Chapter Five Hundred and Eighteen. It Begins (Part 2).
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In the following time, in the Tianhai Building, Zhao Junchen and the Hui and Zhejiang merchants successively finalized many details regarding the formation of the United Shipping Company.
During this period, Zhao Junchen also "made major concessions" many times, giving more benefits to Hui and Zhejiang merchants.
For a moment, the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants felt that their gains were much higher than expected. They were pleasantly surprised by Zhao Junchen's "generousness" and became even more impatient for the establishment of the United Shipping Company.
After all the details were finalized, it was already midnight, the night was getting darker outside the window, and the moon was hanging on the branches.
Before I knew it, two hours had passed!
At this point, all issues regarding the United Shipping Company have finally been settled.
Although the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants present have not yet formally signed a contract with the Ministry of Household Affairs, the intentions of both parties have been made clear and all differences have disappeared. In Zhao Junchen's opinion, when things have developed to this point, the joint shipping company he envisioned has been completed.
It was officially established, and all that was missing were a few inconsequential formalities.
The emergence of the United Shipping Company will inevitably have a profound impact on the relationship between the government and the opposition!
Zhao Junchen has been planning this for a long time and firmly believes in it!
In fact, the influence of United Shipping Company came faster than Zhao Junchen expected!
Under the temptation of benefits offered by Zhao Junchen, those Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants who were willing to join the United Shipping Company were all crazy!
On this night, the on-duty concierge of the Zhao Mansion had no time to sleep. Although it was already dark, the front door of the Zhao Mansion was still full of guests and busy traffic. Businessmen from Huizhou and Zhejiang kept coming to Zhao Mansion.
The government knocked on the door, and they all left their names, valuable gifts, and a large number of account books and letters - and these account books and letters are naturally used to expose the evidence of smuggling crimes!
The benefits promised by Zhao Junchen were too tempting, so after the banquet, the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants hurried back to their respective residences, and then frantically collected all the evidence that could be used to report, whether it was clear or not
They collected all the known information and unconfirmed speculations and compiled them into a book as quickly as possible. Then, regardless of the night, they immediately sent them to Zhao Junchen's house. They only hoped that Zhao Junchen could see it as soon as possible.
to your own reporting information.
After all, as Zhao Junchen said, these Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants are all experts in the smuggling business. They are well aware of the conditions of the Yangtze River Waterway and the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, and they also know the current situation of their colleagues.
Many seemingly important criminal evidences are just "open secrets" in their eyes. Every smuggler knows it very well, so they are afraid that their reports will be late and others will take the credit and rewards. Naturally, they will not
Dare to slack off.
Therefore, although the United Shipping Company has not yet been officially established, those Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants who want to join the United Shipping Company are already impatient and rushing to report their former colleagues!
In fact, if it weren't for the fact that it was too late, the Huizhe merchants thought that Zhao Junchen had fallen asleep, and they might have visited Zhao Junchen in person and took the opportunity to have a secret talk with him.
In this way, because of the constant interruptions from Hui and Zhejiang merchants, the concierge of the Zhao Mansion could not sleep at all that night.
However, regarding this situation, the concierge of the Zhao Mansion was not dissatisfied at all. On the contrary, he was overjoyed - the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants were all wealthy businessmen who spent a lot of money. They wanted their report letters to be handed over to Zhao Junchen as soon as possible.
In their hands, they all acted extremely grandly. Everyone gave the Zhao Mansion concierge a generous red envelope. The total of thirty-seven red envelopes added up to thousands of taels of silver!
Although, according to the rules of the Zhao Mansion, most of these red envelopes have to be handed over to the accountant, and some are distributed to the Zhao Mansion stewards, the remaining silver is still a full three to five hundred taels. For the Zhao Mansion concierge,
In other words, this is definitely an astronomical figure!
Therefore, not only was the concierge of the Zhao Mansion not tired of the interruptions from Hui and Zhejiang merchants, but he expected this to happen every night! For the concierge of the Zhao Mansion, spending a few hundred taels of silver in exchange for a night's sleep was a waste no matter how he calculated it.
