Kou Zhong has found out the house purchase case. He is coveting the position of the general manager as usual, but everything seems to make Cheng Congyuan feel more relaxed. However, even if the old guy is satisfied, he never shows his appearance and remains quiet.
If the water is still, it seems to be waiting for every opportunity to come to the surface, and in the end, it is necessary to skillfully fish and reel in the net, which makes Kou Zhong feel powerless.
From now on, there was no need to worry about the purchase of a house. Cheng Congyuan also took time off to find other things for Ye Mansion. He went to Ye Yongjia to discuss and discuss the problems together. The two sat facing each other, and Ye Yongjia picked up the
There was a porcelain bowl on the table, sipping the tea in it, staring at the horizontal lines of the wooden table, as if thinking about things; Cheng Congyuan squinted his eyes and looked through the account books in various newspapers, sometimes closing the accounts and meditating; everyone was silent.
There was deathly silence. After a long time, Ye Yongjia focused his eyes and said: "Looking at this account, I found that after our government bought land on a large scale, the grain harvest did not increase much..."
"Indeed," Cheng Congyuan nodded slowly, "I wonder if I have any clear opinions on this?" Ye Yongjia lay back on the back of the chair and gently rubbed his brow bones, "I see that the mansion is recruiting more refugees, so
The land is rented, but the refugees are in exile, and there is no land for permanent cultivation. The skills in managing the fields are clumsy and difficult to achieve great results. This is one of the reasons. Each field is sent by the government to supervise it, and there is an extra person in charge.
It is inevitable that they will enrich their own pockets, and this is the second one. It is easy to get rid of the first one; but if the second one is eliminated, I am afraid that the farmers will have the opportunity to take advantage of it, which is a big problem." He then said nothing and said again.
Thinking again.
"That's what I'm thinking about." Cheng Congyuan said, "The Zhou family saw that our house had this shortcoming. They had a memory, so they hired farmers and paid them monthly money. People were eager to go to the Zhou house. I think they imitated him.
This is feasible." Ye Yongjia shook his head slightly: "The gourd drawn according to the pattern will not be as good as the real thing."
"What you said is wonderful." Cheng Congyuan closed the account book completely and said in a deep tone: "But the gourd in the painting may not be as beautiful as the real gourd."
Ye Yongjia suddenly became energetic: "What can Mr. Cheng do?"
"Of course we can't apply all their methods," Cheng Congyuan smiled slyly: "Farmers prefer grain to monthly money. So our government can make an agreement with them. When harvesting grain, the farmers will get one-third of the grain, and we will get one-third of the grain.
Seven points; if this is the case, they must have worked hard for food, so supervision is naturally unnecessary."
"I'm afraid the farmers won't be willing to come. They hold the fixed monthly silver at Zhou's house, and it will last for a long time. But once our government enacts this law, if there is a drought, the farmers will have no harvest. Mr. Cheng estimates that
Guess, why would they come to my house and take such a risk?"
Cheng Congyuan was speechless for a moment. He didn't know where to start for a long time, so he frowned and thought deeply.
Ye Yongjia took a sip of tea and continued: "Mr. Cheng's method is wonderful, but there are some shortcomings. I think we can allocate moon silver based on this system. It doesn't need to be given more. It is enough to keep the farmers alive."
.If they don’t want to be poor, they can ask for more harvests. With no risk in this way, they can still contribute, what does Mr. Cheng think?”
Cheng Congyuan glanced at him with admiration, and then laughed heartily: "I didn't expect that I am even better than me! I have gained a lot of experience in the past few years!"
Ye Yongjia just smiled back and said "too much praise", paused, and then changed the subject again: "Mr. Cheng, has there been any news about the master in the past two days?"
Cheng Congyuan pondered for a moment, frowning, "There is a lot of news, but none of it is good." As he said that, he walked to the table and held the table with one hand.
"Recently, people from Liu Zhennian's side have launched an impeachment offensive, but only a few scattered people have submitted letters. There is no sign of his downfall yet; but the people sent there said that Liu Zhennian is preparing to get a group of people to jointly submit a petition.
"At that time, we were in a dilemma..." Ye Yongjia listened calmly, with no trace of anxiety on his face. Cheng Congyuan glanced at him and sighed: "Although the master sometimes plays tricks on some people, he has a strong personality."
He may not be able to handle matters in the court well. Faced with this kind of thing, I'm afraid it will get worse. If the old lady at home hadn't been seriously ill for a long time and needed me to calm down the situation in the palace, I really wanted to rush
Go to the master!"
"Yeah, when I think about my mother's condition taking a turn for the worse since the fall, it's really troublesome internally and externally." Ye Yongjia sighed and rubbed his browbones. "There's nothing we can do about this," Cheng Congyuan looked out the window, "Let's settle Zhou Jingshi's case first.
This is what matters now.”
"Who should be sent to interrogate?" Ye Yongjia put aside his worries for the time being and asked.
"Kou Zhong." Cheng Congyuan flashed a smile.
