[Three Kingdoms] Seven steps into wetness

Ask who to borrow?

——In today's era, the richest people other than the emperor are obviously the princes, and then some merchants and gentry... The capital Cao Zhi needs is as high as a mountain for ordinary people, but for the gentry, it is only a drop in the bucket.

Xuchang has a lot of scholars, such as Xun Yu, Yang Xiu, Kong Rong...

Among these people, Yang Xiu is naturally the one who has the closest relationship with Cao Zhi.

Yang Xiu came from Hongnong Yang's family, traced to his ancestor Yang Chang, who was the prime minister during Emperor Zhao's time, and lived in Runan.Although more than two hundred years have passed, the Yang family is full of talents and has never been annihilated in the torrent of history.

Yang Xiu's father, Yang Biao, now owns a piece of land in Runan, about [-] mu.It's just that Yang Biao has always been impartial and selfless, and he even has the heart of "those who are successful can also help the world", so most of the money accumulated over the years has been used to help the court and the people.

"Do you want to borrow money or food from the teacher?"

In the study, Yang Xiu raised his eyebrows as he looked at the expectant child in front of him.

He is not handsome, but he has a pair of deep and unpredictable eyes.Probably influenced by poetry and books since he was a child, his demeanor naturally reveals a little arrogance and indifference, which is unforgettable even at a glance.

"What's the use?"

Seeing his playful appearance, Cao Zhi resisted the numbness of his scalp and said, "...I want to do business."

— Doing business?

Yang Xiu opened his eyes slightly.

These days, the world has broken its head and wanted to squeeze into the ranks of scholar-bureaucrats.Cao Zhi went against the grain and wanted to be a businessman?

Yang Xiu laughed out loud.

Look at the disciples he teaches, they are really extraordinary.

Thinking of this, Yang Xiu was filled with shock and anger, but it didn't show on his face.He just took a sip of tea and said lightly: "You are the son of Mr. Cao, so you can naturally use this name to recruit some merchants and guests. With them, what money do you need?"

"...Sir, stop making trouble." The corners of Cao Zhi's mouth twitched.

This method is simple and convenient, and it will indeed kill Cao Zhi. Dare to recruit soldiers and buy horses under Cao Cao's nose, isn't it too long to live too long?

Of course Yang Xiu was just making a joke.He sipped his tea noncommittally, and said calmly again: "You suddenly said that you want to do business with me. I am very curious. Although I don't know about business opportunities, I have mentioned it in my books. You can tell me with me. Tell me how you plan to do business."

Cao Zhi made a salute upon hearing this, as if organizing his words, and said after a while: "Although the students don't know much about fighting, under the guidance of the master, they also understand the importance of wartime supplies..."

After he said this sentence, Yang Xiu was completely sneering.Then he couldn't hold back his guilty conscience and let out a dry cough before continuing to speak.

"Students believe that the most important supplies in wartime must be food and grass, and where does the army's food and grass come from? Naturally, it is given by the imperial court. Then where does the imperial court's food and grass come from? Naturally, it comes from ordinary people."

"As we all know, Xuchang is slowly recovering from the food shortage this year. However, in this winter, the people must not have enough food to support them. Xuchang is waiting for prosperity, and it is impossible for food prices to return to the past in a short time. So in April Only merchants rushed to stockpile grain, because after November, the common people will be short of grain, so they can sit on the ground and sell grain at a higher price."

"I kind of understand what you mean." Hearing this, Yang Xiu glanced at him with a half-smile, "Don't you want to buy some grain from a rich place and sell it to Xuchang? You also said that the source of grain and grass From the common people. So the court will not be short of food, and the rich will not be short of food. It is only the common people who are short of food. In fact, the common people have already exchanged their money for food. Even if there is not enough food in the family, how can they buy your food? ?”

And if Cao Zhi's grain cannot be sold, wouldn't he also lose money?

Yang Xiu asked casually, but this question happened to strangle Cao Zhi's most critical point.

Cao Zhi heard that not only was not distressed, but he was confident: "Mr. is right. Once the people have no money, the grain hoarded by the merchants cannot be sold. Once they cannot be sold, the price must be reduced. But it is not just the price of grain. The price, but everything. Merchants not only can’t make money, but also lose money. In this way, students think, they can do the opposite!”

"Oh?"

Cao Zhi smiled slightly: "Due to the high price of food in Xuchang these years, the rest of the supplies are cheap. What if the students bought back the rest of the hoarded goods from the merchants and sent them to the land occupied by the other princes to sell them?"

Yang Xiu frowned and said, "For the time being, it doesn't matter whether there is any profit or not. The distance along the way is long, and now there are more refugees and bandits running around in this world. How will you solve it?"

"That's why the students think that caravans don't follow the official road, but travel by water. Although there are rogues on the water, there are fewer bandits than in Luzhong. And Sun Quan is now focusing on recovering Jiangdong, so he will not spend much time on the caravan."

Yang Xiu thought for a moment, then said after a long time: "What do you want to trade with them?"

"In troubled times, apart from food and grass, there is one more thing that is essential."

Yang Xiu said lightly, "You mean medicinal materials?"

"When there is no shortage of food in a place, it is also a disease that depends on the war. In August, the students heard that the Yangtze River flooded, causing the people in the Lujiang River to be displaced, and the epidemics abounded. Although Sun Quan had help, he was unable to do what he wanted. And I Xuchang Yuzhou Those common medicinal materials grown by almost every household in the village are indispensable in Jingzhou now. Why not sell these medicinal materials to Jiangdong?"

