usatvline Chapter 234 Interviews and Winning Over
Chapter 234 Interviews and Winning Over
Chapter 234 Interviews and Winning Over
October 17th, the fifth year of the Zhizheng era, Huangtian Port.
In the light drizzle, teams of boatmen and shovelers carefully carried the salt into the warehouse and stored it away.
Inside the signing room, the river flowed swiftly and thunderously.
Shao Shuyi glanced at the young man standing in front of him, then looked at the letter again and asked, "Your name is Wang Xing, courtesy name Zhizhong?"
'
"Yes."
"You had a courtesy name when you were fifteen. Who gave you one?"
"Old Man Xu".
"Who is Xu Weng?"
"Suzhou pharmaceutical merchants".
"Is he the owner of the Qi Men Pharmacy in the north of the city, Master Xu?"
"Exactly." Wang Xing's expression finally changed, as if he was somewhat surprised.
Shao Shuyi put away the letter and smiled, "I went there to sell incense and herbs before, but I didn't see you then."
"Sometimes I read in the backyard."
Shao Shuyi nodded. It seems that Wang Xing has a close relationship with Master Xu, or perhaps he is very much liked by him.
Kong Tie also said that he spent most of his time studying at Master Xu's house, and only worked as a shop assistant to help out when the herbal medicine shop was busy.
Master Xu was a man who appreciated talent.
"I heard you've already been teaching a group of children, which shows you're quite talented. Isn't it a bit of a waste for you to come here as my accountant?" Shao Shuyi asked.
"It is a bit of a pity," Wang Xing replied earnestly.
Shao Shuyi chuckled and said, "You're really honest. Why did you come? Don't tell me it was at Liu Jiming's invitation; you two aren't that close, are you?"
Wang Xing nodded and said, "Old Xu sent me. I am deeply indebted to him and have no reason to refuse."
"And who entrusted Xu Weng with this?" Shao Shuyi asked.
Wang Xing shook his head and said, "I don't know."
Do you know what's written in this letter?
"I don't know."
Shao Shuyi hummed in agreement and asked, "How's the old granary going? Are you satisfied? Is there anything lacking?"
"I've only been here a few days, so I can't say whether I'm comfortable or not. I just feel that Sheng Ye Trading Company's actions are too..."
"overbearing?"
Wang Xing shook his head and said, "There are too many underhanded tricks; it's not honorable enough."
Shao Shuyi was somewhat surprised. It wasn't that he disliked Shengye Trading Company for its bullying and monopolistic practices, but rather that it wasn't fair and square enough. Did they intend to gather their forces, storm their competitor's house, and then annihilate their entire family in a fair and square manner?
"Don't you think Sheng Ye Trading Company's actions are not ethical?" Shao Shuyi asked.
Wang Xing glanced at the ships laden with smuggled salt outside the window and said, "I'm just a scholar with mediocre skills; I can't change the way things are."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Sometimes I hate myself. I'm weak-willed and only want to survive in this chaotic world. I don't want to do anything."
"A chaotic world? Suzhou is rich and prosperous; does it show any signs of a chaotic world?" Shao Shuyi asked.
"Bandits are repeatedly suppressed but never completely eradicated, local tyrants prey on the villagers, soldiers lack food and clothing, and officials are corrupt. This is not what a peaceful and prosperous era should be like," Wang Xing said. "Furthermore, Suzhou is a major thoroughfare with many merchants traveling between the north and south, so we can always learn about news from the outside world."
"Are you very interested in what's happening outside?" Shao Shuyi asked with interest.
"Although I dislike the Yuan Dynasty, I still want a house, land, and books to read. I don't want the world to be in chaos," Wang Xing said. "I have already suffered the hardships of wandering once, and I don't want to suffer them a second time."
"Do you really enjoy reading?" Shao Shuyi asked.
Wang Xing nodded.
What books do you usually read?
