"Tell me, what have you done in the past few days?" Liu Han opened his mouth and went straight to the topic, on the way, he thought a lot, but when facing the masked man, he still decided to go straight to the topic, he felt that there was no need to detour with the other party, if the other party was the person he guessed, it would be best to go straight ahead.

"I sent someone to check the official field in Yangzhou, the official field is about 800 acres, but it is all dilapidated, if it is auctioned, it will cost about 10,000 taels of silver, in addition, the maintenance cost will be about 6,000 taels of silver, if it is completely repaired, it can produce 50,000 catties of salt per month, excluding taxes and labor, and the monthly profit is about 4,000 taels. ”

"These five thousand taels, except for other abnormal expenses, is there any?" asked Liu Han.

"This has been calculated, and it will cost about two thousand taels of silver a year. The masked man said.

"Eight hundred mu, only four thousand taels per month, an average of five taels of silver per mu?" Liu Han was extremely puzzled, he was the largest salt merchant in the Western Regions, but his salt was all from the natural salt pans of the desert, almost a sack to pack, except for labor, there was almost no cost for others, that is, he had never really run a salt pan.

But this salt field, the monthly benefit per mu is only five taels of silver, which is too little, how can it be seven or eight taels, legend has it that the salt merchants of the Qing Dynasty are the richest people in the world, if a stove is only five taels of silver, how did their wealth come from?

The masked man nodded, and then said, "However, after adopting our new salt-making method, the monthly income per mu can be increased to seven thousand taels. ”

Liu Han frowned and thought for a while: "I don't know about the salt pan and the salt-making process, what is the salt-making process? How long does it take to produce a pound of salt? ”

The masked man replied with a slight contemplation: "In ancient times, salt was made of boiled salt, which consumed a lot and produced a lot, but today it is mostly dried salt, that is, salt pans are built by the sea, seawater is introduced into the salt pans, and after the sun is exposed, coarse salt is obtained, and then refined salt can be obtained by dissolving. ”

"Rely on the sun?" Liu Han was slightly surprised in his heart, frowned and asked, "Then what about the rain?"

The masked man looked a little surprised, but still did not have the slightest emotion to explain: "Naturally, it will continue to dry until the coarse salt is dried." ”

"Where is your improvement in salt making?" Liu Han's brows couldn't help frowning, and his tone became a little puzzled.

The masked man was still not angry, took out a book from his sleeve robe and put it in front of Liu Han, Liu Han opened the book with a little suspicion, it was a detailed method for improving the salt-making process, he took a cursory look, and calculated while looking at his heart, and finally admitted that the masked man was not wrong, according to this method of salt, the yield can be increased by seventy, which is a very huge progress in this era.

"The salt that is made according to this method is still coarse salt. Liu Han pointed out the biggest flaw of this method.

"Yes, but the rest is boiling, but it doesn't hurt, you can open a few more salt stoves, which doesn't cost much. The masked man said.

During Liu Han's reading, the masked man didn't disturb him, just drank tea quietly and looked at him quietly.

"Perhaps. Liu Han thought about closing the book, pushed the book in front of the masked man, and then looked directly into the masked man's eyes and said: " I Hanhai Trading Company has a rule, do not accept people of unknown origin, do not cooperate with merchants of unknown origin, I inquired, Baigongfang has been in the rivers and lakes for more than ten years, and its reputation is very good, but everyone I interact with tells me that Baigongfang is very mysterious, and mystery is not wrong, but for me, it is from unknown origin, so I want to know more about Baigongfang, in addition, I still think that you should unmask it, because next, we have to discuss with Xiaozhao Wangye, the king of Yanping County, the representative appointed by the emperor, and Zhen Niang, we have to discuss the contribution and their respective share。 ”

The masked man was silent for a while, and sighed softly: "Since Brother Liu has inquired about my Hundred Workshops, he naturally knows that my Hundred Workshops are as good as a mountain, and there has never been a breach of contract. ”

Liu Han didn't speak, just looked at the masked man quietly, and the masked man sighed: "Brother Liu, why should we bother with these details, in fact, whether it is the king of Yanping or the prince of Xiao Zhao, they are very clear." ”

Liu Han still didn't speak, still quietly looking at the masked man, the masked man also looked at him, his eyes were gentle and sincere, Liu Han was silent, got up and hugged his fist at the masked man: "Principle is more important than making money, thank you for the shopkeeper who looks up to me Hanhai Trading Company, I am very interested in the salt number, but farewell!"

After speaking, Liu Han turned around and was about to leave.

"Wait," the masked man hurriedly shouted, Liu Han turned around, the masked man pondered for a moment, and finally took off the mask, revealing his true face, and looked at Liu Han helplessly and said, "Brother Liu, this is the first time I have taken off my mask when talking about business." ”

A trace of disappointment flashed in Liu Han's eyes, the masked man who took off his mask was a very ordinary middle-aged man, his complexion was a little pale, and his eyes were gentle and calm, not the person in his memory at all.

"That's right, negotiating a business cooperation with a masked man, especially a long-term cooperation project, I think it's very illusory, it makes me very unsure, I hope that the day we talk together, you can also appear like this. ”

Liu Han still looked aggressive, the masked man was still expressionless, but his eyes were slightly solemn, Liu Han said lightly: "You can't negotiate with the emperor's representatives and the two princes with your face covered, otherwise, I can't afford to be guilty, and they will probably not participate in this plan." ”

"So, you've already made contact?" asked the shopkeeper.

