"General Pang from Anqing is here. Do you want to see him?"
Ruan Dacheng in the study raised his head and looked at the housekeeper in front of him, "See you! Of course I want to see you."
"This is his gift list. Both Li Lihua and Guo Zushan are dead. Guo Zushan is a disciple of Shaojian Zhou. There are rumors in Nandu that it was General Pang who did it. He said that he offended the Nanjing garrison. At this time, I am afraid that I will ask the master to help him.
deal with."
Ruan Dacheng looked at the gift list, which mainly included Anqing's antiques and a few jade articles. It was appropriate for Pang Yu to visit as a fellow villager. He handed the gift list back to the housekeeper and said, "There is no place in this world where there is no Zhou Xuan. People who can think about Zhou Xuan."
It’s easier to deal with someone if you leave room for things to happen.”
"But looking at General Pang's behavior, or the military man who has been doing it for a long time, he doesn't seem to be trying to change things.
I once spoke to Li Lihua, but he just took his life this time, obviously not giving me a chance to speak."
Ruan Dacheng sighed, "Some words are not so easy to say. I have advised Li Lihua more than once before. Some people are good at reputation, some are good at power, and some are just good at wealth. Those who dare to break into the den of thieves in the middle of the night to seize wealth will have more money than their lives.
You still think highly of him, how can you take away his wealth? Guo Zuoshan may not be able to share much of it with him. Unfortunately, she was blinded by the wealth and did not listen to me. She insisted on getting it and was willing to give it to others.
It's up to me to tell you what to say.
You should have listened to me earlier, otherwise why would you be hanging on the rafters?
My pity for you is like water, it all goes away with the passing waves, it’s a pity, it’s pitiful.”
"It's just that General Pang acted even more arrogantly. Not only Li Lihua, but also several subordinate officials in Shangyuan and Jiangning counties who were involved in this matter died. He made money in Nanjing and offended the two counties.
It’s hard to say for sure in the future, and that Young Supervisor Zhou is not easy to get along with. When the master sees him now..." "Nanjing is full of dignitaries, and the death of a few subordinate officials will not offend anyone. Pang Xiaoyou has a great victory in hand, and he will be promoted soon.
The deputy commander-in-chief can be said to be a holy man, what can Shaojian Zhou do to him?
After all, the young prisoner is just a young prisoner, and I am not afraid of him."
Ruan Dacheng stood up and said, "I will go to meet General Pang personally."
The housekeeper followed behind and walked towards the gate of Stone Chao Garden. Ruan Dacheng was walking in a hurry in front.
He hurried to the concierge and saw Pang Yu sitting in the hall inside the screen wall. Fortunately, the concierge served tea in a sensible manner and laughed loudly, "I heard that Pang Xiaoyou defeated a group of thieves. I am glad that the emperor has such a fierce general. I am more than happy.
It's hard to be excited, and I can't sleep for several nights in a row. Pang Xiaoyou is really talented in the country."
Pang Yu stood up and said respectfully, "Mr. Ruan is so complimentary. I joined the army from Zaoli and was guided by my teacher all the way. As long as I come to Nanjing, I will definitely listen to my teacher's teachings in person."
"Pang Xiaoyou is favored by the emperor now. He has not forgotten me, a man from the mountains and forests. On the contrary, I didn't know that my little friend was coming from afar, so I let him wait for so long. I am so rude. I am really ashamed."
Ruan Dacheng turned to look at the housekeeper and the doorman, "Pang Xiaoyou is my old friend. We will not communicate with each other in the future. We first introduce Pang Xiaoyou to the hall, and then treat Pang Xiaoyou slowly. It is bound to be a family tradition."
Pang Yu didn't even dare, so his subordinates went to hand over the gifts to the housekeeper on their own. Ruan Dacheng took Pang Yu's hand affectionately and led him to the Stone Chao Garden. "Nowadays, no one in Nanjing City respectfully calls General Pang, but I still insist on calling him General Pang."
What’s the name of Pang Xiaoyou?
