"Mother-in-law, you just said that you don't know what the south will be like in the future. In fact, you know it in your heart, don't you?"
Qiao Yuyan's rhetorical question caught the old lady of the Xu family off guard, "What?"
"Mother-in-law," Qiao Yuyan felt a little heavy in her heart, "According to normal logic, even if the southern provinces are in chaos, it is still a matter for the imperial court. As long as the imperial court is here, no matter what, the capital and several cities next to the capital will
They are all the best places to buy property.
Because, no matter what, the imperial court will definitely win, it is just a matter of the length of time. In this case, even if the industry in the north will shrink, in fact, it can be regarded as a long-term investment.
Based on your character, mother-in-law, you are not someone who only cares about the immediate gains and losses, so I really don’t understand why you want to get rid of your property in the capital at this time."
Mrs. Xu was speechless for a moment, and Qiao Yuyan couldn't help but be anxious, "Are you...are you..."
For a moment, she didn't dare to ask that question directly, but the thoughts in her heart almost came to her lips.
The old lady of the Xu family looked at her, with many emotions that Qiao Yuyan couldn't understand condensed in her eyes. After a long time, she showed an expression that looked both helpless and relieved, "It's because I have grown up. In the past, I was most afraid of hearing me read some business advice.
I always wish I could live peacefully under the wings of adults for a long time.
Now he is even thinking about buying property, so this person! He still has to go through some things to grow up. It seems that your mother and your aunt and concubine have actually helped you.
Bundle."
Qiao Yuyan was speechless for a moment and did not say anything, but just looked at her grandmother.
Seeing her like this, Mrs. Xu sighed helplessly, "Since you have asked me this, I can't hide it from you anymore. In fact, our family has been operating in Jiangnan for so many years.
How can you be so clean? Do you really rely on your own brains and skills to do business in Daqi? No, the most important thing for doing business in Daqi is to have a good relationship with the government.
Even small street vendors must have a good relationship with the small officials in the yamen. Their filial piety in winter and summer is indispensable. But when it comes to big merchants like us, to be honest, they are the county magistrates in the county.
You are very polite to us. But we must have a good relationship with the government. You don’t understand this."
When Qiao Yuyan heard this, her heart began to sink. This was not a good sign.
So she heard Mrs. Xu ask again: "Then do you know what we are most afraid of as merchants like us?"
She didn't hear Qiao Yuyan's answer, and Mrs. Xu didn't care. She continued on her own: "The worst thing I'm afraid of is that my vision is too narrow, and I don't know the government orders from above, and I don't know the situation outside. In this way, no matter how much your family property is,
It's very lucrative. When a government decree is issued, your business, which you may have invested a huge sum of money in, will be disrupted immediately."
When she said this, Qiao Yuyan already understood what she meant.
Mrs. Xu sighed again, "So, you should know that for people like us, establishing a good relationship with the government is a top priority. We should start from a small merchant and expand the business step by step.
, starting from making friends with junior officials, they gradually established good relations with people in the court.
Not to mention Jiangzhou Prefecture, that is, Jiangxi Province, or even the entire Zhejiang and Minnan, which one of our families does not have a smooth relationship? However, they all say that there is an emperor and a minister, and there is nothing different about our relationship.
How many things come and go, when the big tree we rely on falls, they become weapons to attack us, but we also have our own methods, that is, don't hang yourself on a tree.
Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, businessmen have the lowest status, so they have to pay homage to the docks. In this way, even if this one fails, there is still another one that can be relied on. As long as the means are exquisite, those political matters are not unavoidable. "
When she said these words, her eyes were shining, as if she was talking about her glorious past and her achievements over the years.
But prosperity is fleeting, and Qiao Yuyan clearly heard a hint of sadness in her words, and clearly saw the helplessness behind this exciting story.
After a long time, Mrs. Xu sighed, "But, I still say that if your vision is too narrow, it will lead to death. I don't say that I have everything in Jiangnan, but as long as I can speak, who can
Don’t you know our Xu family?
But after all, I still don’t have the ability. After seeing the strange development of our dynasty, I never expected that the capital city would be so strange. I don’t know how many people are happy and how many people are sad when the Holy Emperor ascends the throne. I only know that the whole Jiangnan is in chaos.
All the people I took the trouble to make friends with were in chaos. Whether they were on the side of the fifth prince or on the side of the seventh prince, they all lost, completely, but not clearly.
Then you tell me, how can we, who have developed by relying on these court officials, fare better? At this time, the shortcomings of businessmen have become apparent, and we have nowhere to escape.
If you can cut off a vine that is attached to it, how can you cut off everything that depends on it for survival? That is suicide! There are many things in this world that have no way out at all."
Qiao Yuyan's heart clenched. She looked at Mrs. Xu for a long time and then said, "Can't we let go? With our family's accumulation over so many years, we have accumulated wealth in several lifetimes.
Just like those aristocratic families, when it is not suitable, they will not even let the children of the clan take up official careers, and can only wait for the opportunity with peace of mind. Can't we? Just take the money and wait for the situation to calm down before coming out.
Doing business.”
Hearing her words, Mrs. Xu even smiled, "I just praised you for knowing a lot of things now, and now it's exposed again. How can we compare with others? They just look like they have withdrawn from the court."
But in the court, who is not their relatives and friends? Even enemies would not dare to take action easily.
But if we really withdraw, as you said, holding money in hand and waiting for the opportunity, it may seem very good. In fact, this behavior is no more than a child carrying money through the busy city.
Surrounded by jackals and wolves, you won’t even know how you will die when the time comes, and you will not be able to escape any of those things that you cannot escape.”
Mrs. Xu spoke so clearly that Qiao Yuyan felt a deep sense of weakness. Things in front of her eyes became blurry. She raised her eyes and looked at Mrs. Xu, "Is there really nothing we can do now?"