What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 114 You want to use my back door?

Chapter 114 You want to use my back door?
Upon hearing the report from the strongman that Wei Zhengguang had summoned her to the Wei residence for a meeting, Lin Moyin was taken aback.

Although the Commander is considered the direct superior of the Sixth Division, he rarely discusses official business privately during off-duty hours.

If it's not official business, then it must be personal business?

Su Mo became depressed.

I thought I'd imitate my third uncle's speech and show off in front of my woman.

But he was proven wrong the very next second.

It's not that Lord Qianhu needs to pull strings.

It was the superior officer, a fourth-rank official, who took the initiative to invite the commander of a thousand households to an audience!
"What does Vice Commissioner Wei want with you?" Su Mo couldn't help but ask curiously.

Lin Moyin shook her head, a look of suspicion appearing on her pretty face: "It shouldn't be official business!"

Su Mo guessed, "Could it be distilled spirits?"

"By the way, what percentage did he give you?"

Distilled spirits were a special opportunity that Su Mo had prepared for Lin Moyin.

Lin Moyin nodded: "15%!"

Su Mo was slightly surprised: "He's willing to give up 15%?"

The system says that Wei Zhengguang is greedy for money, and he originally thought that getting a share of the profits would be good enough.

After all, Wei Zhengguang might not be able to keep all the profits from this distilled spirit.

Lin Moyin smiled coldly: "It's nothing more than because of the identity of the commander of the Left Guard."

“He only needs to ask for five percent less profit to get me, the commander of the Left Guard, to stand on his side. Wei Zhengguang has a very clear plan.”

She paused slightly, then continued, "I guess the reason you've come to me this time is about settling the profits of Chen Family Brewing."

Su Mo was a little curious about how well Wei Zhengguang could run Chen Family Brewing.

"How many taels of silver do you think you'll get this month's share?"

Lin Moyin frowned and thought for a moment: "Fifty taels of silver, that's about right!"

Su Mo was immediately taken aback: "Only fifty taels?"

Lin Moyin glared at him irritably: "What do you mean, only fifty taels!"

"Do you know that in the Changping Hundred Household Office, I only earn a little over a hundred taels a month!"

"Now that I've become the commander of the Left Guard, my monthly salary is equivalent to twenty taels of silver!"

Su Mo was speechless.

He originally thought that Xue Shan, a seventh-rank county official, receiving a monthly salary of four taels of silver was already outrageous enough.

Unexpectedly, even a fifth-rank commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard only receives a monthly salary of twenty taels of silver.

Less than three hundred taels a year.

Just how poor was the Great Wu Dynasty? And just how stingy was the Great Wu Empress?

Is it necessary to treat court officials so harshly?
Is offering such meager salaries just encouraging officials to embezzle?
If an official is not motivated by money, then what is the purpose of serving the people?

Lin Moyin paused, then said, "This is only the profit sharing for the first month."

"The distilled spirit has only been on the market for a short time, and to make a profit of four hundred taels is already quite good!"

"Moreover, the wine has received a good response, and within three months, the profit should exceed a thousand taels!"

Lin Moyin naturally pays attention to the sales of distilled spirits, as she receives a 15% cut.

She is aloof, but she is not an ethereal being untouched by worldly affairs!
On the contrary, they value money more than ordinary people.

Immortal cultivators need a lot of money to purchase resources for their cultivation!

You can't become an immortal without money!

Seeing Su Mo's nonchalant attitude, Lin Moyin suddenly realized, "That bastard just said he was taking a thousand taels of silver to the capital."

She couldn't hold back any longer: "Where did you get a thousand taels of silver?"

"Weren't the gold Buddha and house deeds that Guo Jingyi and Ma Wei gave to Bai Shouren and He Xingguo?"

Su Mo's forehead was covered in black lines!

What the hell!
There was a high-ranking female official in an intelligence agency.

There's absolutely no privacy left!
That bastard Ning Xiaoxiao, just how much of her own stuff did she report to Lin Moyin?!
He said irritably, "Didn't Ning Xiaoxiao tell you that all the smuggled salt in Changping County has fallen into the hands of Chenjiazhai...?"

Before Su Mo could finish speaking, Lin Moyin nodded: "I know!"

"But the profits from smuggled salt must be divided among the county government, the garrison, and the soldiers. Your side only earned a maximum of one hundred taels last month!"

"Adding the three hundred taels obtained from Xianyan Mountain, it comes to four hundred."

As she spoke, she looked at Su Mo with a half-smile: "Where did you get a thousand taels?"

Su Mo...

I suddenly had a very bad feeling.

The difficulty of hiding money from the public will increase dramatically in the future, and the financial outlook is quite bleak!
This little bit of extra income for myself.

I've explained everything clearly to Lord Qianhu!

However, Su Mo still said, "Profits from smuggled salt are still a small part for now!"

"Now both the East and West markets are under my control. Last month's income was over two thousand taels, of which my personal gain was one thousand three hundred taels."

Upon hearing this, Lin Moyin was immediately stunned, staring at Su Mo in astonishment: "Two markets, a monthly income of two thousand taels?"

