Glory

Ye Yaming was unwilling to dwell on the subject and shifted to another topic.

She asked Qi Ji, "What do you think of the prefect's attitude?"

Qi Ji nodded, "He seemed quite amiable and enthusiastic."

"What if we invite him to join our partnership? How do you think he would react?"

Everyone in the room turned to look at her.

"Join our partnership?" Lu Guanyi immediately began pondering the feasibility of the idea.

"Exactly," Ye Yaming said. "Since the sub-prefect can partner with Pin Ya Xuan, why can't the prefect partner with us?"

Lu Guanyi frowned, "The problem is, these officials can be transferred. If we bring him in now, what happens after he's transferred? If his successor disagrees with Magistrate Lü politically, not only will our previous efforts be wasted, but we might also invite trouble."

The new prefect of Xin'an was surnamed Lü, named Lü Xuanlin.

"True," Qi Ji shook his head directly. "This move is inappropriate. It's better to just offer tribute like everyone else. That's how we avoid trouble."

Just like his father, merchants in Lin'an City would send generous gifts to him through Master Wu during festivals. The size of these gifts varied depending on their sincerity.

After accepting the gifts, within the bounds of law and social norms, his father would have Master Wu show some consideration to these merchants.

This was basically how the entire officialdom of the Great Jin operated. As long as the amounts weren't too large, the beneficiaries weren't evildoers, and it didn't get exposed and exploited by political rivals like what happened to the Yang family, everything would be fine.

Ye Yaming shook her head, "Do you think Pin Ya Xuan doesn't offer tribute to Magistrate Lü? Magistrate Liao needs to maintain good relations with Magistrate Lü, so he would only offer more."

After all, it was the Wu family who provided the silver, not Liao Zhi himself. The Wu family gave the money, while Liao Zhi reaped the benefits—this deal couldn't be more profitable.

This was also why officials with many sons were willing to let them marry a merchant's daughter, or even take a concubine from a merchant family themselves.

One had money, the other had power—when officials and merchants joined forces, they became invincible.

Hearing Ye Yaming's words, Lu Guanyi also furrowed his brow.

Even if the Wu family's tribute wasn't as substantial as theirs, since Lü Xuanlin needed to work with Liao Zhi and win over this subordinate, he would support Pin Ya Xuan over them.

Ultimately, it all came down to interests.

"Miss Ye, why don't you elaborate on your idea?" Lu Guanyi said.

Since Ye Yaming had thoroughly considered these issues, her proposal should be able to address all the problems they had raised.

"We'll give him twenty percent of dry shares," Ye Yaming said. "That means he doesn't need to contribute any capital quota, and we'll distribute twenty percent of our annual profits to him as dividends until he's transferred."

Everyone was momentarily stunned, then they all thought this was an excellent idea.

Qi Ji was the first to praise, "Brilliant idea."

He and Lu Guanyi had naturally inquired about the profits in the tea business before entering it. After partnering with Ye Jia, they gained even deeper understanding of the industry's profitability.

Even though their newly purchased tea mountains hadn't yet yielded tea, and the newly built tea house needed to buy tea from Ye Jia in Lin'an City; even though Xin'an wasn't as prosperous as Lin'an, with the quality of Ye Jia's tea supporting the business, the tea house's profits were still considerable.

By the end of the year, twenty percent of the profits should amount to over ten thousand taels of silver, right?

Once the tea mountains started producing tea, the profits would multiply.Moreover, this collaboration doesn't need to be conducted under Lü Xuanlin's own name. It can be carried out in the name of his wife, son, or distant relatives, without the risks associated with accepting bribes, such as the fear of a bookkeeping "Yang family" emerging that could cost Lü Xuanlin his official position.

With substantial income and no trouble involved, Lü Xuanlin would surely be very willing.

These are the benefits for Lü Xuanlin's side.

As for themselves, since they are engaging in business, they must follow the unwritten customs of the Great Jin Dynasty, sending silver each year to bribe officials at all levels. With so many officials and petty clerks, the total amount adds up to far more than ten thousand taels.

And this doesn't even include the donations they make.

Despite giving away so much silver, no one truly considers them insiders. When disputes arise, if the opposing party has greater influence or financial advantage, the officials will inevitably side with them.

Now, if the business becomes Lü Xuanlin's own, would he willingly part with so much silver? Would other officials dare accept "tributes" from their own superior?

In the end, they would spend the least amount of money to gain the most powerful backing.

The best part is that they haven't taken a single coin of the other party's capital quota. If the other party is transferred, the collaboration ends there. They can then seek cooperation with the successor.

Lu Guanyi looked at Ye Yaming with admiration. "Miss Ye's idea is truly excellent. Let's proceed this way."

Ye Yaming smiled. "I merely provided a suggestion. As for whether this method is feasible, it depends on the specific circumstances. If Prefect Lü is insatiably greedy and untrustworthy, or if he is overly upright and intolerant of any misconduct, then this approach won't work. It would be best if the two young masters don't even mention it in front of him, to avoid causing trouble."

Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji's expressions turned serious.

Lu Guanyi cupped his hands toward Ye Yaming. "Thank you for the reminder, Miss Ye."

Unable to avoid the gesture, Ye Yaming nodded in return. "The next steps will require your efforts."

"Will you need to stay here for a longer period? If so, I can go to Yishan with Fourth Uncle first."

Qi Ji asked in confusion, "If the negotiations with Prefect Lü fall through, should we still buy tea mountains here?"

"The tea produced from the tea mountains is directly purchased by the Tea Monopoly Office, so there are no obstacles in that step. And the tea from the Tea Monopoly Office must be sold to someone, right? If not us, it will be others buying the tea," Ye Yaming explained. "As long as we don't open a teahouse here, there won't be significant conflicts of interest. With proper bribes, obtaining a Tea Import Permit shouldn't be a problem."

Ye Yaming looked at Lu Guanyi. "What do you think, Young Master Lu?"

Lu Guanyi nodded. "That's true. The markets in the capital and Lin'an are vast. If we transport the tea produced here to the capital and Lin'an, the concerns we had won't be an issue."

After analyzing the situation, he said, "Then let's go to Yishan together the day after tomorrow."

Ye Yaming said, "On the way back from Yishan to Lin'an, we'll pass through here again. At that time, you can stay here longer to build rapport with Prefect Lü and bribe the officials at the Tea Monopoly Office. Fourth Uncle and I will hurry back to process the Spring Tea. This way, neither task will be delayed."

Lu Guanyi gave Ye Yaming a deep look and nodded. "Alright, let's do it that way."

Both were decisive individuals. After confirming the itinerary and seeing that Qi Ji and Ye Hongrong had no objections, Lu Guanyi took Qi Ji back to their own courtyard.

The next day, they continued to go out for social engagements.Upon learning that they would be departing for Mount Yi the day after tomorrow, Lü Xuanlin hosted a luncheon to welcome Lu Guanyi. Qi Ji accompanied Lu Guanyi to the banquet, as it was only proper for Lu Guanyi to pay his respects to Lü Xuanlin under the circumstances.