"When did it come out? Why didn't I, Old Zhang, hear about it?" Old Man Zhang said in surprise. Uncle Zhao shook his head and said: "They tell you to read more newspapers and not listen to other people's opinions. Many talented people like to read newspapers to ordinary people like us. Did you see that Lao Zhou just listens to others when he has nothing to do? I read the newspaper, so sometimes it¡¯s better to learn more. You see, Lao Zhou joins in and sells merit buns. The Jinyu Family also said that for every piece of merit jewelry sold, one or two silver coins will be donated to the merit club. For the purpose of road construction, Jinghua Study House has also joined this activity and will donate one penny for every merit book sold. For every copy sold by Moyun Seal Bureau Factory, it will also donate one penny to Chang'an Newspaper. Due to rising prices, The price needs to be increased by one penny, but it also donates the penny for road construction. "Zuiyuelou, Chunhualou, Tangji Grandma Sake, Huji Mutton Restaurant, etc. have also joined this activity." Old man Zhang said in surprise: "No way, so much? Can this money be spent on road construction?" "What are you talking about?" Uncle Zhao said with a bit of contempt: "Those eminent monks and Taoist priests are all like gods. Would you like this little money? That deacon, General Liu, who spent all his money to donate a million taels of silver, would he still like your half a penny? It¡¯s up to you. This virtue, and Queen Changsun has joined the Gongde Club and is responsible for monitoring the use of money. You are not as good as the "jinv" of Qinglou. It is said that two brothels have also announced to donate from their income. "It's money to build roads." "No, is drinking flower wine a good deed?" Old Man Zhang said a little surprised. Selling a Hu cake is a merit cake, selling a book is a merit book, and selling a piece of jewelry. It's merit jewelry, but if you go to a brothel to find a "jinv", those are called merit girls? "Of course not. I heard that many brothels in Pingkangfang also wanted to register in Gongdefang, but this request was a bit ridiculous. In the end, they were declined politely, saying that they could donate money, but not in the name of merit. Look carefully, every household After registration, Gongde Society will send him a flag with the words "Gongde Society" on it. It is said that it was written by those old gods. It has extraordinary significance, not only in Chang'an, but also in Luozhou, Fengzhou, Suzhou, Yangzhou, and Guizhou. There are also people starting in Zhouzhou and other places." Uncle Zhao explained enthusiastically. Old man Zhang was suddenly moved, but he didn't expect to hang a flag. In addition to accumulating merit, he can also help to promote business. Hearing this, he immediately said: "Uncle Zhao, how can I enter this merit club?" "I heard that you can register at the municipal offices in the east and west cities. As for how to register and what procedures are required, Zhao I don¡¯t know. You can ask it yourself.¡± ¡°Hey, okay, Uncle Zhao, thank you so much. This bag of biscuits is free of charge. I¡¯ll just give it to you as a token of my gratitude.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot. Give it all to me. Are you going to stop doing business?" Old man Zhang said anxiously: "I won't do it today. I'd better go to the Gongde Society to ask someone, otherwise I won't be able to let go. " Look. Looking at the background of old man Zhang's rush of good luck, Uncle Zhao couldn't help laughing. He secretly guessed that old man Zhang was still as impatient as he was when he was young, so he gave himself all the fried Hu cakes on the stall. It¡¯s such a big bag. This way, not only myself but also the whole family can have enough for a meal at noon. It¡¯s a big bargain. Not only did he give instructions to the younger generation, but he also got a big bag of Hu biscuits as a gift in return. The man nicknamed Uncle Zhao was in a good mood. When he passed the street with the big bag of Hu biscuits, he couldn't help but take out a copper coin and follow the example of those people. He threw it into a special money box and left with satisfaction. On the special money box, there are a few big characters written in flying colors: Donate one penny every day and be a good Tang Dynasty person. The Municipal Department is a department that manages market order, handles sales disputes, and collects taxes for the country. It can be said to be the dominant force in the market. Many hawkers and merchants regard them as their basic necessities, especially businessmen. He belongs to the lowest level and his status is not high. Everyone who sees the Municipal Department nods and bows, treating the people in the Municipal Department as "masters". The environment is constantly changing. Many vendors in the West Market, when they saw the city department officials who usually looked condescending, nodded their heads one by one, and stood at the gate of the city department with smiles on their faces. , couldn't help but be very curious, and everyone was whispering about why they were so abnormal today. The officials of the City Department were not angry when they heard someone talking, and waited respectfully one by one. It was very simple. Queen Changsun and Princess Changle were here to inspect the Gongde Club, and General Liu Yuan personally accompanied them. These are all He is a big shot, and it is Mo's honor to be able to inspect this place. Although he is not here to see the operation of the city department, he is fortunate enough to see the true face of Empress Changsun, and he still feels happy after following her teachings. ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Out of the name of the Merit Society of Queen Changsun, and as a person like an honorary ambassador, Queen Changsun has not just muddle along,On the contrary, she took the time to leave the palace and personally inspect the work and progress of the Gongde Club. As the only person "working" in the Gongde Club, Liu Yuan had no choice but to accompany her in person. Empress Changsun believed in Buddhism and was very concerned about the great merits of building roads. Besides, building a highway would also be beneficial to the Tang Dynasty's control and rule of the border, so she was very concerned about this matter and learned that her mother was leaving the palace. When she came to inspect the Gongde Society, Princess Changle thought that this matter must be related to Liu Yuan, so she also came out noisily. No, she was flirting with Liu Yuan from time to time. As Liu Yuan walked, he glanced at Li Lizhi in front of Empress Changsun, which was a strange feeling when he fell. "Liu Qing's family, this Merit Society was established a year ago. Now that the Lantern Festival has passed, I would like to know how it is progressing?" Queen Changsun finally asked. Time flies by so quickly, but I don¡¯t know that the Gongde Club has been established for more than a month. During this month, Liu Yuan spent a simple and warm holiday, accompanying his daughters to stay at home, and then brought his The whole family went out to play and enjoy the lanterns during the Shangyuan Festival. It was an ordinary day and nothing major happened. Even if Li Er held a banquet in the palace, he declined. The family lived by themselves and had a good time. I don¡¯t know if it was because of the defeat of Tubo. This year, the Lantern Festival lanterns were more prosperous and the smiles on the people¡¯s faces were brighter. Although the government was as frugal as ever and did not spend a lot of money on purchases, the government was not big. With great efforts, the noble families and the common people relayed. Taking the main position, all the people participated, and the event was unprecedented. Many people in Chang'an said that it was the most beautiful and unforgettable Shangyuan Festival in history. Liu Yuan said happily: "Back to the Queen. Everything is going smoothly. The people of the Tang Dynasty are very kind, and the joining of several masters, especially the Queen, also gave those merchants great confidence. As soon as the Gongde Society was launched, This Merit Flag activity was reported in the newspaper on the first day. Those smart merchants had already come to inquire. When they heard about such a good thing, they immediately expressed their interest, so they signed eight contracts for the use of the Merit Flag. " After a pause, Liu Yuan continued: "The early publicity was in place. Besides, the Gongde Society has a large lineup and the signing was smooth. After these eight people got the Gongde flag, they used Gongde to package their goods. Secondly, their business volume was the largest. The difference has more than doubled. Although their profit sharing has increased a bit, due to the sharp increase in their business volume, they have made more money. With these eight as examples, merchants who had been holding a wait-and-see attitude began to After taking action, within this month, there were hundreds of merchants cooperating with Chang'an alone. In addition, this method was promoted with Chang'an as the center. Soon, in addition to Chang'an, merchants in other places also started. Come to understand and cooperate. So far, there are no less than a thousand merchants who have issued merit flags. " So quickly there are a thousand merchants. Queen Changsun was overjoyed when she heard this and praised her repeatedly: "Not bad, not bad, it was accepted so quickly. Liu Qing family, how did you do it?" Liu Yuan said with a smile: "Queen, there are three reasons. First, This is a good deed. There is a saying among the people that if you do one good deed a day, you will live longer. Many people do good deeds and do not want to be left behind. Secondly, merchants with merit flags have significantly better business than those without merit flags. There is a big problem here. The last reason for its attractiveness is that the properties in Weichen's hands are quite good. There are more than 300 Jinyu Family properties alone, and there are more than 20 branches of Mo Yun Study House. In total, there are more than 300 properties. With a small amount of effort, more than a thousand people are not an exaggeration." Hearing what Liu Yuan said, Queen Changsun smiled slightly and said softly: "Liu Aiqing always thinks about the Tang Dynasty, takes the lead in everything, and does good deeds. Never content to be inferior to others, this time I donated a huge sum of one million taels. It is said that in order to donate this amount of money, everyone made arrangements and almost spent all their money. I was very moved, and the emperor also sighed, saying that if there were more people in the Tang Dynasty, Why should a few