The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

The back gate of the county government today is really too busy. Before the seven or eight carriages parked at the door moved into the alley, two or three more carriages flew over. Pan Youan's face was so full of smiles as he was greeting the guests that he sent the last guest through the door.

As the head of the family, Chen Heng is a local official. At this moment, he did not hide in the room and wait for the guests to arrive before coming out. When Xinda at the second door brought the guests to the front of the hall, Chen Heng went directly to the corridor, the smile on his face was brightly illuminated by the morning light. A guest came in front of him, and he also took the initiative to accompany the guest for a few steps and chat for a few words.

After seeing the other person sit down all the way, Xinda turned around to introduce the next distinguished guest. The overall situation in the hall was naturally left to Chen Heng to receive. The male guests were handed over to them, and the ladies who came with the merchants were also greeted by Zijuan and Qingwen. The two maids are both experienced at it. And with Daiyu taking charge of the overall situation, Chen Heng, the head of the family, didn't have to worry about the banquet in the back house.

Seeing that the guests had arrived, Chen Heng, who was wearing a green robe and a white cloak, sat between Zhang Shangde and Wang Shouyi. One of these two people is the leader of Shanxi merchants, and he is the oldest. One is an old friend of his from the township party, who was brought to the table and told the truth.

Because the weather was getting colder, Daiyu personally ordered chrysanthemum hot pot as the main course for this banquet, which was also very suitable for the occasion. Corresponding side dishes are placed on the table. At the back stove, there are several cooks and cooks busy cooking dishes. There’s no feast without fish, and when you come to Songjiang Prefecture, you’ll naturally want to eat seabass.

Don't think that the ancients were too elegant. When it came time to eat, the procedures everyone should follow were not much different from those of later generations. The so-called inheritance is probably like this. Chen Heng raised a glass to receive the wine, and all the guests at the three tables raised their glasses to greet him. All the guests also knew that today was just appetizers. What Mr. Chen really wants to talk about will be left to tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and then it will be the main event.

After toasting with the Jie Feng wine, Chen Heng urged all the distinguished guests who had come from afar to drink with their chopsticks. Xinda, Liu Xianglian and others began to hold wine glasses and walk among the three tables to receive Chen Heng.

At the main table where Chen Heng was sitting, the businessmen who could sit here were all well-known figures in their respective chambers of commerce. In addition to the Shanxi merchants who only came, Zhang Shangde, there were two Huizhou merchants, one Zhejiang merchant, one Guangdong merchant, one Fujian merchant, two Jiangsu merchants, and one Beijing merchant.

There are many familiar faces here. In addition to Wang Shouyi, there is also Feng Zhu, the leader of the Yangzhou Salt Chamber of Commerce. Others, such as Xia Jingui and others, also had several acquaintances in the capital.

Chen Heng was also very good at making friends and chatting. After sitting down and chatting for a few words, he laughed and asked about everyone's trip to Nanyang. This topic tickled everyone's itch. Everyone had something to say, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.

The time to purchase Western ships will soon be two years away. Naturally, everyone has some understanding of the customs and customs of Nanyang. For someone as prudent in words and deeds as Zhang Shangde, there must be someone who is rhetorical and eloquent. Businessmen are indispensable for their ability to deal with people with words.

In addition, the customs of Nanyang are indeed somewhat different from those of Dayong. When it was mentioned that some areas were rich in gold and silver, many interested people who were listening pricked up their ears. They only dared to confirm the authenticity of the news when they saw their colleagues nearby who had sailed to Nanyang nodding.

After listening to it with a smile, Chen Heng asked aloud: It seems that you have gained a lot. It is really gratifying.

Harvest is of course indispensable. Dayong's things are sold in Nanyang, which is a look down from the heavenly kingdom. It is not at the same level as the gadgets made by local indigenous people. It is said that shipping is risky, but the greater the risk, the greater the profit. Otherwise, why are people so often willing to take risks?

Everyone looked at each other and smiled. Zhang Shangde took the lead in carrying the cup and said to Chen Heng: If Master Chen hadn't bridged this matter back then, we wouldn't have been able to get together today. Master Chen, let me propose a toast to you for everyone.

Who doesn’t know the benefits of going to Nanyang? The trip had not taken place before, and what was missing was ships and people. These two things have always been held by merchants in Guangzhou as family heirlooms. That is to say, the Fujian merchants tore a piece of meat from the Guangzhou merchant's mouth by daring to fight.

Shanxi merchants who made their fortune by traveling to Guandong, most of the family's business was on land. If it weren't for Chen Heng's convenience, I don't know if I would have to wait until the Year of the Monkey to open up a route on my own.

