The Red Chamber: The Rise of the Lin Mansion

...

When the servant came to the Lin residence, Lin Yun was hosting a banquet for Qin Xiaoting and Ding Yuannan who were visiting.

Both of them have been approved to join the soon-to-be-established Shenji Camp. It is said that Ning Yue also signed up, but was rejected for unknown reasons.

Lin Yun didn't make many friends in the capital, and now he has to leave two at a time, and he doesn't know how long it will take to meet each other, which makes him feel embarrassed.

When the waiter came to announce the decree, he had already drunk a little too much.

When Jia Min found out, she was very anxious, she asked Ding and Qin to be driven away, and asked Brother Ying to wash him with cold water, and then fed him half a bowl of hangover tea before letting him enter the palace to meet his master.

After a lot of tossing, Lin Yun also became more sober. He followed his servants to the imperial study of Daming Palace, but he failed to see Dai Quan.

After waiting outside for a long time, a servant came out to announce him to see the emperor.

Lin Yun followed the chamberlain into the imperial study room in an anxious mood.After walking a few dozen steps forward, I saw Emperor Zhide sitting upright behind the royal desk. The old eunuch Dai Quan led two young eunuchs to guard the side. There was neither sadness nor joy on his face, and no sign could be seen.

Lin Yun stepped forward quickly, kowtowed to Emperor Zhide and said, "The humble Lin Yun pays homage to His Majesty."

The last time I met you was too hasty, he didn't even know what he called himself, and made a lot of fools.

Emperor Zhide didn't make things difficult for him this time, and just asked him to get up and answer.

Lin Yun stood up and took a peek, and saw that the Son of Heaven's face was sinking like water, as if he was very unhappy.Of course, he had met the Son of Heaven three times, and it seemed that he had never seen him happy.

Seeing the drunkenness on his face, Emperor Zhide immediately frowned and asked, "Have you been drinking?"

Lin Yun hurriedly said: "Two friends from my class in the humble class want to give up their pens and join the army and join the Shenji Camp. Thinking that they might be separated soon, they had a drink or two."

After hearing his explanation, Emperor Zhide calmed down and said, "I heard that your perfume shop is booming, is it true?"

Lin Yun thought to himself: "What is the meaning of the emperor's words? Could it be that he has pink eye disease and wants to rob me?"

He hurriedly flattered and said: "It's all thanks to the calligraphy bestowed by His Majesty, and the lowly job business made a small profit."

Emperor Zhide said with a dark face: "I made a small profit? How did I hear that you sold that perfume that was worthless for one tael for ten taels a bottle? Is it true?"

Lin Yun hurriedly explained: "Your Majesty does not know that although the raw materials for making perfume are not expensive, the cost of research and development is very high. In addition to labor costs and transportation costs, these are a large amount of expenses, which will eventually be converted into Perfumery"

"Tell me honestly, how much money does that perfume shop earn in a day?"

"About a few hundred taels."

"A few hundred taels?"

"About seven or eight hundred taels of silver."

When Emperor Zhide heard that there were seven or eight hundred taels of silver, he suddenly felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, and his brain was buzzing.

He said angrily: "My people are short of food and clothing, and have no fixed place to live, but you have made such huge profits from the perfume trade. It's really, really~"

Emperor Zhide said two truths in succession, but in the end he didn't know how to describe the anger in his heart.

Lin Yun hurriedly argued: "Your Majesty's words are wrong. The perfumes sold in my shop are unique, and rare things should be sold at a higher price. If I lower the price, will other spices still be sold? "

Emperor Zhide said angrily: "Sophistry! Your shop took all the money out of the people's pockets, how can other merchants survive?"

Lin Yun said speechlessly: "Your Majesty, all I earn is rich people's money, and I can't get along with ordinary people at all."

"Aren't the rich people the people of my Great Chu, and they deserve to be plundered by you?"

Lin Yun thought for a while, and said: "Your Majesty, the business law of my Great Chu has clear regulations on merchants. If a lowly official violates any article, please punish me according to the law. If I did not violate the law, and Your Majesty thinks there is something wrong with it. That's right, then the courtiers should be allowed to discuss whether the business law should be amended, instead of specifically looking for trouble for the humble."

Emperor Zhide was silenced by Lin Yun's words. As the Son of Heaven, he was not omniscient, and he didn't know much about business laws like Lin Yun said.

Lin Yun went on to say: "If your Majesty thinks that the profits of the perfumes sold by humble officials are too high, you can ask the courtiers to discuss raising the commercial tax on luxury goods. As long as there are laws to follow, ordinary people should act according to the laws."

Emperor Zhide has nothing to say now, if he wants to act in accordance with Dachu's business laws, he can't object.

He waved his hand and said, "You go back first."

"Retire from humble office."

Chapter 113: Something Happened

Lin Yun bowed and saluted, and turned around to leave.

Emperor Zhide suddenly stopped him and said, "Wait."

"What's your majesty's order?"

Emperor Zhide: "Since you are proficient in business affairs, then tell me what good strategy can make my treasury in Dachu rich as soon as possible."

Lin Yun said in a daze, "Your Majesty, this is a major political issue, how dare a humble official discuss it arbitrarily."

Emperor Zhide: "Although you speak boldly, I forgive you for your innocence."

"The humble officer dares to ask, can the court carry out maritime trade with the outside world?"

"No."

"That humble job can't help."