"I have no right to be picky," Wang Xing said. "It's good enough to have books to read, how can I be selective? I read everything, classics, history, military treatises, medicine, and even compilations of epitaphs, I read them all night long."
"Reading epitaphs all night—" Shao Shuyi chuckled, "In such a hurry to return them?"
"Yes. I've read most of the books in Old Master Xu's house. Sometimes when I go out with him to meet guests, I borrow a few books to read."
"Old Xu has been very good to you." After saying that, Shao Shuyi changed the subject and said, "In this letter, besides the official business, Baijianu also recommended that you come and work for me."
Wang Xing was silent for a moment, then said, "I have little experience, so I need to learn first."
Upon hearing this, Shao Shuyi looked at him with even greater respect.
Young people like to fantasize and tend to overestimate their own abilities and underestimate the methods of others. Wang Xing doesn't have this problem; he has a clear understanding of himself, and this quality is more valuable than how much knowledge or skills he has.
"Let's learn in Huangtiangang first, and then we'll talk about it later," Shao Shuyi said.
"Yes," Wang Xing replied calmly.
"I'll buy you books," Shao Shuyi suddenly said with a smile.
Wang Xing was somewhat surprised and bowed in thanks.
Shao Shuyi laughed heartily, stepped out of the signing room, and looked at the porters who were working hard to move the salt.
Wang Bai was standing not far away, talking to his men. When he saw Shao Shuyi, he walked over laughing and said, "Cao She has done a great job!"
"I wonder what you're referring to, Brother Wang?" Shao Shuyi laughed. "I merely sell fish, salt, cloth, and silk. Such business is common everywhere; how can it be considered a big deal?"
Wang Bai carefully observed Shao Shuyi's expression.
Shao Shuyi smiled but remained silent.
The two stared at each other for a moment, then Wang Bai suddenly shook his head and said, "After the incident at Lüsi Saltworks, the Transport Commissioner of Lianghuai, Du, went to inspect the saltworks every few days, but now salt is not so easy to obtain."
Shao Shuyi expressed his understanding.
In early July, 10,000 catties of salt were delivered. At that time, Wang Bai did not come in person, probably because he was arranging things. This time, delivering 20,000 catties of salt must have taken a lot of effort, and the price has risen to 800 wen.
"But I wonder which hero is causing such a ruckus at Lüsi Field." Wang Bai sighed. "Although he has ruined my plans, I admire him and would like to have a drink with him and become his friend."
"There are countless heroes in the world," Shao Shuyi said. "Take Guo Huonichi for example, did you even hear of him before he started his rebellion?"
"No."
"Neither have I," Shao Shuyi praised. "Three hundred men roamed the interior for more than two months, breaching famous cities and killing government generals. What a heroic feat, worthy of admiration."
Wang Bai also felt a sense of longing.
"How's it going at Lüsichang?" Shao Shuyi asked.
Wang Bai glanced at Shao Shuyi discreetly, but not discerning anything, and said, "What else can we do if we can't catch them?"
Last year, the patrol inspector was killed, and the pirates who came ashore to recuperate were made the scapegoats. This time, the salt fields have been breached, so using pirates again won't make sense; we need to find a different tactic—”
Hearing his humorous remark, Shao Shuyi couldn't help but laugh and ask, "What new tricks has the government changed?"
Wang Bai glanced at him and said, "The government faced significant obstacles when investigating the case from the south, so they had to investigate on their own north of the river. They couldn't find a suitable method, and finally used several wealthy families, such as the Wang and Chen families from Tongzhou, as scapegoats. Almost all of these families are already dead; the few remaining members were tortured into confessing. The government even found armor in their homes. Isn't that strange?"
Shao Shuyi remained silent for a long time.
Theoretically, it's possible for two wealthy families to break into the salt fields, but the question is, do their superiors believe it?
"I heard it was a man from Yidu named Wu Dalang who committed the robbery. Didn't you go to Yidu to investigate?" Shao Shuyi asked calmly.
