Boss Hai took the man away and took away the body of the Golden Beard.

As for where these people went, it is no longer a secret. After all, Boss Hai has already explained the strongholds of the Hu merchants in the Ming Dynasty in the Western Regions. Even if she wanted to conceal her whereabouts, Chen Xi would send someone to stare at her for twelve hours a day.

After the person left, Peng Yu had no idea. For him, his mission had been completed.

Yun Liu seemed very dissatisfied: "Sir, what do such a woman believe in her? She knows that she will not be sincere in doing things for her, and when she gets the manufacturing technology of glass mirrors and leaves Daming, how can we control her?"

Chen Xi asked, "Then do you have a way to do business in Western countries like her?"

Yun Liu seemed very confident: "Let the Beizhi give it a try."

Chen Xi did not want to slam Yunliu's confidence in front of Peng Yu, and explained: "Some things are not as simple as you think. The transactions in Western countries are difficult to do, and they don't speak the language. They also have to find people who know how to lead the way."

"From the capital to the West Sea, and then to the Western countries, it may take tens of thousands of miles to travel, with countless deserts and grasslands in the middle. Only those who often walk this path know how to transport things over, otherwise they will be in desperate situations at any time."

"Apart from land, if you want to trade with Western countries, you can only go by sea, but the Ming Dynasty still bans the sea... Alas! It is not easy to do global trade in this era."

Although Peng Yu couldn't understand what "global trade" means in Chen Xi's dialect, he still jumped out and volunteered: "Sir, villains are not afraid of hard work. If you want to find someone to do this business, villains are willing to give it a try..."

Chen Xi shook his head: "It's not that I don't trust you, but I feel that there is no need to do such a high investment and low harvest business. It's better to let go and hand it over to experts..."

"Tell you the truth, there is no goods worth my attention in the Western Regions, but there are countless countries in the past, and many civilizations were born and developed there. Those white people invented and created many things, and some of them did not. I want to get these advanced technologies, or to build a bridge that communicates with the East and the West..."

Originally, Chen Xi wanted to explain to Yun Liu why he used Boss Hai, but when he said that, he found that Yun Liu's expression became more and more restrained, and immediately realized a problem:

"The more important I say that business with Westerners is, the more unwilling Yunliu is, because she feels that with her, nothing needs to be done by outsiders, especially a woman who is not trustworthy and who joins the foreign country. But she doesn't understand. The greatest significance of her existence is to be my right hand, rather than to say that everything is mixed."

"Brother Peng."

Chen Xi looked at Peng Yu, "I've been troubled by you these days. This time your task is to communicate with them. After I go back, I will hand you the detailed list of purchases and sales. You need to verify and operate how to collect goods and how to price goods. In short, we cannot suffer any losses. At the same time, you must be careful not to leak the news."

Peng Yu used to do some shameful transactions, so he naturally understood what kind of disturbances would happen if the people in the court knew about this transaction.

The dignified Minister of War, who actually did business with the Hu people, is hard not to remind people of the foreign countries in Chenxi.

Peng Yu nodded: "The villain will naturally do what the Lord told me, but those Hu Ji who are mastered by the Western Regions..."

Chenxi Road: "There are other arrangements."

...

...

Chen Xi did not explain in detail to Peng Yu what it is to buy those beauties in the Western Regions.

Chen Xi was also wondering about this problem when he returned: "I originally left Hu Ji to find an excuse to choose another time to send it to the leopard room, but now His Majesty seems to have doubts about the women in the foreign country because of the words of Sima Zhenren. In this way, it would be meaningless for these Hu Ji to stay in the Central Plains. Even if they wanted to use Su Tong, these women would not be useful."

Chen Xi was thinking about it and suddenly felt tired. He sighed: "Why are you so tired to be an official? Not only do you have to do your job well, but you also have to consider the emperor's preferences, and even take the initiative to cater to..."

"I thought before that, apart from arranging food, drink and entertainment for His Majesty, I was no different from Liu Jin. Now, should I consider giving him a woman, even without even caring about courtesy, righteousness, integrity and shame?"

"However, Qian Ning has been alienated by His Majesty because of his failure to rescue the emperor twice. This person was abandoned by the emperor in history because of his timidity and selfishness... Before Jiang Bin rose, should he beware of His Majesty transferring his trust to Zhang Yuan and others? It seems understandable that I would like His Majesty to please His Majesty in this way?"

It was too late, and Chen Xi did not plan to go back to the house to disturb his family, so he went directly to Hui Niang's place.

Since there was no advance notice, Huiniang and Li Jin had already fallen asleep when Chen Xi arrived.

However, Hui Niang didn't sleep heavily. After knowing that Chen Xi was coming, she quickly got up to greet her.

"... The master suddenly arrived. I was not prepared at all and didn't know what to do. Therefore, I didn't wake up that girl Jin'er. If Master felt it was inappropriate, he asked her to get up and serve..."

