Coming out of the butcher's shop, Li Zhang burped and said to Xu Ping: "Brother, I'm full, why do you feel that you are not angry?" We're going to hire a donkey. ”

Xu Ping said: "Who told you to eat so much?" Where to hire donkeys? ”

"Just go to Bian'an."

The two returned to the main road by the Bianhe River, and after walking a short distance, there were specially hired cattle and ox carts.

Xu Ping went up and asked the price, it turned out that because of today's winter solstice, the price had risen, and he couldn't go back to the royal street, and the asking price for hiring a donkey was fifty yuan.

Xu Ping said: "Fifty wen is fifty wen, but I have to go outside Wansheng Gate first, send my brother home, and then send the book back to my home in Guanghuafang." ”

The donkey hirers were a little unwilling, and the road was far away. In the end, Xu Ping agreed not to ride a donkey with Li Zhang, but just carry a book, and then finalize the business.

From the small south gate out of the inner city, around to the west of the city, and then across the Bianhe River, and so on to the Wansheng Gate, the sun has set in the west, and there is not much time left before it gets dark.

Sending Li Zhang to the door, Xu Ping invited the donkey owner to come in for a cup of tea.

The donkey owner said: "How dare you drink tea?" The petty official sent your brother in and went back quickly, it will be dark now, don't let me not be able to go home at night. ”

Xu Ping had no choice but to agree.

When I entered Li Zhang's house, I found that my father Xu Zheng was also there, drinking with Duan Laoyuan and Li Yonghe in a small pavilion in the courtyard.

Xu Zheng saw Xu Ping and shouted, "You two haven't seen anyone for a day, where can you have a fun time at this time?" It's freezing outside, so it's nice to have a fire at home! ”

Li Zhang hurriedly complained: "Uncle, where are we going to play?" Today I was caught by my brother as a coolie, and I rushed for a day, and I didn't rest! Alas, it's all tears! ”

Xu Ping smiled and patted him on the shoulder: "How can it be so exaggerated!" But today you are hard. ”

went up to meet the salute and said to the three people who were drinking: "We went to Xiangguo Temple to buy books, because of the detour, we went around for a day, and then we came back." The book was still at the door, and a donkey was hired to carry it. ”

Li Yonghe said: "Since it is hard, you will take a break." Go out and let the donkey owner go back, and when you get here, it's like going home, and you don't fight for that moment. ”

Xu Ping agreed, and then went out with Li Zhang to settle the money for hiring a donkey, let the donkey owner go back, and the two returned to the pavilion with two large bundles of books.

When Xu Zheng saw it, he couldn't help but be surprised: "I actually bought so much?" Dalang, how many days do you have to finish reading? ”

Xu Ping smiled and didn't speak.

Is it much? That's the question sea tactics that I haven't seen in his previous life, and the words in a book have caught up with these two piles. At this time, the books were all engraving printing, the glyphs were complex, and the words printed on the paper could not be small, looking at two large piles, but in fact, there were not many words. According to the intensity of Xu Ping's preparation for the exam in his previous life, he could finish reading these books in less than a month. At this time, readers liked to read the classics to the death, combined with their own understanding, in order to discover the way to govern the world. A truly perfect preparation system does not exist in this era, and it will take another hundred and ten years. Xu Ping came out of the sea of questions, and when it comes to exam preparation, he is the most experienced person in the world.

Speaking of books, in fact, Xu Ping also considered making movable type to play. Thanks to the well-developed commercial organization, Xu Ping has already found all the raw materials for making lead alloys, and only has the time to test the appropriate proportion. Antimony, the most important metal in alloys, has also existed in this era, but it is regarded as a kind of tin, called "even tin", and Xu Ping has already put some in his hands. Antimony ore in China accounts for the vast majority of the world, and this is not a metal that is difficult to find, and the ancient Chinese people touched it casually.

However, the bookstore also has a guild organization, which is not something that can be entered casually, Xu Ping has no energy, and there is no demand in the grange, so this matter is suspended.