"To be precise, it's over two thousand two hundred taels of silver!"

Su Mo corrected the commander's statement, then smiled smugly: "This is just the beginning!"

"Once the two markets get on track according to my plan, the monthly income will not be less than five thousand taels, and I personally will get more than three thousand taels!"

Lin Moyin was dumbfounded!
After a long pause, he asked in surprise, "The profits from the two markets are truly so enormous?"

Ning Xiaoxiao did mention to her that the East and West Markets had been taken over by Su Mo!

However, Ning Xiaoxiao didn't mention that the profits involved were so enormous!
In Lin Moyin's view, the East and West Markets were nothing more than general merchandise markets.
Even if Su Mo collected protection fees from brothels and taverns, it would only amount to one or two hundred taels a month. He also had to share the profits with various parties, including his henchmen, thugs, and so on.

How much benefit can I get from this?

Previously, Luo Lie and Lü Shan controlled the two cities, but their monthly income was less than a hundred taels.

The two constables each received about ten taels of silver.

Ning Xiaoxiao probably wouldn't care about such a small amount of money, so she just mentioned it briefly in the secret letter!
Lin Moyin couldn't understand it at all.

How come the monthly income of the East and West markets, which was only a hundred taels, increased tenfold in Su Mo's hands?
Su Mo's income was a hundred times greater than Luo Lie's and Lü Shan's.
Seeing Lin Moyin's shock, Su Mo explained with a hint of smugness, "That's not how you calculate it!"

"In fact, the profits of the East and West markets are considerable, but the vast majority of them are seized by gangs and thugs."

"I vigorously rectified the two cities. The local thugs and hooligans were either thrown into jail, thrown into mass graves to be fed to the dogs, or had to find their own way to make a living."

"Some of those with a modicum of integrity transformed into urban management officers to maintain public order and sanitation in the two cities..."

Lin Moyin was stunned again: "Urban management officers?"

Su Mo nodded: "Urban security and sanitation administrators, or city management officers for short!"

“Using them to manage the market is perfect. The key is that they are cheap. Each one costs a thousand coins. Hiring three hundred city guards will only cost three hundred taels of silver a month.”

"Without those thugs and gangsters causing trouble..."

"Shop owners, merchants, and small vendors are all willing to pay transaction taxes."

"A market with hundreds of thousands of people and a daily turnover of tens of thousands of taels of silver. Collecting a transaction tax of a hundred or eighty taels a day may not seem like much, but it adds up to three thousand taels of silver a month."

As he spoke, Su Mo chuckled, "After deducting the commercial taxes handed over to the government, it's normal for me to have one or two thousand taels in my hands, right?"

Lin Moyin remained silent for a long time.

Suddenly, he blurted out, "Chang Le Fang, under the jurisdiction of Shang Zuo, is no less large than the East and West Markets, and even more prosperous."

"Last month, the Left Office received less than three hundred taels of silver from Changlefang..."

Lin Moyin paused, then added quietly, "Actually, the Embroidered Uniform Guards in the capital are quite poor..."

The income of the Imperial Guards in Shenjing was higher than that of the Imperial Guards in Changping County.

But the cost of living in Shenjing is higher than in Changping County, isn't it?
Su Mo's face instantly darkened.

"Don't even think about it!"

"I was able to manage Changping Market well because the government fully supported me and there were no obstacles in the way..." Su Mo knew very well that, in the final analysis, it was the realization of power.

Are the East and West Markets comparable to the market districts of the capital?
The wealthy merchants of Chang Le Fang are likely backed by high-ranking officials, nobles, regional governors, or even members of the imperial family.

Only a lowly flag officer like myself would be brainwashed by nuclear wastewater to collect protection money!

And it's almost a ton!

Even with Lin Moyin's full support behind the scenes, nothing can be accomplished!

Unless, of course, the Empress herself is standing behind him!

Upon hearing this, Lin Moyin's pretty face showed a slight disappointment.

She understood the reasoning behind it.

However, the newly appointed commander of the Left Guard lacked prestige, and his title was merely nominal.

Not to mention those three trial commanders, even the hundred commanders might not listen to her.

She was getting a little impatient.

Of course, they wanted to win over the lowest-ranking strongmen through mutual benefits, and fundamentally and completely control the Upper Left Office.

Seeing Lin Moyin's disappointed expression, Su Mo could only say, "This can't be rushed!"

He pushed half of the gold to Lin Moyin: "Take this money first, you'll need it sooner or later."

He pointed to the porcelain bottle of perfume on the table: "Wei Qianshi summoned you to come over to share the profits, but there's no need to bring any money with you."

"These perfumes are meticulously crafted by me, and are one of a kind in the world. You can take two bottles with you and give them to Vice Commissioner Wei. It will be more effective than simply sending money!"

Lin Moyin's attention finally fell on the porcelain bottle, and she frowned slightly: "Is this the perfume that can leave a fragrance all day long?"

As Su Mo picked up the porcelain bottle, she casually asked, "How did you know?"

"Ning Xiaoshuo's story?"

"That can't be right, she didn't know either!"

Su Mo looked at Lin Moyin: "Did the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict say that? Or perhaps, the captain who delivered the message for you?"