You and I are friends with each other heart to heart, official position and reputation are not external things, but only those who know each other's hearts are lifelong friends."
"Mr. Ruan realized that fame is fleeting, official positions are only temporary, and friends are lifelong.
No matter whether I am promoted to deputy general or commander-in-chief, I will always be the best friend of that day in front of my husband."
Ruan Dacheng's eyes turned into slits with laughter, and he led Pang Yu towards the Stone Chao Garden. All the way to the study room, Ruan Dacheng showed him the effect after modifying the glass, and he was full of praise for Pang Yu.
Pang Yu sent him a batch last time. The craftsmanship at this time was all small pieces, but the light transmittance was naturally much better than the previous shells.
Finally, we arrived at the garden of Shichaoyuan. Since the land in Nanjing is precious, even Ruan Dacheng cannot buy a large one, so the garden view can only be regarded as exquisite, which is still a notch behind Ruan Dacheng's mansion by Mochou Lake.
.
"My villa in Niushou Mountain is about to be completed, and I will definitely come and stay there for a few days. Pang Xiaoyou is a great talent, and the female consort is singing about the south of the Yangtze River. I always hope that I will have another chance to create one or two more stories with my little friend."
While we were talking, the servants served tea, and since it was a conversation in the garden, some snacks were also served.
"Suzhou pine nut candy and Xiaoshan bayberry have just arrived in Nanjing. Do you know where this lotus root under the flower comes from?"
Pang Yu is not a country bumpkin now. He has done a lot of receptions with Pi Yingju and has some knowledge of local things. He immediately replied, "But I'm from Zhejiang."
Ruan Dacheng smiled and said, "This is not the case, it is local to Nanjing. People usually say that the lotus root under the flower is the best in West Lake, Hangzhou, but I have tasted it carefully for many years and I still think the one from Nanjing is better, especially this season."
Pang Yu smiled and said, "Of course it belongs to Mr. Xinruan. From now on, whoever asks me where the best place is in Huaxia Oujiang will always say Nanjing."
Ruan Dacheng laughed heartily and looked cheerful. Pang Yu observed carefully and found that Ruan Dacheng's expression was not pretentious. He did not seem to be estranged by Li Lihua's incident and seemed to be able to talk.
He paused for a moment and said, "Sir, please be kind to me. There are also things from Jiangxi and Shandong on this table. They should all come from the rivers and canals. It can be seen that with the benefit of water transportation, we can enjoy this blessing."
"The river is great. It also blocks the bandits and protects the place where our wealth in the south of the Yangtze River comes from."
Ruan Dacheng picked up a cut piece of lotus root and looked at Pang Yu with a smile, "Pang Xiaoyou wants to do business on the river?"
"To be honest, Mr. Ruan, I have been doing business on the river."
Pang Yu did not shy away from mincing words and went directly to the topic, "It's just that the river stretches for thousands of miles. I want to have someone to support me in Wuhu on the way. It's best to have a battalion."
"But Zhang Junmen doesn't agree?"
"Zhang Junmen agrees, but this matter doesn't seem to be of any concern to him. However, I hope that the trip can be made as soon as possible. Sir, can you give me some advice?"
Ruan Dacheng put down the lotus root again, stroking his beard, thought for a moment and said, "What Zhang Guowei can't do must be done from the court, but the court must also handle things according to the system. When building camps and troops here in Wuhu, they must come from the court."
Zhang Guowei proposed that he was in charge of Yingtian's military affairs, so he had to write a document to the Ministry of War first, and the Ministry of War received the document and then discussed it, instead of the Ministry of War asking Yingtian to build a new battalion, otherwise it would be a mess.
If it were in the past, Zhang Guowei would have been unable to do anything without writing, but now there is a way."
"Please give me some advice, sir."
"Beyond Governor Yingtian, there are also prime ministers of five provinces. The emperor is dissatisfied with Wang Jiazhen. The new prime minister of the five provinces is Xiong Wencan, governor of Guangdong and Guangxi."
