Ming Empire

Chapter 77
Cao Yue's mother Wu Shi is actually quite capable.

A few years ago, Cao Wenzhao was fighting outside, and she ran the family in Datong.The Cao family is a big family, and Cao Wenzhao is the person with the most status and the highest official position in this big family.Wu's status has also risen with Cao Wenzhao's promotion, and her ability is very outstanding, so she faintly became the eldest wife of the Cao family.After Cao Wenzhao's death, the imperial court granted a high-standard posthumous title, and the Wu family also received an edict from the imperial court.

In this way, her status not only did not decline because of her husband's death in battle, but further consolidated the prestige in the family.

Now borrow Cao Yue to be reused by the imperial court, and serve as the commander-in-chief of Datong. He is also given a sword that can cut first and then play Shangfang. As a mother, Wu's family is more and more admired by people in the family.Many factors made her a veritable "head of the family" in the family.

After Cao Yue came to work in Datong, the mother and son exchanged ideas, and Wu decided to follow Cao Yue's suggestion and transfer a property to the south. She herself planned to go to Nanjing with Cao Chao after the Chinese New Year.

Although many people in the family didn't understand, and felt that after Cao Yue took office in Datong, he should use his hands and feet in Datong instead of moving to other places, but they finally succumbed to Wu's decision, and Wu persuaded them.

Before the Chinese New Year, the Wu family had sent some people to Nanjing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou to set up family businesses, and transferred some industries in Datong there.After the new year, the speed of transfer will be further accelerated, but some industries will still be left in Datong, after all, this is where their foundation lies.

A few days before the Chinese New Year, the entire Cao family is preparing for the Chinese New Year.This year is a festive year for the Cao family, mainly because the two brothers Cao Bianjiao and Cao Yue have made meritorious service and received special awards from the court.Of course, every happy event should be celebrated, and the Chinese New Year should also be lively.

Cao Yue put down his work, and when he returned to the mansion, it was already the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, and the atmosphere of the New Year was even stronger.During the past few months in Datong, Cao Yue seldom went home. The main reason was that he was too busy. He was busy with military training day and night. He had to deal with the management, training and logistics of tens of thousands of horses. , He didn't have much time to spare at all, every time he went home he was in a hurry, and he would leave if he couldn't stay for a while.

This made mother Wu complain from time to time, but she also knew that Cao Yue couldn't help herself.

When Jiannu attacked, Cao's family was in fear, they were afraid that Cao Yue would lose the battle.If Cao Yue was defeated, Datong would be captured by Jiannu, and the Cao family would be the first to be liquidated by Jiannu.Furthermore, if Cao Yue lost the battle, even if he could barely keep Datong, he would be punished by the court and his family would suffer.During the time when the slavery came, the main figures of the Cao family, including the Wu family, also understood Cao Yue's intention to force them to move their property to the south. Datong was too close to the Great Wall and it was too unsafe.

Of course they were happy that Cao Yue had won the battle, but they no longer objected to transferring their family business to the south, and they also repeatedly praised Cao Yue for seeing farther than they did. Many people felt that the hope of the Cao family might be It fell on Cao Yue.

Cao Yue was free to return for the New Year, and all the dignified members of the Cao family came to greet him at the gate of the house in person, which made Cao Yue a little flattered.

Cao Yue also took this opportunity to explain some things to them.

After hearing that the emperor planned to marry the eldest princess, let Cao Yue be his son-in-law, and allow him to continue to lead the army, and see Cao Yue's military achievements continue to promote him in the future, everyone in the Cao family was shocked.The emperor gave Cao Yue more and more special treatment.

Everyone understands that the emperor's favor for Cao Yue is not comparable to that of ordinary people, and Cao Yue's status in their hearts has once again become higher, even higher than Cao Bianjiao, who has a higher position than Cao Yue now.

When Wu heard from Cao Yue that the emperor planned to marry off his daughter, she was both happy and worried.Cao Yue was especially favored by Emperor Chongzhen, and she was of course happy as a mother; but her daughter-in-law had a princess, and she felt a little panicked.In front of her daughter-in-law who was a princess, as a mother-in-law, she naturally couldn't use any prestige of a mother-in-law, and she had to see her as a servant, which made her feel uneasy.

But the emperor has decided to do this, so she can only accept it, and she is also happy that her son is getting better and better.

As we chatted, we also talked about the transfer of industries to the south. Cao Yue reiterated his point that the north is too chaotic and unstable. Putting all industries in Datong and Beijing would be too risky. .He still advised his mother and other elders in the clan to change their minds and try to make money in the affluent south.

Food, silk, arms, and the "pornography industry" that can be opened blatantly now, these industries will be the most profitable businesses in the future, especially food, arms, "pornography industry" or the entertainment industry.

Cao Yue hopes that after the family members go to the south, they can devote their energy to this aspect.

Especially the "sex industry", Jiangnan has not been affected by the flames of war, there are brothels everywhere, especially in Nanjing, where there are nightly singing and dancing on the banks of the Qinhuai River, and the annual income of the somewhat famous brothels is very considerable.

As long as they can recruit well-known tricksters and local forces can rely on, it can be said that they will have a lot of money.

The war will continue, and the demand for food, ammunition and other military supplies must be great. If they can get involved in these industries, the Cao family's industry will grow bigger and bigger.Of course, getting involved in these industries requires a strong background. Without this, there is no way to get involved.

Cao Yue felt that although he had no way to know the sky now, as long as he had the military power, and the Emperor Chongzhen looked at him differently, with the name of the general of Datong and the captain of the consort, not many people would dare to provoke him in Daming.

Most people naturally agree with Cao Yue's opinion.

At night, when Cao Yue had a private chat with his mother and second brother Cao Chao, he talked about it again.

The imperial court had ordered Cao Chao to take a post in Nanjing, and some of Cao Yue’s friends, Chang Yanling and others, were serving as errands in Nanjing Jinyiwei. Cao Yue felt that he could take advantage of this opportunity to run a business in Nanjing. Get involved in the brothel industry, especially the brothel industry. If one or a few of the eight beauties of the Qinhuai River can be recruited, the business will definitely be very good.

Cao Yue also honestly said the real reason why he wanted to work hard to make money, that is, he wanted to control a powerful army, and raising such an army required a lot of money.With the current strength of the Cao family, there is no way to raise an army of tens of thousands of people and train them into elites.

"Brother Yue, mother listens to you, and mother also supports your idea!" Wu Shi was quickly persuaded by Cao Yue.

"Third brother, second brother also thinks what you said is reasonable and supports you!" Cao Chao admired Cao Yue more and more and fully supported Cao Yue's decision.

(End of this chapter)