Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 344 Gift Giving Disturbance
Cuiyun Tower has been furnished, the doors from the first floor to the third floor are closed, and the back house is also locked. Since Zhu Pei's dowry has been transported to the mansion, the Zhu Mansion has specially sent several warriors with strong martial arts skills to the front and rear gates of the mansion. Lurk nearby and deploy defenses to prevent thieves from coming.

Both Fan Ning and Ming Ren slept in the study on the fourth floor, and they got up early at dawn.

For the past two days, Mingren had to stay at Fanning's mansion to receive gifts from guests, and he couldn't leave even a single step, which made him quite unhappy, but he was helpless.

"Ah Ning, I have to promise you that when I get married, you will also accept the gift for me!" Ming Ren said to Fan Ning angrily.

Fan Ning smiled and said, "If I am free, I will definitely arrange someone to receive the gift for you."

It was only then that Ming Ren remembered that Fan Ning was a high-ranking official, he couldn't help but roll his eyes, and suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly said: "You brought so many subordinates back, why did none of them disappear?"

"I let them go home. There are a few subordinates whose families are in the capital. Maybe they will come to help tomorrow."

"Then why don't you let me go home? Do you think I'm easy to bully? Just hold me back?"

"If your surname is not Fan, I will do whatever you want!"

Fan Ning gave him a hard look, and said again: "You guys go out for a stroll after dark, and you don't come back until midnight, you think I don't know what you're doing, do you want me to tell my second aunt?"

"Don't! Don't say it. If my mother finds out, my good life will come to an end."

"Since you know that I hold the handle, why don't you do things for me?"

Mingren was listless immediately, and muttered in a low voice: "Obviously my brother helped, but now it has turned into a malicious threat, which is chilling. Will I do my best for someone again in the future?"

Fan Ning was angry and funny, "Okay, okay, I will make up for you later, and I won't let you suffer."

Hearing that there was compensation, Akihito immediately lifted his spirits, and said with a smile on his face: "There is no need for other compensation, just allow us to recruit Japanese laborers!"

This year, Mingren and Mingli used the Kun people to pan for gold. Although these aboriginals are not interested in gold, they are free-spirited, have a bad temper, have low labor efficiency, and are small in number. The two brothers only recruited 50 people. One hundred Japanese laborers were recruited to work, and their gold digging volume had already exceeded 20 taels.

The two have always wanted to recruit Japanese laborers, but Fan Ning did not approve. There are also good reasons. In the labor agreement reached between Kunzhou and Japan, only the government can recruit laborers, and private laborers are not allowed to recruit laborers. In the past, brothels and restaurants were not allowed. After investigation, it will not be approved in the future.

Fan Ning shook his head, "You clearly know that I won't approve, yet you still make this request!"

"It can be changed!"

Mingren leaned forward and salivated with a smile on his face: "The government will recruit for us, and we will pay the government a sum of money, so everyone will be happy."

This plan has been discussed by the Kunzhou government. In fact, it is not only Akihito who wants Japanese labor, but also many farmers who want to recruit one or two Japanese farmers to help.

"Let's go back and talk about this matter! I'm waiting for the imperial court to approve the quota for recruiting Japanese laborers. After the imperial court approves it, maybe there will be a plan."

Akihito was overjoyed, "I will do things now, and promise to be diligent and hardworking!"

At this moment, there was a sound of running on the stairs, and a helping servant from Zhu's family reported outside the door: "My lord, there is someone coming to give gifts at the gate, it seems to be from the Gao family!"

'Gao family gift! '

Fan Ning was taken aback. Among the more than twenty invitations he sent out, there was no Gao family. Which Gao family was it?

Of course, Fan Ning would not think that it was Gao Ruona, an academician, nor could another academician, Gao Song. In the capital, the Gao family can only be the family of the founding heroes Gao Huaide and Gao Huailiang.

It's just that Fan Ning has almost never dealt with them. The only person he knows is Zhao Zongshi's wife Gao Taotao, who is Gao Huaide's great-great-granddaughter.

Fan Ning couldn't figure it out, so he said to Mingren, "Go and see!"

The two walked down the Cuiyun Tower quickly, and came all the way to the gate, only to see a man who looked like a butler standing outside the gate, followed by several attendants, carrying three gold-painted boxes, which were placed on the ground, which looked rather strange. heavy.

