In October, the autumn wind gallops along the river outside Jiangyin Port, although the wind blows the people who are cold, but the big ships lining up to leave the port are very fond of such strong winds.

The sailors shouted the sails drawn by the rhythmic trumpet, and immediately the sails were filled with the wind, and like pregnant women, they marched towards the ocean with a big belly.

In less than ten months, but three months, the ships would be able to run back and forth from the sea, and the owners would sell a shipload of silk and porcelain, and then return with a load of gold, silver, and purchased grain and spices, and make a lot of money.

Like Yangzhou, Qifenglou, Jiangyin's largest restaurant, has one of its largest branches near the port, and in addition to serving northern and southern dishes, there are even some Hu chefs who can make special foods such as Tianzhu or Dashi.

On this day, Yang Huairen chartered Qifeng Tower and specially entertained the maritime merchants in the south of the Yangtze River.

Originally, he thought that there would be one hundred and eighty people, but in fact the number of people who came was only half of what he expected, especially the largest ones, they did not even send the head of the house to the banquet, but only sent a shopkeeper to perfunctory.

Yang Huairen is not angry, his face in Jiangnan is indeed not so big, don't look at him as a prince and a prince, people don't have to sell him how much face he has.

There are many scholars in Jiangnan, and most of them who are even doing business used to be full of poetry and books, although they inherited the family business and did not take the official career, but the reserve of the scholars is still there, and of course they will not bow their heads easily in front of the powerful.

Cen Xiaonian was a little unconvinced in his heart, seeing that Yang Huairen was not angry at all with a smile, he complained with a gloomy face, "These sluts really think they have a face, they dare not come to the prince to invite guests to dinner in person, the next time they ask for something to go to the Yamen of the City Shipping Division, see if our family doesn't give them a good look!" ”

Yang Huairen looked at Cen Xiaonian, I don't know if he is really worthless for himself, or if his work is already like a perfect realm, in the eyes of people like him, except for the masters in the palace and the bigwigs in the court, everyone else seems to be sluts.

"It doesn't matter if you come or not, let's entertain you well, don't embarrass people if you don't come, everyone has their own ambitions, you can't force your head without drinking water."

Yang Huairen could see it, Cen Xiaonian was even more sad, but Yang Huairen felt that his expression was a bit too much, and there was no friendship between the two of them, so as not to let Cen Xiaonian be like this.

However, since Father-in-law Cen showed his loyalty so hard, Yang Huairen couldn't hit someone's heart, so he had to explain, "Jiangnan people, you don't have to be so sad, you know some things better than me."

Those who can raise sea ships and be maritime merchants in Jiangnan are not simple characters, who doesn't have a backer in the DPRK? Even some princes and generals have a part in their business.

You think they are businessmen with no status, but the shareholders of their trading are not sluts, and you say that if you give them good looks, you will give them good looks? You show me one! ”

was ridiculed by Yang Huairen like this, Cen Xiaonian sneered, "It doesn't matter if they don't give face to our family, but if they don't give face to the prince, it's too much."

No matter how noble they are, are they still more noble than the prince? It's really shameless!

A few days ago, when our family sent someone to find them to ask for a craftsman, they were still good at saying good faces, but it's only been a few days, and I forgot what my surname is? ”

Yang Huairen looked at the busy wharf and smiled, "It's not to blame people, this is the time when people are busy making money, we just went to ask the shipbuilder to come back, and we have already given us face if they are not embarrassed."

Although people didn't come, but the ceremony arrived, it can't be said that people deliberately show us faces, maybe people are really sick, or really busy and can't leave? ”

Cen Xiaonian shook his head, "Lord Wang, you can really see it, did they guess the purpose of our treat this time?" ”

Yang Huairen nodded, "Well, it's almost, these people have been in the mall for so many years, which one is not a human spirit?" I sent the craftsman back, so I should have guessed what we wanted to do......"

In Qifeng Tower, the generals of the Wu Dejun each had a table to entertain the merchants who came to the banquet, even if they didn't guess why the prince invited them to dinner, they should have figured it out now.

It's too late to regret it, those generals look kind, but there is murder in their eyes, and the more they laugh, the more frightening it is.

There are some things, Yang Huairen has never felt how smart he is, and his mind is flexible in doing business, it is not difficult to think of what he specially invited businessmen to Qifeng Tower for a banquet at this time.

Li & Fung Shipyard is going to be restarted, and the news that the prince is going to build a warship is not a secret, with their understanding of the imperial court, they naturally know that the imperial court can't afford to build a ship, and the prince himself can't come out, so he can only scavenge some oil and water from them.

In ancient times, there were actually a lot of such things, and the money of the government was far from enough to build water conservancy and repair schools in the local government.

Therefore, for the sake of their own political achievements, the magistrates always invite the local rich squires to gather from time to time, which is naturally various in name, but the actual purpose is to raise village donations.

Let the local squires and wealthy merchants donate money to the government's projects, and then set up a merit monument or something like that after the project is completed, write their names and the amount of donations, and promote their virtues and good deeds in turn.

Businessmen, after having money, they do need to calculate some fame, and it is reasonable to donate money, but this time Yang Huairen has a bit of a lot of arrears to raise donations, and it is not something that can be solved by thousands of children and eight hundred yuan.

I understand that there are many people, even those merchants who did not send people to this banquet have sent their servants to bring some money and silver, and the amount of one or two thousand is not too much, nor is it too little, and they can be regarded as doing their part.

As for what the prince wants to do, whether the money is enough or not, they don't care, and they are also afraid that Yang Huairen has other plans, and the banquet in Qifenglou is the Hongmen banquet.

So before the banquet started, Yang Huairen had actually raised fifty or sixty thousand, but it was still far from the amount he needed.

Yang Huairen also wrote to Zhao Xu about this matter and made it clear that no matter what the imperial court thinks, after all, the Wu Dejun is in the south of the Yangtze River, and it can't be all infantry and no naval army.

And what about Zhao Xu's side, after all, the front retreat and change of the feudal domain, how much can't stand these former forbidden troops, so Yang Huairen made money from businessmen to build warships and build a navy, he didn't care, anyway, it didn't go into Yang Huairen's pocket.

When almost no one left Qifeng Tower, Yang Huairen waved his hand to Cen Xiaonian, "Okay, I think it's just these people, we have to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars from other people's mouths to build ships, and we can't treat others slowly." ”