It’s a hugely profitable deal!
Moreover, when the concierge of the Zhao Mansion received the red envelope, he felt at ease because he had indeed given priority to the name cards, report booklets, valuable gifts, etc. sent by the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants.
Zhao Junchen, there will never be any delay.
Because, although it was already dark, Zhao Junchen didn't rest at all!
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While businessmen from Huizhou and Zhejiang were rushing to report their former colleagues to Zhao Junchen, Zhao Junchen's staff were also busy in the study room of the Zhao Mansion.
After all, although the Huizhou and Zhejiang businessmen were enthusiastic, their reports were too hasty and without any advance preparation or detailed investigation. Therefore, although their reports contained a lot of content, they were also too messy and complicated, and they were completely based on what they thought.
Just add whatever is added, whether it is the real situation or the speculation in your mind, it is all mixed together, making it dizzying.
In addition, there are also many repetitive or even contradictory contents in the reports from Huizhou and Zhejiang businessmen, which is even more annoying!
Therefore, under Zhao Junchen's instructions, all the reporting materials were sorted out by the staff and summarized in one place. With the mutual complementation of many reporting materials, various evidence clues gradually became clear.
stand up.
In this way, the family income, smuggling scale, smuggling channels, backers, relationship networks, etc. of the reported smugglers will be clear at a glance.
While the staff were busy sorting out the report materials, Zhao Junchen sat back in his chair with a tired face, sometimes holding a teacup and slowly drinking tea, sometimes closing his eyes to gather energy.
After all, Zhao Junchen has been busy for a whole day without a moment's rest! Especially when discussing the details of the establishment of a joint shipping company with Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants, Zhao Junchen has been spinning his brain for more than two hours.
I have been thinking about countermeasures and haven't stopped talking. Now I am naturally exhausted, physically and mentally tired, and my mouth is dry.
Therefore, while his staff were sorting out the reporting materials, Zhao Junchen also took the opportunity to take a break.
However, Zhao Junchen's current staff team is very capable and efficient, so Zhao Junchen did not rest for too long.
Just after midnight, all the reporting materials were compiled and sent to Zhao Junchen.
This information was so important and directly related to Zhao Junchen's future success or failure, so Zhao Junchen immediately opened the booklet and reviewed it in detail without any delay, regardless of physical and mental fatigue.
After a long time, Zhao Junchen finally finished reading the thick book. After closing the book, a smile appeared on Zhao Junchen's lips.
"I have been walking on thin ice for so long, and finally..." Zhao Junchen murmured to himself: "I finally have control of my future destiny..."
In fact, Zhao Junchen's purpose of asking those Anhui and Zhejiang businessmen to expose the smuggling crimes of their former colleagues, to quickly expand the market share of the United Shipping Company, to curb private smuggling activities as soon as possible, etc., is only on the surface!
But Zhao Junchen's real purpose is to use the evidence of these smugglers to obtain evidence of the smugglers' crimes in bribery of various officials!
By that time, countless officials will be accused of corruption and bribery and fall into the hands of Zhao Junchen. After Zhao Junchen obtains these evidences, he will naturally be able to "those who follow me will prosper and those who go against me will perish"!
Smuggling was rampant in the Ming Dynasty. Most officials were secretly involved with smugglers, either accepting bribes from smugglers, or directly participating in smuggling. Therefore, Zhao Junchen was able to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain evidence of the crimes of most officials.
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Then, based on these criminal evidences, Zhao Junchen can control the fate of half of the officials in the court! At that time, the situation in the entire temple will be controlled by Zhao Junchen!
That's why Zhao Junchen said that he finally took control of his future destiny!
When Zhao Junchen reaches this point, even if Emperor Deqing wants to cross the river and burn the bridge in the future, even if Zhou Shangjing has ulterior motives, and even if Shen Changmao is strongly hostile, Zhao Junchen will not be without resistance!
Now, although he has only mastered part of it, Zhao Junchen's various plans can already be started!