Several slaves opened the way in front, removed the firewood piled in front of the utility room door, reached out to unlock the door, and then stood on both sides of the door, looking directly at Kou Zhong who was coming. "You go in." A slave stepped forward.
Kou Zhong said respectfully. Kou Zhong waved his hand without replying and walked straight into the room. There was almost nothing inside, and there was a thick layer of dust on the ground. He could raise it in the air by kicking it with his feet, and even bewitched people.
Eyes. Zhou Jingshi was surrounded by several bundles of firewood. He was sitting in the middle, his clothes so dirty that his original shape could not be seen.
"Manager Zhou, just admit the corruption. Everyone who bought the house has been put on trial. I have a lot of evidence for you here..." Kou Zhong spoke slowly and gently. Zhou Jingshi slowly raised his head and said,
A complicated expression showed whether it was anger or sadness, and he stared at him intently. Kou Zhong was not disturbed, and was as calm as ever.
"Steward, I won't excuse myself, but you and I are just helping each other out of profit. Please, Steward Zhou, don't talk about kindness, just plead guilty." Kou Zhong said softly without any shame.
"You still have the nerve to talk like that?..." Zhou Jingshi's low voice was full of anger.
"I won't talk about morality today. I'm afraid that even Steward Zhou can't explain these things." Kou Zhong said calmly, "I'm here to ask Steward to plead guilty. I won't ask about anything else."
"I'm facing a dead end now, and there's nothing I can do if I don't admit it!" He sighed deeply, paused for a long time, and then said, "I plead guilty." Kou Zhong smiled, but said nothing.
"Okay. If you are willing to plead guilty, then come out with me. But the specific amount has to be explained to the people in the meeting hall. I am not qualified to interfere in these matters. Okay." After that, he made a 'please' gesture to let him know.
Zhou Jingshi stood up.
"Can you wait a little while?" Zhou Jingshi said, "Just a little while."
Kou Zhong sighed softly: "Okay, but Mr. Cheng can't wait too long."
"I understand." Zhou Jingshi closed his eyes, and then said: "I want to die with a clear understanding... I want to ask you a few questions."
"Ask."
"You never planned to be loyal to me from the beginning to the end?"
"Manager Zhou should be clear today." Kou Zhong deliberately did not answer.
"Why did you harm me?"
Kou Zhong thought for a long time and responded seriously: "I just want to get rid of your control."
"My clamp?" Zhou Jingshi asked forcefully.
"You may think I'm lying, but I really feel a feeling. This feeling has fueled my desire for power and has almost become hopeless," Kou Zhong stared blankly at the peeling wall.
As if talking to myself. "As long as I feel there is something I must obey, shackles will arise in my heart; no matter how kind and righteous that person is to me, I will be like living among thorns, stinging all the time. No matter how I push it
Even the days of delay cannot be overcome.”
"I'm afraid you will never be able to get rid of it, and you will only end up being despised by others."
"As long as I do it without hesitation, I will reach the top one day and get rid of it completely." Zhong Kou turned his attention to Zhou Jingshi again, seeming to be angry at his words. "But Manager Zhou can't see him."
Kou Zhong said with a pretended smile.
Zhou Jing sneered ten times, turned his head away, and remained silent.
After calming down for a while, Zhou Jingshi straightened his clothes and strode straight to the door without talking to Kou Zhong. Kou Zhong smiled angrily and had no choice but to follow him.
Zhou Jingshi was escorted to the meeting hall by his servants. After Kou Zhong explained the matter to Cheng Congyuan, he silently withdrew. "Stand." Cheng Congyuan turned his back to him and shouted casually. Kou Zhong had no choice but to
He stood still, but he was so nervous that his palms suddenly burst into large beads of sweat.
"It's nothing. The master wants to reward you personally. Go and see the master in the back room."
"Ah, yes." Kou Zhong agreed and then breathed out. He wiped his hands on his clothes, bowed to Cheng Congyuan and walked forward with his head lowered. Why should he be afraid of him for no reason? Kou Zhong was very confused.
.
No matter what, we met the master. The back room of the meeting hall was originally for the old lady to give orders to the servants, but because the old lady became increasingly unwell and could not move around, she used this place as a resting place for Ye Yongjia, and summoned him
servant.
Kou Zhong had not seen this master for a year or two. When he knelt on the ground, he always noticed that Ye Yongjia's face was different from before. He found that his eyes became more decisive, but lacked something called vitality.
; The body shape is not as thick as before.
"Kou Zhong, you are the first one to come forward and expose the person who purchased the house. I should meet you and reward you personally." After saying that, Ye Yongjia took out a silver note from his sleeve, "This note is written as twenty
Two pieces of silver is quite a lot." He then asked Kou Zhong to stretch out his hand and handed the banknote to his hand.
"If you are willing to work hard, you might be able to succeed Mr. Cheng in the future."
"Thank you for the compliment, Master," Kou Zhong smiled at first, but suddenly he looked hesitant again, like a rat emerging from the midnight, and carefully said every word: "But I am different from Mr. Cheng, maybe I am smarter than him... Of course, Quan
Let the master judge."
Ye Yongjia listened to his words carefully and remained silent for a while before replying: "You are all just servants, how can we talk about differences?"
