Chapter 312: Generous Rewards

Xue Xu was not surprised at all that Zhu Changnian came back.

When he returned again, Zhu Changnian's eyes were full of energy and his aura was awe-inspiring. He looked like a burning flame.

As soon as he sat down, he asked directly, "Mr. Xue, who is the mastermind behind this?"

"Xie Zhan."

"It's him? It's him!" Zhu Changnian was very surprised. He thought it was Chen Jiaye's. "But my Zhu family has no grudges against him recently or in the past. Why would he plot against my Zhu family?" Was he instructed by Chen Jiaye?

"In short, you are blocking his way."

Zhu Changnian was puzzled. They? In other words, in addition to the Zhu family, there were others blocking his way.

"What road?" Although the question was asked, Zhu Changnian vaguely guessed something.

"The South is like a fertile land. The six great families each occupied a piece of it and planted fruit trees. The six great families are like forest rangers, guarding their own orchards."

"The six great families, plus the Ji family, occupy at least eight or nine out of ten of the land in the South. The remaining land is where small merchants and small rich farmers survive. In this context, Xie Zhan wants to lead the Xie family to rise and occupy a place in the South. What can he do?"

"Xie Zhan can only use tricks to cause a melee among the forest rangers. It would be best if he could kill a few of them, and then go and grab the land and become a forest ranger."

Just as he thought just now! Zhu Changnian asked again, "Did he also design the death of Chen Jiaye and others?"

Xue Xu smiled but said nothing.

Zhu Changnian understood, "This Xie Zhan is really powerful." Their Zhu family did not lose unfairly.

"Xue Guangxian, who is your current master?" Zhu Changnian looked at him with burning eyes, "What is the purpose?"

Xie Zhan used the Chen family to set up such a trap, which was very powerful. But the person behind Xue Guangxian could see through it early, and the other party was more powerful than Xie Zhan.

"This, I have nothing to say. The purpose is naturally to gain benefits."

Zhu Changnian did not know Xue Xu's current situation as well as the Chen family. He didn't even know that Xue Xu was currently working in Liaodong County. He only thought that Xue Xu was Xue Guangxian who had disappeared for three years.

Hearing the four words "Xue Xu has nothing to say", Zhu Changnian nodded, feeling quite regretful. He was afraid that he would never meet such a powerful person.

"Let's not talk in secret. I want to entrust some of the descendants of the Zhu family to you."

Zhu Changnian thought to himself. When he learned that the Zhu family was calculated by someone, his premonition was right. All relatives and friends were not suitable candidates for entrusting orphans. Once the South was in chaos, they would inevitably be involved.

"How many people are there?" Xue Xu asked.

"About ten?" Zhu Changnian said uncertainly.

"Master Zhu, you need to strictly screen the candidates. Don't push inappropriate people. At the critical moment of life and death, selfishness should not be too strong." Xue Xu reminded.

Zhu Changnian nodded. He trusted his younger brother Zhu Changning and didn't want to check again. Now that he heard Xue Xu's words, he thought he should review the candidates. Don't be lucky. Those with unsuitable identities should be crossed out. Those who are too stupid should also be crossed out! So as not to implicate the rest.

Xue Xu smiled and said, "Master Zhu, you should know how much it costs for us to protect these bloodlines of your Zhu family and raise them to adulthood." His meaning was very clear.

Zhu Changnian snorted, "My Zhu family raises my people, I don't need you to raise them! Also, since our Zhu family has troubled you, there will naturally be a big reward!"

He knew that Xue Guangxian was eyeing their Zhu family, nothing more than their food. The Zhu family doesn't have much else, but they have the most grain.

"I will give you two warehouses of grain in secret, and the grain in those two warehouses is top-quality grain. There is only one condition, raise them as much as possible, and if possible, give them a sum of money to settle down after they grow up." Zhu Changnian's voice became very low.

Zhu Changnian knew very well that since the Zhu family had been targeted, the money on the surface could not be moved. It would be meaningless to use the money on the surface to entrust the orphans.

After listening, Xue Xu quickly calculated in his mind.

It is a convention that one warehouse of grain is 50,000 shi, one warehouse of grain is 100,000 shi, and two warehouses of grain are 200,000 shi!

The normal value of these two warehouses of grain in non-disaster years is also around 200,000 taels. The current value is about 480,000 taels, not to mention that he said that the quality of this grain is top-quality, and the value will only go up.

It's rich! The two warehouses of grain can solve the problem of how many people can eat after being transported back, and the soldiers will no longer have to worry about not having enough to eat after conscription.

