The person who gave Ning Zhongze the idea was indeed quite smart. Ning Zhongze's plan was not bad either. When Zhang Zhong found out about this matter, he would casually find a reason, such as saying that the goods were stolen by criminals. Then, he would put on an act, casually draw a few portraits, and say that someone had seen those people.
When the time came, he would ask the people here to look around and say that they did not find the criminals. No matter how powerful Zhang Zhong was, what could he do? He would still have to endure it. Even if he knew that his side had done something, there was nothing he could do.
The people in the yamen quickly rushed out. They also wanted to get the reward. This time, it was not like before, where it was only a little bit, only a few dozen copper coins. This time, it was 1,000 strings of coins. Even if so many people divided it, each person could get a lot. It was more than what they could get in a year of work.
Naturally, the people sent by the Zhang family would not wait for others to come to them. After they received the money, they did not plan to bring it back to Lu Zhou at all. Just when others wanted to investigate them, they were busy again.
Under the temptation of money, those people thought of all kinds of ways to find them. However, they found that they could not get the money back at all. These people bought all the goods in the local area. No matter what it was, as long as it could be bought with money, these people bought it all. After buying a batch, they put it on the carriage and shipped it away. They did not stop at all. The place where they were shipped was north, ready to take the land route. As for how to get it back when the time came, it was not urgent.
When the people in the yamen found the people sent by the Zhang family, there was only one last batch of goods left, which was worth about 2,000 strings of coins.
When the people from the Zhang family saw these people in the yamen, they smiled. One of them said, "Are you going to take all our money and say that it was done by criminals? It's too late. What should be shipped has been shipped away. If you go after them now, by the time you catch up, you will be in the territory of other provinces. Let's see if you still dare to say that it was stolen by criminals.
Also, we have released the news. You know about the Flying Slave, right? We only brought a few with us when we came here, and now there are two left. Another one is about to fly away. Oh, you guys didn't bring a crossbow, then we can't stop it. "
As he spoke, another pigeon was released. Seeing the pigeon fly away, the people from the yamen didn't know what to do.
The leader ordered his men to surround the members of the Zhang family and not let them escape. He hurriedly went to report this matter to the master and see what he would do.
Ning Zhongze was still thinking about good things, but he was hit hard by this news. He smashed a lot of things, but he was still angry. He slapped the person who came to report a few times and shouted at him.
"Scram back! Hurry up and withdraw your men. What are you still doing over there? What's the point of something worth two thousand strings of coins? Everything else was gone? Are you stupid? Why did you only find them now? If you had found them earlier, you would have been able to get more. Why didn't you stop them when so many goods were transported away? Huh? Why didn't they stop him? Didn't you always stop merchants when they came here? "
Ning Zhongze didn't dare to do anything now, mainly because it wasn't worth it. He took such a big risk for two thousand strings of coins. If Zhang Zhong made a move, it wouldn't be worth it. So he had no choice but to vent his anger on these people.
The person who was beaten didn't dare to say anything. He stood there and waited for the master's order, hoping that the master wouldn't vent his anger on him again.
"Why don't you scram? They all retreated and told the people sent by the Zhang Clan that this was a misunderstanding. They heard someone say that there were bad people here, and they didn't want them to get something on them. Why didn't they go quickly? What were they doing? So many goods were transported away from our province, but you didn't stop them. "
Seeing that the people who came over were still standing there, Ning Zhongze got even angrier.
The person who came to report finally found a chance to explain. He said to Ning Zhongze, "Master, it's not that we don't want to stop them, but we can't stop them at all. Who would have thought that those people from the Zhang Family would be so bold? They actually used our caravan to help them transport the goods.
They even gave us a lot of money. Master, you know what kind of caravan our caravan's caravan is. Each caravan is pulled by two horses and is very fast. At that speed, the goods would have been transported away long ago. Even if we chase them now, we can only get back a little. Altogether, it's less than four thousand strings of coins.
Master, how can we stop our own family's caravan? Why don't we send someone to chase after them? If they want to transport the goods further away, as long as we catch up with them, we can let our caravan return. "
Hearing this person's words, Ning Zhongze gasped. At the same time, he admired the people sent by the Zhang family. These people were really careful and bold. They bought the goods as soon as they got the money, and after that, they used their own caravan to help transport the goods. No one would have thought that it would be like this.