"The benefits are all in the belly, which is more troublesome than investigating cases in Jiangnan." Wang Bai shook his head and said, "However, because of Guo Huoni Chi's matter, the Secretariat still sent people to assist in the investigation."
"And the result?"
"Why is Cao She so concerned?" Wang Bai asked suspiciously.
Shao Shuyi pointed to the salt that was being moved and smiled without saying a word.
Wang Bai smiled and said, "Of course we won't find anything out. Guo Huo, your Red Army followers are either dead or have fled. Where are we going to look for you? In the end, we can only let it go."
Shao Shuyi breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt somewhat helpless.
The raids on the salt fields were almost over, but the woman with the red headband who "lawfully" collected smuggled salt was still being relentlessly pursued. This was understandable; since she had committed crimes in the Jiangzhe region, the Jiangzhe Province, the Southern Taiwan Region, and the Liangzhe Transport Commissioner were bound to investigate relentlessly.
Perhaps the Henan Jiangbei Province, the Inner Secretariat, and the Lianghuai Transport Commission are also investigating Wu Dalang, but Wang Bai doesn't know it, and neither does he.
What does this mean? It means you have to commit crimes in a different location. You absolutely cannot try to commit crimes locally for convenience in the future; that will really get you into trouble.
"Brother Wang—" Shao Shuyi suddenly said.
"What is it?"
"Would you like to sell more salt to Jiangnan?" Shao Shuyi asked.
Wang Bai's expression turned serious. He asked, "What does Cao She mean?"
Shao Shuyi thought for a moment and said, "Huainan and Jiangnan are separated by only one river, but they are divided into two salt-producing areas—this is the official salt. However, the private salt is also roughly divided in the same way. From Liujiagang westward, Pingjiang Road, Jiangyinzhou, Changzhou Road, Zhenjiang Road, Jiqing Road, and Taiping Road are lined up in a row, facing Yangzhou Road and Luzhou Road on the north bank of the river. They use Zhejiang salt."
For many years, salt smugglers from Jiangbei have frequently crossed the river to trade salt, but these operations have remained small-scale, with the majority still controlled by Zhu Chen and his associates. Do the Wang brothers dare to break into Zhu Chen's salt-trading territory and sell salt on a large scale?
Wang Bai was startled, then, as if he were seeing Shao Shuyi in a completely new light, he looked him up and down for a long time before saying, "Cao She has done a great thing!"
"Brother Wang, do you dare?" Shao Shuyi asked, looking into his eyes.
After a moment's thought, Wang Bai asked, "If we make a cut, how will the profits from the salt be divided?"
"I've always bought from you, how about that?" Shao Shuyi said. "Besides, it's not just the price that's gone up, we're selling even more. Jiangyin is a small place; the salt profits from Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Jiqing, and other places are more than ten times greater!"
Wang Bai's expression shifted between light and dark.
Undoubtedly, opposing Zhu and Chen is very risky, but the potential benefits are truly astonishing.
He now crosses the river to deliver salt, just like his mother, who does it like a thief, and he doesn't deliver much.
If Zhu Chen could be brought down, and Huai salt from Jiangbei could be introduced on a large scale and sold in the prosperous Jiangnan region, the profits would be unimaginable.
However, he still found it difficult to make a decision, because Cao She could not be so kind as to leave Wang out of the fight with Zhu Chen.
Things that could kill people must be handled with extreme caution.
Shao Shuyi just watched him quietly, without urging him.
Wang Bai remained deep in thought, not even bothering to wipe the raindrops from his face.
After a moment, he looked up at Shao Shuyi and asked, "Do you have a grudge against Zhu Chen?"
Shao Shuyi did not answer, but said only: "If you have difficulty making a decision right now, you can go back and discuss it with your trusted confidants, and reply to me before the end of the twelfth lunar month."