Seeing someone taking the lead, the merchants present also drank with them. They don't care whether Chen Heng is a county magistrate, they only need his ability, foresight and broad-mindedness to judge people. Chen Heng managed the Maritime Affairs Department, ran newspapers and set up trucks, etc., and everyone was convinced by everything.

Mr. Zhang, you're welcome. In response to Zhang Shangde's gratitude, Chen Heng did not show off, and immediately filled up his wine glass with the courtesy of a junior.

He had long heard of the Shanxi merchants' grouping culture. Knowing what will happen tomorrow, as long as you convince Zhang Shangde, it is equivalent to convincing most of the Shanxi merchants. It is not an exaggeration to say that we value these people.

The sun in the sky moved, and everyone's laughter continued. Someone asked about the excitement at the city gate today. Chen Heng smiled, played a riddle, and said to the guest who asked the question: Please be patient, I will tell you what happened tomorrow.

Does this mean that the day of discussion is set for tomorrow? Everyone understood and immediately stopped thinking about getting drunk. There is no way, none of these people know that Chen Heng is the godson of the God of Wealth, and he is filled with golden ideas to make a fortune.

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On the first floor of Yunjian, Zhen Zijing learned about the situation from a servant. I know that the guests gathering in Huating County today are all merchants traveling from north to south. He secretly screamed in his heart that it was bad, and said angrily: Why didn't you tell me earlier?

The servant who came to report the news was also stunned, and he still apologized in a panic: Sir, it's all villains who do things badly.

Zhen Zijing was running around in a hurry. At this time, she couldn't think of entertaining the rich people in the city. He didn't even bother to say goodbye, he just picked up his robe, staggered downstairs, sat on the sedan, and ran to his house.

As soon as she returned to the county government office, Zhen Zijing hurriedly told the manager of the Zhen family who was listening to music at home about the news she had heard. When the latter heard this, even Zhang Shangde came. Immediately he asked in surprise: How did he get to know this person?

I think he is a scholar in the country, and he has no connections in this world. Zhen Zijing guessed, Steward, do you think it will be his father-in-law who comes forward?

If the second-rank officials of the imperial court come forward in person, it would not be surprising that people like Zhang Shangde and the Xia family would come to Songjiang Mansion.

Impossible. Manager Zhen had more news. He immediately shook his head and said, There has been a major case in the capital recently, even if it comes from his father-in-law himself. In order to avoid suspicion, these people will not come here to join in the fun at this moment.

Then what should we do? Zhen Zijingjing was so anxious that if she really wanted to continue like this, she could just let Chen Heng take care of the port affairs. Whether the port is built or not has nothing to do with the Zhen family. But as soon as Chen Heng showed signs that he wanted to check the fields and make decisions for the people, he must not be allowed to stay in Songjiang Mansion, lest he ruin the Zhen family's affairs.

The manager of the Zhen family also knew the seriousness of the situation. He immediately stood up and said: I will go home and ask him to send a letter to Prime Minister Gu. See if it is what the Minister of Punishment means...

What does this have to do with the Minister of Justice? Zhen Zijing asked curiously. He was a local county magistrate, a recommended official, and had never had the opportunity to go to the capital in his life.

You idiot knows nothing. The steward scolded as he walked, The Minister of the Ministry of Justice is from Shanxi, and he is from the same hometown as Zhang Shangde.

Zhen Zijing was scolded for no reason, and she didn't dare to say anything, so she had to send the steward out of the house with a courtesy.

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The next day, the winter sunshine was as usual. The merchants who were invited again had selected candidates who could represent them after a night of private talks. The guests sitting at the main table were almost the same as yesterday. Chen Heng didn't care about the extra few new faces.

This time the meeting place was changed to the main hall of Hou Yamen. Perhaps because of bad intentions, Daiyu specially chose Jinling's Yuhua Tea as the tea for entertaining guests.

They already had a friendship from drinking at the same table yesterday, and they had already started chatting quietly before Chen Heng showed up. Everyone found out a lot of news last night and knew that the magistrate of Huating County was going to build a new port in Chuansha Hall. These things cannot be hidden from anyone as long as they are willing to inquire. If you buy a newspaper on the road, you can read it.

Everyone was still guessing about Chen Heng's intention of inviting them, until the Huating County Magistrate came out in official uniform. Everyone's chatter subsided, and many people stood up to salute the county magistrate. The only person sitting still in his seat was Zhang Shangde. He is older, and other merchants who pay courtesy to him can also see that he has donated his idle official status to him early.

