It is late spring again, and the weather in Anlu is gradually getting warmer. There are more and more pedestrians on the road, and all kinds of small vendors are taking this opportunity to set up stalls and sell their goods.
Since the state capital wiped out King Ning's rebel army half a year ago, the face of the entire Anlu has changed greatly.
Although there were many rebellions in the Ming Dynasty, the vast majority of the refugees could not survive. It was a rare occurrence in a century for a vassal king to raise an army like this. Before, Anlu took in the refugees, and everyone got along day and night. After learning that they were persecuted by King Ning,
They couldn't help but sympathize with him, so this time, King Ning suddenly felt relieved.
The most important thing is that the troops sent out this time were provided by refugees and the people provided money by wealthy businessmen and government officials. It can be said that they did not take a single step from the common people. This is almost unbelievable at this time.
The common people were very simple, and they were grateful to anyone who treated them well. So after winning the battle, they spontaneously provided drinking water to everyone.
The refugees were flattered, which made some of them not want to go back to Jiangxi Prefecture, and thought it would be good to settle in Anlu.
They had saved some money through hard work before, and this time they won some rewards, so they began to buy houses and land in the surrounding area.
Population is an important factor in measuring the prosperity of a city. In addition, the battle with Prince Ning earned a "bad reputation". Everyone felt that this place was a good place with good public security and clear administration. As a result, the people who settled in Anlu became more and more popular.
The more people came, the more traders came and went, and various jobs began to proliferate.
Because a large number of prisoners of war had been taken in before, the government was originally worried about what to do with these people. Later, Xian Ruxing gave a suggestion and sent them all to mine.
At the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, private mining was actually not allowed. The imperial court also had a negative attitude towards mining. Mainly because there were not many people involved, and mining was too labor-intensive and the output was not abundant. Some gains outweighed the losses. It is better to
Labor is put into cultivated land. Most mines are still under state control, and only a few can be mined privately.
But as time went by, the Ming government's attitude towards mining became ambiguous. This was because the revenue from the mining tax was quite a lot, and the Ming Dynasty was notoriously poor. Therefore, in addition to important resources such as gold, silver, copper, and iron,
, began to allow local officials or powerful people to mine, as long as they paid enough money.
And there happens to be a small coal mine near Anlu.
So these prisoners of war were all assigned to mines. The court did not make any arrangements for them. The Anlu Prefecture sentenced these people in order according to the Ming Dynasty Law. Some of them were sentenced to fifteen years, some to ten years, and some to five years. If they behaved
Fortunately, the sentence can be reduced. In short, it is to let them endure hardship but still have hope to avoid the possibility of rebellion.
Thanks to them, the price of coal in Anlu has been extremely low this year, and the people have rarely had a warm winter. And because there are more merchants coming and going, the prices of some meat and grains have also dropped. Now, even the poorest families,
Even a month can be full of meat and fish, and nearby farmers in the countryside often go to the city to deliver goods. Every time, they come home with bulging wallets and smiles on their faces.
It was amid this joy and laughter that Chen Ergou took his niece Xiaohua back to Anlu. As soon as he entered the city gate, he was surprised by the excitement inside.
"Good guy, there are such people, Xiaohua, you have to keep up with me." Chen Ergou scratched his head and told his niece.
The little girl held her uncle's hand obediently and looked around curiously.
During this period, in addition to leading the troops in the war, Chen Ergou was also responsible for the finishing work on the battlefield, not only taking the prisoners of war to the mines, but even selling the rebels' equipment.
You must know that there are 50,000 people, and there is a lot of horses and food and grass confiscated, not to mention weapons and armor. Even if they are left to fill the warehouse, there is still a lot left.
The imperial court did not pursue these matters, which was an opening for the officials in Anlu. There were no officials in the Ming Dynasty who were not greedy. If they were not greedy, they would not even be able to support their families with a small salary, so these things naturally went into everyone's pockets.
However, the government was too concerned about face to take action directly, so Chen Ergou became an agent. By the time he was finished, the city had changed drastically.
Xiao Hua had been fostered in an acquaintance's home outside the city, and now she was returning to the city for the first time. Her little head was swaying left and right, eager to take in all the scenes.
Suddenly, a burst of aroma wafted in. Chen Xiaohua had never smelled such an alluring scent. It was sweet and had the smell of milk. It was more delicious than the egg cake made by her grandma, so she quickly tugged on her uncle's clothes.
His eyes were full of longing.
Chen Ergou had only eaten two nests in the morning, and now he was a little hungry. Seeing this, he quickly followed the smell and found a pastry shop with a long queue.
He could only recognize one of the three characters on the plaque, "记", but it didn't matter, because Chen Ergou saw an acquaintance at the door.
"Aunt Xian! Aunt Xian! You also come to buy food in person!"
The girl was a little surprised to see him, and immediately said hello with a smile. Looking at the endless queue, she simply called her uncle and nephew to come in.
