Seeing this.
Village Chief Zhu Liang stood up and did not answer Zhu Yuanzhang's question directly. Instead, he smiled and said,""Come with me."
Regarding this.
Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly puzzled.
He hesitated for a moment before following.
After a while.
Zhu Liang brought Zhu Yuanzhang and the others to the workshop.
Along the way, many people greeted the village chief.
The scene was very harmonious.
"You guys go ahead. We'll just stroll around.”
Zhu Liang said cheerfully.
Then…
He introduced the workshop to Zhu Yuanzhang.
"The workshops in our village have almost all kinds of food. We eat dried fruit, sugar, and dried meat."
"There are cloth factories, leather factories, and hand factories."
"There are even more workshops for the things that the common people usually use.”
He pointed to a place in front of him and smiled."That cement factory is owned by my son.”
Zhu Yuanzhang listened as he carefully observed these workshops.
He seemed to have thought of something.
"Uncle Zhu, I'm afraid it took a long time for your place to develop to its current scale, right?" he said in a deep voice.”
"Where did you get so much money to invest in the first place?”
Hearing his question.
Zhu Liang stopped and told Zhu Yuanzhang,""Of course it's Lord Meng."
"It's all thanks to Lord Meng's support in our village.”
"A few years ago, Lord Meng invested in every workshop in the village.”
"Every time, at a fixed time, there are professional officials and merchants who come here to purchase.”
"After that. Then, we will enter Pei County to sell them."
After understanding the situation.
Zhu Yuanzhang had more recognition of Meng Yin's talent.
In this way.
The village's economy also had a considerable income.
No wonder Zhu Liang said that there were many old people like him here.
Compared to the poor people in other places, their lives were much more comfortable.
"What is the annual harvest of each household in the village?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked curiously.”
Zhu Liang thought for a moment and said," Counting the farming, there are a total of 108 households in the village. Each family's annual harvest is about 30 taels."”
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.
It was already very good for farmers to have such a high income.
A waiter working in an ordinary inn would only earn one tael a month. In a year, he would only earn about ten taels.
Not to mention the ordinary people.
If they relied solely on farming at home, their income would only be less.
Every household in the Zhu Village could earn thirty taels of silver a year, which was a considerable income.
Zhu Yuanzhang felt happy for them.
Immediately after.
"What do you mean by 'investing' just now?" he asked curiously.”
As early as a few days ago, when he arrived at Pei County, he had heard the commoners mention this term.
Zhu Yuanzhang also did not understand.
Zhu Liang explained kindly,"The general meaning of investing in the company is that we only had one or two workshops in the beginning. We could only produce and sell ourselves."?”
"Lord Meng brought silver and invested it in the workshop to expand its scale.”
"Every year after that, Lord Meng has the right to take a portion of the money earned by the workshop.”
After Zhu Liang's explanation.
Zhu Yuanzhang also understood.
But very quickly.
He thought of something wrong again.
He frowned and said in a deep voice," Meng Yin only gave you silver once back then, but every year after that, you have to give Meng Yin a portion of the income for nothing?"”
In Zhu Yuanzhang's opinion, this seemed to be a bit of an advantage.
However…
When he heard Zhu Liang's words, he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Yeah," Zhu Liang nodded.
"All the workshops in our village add up to about 10,000 taels of silver that we have to pay to Lord Meng every year.”
As soon as he finished speaking.
" What?!"
"Ten thousand taels of silver!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that his eyebrows were about to explode.
His entire body was trembling.
At this moment, he was already cursing fiercely in his heart.
Damn Meng Yin!
A village would be greedy for 10,000 taels of silver a year!
It was simply infuriating!
No wonder the commoners said that Meng Yin was a corrupt official.
As expected.
Meng Yin indeed looked down on the little ones.
He was greedy for more than ten thousand taels!
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was ugly.
He suddenly felt that his understanding of Meng Yin was still too little.
A few days ago at Meng Yin's mansion, he flew into a rage when he saw the other party selling his official position for 30,000 taels.
If Zhu Yuanzhang had known that Meng Yin could be greedy for ten thousand taels.
He might have raided his house back then!
Zhu Yuanzhang asked angrily again,"You pay ten thousand taels of silver a year. Don't the people in your village feel sorry for you?"”
Zhu Liang smiled and said,"Of course not."”
Zhu Yuanzhang was puzzled.
"Why?"
"According to Lord Meng, this is considered protection money."”
"Because other than producing these, our village has done nothing else.”
"How to find a channel to sell it is someone else's business. There are people in the county who manage it.”
At this point.
Zhu Liang recalled the past and sighed."Unlike the merchants in the past who came to the village to buy things and kept lowering the price.”
"After deducting the cost, there won't be much left.”
"Look at the current situation. It's Lord Meng who improved our village.”
Zhu Liang had a grateful smile on his face.
"Lord Meng has stipulated that the merchants who come to our village to purchase must pay 10% to 20% higher than the prices of other places.”
"Moreover, the payment is divided into the first and the last payment, and the time limit cannot exceed three months.”
"It's all thanks to Lord Meng that the village can have such a scene today.”
After listening to it.
Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless.
After all, he could hear that Meng Yin had indeed made the entire Zhu Village's commoners live a better life.
Looking at it this way.
Meng Yin was greedy for ten thousand taels of silver every year, so he was not that hated.
Zhu Yuanzhang sighed.
He felt a little helpless.
He couldn't help but ask Zhu Liang again,"But Meng Yin is so greedy. What if the matter gets out and the emperor finds out and wants to behead him?”
Hearing this.
Zhu Liang was silent for a moment before he shook his head and said,"No."
"Lord Meng is a good official among corrupt officials. He should not have been killed.”
"Moreover, this investment isn't considered greed, right?”
Then…
He took a deep breath as if he had made up his mind.
"If that day really comes, the Emperor will chop off Lord Meng's head.”
"Then there are more than 500 people in our entire village. We will definitely write a petition in blood! Sue the emperor!"
Such firm words.
Zhu Liang's attitude was also felt by Zhu Yuanzhang and the others.
Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned.
Behind him, Empress Ma and the others did the same.
If they hadn't heard it with their own ears, they would have found it hard to believe that it was true.
He really didn't expect it.
Meng Yin was a corrupt official, but he could do this.
Since ancient times, there had never been a corrupt official like him.
Not only was he greedy.
He didn't like the small ones and wanted the big ones.
No one felt that he was wrong when he was greedy. They all felt that he was right.
If he was caught, there would be a lot of people who would plead for him.
To have such charisma.
This was the will of the people!
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。