Sit down, all sit down. Chen Heng smiled and pressed his hands, but didn't return the favor too much. Yesterday it was a host-guest relationship, today he is the official of Dayong's court. Scholars, farmers, industrialists and merchants, the one in front of these four classes was Chen Heng, who was wearing official robes.

They briefly chatted about yesterday's banquet, and waited until the atmosphere turned slightly relaxed and harmonious. Chen Hengcai coughed lightly and asked, I wrote a letter to invite you all because I have something to ask you.

Everyone's expressions immediately became solemn, and they thought in their hearts: It's better to be a powerful official, because they just want to borrow money from us to build the port. Even the borrowing was so open and aboveboard, and the word 'ask' was used directly.

In another year, our agreement with the Hongmao Fan will end. Do you still have enough ships and crews on hand? Will you have successors when we return?

Huh? Why did the topic come to this? Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what medicine Chen Heng was selling in the gourd. The Fujian merchants were the most impatient. Someone came out immediately and kept saying: It's not enough, Lord Chen. How can there be enough time for these two things?

The Shanxi merchant family ate half of the ships brought out by Hong Mao Fan and Fran Ji. The remaining half was taken away by Hui merchants. The last few ships were divided up by Zhejiang merchants, Guangdong merchants and Fujian merchants.

There are fewer ships, and there are fewer captains and sailors assigned to them. A round trip to Nanyang, although hugely profitable, would also take a long time, and the crews that could be trained at home would naturally be even slower. Everyone was holding back the bitterness in their hearts, but they did not dare to get angry with Zhang Shangde.

This brings us to the interesting part of the Shanxi merchants. They made their fortune firstly by the concerted efforts of the villagers, and secondly by the clear rules and regulations in the clan. The children in the family all abide by the family tradition, go out and do things in a low-key manner, and close the door to study when they have nothing to do.

Compared with the Huizhou businessmen who are also very wealthy, their reputation is much better. However, there is no need to laugh at the excessive number of Huizhou merchants. How many people in the world, after becoming rich, do not support a few opera troupes but a few side houses? Shanxi merchants can have today's family tradition, which is also related to their fortune since the Tang and Song Dynasties.

Chen Heng nodded, smiled, and said, I have something to tell you. This matter is very important to you.

important? Everyone looked sideways, wondering whether Chen Heng wanted to force them to submit, or was he trying to trap the millions of dollars in their pockets?

Last month, a colleague from Honglu Temple sent me a message. Someone in the court was easy to do, so Chen Heng took out his first-hand information and said, This summer, the Hong Mao Fan fought a naval battle with Britain. Won.

What does this matter have to do with us? Anyway, no matter whether we lose or win, we won’t be given any money. Everyone was still confused, but Zhang Shangde was the first to react and immediately said anxiously: Master Chen, is this serious?

Others saw Zhang Shangde's worried face, and after thinking about it carefully, they understood. Mud, these red-haired gangsters won the naval battle, but can't they go back to Nanyang to show off their power?

The envoys of the Hongmao Fan have submitted their credentials to the court. At the end of the year, the envoys of the Hongmao Fan will come to present gifts to His Majesty on behalf of their king. Chen Heng was still smiling brightly. This matter is still kept secret to the outside world. That is to say, Chen Heng has pushed for the success of this matter and has made Honglu Temple famous, so he has direct access to it.

At this point, everyone has reacted. This is not because Mr. Chen is asking them to borrow money. It is because they are looking for Mr. Chen for advice.

Sir, you always have a way. If you have any advice, let us know.

The Hongmao Fan has many people and ships. If we really want to rob them when the time comes, I'm afraid I won't be able to rob them.

Yes, sir, when you asked us to go to Nanyang, we didn't even frown. At that time, our family spent hundreds of thousands of taels just to buy a sea-going ship.

Listening to their words, Chen Heng couldn't help but nod. If these merchants had not donated their money at that time, Dayong's finances would not have been able to breathe a sigh of relief. As of now, we still have the energy and confidence to fight the second side war well.

Don't be anxious, everyone. Chen Heng motioned to Pan You'an to pour tea for all the guests, and then smiled, You should also know that I have the emperor's mandate to renovate the port at Chuansha Hall. The port will be completed by then, everyone. All the business has been robbed by Hong Mao Fan. The port I built with so much effort has become an empty decoration.

In just a few words, his fate was linked to that of everyone present. After planting the third seed in everyone's hearts, Chen Heng is about to start watering and fertilizing.

