Chapter 165 Leaving Beijing Again (Please Vote for Me!!!)

It didn't take long for Sheng Changbai to be brought to the main hall.

Zhao Zongquan had been sizing up Sheng Changbai when he saw him.

In ancient times, it was also a society based on appearance. During the Ming Dynasty, there was a talented scholar named Wang Gen. Because of his ugly appearance, Emperor Jianwen canceled the originally selected number one scholar. As a result, during the Battle of Jingnan, Zhu Di was beaten to the capital. The man who was selected as the number one scholar by Emperor Jianwen immediately bowed his head, but Wang Gen chose to commit suicide by taking poison, becoming the first person to die during the Renwu national disaster in the Jianming Dynasty.

In addition, during the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao was deprived of the title of Military Scholar because of his ugly appearance. He overthrew the entire Tang Dynasty in a rage. It is estimated that if Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty had known this, he would never judge people by their appearance.

However, being handsome still has advantages. Zhao Zongquan couldn't help but nodded secretly when he saw that Sheng Changbai was graceful and graceful. Although he was young, his temperament was exceptionally calm.

"I want to set up a shipping office, and Qin Aiqing recommended you. What do you think?"

There was no movement on Sheng Changbai's face as he bowed and said, "Follow the official's orders."

Zhao Zongquan nodded with satisfaction: "The purpose of setting up the shipping yamen this time is mainly to collect shipping commercial taxes. If Sheng Aiqing is the chief official of the yamen, how can she ensure that she can collect enough commercial taxes?"

After thinking for a moment, Sheng Changbai said: "Expand the shipping terminals in various places and register all large ships with more than 3,000 pieces of cargo. In addition, in order to encourage maritime merchants to go to sea, it is best to only collect commercial taxes on the return trip. We also need to establish an inspection office to conduct strict inspections. If merchant ships go to sea privately, they will be punished severely once it is found out. A two-pronged approach will definitely be effective."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zongquan burst out laughing at Qin Hao: "The two dear friends are indeed classmates, and their ideas are surprisingly consistent."

But then, Zhao Zongquan said seriously to Sheng Changbai: "If Sheng Aiqing's relatives evade business taxes, how should Sheng Aiqing deal with it?"

Sheng Changbai bowed slightly and said loudly: "Business taxation is a major plan of the country. I dare not forget the great righteousness for the sake of small righteousness."

"Okay! I'll leave Sheng Aiqing, the widow of the Shipping Yamen, to you. Get ready to leave after the new year!"

Qin Hao and Sheng Changbai both left the palace. Sheng Changbai cupped his hands at Qin Hao and said, "Thank you Zihan for the recommendation."

Qin Hao smiled and said: "There is no need to be so polite between you and me, and I recommend Zecheng because among the people I know, only Zecheng is the most suitable for this position."

Sheng Changbai handed over his hand again, then turned around and got into the Sheng family's carriage.

Shengfu in Jiying Lane.

Wang Ruofu was in an especially good mood recently. Mo Lan did not succeed in his own evil, but instead harmed himself. Lin Sushuang was beaten thirty times for instigating him and was sent to a village in the countryside. He died within two days.

His biggest rival for many years was wiped out like this, and Wang Ruofu couldn't wait to set off firecrackers for days and nights to vent his anger.

Of course, Wang Ruofu did not do this, because Sheng Hong had always been worried about the deaths of Lin Sushuang and Mo Lan, and had not had a good look for many days. The servants would be punished if they were not careful, and the entire Sheng Mansion was under a kind of Shrouded in a weird atmosphere.

"Madam, Brother Bai is here." Liu's mother reported.

Wang Ruofu said quickly: "What are you still doing? Why don't you heat up the brazier quickly? Don't you see how cold it is outside?"

"promise."

Sheng Changbai walked into the room, and Wang Ruofu greeted her with greetings. Sheng Changbai waited silently for her to finish, and then told her about today's situation.

Wang Ruofu was overjoyed when he heard this: "This is a great thing!"

In fact, Sheng Hong's previous plan for Sheng Changbai was to take the Qingliu route, and it was not a good thing for him to go outside. However, this maritime yamen was established by the official himself. Today, he met Sheng Changbai again, which shows that the official attaches great importance to this job. This is equivalent to getting into the eyes of officials. If you do this job well, you will definitely have much better qualifications than studying in the Hanlin Academy.

Soon Sheng Hong also received the news and came over, asking about today's situation. He heard that it was Sheng Changbai who was recommended by Qin Hao, and he felt very complicated.