The Zhu family is indeed one of the six great families in the south that specializes in grain. There are 500,000 shi of grain in the account, and there are two large warehouses in secret! The key is that they don't know whether the Zhu family has more grain in secret besides these two warehouses!

"The head of the Zhu family is generous." Xue Xu praised.

"Don't flatter me. I want to know now, how to ensure that you won't take the benefits but not do the work?" Zhu Changnian stared at him and asked.

"At this time, you can only trust me, right?"

"Yes, but your words and deeds will also affect my decision. My Zhu family has plenty of grain, openly and secretly, and it depends on my mind to give more or less."

At this time, Zhu Changnian was extremely calm. As the head of the six great families, he was smart and wise.

Xue Xu's eyes flashed, and he smiled, "Please rest assured, Master Zhu, my master and I, Xue, are not people who go back on our words. But my master often says that the customer is the old Buddha, and we must pay attention to the old Buddha's needs."

Zhu Changnian heard this and muttered in his heart, what does this mean, it sounds like his master is still a businessman?

"Sixth Master Qin, come in!"

Qin Sheng, who was guarding outside, pushed the door open and walked in. He had sharp senses and heard the conversation between the three of them just now.

"This is our Sixth Master Qin Sheng, the youngest son of Zhenbei Marquis Qin Yue. Sixth Master, this is the head of the Zhu family." Xue Xu introduced to Zhu Changnian.

Zhu Changnian widened his eyes when he heard Qin Sheng's identity. Didn't the Zhenbei Marquis family exile to Pingzhou?

Qin Sheng nodded at him, "I've heard a lot about you."

Zhu Changnian replied, "Nice to meet you."

Qin Sheng clasped his fists to Ji Wuyin again, "Don't blame me, Mr. Ji."

The last time Ji Wuyin went to Liaodong County, Qin Sheng went to suppress bandits, so they didn't have the chance to meet.

At this moment, he didn't expect that the young man in front of him was actually Lu Songli's husband. And he has been pretending to be Xue Xu's guard. He has been in the South for so long and has never revealed his identity. He is really patient.

"Mr. Xue, I feel your sincerity. I will give you a large warehouse of grain in the end. This is a token from the head of my Zhu family. You arrange people and follow my confidant to get the grain."

Zhu Changnian knew very well that if the Zhu family encountered an accident, it would only be the emperor who took action.

Qin Sheng's appearance in the South was against the emperor's order, and the Zhu family secretly sent some blood out, which was also against the emperor's order.

They will stand on the same front in the future, and everyone will be the same.

In addition, the Qin family has a good reputation, so he believes them.

If Xue Xu knew what he was thinking, he would definitely say that these people didn't know, so his master's reputation would be good.

Xue Xu affirmed his approach, "Master Zhu, you are right. The fewer people who know about some things, the better."

Xue Xu's words made Zhu Changnian understand that he had guessed that he planned to use this large warehouse of grain to entrust relatives and friends.

Zhu Changnian smiled, but didn't respond to his words. He turned to Ji Wuyin and said, "I will mortgage two more warehouses of grain with you and loan you 180,000 taels of silver. The mortgage period is one day. Do you dare?"

"What am I afraid of?" Ji Wuyin is not a vegetarian to become the richest man in the south.

The price of grain varies from day to day. Now the value of Zhu's two warehouses of grain is higher than 180,000 taels. Zhu Changnian's behavior is equivalent to selling grain to him at a low price.

"Just dare, let's make a contract."

Zhu Changnian knew very well that Xie Zhan's calculations were mostly aimed at Zhu's grain. Then he would exchange as much grain as possible!

At this time, Xue Xu said, "I, Xue Guangxian, also give you a guarantee here, Master Zhu. If what we speculated did not happen, we will return all the grains."

Ji Wuyin also expressed his attitude, "Old Zhu, I am the same here. If nothing happens to your Zhu family this time, I will return the two warehouses of grain in full without charging any interest."

Zhu Changnian smiled indifferently. Of course, he hoped that their speculation was wrong, but the intuition he had developed over the years made him know that there was little hope.

Next, they were busy all night, summoned all the available manpower, and even borrowed people from the Cao Gang to take away a large warehouse of grain.

The granary was located in a remote area and close to the dock, which saved a lot of effort.

When Xue Xu and his team came this time, they anticipated this situation and brought a lot of wheelbarrows.

The other large warehouse of grain could only be left untouched for the time being. Fortunately, this was the grain hidden by the Zhu family, and the storage location was secret, so it was not a big problem to leave it for a short time.

Ji Wuyin couldn't help smacking his lips as he watched Xue Xu and Qin Sheng win the first battle. Sure enough, the market rewards those who are foresighted generously.