The "back hall" of the VIP room of Pei Mansion is not the house that Yang Ji imagined, but a unique and exquisite courtyard, with pavilions and buildings, rockery and lotus ponds, and curved bridges. The fiery red, golden, and emerald green flowers and trees are like splashing streams of light.

Blowing in the wind, floating on the pavilion, spreading on the railings, floating on the water, it is so beautiful.

There is a pavilion hidden in the shadow of trees. In front of it is a carved white marble stone railing. Below the stone railing is a small lake with clear water. There is a small bridge in the lake connecting the isolated island huts. It is extremely quiet and elegant.

There is a pot of hot tea exuding dense water vapor on the stone table in the pavilion. The faint fragrance of tea enters the nose and is refreshing.

Beside the table, Yang Ji, Pei Ju and Pei Shiqing held a teacup in their hands and sipped the fragrant tea.

After a long silence, Pei Ju put down the teacup in his hand and asked Yang Ji with a smile: "King Wei, I wonder if my Pei family can buy a shop in Ganzhou, and can the Pei family's caravan travel smoothly along the Silk Road?"

A cunning rabbit must have three holes. Especially when the world is at peace, the Pei family must have multiple sources of wealth to prevent the family from declining due to reduced income. Today, the Pei family has a huge caravan and occupies a vast area in Bingzhou.

There are hundreds of shops in Daxing, Luoyang, Yangzhou and other places.

However, since last year, the imperial court has intensified its efforts to rectify the officialdom, causing officials without gray income to tighten their expenditures, and officials with spending power no longer dare to spend money as lavishly as before, lest the Yushitai will find out from now on.

For our own family, the problem caused by this is that there is a great slump in business. This situation has no impact on the small businessmen who deal with ordinary people, but it is a fatal blow to the aristocratic families engaged in the luxury goods industry.

Compared with other families, 30% of the Pei family's shops deal with pens, inks, paper and inkstones. In addition, the Pei family has a strong foundation and many engraving craftsmen with good skills. In addition, the Pei family's paper mills are densely located in the southern part of Bingzhou, making the price of Pei's books relatively low compared to Guanzhong booksellers.

Therefore, the Pei family's pen, ink, paper and inkstones were in short supply and brought them great wealth. However, with the movable type printing technology, ink

With the promotion of books, even bamboo papyrus can print books. The emergence of these cheap books has caused a huge impact on the Pei family, so the Pei family decided to buy an industry in Guanzhong, but Guanzhong is the territory of Guanlong nobles, and almost all money-making businesses are

They were all monopolized by the Guanlong nobles. It was not easy for the Pei family to establish a foothold here. In desperation, the Pei family set their sights on foreign trade.

The foreign trade of the Sui Dynasty mainly had two major directions. The first was towards the Xi tribe, Khitan, Goguryeo, Silla, and the northeast of Baekje. However, this area has always been dominated by the gentry in Hebei, and several governors of Youzhou were all related.

He was a member of the Long aristocracy, so the Pei family could hardly gain a foothold.

Next is the Turks in the north. However, the Sui Dynasty adopted strict material restrictions on the Turks. Even damasks, satin, silk, silk, cloth, ironware, books and other items cannot be sold to the Turks. Although money and silk are attractive, but

The fate of the family is undoubtedly more important, so even aristocratic families with big businesses do not dare to trade with the Turks at the risk of confiscating their homes and annihilating their clans.

As for the third direction of foreign trade, it is naturally the Silk Road. The reopening of this golden channel has made every family member eager to get a piece of fat, and the Pei family is naturally no exception. However, this business road

Under Yang Ji's rule, no caravan could leave the country without his consent.

Pei Ju now proposed it to Yang Ji, which had two meanings. The "petty profit" was only a secondary reason; the key was to propose a test to Yang Ji. If Yang Ji agreed, it would mean that he had the intention to cooperate and acquiesced to Pei's request to him.

If you disagree with the close facts, then there is no need to discuss it further.

Yang Ji naturally knew that buying a shop and traveling the Silk Road with a caravan were two completely different concepts. Buying a shop meant that Pei's power would enter the land of Liangzhou, while traveling with a caravan on the Silk Road was just for profit. Although he didn't quite understand Pei Ju.

meaning, but if compared with Guanzhong, Pei Ju's attitude is clearer.

Guanzhong is the sphere of influence of the Guanlong nobles. Shandong gentry and southern gentry forces have never been allowed to enter. They have two completely different explanations for the foreign forces entering Guanzhong. One is invasion and the other is surrender. As for the Pei family,

, he could have bought a shop in Ganzhou openly, but Pei Ju made this request in front of him, which is enough to show that Pei's intention is related to the latter. Even if they are not seeking refuge, they also show that they are on good terms with him.

attitude.

This is also because my mother and Gongsun Huan have taught me the twists and turns in officialdom and how to divide the sphere of influence. Otherwise, Yang Ji would really not be able to understand Pei Ju's deeper intentions.

