Outside the gate of Shibo Division, Li Ergou and others had received more than a dozen cartloads of goods as rewards.
They looked at each other in confusion at first, and then their breathing gradually became heavier.
Rose dew, soaps, copper candlesticks, ambergris, corals, precious stones, sandalwood, spices, etc. were all available, and everyone could get at least a cart.
This...this...this is really a fucking fortune!
"Erlang." Someone came over and muttered.
Li Ergou took a deep breath, turned his head, stared at him fiercely, and cursed: "You worthless thing! Cui San, are you leaving now?"
We are all smart people, there is no need to hide it.
Isn't the purpose of going to sea to be wealthy? Now that I have acquired such a large amount of property, it is enough to go back to my hometown in Weizhou, build a tall mansion, buy some land, and live a comfortable and wealthy life.
"Erlang, you have already won the title of county male, why bother to fight again?" Now that the words have been spoken, Cui San stopped talking in circles and said straightforwardly: "I don't want to go to sea anymore, that's enough, this much money is enough.
."
"A few days ago, you agreed to go to sea in front of the saint. Isn't it a crime of deceiving the emperor to back down now?" Li Ergou asked.
"You can find someone to replace me." Cui San said: "The saint just wants people to go to sea. It doesn't matter who goes to sea. I am just a sailing operator. There are many good sailing operators in Dengzhou and Cangzhou, and many people want money.
I'm almost going crazy, they are willing to go with you."
Li Ergou was silent for a long time and sighed: "Well, I won't force you after years of brotherhood. If you find someone for me within a month, I will let you go. Otherwise, don't blame me for being unkind."
"Okay!" Cui San was overjoyed and said with a smile: "When I just received the reward, the news spread throughout the world. Now there are many people who are willing to go to sea."
What he said was indeed the truth.
The imperial court specially posted a notice, which spread far and wide within a few days. Here in Chishanpu, there are now countless people who are ready to go to sea and draw maps. It is too easy to find a few good sailing sailors. Give them ten guan or eight guan to settle down.
If you pay, he will dare to go out on an adventure with you.
"Is there anyone else who wants to leave?" Li Ergou glanced at everyone and asked.
Two more people stood up and said they wanted to split the money and leave.
Two others opened their mouths and hesitated.
Li Ergou didn't give them a chance to regret, and directly asked Cui San and the others to take away a cart of treasure and go their separate ways.
"Everyone!" He looked at the few remaining uneasy people and said, "I won the title, don't you want it? Don't watch them take away a cart full of property, haha, it will last a lifetime, is it possible? I'm used to it.
People who live in a dreamy life will be completely defeated in a few years. I don’t want any of the remaining money, except for the cost of buying a boat, and I will give it all to you. But there is one thing - "
"Erlang, please speak." everyone said.
"This money can only be given to your wives, children, and children to keep for your family. You are still with me, and I will support you." Li Ergou said: "For the next six months, stay with me in the shipyard and supervise the shipwrights in building ships.
"
Everyone looked at each other, and after hesitating for a while, they said, "Just do what Erlang said."
"Just this time, only this time!" Li Ergou laughed loudly and said: "If I go to sea again, no matter whether I succeed or fail, I won't fight for my life again."
"Erlang is right."
"That's enough. If you go to sea again, you'll have enough money. You won't be able to spend it all in this lifetime."
"Damn it, I want a title too."
"It's enough to become an official. I don't ask for much."
Everyone was talking about it.
"Let's go and drink first!" Li Ergou said with a wave of his hand.
****
Dengzhouxing was inside, and Shao Shude was playing with a box carefully.
The bitter cold land is not a place for humans, but there is gold in the bitter cold land.
This world is so magical. Cold waters provide people with fish that far exceed those in warm waters. Animals living on cold land also provide people with priceless fur to keep out the cold.
Of course, animals don’t want this. They evolved such fur to keep out the cold. However, the main human civilization was born in the temperate zone, and they also have the need to keep out the cold. Animals are not guilty, but they are guilty of carrying fur. It is a naked world.
Woolen cloth.
The gifts given by Li Ergou were still very rich.
Oh, yes, this is called "donation".
The word "dedication" has become stinky since Tang Dezong's meeting.
He avoided the prime minister and secretly asked for property from the local governor. The vassals did not want to quarrel with the emperor, so they pinched their noses and gave them. The most was the five hundred thousand coins donated by the governor Wei Bo.
After the money was brought back to the capital by the lieutenant, the scandal broke out. Faced with the prime minister's questioning, Tang Dezong was so ashamed that he could not answer. In the end, he could only hand over the money honestly and put it into the national treasury.
Of course, this was only the first time. Tang Dezong did not learn his lesson. He was like a scumbag, promising the prime ministers time and time again, but he still couldn't help but ask for contributions in private.
This word has been spoiled.
During the feudal era, Shao Shude also accepted donations. No one dared to mention it at the time, but there must have been criticism. Later, he stopped accepting donations so much. He also ordered the donations from various Hu merchants to be unified into the customs and collected into the national treasury.
.
Li Ergou's donation was not a large amount, and it was nothing. He was a hero who had returned from a long voyage, so he reluctantly accepted it.
"What a beautiful brown leather." Shao Shude put down the box and admired as he looked at the bearskin held by two lieutenants with great difficulty.
If nothing else, this should be the Kamchatka brown bear living on the Thousand Islands.
This is a very large bear, which can reach three meters when standing. Salmon, honey, nuts, and berries are their main food, and sometimes they even hunt smaller wild boars.
I don’t know how Li Ergou and others caught such a ferocious beast, because there was actually no damage on its fur.
"Such a smooth leather is probably worth thousands of dollars." Zhaoyi Zhong also stepped forward and touched the smooth bear skin with his bare hands.
