Then I remembered the catalog of commercial taxes.
"By the way, peanut oil should also be included in the tax bill. If apples continue to be sold, small countries will know there's a profit to be made and will definitely buy them in large quantities from Tianjing. At that time, the price of apples in Tianjing will drop again and again and become worthless. If the supply exceeds the demand, then I will earn less money." Si Xitong calculated carefully: "So I plan to introduce a price protection policy to restrict imports to Tianjing, and then buy apples from small countries at low prices for domestic sales."
Xie Lanzhi: "......."
What should I do? My wife is becoming more and more like a capitalist. Urgent help needed!
"What's wrong?" Si Xitong asked in detail, only to find that someone was staring at her absentmindedly.
Xie Lanzhi didn't know how to reply, so she could only give her a thumbs up and say, "Wife, you're the best!"
"Thank you, my wife!" Si Xitong's joy was evident in her eyes, which narrowed into crescent moons, and her lips were full of smiles.
Lan Zhi's recognition made her happier than any success.
Xie Lanzhi leaned over the desk and touched her head, but the woman grabbed her hand and placed it on her chest, feeling her heartbeat quicken.
It was yet another incredibly obvious hint.
Little Phoenix wants a reward!
It was broad daylight.
She's more open-minded than I imagined. My wife has been influenced by her for the past two years, and her views are changing, but she's developing in the direction of becoming a confident, generous, and strong woman.
This is the modern woman. And Si Xitong, who has received two years of modern education, inevitably carries some of the free and easy spirit of urban women.
Xie Lanzhi looked at her tenderly, then bent down and picked her up from the chair. Si Xitong lay in her arms, gazing at her expectantly. The two smiled at each other, their figures overlapping as they walked towards the bed.
Soon, the sound of horses' hooves came from the western suburbs. Xie Guang had received orders from Lan Zhang Palace and he had personally come to the western suburbs to check on the white pig.
Gao Yin was quite surprised to see General Xie in person and bowed, saying, "Greetings, General."
Xie Guang cut to the chase, saying, "I've come here for two reasons: first, to reward you, and second, to see for myself the meat supply for the Tianjing army."
Gao Yin immediately led him to the nearby pigsty. Xie Guang was not bothered by the smell, because His Highness had said that if the meat industry developed well, the army would be able to eat meat every day, so it had to be taken seriously, and this was also a logistical war.
Xie Guang was always keen on war. The term "logistics war" that His Highness mentioned was one he had never heard before, but he knew that a war could not be fought without supplies. Sometimes, even if an army was defeated, it could continue to fight as long as it had enough supplies until it could win.
Therefore, even the most powerful army will suffer a fatal blow if it loses its supplies, especially if it encounters unfavorable circumstances in battle.
Even a powerful army can easily crumble and scatter when it falls.
"Your Highness has given the order, and this humble general dares not delay it." Gao Yin said, "These pigs are just the first pen. King Weidu has now made silk his main business, and pig farming as a secondary business is developing very well."
Si Lei is quite skilled at breeding livestock; the silk industry has thrived under his leadership, as has the pig industry.
From now on, Si Lei will be credited for every pig Xie Jun eats.
When Xie Guang heard that the arrogant prince had been reduced to raising pigs for them, he couldn't help but sigh. Although his prestige was gone and his army's fighting strength was weak, the extra money was some consolation. Besides, the Xie family wouldn't attack Weidu. It could be said that life in Weidu was much better than in Tianjing.
With ample grain, rice, meat, and clothing, Weidu was once the most prosperous place in the region. Furthermore, Weidu was protected by armies on all sides, making it the most stable place at the end of the Jin Dynasty.
Gao Yin suddenly remembered something and quickly reported to Xie Guang: "His Highness asked me to convey a message that the Hu Xiongnu envoy has personally come to Weidu with a letter of invitation for His Highness to go to Luochuan to pay homage to the new Hu Xiongnu king, Aqina."
Upon hearing this, Xie Guang couldn't help but sneer: "The Hu Xiongnu have never had any good intentions!"
Now that they see Si Lei's value, they want to poach him. They don't even consider who built Si Lei's current fortune!
It's their marshal and mistress!
Chapter 99 The Hun Murder Case
After inspecting the piglets, Xie Guang specifically asked Gao Yin, "When are you going back to Weidu?"
Gao Yin replied, "This humble general must wait for His Highness's audience before returning to Weidu."
Princess Fengning is constantly implementing new policies and decrees, keeping not only herself busy but also her subordinates.
The Xie family used to be idle and domineering in the city, but now they are so busy that they don't even have time to curse.
Many people began to walk the right path, but gradually branched out in private and started to look down on the Xie family, who had nothing to do.