Yang Ji knows Pei Ju's future status and influence better than he does himself. If there is such a powerful ally in the court in the future, it will undoubtedly benefit him.

How could Yang Ji refuse the allies who came to his door? He put down the teacup in his hand and said to Pei Ju: "Since I took office, I have carried out a comprehensive transformation of Zhangye City. The center of the city is the most prosperous and largest in Liangzhou.

The commercial market in the west of the city is dominated by warehouses, and the prefectures of Yizhou, Tingzhou, and Xizhou also have the same pattern.

The Pei family is interested, so Mr. Pei might as well send someone to buy it. In addition, I am preparing to establish a merchant alliance to export our Sui products and Sui civilization to the Western Regions and Persia. If this business network layout is successful, then

There is no need for the Sogdians. Once these treacherous Sogdian merchants are eliminated, our gains in the Sui Dynasty will be countless times greater."

Having said this, Yang Ji sent an invitation to Pei Ju: "This business alliance cannot rely on the power of the palace alone, so I plan to find some like-minded people to cooperate and condense the scattered forces into a powerful whole. Pei Ju

If you are interested, you might as well invest some money and we will share the profits together."

After hearing these words, Pei Ju was overjoyed. He cupped his hands and said, "In that case, I would like to thank King Wei for his kindness. But I wonder how much I, Pei, can contribute?"

Yang Ji smiled: "In addition to me, in this business system, the King of Jin, the King of Cai, the King of Teng, and the King of Tao each account for 5%. In addition, some 'local aristocratic families' have also invested some money, and the proportion is 100%."

Ten percent. The rest is in my hands. I can give 5% to the Pei family. What does Mr. Pei think?"

"Thank you, King Wei." Pei Ju and Pei Shiqing were secretly shocked after hearing these words. In fact, they didn't care much about the proportion, because although five percent is very small, it is equal to the princes. Such a proportion is enough to show that

Yang Ji paid more attention to the Pei family. What shocked the Pei brothers was the "Jin Wang Yang Zhao" revealed by Yang Ji, which is very intriguing.

Because Yang Guang only has two legitimate sons, Yang Zhao and Yang Jian, once Yang Guang ascends the throne, King Yuzhang Yang Jian will also be promoted to prince. At that time, the crown prince will only have to choose between Yang Zhao and Yang Jian, so now

Many people began to take sides, some supported the eldest son Yang Zhao, and some supported the second son Yang Jian. Although everyone did not express their stance clearly, they all sent their children to serve under the two kings to express goodwill to them.

Yang Zhao was the eldest son and had an inherent advantage. However, the selection of officials still depends on appearance, let alone the selection of the king of a country. In this case, Yang Zhao, who was too fat, lost some of his advantages. And the king of Yuzhang, Yang Jian, had a dignified appearance.

Not only does he resemble his father Yang Guang, but purely from the point of view of the love of beauty that everyone has, he prefers

Yang Jian was not much worse than Yang Zhao. In addition, Yang Jian was favored by the prince and his wife, so some people were more fond of Yang Jian. By comparison, Yang Zhao and Yang Jian were evenly matched. Pei's thoughts were also focused on

Yang Jian was killed, and his confidant Pei Gai was one of the legitimate sons arranged by the Pei family.

But Yang Ji is not only a prince, but also the person that Yang Guang values ​​the most, so he is naturally much more accurate than everyone guessed when it comes to selecting the future prince. Now that he has formed a "business alliance", there is no Yang Ji.

The existence of Jing. This shows that Yang Ji, Yang Zhiji, Yang Lun, Yang Jing and others are supporting Yang Zhao instead of Yang Jing.

Faced with such important information, Pei Ju couldn't sit still and couldn't help but ask Yang Ji in a low voice, "I heard that both the saint and the prince decided to make King Jin the future prince. Does King Wei know?"

His question was not only to test the authenticity of this "news about establishing the crown prince", but also to examine Yang Ji's role and position in this matter, and at the same time to see whether Yang Ji trusted the Pei family. If Yang Ji Zhe

If you are secretive and unable to talk openly and honestly, then cooperation in a business alliance will only be a friendship of interests, not a political alliance.

Of course, after everyone has an interest relationship, they can gradually be promoted to a political alliance, but this long process is ultimately not as satisfactory as a straightforward answer.

In officialdom, if you are not decisive, how can you do it?

Yang Ji also heard Pei Ju's probing intentions. He smiled and said: "Although I am a prince, I have always positioned myself as a local official. I don't pay much attention to the important affairs of the imperial court or the prince's family affairs. But I think that the establishment of a legitimate son

It is the right choice for the eldest son to be the prince."

"I also think that the King of Jin is modest, polite, and generous." Pei Ju was very satisfied and happy. Yang Ji's answer was enough to show that Yang Ji had begun to trust him. This was an exciting and good news.

beginning.