Hui Niang looked at Chen Xi, curious why Chen Xi came here so late.

Chen Xi took off his coat and asked Hui Niang to hang up, saying, "I went to discuss a business. It's only now that the negotiations are over. It's already dark, so I'll come to you for a rest."

Hui Niang asked curiously: "Master is going to discuss business? So late... I thought the Master was busy with the court and forgot the time... Have you prepared midnight snacks for the Master?"

Chen Xi smiled and shook her head: "I used supper earlier, but I'm not hungry yet. Sit down and talk to me, and we'll rest together later... Don't you want to know what business I'm doing?"

Hui Niang shook her head: "No matter what business the master does, it is always a big business, which may involve the country and the country, so I don't want to ask more."

Chen Xi told the details about her business with the people of the Western Regions. Hui Niang was very surprised when she heard it. She swallowed back several times when she wanted to speak. After Chen Xi finished speaking, she finally couldn't help but question: "If the master is doing business with the people of the foreign country, it will be difficult for him to end."

Chen Xidao: "You are right, this is also why the business is going on in secret. But now I want to get Western technology, which may change the future of the world..."

"world?"

Hui Niang didn't understand the new noun proposed by Chen Xi very much.

Chen Xi thought about it and explained roughly: "It is the planet where all humans live... Cough cough, it is the land where everyone lives, including the Ming people, Tatars, Westerners and Hu people... Many things cannot be explained clearly to you. The times are constantly improving. Do you remember those Folang Ji people? They have advanced muskets and cannons in their hands. If they come again, their weapons will be more advanced than us. What if?"

Hui Niang was stunned for a while, then shook her head in confusion and said she didn't know.

Hui Niang didn't want to interfere with Chen Xi's decision. In her opinion, as long as she could do the business she was responsible for, she couldn't understand what Chen Xi said, so she simply chose to be silent.

What Chen Xi said, she could listen, but she would not express her opinions casually.

Chen Xi rarely found someone who could be compared, so he expressed his ideas, including how to obtain some mature science and technology from the West, and how to use these technologies in the Ming Dynasty and transform them into productivity.

"...I have never understood what steam engine the master said to me before, but now I have said this again, so I don't understand it even more."

Hui Niang was in a difficult situation. She had a good business mind, but she was limited to marketing methods. As for the development of technology and industry, she basically knew nothing about it.

Chen Xi smiled and said, "It's not complicated. As long as we bring in the technology we need and I will improve it, we can produce in large quantities... Now, with hydraulic power, the production efficiency of mills and spinning mills will be doubled. If we develop steam engines in the future and replace human spinning and weaving fabrics with the power of machines, will it save more manpower?"

Hui Niang asked in confusion: "The people need one or two pieces of clothing every year. Besides, there are too few raw materials that can be used to weave cloth. Even if you can make the steam loom you mentioned, what's the use?"

Chen Xi found that Hui Niang had no ability to accept new things, but instead poured cold water on it, but he did not blame him, saying: "Everything has its meaning. Saving manpower means the cost of clothes is lower. At that time, people could buy a few clothes to wear with the money they used to buy a piece of clothes, and even if the clothes were old, they could be replaced freely instead of patching them before wearing them... People's living standards would be greatly improved..."

"When people live, they cannot do without food, clothing, housing and transportation, so the business will grow bigger and bigger. As for the raw material supply problem you are worried about... As long as productivity increases, the manpower saved can be used to pioneer, plant cotton, and then spin the thread with our machine-renovation spinning machine, and then weave cloth... In this way, a virtuous cycle can be formed..."

Even though Hui Niang is good-minded, she can't understand what Chen Xi is talking about at this moment.

Chen Xi saw that it was too difficult. After all, Hui Niang was in the deep-rooted small peasant thoughts of this era and could not force her to change some of her ideas.

Chen Xidao: "No matter what, the things to be studied still need to be studied. I made a batch of silver mirrors when I was in Wuchang Mansion. Because I have been busy with government affairs since then, this technology is not used to benefit the people. There were craftsmen who were specially responsible for making this, but later I transferred them to produce glass doors, windows and tiles. I plan to ask these people to bring some apprentices out, and then set up a special workshop to make glass mirrors so that the people can also use this thing."

Hui Niang finally understood what was going on this time, and her eyes lit up: "This is pretty good. This business will definitely make money. I have always wanted to put the production of mirrors on the agenda, but I don't understand those things very well. I always need the master to transfer people. A mirror can sell dozens of taels of silver..."

Chen Xi smiled and said, "It's not to let the powerful enjoy this convenience, but to sell it a little cheaper."

Hui Niang shook her head firmly: "Good things cannot be sold at a low price. Who doesn't want to get such a beautiful mirror? Besides, the number of people who made them first will not be large, and the first few batches should be sold at high prices."