Pang Yu also heard about the appointment, but he still lacked connections in the officialdom, so he had to ask humbly, "Does Sir know anything about Premier Xiong?"
"Prime Minister Xiong, a Jinshi in the 35th year of Wanli's reign, naturally has knowledge of poetry and calligraphy, and besides, he is easier to deal with than Zhang Junmen."
Ruan Dacheng thought for a while and then said, "Although the Prime Minister of the five provinces is only responsible for suppressing the bandits, in the past few years, he can take charge of military defense matters within the five provinces. If he said that Wuhu should set up a battalion of soldiers and horse defense
A thief is more effective than Zhang Junmen."
"Then what does Prime Minister Xiong like?"
"Pang Xiaoyou has no shortage of things he likes."
Pang Yu smiled knowingly. Ruan Dacheng said that Xiong Wencan probably likes money. Although he doesn't say he has inexhaustible use of this thing now, he does not lack it.
Ruan Dacheng added, "Pang Xiaoyou also needs to know something. Yang Sichang proposed the strategy of spreading the net from ten sides. Today's prime ministers of the five provinces are different from the past. In the past, Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Jiazhen were both governors of Henan. Now, there are separate premiers of the five provinces.
The place of residence may not be Henan.
I thought it would be in Wuchang or Fengyang, one of the two places, so dealing with Pang Xiaoyou would be much easier than in Kaifeng."
Pang Yu was a little surprised. He only got some information about himself from Zhang Guowei, and did not know all the details of the net. The former prime ministers of the five provinces were indeed concurrently governors of Henan, so the residence was always in Kaifeng. After Wang Jiazhen took office, he took the next step.
He had not left Kaifeng City, so the emperor was extremely dissatisfied with him.
Ruan Dacheng obviously got more information, and the appointment of prime ministers of five provinces showed that the court was indeed seriously adjusting its strategy this time.
Ruan Dacheng came over and said, "The Prime Minister himself has 30,000 soldiers and horses. This is also a special force with special pay. When Xiong Wencan comes to take office, Guangdong will only have some sailors available. He cannot bring many soldiers and horses, so he must choose soldiers from the five provinces.
.”
Pang Yu made some calculations in his mind and realized that he was different from ordinary military towns. He was not urgent about pay at the moment. What was more important was the layout of the river. If he was accepted as a standard camp by the prime minister of the five provinces, he would inevitably be moved around, but it would make people
Anqing is empty, and Anqing is his fundamental place, and as Zhang Guowei currently said, the Anqing garrison camp also has specialized troops and special pay, so there will be no additional benefits from being accepted by Xiong Wencan as a standard camp.
"If Master Xiong leads troops in a war, will he be like Lu Junmen, Zhang Junmen, or Wang Jiazhen?"
Ruan Dacheng was stunned for a moment and smiled, "It's hard to say, but he is definitely not someone like Lu Xiangsheng who takes the lead. He will never lead his troops to suppress the bandits. To be honest, he might be like Wang Jiazhen."
Pang Yu rubbed his chin. No matter what style Xiong Wencan was, as long as he was not stationed in Anqing, he would have to follow him to move to other places, which would be of no benefit to the management of the Anqing base.
But Ruan Dacheng also said that this person would not lead troops to fight everywhere, and that the entire area along the river was basically under his jurisdiction. If this resource could be used well, a wider range of routes could be connected, not just the area under Yingfu's jurisdiction.
Although Ruan Dacheng's conversation was short, the information he gave him was very practical. Before this, he had not planned to have anything to do with the prime minister of the five provinces, because he had never dealt with Wang Jiazhen before, and Wang Jiazhen had no knowledge of Dajiang.
actual influence.
Now he knows that Xiong Wencan's status may be much higher than that of Wang Jiazhen, he may be based closer, and he also knows this person's preferences and style. These are the basis for his decision.
"Pang Xiaoyou already has a bank and gambling stall in Nanjing. Business on the river is mostly hard work. If you want to make a lot of money, I wonder if you want to... sell salt?"