I intend to rebuild a sea shipyard in Songjiang Prefecture and build a school specifically to train seamen and boatmen. People who come out of here in the future can give priority to meeting your needs. The same is true for the sea ship workshop. As long as you are willing In shipbuilding, we also first meet your needs.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg, may be a debate in philosophy. But in the shopping mall, creating and tapping demand must come first. To put it simply, giving eggs is worse than giving chickens. With the huge profits from Nanyang, there is a demand for shipping to Nanyang. When everyone heard Chen Heng's words, they suddenly became interested.

However, Chen Heng did not give them any time to interrupt, and directly asked Pan Youan and Xinda to bring in the charts he had prepared in advance.

The chart sand table is very crudely made, only the size of a table. In addition to describing the extended coastline of Dayong, more detailed places are not as good as the maps of some state capitals.

But everyone is a native of Dayong, and even after just a few glances, they can find the location of the state capital on the sand table.

The coastline like a long bow appears in front of everyone. Chen Heng pointed to the upper end and said: This is the capital and Qingniwa. His hand moved to the lower end of the chart, This is Guangzhou Prefecture.

Finally, his finger stopped in the middle of the two places, nodded, and said with a smile: This is Songjiang Mansion. I don't need to say more about what state capitals are around Songjiang Mansion.

The pie that he drew for Hongmao Fan back then is about to come true today, and Chen Heng is also filled with pride. He looked around at the expressions of the people around him and could see their eyes becoming brighter and brighter.

With such an intuitive reading on the map, everyone can discover the wonderful geographical location of Songjiang Prefecture. This location is really great. Starting from Songjiang Prefecture in the middle, whether you are going north to the capital or south to Guangzhou, the distance is about the same. Not to mention that there is also a Yangtze River here, which leads directly to the interior of the two lakes.

Anyone who is doing business can understand what a lively and prosperous place Songjiang Mansion, sitting between Suzhou and Hangzhou, will become in the future. Coupled with what Chen Heng said before about setting up shipyards and schools, this maritime trend will probably continue to flourish.

Noticing the heat in everyone's eyes, Chen Heng smiled slightly and finally said: I bear the emperor's mandate. In the next few years... While Chen Heng was speaking, the solemn-looking Liu Xianglian came out holding the imperial edict, Everyone will be there. The Songjiang Mansion is in charge of this matter.

This also tells everyone that as long as everyone wants to eat from Songjiang Mansion in the future, they can’t get around me, Chen Heng. Everyone is not a fool, and they all understand Chen Heng's metaphor at the moment.

After such hard and soft measures, merchants from all over the country were convinced. After a while of calming down, someone spoke up to break the silence, Mr. Chen, I, Mr. Xu, am convinced of you. Sir, just tell me. If there is anything you need to donate money or materials, just ask.

Others nodded when they heard the sound. They understood that Chen Heng called them here to treat them to dinner or to chat over tea. Of course it's not just about friendship, it's just about giving money and effort. Before, they might have had conflicts or interesting thoughts, but now they really want to hear Chen Heng's plan.

Chen Heng was naturally not surprised that he would get this answer after putting so much effort into it. He immediately said in a deep voice: The top priority is to expand the port. This is a once and for all matter, and I still need your help. When the port is completed, there is no need to worry about the shipyard and the school.

I have some friendship with the Hongmao envoys. A group of people will be left to teach classes at that time, and you won't have to bear any expenses. Chen Heng naturally has a place to say this. When the port is full of cargo ships, he will then the resulting tax benefits. It is not a problem to maintain a shipyard and a school.

The more everyone listened, the more relaxed they became. The look on his face gradually turned serious. They listened as Chen Heng continued: In the spring of next year, I will build another street market in Ruanjia Alley outside the city. Then all your guild halls and shops can be located here.

After saying this, Chen Heng stopped talking. There is no way to get him to borrow money personally. The banquet in Nanyang has been prepared. Whether they want to serve it or not depends on their own thoughts.

While everyone was still hesitating and thinking about how much money to take out, a loud shout suddenly came from the hall.

Master Chen, our Xia family is willing to contribute fifty thousand taels. Xia Jingui, a wealthy man in the capital, made an extraordinary statement, I would also like to ask you to save a few good shops for me on the street.

Chen Heng really didn't expect that she would come out on top. He thought the first person to make the decision would be Zhang Shangde. In fact, if you think about it carefully, you can understand the reason. Everyone present today more or less represents the interests of some people behind their backs, and they inevitably have more to consider.

But the Xia family is a millionaire, but Xia Jingui alone has the final say. Even though this person is a girl, she has a very aggressive personality. But since she took over the family business, the Xia family has managed to maintain its wealth, and its life is as prosperous as when her father was still here, and they can be said to be women.

