Dynasty were compromised, and the Wanli New Deal also had to be compromised in the end. Zhang Yunxiu was sharpening his knife, and his wolfish ambitions were obvious.

The aristocratic families were equally confident that he would continue to "compromise".

On the other hand, Zhang Yunxiu seemed completely unaffected, and even opened an addiction rehabilitation class in Xishan, claiming to save every noble son who was misled by wealth, sex, wine and women.

Zhu Yingzhen, the Duke of Cheng, who was captured, naturally became one of the first patients to receive treatment.

Through the iron bars, one could hear Zhu Yingzhen's hoarse voice calling out from inside.

"Zhang Shiyuan! Zhang Shiyuan, you scoundrel!"

"You're just afraid I'll make more money off you! Let me out!"

"I still need to make money! You bastard with no sense of contract!"

Zhu Yingzhen's curses rose and fell, showing that he hated Zhang Yunxiu to the extreme. If he were released, he might tear Zhang Yunxiu to pieces right now!

"Ugh—I still need to continue treatment!"

Standing outside, Zhang Yunxiu sighed and gave instructions to Luo Xian beside him.

"Increase the dosage of the medication and control his diet recently. It must be light and bland. This is a critical period for treatment."

"A critical period?"

Luo Xian's eyes lit up immediately, as if he had realized something. As the doctor at Renmin Medical Hall who was most skilled in research, he had recently been studying the treatment of "hysteria".

Otherwise, I wouldn't have volunteered to try this addiction recovery program.

“That’s right.” Zhang Yunxiu shook his head. “This addiction affects the nerves in the brain, and if it continues, it will definitely cause damage.”

In more severe cases, craniotomy and laser treatment may be necessary.

Upon hearing this, someone immediately shuddered and could no longer bear to watch.

"Nephew! You mustn't!"

Zhang Rong immediately darted out from behind and waved to Zhang Yunxiu.

"Although the Duke of Cheng has been somewhat absurd, he doesn't deserve this much trouble!"

(End of this chapter)