In truth, he hadn't felt that the Lunar New Year was anything special after transmigrating here, especially at this particular juncture. Once the New Year passed, it would mean the Qing Army would begin its southward advance, the south would not remain peaceful for long before being soon drenched in blood.
This kind of crisis was like a sharp blade hanging above one's head, about to fall, he himself did not know if he could endure it.
It was only after returning to the village that he was gradually infected by the villagers' enthusiasm.
Many villagers had already sent gifts before he returned, after his return, they came in an endless stream; since they were New Year gifts, everyone delivered them openly to his door.
Zhu Ci did not refuse either, instead had Fu Qiulu take the New Year gifts to deliver them door to door.
As for himself, he took the opportunity to slip some candy to the passing children while hanging the lanterns.
The sight of the children one by one looking so overjoyed made Zhu Ci unable to help but have a smile spread across his face.
Children's happiness is truly simple, the happiness of ordinary people is also very simple.
Being able to wear new clothes during the New Year, eat delicious food, relax a bit, while exchanging auspicious wishes for a better year ahead, can truly fill one's heart with anticipation.
When Zhu Ying and Zhang arrived, both felt somewhat uneasy. As they followed the guiding villager to the old Xi Family residence, they just happened to see that Young Master was climbing up and down to hang lanterns, shouting, "It's easy for you all to talk when you're not the ones doing the work! Why don't you come up and hang them yourselves? You should learn from Xi Ya."
Fu Qiulu stood with her hands on her hips and let out a huff, saying, "Young Master, you are being quite unreasonable; A-ya wouldn't know how to speak properly even if she wanted to."
Fu Chunsheng said with a grin, "If the Young Master thinks we talk too much, why not just give us a few more handfuls of melon seeds? We won't say a word if we have something to eat."
Zhu Ci said irritably, "If you want to eat them, then go eat them. It's not like they're anything valuable."
“Oh, Young Master, Zhang.. my elder brother is here, Chief Zhu is here too.” Fu Qiulu was about to cheer when she saw Zhu Ying and Zhang.
Zhang was already dumbfounded: why was he so different from how he had seen him before?
But it must be said, only at this moment does this Young Master truly match his age.
Zhu Ying laughed loudly and said, "The Young Master certainly has refined tastes."
Zhu Ci jumped down from the ladder and said, "Oh? What wind has blown the Chief and Brother Zhang here?"
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: A bunch of useless little things, I'll have to be the one to hang the lanterns! Cat holding a lantern. jpg
Next update tomorrow morning at six o'clock~
Chapter 35
Zhu Ci acted with a certain indifference, his words carrying a hint of sarcasm, which was somewhat consistent with his current age.
Zhu Ci could actually guess and understand the actions of the Magistrate and Zhu Ying; he wasn't truly angry, as such a trivial matter wasn't worth getting upset over.
However, he had to act angry, as it would be more advantageous for him in the upcoming negotiations.
Zhang was still young, appearing to be only in his early twenties, as a man who was treated like a star in the county seat, where had he ever been mocked like this? For a moment, he felt he couldn't save face, his face flushing red, he almost turned to walk away.
Fortunately, Magistrate Zhang did not expect his son to gain any benefits, so he arranged for an experienced Counselor to step forward.
The Counselor leaned close to Zhang's ear and whispered, "Young Master, you must endure for now. This person is someone even the Master cannot easily offend."
Don't underestimate him just because he lives in the countryside and personally hangs lanterns; his status is quite significant.
The Young Master's attire was unremarkable, but the jade pendant hanging from his waist was of immense value.
After hearing this, Zhang could only endure it, standing there with an awkward smile.
On the other hand, Zhu Ying had spent many years in the marketplace and had a thicker skin; he completely ignored the sarcasm and strode inside, saying, "There is much to do at the end of the year. Although we in the Water Dragon Society are all rough men, we still have to make arrangements for the New Year. We are late, I hope the Young Master will forgive us."
After Zhu Ci took his seat at the head, his lively and boisterous demeanor vanished, replaced by a cold and aloof manner as he said, "This is a rural place with nothing good to offer in hospitality; there is only a bowl of coarse tea. Please, the two of you, make do."
Zhu Ying knew that if he didn't let the Young Master vent his anger, he would likely return empty-handed today.
Therefore, he apologized repeatedly and even had his people bring over the New Year gifts he had brought.