The little maid at home added dishes and chopsticks, and Xu Ping and Li Zhang sat down in the pavilion and drank together.

After talking about what he saw and heard on the road today, the topic slowly turned to the Xu family's sugar shop.

Li Yonghe put down the wine bowl and asked Xu Zheng: "Brother, the shop has been open for the past few days, but it is still going well?" ”

Xu Zheng sighed: "Originally, everything was fine, but yesterday Da Lang entered the city, and happened to meet a small yellow door in the palace to the shop, saying that he wanted to match a few thousand catties of sugar." ”

Li Yonghe hurriedly asked: "This is the act of demolishing the shop!" What happened? ”

Xu Ping interface: "It was Zhang Tianrui, the director of the Li family, who went to find an acquaintance, and Zhang Weiying, who was in charge of the goods in Beijing, went to the shop and scared Xiaohuangmen away. ”

Li Yonghe sighed: "In the end, it is a rich and noble family, and there are many people who know each other." Thanks to partnering with his family to do this business, if it were our ordinary family, this small level would be very difficult. ”

Xu Ping sighed: "This level is over, but I don't know what the next level is." Director Zhang Tianrui went to inquire, it was Yan Wenying, a senior official in the palace, who sent the little yellow door out, he was popular, who knows if it will be just like that. ”

After speaking, Xu Ping peeked at Duan Lao's courtyard, but found that he was expressionless, just drinking and eating with peace of mind, and didn't say much.

Xu Zheng also sighed: "We businessmen, this is not good, even if we do business in accordance with the law, we will inevitably be targeted by these powerful figures." I can't hide and hide, I can't fight and fight, I can only be bullied by them in vain. ”

Li Yonghe sighed twice, and then asked Duan Laoyuan: "Daddy, you have been in the palace for many years, you should also know who this Yan Wenying official is, is there anything you can teach Brother Xu?" ”

The old courtyard glanced at Xu Ping, and said slowly: "In front of the child, what are you talking about?" ”

Xu Ping was stunned for a moment, and then realized that the attitude of Duan Lao Yuan who didn't want to say anything was actually because he was sitting here. Also, in the heart of the old courtyard, Xu Ping is still the child who doesn't understand anything and can only mess around, and there is no one to keep the door on his mouth, what should he do when he goes out and talks nonsense? It's better for Li Zhang's old age. Although he has changed his image in the eyes of his parents and others in the past six months, he has never seen the old courtyard, but it is still the same.

Thinking of this, Xu Ping could only smile bitterly.

Li Yonghe looked at Xu Ping and thought for a while before saying: "Daddy relax, the Xu family is no longer as good as before, he is taking care of the Zhuangzi in the countryside this year, and he doesn't know how prosperous it is." A few days ago, the chief bookkeeper in Zhongmu County recruited people to study in his village. I have seen Lin Xiucai many times, and I have always praised him, and he has even improved a lot in his studies, and today I went to buy so many books and came back. As long as it goes on like this, maybe in a few years he will go to the middle school and come back, then the brother of the Xu family will be the first to come. In fact, it is the shop of this white sugar business, and it also depends on him to talk with Captain Li Fangtai, and he also presides over the production of white sugar in the village, and others can't do it. ”

After listening to Li Yonghe's words, Duan Laoyuan took a closer look at Xu Ping, and saw that he was indeed much more stable than before, so he nodded.

Picking up the wine bowl, the old courtyard said: "It's cold, drink this bowl first to warm up, and then we will talk." ”

After everyone drank the wine, the old courtyard put down the wine bowl, and said with a solemn face: "White sugar is not comparable to other businesses done before, this scale is large, and there is a lot of money, as long as the business is up, it will inevitably be valued by the powerful people, and every possible way will be a piece of the pie." Brother Xu is his own person, so I will say a few words to you. But you remember, I have offended many people in the Imperial City Division Army before, and the words are just for everyone to listen to, and don't spread them. Especially you two children, who dares to go out and talk nonsense, I will break his mouth! ”

Xu Ping and Li Zhang hurriedly said that they didn't dare.