A few days ago, he personally got rid of his most beloved concubine and daughter. He actually felt resentful towards Qin Hao and Princess Pingning, but compared with his eldest son's future, all this seemed insignificant.

"Let your mother bring a generous gift and go to the Dongchang Hou Mansion."

Sheng Changbai shook his head and said: "Zihan's recommendation is to promote talents for the country. If I give a gift at this time, wouldn't it be a shame?"

Sheng Hong patted his head. He was not in a good state recently and almost made a big mistake. He quickly cheered up.

"Then prepare first and ask your mother to take Minglan with her on New Year's Day."

Sheng Changbai was not a pedantic person, and he did not reject normal human interactions, but he still spoke to his parents seriously.

"Today, I boast in front of the officials that if any of my relatives evade taxes, they will be exterminated. Therefore, I also ask my father and mother to tell my relatives at home not to do anything wrong, otherwise they will not be merciful when the time comes. "

Wang Ruofu was a little unhappy and was about to say something when Sheng Hong glared at her and said to Sheng Changbai.

"It's about Changbai's future. A little money doesn't matter. I'll write a letter to your uncle right now."

The Sheng family's Dafang did not pursue an official career, but the business was doing well. The reason why Sheng Hong had money to run the business was largely due to Dafang's funding. Of course, with Sheng Hong's relationship, Dafang's side could be stable. When it comes to business, the relationship between the two families is relatively harmonious.

It's New Year's Day in a blink of an eye, and the Dongchang Hou Mansion is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.

Yu Yanran had finished her confinement at this time and could go out to meet people. She was like a hard-working butterfly, walking among the noble female family members.

Perhaps it was because she had held it in for too long, but Yu Yanran always smiled when she saw everyone, and the noble ladies also praised her for her good fortune.

This good fortune not only meant that she married a good man, but also envied her for getting a man in one fell swoop, opening up branches for the Marquis House, and making her status as stable as Mount Tai in the future.

This was the case in ancient times. A woman's greatest contribution was to bring children to the family, and the rest were secondary.

"Madam, Miss Minglan is here." The new personal maid Linglong leaned into Yu Yanran's ear and whispered.

After Jade was carried away from her aunt, naturally she could no longer serve her personally. Linglong was also the dowry maid brought by Yu Yanran from Yu Mansion, but she was not as close to Jade.

Wang Ruofu brought Rulan and Minglan to the Dongchang Hou Mansion. Seeing this lively scene, he couldn't help but sigh secretly, it was such a grand scene for a noble and wealthy family.

Of course, what's more important is that that bitch Lin Sushuang is no longer here, and her mood every day is like eating honey.

"Ms. Wang, Miss Rulan, Minglan, you are here, come on, sit here." Yu Yanran greeted the group of people into the room.

Wang Ruofu looked at the rosy-faced Yu Yanran and marveled. She had committed a lot of crimes during confinement, and her face had been shady for several months, but Yu Yanran looked like a normal person, and she seemed to be more charming than before. Is there any secret recipe?

Yu Yanran covered her mouth and said with a smile: "Mrs. Wang is joking, where did you get the secret recipe? It's just that the Marquis cared about me and didn't let me stay alone in the delivery room. I have good food and good housing, so my complexion will naturally be dull." alright."

In fact, Mrs. Qin Liu disagreed with Yu Yanran's decision to leave the delivery room at first, but Qin Hao finally convinced Mrs. Qin Liu on the grounds that the smell of the delivery room was not suitable for the healthy growth of the two children.

Wang Ruofu handed the gift list to Yu Yanran. Yu Yanran was a little confused when she saw it: "Madam Wang, I'm afraid I can't afford such a thick gift."

"That's right. The Marquis recommended my father-in-law Bai a few days ago. What does a few gifts mean?" Wang Ruofu whispered quickly.

Yu Yanran had no choice but to accept it first, thinking about going back and asking Qin Hao what he meant.

After chatting for a few more words, Yu Yanran took Minglan to see her children.

After a woman becomes a mother, she always seems to have the urge to show off her baby, and Yu Yanran is no exception.

At this time, the two little guys were crawling around in the fence made by Qin Hao. Perhaps they had just woken up and were very energetic. When they saw their mother bringing a strange sister into the house, they immediately crawled over. I still wanted to stand up by holding on to the fence, but unfortunately my short legs were really weak and I couldn't stand firmly, so I squatted on my butt and sat on the ground.

Minglan giggled at the sight: "Sister Lan and Brother Ming are so lively."