Emperor Zhide was puzzled and said: "You can earn hundreds of taels of silver every day in your perfume business, why do you say there is no way?"

Lin Yun: "Your Majesty doesn't know that perfume can make huge profits because others don't know about it. When other spice shops develop it, their profits will plummet, and it will gradually become similar to spices. The price is about the same.

Emperor Zhide said thoughtfully: "According to what you said, if you want to make huge profits, you have to continuously launch new products."

"What His Majesty said is exactly."

Lin Yun then explained: "Developing a new product is risky. First, it will suffer multiple failures and waste a lot of financial and material resources. Second, after it is developed, customers may not accept it, and all the initial investment will be in vain. .If you don’t do it, you’ll lose your fortune.”

Emperor Zhide nodded silently. At first, he only thought of the high profit of perfume, but he didn't think of the financial resources that would be spent in the middle of research and development.

"It seems that I think things are simple."

Emperor Zhide was secretly blaming himself, but he heard Lin Yun say again: "Your Majesty, in fact, the best way to make money is to develop maritime trade. If I, Da Chu, can organize a fleet to sail out to sea, exchange what's available with overseas countries, and earn money." The profits to be made would be unimaginable."

Dai Quan warned from the side: "Don't talk nonsense, the ban on maritime trade is a national policy, how can it be easily changed."

Lin Yun said with a smile: "The courtiers obviously don't agree with the opening of maritime trade, but they all collude with maritime merchants in private to smuggle for huge profits. Otherwise, how did those Westerners get in?"

Emperor Zhide's face turned dark again when he heard the words. The sea ban was a national policy set by the Supreme Emperor when he was in power. If he wanted to overthrow it, he would definitely be opposed by his courtiers.

Lin Yun: "Your Majesty, if the sea ban cannot be opened for the time being, can the Ministry of Internal Affairs form a fleet to conduct business and trade activities in the name of foreign visits."

Emperor Zhide's eyes lit up when he heard the words, this is really a brilliant move, ministers can smuggle for profit, why can't he, the emperor.

...

After Dai Quan sent Lin Yun away, he came back and saw that the emperor was still frowning in thought.

Seeing Dai Quan coming in, Emperor Zhide asked him, "Dai Quan, are there many courtiers smuggling sea trade?"

Dai Quan: "There must be. The specific situation, I don't know much about it."

Emperor Zhide: "Then do you think Lin Yun's suggestion is feasible?"

Dai Quan said with a bitter face: "Maritime trade is related to national policy, and this old slave dare not discuss it well."

Emperor Zhide glared at him and said, "How can you be inferior to a young man with a weak crown?"

Dai Quan thought in his heart: "That kid just patted his butt and left. I can't compare."

Emperor Zhide said again: "Governor Zhou Qiong of Guangdong will go to Beijing to report on his work in the next year, right?"

Dai Quan: "Exactly. Governor Zhou and Concubine Nan'an are traveling together, and they will go to Beijing after the Spring Festival."

Emperor Zhide: "Remember to make arrangements at Jieshi, I want to meet Zhou Qiong alone."

"The old slave respects the order."

As soon as Dai Quan's words fell, he saw a servant hurried in and reported to Emperor Zhide: "Your Majesty, there is an urgent message from Yangzhou."

Emperor Zhide: "Come up quickly."

Dai Quan hurriedly took the secret letter from the servant, checked it, and handed it to the emperor.

Emperor Zhide opened the secret letter and looked at it, and his expression changed drastically.

...

Lin Yun returned to the mansion and introduced the process of his meeting with the emperor to Jia Min.

When Jia Min heard that he proposed to open the sea trade ban in front of the emperor, he immediately reprimanded him.

"This kind of national policy, even the big bosses in the cabinet dare not touch it. What can you do for a young scholar? You really have nothing to do."

After being reprimanded, Lin Yun also secretly regretted it, and obviously decided not to do it anymore, but when things came to an end, the old habit of meddling happened again.

...

Back at her residence, she saw Daiyu sitting on the kang learning how to cut window grilles from Parrot.

Lin Yun leaned over and smiled, "Yu'er, I can do this too, do you want me to teach you?"

Daiyu gave him a hard gouged look, and said, "You'd better teach Sister Ping'er."

Lin Yun said depressedly: "Why do you still remember this?"

Daiyu: "Who told you to do such a shameless thing, when sister Qin's family finds out tomorrow, I'll see how you end up."

"Can we not talk about it?"

"Hmph, I don't want to talk about it. Go and study quickly, and don't disturb us cutting the window grilles."

"Okay, then I'll go first."

...

Lin Yun returned to the study and picked up the book, but could not read a word.

He got up and pushed open the window, looking at the busy servants in the yard, feeling very bored.

Yesterday Jia Lian told him that Jia Zhen wanted to invite him to a banquet, but he directly refused.No need to think about it, he also knew that Jia Zhen must be jealous because of the big sales of perfume.

But I didn't expect that even Emperor Zhide, who was in charge of everything every day, would pay attention to this matter. It seems that money touches people's hearts, and this sentence is indeed correct.

Lin Yun secretly sighed in his heart: "The capital is really a place of right and wrong, and it is not suitable to live for a long time."

After making up his mind, Lin Yun returned to the desk and sat down, picked up a brush and began to make notes.

After an unknown amount of time, there was a sound of familiar footsteps behind him.

He looked back and saw Parrot walking in with a cup of hot tea.