"In the land of Jiangdong, students don't need to exchange food, they can replace it with other things. The land of Jiangdong is rich, and the precious things in my north are extremely common in their side. For example—Jiangzhong aquatic products, rouge powder such as."

As the saying goes, rarity is more precious.The price of these things in Jiangdong is not high, but they can earn a lot of money when shipped to Xuchang.

Hearing this, Yang Xiu raised his eyebrows and sighed slightly.

Cao Zhi's heart tightened.

He could understand what Yang Xiu meant—he used to be reluctant to show off, even Xun Yu and Cao Cao often answered "Mr. Said" in the school entrance exams, but now he racked his brains on how to do business.

In the eyes of scholars like Yang Xiu, it is really too philistine, putting the cart before the horse.

He saw Yang Xiu drink up the tea, playing with the teacup expressionlessly: "Could it be that you plan to do business from now on?"

He didn't look at Cao Zhi, and his tone was a little cold.Obviously, if Cao Zhi really planned to do business for the rest of his life, not only would he not be able to borrow money, but he would also walk away in a huff.

Cao Zhi naturally understood Yang Xiu's thoughts.He lowered his head and narrowed his eyes, and said softly: "No. As the student said, the student took advantage of Jiangdong's previous epidemic, and now Xuchang is full of waste. Waiting for my father to rule the north...maybe it won't take so long. Wait until next year There will be a bumper harvest in Xuchang in March and April, so there will be no shortage of food now. At that time, except for food, the prices of other commodities will rise. Although the method of students is still feasible, it will lose its current benefits."

Yang Xiu finally came to the last question: "Where is the escort?"

Cao Zhi seems to have thought of a countermeasure for this point: "The other teacher of the student must have a way."

After Yang Xiu asked this sentence, he held his teacup and remained silent.

There was only silence in the room.

As Yang Xiu said, everything is inferior, only reading is high.With Yang Xiu's mind, he would definitely disdain such a transaction.

Cao Zhi paused for a long time, and finally said helplessly and sincerely: "The student knows that the master must be unwilling. But now the student has nothing but what the master teaches."

"Student remembers that Master once said that he hoped that students would fight for the position of the eldest son. But in terms of legitimacy, the successor in the future is undoubtedly the second elder brother who is the most righteous; in terms of father's favor, no one can compare to Cang Shu. Maybe in the future we will face righteousness. This is what Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan are facing now. And if I still have nothing in the future, how can I snatch that position?"

Yang Xiu snapped his fingertips.

He turned his eyes to stare at his slender, warm and jade-like fingers.These hands are almost the most beautiful part of his whole body, and the light in his eyes flickers, flashing on and off in an instant.

"Students doing business this time is actually just the first step. The ancients said that money can turn ghosts around. It cannot be ignored that you can buy a lot of things. If students want to be in that position, they must There is no shortage of people and money.”

After a long time, he suddenly smiled slightly.

"Congratulations, my student." He heard his own voice say, "You have convinced me."

Cao Zhi closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

In the afternoon of September, the sun was still a little hot.After Cao Zhi finished his sword practice, he chatted with Wang Qi about money.

Cao Zhi explained his plan to Wang Qi in detail.

Wang Qi glanced at him, took a sip of wine and said slowly: "If you want to find some guards, I can still recognize some of them... But don't expect too much, I'm not sure if they are alive or not. "

Cao Zhi opened his eyes wide, his face full of innocence: "Sir, are you willing to help the students?"

Wang Qi made a "bah" sound, and flicked his forehead vigorously: "You little cunning, tell me this, isn't it just to lie to me to escort the goods for you? If I can't even see this, I can Be your teacher?"

Cao Zhi covered his forehead with one hand, fixedly staring at Wang Qi with admiration in his eyes: "Teacher, you are simply too wise!"

Wang Qi looked at his tired-looking appearance, and the corners of his mouth twitched: "Okay, okay, since you are my disciple, let me help you this time. But let me tell you in advance, even though it is my family To do things, you have to settle accounts."

The corners of Cao Zhi's mouth were almost bent to the maximum: "Of course! Isn't the student's action this time just for your drink money?"

Wang Qi laughed out loud.He patted Cao Zhi's shoulder lightly, and tears suddenly flowed from his eyes.

Cao Zhi was taken aback, almost flustered: "Teacher? What's wrong with you, did you get sand in your eyes? Let me show you... Uh, don't just cry but don't talk—ah!"

His words were finally interrupted by Wang Qi's palm.The rough and brutish man thumped Cao Zhi's head hard, and said with feigned anger, "Why don't you go and see if that kid inside is alive or dead?"

Cao Zhi rubbed his head with two lines of tears, sniffled and glared at Wang Qi resentfully, turned and went into the back room.

Wang Qi looked at his back and took a sip of wine suddenly.After all, he couldn't help but muttered: "If my son is still alive...wouldn't he be able to earn money to buy me wine?"

In October of the seventh year of Jian'an, Cao Zhi borrowed more than a hundred stones of grain from Yang Xiu's Nan Biezhuang, and exchanged them for medicinal materials at a high price from Yuzhou.In November, hired a ship to sell to Jiangdong.

At this time, Cao Cao had conquered Liyang, making Tan and Shang stick to the inner city, and they dared not go out to fight.

At this time, Cao Cao received a letter from Xun Yu.