Speaking of business matters, Hui Niang immediately became interested. After all, she was still a businessman who was good at speculation and traders. She knew that the market was short of goods, so she was not afraid that the price would not be sold.

"Then Hui Niang, you will arrange the production and sales of glass mirrors. I won't care. Look back and see how profits are."

Chen Xi was very relieved about Hui Niang and simply became the boss.

Hui Niang nodded happily.

Chen Xi yawned: "I'm sleepy. I've been sleepy these two days. I almost didn't sleep all night. Today I went to the Leopard Room to meet the monks in the Western Regions at night, and I was so troubled... The court had a rare month's long holiday. I didn't expect that I was so tired. Now I just want to have a good rest on the soft pillow of a high bed."

Hui Niang smiled and said, "Do you want to be full of Wen Xiang? If you had known it, you should have woken up Jin'er. This girl is usually very attached to the master."

Chen Xi smiled slightly, got up and put his arms around Hui Niang's waist, preparing to enter the room together.

Hui Niang was very reserved and didn't want the maid to see this scene. When she went out, she broke free from Chen Xi's hand and asked him to enter the room first. Then she called the maid to make a little arrangement before entering the room.

Then there was a small separation better than a newlywed. Even though Li Jin slept soundly, Chen Xi still enjoyed the endless tenderness brought by Hui Niang.

...

...

The court discussion was the 19th day of the first lunar month. This day was during the court's rest period. No one knew what to discuss. However, various speculations were rampant. To sum up, there were only two things. One was the issue of the court sending troops to conquer the grasslands after the beginning of spring, and the other was the personnel changes in the court.

As for the commercial tax reform and other matters, as long as Zhu Houzhao and Shen Xi do not mention it, the people in the court would rather think that they didn't know that there was such a thing.

On the 18th day of the first lunar month, the court officials still did not know the issue of the court discussion, so Xie Qian, the policy vane, was paid attention to by everyone.

Many people have visited Xie Qian’s mansion in the past two days.

Although Xie Qian was also resting, he was not idle. First, the cabinet had many urgent official duties that he needed to deal with, second, if the sixth department offices encountered any difficult things, they would ask him for help, third, the imperial examination was about to be held.

In short, Xie Qian was unable to be quiet, and the endless crowds of people visiting the mansion made him disturbed.

At noon on the 18th day of the first lunar month, Xie Qian left He Jian to have dinner at the mansion, saying that it was a banquet, but there were only three dishes and one soup. Xie Qian's "stinginess" was very famous in the court. After all, he, the chief minister, did not engage in corruption and bribery, almost never left anyone to eat at the mansion. He Jian felt that he was invited to it was a great honor.

There were no one else at the dinner table, only Xie Qian and He Jian.

He Jian did not mention the affairs of the court, nor would he talk about Chen Xi himself. In his opinion, the conflict between Xie Qian and Shen Xi was almost irreconcilable, so it would be better to resolve it yourself, otherwise it would be annoying if he could not be a peacemaker.

"…Yizhong is now very capable of doing things in Hanyuan. I had discussed with the people from the Ministry of Rites before and was about to move him to the post of the post..."

There are people in the court who are good at being an official. Xie Pi has been in the Hanlin Academy for a few years. Just because his father is the chief minister, Xie Pi is also appreciated by the Shangguan of the Hanyuan system. Now He Jian is telling Xie Qian that he should promote and reuse Xie Pi.

Xie Qian turned a blind eye, "How old is he to be a lecturer? Does he have that ability?"

Xie Qian was so mean to his own people that Xie Pi had since entered the Hanlin Academy. His father had never seen his son, so he was just to avoid gossiping from others.

He Jian smiled bitterly: "I have been in the court for several years and my ability is still good. Why don't he let him practice well? Your Majesty now doesn't care about the affairs of the court, and even the crown prince has not given birth to it. The daily lectures of the palace in the palace are all in a waste. This is not a solution. You should think of a solution earlier to let Your Majesty resume the daily lectures of the ceremony!"

Xie Qian said: "Shiguang intends to promote it to the best of the price, but the price is to let me accept advice to Your Majesty?"

"No such meaning, Yu Qiao, don't think too much." He Jian found himself a little worried. He used to think that only Chen Xi could not say it, but now he found that anyone who is related to Xie Qian could not say it. Xie Qian was like a powder barrel, just a little bit.

Then the dining table was quiet and neither of them deliberately stopped talking.

Until after dinner, they removed the bowls and chopsticks, and the two of them held a hot teacup in their hands. He Jiancai thoughtfully said: "I'm afraid that your Majesty will bring up the old things again tomorrow and discuss the matter of sending troops."

Xie Qian chewed it in his mouth, but He Jian didn't know if he had any rice grains or was chewing tea leaves there.

Because Xie Qian didn't say anything, He Jian felt that he was bored by himself.
To be continued...