Lin Moyin gave a soft "Mmm": "That's what the messenger captain said!"

"He said the perfume was incredibly magical; a drop would not only leave you with a floral fragrance but also refresh your mind. He earned thirty taels of silver for each bottle he sold!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "You sold it too cheaply."

Lin Moyin looked at Su Mo in surprise and doubt: "You sold it too cheaply?"

Su Mo rolled her eyes: "Nonsense!"

"Just this small bottle requires ten kilograms of liquor just to extract the alcohol, and a large amount of flower petals need to be collected to extract the aromatic oils..."

"Forget it, you wouldn't understand anyway."

"Things are valued for their rarity. I wouldn't bother making a bottle if it didn't sell for at least a hundred taels of silver!"

The alcohol content of commercially available beverages is generally around 5%.

Even without considering losses, it takes twenty times the amount of alcohol to extract it!

The key issue is that the craftsmanship is substandard. Even if Su Mo personally operates the equipment, the ratio is still more than fifty times!

Moreover, the process of extracting the aromatic oil from the petals requires constant shaking, which takes a very long time.

Such a secret recipe, involving alcohol for sterilization and disinfection, was something Su Mo was reluctant to teach to others, hence the extremely limited production.

Su Mo removed the wax seal from the cork and smiled, "Give me your hand!"

Lin Moyin suspiciously extended her slender hand.

Su Mo couldn't resist playing with it again, but seeing that Lord Qianhu's face was darkening, she dripped two drops onto the back of Lord Qianhu's hand.

"Take a sniff."

"This is the scent of roses, rich but not cloying, it seems quite suitable for you."

"Yes, the fragrance type is inlaid in gold thread on the porcelain bottle. If you don't like the scent of roses, you can try other fragrances."

Lin Moyin withdrew her jade-like hand, but before she could even bring it to her nose, her bright eyes lit up, and she exclaimed in surprise, "How fragrant!"

He paused, then added, "It smells much better than a sachet!"

Su Mo said smugly, "That primitive stuff, without any technological content, how can it compare to perfume!"

"This is a magical artifact that I specially made for my husband to use to pull strings and get things done through back channels!"

Lin Moyin was already used to Su Mo occasionally spouting nonsensical words, and too lazy to investigate further. She rolled her eyes at Su Mo and said, "Is this how you try to get in through my back door?"

Su Mo thought for a long time with a serious expression, and finally nodded emphatically, saying earnestly, "I want to!"

Lin Moyin snorted irritably, "It should be said that!"

"Humph!"

"I have never seen such a shameless scoundrel as you!"

"If you dare to say 'husband' again in front of me... see how I deal with you!"

As she spoke, she rolled up her long sleeves and took all twenty bottles of perfume and dozens of taels of gold from the table. Then she said, "I'll take these perfumes and give you a chance to use my connections!"

Su Mo...

Seeing Su Mo's sullen expression, Lin Moyin couldn't help but chuckle: "Don't worry, I won't mistreat you!"

As he spoke, he took out two books: "Take these two martial arts manuals and study them carefully."

Su Mo took the book and looked at it.

One book, "The Green Wood Secret," and another, "The Dragon's Step."

The name is quite ordinary.

He frowned: "I cultivate the path of immortality. Do martial arts techniques also require cultivation?"

Lin Moyin snorted: "Who said that immortal cultivators don't practice martial arts!"

"A martial arts master who has cultivated to the highest level can even easily kill a soul sorcerer!"

"The path of immortality and the path of martial arts are inherently one. The path of martial arts focuses on tempering the physical body, while the path of immortality borrows the power of heaven and earth to strengthen the spirit."

"The two complement each other, and practicing them together can achieve twice the result with half the effort!"

"The Green Wood Technique can greatly enhance the strength of the physical body, making one impervious to weapons. Once the Swimming Dragon Step is mastered, one will be as fast as lightning and as swift as a galloping horse."

Su Mo sighed: "That's one way of putting it."

"But why did you specifically choose this Green Wood Technique and Swimming Dragon Step for me?"

These are clearly techniques for getting beaten up and running away.

Shouldn't they give him those world-destroying martial arts manuals?
Lin Moyin said quietly, "I'm afraid you'll court death!"

Su Mo...

Sir, if you can't speak properly, you don't have to say anything!
Fortunately, my cultivation and martial arts skills are inferior to those of Lord Qianhu; otherwise, I might have lost my temper and killed him!

Just as Su Mo was filled with resentment.

Lord Qianhu is being reckless again.

He resumed his aloof and icy expression: "This official is going to Vice Commissioner Wei's residence."

"Go find that gatekeeper; I have already arranged accommodations for you."

Su Mo was stunned for a long time: "You took so many benefits from me and even asked me to help you cultivate, and now you're kicking me out?"

Lin Moyin blinked her beautiful big eyes: "Could it be that I'm going to let you stay overnight?"

"If my subordinates in the garrison find out, how am I supposed to manage them in the future?"

Su Mo...

I will endure!

He angrily pocketed the remaining gold!

And those two martial arts manuals!
Get out of here!

Hmph! I'm never going to use her connections again!