If he had known about this situation a day later, he would have vomited blood in anger. That's right, the Ning Family Trading Company's fleet was unmatched in this area. It was precisely because of this that their business had always been good. Now, even though they had accepted a big business deal, they had lost even more money.
Shaking his head, Ning Zhongze said to the person, "No need to chase them. Since they already thought of using our caravan, there will definitely be people following them. I think the goods that arrived first have already been unloaded after crossing the province. There are already empty caravans going back.
Good ability. The Zhang family is really amazing. The people they sent to do this can be so thoughtful. Look at you, how could you not think of this? If they can compare to the people sent by the Zhang family this time, then I don't need to worry about them. Let's go. Withdraw those people and pretend this never happened. "
Ning Zhongze waved his hand again, asking the man to leave. After the man left, he sat there and continued to be lost in thought. He really couldn't understand how the Zhang family had nurtured such a person. Perhaps even his own steward could only reach such a level when he went out to do things. Perhaps it was even worse than that.
From the looks of it, if he wanted to deal with Zhang Zhong, he had to come up with a foolproof plan. Otherwise, he would easily fall into Zhang Zhong's trap.
The Zhang family's people were soon out of danger. They were quite scared just now. They were worried that Ning Zhongze would hate them and want to kill them at all costs. If that happened, they could only fight with everything they had. Even if they couldn't escape, they couldn't just wait for death.
"They're gone. They're finally gone. Haha, now we don't have to be afraid. I was scared to death just now." The person sent by the Zhang family, who was in charge, wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and said to the others.
The others also felt weak. They were too nervous just now. Fortunately, they had transported those goods away. Otherwise, with so many goods, they would definitely be killed.
"Alright, let's take a break. We'll leave with this last trip. When we arrive at the other side, we'll make a detour and ship the goods to Lu Zhou. Although the transportation fee is higher this time, and the price is slightly higher when we buy the goods, I'm sure Master won't say anything. It's as if we've just picked up the money for free."
The steward gulped down a bowl of water, wiped his mouth, and instructed the few people. The few people also felt a sense of exhaustion. They directly laid on the ground and waited for a while to leave this place. This time, they could be considered to have made a great contribution.
The youngest one lay on the ground and said, "It was thrilling. This is the real adventure. Fortunately, we persevered. I'll go back and tell them. Those people who stayed in the courtyard all day were scared to death. It was really exciting. I really want to do it again, as long as my life is not in danger."
"Then you can do it again by yourself. We won't take the risk with you. This time, even if it's night, we may be left here and can't go back. Now, I just want to see the people over there as soon as possible, have a good meal, and then have a good sleep. I've been on tenterhooks every day for the past few days."
The person next to the one who spoke just now put his hand on his chest and narrowed his eyes.
The others felt the same. They were the most reassuring people in the inner courtyard, which was why they were sent here. However, it was not easy for them. In the past few days, they were always awakened by nightmares in their sleep. It seemed that they were going to die at any time.
*****
The Zhang family did not know that the people they sent to get the money had changed their minds. They did not take the money back but bought the goods. They did not know how much danger they had taken, especially Zhang Zhong. He did not believe that Ning Zhongze would dare to make a move at this time. Of course, he was judging others by their own standards.
But when the carrier pigeon flew back, Zhang Zhong was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. He didn't care about the money, but he was afraid. If the people he sent out were in danger, then the Zhang family's losses would be great. Any one of those people could be put out to do something, and they would be able to take care of things on their own.
"I can't do this in the future. I have to be more stable. I can't let my people take risks casually." Zhang Zhong placed the slip of paper on the table and drank a mouthful of tea. Only then did he feel a little better and said to himself with lingering fear.
After a while, Zhang Zhong calmed down a little. He stood up and took the note to find his son. He wanted to let his son know how to deal with this matter. He wanted to let his son know how to deal with this matter. He wanted to let Ning Zhongze give a reasonable explanation or pretend that he knew nothing and agreed with Ning Zhongze's possible explanation.
When Zhang Xiaobao saw the words on the note, he was silent for a while and said, "Send someone to question Ning Zhongze. Ask him why he did this."