In fact, Duan Laoyuan likes children the most, and this is just to scare them.

The old courtyard nodded, and then said: "Yan Wenying sent Xiao Huangmen to the shop to test, you go to think of Lu Yi and Xianggong, but I am afraid that you are all wrong." Most of the people who will make trouble in the shop in the future will not involve Lu Xianggong, and even most of the high-ranking officials in the court will not participate. They are generous, their status is high, and the imperial history of the court is closely watched, which one will take this risk? Yan Wenying is a person I have dealt with before, he is greedy and bold, where do I need others to instruct him? ”

Xu Ping was a little puzzled: "He's an internal servant, why did he come to trouble us?" Could it be that if our family is destroyed, he can still open a shop on his own? ”

The old courtyard said: "Why can't you?" He also has a mansion outside, a concubine, and a director of the court, so why can't he buy an estate? ”

Listening to the words of the old courtyard, Xu Ping remembered that the favored servants at this time also had families, and some of the mansions were directly given by the emperor. They will marry wives and concubines, and the family will have the same expenses, which is different from ordinary people, but the children are adopted.

The old courtyard said again: "Directly send Xiao Huangmen to the shop to make trouble, the method is so rough, and it is not the means of the court, so you don't have to worry about this." But Yan Wenying is different from other big officials, this person is too bold and can do anything, so Brother Xu, you must be careful in the shop in the future, let the people of Li Fang's family deal with anything that happens, and you must not interfere in it. ”

This is similar to what Xu Ping said yesterday, Xu Zheng hurriedly nodded yes, and couldn't help but glance at his son in his heart, it seems that he is really not the bastard boy he used to be, and he is much more sensible.

warned Xu Zheng, and the old courtyard said: "But this matter, it's not good, just say that there is no one behind to instruct it, and the ministers in the court will not do it, but if you don't have it, other families will be red." For example, some clan princes, some relatives and high-ranking officials, they have no real power in their hands, and they do not have those scruples. ”

Xu Zheng hurriedly said: "Daddy Duan, who do you say is the most likely?" ”

The old courtyard sighed: "The partnership with your family is the Li family, and the most likely thing is that his family is broken." ”

Xu Zheng was stunned for a moment: "Their relatives? ”

The old courtyard nodded: "Not bad." Li Defense has an uncle-in-law, Chai Zongqing, who has the most greedy personality, and has been ruled by Emperor Zhenzong since the previous dynasty, and this family is especially guarded against. ”

Although Chai Zongqing and Emperor Gong of the Later Zhou Dynasty Chai Zongxun look like brothers in their names, in fact, it has nothing to do with it, he is the grandson of Chai Yuxi, married the eldest princess of Lu State, rose to the ranks, and became brothers with his father. He is the same as Li Duanyi's father, and his power is not much different, but his temperament is much more greedy.

Xu Zheng was a little puzzled: "The two of them are relatives, and if they don't help, they will still be greedy for this industry?" ”

The old courtyard said: "You don't understand, although these two families are relatives, they are a little discordant. First, Li Fang's father was a little inappropriate and was dealt with by the first emperor, and the Chai family looked down on him. Another Chai family has no heirs, but the Li family has two boys, and more than once ridiculed the Chai family for not being able to raise children. ”

When everyone heard this, they understood.

Li Duanyi's father, Li Zunxuan, was a little indecent, and he went out with the eldest princess when he was still married, and was caught, and the first emperor demoted his official. Fortunately, the eldest princess is virtuous, and she is coming back again. And Chai Zongqing has no children, and the eldest princess he married is a little more powerful, so there is no way, because of this matter, he was ridiculed by Li Zunqiao more than once.

It's good to know this, these troubles are the Li family's pot, and the Xu family doesn't mix with it.