Because of the previous warning from the Suzhou Prefect, the gifts Zhu Ying brought were of immense value, including plenty of gold, silver, jade, antiques, even many pieces of silk and cloth.
Zhu Ci said that he would become a wealthy man by the end of the New Year.
The New Year's gifts he sent were nothing more than food and similar items, which weren't worth much; in reality, considering his status, no one could say anything even if he hadn't sent any gifts at all.
On the other hand, the things received were all very precious.
He directly ordered Chunsheng and Xi Ya to put the items away, then glanced at Zhu Ying and Zhang before saying, "Alright, I know why the two of you are here. I have written a contract here.."
He paused halfway through his sentence before continuing, "I will read it aloud to you. If you agree, then sign and press your seals."
He had originally intended to let the two of them take a look, but halfway through his sentence, he remembered that Zhu Ying was illiterate and changed his words.
Although Zhu Ying had a rugged appearance, he was a meticulous person; noticing this, his heart couldn't help but warm with emotion.
If a subordinate remembered this matter and even saved his face, he would consider it normal.
But the fact that the Young Master still remembered was enough to make him feel somewhat moved.
But it was only a little bit; when it came to money and business, his rationality returned.
Zhu Ci's plan was also very simple. He would be responsible for production, Zhu Ying would handle transportation and sales, the Magistrate would naturally be responsible for supporting their industry, reducing some taxes, even not collecting taxes in the early stages.
As for the distribution of profits, Zhu Ci said, "I will sell it to you at cost plus ten wen. I won't care how much you sell it for or where you sell it, how does that sound?"
Zhu Ying was slightly taken aback. "This.. would this not be inappropriate?"
He had already prepared himself for the Crown Prince to take the lion's share, even thinking to himself that earning ten or twenty wen from this coal wouldn't be impossible, but the fact that the other party was actually making concessions was truly surprising.
Zhu Ci glanced at him and let out a scoff. "The Crown Prince does indeed want money, but he will not compete with the people for profit. Moreover, besides the honeycomb coal, the matching stoves can also be sold for money."
Of course, Zhu Ci would still be the one to handle the production.
Zhu Ying's mind raced, he immediately understood that this Young Master and the Crown Prince behind him likely did not want to be too deeply involved with his Canal Gang.
It was merely a normal business transaction; that way, even if something went wrong, the Crown Prince would not be implicated.
How could that be acceptable? The Canal Gang was a business passed down through Zhu Ying's family, what his family had wanted to do for generations was to go legitimate. Engaging in such life-threatening activities was difficult to sustain in the long run; his grandfather and father had both died untimely deaths, due not only to pressure from the government but also from infighting among their peers.
This meant he had managed to build a connection with the Suzhou Prefect, that so-called status as an extended nephew was nothing more than something he had bought with bribes; the amount of money he had to send to the Suzhou Prefect every year was quite substantial, he also had to grease the palms of the Magistrate.
If he could secure a connection to the Crown Prince, setting aside everything else, those two bribes might even be saved.
Despite thinking about these things, Zhu Ying said nothing more, simply nodding in agreement after a quick glance at Zhang.
Zhu Ci turned to look at Zhang and said, "Go back and tell your father that regarding taxes, as long as the county magistrate's office issues the regulations, we will certainly pay them on time and in full."
Zhang was a bit confused, still wondering: aren't you a Scholar? There are tax exemptions and reductions; if you don't pay properly even then, wouldn't that be..
But before he could speak, the Counselor standing behind him immediately said, "Rest assured, Young Master, my master will certainly deliver the message."
In addition to that, Zhu Ci also produced a letter and said, "Take this back for the Magistrate to see as well. Remember not to open it privately; it contains a decree from the Crown Prince. After reading it, just have Magistrate Zhang send someone to give me a message."
Zhu Ying's eyes glued themselves to the letter the moment she heard the words "Crown Prince's mandate."
When they left the ancestral home, Zhu Ying's eyes darted around as he leaned in and whispered, "Eldest Young Master, this imperial decree from the Crown Prince is certainly no small matter. You should take a look first and send someone to inform Magistrate Zhang, so that the old gentleman can be prepared."
Zhang was also somewhat tempted, but the Counselor beside him said coldly, "The Crown Prince's mandate concerns matters of state. It would be best for the Chief not to meddle too much, otherwise.. the Prefect might not necessarily help you."
Zhu Ying showed nothing on his face, but in his heart, he hated his Counselor's behavior of exposing his secrets.