The Xie family internally split into two groups: the useless and the talented. The Xie family members, who were concerned about their image, began to compete internally, fearing that they would be labeled as useless.
Xie Guang remembered that he still had to supervise the dike defenses of the military camp to prevent the spread of the epidemic. Although the epidemic had been over for almost two months, he still could not relax.
"The matter of Prince Li will be resolved by the higher-ups."
"Just mind your own business. We'll have a drink sometime when we're free." Xie Guang had a good impression of this man. If it weren't for the fact that people have to raise pigs, he would definitely have recruited him to his army camp as an adjutant.
Gao Yin said gratefully, "Thank you for your appreciation, General."
The piglet matter was arranged well. After Xie Guang inspected it, he wrote a memorial and presented it to Lanzhang Palace, which landed directly on Si Xitong's desk.
While Xie Lanzhi was still asleep, she had already dressed and begun to review the memorials.
Two piles of memorials were stacked on either side of the desk, each containing urgent matters requiring approval within the next six months. Si Xitong spent an entire afternoon reviewing them, finally approving them. He then instructed the Grand Council to distribute them to lower-level officials. The lower-ranking officials would then assist with production according to their own methods.
A moment later, Granny Xie personally handed over a memorial, which was an internal memorial from the Xie family.
Si Xitong took the memorial and saw that it was a message from Weidu. A Xie family merchant was furious because Prince Si Lei met with Shan Yuhou, so he deliberately caused trouble at the banquet where the envoy was being received. He was then killed by Shan Yuhou's guards with a special hidden weapon.
"The victim is Xie Fengqing." She closed the folding book and analyzed the intelligence she had obtained, concluding that the unusual hidden weapon was likely a firearm or a gun.
The old woman surnamed Xie said with great regret, "Xie Fengqing is a well-known ship merchant in the Xie clan. The pigs that His Highness ordered to be raised were transported to Tianjing by him in two days by large ships. Fruits were also transported to Weidu by his ships. He is also the one who pays the most of the commercial taxes that you have set for him."
Furthermore, not a single piglet was injured or lost during the transportation process.
He is still an important talent.
Si Xitong's expression darkened, and she immediately issued an ironclad order to the Western Guard to conduct a thorough investigation.
Such a shrewd businessman would never be so reckless as to cause trouble at a banquet; there must be some inside story behind this.
"Your Highness, Xie Fengqing's son is still in the hands of Shan Yuhou, who is demanding a ransom of one thousand shi of rice."
Si Xitong did not speak with Granny Xie again, but ordered Wu Qiu to wait at Jianzhang Palace, saying she would arrive soon.
When Wu Qiu arrived at Jianzhang Palace, he was accompanied by Xie Fengqing's older sister, Xie Fengling, who was the garrison commander of the west gate of Tianjing.
When Si Xitong arrived, Xie Fengling rushed to her and knelt down abruptly: "Your Highness, please do justice for my brother!!"
"Get up." Si Xitong turned and walked into Jianzhang Palace. Her face was stern, and the atmosphere around her cooled down. Seeing that his mistress attached great importance to this matter, Wu Qiu immediately helped Xie Fengling up, and the two entered Jianzhang Palace.
The revenge must be taken, but no procedure can be omitted, even if it takes a little time.
As Si Xitong took his seat, Xie Fengling knelt down again, breaking down in tears: "My brother Xie Fengqing died unjustly, and my nephew was also killed by the villain. Please, Your Highness, do justice for our family!"
Wu Qiu said, “Your Highness, Xie Fengqing caused trouble at the banquet and was beaten to death by the Hu Xiongnu. This matter has spread throughout the countries, and everyone is saying that the Xie family was arrogant and domineering and brought trouble upon themselves. It was not the fault of the Hu Xiongnu. At that time, the small countries were all at the banquet, and they were all testifying for the Hu Xiongnu envoy Shan Yuhou, in order to shift the blame onto Xie Fengqing.”
"In fact, the truth is not so; I believe there is something fishy about this."
"My brother is known for his good reputation as a merchant, honest and upright, and his emphasis on integrity and adherence to rules is common knowledge." Xie Fengling said while shedding tears, "The envoy did not host a banquet for Fengqing, and Fengqing presented gifts in accordance with the Xie family's etiquette. But unexpectedly... unexpectedly, the Hu Xiongnu were barbaric and unreasonable, and still killed Fengqing!"
Si Xitong listened to every word. She stared at Wu Qiu, who was initially puzzled, but quickly understood her master's meaning.
He deliberately squatted down and asked Xie Fengling, "Did Xie Fengqing have any grudges with the Hu Xiongnu envoy?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Fengling's expression changed drastically. She hadn't wanted to bring it up, but now that Lord Wu had asked, she was surprised.