Pang Yu smiled and said, "It's just an ordinary business on the river. We don't seek huge profits, but we seek huge amounts of goods. As long as we have more, we can still make money."
Besides Wuhu, I don’t know where else is better?”
Ruan Dacheng cheered and patted the armrest, "If the goods are huge, there is no place up and down the river that can compare to Yangzhou. If Pang Xiaoyou wants to establish a foothold there, I can help you."
"I've been hesitating between Yangzhou and Suzhou. Mr. Xin gave me some advice, so I went to Yangzhou."
Pang Yu looked at Ruan Dacheng sincerely. Yangzhou was one of the reasons why he came to Ruan Dacheng. Yangzhou is the intersection of the river and the canal. It was the place where the merchants and money of the Ming Dynasty gathered. It could not only control the river trade, but also the canal logistics, more so than Wuhu.
It is important, but it is located in the north of the Yangtze River and is under the jurisdiction of Caodu. Dajiang Yinzhuang has already been opened there.
As long as Zhu Dadian is taken care of and Caogang is established, it can gradually control this commercial town.
Fortunately, Ruan Dacheng is Zhu Dadian's main broker, and Pang Yu happens to have a lot of what Zhu Dadian likes.
"Mr. Ruan must have expenses for traveling around. I will ask Liu Ruogu to provide money for him next time, and I will be able to help you."
Ruan Dacheng waved his hand, but did not refuse. Pang Yu felt that it was easy to deal with this bearded man and things could be done well. He could not do without him in the officialdom. Perhaps he should be tied more closely to him, but if he joined him
Which literary society will affect the relationship with Donglin and Fushe.
After thinking for a moment, he made up his mind and said, "Mr. Ruan, do you want to take a share in this business on the river? My next idea is to control all the important docks, and then..." "That's all, Pang Xiaoyou wants me to take it, but this business on the river is profitable.
It’s hard-earned money.”
Ruan Dacheng picked up the flower lotus root just now, finally put it into his mouth this time, chewed a few mouthfuls and said, "Little friend Pang, don't spend too much energy. I just do a little business on the river to subsidize the expenses. I dare to say something
, no business on the river is as profitable as that of Baishuntang."
Pang Yu was stunned for a moment. He did not expect that Ruan Dacheng would reject such a good business. However, Pang Yu did not feel embarrassed and picked up a pine nut candy and put it into his mouth. "Sir, would you like to occupy a seat in Baishun Hall?"
One share?”
Ruan Dacheng almost vomited out the lotus root residue. He coughed a few times and then turned to Pang Yu, "Pang Xiaoyou is talking about Nanjing Baishuntang?"
"Of course it is."
Ruan Dacheng stared with a little panic in his eyes, "Little friend Pang, Ruan and Li... Ruan has never had any idea of Baishuntang. I really have never thought of it that way."
Pang Yu slowly swallowed the pine nut candy and said, "I'm telling you the truth. There are ten shares of Baishuntang. Please share one share with Mr. Ruan."
I mean, with Mr. Ruan’s official connections, everything in Baishuntang will go smoothly and the business will be more prosperous. In the end, I will still make money.”
"This..." Ruan Dacheng still didn't react. Pang Yu was talking about sharing one share, not buying it. It was probably dry shares.
But now Baishuntang's reputation has spread far and wide, and there is an endless stream of people from Susong, Yangzhou, Zhejiang and other places who come specifically to participate in gambling. Even if one share is divided into ten shares, it is not a small amount.
"Mr. Ruan, please feel free to accept it. This is for you personally. The expenses just involving Zhu Junmen will still have to be paid separately."
"Pang Xiaoyou...this, this is being polite."
Ruan Dacheng rubbed his hands and his beard trembled rhythmically a few times, "Is there anything else that needs to be done, Xiaoyou Pang?"
"I would also like to ask for advice from my husband. Zhang Junmen informed me that there has been news from the court, and internal officials will be sent to supervise the army's Anqing garrison. I will have to deal with all your husbands in the future. I wonder if Mr. Ruan has connections in the palace of the capital and can do it for me.