Royal Gold Magistrate - Chapter 243

Oh~ So there’s more to it!

Now that’s interesting. Who would have thought that road construction was just a front? Wonder what other benefits are hidden behind this?

The wealthy merchants began to feel anticipation in their hearts.

Seeing the change in atmosphere, Fang Zheng smiled and said, “First, there are only two requirements for road construction!”

“Durability! And evenness! That’s all.”

“You can engrave anything you want on the bricks and stones used for the road surface. The government absolutely won’t pursue the matter!”

“Whether it’s products you’re selling, or your family’s promotional slogans, or even pictures, it’s all allowed.”

“Just imagine! The entire street filled with messages left by your family… would there be any of your competitors on this street?”

“Moreover, for this road! The maintenance work for the next fifty years will be entirely handed over to the successful bidder!”

“Of course, this official hasn’t finished speaking. Just this one item alone, the profits and opportunities within… please think about it.”

Holy crap! This is powerful!

As soon as Fang Zheng said this, and the people below thought about it, they immediately burst into discussion.

Isn’t this turning the entire street into one’s own billboard?

If I sell jewelry, people will see my family’s advertisement every time they look down. Who would even know about other stores?

Suddenly, a sarcastic voice came from the crowd.

“Lord Fang, although we are all merchants, engaged in a lowly profession, we still have some face to maintain.”

“Who would be willing to put their family’s sign on the ground for people to trample? If word got out, wouldn’t we be laughed at?”

“Moreover, Jianjiang can’t compare to the capital where Lord Fang is from. How many people here can even read?”

Right, putting one’s family sign on the ground for people to step on might even have the opposite effect.

The discussion stopped abruptly, and everyone looked back at Fang Zheng.

Where did this dog come from? So talkative?

Fang Zheng glanced over and immediately understood.

This man had a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, with a mean look. His name was Cheng Kui, a famous medicinal herb merchant in Jianjiang, with pharmacies all over the city.

Fang Zheng smiled and said, “Oh, this must be Boss Cheng. This is merely a matter of perspective.”

“However, what you say does have some reason. Indeed, some ignorant commoners might think it’s unlucky to have a sign stepped on, but we here are all in it for the long haul!”

“Let me ask you, will those ignorant commoners think every day about stepping on someone else’s sign?”

“This official tells you, they won’t think about it, nor will they care. They’ll laugh it off and move on. They only know one thing! When they want to buy medicine, there’s only your pharmacy, Boss Cheng, on this street!”

“If this street were repaired by Zhang’s pharmacy or Li’s pharmacy, tell me, would anyone know about your Cheng family’s shop with its sign hanging high?”

“We’re all merchants here, with quick minds and flexible thinking.”

“To do big business, one must cherish a good name, not fear a bad name, but fear having no name at all!”

Hearing this, Cheng Kui lowered his head in thought, and the people below began to discuss quietly.

“Lord Fang speaks well! It’s truly thought-provoking! The right to repair this street must belong to none other than me, Sun Jiacheng!”

Suddenly, Sun Jiacheng stood up and shouted.

Wang Qixun immediately followed, slamming the table as he rose angrily, “Why? Just because you shouted louder, it’s yours before the auction even starts?”

“Because I’m faster than you!”

“You’re talking nonsense!”

“Hey! Don’t fight… Lord Fang is still here!”

The two started arguing at the top of their lungs, and it looked like they were about to come to blows when people around them scrambled to pull them apart.

Fang Zheng looked at the two with eyes full of appreciation.

Excellent! Good shills! Good shills!

“Ahem! Alright! Everyone, don’t make a fuss! Of course, everyone wants good things. Let’s all speak with our financial strength later!”

Fang Zheng’s rhythm was disrupted. He picked up the small gavel and knocked on the table hard twice.

“Uh… where were we just now?”

“Doing business is all about having a name!”

“Oh, right, right, right! Let this official continue. Just now, according to what Boss Cheng said, the vast majority of people in the city can’t read, right?”

“Actually, this isn’t a problem either! First, illiterate commoners don’t have much money to begin with, so naturally, they won’t have much impact on your business.”

“Second! This official has already ordered the construction of schools outside the city. All children under twelve will be admitted free of charge!”

“From now on, we’ll follow this rule, and there will even be schools with reduced fees for those a bit older!”

“You have a whole fifty years to maintain the road! How many literate customers will you witness in fifty years!”

“How many Juren, Tanhua, Bangyan, and even Zhuangyuan will walk this street in fifty years!”

“When they grow up and take up official positions in various places, you can open branch stores there. Those local officials will all have a fondness for you!!”

“After several decades, your branch stores could spread across the country, to all corners of the land!”

“By then, your family will be a chamber of commerce! A merchant guild! No… that’s not right, you should be called a consortium!”

“Holding vast wealth, rich enough to rival… a prefecture. Your family’s every move might even cause an earthquake in an entire industry.”

“By then, you will not only have wealth but also responsibility! Providing services for countless people!”

“When that time comes, how will the officials in the court view merchants? By then, surely no one will dare say that being a merchant is a lowly profession. All officials will look at you with respect!”

The listeners below were already boiling with excitement.

Fang Zheng closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and sighed deeply, “But what about now?”

“The status of merchants still hasn’t been recognized. You don’t even dare to wear fine clothes and walk the streets.”

“Those poor scholars and Juren can strut about being admired, while we merchants can only wear our finery at night.”

“Seeing this kind of life pains this official’s heart!”

“To be frank, this official also grew up in a merchant family, enduring people’s contempt from a young age.”

“But my parents still raised me with hard work and bitterness, sending me to study.”

Fang Zheng laughed inwardly. My family ran a small shop, and I don’t know how many people envied me when I was young!

“From that time on, I knew who the most hardworking, diligent people in the world are. It’s the merchants!”

“Who are the most beautiful people in the world? It’s the merchants!”

“So from a young age, this official had a dream, which was to change the status of merchants when I grew up!”

“Do you know how much criticism this official will bear from the court for granting fifty years of road renovation and maintenance rights? But none of that matters!”

“What’s important is that I need an opportunity! Everyone needs an opportunity! What is this opportunity, who can tell me?”

Sun Jiacheng suddenly stood up and said, “To restore the reputation of merchants!”

“To restore the reputation of merchants!”

You’re stealing my lines again? Wang Qixun gritted his teeth as he looked at Sun Jiacheng.

The merchants below were already stunned.

An official, in front of so many people, shouting about restoring the reputation of merchants?

This… we wouldn’t even dare to dream of this! It’s moving to tears!

“Lord Fang is of high virtue!!!”