Zhang Xiaobao thought about it clearly. Even if he asked, there would be no result. In the end, it would be left unsettled. However, if he did not ask, Ning Zhongze would definitely think that his side was weak. This was a matter of attitude. He could not pretend that he knew nothing.
Other than asking, they also had to increase the pressure on Ning Zhongze. That was, they had to have some armed men on the ships that came back and then make a trip to the Qin River. They had to stop at the place closest to the yamen and make it look like they could attack at any time. If Ning Zhongze asked why, they had to say that they were helping him eliminate criminals.
In this way, Ning Zhongze would be able to restrain himself. When he was done with other things, he would not have to worry about any bad ideas.
"Father, just in time. Send these notes to Cao Herui and the other two. Ask them what is going on and whether they are trying to deceive us. Tell them that if those goods do not come back safely, then they will continue to take out money to repay the debt. If our people are hurt, then let them think about it themselves."
Zhang Xiaobao decided to make good use of this opportunity. Cao Herui and the other two had been living too comfortably recently. He had to make them live on tenterhooks at all times. If he did not torture them properly, then he would be letting down the bad things they had done in the past.
Wang Juan asked at this time, "Is it useful to tell them these things? What if they are not afraid? After all, these goods have been shipped out, right? "
"It is useful. They will not think about whether the goods will be intercepted by the passing prefectural government. They will think about whether we will say that the goods were lost even though we clearly did not lose them. Even though no one was hurt, they will say that they were hurt. This is what they are most worried about. Let them not have a good night's sleep. They will continuously test us to see how we will deal with them.
Father, you can send some people to secretly monitor them, but they must find out. This way, they will constantly think about whether we are going to make a move on them. "
Zhang Xiaobao was very confident in this aspect of human nature. He smiled at Wang Juan and his father.
"You are too naughty, Little Treasure, you actually want to use this to torture them. Fine, let's make them suffer. To think that they actually dared to go to Ginkou to deliver information. If we let them off lightly, who knows how many more would want to try in the future?" Wang Juan understood now. It was true. People were not afraid of thieves stealing, but they were afraid of thieves thinking about them. An unsheathed sword was better not to be drawn.
The matter was decided like this. Zhang Zhong wrote a letter and asked someone to bring it to Tang: Governor Of Ning on the boat that was going to Qinzhou. On the other side, he found Cao Herui and the other two people and asked them to look at the notes. He also repeated what Zhang Xiaobao said to them.
Sure enough, the three people trembled in fear. They did not expect that Tang: Governor Of Ning would dare to do this at this time. This was clearly a trap. They did not know that Tang: Governor Of Ning thought that they had gotten the IOUs, so he sent people out.
The three people did not know how they left the yamen. Anyway, they fell ill when they returned home. As Zhang Xiaobao said, they were afraid that Zhang Zhong would deliberately use this excuse to deal with them. They were afraid that Zhang Zhong would deliberately use this excuse to deal with them. They would say that something happened on the way to Qinzhou.
Their illness was not that serious. It was just a mental illness. It was not to the extent that they fell ill. This was just an act for Zhang Zhong to see. They wanted to show weakness to Zhang Zhong. They wanted to let Zhang Zhong know that they had become timid and would not cause trouble here.
However, Zhang Zhong still sent people to monitor them. He even found a doctor to treat them. Fortunately, this kind of mental illness was usually not obvious. They just had to lie down and look bad. Then, they would be fine with whatever they say.
This matter was temporarily put aside by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. They were waiting for the ship to pass by. They wanted to see the reaction of Qinzhou before making the next step. The two people were still busy making cement. The matter of the lighthouse could not be delayed any longer. The sooner it was done, the sooner they could increase their income.
Actually, a lighthouse made of wood was also fine. As long as the wood was thick and strong enough, and they were serious when they were repairing it, it would be able to survive a normal typhoon. However, in that case, the consumption of good wood would be too great. It was better to leave it for ships.
All of the experimental products were numbered. They had already burned two kilns of them, but the results were not that good. They found one that could be said to be the best one in the experiment. The two of them continued to adjust the ratio of various things according to this.
After another three days, when a new kiln of cement was fired, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan personally cooked a meal to celebrate. Although this cement was not as good as the various kinds of cement used in the past, it was still good for building houses, paving roads, and repairing docks. Especially the seawall. When it was almost done, it would be better to put a layer of cement on top of it.