talented people like Liu Aiqing worry about the unrest in the Tang Dynasty?" After saying that, he seemed to feel that not giving him any benefit or comfort would make the royal family stingy, and he quickly added: " Don¡¯t worry, Liu Aiqing, what you have done is seen by the people of the Tang Dynasty, the civil and military ministers of the Tang Dynasty, and I and the emperor know it well. For a hero like you, the emperor will not treat you badly. " "These are all things a minister should do. The Queen is very grateful." Liu Yuan said with a smile: "Besides, we are almost a family, so there is no need to be polite." Liu Yuan did not expect that Queen Changsun, who has always been indifferent to fame and fortune, actually said this In this case, she has always been virtuous and rarely participated in or interfered with political affairs. She did not expect to be able to say such comforting or even suggestive words this time. This is already very remarkable. Liu Yuan even feels a little flattered. This is an encouragement. and recognition. We are indeed a family soon. News came from the palace. After repeated discussions, the marriage between myself and Li Lizhi was scheduled for the eighth day of June. Once the two get married, they will naturally become a family. There is no need to be polite between families. In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient. If a respectable family wanted to hold a happy event, they had to notify relatives and friends one or two months in advance. When a royal princess got married, it was even more grand. The relatives of the clan who went to various places were notified and some friends were invited to make friends. Friends and neighbors, etc., come and go every three to five months. Liu Yuan has nothing to do about this. Anyway, he can accept whatever the people in the Ministry of Rites arrange. Li Lizhi is the eldest princess of Li Er and Empress Changsun, and she is also the most favored princess. The event was solemn and no one said anything idle. Hearing that Liu Yuan referred to himself as a member of the family, the Empress Changsun was stunned for a moment, and she took a quick glance, only to see that her precious daughter had a pretty face with a blush on her face, her head lowered, and she looked a little at a loss. This little girl has already cooked rice, but she is still so reserved. Empress Changsun was overflowing with motherly love for a moment, but she did not refute. Hearing this, she nodded and said, "Yes, she will be one of her own soon. Then Liu Yuan, if If you have any grievances, you can tell me in the future. As long as you are justified, I will stand up for you. " Queen Changsun and Li Er are both shrewd people. After a little bit of practice, they will understand a lot of meaning. Liu Yuan is so proactive. For donating such a large amount of money, there may be some hidden secrets, and it can be guessed that he is not willing to get involved in the fight for heirs, so there is the matter of road construction, the marriage of Changle and Liu Yuan is certain, and Empress Changsun also begins to protect her son. . It's not easy. After paying so much, this can be regarded as special protection. Liu Yuan sighed in his heart: Li Er and his wife are really good to Li Lizhi. She really deserves to be his own. I dare to let Empress Changsun say this. I am still With Li Lizhi's light. "Thank you, Queen. I will do my best to repair this road as soon as possible." "Thank you, Liu Aiqing." Queen Changsun smiled slightly. It was a very subtle and gentle smile. Although it was only a shallow smile, it was It is full of affinity and makes people feel like the spring breeze is blowing on their face. "General Liu, congratulations on the smooth progress of your plan. Now my father and mother want to know how much money the Gongde Club has prepared after operating for so long? You also know that spring is about to begin, and the roads are beginning to thaw and repair. The road will soon be developed on a large scale, so money is naturally indispensable," Li Lizhi said with curiosity. Liu Yuan and his mother discussed the matter of marriage in front of her. Even though she had had physical contact with Liu Yuan, Li Lizhi still felt embarrassed and deliberately changed the subject. Li Lizhi wanted to know how much money Liu Yuan, who had always been so good at making money, got after struggling for so long. As soon as she finished speaking, Empress Changsun looked at Liu Yuan curiously. It was obvious that she also Wondering. Liu Yuan thought for a moment and quickly said: "For those merchants who join the Merit Club, there are two ways to receive the Merit Flag. One is to pay a fixed amount of money every month and then you can use it, and the other is to get a commission. For example, every time a piece of goods is sold, how much of the profit will be donated to the Gongde Society for the construction of the road from Chang'an to Songzhou. The specific number has not yet been calculated, but according to Liu's estimation, there will be about one person in the first month. Fifteen thousand taels, a little less at the beginning, and it will increase gradually in the future, and the income will be relatively stable. " Fifteen thousand taels? Is this still less? Queen Changsun and Li Lizhi looked at each other and were speechless towards Liu Yuan. PS: On the way back to my hometown