Yu Yanran picked up her son and kissed him on the face: "It's actually quite noisy, especially at night, when the two wet nurses can't coax him."

Generally speaking, in ancient times, women from the noble family did not breastfeed by themselves, but asked a wet nurse to feed them. In addition, Yu Yanran was the first child, and there was not much food for the child. Qin Hao took advantage of it only when the swelling was painful. .

Just when the two of them were teasing Brother Ming and chatting happily, Qin Hao came in, glared at Yu Yanran, and picked up Sister Lan from the fence.

"You are always so unfavorable to one another! Don't complain if your daughter doesn't kiss you in the future."

Yu Yanran glared at her daughter: "Humph, she dares."

As a result, the little girl was not afraid at all. Instead, she stretched out her hand to slap her. Qin Hao was happy: "Look, our daughter is not afraid of you."

As he spoke, Qin Hao kissed the little girl's delicate face and then lifted her high.

Children especially like this kind of game. The little girl giggles with joy, and her little chubby hands are still pulling in the air, as if she is about to fly.

Minglan couldn't help but feel envious when she saw this scene. If she had had her father who loved her so much when she was a child, she wouldn't have lived so cautiously for more than ten years.

Yu Yanran thought Minglan liked children, so she nudged Minglan with her elbow: "After this year, there will only be more than a year left. Then you can wait with me."

Minglan patted her shyly and spat: "Sister Yanran, are you talking nonsense again?"

The two sisters started laughing, and soon a servant came to remind them: "Master Marquis, Madam, the guests are all here. The eldest lady has asked you to pass."

Qin Hao and Yu Yanran each held a little guy and came to the front hall. Minglan also came to sit next to Rulan.

During the banquet, except when toasting, Qin Hao held his daughter in his arms the rest of the time. This also made many nobles have their thoughts. Of course, most of them were interested in brother Ming. This was the eldest grandson of the Hou family. In the future, he will definitely inherit the title of Marquis of Dongchang.

Qin Hao had already vaccinated Yu Yanran about this. The two children were still young, so he had to wait until they were fifteen before he considered it. It was too unreliable to kiss a baby.

It was a lively scene, the guests had dispersed, Qin Hao also drank a lot of wine, and was helped back to the room by Buqi. Yu Yanran was taking off her makeup, Qin Hao hugged her from behind, and unconsciously wrapped his arms around her slender waist. .

"Madam, you have recovered well. Isn't it your turn to serve my husband?"

Yu Yanran asked with a smile: "What? Are you not satisfied with Qingmei and Jade's service?"

"The thing that satisfies me the most is Madam."

Saying that, Qin Hao directly picked up Yu Yanran. Yu Yanran exclaimed and said coquettishly: "Master Hou, I haven't even finished taking off my hairpin."

"It can't be thrown away anyway. A spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold in one moment, and we can just let someone take care of it tomorrow."

Then, there was a big battle. Perhaps because of having given birth to a child, Yu Yanran's various attributes have been greatly improved. She was able to fight Qin Hao back and forth, and she became more bold, doing some difficult tasks. I also started to dare to try my actions.

After spending a lot of effort, Qin Hao finally convinced Yu Yanran.

The two hugged each other breathlessly, and Yu Yanran's body was still trembling slightly.

"Master Hou, my mother said she would let me take over part of the business after the new year."

Qin Hao was a little helpless. Yu Yanran had a bad habit of talking about serious things every time she was tender and refused to change her words despite repeated admonitions. Qin Hao glared at her and "smacked" her twice as punishment.

"Since mother asked you to take over, you can take over."

The soap business is getting more and more popular. The Qin Liu family will open several branches next year to expand production capacity. In addition to meeting the demand within the Song Dynasty, there is also a large demand for soap in surrounding places such as Liao Kingdom, Xixia, and Dali. The Qin Liu family I have done nothing else in these years and have been expanding production capacity, but it still cannot meet the demand.

The main reason is that it needs to be kept secret. After all, there is no patent protection law in feudal society. If the secret recipe is leaked, there will be competitors in this business, so trustworthy people need to be placed in some key technical positions.

Basically, all the sons and daughters of the Dongchang Hou Mansion have been given a good future, and many people have taken the initiative to help. However, these people are not as reliable as the sons of the sons and cannot be placed in important positions for the time being.

Yu Yanran was a little troubled: "But if this happens, there won't be much time to look at Brother Ming and Sister Lan."

Qin Hao exposed it directly: "That means you don't have time to spend with your precious son, right? How many times have you hugged Sister Lan?"