Shao Shude looked at Mr. Zhong with a smile and kept stroking the box with his left hand.
The box was presented by the Taiyuan Hospital, and the contents inside were also related to the bitter cold place. For Shao Shude, he used to disdain these things, but now he had to imply that the Taiyuan Hospital was more sensible.
People cannot accept old age.
"How does Jiao Niang know that it is worth thousands of dollars?" Shao Shude asked.
"His Majesty founded the Bohai Trading Co., how long has it been since he paid attention to Liaodong?" Zhong covered his mouth and smiled, saying: "Thousands of dollars are said to be less. It is rare to see such a big bear skin. Now it is shipped from Beijing.
Of all the furs available in Liaodong, the ones in Liaodong are the largest, the best in appearance, and very expensive. I don’t know how that bitter cold land gave birth to such a huge beast. It’s like one is bigger than the other.”
Shao Shude smiled softly.
Is the Siberian tiger big? Of course it is big.
Is a brown bear big? It stands three meters tall and weighs several times that of a black bear. Of course it is big.
There are many more animals like this.
It is a good thing that they can be highly recognized by the market.
"Ms. Jiao has a keen eye and knows exactly what I am doing now. Do you have any opinions on the matters at sea?" Shao Shude asked.
"Women are not allowed to participate in politics." Zhong said seriously.
"This is not a political matter, just say whatever you want. I am not a soft-hearted person, I have my own judgment." Shao Shude encouraged.
"Your Majesty." Zhong hesitated and said, "You seem to think there is something else at the end of the sea?"
Shao Shude was taken aback. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Why did you say that?"
"If we just hunt for sea beasts normally, there will be inexhaustible supplies in the Whale Sea, right?" Zhong said: "On Sakhalin Island alone, I heard that there are countless sea beasts lying on the beach playing. In recent years, not only
The royal palace, the families of ministers, and even ordinary wealthy households are all looking to buy ivory. How many of these ivories are ivory sent from Yunnan and Annan, and how many are walrus tusks from Liaodong? After so many years of hunting, the number of walruses is still small.
There is no decrease, and the Bohai Trading Company is making a lot of money, which shows the large number of sea beasts. Your Majesty often emphasizes the word 'border' and will not be greedy. But at this moment, you want to explore the end of the sea. Does your Majesty know anything?
"
Shao Shude did not answer directly, but asked: "What do you think?"
After thinking for a while, Mr. Zhong said: "Is there a big country like Daxia or Dashi? Because they are separated by the sea and have different news from each other, your majesty sent people on a long voyage to find this big country and communicate with it?"
"Why do you say that?" Shao Shude asked calmly.
"Isn't it true that Your Majesty always wants to do business with others and exchange goods?" Zhong chuckled and said: "If there is such a big country at the end of the sea, with transportation and trade flourishing on both sides, wouldn't this be Your Majesty's favorite thing?"
"It makes some sense." Shao Shude laughed dumbly.
It turns out that the people around him have already figured out his temperament and hobbies. He really likes to carry out cultural and trade exchanges with other countries. This cannot be hidden from others, and it has almost become a label on him.
"Is there really such a big country?" Zhong asked curiously.
"There is an elixir of life." Shao Shude joked.
Mrs. Zhong chuckled, then felt that it was inappropriate. She was silent for a moment and said: "Your Majesty is wise and powerful..."
"Stay here." Shao Shude suddenly thought of something, sighed, and said: "I'm afraid you are not the only one in this world who thinks so. The elixir of life is just a casual joke, but I can't guarantee that some people think so. My reputation is just that.
It’s so ruined.”
"But -" Shao Shude thought for a while and then said: "Maybe there are other ideas."
For example, publish a pamphlet saying that there is boundless gold and inexhaustible treasure at the end of the sea or on the other side of the sea?
This is of course nonsense, but books like legends, written half-truth and half-false, might have some effect?
It is true that he cannot draw a map of the world, but he can use this method of fishing in troubled waters to artificially create a little legend. As for whether it will be useful, God knows, he has tried his best anyway.
There is no need to underestimate people's acceptance of this type of book.
The late Tang Dynasty was originally an era when legends were popular. The story of Nie Yinniang, the daughter of Wei Bo general Nie Feng, assassinated Liu Changyi, the governor of the Zhongwu Army, but was impressed by him. It was the beginning of the domineering president. It came out and caused a sensation. Everyone loved to read it.
——This one doesn’t even use a pseudonym. It directly uses Liu Changyi, the big boss of the current dynasty, as the male protagonist, which is also awesome.
In addition, articles like "Monster Record" also have many fans, which already illustrates the problem.
Thinking of this, Shao Shude slapped his thigh and made a decision.
This book cannot be written, and it cannot be written in a very absurd way. It must give people a relatively real feeling, so that it can fool some people with a low level of education into dreaming of getting rich and going out to sea to find it.
It is not easy to take this step, and ocean voyage is also a dangerous thing.
Shao Shude just received the news yesterday that there were five or six ships heading north to explore like Li Ergou. Except for one ship that leaked water midway and had to turn back, one ship got lost and luckily returned to Sakhalin Island, and the other several large ships
The probability is that they will be killed.
Among the ships in distress, only one directly hit a floating iceberg in the summer and was seen by fellow ships. The other ships did not even know where they disappeared.
This is a game for the brave. Walking on an unfamiliar route, facing unknown dangers, and risking your life against God. Those who dare to take this step are all people with a strong gambling habit, and at the same time, they also have some extraordinary expectations for wealth.
Human fanaticism.
They must add some ingredients, otherwise no one would dare to take such a risk.
"Send the order to find some good pen masters from the secretary's office. I have something to explain." Shao Shude stood up and gave the order directly.