"The slave does not want to be distinguished from Mr. Cheng. It's just that the slave has something that can match the master, but Mr. Cheng has nothing like that."
Kou Zhong continued, "Mr. Cheng is so considerate of the Ye family that he often ignores his master's thoughts. The master himself knows that Mr. Cheng killed Zhang Ping with a stick. As a slave, it is not easy to say anything. Of course, a slave is not
Mr. Shu Luocheng, but the master probably doesn’t want to be surrounded by people like this. How many people are needed to be loyal to you alone?”
"It's never your turn." Ye Yongjia said with determination as a sneer appeared on his face.
"Master will need me sooner or later." Kou Zhong shook his head, rolled up the banknotes and stuffed them into his sleeves, and smiled at him: "Master, I take my leave." He knelt on the ground, looking directly at him, waiting for a reply.
But there was no reply at all. He could only kowtow and slowly exit.
The refugees were all expelled with a piece of paper, and they had no place to live in Jinan Prefecture. Naturally, Ye Mansion ignored the livelihood of these people and was busy recruiting farmers, claiming to "divide the profits of the harvest first, and then the money and grain will be distributed at the same time."
Within a few days, dozens of farmers came to invest, including many from the Zhou family. Coupled with the corruption and bribery in the government, within a few months, the Ye family had harvested so much grain that the Zhou family could hardly compare.
Congyuan also devised strategies to win over people's hearts, and whenever it came to providing relief or disaster relief, it was his duty to do so. Even the people who had not received relief rushed to praise the good governance of the Ye family.
It happened that these two days coincided with ancestor worship. Cheng Congyuan suggested that Ye Yongjia use this opportunity to make a big splash and show off the prestige of the Ye family. Ye Yongjia readily agreed, but it seemed that he had ulterior motives that no one could know. Cheng Congyuan suddenly had scruples in his heart, but
He didn't dare to ask further questions, so he could only squint his eyes and look out at the gloomy space, and then hurriedly left.
Tomorrow after the discussion was over, the weather turned out to be surprisingly good. The servants of the Ye Mansion were crowding around, with Ye in the middle, forming a formation. The sound of gongs and drums suddenly became loud, and they crowded into Jinan.
On the main road of the city, Ye Yongjia was riding a dark horse, his eyes sweeping into the distance. It attracted many people in an instant, and crowds of people surged on both sides of the road. Cheers mixed with the sound of gongs and drums. The noisy sound was extremely shocking inside and outside the city. Someone stopped him directly.
At the front, most of them were relief recipients from Endeye Mansion.
Kou Zhongxing was at the front, also sitting on the horse, and immediately shouted: "Everyone! My master, in accordance with the wishes of our ancestors, will definitely let the people of Jinan City enjoy peace forever! Why is it necessary to mobilize troops and mobilize people like this? This is all within the scope of my government!"
After saying this, there was a wave of shouts. Cheng Congyuan glanced at Kou Zhong, then turned his head to talk to Ye Yongjia.
"Mr. Cheng, wait a moment. Seeing the people in front of you are so supportive, I have to say something. If you have anything to do, it's not too late to talk about it another day."
Cheng Congyuan nodded: "There are many people in front of you, master, be careful." Ye Yongjia agreed, slowly pulled the reins, and walked to Kou Zhong in front. Kou Zhong took a few steps back, and he shouted from the front: "
Although everyone is grateful for the virtues of my Ye family, if our house does not become prosperous, how can we have more money to help those in need? Based on this argument, this person should be praised even more!"
Saying that, Ye Yongjia pulled Kou Zhong over: "This person's name is Kou Zhong. He is responsible for detecting corrupt criminals in the house. He is fair and honest, and has revolutionized the atmosphere! Without this move, we may not be as prosperous as we are today, and we may not be among the people."
Support!" After hearing this, Kou Zhong looked at the master stupidly.
Cheng Congyuan heard clearly from behind. Those words were very harsh. He suppressed the anger, shock and grief mixed in his heart, and looked straight at the enemy. He saw some people taking off their red robes and throwing them away sincerely.
Kou Zhong then put the robe firmly on his body and opened his arms. His voice could not be heard in the noisy crowd, but he seemed to be bragging about his achievements, just like a soldier returning from a battle.
…
This was a clever plan thought up by the master. Cheng Congyuan's mind became clearer. It was a trick to help the upstart come to power. Cheng Congyuan washed his face, clasped his hands behind his back in the room, and faced the beam.
"Hero of Qingfeng and uprightness!" the people on the road once shouted.
This is tantamount to erasing the original Kou Zhong and replacing it with a whitewashed appearance.
What are you worrying about here? It's just a passing cloud. He instantly feels that Kou Zhong is not worth mentioning. The master still has a lot of trust in him. Such an opportunistic villain will not be glorious for a few days. Besides, he has many countermeasures, and
Kou Zhong could only look up at his master. Thinking of this, he closed his eyes calmly, and his mind was very clear at this moment. Cheng Congyuan no longer worried about this, but the crisis far away in the capital could not make him relax.