Chapter 58 The Mansion Will Collapse

  To get suitable steel, Lin Chunhong was so anxious that he couldn't eat or sleep.

  "Like a rock in a latrine, both smelly and hard!" Lin Chunhong cursed Yu Yan with deep hatred.

  Lin Chunhong was familiar with Yu Yan's every move, and Yu Yan's wife, Cao, was the niece of Cao Kun, the current Minister of Works. Yu Yan's wife relied on her family's powerful influence and didn't take Yu Yan seriously at all, being a person who was like a lion in the east of the river. Lin Chunhong had considered taking the route of befriending Mrs. Yu, but he didn't expect that Mrs. Yu would be extremely astute and not give him any opportunity.

  "At most, he's just a coward who's afraid of his wife!" Lin Chunhong cursed Yu Yan without stopping, and casually picked up the imperial edict.

  Browsing the imperial court gazette was Lin Chunhong's habit. With limited power, Lin Chunhong could not extend his reach to the capital, so the gazette became his only means of understanding the trends in the imperial court.

  Lin Chunhong found that after the initial naivety of Emperor Chongzhen, he finally recognized the principle of mutual restraint between the inner and outer courts, and began to strengthen the power of eunuchs. In addition to sending eunuchs to supervise the military, he also appointed Grand Eunuch Zhang Yi as the head of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. Lin Chunhong flipped through these messy personnel appointments with his hands, picked up a memorial, and read it carefully.

  This memorial was submitted by the Governor of Three Borders, Hong Chengchou. Hong Chengchou wept and said that the main reason for the loss of soldiers and generals under his command was that inferior military equipment had been passed off as good. Upon investigation, it was found that these military equipment came from the Nanjing Military Equipment Bureau...

  Nanjing Military Equipment Supervision? Lin Chunhong's hair stood on end, Guan Renmei was about to sell the brittle iron to Nanjing Military Equipment Supervision, wouldn't he be implicated?

  Guān Rénměi is finished!

  Lin Chunhong stood up abruptly, preparing to gather his subordinates to discuss countermeasures for Guan Renmei's downfall. After all, Guan Renmei held a large number of shares in the Yiling warehouse and had a lot of business dealings with the Lin Group. If they didn't take it seriously, they might suffer from the fish in the same pond.

  At the same time, Lin Chunhong was also puzzled: it is said that the weapons of Nanjing Military Equipment Bureau are only supplied to the south, how can they be in Hong Chengchou's army? This doesn't make sense.

  Was Hong Chengchou deliberately framing the Nanjing Military Equipment Bureau?

  No, no, thinking of Premier Zhang Yi-xuan's Ministry of Works and Finance, Lin Chun-hong had a flash of insight: this was a contest between Zhang Yi-xuan and Cao Jue!

  Lin Chunhong sat down again, picked up his pen and paper, and carefully calculated the various possibilities. After a long time, Lin Chunhong sighed: Zhang Yi-xian was indeed ruthless, one move had struck Cao Jue's weak point. Even if this struggle could not completely overthrow Cao Jue, at least he could use the Nanjing Military Equipment Supervision case to cut off some of Cao Jue's wings.

  At first, Guan Renmei was introduced by Yu Yan to sell the iron to Nanjing, so to speak, Yu Yan will also follow in Guan Renmei's footsteps and be finished soon.

  Lin Chunhong was overjoyed and immediately summoned Zheng Tiancheng, instructing him: "Immediately recruit a large number of workers to prepare for mining at Huoshao Ping!"

  Zheng Tiancheng was puzzled: "Has Yu Yan already agreed to turn it into a private school?"

  "How can it be so fast? Yu Yan this beast, smelly and hard!"

  "Isn't it a bit too early to be preparing now?"

  "It's not early, it must be done quickly, Yu Yan will be finished soon!" Lin Chunhong said with a pleased expression, then put on an air of mystery and continued: "I can calculate the fate, Huo Shao Ping will belong to us immediately!"

  Lin Chunhong was clearly lagging behind in the news of the Military Equipment Bureau case. When he was still at the Yi Bao, Zhang Yi-xian and Cao Kun's struggle had already resulted in a victory: Zhang Yi-xian took advantage of Liu Yu-lie's impeachment of the Ministry of Works' lead storage being all bad to speak to Chongzhen "the lead is all gone", Chongzhen was furious, and ordered the complete melting of the lead, and punished many officials inside and out. Cao Kun could no longer continue in his position and had to resign as Minister of Works and beg for a bone to return home. Alas, "suddenly it's like a big building collapsing, dimly lit like a lamp about to go out", Cao Kun's downfall made the trial of the Nanjing Military Equipment Bureau case suddenly become strict, Yu Yan and Guan Renmei were in a precarious situation, and could not last for long.

  Lin Chunhong was still thinking about how to find a suitable ironworker. Suddenly, Guan Renmei came to visit, and Lin Chunhong welcomed him into the hall. Guan Renmei had always been elegant and refined, extremely particular about his appearance, and today was no exception. His clothes were immaculately tidy, and his whiskers, which he took great pride in, were neatly combed. However, all of this could not conceal the specks on his temples or the wisps of hair creeping up his forehead.

