"Let's make money together?"
On the surface, that's how it sounds, but in reality, it's a form of infiltration.
Who is best suited to gather intelligence?
Undoubtedly, it's the merchant caravans.
No matter how many checks are conducted, information can still be disseminated.
Moreover, commercial activities are never prohibited, solely because of taxes.
Merchants need to pay substantial taxes to pass through.
If they pass through checkpoints, they'll be prevented from profiting. Prohibiting caravans from passing through is essentially preventing those below them from skimming profits.
It's a tightly interconnected system, with layers of profit driving people's hearts; even if you wanted to prohibit it, it would be very difficult!
Lu Ming isn't in charge of the commercial aspects; he only initiates things and oversees progress. Zhang Chun handles the specifics.
Leave the professional work to the professionals.
Admittedly, as a transmigrator, Lu Ming's vision for development is certainly stronger, but when it comes to specific tasks, he might not necessarily be better than others.
"Everyone has their own expertise; these matters should be left to professionals. As for him, he'd rather spend more time impregnating women—it's more interesting and fun."
Mi Zhen's visit this time was at the suggestion of her brother, Mi Zhu.
As the daughter of a wealthy merchant, she had been raised under the watchful eye of her brother, Mi Zhu. As the eldest brother, he was like a father to her, and her marriage was arranged by him.
Mi Zhu had already been searching for talented young men for marriage alliances in Xiapi, the capital of Xuzhou, when he heard the news of his younger brother's return.
He was momentarily surprised and uncertain, and began to observe Lu Ming.
In fact, Lu Ming proved to be a prodigy. He entered Liangzhou alone, and without the support of powerful families, pacified Liangzhou and established immense prestige.
Furthermore, he implemented land reclamation, improved people's livelihoods, and built unprecedentedly smooth and stable cement roads, earning widespread praise.
From all these actions, Mi Zhu sensed that Lu Ming had considerable ambition, but he didn't suspect anything else.
He simply felt that befriending Lu Ming wouldn't be a bad thing.
What truly solidified Mi Zhu's decision was Lu Ming's unconventional approach to personnel management.
From initially recruiting poor scholars to all sorts of diverse individuals, he could even organize street urchins, keeping them orderly and preventing trouble.
Giving them work naturally reduced unruly elements, and then eliminating the troublemakers was the simplest and most effective method.
A person who didn't discriminate based on background, only ability—wasn't this exactly what he had always sought?
To investigate, Mi Zhu sent his sister Mi Zhen and brother Mi Fang back to Xiliang to conduct a firsthand investigation. If it was true, he would find a way to marry his sister Mi Zhen to Lu Ming, even if it was as a concubine.
The Mi family was not short of money; they were incredibly wealthy.
Historically, Liu Bei married Mi Zhen, the sister of Mi Zhu. Mi Zhu gifted him over two billion coins as a dowry, enough for Liu Bei to re-raise an army of ten thousand men, demonstrating his immense wealth.
However, in chaotic times, money is useless; it's extremely precarious.
Even today, most merchants are merely fat sheep, waiting to be slaughtered.
Only by becoming an official and climbing the ranks can one maintain wealth.
Mi Zhu, as the Prefect of Xuzhou, already held a relatively high position.
However, this "relatively high" position was merely that—relatively high. While seemingly valued, he was actually being sidelined. Therefore, diversified investment was the best option.
A few days later, in Xiji City.
Merchants began to arrive at the meeting place and take their seats. Fresh vegetables, ice, and exquisite porcelain were laid out, but the most eye-catching item was a somewhat transparent vase.
This vase is made of glass and is translucent. It appears to have some impurities, but compared to other vases, this novel vase is a hit.
Almost everyone who saw it thought it would sell very well!
Whether placed at home as decoration or used for burial, it's an excellent choice!
In the courtyard, there's also a carriage, a four-wheeled carriage.
It's unclear what it was used for, but inside, you can see soft cushions, blankets, and something resembling a pillow.
Ancient people believed in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which emphasizes the importance of a high pillow for health.
A higher pillow promotes better blood circulation, and a firmer pillow is better than a soft one, as soft pillows can easily cause stiff neck.
Therefore, wealthy people in ancient times would use ceramic or jade materials, both as a symbol of status and for their health benefits.
Secondly, people in ancient times had very long hair, making combing very difficult.
An ancient Chinese saying goes, "Our bodies, hair, and skin are gifts from our parents, and we dare not damage them." Therefore, people dared not mess with their hair while sleeping.
In ancient times, there were no hairsprays or similar products to hold hair in place. A firm pillow actually helped to keep hair in place and prevent it from becoming disheveled.
While ancient hairstyles were beautiful, they came at a cost of time and effort. Combing them was extremely troublesome, especially for women who had to create many intricate buns. The daily hair styling depicted in modern dramas is a far cry from the elaborate process of hair grooming in ancient times.
The advantage of a firm pillow is that it prevents the hairstyle from easily becoming messed up, ensuring it looks beautiful the next morning.
Lu Ming's short hair was simply a matter of personal habit, but also a way of projecting filial piety.
Cutting off his long hair was to avenge his father and prevent himself from forgetting the hatred.
Keeping his hair short was a reminder to himself of his filial piety towards his mother.
This explanation was quite popular. Even Emperor Ling considered Lu Ming filial, and filial piety was considered the most important virtue. The Han Dynasty governed the country based on filial piety, which explained why Lu Ming's short hair wasn't seen as unconventional but rather brought him fame.
Thirdly, a firm, tall pillow is aesthetically pleasing, easy to carry, and has a compact and attractive design.
Poor families couldn't afford to make firm pillows, so they usually used bamboo or wood. Only the wealthy could afford to pay attention to the shape and material of their pillows. Therefore, wealthy people's pillows not only used ceramics and jade but also featured paintings and carvings.
Fourthly, ancient times were humid. If poor families used wooden or cotton pillows, they would quickly become damp and spoil.
Therefore, they later considered using harder and more rot-resistant materials.
Only the poor used wood, which, while hard, couldn't be preserved for long.
Wealthy people would choose to use ceramic pillows to show off their status, as they are also easier to carry when traveling.