Yu Yanran pursed her lips and stopped talking. Qin Hao was also a little helpless. The idea of ​​​​preferring boys over girls still exists even in modern times, let alone ancient times, and it cannot be changed for a while.

"The children will have their own wet nurses and maids to take care of them, and you can also train a group of stewards to help you take care of these properties. Just manage these stewards yourself."

"You just need to remember one thing. All businesses are actually related to people. As long as you manage people well, the rest will naturally fall into place."

"If you want to capture these people in charge, you must start from two aspects: financial power and personnel power. Don't listen to partial beliefs, let alone let one family dominate. If there is only one person's voice in your ears, it means that you have been ignored. ”

That night Qin Hao taught Yu Yanran some management knowledge. Although it was temporary, it was enough for her to use.

The Shangyuan Festival is also the Lantern Festival. According to the custom of the Song Dynasty, after the Shangyuan Festival, the New Year's Day is over and the new year is about to begin.

At the first court meeting after the Shangyuan Festival, Zhao Zongquan announced the decision to establish a shipping yamen and an anti-smuggling yamen. The princes in the court all looked calm, and it was obvious that Zhao Zongquan was angry with them.

But among the middle and lower-level officials, it caused an uproar.

"Officials, this kind of behavior is undoubtedly competing with the people for profit, which is not advisable!"

"Yes, the officials and the people are already having a hard time, and this move will make it worse!"

In the midst of the noise, Sheng Changbai stood up from the train and shouted loudly: "This is ridiculous. A large ship with more than 3,000 materials costs as much as 3,000 guan. Which ordinary people can afford to build it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everything in the hall fell silent. Seeing Zhao Zong looking at him with an evil look on his face, all the officials lowered their heads.

Qin Hao secretly laughed in his heart. This was obviously a scene played by Zhao Zongquan and Sheng Changbai, and these officials who jumped out were all extras, and they were free of charge.

Sure enough, Zhao Zongquan said angrily: "Hmph, don't think that just because we live in the palace, we know nothing about the outside world. I'm afraid there are quite a few people in your family who are engaged in maritime business, right?"

"I am wronged!"

"The humble minister is wronged."

Zhao Zongquan snorted coldly: "Whether it's unjust or not, you know it in your heart. I'm just telling you that the Maritime Yamen and the Anti-smuggling Yamen are related to the fate of the country, and you can't tolerate your comments. I can let go of the past things, but from today on, I dare to do anything wrong. Anyone who reports to the shipping yamen or smuggles sea goods will be severely punished!"

"Sheng Changbai came forward to listen to the order."

Sheng Changbai walked forward and knelt on the ground.

"I bear the destiny of Haotian. The grand plan of the Successor Saint. I specially appoint Sheng Changbai as the Four Seas Transport Envoy, the fifth rank, and command the shipping yamen."

This is a newly established official position. Although it is only a fifth-grade official, it has great power. All shipping ports are under the jurisdiction of Sheng Changbai. The interests involved can be described as terrifying.

"Gu Tingye stepped forward to listen to the order."

Gu Tingye walked out of the general train and knelt on the ground.

Qin Hao was a little surprised that Zhao Zongquan would actually send Gu Tingye out, but after thinking about it, he realized that Gu Tingye was indeed the most suitable person. Gu Tingye's grandfather was the largest salt merchant in Yangzhou, and he himself had friendship with the Cao Gang, so he knew how to arrest him. Those smuggled.

The establishment of the Shipping Yamen and the Anti-smuggling Yamen means that Qin Hao will also leave for Mingzhou.

Three days later, Qin Hao, Sheng Changbai, and Gu Tingye left Bianjing together. Naturally, their first stop was Mingzhou.

Cui Hao's eyes turned red when he saw Qin Hao: "Master Marquis, you are finally back."

In addition to excitement, Shen Chongxin was also the main cause of disaster. How many soldiers died in that sea storm.

Qin Hao patted Cui Hao on the shoulder: "Okay, a seven-foot man should not act like a daughter."

With that said, the group of people entered the water village.

"Master Hou!"

"Master Hou, you are finally back!"

Some veterans were extremely excited when they saw Qin Hao. The news about Qin Hao's compensation for fallen soldiers had long been spread, so they were naturally grateful to him. After all, the sea is very windy and rough, and who can guarantee that they will always have good luck?

Moreover, the arrival of Qin Hao means that the previous rules can remain as usual, and they can all have a share of the treasures looted from the rebellious natives.