plumnovel Chapter 97 Opening a Escort Agency
Chapter 97 Opening a Escort Agency
With Sun Jun's allegiance, Li Chong naturally faced no further obstacles in controlling the administrative aspects of the government.
After granting Yang Chengde the decree to expand the state's land holdings, he stopped creating obstacles, and everything proceeded very smoothly.
This gradually improved Li Chong's mood, at least everything was back on track.
Zhujiazhuang is a flat field.
Li Chong shaded his eyes with his hand and gazed into the distance, his face full of joy: "This Zhu fellow is really generous. He's willing to give away such good land so readily, even including the crops on it."
Xue Tao, standing to the side, said with a smile, "It's all thanks to the county magistrate's skillful planning that old man Zhu had no choice but to reluctantly give up the land. As for the crops on it..."
With a light laugh, Xue Tao shook his head and said, "If he didn't give them away, he would have to arrange for people to harvest them himself and then pay taxes, which would be another expense. By doing it this way, he not only gains a reputation for generosity but also doesn't have to bear the burden of feeding those people, which saves him quite a bit in the end."
Previously, Li Chong had Zhu Zhicheng distribute land to the people who had moved out of the mountains, and today Li Chong has come to inspect the results.
With the help of the Xue family, Zhu Zhicheng did not dare to be careless. Although the land they provided was not top-quality farmland, it was still quite fertile.
What is most commendable is that he even promised the unharvested crops to the people, so that they would have something to rely on.
However, there was certainly some calculation involved.
After hearing Xue Tao's explanation, Li Chong suddenly understood and slowly nodded: "Even if he had other plans, being able to hand over the land and resettle these people in time without delay is already a good deed on his part. In that case, there is no need to kill them all."
Xue Tao echoed his agreement.
As fellow villagers and gentry, even though the Zhu family colluded with bandits, Xue Tao still did not want to see Li Chong excessively pressure the Zhu family.
People feel sorry for each other; who knows if Li Chong will turn his attention to others after taking over the Zhu family?
Although his relationship with Li Chong was fairly good, anything can happen in officialdom.
Having lived for decades, Xue Tao had seen countless officials in the Song Dynasty, and he knew all too well what kind of people they were.
This county magistrate is probably new to the job and unaware of his methods, so it's best not to tempt him.
The Zhu family is extremely wealthy; taking control of their entire household would make one incredibly rich, a tempting prospect indeed.
Looking ahead, Xue Tao changed the subject: "My son said that the county magistrate wants the same batch of men as before?"
Li Chong chuckled, "Indeed, the reason I asked Young Master Xue to invite Patriarch Xue here today is to discuss this matter. During the previous bandit suppression, I fought alongside those men and promised them a bright future. Now that we have won, how can I not repay them? I hope Patriarch Xue will do me a favor."
Seeing Li Chong's appearance, Xue Tao looked somewhat helpless.
"This magistrate speaks kindly, but he's anything but polite when it comes to getting things done."
Li Chong verbally asked him to do him a favor, but of the guards he had his son take out before, very few returned after the deed was done.
Even his son mentions Li Xianzun every day.
People's hearts are with Li Chong, so what's the use of him disagreeing?
Those were bodyguards, not servants. Without a contract of indenture, and with the intervention of official power, Xue Tao's control over those people was indeed limited.
Fortunately, Li Chong still followed the rules and knew to mention it to him.
A few thoughts flashed through his mind, and Xue Tao replied with a smile, "It's their good fortune to be favored by the county magistrate. What's there to talk about inconvenience? I'll have someone send their belongings over soon, along with their wages for these days. From now on, they'll be at the county magistrate's beck and call."
"Very well, very well." Li Chong clapped his hands and laughed. "Patriarch Xue is indeed straightforward. Then I will shamelessly accept it."
"My son has received much instruction from the county magistrate, for which I am deeply grateful. What are a few men compared to this? However..."
Looking at Xue Ming, who was still directing everyone to divide the land in the field, a strange light flashed in Xue Tao's eyes.
"I've heard that the magistrate is planning to open some kind of escort agency, providing protection for traveling merchants?"
Li Chong waved his hand: "Hey, Patriarch Xue, you're mistaken. This county magistrate is busy with countless affairs of state, how could I have time to do any business? It's just that one of my subordinates is kind-hearted and can't bear to see people being robbed by bandits. Since it's a good deed, this county magistrate is just doing a favor."
"Yes, yes." Xue Tao nodded repeatedly. "I must have misheard. However, since the bandit suppression, my son has been idle at home. Once the land distribution is settled, I wonder if the escort agency could let my son do some work."
In any case, it's always a good idea to strengthen your connection with the local officials.
Li Chong opened a security escort agency under someone else's name. Although Xue Ming's relay of what Xue Tao said was not very clear, Xue Tao still gained some understanding of the agency's business.
Now that the bandits have been eliminated, it means that the road to Daming Prefecture has been opened.
At this time, traveling as a merchant would undoubtedly be extremely profitable. Investing in a security escort agency at this time would not only strengthen official connections but also facilitate business travel, so Xue Tao naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity.
Li Chong smiled slightly; what Xue Tao said was exactly the effect he wanted to achieve.
He had just established himself in Yanggu and still needed the support of local powerful families. It seemed that the Zhu family was not going to cooperate with him properly, so he would have to rely more on the Xue family.
Xue Tao spoke up at this moment, and the two hit it off immediately.
"Your son is intelligent and quick-witted; he is indeed a rare talent." Li Fang continued to shower his son with praise. "Since Patriarch Xue has spoken, it would be good to let him gain some experience. This will put my mind at ease and prevent any mistakes from happening to my subordinates."
Both of them had ideas, so they quickly agreed on the form of cooperation.
The Xue family was responsible for attracting customers and also had Xue Ming work in the escort agency, while Li Chong sent Wu Song to serve as the chief escort, in charge of the escorts in the agency.
As for the funds needed to operate the escort agency, Li Chong was responsible for distributing them.
Whoever controls the finances wins the hearts of the people, and Li Chong is determined to keep this. To him, these brave men are more valuable than cold copper coins.
As for the profits, they will be split 30/70, with Li Chong taking 70%.
After all, the manpower was all taken from the Xue family, as well as their customers. Moreover, Li Chong valued people more, so he didn't need to worry about so many benefits.
After the profits were divided, the two smiled at each other, and their trust in each other deepened.
No matter the circumstances, mutual benefit is the most reliable way to solidify relationships.
The two are now working together, which makes their relationship even stronger.
"Now that everything is settled, I wonder if Your Excellency would do me the honor of having the pleasure of hosting a banquet at Zuiyun Tower, and we are just waiting for Your Excellency to come."
Xue Tao raised his hand in invitation, and Li Chong naturally wouldn't refuse.
Turning around, Li Chong readily agreed, "Please."
The two chatted and laughed as they walked towards their respective groups, preparing to take a car back to the city.
However, just as Li Chong arrived at the carriage, he saw a familiar figure riding a horse galloping towards him.
Wu Dalang, breathless, cried out before he even arrived, "My lord! An angel has come!"