Chapter 30 Snatching Food from the Tiger’s Mouth

Yan Chengjin found that his father had a bit more vigor and less scholarly frailty.

Fighting on the battlefield must be very tragic. People who are used to life and death will always be more indifferent.

Yan Kesong took out something from the accompanying package: "This Ningxia wolfberry is quite good, big and sweet. Dad brought it back and asked you to cook wolfberry bird's nest porridge."

Yan Chengjin asked: "How does Wang Yue treat Dad in the military camp?"

"He seems to have some grudges against Dad. It's strange to say, how do you know that Wang Yue wants to harm Dad?" Yan Kesong always felt that those envelopes were not written randomly.

"Dad was ordered to go to the front line, which means that Wang Yue's military power is divided. Wang Yue naturally doesn't like it. However, Dad can be more at ease this time." Wang Yue was not recalled to Beijing, which means that His Majesty still needs him to guard the border, so he will not worry about being beheaded.

Yan Kesong nodded. Of course, he didn't know what Yan Chengjin was thinking. He just thought that changing generals before the battle was something many emperors liked to do. It threatened their own status. It was normal for Wang Yue to want to harm him, but he didn't think about it more deeply.

Today, Yan Kesong was going to the border of Ningxia again.

He got up very early, much earlier than Yan Chengjin's usual morning exercises, just because he didn't want to experience the scene of parting. Compared with the first expedition to Ningxia Prefecture, he was calm.

He left a letter and quietly left Beijing.

After late autumn, it was about to enter winter, and the weather was a little colder. The pedestrians shivered in the biting north wind, and their necks shrank into their lapels.

Ningguo Mansion,

Since the silk quilt from Lao Wang Cloth Shop was bought in the East Market last time, Zhou Shou slept very comfortably. When the two of them..., he didn't feel that the quilt was too heavy.

"Brother, you asked me to come here early in the morning just to see this broken quilt?" Changning Bo Zhou Yu was unhappy.

"You know nothing! Feel the material, forget it, just lie on it and try." Zhou Shou pushed him to the bed, and as soon as the quilt was covered, Zhou Yu suddenly felt a warm feeling.

Zhou Yu turned over, and no matter how he lay, he felt very comfortable, his eyes shining: "It's light and warm, this quilt is good, I'll ask the housekeeper to buy one too."

Zhou Shou smiled and said: "Now in the capital, I heard that many dignitaries have bought it, even Liu Jian, who has always been frugal, has bought it. This quilt is a bit expensive, but it is very comfortable to sleep on."

"What does Liu Jian's purchase have to do with our Zhou family?" Zhou Yu was puzzled.

Zhou Shou scolded: "You are stupid! What is the most abundant thing in our Zhou family?"

"Silk!"

"That's right! If we sell this quilt, I don't know how much more money we can make than making silk satin!" Zhou Shou said.

His Zhou family has a large mulberry field in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang area. They are engaged in the business of raising silkworms and supplying silk. They sell silk to the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau to provide support for the royal family. There is so much that even if they use part of it to make quilts, the Zhou family can afford it.

These silk quilts are only in the capital. There are many wealthy merchants in the Jiangnan area. Winter is coming soon. If the silk quilts are sold to the gentry in the two capitals and thirteen provinces, how much money can they make?

Zhou Shou has inquired about it. The old Wang cloth shop is called limited, but in fact it can't make so many silk quilts. It only lacks a few workers.

Zhou Yu's eyes lit up and he immediately understood his brother's intention.

Wang Bushui hurried to Yan's house. He sold five silk quilts that day. When he delivered them to the door, he found that the old man who stayed in the store that day was Ningguo Duke Zhou Shou!

Zhou Shou came again today and asked him for a few workers to sew quilts. He pretended to be polite and ran back to report to Yan Chengjin.

Wang Bushui said with a worried face: "Duke Ningguo wants workers this time, I'm afraid he wants to make the silk quilt himself and steal our business."

Duke Ningguo Zhou Shou?

The younger brother of the current Empress Dowager Zhou?

Empress Dowager Zhou has a very close relationship with Emperor Hongzhi. Emperor Hongzhi had a rough childhood and was persecuted by Concubine Wan. Fortunately, Empress Dowager Zhou took him to her side to raise him and protected him in the deep palace. Emperor Hongzhi was very grateful to her. He loved Empress Dowager Zhou's two younger brothers, Duke Ningguo and Earl Changning very well.

"Master Yan, you don't know. I heard that Duke Ningguo has a large mulberry field in Jiangnan several times before. He hired a large number of silkworm farmers to raise silkworms. The silk raw materials for our silk quilts are bought from Duke Ningguo." Wang Bushui said.