He changed the topic with a smile and said: "King Wei is a friend of ours. I have made a decision with the Pei family. I don't know whether I should say something or not?"

"Pei Gong just said it doesn't matter." Yang Ji said with a smile.

"The aristocratic families and the poor families were very stiff because of the ban on books, and King Wei's insistence is also an irreversible trend. I also fully agree with the view of 'born from worry and dying from happiness'." Pei Ju finished his polite statement and said to him with a smile.

Yang Ji said: "King Wei only gave out the list of prisoners of Cui family in Boling and Zhang family in Guanlong. It is indeed true."

As Gaoming, many nobles now want to take advantage of the bad reputation of the Boling Cui family and become the number one noble family in the world, and the Zhang family is in the same situation among the Guanlong nobles. In the next time, the Shandong nobles and the Guanlong nobles are in the position of cannibalizing Cui

During the civil war between the Zheng clan and the Zheng clan, King Wei became much more relaxed because of this. What I mainly want to say is Liangzhou..."

"The Liangzhou officialdom was first purged by King Wei, and then the descendants of the famous families resigned in protest against the books and the three schools of Liangzhou, resulting in a large number of vacancies. These vacancies are rich meat, and everyone is coveting them.

It is not good to give rulers to anyone. If it were easy to do, the saint would not give the recommendation power to King Wei, and appointed him as he wished. Although King Wei was loyal to the court and dared to do things, he was too fierce after all.

This will inevitably offend a large number of people."

Yang Ji asked: "Who did you offend? A member of the family?"

"More than that." Pei Ju shook his head and said: "No matter whether you are a member of aristocratic family or a poor scholar, everyone has to work hard for half his life to be a candidate official. If there is no vacancy, there is no chance to take office. As for the distinguished officials and dignitaries in the court,

The direct descendants of fifth-grade officials and later can use Men Yin to rise to the top. But you also know that more than 90% of the people who come from Men Yin

They are idle officials who only receive a salary and are doing nothing. Casual officials! Therefore, candidate officials and idle officials dream of getting a position with real power. Even small officials such as county magistrates and county assistants are what they dream of.

As long as you hold a position, you can prove yourself through talent and political achievements, and then you can improve through family, teachers and students, old friends, and faction relationships."

"It's not easy for Liangzhou to have so many vacancies and opportunities. These people are seeking relatives and friends, striving for a future with real power. The distinguished officials, nobles and dignitaries are also doing their best to fight for a seat for the children of the clan. Many noble families

Even more

Stare at these fat men aggressively. Even the humble men will stare at you because of whether they can take office, the level of their position, etc. If you can satisfy their appetite, that's fine, but if not, these people will be angry with you! Enemies are everywhere in the world,

No exaggeration.”

Pei Ju took a sip of tea and continued: "At that time, even if you have extraordinary abilities, it will be difficult to cope with the pressure and blows from many aspects."

"What Mr. Pei said is absolutely true. I also know that if I offend so many forces, it will be difficult to gain a foothold in the court in the future. But there are so many vacancies, and every force wants to compete for one more seat, and everyone wants to get a higher position, so

No matter how I arrange it or how I recommend it, it’s destined to be

Offended a lot of people." Yang Ji smiled bitterly and said: "Since neither the left nor the right is right, then I can only be selfless and impartial, and recommend all positions according to qualifications, reputation, status, and talent, regardless of which party they belong to.

Faction, which camp."

"It is true that no one will make a fuss about what you are doing now, but from now on, you will not be able to do anything! As long as everyone seizes the handle and the opportunity, they will swarm with open guns and secret arrows." Pei Ju shook his head and said solemnly: "You are

A rare prince in the Sui Dynasty, if you do everything properly, then you will no longer be an indispensable and important person, and this is the most fatal problem."

Pei Ju's words were a little subtle, but he had already made the potential "cunning rabbit dead and lackey cook" vivid and vivid. If Yang Ji couldn't even understand such an obvious hint, what a piece of shit this official was!

Yang Ji pondered for a moment, then raised his hand and asked, "What should I do now according to Pei Gong's wishes?"

Pei Ju was very happy that Yang Ji could ask him, which showed that Yang Ji already trusted him, which was undoubtedly a huge improvement.

Pei Ju had a long-term vision and was far-sighted. He knew that the Sui Dynasty was dominated by the royal family and the Guanlong nobles, and the rest were all "little characters". The Guanlong nobles were the main force that assisted the Northern Zhou Dynasty in destroying Qi and paved the way for the founding of the Sui Dynasty.

, before and after major events such as the Zhou Dynasty destroyed Qi, the Sui Dynasty replaced the Zhou Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty destroyed the Chen Dynasty, etc., extremely fruitful achievements were made.

With huge war dividends, to this day, the power of the Guanlong nobles has spread all over the world and penetrated into all aspects. Because of this, Yang Jian was very afraid of the Guanlong nobles, but his series of reforms also left a huge legacy for the Sui Dynasty.
To be continued...