Wasn't that Counselor implying that his relationship with the Suzhou Prefect wasn't that solid?
He is nothing more than a counselor, yet a counselor from the Magistrate's household actually dares to be so arrogant.
But he was a scholar with official recognition, with the Magistrate as his powerful backing, Zhu Ying was not particularly keen on having a conflict with him.
Zhu Ying rarely did things that offered no benefit.
He smiled and said, "I have lost my composure."
Zhang also sensed that Zhu Ying had just been acting with some ill intent and immediately said, "I am currently under imperial command and dare not linger outside. I shall take my leave first and part ways here."
Zhu Ying did not keep him for long, even intentionally lagged behind a bit before taking a fork in the road to part ways.
However, not long after they parted ways, Zhu Ying returned to the Xi Family's old residence alone.
When he returned, the Fu siblings were surrounding Zhu Ci, whispering and laughing, with the focus, of course, being on "His Highness the Crown Prince."
Just now, Fu Chunsheng and Fu Qiulu had almost lost their composure while addressing Zhu Ci as "Crown Prince" every other word; unfortunately, they were the only two there who knew the truth.
Zhu Ci gave them a stern look: "Shut up, don't speak of this matter lightly."
Two other people were also living in this residence.
Seeing Zhu Ying return, he was not surprised, but simply looked at Zhu Ying and asked, "Does the Chief think the purchase price is too high?"
Zhu Ying hurriedly said, "No, no, no. I just feel that His Highness the Crown Prince is benevolent and willing to grant profits to us commoners, but I truly feel uneasy about it. How about we raise the price a bit more? Or perhaps I could share some of the profits with the Young Master every year—no, every quarter."
Raise the price, then you'll raise your selling price as well?
However, he also heard that Zhu Ying wanted to use wealth to pave the way and make a name for himself with the "Crown Prince."
Zhu Ci's eyes flickered as he spoke, "If you insist on doing it that way, it's not impossible. However, forget about the profit—that is money you worked hard to earn. Instead, why don't you contribute some funds to repair the road from Xialiang to the county seat? That would make transportation much easier. Also, you should help build the coal processing plant and the coal furnace factory as well."
Zhu Ci was actually calculating how much money building the factory would cost. The initial workshops didn't need to be too large, but according to his estimation, several hundred taels of silver would be required. However, if repairs were included, it wouldn't be something that could be settled with just a few hundred taels.
Currently, he does not have much cash on hand; if the money is insufficient, he will also need to sell off some of his annual gifts.
If that were the case, he would have to be careful. He couldn't let Zhu Ying and the Magistrate find out; otherwise, they would quickly trace everything back to him and realize he was a hollow shell, perhaps even guessing something else entirely.
But if he didn't want them to find out, he couldn't sell those precious trinkets and jade in Suzhou Prefecture, going outside carried the risk of being robbed by bandits.
These matters were already enough to cause worry, but since someone had delivered them right to his doorstep, he naturally wouldn't be polite and would simply go along with it.
Zhu Ying immediately agreed, "Where will the Young Master choose the site? Once the location is decided, I will have people come to build roads and factories after the New Year."
Zhu Ci said, "I have my own plans regarding the site selection. Once it is decided, I will have someone write you a letter.. Er, you have people there who can read, right? The main reason for writing a letter is so that I can affix my private seal; verbal messages are far too easy to impersonate."
Zhu Ying rubbed the back of his head and said, "There are some. My nephew is literate. Sigh, it seems I really must learn to read after all."
Zhu Ci said casually, "Being literate does indeed provide more opportunities than being illiterate. Don't worry, your devotion to the Crown Prince will certainly be known. If you can learn a few more characters, you might even be able to take the path of recommendation in the future."
Zhu Ying's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this, he said repeatedly, "I will study as soon as I return."
Zhu Ci and Zhu Ying exchanged a satisfied smile. Zhu Ci was pleased that he didn't have to spend much money to build the factory and had successfully painted a grand vision for Zhu Ying, while Zhu Ying was satisfied that he had finally made an impression on the Crown Prince.
As for whether Zhu Ci would hide his "merit," Zhu Ying didn't care that much.
If he couldn't connect with the Crown Prince, then connecting with the Young Earl would also be good; in any case, to him, both of these figures were people he could never have reached before.
After Zhu Ying left, Fu Qiulu said with a look of confusion, "This person is truly strange; he refuses even when I don't want his money."
Zhu Ci said leisurely with his hands behind his back, "Because he has something he desires."