When the first flower bed made of cement appeared, Li Xun also came over and used a hammer to hit it. In the end, he found that this thing was really hard. He did not understand why the powdery thing became so hard after adding some water.
No matter what happened, he finally knew the purpose of this material. It could be used to build houses and build city walls. Yes, it could be used to build city walls. This was the biggest use of cement. When new things were invented, they had to think about military aspects first.
"Quick, give me the recipe. I will send it up. This is good. As long as the walls are built high enough, let's see how those people can attack. If it is thicker, it will be useless even if they use catapults to hit it. Also, I found something. If this cement is used as the stones thrown by the catapults, then there is no need to worry about not being able to find stones.
It is fast to make, and we can try to make it look the same. This way, the catapults will be more accurate. Quick, give me the recipe. This time, your family has made a great contribution. "
Li Xun urged for the recipe. He was preparing to use it on the battlefield.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan shook their heads at the same time. Zhang Xiaobao said, "This recipe can't be given to you. Otherwise, it will be troublesome. Do you know how much damage the production of this cement will do to people? Furthermore, can you guarantee that once this prescription is sent up, no one in the imperial court will leak it out?
If the enemy gets this recipe, what do you think the consequences will be? Even if those ministers don't leak it, can you keep it a secret during the production? When you think of a foolproof method, we will give it to you. Now is not the time.
However, we can ask the imperial court to buy this cement. We are stricter here. This place is safer than Chang 'an. There are too many people from various countries there. Even if they don't want to inquire about the news when they first come, when they know about this cement, can you guarantee that they will be so obedient? "
"No, if it were me, I wouldn't be able to do the same. No matter what, I have to think of a way to get this kind of weapon. I'll listen to you now, but I have to tell my father and uncle about this matter. Can this cement hurt people? Are you willing to send people from the inner courtyard?
Forget it, I think you will have a way to do this kind of thing. Do you need to spend a lot of money again? Quickly make more of it, and then ship it to the capital. Uncle can use it to build some palaces or something. Also, the roads in Chang 'an will be very muddy when it rains sometimes. You said that this thing can be used to build roads. That's good.
Also, the city walls of Chang 'an are made of mud now. We can't afford so many big stones. When the time comes, the city walls of Chang' an will be all made of cement. It will look more beautiful and majestic. Yes, it will be taller. "
Li Xun became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could see the future city walls of Chang 'an. His face was full of yearning. Speaking of this, he suddenly asked Zhang Xiaobao, "How much are you going to sell this cement for? Is it too expensive? If it is more expensive than the big stones, then forget it. "
"We don't need money. As long as it is to build the city walls and roads of Chang 'an, we don't need money. But if those rich people want to use cement to build houses or something, I hope the imperial court will not interfere with this. When the time comes, we will use the bag of cement. A bag of cement costs 500 coins. I believe many rich people are willing to spend this money.
Also, don't charge us tax for selling the cement. When the time comes, as long as we ship the cement, half of the ship will be given to the imperial court to build the city walls and roads of Chang 'an free of charge. After all, Chang' an is also the city walls of Tang. As a citizen of Tang, it is natural for us to contribute to our country. "
Zhang Xiaobao said with a serious face, which scared Li Xun. After a while, Li Xun came to his senses. He did not believe that Zhang Xiaobao would have such a high awareness. The Zhang family always hid the things they made. If it was really like what Zhang Xiaobao said, it would be impossible for them to keep the secret until now.
Li Xun curled her lips and said, "Alright, stop lying. From your words, I know that even if you give away half of the ship and sell half of the ship, your family will still be able to make a profit. Moreover, the profit won't be small. Otherwise, if you really can't make a profit from transporting cement from so far away, wouldn't it be better to transport other goods?
Well, it is very likely that the cost of shipping the cement is more than selling the other goods. Then how much is the cost of your cement? This is really a big profit. Tell me, I won't tell anyone, really. "
Li Xun also wanted to know the cost. He calculated the cost of shipping the cement and the other goods and was shocked.
"Can you really keep it a secret?" Zhang Xiaobao asked.
"Yes, you can rest assured that I won't tell anyone." Li Xun promised.
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