Chen Ergou came to the backyard and found that not only Xian Ruxing, but also Xilu Nguan, whom he had met before, was also there, and there was also a skinny young man in brocade clothes. When he saw him, he quickly lowered his head as if he was a thief.
The aroma of the pastries in the backyard became even stronger, and Xiaohua was so greedy that her saliva was drooling. She boldly approached Xian Ruxing, and Xian Ruxing picked him up with a smile, then staggered.
Fortunately, Fu An, who was dressed in men's clothing, gave her a hand, took Xiaohua, and held her firmly in his arms.
Xian Ruxing smiled awkwardly, looked at his thin arms, and lamented how even sub-healthy patients couldn't compare.
"I have carried Sister Shou since she was a child." Fu'an pursed her lips and explained in a soft voice. After taking off the foot binding, she began to walk around more on weekdays as Xian Ruxing said, but the palace is so big, and soon
Then I felt tired of it. After seeing the female Taoist priests in the Sheji altar busy all day long, my own thoughts began to wander.
So after pleading in every possible way, Princess Chiang had no choice but to allow her daughter to put on men's clothes and go out for a walk. Of course, her family must follow her.
This pastry shop was opened by Xian Ruxing and Zhu Houcong. The desserts they developed on weekdays were sold here, and they soon became popular throughout the city.
Fruit cakes, butter cookies, double-skinned milk, puffs...these snacks that had never been heard of before quickly took over the entire Anlu market. Although they are expensive, they are still good to buy occasionally to satisfy your cravings.
Chen Xiaohua had cake in her left hand and cookies in her right. She felt that her whole body was immersed in a sea of sugar, and her face was covered with sugar. Chen Ergou wiped his niece's face while absentmindedly listening to Xian Ruxing settling accounts.
"The turnover has been rising in the past two months, but the market is so big. It should be almost time to consider opening a branch. Send someone to the nearby state capital to inspect, select the address, write a plan and give it to me." Xian Ruxing said.
The wind was gentle and the clouds were calm, Zhao Silu took a pen and wrote down everything he said, everything seemed to be in order.
Chen Ergou didn't understand what "turnover" or "plan" meant, but the calmness shown by the other party attracted him very much.
If only I could do the same...
Chen Ergou thought this way. He himself loves to make friends and has no leisure time. This time he helps the government handle things and has greatly expanded his knowledge. Now that he has some money, he plans to do some business, but when he sees Xian Ruxing like this
, suddenly felt that such small fights were boring.
After scratching his head and ears for a long time, Chen Ergou just hesitated and said: "Um, fairy lady, I haven't thanked you yet. If you hadn't ordered me to lead the army, I wouldn't be living the life I am living today!"
"Thank you for what I did. You worked hard for it." Xian Ruxing shook his head, then looked at him twice and said casually: "Now that you are rich, do you have any other plans? Do you want to go back to Jiangxi?
"
"Why are you going back? The whole family is almost dead." Chen Ergou was heartbroken and stepped forward shamelessly, "Now I rely on Fairy Girl. If you don't mind it, Chen Ergou is willing to work under you from now on!"
Looking at him with a half-smile but not a smile, Xian Ruxing did not answer, but said lightly: "I don't have anything to do here. If you really want to find a long-term job, Pindao can give you a clear path - go
Raising cattle.”
"Raising cattle?"
"Yes, now that the pastry shop is getting bigger and bigger, it is inevitable that it needs milk every day. In addition, the population of Anlu is increasing, and cattle are needed to open up wasteland around it. Raising cattle requires capital, and it is very hard in the early stage. Really big
No merchant is willing to get involved, so your current situation is very suitable for you." Xian Ruxing explained to him seriously.
"Ah, that's good..." Chen Ergou was a little confused. Although the scene described by the other party was very good, he still had a vague feeling that this was not what he wanted.
I wanted to continue to say something, but I didn't know where to start. In the end, I could only lead my niece away dejectedly.
After he left, Zhao Silu, who had been holding back something to say, couldn't help but said anxiously: "Oh, weren't we worried before that we didn't have anyone we could use? You even praised this big man. It's rare for others to want him."
You defected, how could you be driven away!"
"Don't worry, he will come back later." Xian Ruxing took a sip of tea calmly, "Having seen so much of the world, and even experienced life and death, you, who are young and strong, will definitely not be able to keep him here.
"
"Then you still..." Before Xi Lu finished speaking, Fu An chuckled and said: "Master Zhao Xian, don't be anxious. It is precisely because this person is very capable that we can't use him in such a hurry. Master Xian Xian is a woman after all, and he is
There are some things that people outside the party cannot come forward for. When the slave is strong and the master is weak, it will be troublesome in the long run. Now let it dry for a while, and it will be easy to use in the end."
"Then what if it's gone?" Zhao Silu was puzzled.
"If you don't have it, just look for it again," Xian Ruxing waved her hand nonchalantly. She started investigating a few months ago. Chen Ergou is indeed the most outstanding in terms of mental and physical abilities, but he is not irreplaceable. Anyway,
I am Party A, if I really can’t train it from scratch, I just need to train it from scratch.