  "Brother Guan has a lot of free time, and he actually has time to come to this small place in Zhijiang?"

  Lin Chunhong's teasing made Guan Renmei's facial muscles twitch, forcing herself to calm down her turbulent emotions, and smiled as if nothing had happened: "This time I came over, just want to get close to Lin brother, by the way, do some business with my brother!"

  "What deal?"

  "My younger brother also knows that I made some silver by mining and smelting iron in Ma Lian. Now, I'm getting old and just want to indulge in leisurely pursuits, no longer managing these mundane affairs. Unfortunately, none of my sons are capable of taking over the business, they're all busy reading books about sages and worthies. So, I've been thinking of selling the mining and smelting workshop in Ma Lian. After careful consideration, only Lin, my younger brother, has the capability to take it over."

  Lin Chunhong listened and scolded Guan Renmei in his heart: "Damn it, does he think I don't know that Ma Lian's iron is useless? This guy is too sinister, wanting me to take over this hot potato! However, Lin Chunhong said calmly: "Ma Lian is a place where you can make a fortune overnight, if little brother takes over, how can little brother bear it?"

  Guan Renmei smiled wryly and said, "Younger brother doesn't know that Ma Lianlian's iron is too brittle. Apart from making some rough goods like iron pots, it has no other use. If younger brother wants to take over, 60,000 taels of silver would be enough!"

  Lin Chunhong was shocked and did not expect Guan Renmei to admit it directly. It seemed that he had just used a small-minded person's heart to measure a gentleman's belly. Moreover, the Ma Lian workshop was sold for 60,000 taels of silver, Lin Chunhong got a great deal, and just those craftsmen alone, Lin Chunhong thought they were worth far more than 60,000 taels. Lin Chunhong couldn't help but feel a little moved, and asked: "Brother Guan, have you encountered some difficulties? Do you urgently need silver?"

  Guan Renmei nodded and then shook his head, saying: "Younger brother is worrying too much, I'm not short of silver now. Selling Ma Lian's workshop was the first thing I came to do today, and the second thing is that I want to acquire 50% of Lin younger brother's Jingzhou warehouse shares!"

  Two things about Guan Renmei left Lin Chunhong stunned. To say that Guan Renmei is now facing a catastrophic disaster, from any angle, he would not do these two things. What kind of medicine is Guan Renmei selling in his gourd? Lin Chunhong touched his forehead and said in surprise: "We are not prepared to sell the shares of Jingzhou warehouse?"

  "Brother Lin, don't be in a hurry to refuse, listen to my plan for acquiring 50% of the shares first. This acquisition doesn't require Brother Lin to report to the authorities, nor does it require Brother Lin to pay me 50% of the profit every month. It only requires that in the future, Brother Lin can take good care of the children and grandchildren of my family, and give them a thousand taels of silver every month to make ends meet!" After finishing speaking, Guan Renmei let out a long sigh, and the desolate look on his face made people unable to bear looking at him again.

  Lin Chunhong finally understood Guan Renmei's intention: Guan Renmei knew he couldn't escape this calamity, and now came to arrange the aftermath for his children and grandchildren. Lin Chunhong also couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart, looking at Guan Renmei who was speechless for a long time.

  Guan Renmei's favorable terms were too good for Lin Chunhong to refuse, now Guan Renmei is facing the misfortune of being robbed, it would be better to put that large sum of money into his own pocket rather than letting the greedy official who was going to rob him have it cheaply.

  From another perspective, Guan Renmei's trust in Lin Chunhong was not in vain. Guan Renmei did not ask Lin Chunhong to make a contract or find a witness, but instead reached an oral agreement with him. Lin Chunhong had once asked Guan Renmei why he didn't suspect that he would turn his back on him, and Guan Renmei only left one sentence: "Brother Lin, in less than five years, you have achieved such great success. If you were the kind of person who forgets righteousness for profit, how could you have led so many talented people to follow you?"

  Lin Chunhong only needs to pay one thousand two silver coins per month, and he gets twenty-four million two silver coins and Ma Lian's workshop for free. Lin Chunhong knew that Ma Lian's workshop would eventually become government property, so after reporting to the Yiling State Government Office, he immediately transferred all of Ma Lian's craftsmen to Baili Island and dismantled almost everything in the workshop, leaving only an empty shell and tens of thousands of miners.

  Yiling City Government Office.

  The large mansion, except for the east wing which had a bit of light, was pitch black. The southeast wind blew over, causing the house to creak and groan, like a ghostly howl. After Guan Renmei transferred his silver, he sent his wives and son back to Songjiang Mansion and dismissed all the slaves, leaving him alone in the mansion.

  In the dim light, Guan Renmei drank cup after cup of wine, getting herself drunk. The surroundings of the east wing were filled with firewood and other items, and a large amount of vegetable oil was spilled on the ground, shocking people at first sight.