The butler knew Fan Ning, so he hurriedly stepped forward and said with a smile: "My master congratulates Fan Zhizhou on his wedding, and he will give you a small gift as a way of expressing his heart!"

After finishing speaking, he presented the gift slip to Fan Ning, Fan Ning took the gift slip in doubt, and he read the signature first, "Gao Zunfu, deputy envoy of the North Workshop. '

Sure enough, it was the Gao family in the capital. Gao Zunfu was the grandson of the fierce general Gao Qiong, and Gao Qiong was Gao Huaide's nephew. In addition, Gao Zunfu was Gao Taotao's father.

Fan Ning looked at the congratulatory gift again: 3000 taels of happy silver.

Immediately, Fan Ning was taken aback. 3000 taels of silver was not a small number, and the Cao family gave him 3000 taels of silver as a congratulatory gift. Only very close relationships would give such a high amount of money, like Ouyang Xiu, Bao Zheng, and Pang Ji. , Fu Bi and others only gave 50 taels of happy silver.

Intuition told Fan Ning that things would not be that simple, but the gold-painted box was pasted with the Chinese character "囍" and tied with red silk, so it would be impossible not to accept it, so Fan Ning had to reluctantly accept it, and said: "Please wait a moment, I will take a copy The invitation is for your master."

He hurriedly went back to write an invitation card, came out and handed it to the housekeeper, who saluted before leaving.

All the congratulatory gifts were placed in the left wing room on the first floor of Cuiyun Building. Looking at the three boxes full of silver ingots, Fan Ning was really troubled, and Mingren next to him smiled and said, "Is this still unclear? The Gao family also wants to be in Kunzhou Let’s develop! First bribe you, a local snake.”

Although what Mingren said was straightforward and ugly, maybe he was right. The Cao family also gave 3000 taels of silver. The Gao family and the Cao family were shoulder to shoulder, which obviously implied something. Excellent, the Cao family took the lead in Kunzhou, how could the Gao family not keep up.

Fan Ning sighed and said: "Gao Zunfu is Zhao Zongshi's father-in-law, and his status in the Gao family is average. The Gao family asked him to come forward, obviously because he wanted to catch Zhao Zongshi's line. I guess Zhao Zongshi will come to me soon."

"Then what do you think the Gao family wants?"

"Either a ranch, or a mine, or like the Cao family, both."

The news of the discovery of rich silver and gold mines in Kunzhou has spread to the imperial court. According to the usual practice, while the government conducts large-scale mining, the private sector will also be allowed to mine.

But Kunzhou is not the mainland of the Song Dynasty, it belongs to a special overseas area, and it implements dual management by the imperial court and the state government.

For example, the official pastures are directly managed by the Group Herds Department, and the state government assists in the management, but the private pastures are double-approved by the state government and the imperial court. First, the state government determines the number of private pastures according to the actual situation of the Kunzhou pastures, and reports the plan to the imperial court. Then a certain noble family applied to the imperial court, and after the imperial court approved it, the state government would determine the location of the ranch.

The same is true for mines. The Kunzhou government has the final say on how many private mining quotas will be issued. The approval is made by the imperial mine supervision department.

At present, Fan Ning has reported a total of five private ranches and five private mining quotas. Even if approved in the future, it will be developed in Jingzhou or other islands in the north, and Kunzhou will not increase the quota.

At present, the Zhu family and the Cao family have taken the lead, and there are still many powerful families who are also ready to move. Now the Gao family is starting to make a move. Once the Gao family succeeds, there will be two places left. It is said that many powerful families are planning to send people to Kunzhou inspect.

Thinking of this, Fan Ning felt a little dizzy. Logically, the happy money from Gao's family could not be accepted, but if he didn't accept it, it was obviously not giving Zhao Zongshi face. I really can't offend.

Fan Ning said to Ming Ren again: "Forget it with the Gao family. From now on, anyone who doesn't have an invitation card and gives a gift of more than 1000 taels will resolutely refuse to accept it. Just say that you can't decide, and we will talk about it when I come back."

"What if the emperor gave you a gift?"

Fanning was so angry that he slapped him on the scalp, "Do you have a brain?"

Mingren covered his head and said with a smile: "It's just a joke, don't take it seriously! Don't take it seriously!"

Fan Ning instructed him a few more words, and then he got into the bullock cart and headed to his parents' residence. If there hadn't been a gift-giving event from Gao's family, he would have left half an hour ago. Now he is eager to know whether the relationship between his parents has eased a bit?

(End of this chapter)