If Duke Ningguo is determined to do this business, wouldn't it be like competing with a tiger for food? How can we win?

Yan Chengjin frowned. The titles of Earl and Duke were very different. Although his father had just been conferred the title of Earl of Anding, he was still far behind the Duke of Ningguo. Besides, the Queen Mother Zhou was behind the Duke of Ningguo.

Yan Chengjin was just about to recruit a group of refugees to expand mass production. He had even thought of a name, Mercury Simmons. How could he let someone snatch his food from his mouth?

Just as he was thinking hard, He Neng came in and said, "Master, Zhao Houzhu is here again!"

Yan Chengjin was very troubled. He had been thinking about whether to raise the wall of the Yan Mansion a little higher.

As soon as He Neng finished speaking, Zhu Houzhao appeared in Yan Chengjin's sight. The weather was cold, and Zhu Houzhao also wore a brand new cotton jacket.

Zhu Houzhao was a little puzzled: "Old Gao, why do I feel that the wall of your house has been raised?"

"That's your illusion. You haven't climbed for a while, right? Now you climb again, you naturally feel it's a little high." Yan Chengjin said enthusiastically: "Come on, make a pot of wolfberry and red date tea!"

He secretly complained in his heart, Zhu Houzhao is a flea, the courtyard wall has been raised to two meters high, and he can still climb in...

"Your Highness came here for something, Master Zhu hasn't been here recently."

Zhu Houzhao looked annoyed: "My father has already known that Zhao Houzhu is me. I can't write books anymore, otherwise I will be whipped. Old Gao, do you have any way to let me not be beaten and clear my reputation?"

"How can such a good thing happen? Please come back after your highness drinks this pot of wolfberry and red date tea, and don't come looking for students again."

Zhu Houzhao pinched Yan Chengjin's neck angrily: "I risked being beaten and traveled thousands of miles to meet you, but you sent me away with a pot of wolfberry tea?"

Yan Chengjin pinched Zhu Houzhao and said: "Humph! Every time His Highness comes, the Jin Yiwei threatens the students and asks them to tell the whereabouts of His Highness. The students are frightened every time. What about the mental damage and hush money? Come on, give it to me. Beat him!"

Beat the prince!

I don’t want my life, I don’t want my life!

Knowing that this was the current crown prince, Wang Busui was already frightened. He covered his ears and closed his eyes. His six sense organs were pure. I heard nothing and saw nothing.

If he doesn't give Zhu Houzhao a hint of color, he can easily trick him into taking advantage of him. Yan Chengjin is also true, giving Zhu Houzhao a "capturing the dragon and holding the nose hand" with his backhand!

After a while, the two of them sat in the main hall and stared at each other.

In fact, Yan Chengjin knew that Zhu Houzhao liked others not to regard him as the prince and to fool around with him. If it were other princes of the Ming Dynasty, he would never dare to do this.

Zhu Houzhao threatened Wang Busui and said: "What did Lao Gao plan with you just now? I am the crown prince. If you don't tell me, you are deceiving me. I will remember this first. I will settle the score with you after I become the emperor."

This is how he usually intimidates ministers in the palace, and this trick works repeatedly.

Wang Busui almost fainted, curled up into a ball, knelt on the ground, shivering, and cried: "Ning Guogong wants to steal Mr. Yan's business, and the younger one is here... to report the news!"

Money and life, of course life is more important!

Wang Busui hesitated and told all the things Ning Guogong wanted to do. Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up: "Old Gao, do you think that if I support justice and complain to my father, can I gain a reputation for being upright and upright?"

"Ning Guogong is His Highness's uncle. Is this a righteous act of extermination?" Yan Chengjin said with a dark face.

Zhu Houzhao poked his two index fingers together, feeling a little tangled, then he slapped the case, and sneered: "It's not just about annihilating relatives, my father once hurt his relatives, and he was not allowed to use his power to suppress people and disrupt the market order. He has no repentance, and I am just I just exposed him because he was too righteous!”

Yan Chengjin made a bet that the prince would be beaten.

At this time, it was still hundreds of years before the advent of patent law, and it was still in Flange.

Ning Guogong's silk production was considered legal, and even if the prince could sue him, when the time came, Ning Guogong would cry in front of the Queen Mother, Queen Mother Zhou would become soft-hearted, and Emperor Hongzhi would give in.

No matter what, it was Zhu Houzhao who got beaten.

"The student is trying to make a deal with Ning Guogong. If His Highness exposes it, it will ruin the student's good deeds. It is better to do this business with the student and win a reputation for serving the country and the people." Yan Chengjin said honestly.

Zhu Houzhao became more energetic: "What are your ideas?"