  Guan Renmei picked up the wine jug, tilted his head and poured it into his mouth. The fragrant and mellow wine flowed down from the corners of his mouth. With a loud crash, Guan Renmei slammed the wine jug to the ground, grasped the table with both hands, and sang loudly: There are days and months hanging in the sky, there are ghosts and gods holding the power of life and death. Heaven and earth, it's only fitting to distinguish between good and evil, but how did they confuse Zhi and Yan Yuan? Those who do good suffer from poverty and short lives, while those who do evil enjoy wealth and longevity. Heaven and earth, you're afraid of the strong and bully the weak, yet you still go with the flow. Earth, if you don't distinguish between good and evil, what's the point of being earth? Heaven, if you misjudge the wise and foolish, what's the use of being heaven?! Alas, it only ends in tears...

  Singing and singing, Guan Renmei's voice gradually sank low, and suddenly a loud shout: Regret not in the past! Damn Cao family, damn Yu Yan, forcing Laozi to sell scrap iron to the Military Equipment Bureau, damn...

  Guān Rénměi's scolding grew louder and more shrill, her voice hoarse from shouting.

  Gu Renmei looked at the piled up firewood, and couldn't help but burst into loud laughter, his voice echoing in the silent darkness like a wolf's howl. As he laughed, he suddenly burst into loud sobs, his mournful cries sounding like a ghost wailing.

  Guan Renmei picked up the torch and threw it out with a swing of her arm. Immediately, a sheet of flames burst out from the east wing, engulfing Guan Renmei in a sea of fire.

  Guan Renmei's trembling hands grasped the drumsticks, fiercely pounding on a large drum, producing an ear-shattering boom. His teeth were clenched tightly, with threads of fresh blood seeping from his gums and flowing down the corners of his mouth. His movements grew faster and faster, the booms coming one after another in rapid succession.

  The drumbeats loudly declared the merchants' discontent with the Ming court, but it was just a declaration. In the end, a fierce flame rolled in and the drumbeats disappeared into silence.

  "It's on fire...... It's on fire......" The city of Yiling suddenly became noisy, the urgent calls were like a funeral dirge for Guan Renmei, lingering in the air above Yiling City, unable to dissipate for a long time...

  "Did Guan Renmei set herself on fire?" Lin Chunhong stared at Zheng Tiancheng, who had a regretful expression on his face, and was shocked with his mouth agape!

  "It's said to be haunted, the Guan manor was in an uproar for a whole night, and finally burned down to ashes, what a pity for this talented person! Alas......" Zheng Tiancheng sighed repeatedly, with sorrow evident between his eyebrows.

  "Remember, every month send 2,000 taels of silver to the Gong family in Songjiang. Now the Gong family has been confiscated and has nothing, over a hundred people are struggling to survive."

  Lin Chunhong felt a pang in his heart and decided to pay an additional 1,000 taels of silver to the Guan family every month. Zheng Tiancheng did not object and quietly exited the study.

  Lin Chunhong paced back and forth in his study, sighing over the fate of Guan Renmei. For many years, some wealthy merchants had repeated this story, rising to prosperity and then suddenly falling. Merchants sought rapid rise by relying on official power, but ultimately, it was often the official power that became their death knell.

  When can the Ming dynasty establish the sacred and inviolable concept of private property? All high-ranking officials are accustomed to using merchants to erode the foundation of the court, satisfying their own extravagant life needs; but once there is a problem, they always find merchants first. When the court's finances are tight, it also forces merchants to pay taxes or directly confiscates their property, solving financial difficulties with this quick fix. Alas, the industrial and commercial class is still not strong enough to resist the axe from the court.

  Isn't it the same with oneself? After making a bit of money, one would scheme for an official position to provide convenience for one's own business. Zheng Zhilong, who traversed the vast ocean, was also like this. In previous years, wasn't Zheng Zhilong suppressed by other pirates to the point of being unable to breathe? Since relying on the Ming dynasty court, his power greatly increased, and he continuously defeated his sworn enemies, becoming the largest independent maritime group in the Ming dynasty. The Ming dynasty is too big, and it can't manage that many things, but at least from now on, I will make my greatest effort to cultivate an independent industrial and commercial class in Jingzhou and Yiling. Lin Chunhong thinks this matter is more important than leading troops to suppress bandits. Suppressing bandits can gain reputation and promotion, but how much benefit does it bring to transforming the grassroots of the Ming dynasty? The entire atmosphere remains unchanged; the world only has one more able minister, Lin Chunhong, and the Ming dynasty still repeats its previous story, unable to escape the fate of the cycle of governance and chaos.

  Lin Chunhong made a secret decision, cultivating an independent bourgeoisie became his greatest strategy. He hoped that in his lifetime, the bourgeoisie would have a place in the court of the Great Ming, rather than being plundered by others as before. Of course, for commerce to develop, a stable social environment was necessary, and war must serve this stable social environment, whether it was suppressing bandits or resisting the Jin slaves, all must be subject to this overall situation.