She could only say, "Feng Qing once snatched the business of a Hun merchant in Weidu. This Hun merchant and envoy were close friends with Shan Yuhou. Two years ago, Prince Li even stepped in to mediate the feud, and we thought the matter was over."
She paused, then Xie Fengling's resentment surged: "Could it be that Shan Yuhou is taking this opportunity to retaliate?!"
If it were merely for revenge, given the nature of the Xiongnu, they wouldn't have waited two years to retaliate. The Xie clan wouldn't have held the power they have now; if the Xiongnu simply wanted revenge, they would have acted then and there. Why wait until now?
The Western Guard has a constant stream of spies. As long as you join the Western Guard and make great contributions, regardless of your status, you can be promoted and given the power of a supervising minister.
Human beings have always been passionately obsessed with the pursuit of power.
Zhang Changle released the news, and the newly recruited spies in Weidu quickly found out.
Furthermore, this news wasn't some kind of secret; it was practically a gray area that even King Weidu couldn't control. Within a day...
Zhang Changle investigated the cause of the case and found out that Xie was being unreasonable, trespassing on the banquet, and assaulting the envoy from the superior country.
It's all a lie.
He found the ship records of Hu and Xiongnu merchants in Weidu and also interrogated local merchants who did business with the Hu and Xiongnu, and found some clues.
The Hu and Xiongnu merchants made money like water in Weidu by trading in aquatic products and horses, and then spent it all in another place in Weidu.
That is the Xiaoyao Palace.
This Xiaoyao Palace was built on ten acres of land purchased by the Hun people. It is very mysterious inside, and because of its mysterious aura, the wealthy people of Weidu are curious to go in and explore.
Later, no one knows what happened inside, but there were often sounds of men and women playing. Afterwards, the sky above Xiaoyao Palace was filled with smoke, making it look like a fairy palace.
Every day and every night, people go in and never come out again. When they do emerge, they are emaciated, as if they have been drained of all their blood. If it weren't for the fact that these people are walking in the sunlight, the locals would think they've seen a ghost.
Within a year, most of the merchants in Weidu had gambled away all their wealth, some going insane and dying suddenly in their homes in the middle of the night, others becoming possessed, appearing listless and with vacant eyes, frequently suffering from seizures that required them to be restrained. One of these men, unable to be restrained, escaped and insisted on going to the Xiaoyao Palace, claiming that only a certain medicine from the Xiaoyao Palace could alleviate his symptoms.
Therefore, the doctor at Xiaoyao Palace said that this illness was serious and the treatment only addressed the symptoms, not the root cause, requiring long-term treatment at Xiaoyao Palace. However, each pill cost one tael of gold; otherwise, the person would simply wait to die.
No one knows what kind of strange disease it is. The local people had the opportunity to see a merchant fall ill once. It is said that the merchant was kicked out of Xiaoyao Palace because he had no money.
The merchant, penniless and having pleaded repeatedly to no avail, finally resorted to stabbing chopsticks directly into his nose, causing him to bleed from his eyes and nose, and die a agonizing death. Some people even jumped to their deaths or drowned.
It seems that any merchant who gets involved with Xiaoyao Palace dies mysteriously, and the Weidu government doesn't dare to investigate further, simply treating it as suicide.
So, within two years of opening, Xiaoyao Palace had amassed tens of millions in wealth.
Si Lei didn't dare to interfere much, turning a blind eye and only collecting a considerable protection fee. He privately restricted his relatives from getting close to Xiaoyao Palace, but most of the other merchants passing through Weidu were unaware of this matter. Once they entered, they were no longer under the jurisdiction of the government.
The Xiaoyao Palace has become a gray area.
Ordinary people mostly refer to Xiaoyao Palace as the Ghost Palace.
Si Xitong waited all afternoon, and Zhang Changle finally entered Jianzhang Palace with new intelligence.
When Xie Lanzhi woke up, she found the bed beside her empty; her beloved was no longer there. She was also nowhere to be seen at the desk in the palace.
He must have gone to Jianzhang Palace to review memorials again. She has a workaholic wife, and she feels both sorry for her and gratified.
After Xie Lanzhi got up, her mother-in-law brought her tea and snacks and reported on the important events that had happened that afternoon.
It instantly made her lose her appetite for afternoon tea.
"Xie Fengqing?" Xie Lanzhi had heard of this person. He was a big merchant in charge of Weidu, and his status and rank in the Xie family were very high. In fact, half of the ships going to Weidu from Tianjing and the Southern Region came from Xie Fengqing.
Xie Fengqing himself worked diligently to earn money for the Xie family, was honest and conscientious, and never complained.
Therefore, Xie submitted several memorials hoping that she would give Xie Fengqing's older sister, Xie Fengling, a chance to gain experience.