manynovel Chapter 370: Who came up with this evil idea?
Chapter 370: Who came up with this evil idea?
"That's right! My Chen family is only slightly wealthy, but we are also willing to follow Patriarch Sun to help the court solve its problems." Chen Youyou is now eager to cling to the thigh of the Fourth Prince, so how could he not stand up and express his position?
"We are willing to follow!"
Many people stood up next. Jiang Youzhen thought to himself, these words are just for the sake of the shops. If there were no shops, would these people raise funds?
Many people who have come forward are local merchants. The Fourth Prince held up his tea bowl to hide his smile. Most of the local merchants support him. As for those small shrimps, it doesn't matter whether they have them or not.
He turned his head and glanced at the Second Prince, only to see that the Second Prince was holding a tea bowl and sipping tea carefully. He couldn't help but sneer in his heart.
He was quite calm, for he knew that the Second Prince must have a backup plan, but he was no pushover, so how could he not have a backup plan?
"Since you are willing to follow me in fundraising, I will certainly not let you suffer any loss. After the new wharf is built, the court will certainly also build new shops. The officials of the Ministry of Revenue will explain the rules to everyone for the specific matters."
"As a prince, I should set an example and donate eight thousand taels first!"
Everyone praised the Fourth Prince for his magnanimity, and then turned their attention to the Second Prince.
"Since my fourth brother has already donated, I will give him 10,000 taels!" the second prince said casually.
Everyone began to praise the Second Prince's generosity, but in their hearts they all sighed that the Fourth Prince knew how to behave. This way he neither surpassed the Second Prince nor appeared to be too ostentatious.
No wonder everyone in the court said that the Second Prince had a strange and stubborn temper and was difficult to get along with. But the Fourth Prince had a mild temper and was brave and resourceful.
After the two princes paid the money, it was up to the merchants.
The official from the Ministry of Revenue finally stepped forward and finally had his chance to show his talents.
This person is a member of the prince's party, Li Weijian, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue. He has been jumping around in the city these days just to gain benefits for the prince.
It’s a pity that there are two princes in charge of the city. If the crown prince doesn’t come in person, the effect will certainly not be as good as when the two princes are here.
However, it was okay for him to drink some soup while the two princes ate meat.
"This is Lord Li, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. He has been entrusted by the court to handle the fundraising matters." Qin Su introduced him to everyone again.
"Master Li, I don't know what the rules are."
It had come to the part that everyone was most concerned about, and Li Weijian directly asked someone to open the map.
"Please take a look, everyone. This is the blueprint drawn up after the court's latest survey. The surrounding area can be dug up to build shops."
Li Weijian pointed at the map and talked to everyone. Everyone gathered around and was very excited.
In fact, Tong Huaian and his team had already looked at the map and had already reserved several shops. Before coming today, they showed Jiang Youzhen the shop they had given her, and Jiang Youzhen was very satisfied.
It is next to the pier, but not too close, and the location is very good.
Although the shop area is not large, it is completely sufficient when the two rooms are combined.
Now the shops only have the right to rent, not the right to buy and sell. The land deeds are in the hands of the court, and no one has any special treatment.
The map was circulated and everyone had a clear idea in their minds. The big families had already made up their minds and were just waiting for donations.
"Why don't you go and take a look?" The second prince came close to Jiang Youzhen and said lazily.
"Your Highness, haven't you already taken a look? Just make the decision." Jiang Youzhen was too lazy to check the location. Anyway, the shops the two princes got must be the most suitable locations. This is a privilege, right?
"You are quite open-minded. I thought you wouldn't put all your eggs in one basket."
Jiang Youzhen: You guessed it right, but I can’t tell you.
"Everyone, you have all seen the map. There is no need to explain the location and size of our shop. Whoever donates more money will get it as compensation. It can be leased for five to ten years and the deed will be kept in the government. If the time limit is up, you will be given priority to lease it. But the prerequisite is that the rent is appropriate."
It sounds nice to call it fundraising, but in fact it is just a clearly marked price, and the highest bidder wins.
"I don't know who came up with this idea. They're asking for donations, which is just like taking money out of our pockets."
Someone mixed in with them, muttering something.
"Isn't it? The one who offers the highest price wins. Without financial resources, who dares to bid? Anyway, I can't do it anymore, so I just come here to join in the fun."
"I guess it was the idea of those powerful people in the court who came up with it. They are targeting our wallets!"
"Just be content! If we don't need to collect donations, it won't be our turn. There are too many wolves and too little meat. Don't you know that?"
Jiang Youzhen was very embarrassed. She was the one who came up with this idea. And these people happened to be right in front of her when they said it.
After Lord Li finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the hall, and the atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.
"Ahem! Since everyone has reservations, then our Sun family will come to offer some inspiration! In this case, the Sun family will offer five thousand taels of silver!"
"With just five thousand taels, you want to rent Shop No. 1?" The head of the Liu family suddenly said.
"We, the Liu family, support the imperial court and follow the lead of His Highness the Fourth Prince, who cares about the people."
When the head of the Liu family said this, the Fourth Prince immediately breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face.
I originally thought that the Liu family had changed their minds, but fortunately he knew how to deal with the situation.
"Eight thousand taels! Five years!" Everyone was shocked when the head of the Liu family shouted.
Some people have already calculated on their fingers that the rent for five years is eight thousand taels, which means one thousand six hundred taels a year. This rent is frighteningly high!
"Master Liu, Shop No. 1 occupies a very large area, is close to the dock, and is surrounded by mountains at the back, so it is not afraid of wind and rain. How could such a good location only cost 8,000 taels?"
At this time, Chen Youde stood up. He knew what the court and the fourth prince meant. The higher the rent of the shop, the greater the profit of the court.
These two families have money but are very stingy when spending it, so naturally he has to come out and help them.
"Ten thousand taels!" Chen Youde held his head high and chest puffed out, looking very complacent.
Everyone gasped. They were crazy, really crazy. But the shop was indeed big, with two floors. But they actually wanted 10,000 taels of silver for rent. Were they too poor, or was silver too precious?
Jiang Youzhen was not surprised. Shop No. 1 had a good geographical location. It was high and not afraid of flooding. It was backed by a mountain and could block the wind.
After the wharf was built, passing ships came here for supplies. There were also large and small merchant ships and passengers on board. The business couldn't be bad. It could be said that no matter what business you were in, you could make a fortune every day.
The two-story one is obviously suitable for a restaurant. After drifting on the boat for a few days, it is still exciting to have a delicious meal.
Jiang Youzhen is well aware of how much money the restaurant business can make. Even in a small county, Jiang Youzhen can get at least a thousand taels of silver in dividends a year, and this is a dock, so 10,000 taels of silver in five years is not expensive.
This shop is considered the king of shops. Other shops are either smaller than it or located in more remote areas.
"Thirteen thousand taels!" The head of the Liu family glanced at Chen Youde. He looked down on this second-generation ancestor of the Chen family.