The cement business was done, and the Zhao family kiln had to deal with the ceramics of the Zhao family and his son. Cao Xiaozhong and his son were not needed. Li Fei took Cao Xiaozhong and his son back to the county palace in Chang'an City. He had already thought of the next plan, and some things were done for Cao Xiaozhong and his son.

Including the share of the money for Cao Xiaozhong, Li Fei brought back 300,000 guan of money from the Zhaojia Kiln, a total of several cars.

"My County Duke, how many people are looking for you. I have been waiting for a long time. The wife is receiving you." As soon as Li Fei entered the door, a guard guard blocked him and reported to him.

Li Fei wondered, before he saw someone, he didn't understand who would come to him specifically.

Li Fei asked Cao Xiaozhong and his son to take someone to take the money to the warehouse first, and he went to the living room himself.

When I walked into the living room, I saw seven people, three middle-aged men and four old men. Judging from their clothes, they were not nobles, but businessmen. Li Fei was a little aware of it in an instant.

"Madam!" Li Fei shouted at Lin Shiyue and walked towards Lin Shiyue.

"Husband is back." Lin Shiyue was sitting there, but when she saw Li Fei coming back, she wanted to get up to greet her.

"Madam, be careful, I'm here." Li Fei walked up quickly, not letting Lin Shiyue get up.

"Thank you, my husband." Lin Shiyue felt warm and smiled sweetly.

When the seven people saw Li Fei coming back, they were shocked and stood up, wanting Li Fei to bow to him.

"We will pay homage to the Duke of Yuhang County!"

"Everyone doesn't have to be too polite." Li Fei gave up, so that these people don't have to be too polite.

"Thank you County Duke!"

"What's the matter with this county magistrate? Tell me."

After these people got up and after some understanding, Li Fei realized the purpose of these people. It was just to give him money and ask him for protection. Li Fei didn't find it surprising to see such a thing. This is the additional benefit he brought after his promotion and title.

In ancient China, including the Tang Dynasty, the places where the strong are most respected, status is strength! Having status is the strong!

Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, noble officials and other gentry were the first, they had the most status and had the most strength, and they could slaughter merchants with a much lower status than them but had a large number of assets.

The noble officials wanted to be prosperous and wealthy, and thought they could live up to the annual salary of the court. Don’t be funny! You should know that a county magistrate’s salary is only more than 100 taels per year. Why dare to be prosperous and wealthy? It is through the exploitation and extortion of merchants who have more money than them.

The lowest status of merchants is not just a joke. The richer they are, the more fat they are. Without shelter, they cannot keep the wealth of a million yuan. Any small official in the eighth or nine rank can make them want to die and destroy their family. Therefore, it is necessary to take out some of the money they earn every year and find someone who can shelter them. The more they earn and the more they pay, the higher the status of the shelter they can find.

Li Fei knew about this when he was still at the Lin family in Xunyang County. Didn’t Lin Siming also rely on protecting some businesses in Xunyang County to earn an additional income of several thousand taels a year?

What did Xunyang County Magistrate Zhang Fucheng always want to suppress Lin Siming and Cao Chong? The most important thing was the interests there. The county magistrate Cao Chong fell down. Most of the businesses that were sheltered by Cao Chong had invested in Zhang Fucheng, who had Yang Guozhong as his backer, and a small number of them invested in Lin Siming.

When Li Fei was the Marquis of Jingyang, he was not famous yet because of his initial rise, and his temperament was not yet understood. In addition, he was too young on the surface, so no one dared to act rashly and was waiting and watching. Therefore, there was only one Zhaojiayao sheltered by Li Fei when he was still a Marquis, and he came to him personally. Moreover, Zhaojiayao belongs to the craftsman family of production, not like a real businessman who bought low and resale.

It is not a simple matter for officials and nobles to protect merchants or craftsmen produced in Zhaojia Kiln. Merchants and craftsmen seeking shelter depend on people, and not everyone can let them come to the door.

Because the so-called protection is more of a verbal promise, neither a name nor a seldom comes forward. If something really happens, it depends on the mood of the owner of the disaster. Like Li Fei, he personally found Zhaojiayao, took down 60% of the Zhaojiayao, and directly linked his name to Zhaojiayao. Mingdaming's protection is simply stupid in the eyes of others!

Because of Li Fei's protection, Zhaojiayao has spread from being forced to a dead end to the current famous Chang'an City. In addition, Li Fei has now become a county duke and a minister of the Ministry of Justice, and his status has risen again.

They had such a status when they were less than seventeen years old, and they were supported by Yang Guifei. When they saw Li Fei's unlimited potential, they naturally began to come to the door, hoping to get Li Fei's protection.

Will Li Fei turn away the money for free because he is afraid that others will say he will fall into depravity?

Li Fei is not stupid! This is originally a hidden rule among the nobles and gentry, and he is not doing it alone. People believe in his strength and status and are willing to send money to ask for his protection. What he paid in the early stage was just a verbal promise, so why didn't he?

There are two rice shops, one cloth shop, one winemaker, one restaurant connected to an inn, one pharmacy, and one porcelain-producing kiln that is the same as Zhaojia Kiln, called Zhangjia Kiln.

They are all merchants that can be listed in Chang'an City. Li Fei's current status is so rare that some small vendors and others dare not come.

Except for the special situation in Zhangjiayao, Li Fei ignored it for the time being. Li Fei agreed to give them 20% of the dividends of the other six companies, but it was limited to protecting them from being exploited by other noble officials, and other peers used the power behind them to forcibly suppress them. He ignored normal business competition, and if the businessman was arrested illegally, he also ignored it.

Li Fei’s so-called promise of asylum was just verbal, and he did not make any certificates and was not implicated.

Li Fei did not directly involve them with them like Zhao Jiayao, which disappointed the six merchants. Fortunately, Li Fei only had 20% of their annual dividends, which was easy to talk about and was completely acceptable. No matter who the merchants defected to or seek their protection, they were all taking risks. Some noble officials only took money, but when something happened, they let the merchants fend for themselves and didn't care at all.

The six merchants could only pray that Li Fei was a person who kept his promise and could truly give them shelter.

"Mr. Duke, our Zhangjiayao is willing to pay 6,000 guan and 50% of the annual dividend, just to ask the county to agree to shelter." The six merchants left, and only Zhangjiayao was left. The Zhangjiayao's palm kiln was also the head of the Zhang family, about the same age as Zhao Meng of Zhaojiayao, and it seemed that he was very anxious.

The six merchants sent away brought Li Fei an additional income of several thousand taels a year. Zhangjia Kiln is a large kiln similar to Zhaojia Kiln. If he agreed to protect Zhangjia Kiln, Li Fei would not only get 6,000 guan immediately, but also a 50% bonus every year, which is not much worse than the combined benefits of the six families just now.

However, Li Fei hesitated and did not directly agree to Zhangjiayao.

That's because Zhangjia Kiln is not only a big kiln similar to the Zhao Jia Kiln, but also a situation. She was forced by Zhou Jia Kiln, who had Wang Hui as her backer, and was already at the end of her journey.

He had offended Wang Hui once for the Zhaojiayao incident. If Zhangjiayao had interfered with another quarrel, he would offend Wang Hui a second time. This was the main reason for his hesitation.

--------
Chapter completed!