"The two princes have basically agreed, but the emperor, I'm not sure yet, I'm still waiting for a response. Liu Han replied honestly, he deliberately ignored Zhen Niang.

But Shopkeeper Zhang didn't, and immediately asked, "What about Zhen Niang? She also agreed to go to Yangzhou to preside over the Yanhao?"

"I met her yesterday, and she basically agreed, but before the final negotiations, all the promises were empty, and only when everyone signed and agreed, and at the same time, their respective contributions were in place, they could say that they were sure, and I believe you knew very well about this. Liu Han suddenly seemed to have changed as a person, a little aggressive.

Liu Han's divine sense immediately noticed that the expression of a man in Tsing Yi who was closest to the pavilion had changed slightly, and his body turned half a circle to this side, don't look at it as only a small half circle, for a master, it was enough.

Shopkeeper Zhang was silent, as if this was a very difficult decision for him, but finally, he nodded.

Liu Han breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, let's talk about it, when do you think we will talk together?"

"It depends on when the emperor responds. Shopkeeper Zhang said.

Liu Han nodded: "You're right, alas, this is the thing I'm most unsure of, what if the emperor doesn't agree?"

"If that's the case, what does Brother Liu mean?" Shopkeeper Zhang asked rhetorically, Liu Han smiled: "Then let's do ours, of course, if the emperor affects the king of Yanping County and the prince of Xiao Zhao, if they retreat, we won't be able to play, and we can only sigh at the salt." ”

Shopkeeper Zhang sighed lightly and nodded slightly: "Okay, a word is a certainty." ”

"Wait a minute," Liu Han shouted, "If I have news, where will I look for you?"

"During this time, I will stay at the welcome house on the north pier of the city, and if there is news, go there to find me. Shopkeeper Zhang replied.

"Welcome guest house?" Liu Han's heart was shocked, but his expression did not change at all, but he was puzzled: "I haven't heard of it, why don't you live in the city?"

"It's too noisy in the city, in fact, all these years when I went to the imperial capital, I lived in this welcoming residence. The shopkeeper explained: "This inn is not big, but it is quiet. ”

"Hehe, there is a good inn outside the city, it is better to buy a manor in the imperial capital, with the financial resources of the hundred workshops should not be a problem, but just live and feel comfortable. Liu Han laughed dryly twice and then got up and said, "Okay, there should be news in three days, and I will send someone to inform you when the time comes." ”

Liu Han left, Shopkeeper Zhang looked at his back with a solemn expression, and the young man in Tsing Yi walked into the pavilion.

"This man is arrogant and rude. ”

Shopkeeper Zhang was silent for a while, and said lightly: "You are too rash today, this person is not easy to deal with, he is changeable and principled, and his cultivation is profound, and your little actions can't hide from him at all." ”

The young man didn't speak, knowing that his action just now fell in the eyes of Liu Han and his master.

"You immediately rush to the manor and ask if things have changed in Yangzhou, alas, even if you make the trip immediately, it will take half a month to tell them that the matter has become seventy percent. ”

The young man bowed down to receive the order, walked out of the small pavilion, got on his horse and left.

Shopkeeper Zhang still didn't move, holding an empty teacup, silently looking at the thick river, his eyes were full of solemnity.

The speed of the black panther was unhurried, Liu Han frowned, and after the shopkeeper Zhang unveiled the face towel, he was very disappointed, he was not the person he guessed, and he was not even interested in the matter of the salt number.

Did you feel wrong, back then, that person chased and killed him for more than half a year, and he fought face-to-face every three or four days, and that time was the time when his martial arts grew the fastest, but that person was also growing at the same time, always holding him down.

Dozens of life-and-death battles, the two sides actually had some feelings, but this did not affect the other party's determination to kill him, that person left more than a dozen wounds on his body, and he also left seven or eight wounds on the other party.

In the past ten years, in addition to the behind-the-scenes figure, the person who appeared most in his mind was that person, even more than the chief instructor, and more impressive than the chief instructor.

The problem is: how can this shopkeeper be so similar to the man!

At that time, the person didn't sign up at first, but then he had some feelings, and the person made an exception to sign up, Liu Han remembered very well, the man called himself Qu Zhang.

In those years, Qu Zhang called the person behind him a son, and he didn't even dare to call that person by his name.

Wait a minute, this shopkeeper said that he lives in Yingkeju, isn't this Yingkeju the master behind the green bamboo? How could he live there?!!!

Be quiet?

Liu Han didn't believe it at all, how could the inn near the dock be quiet?!!!

It's ridiculous!

Isn't this green bamboo an internal guard!!

It's a pawn laid by that person!!

Thinking of this, Liu Han's spirit couldn't help but perk, but then he felt that something was wrong, if this shopkeeper was not that person's subordinate, then the green bamboo was just a chess piece laid out by the Hundred Workshops!

It's still not right, why did Baigongfang lay chess pieces around Xi Feng???

A large wave of questions is coming, but no matter how you make any inferences, there are huge loopholes that cannot be explained!

He returned to the house with many questions, and it was getting late at this time, so he had a casual meal and arrived at Lao Huang's garden.

...