I forgot to mention it before. Chen Heng nodded and said with a smile, In order to thank those who donated money and materials, in addition to five shops on the street, we will give away five shops. In the future, the port taxes will also be reduced or exempted for three years. Xia...as the head of the family, you can just pick a place after the market is built.

No, Mr. Chen, are you just talking about such an important thing as tax reduction and exemption now? Everyone couldn't help but roll their eyes. Wang Shouyi had already shouted: The Wang family in Yangzhou has eighty thousand taels.

Xiao Ping, who was keeping accounts at the back, felt his hands tremble when he heard this. How could he not be excited when he got 130,000 taels in the blink of an eye. Ke Xia and Wang are just appetizers, the real highlight is the representatives of the Chamber of Commerce.

Zhang Shangde had already made up his mind and dropped a huge boulder directly on the ripples of the lake. Master Chen is far-sighted. I'm here to join in the fun and be a porter delivering firewood. Although he was old, the old man was very energetic and stretched out his hand. The leader said, Our chamber of commerce will provide five hundred thousand taels.

After hearing this amount, Chen Heng stood up directly and bowed to Zhang Shangde to thank him. He knew that the jackpot this time would have to fall on Shanxi merchants. In terms of financial resources, Huizhou merchants are definitely not inferior to Shanxi merchants, but when it comes to the unity within the chamber of commerce, there is something different. Huizhou merchants are similar to Fujian merchants, and they pay more attention to the difference between family names.

Afterwards, everyone donated generously. Hui merchants won the second prize with 350,000 taels, and Zhejiang merchants and Fujian merchants ranked third and fourth with 250,000 taels each. The Cantonese businessman's position was placed here, so he only spent a hundred thousand taels to show his affection.

If only Cantonese businessmen were present today, they might even be thinking of buying out. Nowadays, everyone is vying for the throne, so there is no need to join in the fun. Anyway, the people closest to Nanyang are themselves. Ha, my ancestors rewarded me with food, there is nothing I can do about it.

Among the remaining Su merchants, Feng Zhuwei still spoke. The man pondered for a while, looked at Chen Heng carefully, and said after careful consideration: Yangzhou Salt Fair will give two hundred thousand taels. The money was not too much, but compared to the salt merchant's wealth, it was stingy. But compared to most people, it's pretty good.

Unexpectedly, Feng Zhu suddenly said again, I will pay another 200,000 taels in my own name. Haha, after all, he is the champion of our own house. There is no reason for Brother Wang to win the jackpot.

Good guy, it turns out you were waiting here for doing this. Everyone fell down, and even Wang Shouyi burst into laughter after hearing this, so he had to stand up and bow to Feng Zhuzuo.

Originally, the matter was almost done here, with a total of 1.98 million taels raised. Let alone expanding the port, building two more ports is enough. Chen Heng is already very satisfied. When the commercial street is built in the future, he will be able to sell shops and houses.

Seeing that everyone was about to leave, a businessman who had been silent from beginning to end suddenly stood up and said, Sir, don't be anxious, our family hasn't paid for it yet.

Chen Heng was a little confused. Seeing that he came with Brother Zhu from Zhejiang, he looked at Brother Zhu curiously. Didn't you Zhejiang businessmen donate money?

Before Brother Zhu from Yuhang could speak, the man himself said: Haha, you don't have to look at Brother Zhu. Our hometown is small, and Brother Zhu doesn't like our place.

I saw that there was a different kind of charlatanism in this man's words. Chen Heng also became interested. He left Brother Zhu, who looked a little ugly, and asked, I wonder where Brother comes from.

My surname is Lin, from Yongjia County, Wenzhou Prefecture, and my name is Shilian. I am the second in line in my family. If you don't mind, you can just call me Lin Er. The man replied with a smile.

No wonder, he speaks Mandarin with such a strong accent. Chen Heng nodded, sat back down and asked, I wonder how much Brother Lin has come up with.

Three hundred thousand taels. Lin Shilian said immediately. Even though he looked pained, his voice was very decisive. It was obvious that he had already planned this. Brother Zhu frowned when he heard this, and couldn't help shouting: You are just talking nonsense, where did you get so much money? Don't break your trust in front of Mr. Chen, it will be hard to explain when you go back.

Wenzhou Prefecture has always been a land of poor mountains and poor waters, with many mountains and few fields. The people who come out of this place also have a tough temperament. Lin Shilian immediately retorted: There are many people in our village, so you care about me.

After he finished speaking, a Fujian businessman actually came out to support him, That's right, Brother Zhu, you are too lenient.

What else could Chen Heng do? He could just stand up and act as a peacemaker.

After some warm words, Chen Heng sent away all the benefactors and signaled everyone to prepare money early so that the Huating County government would be safe.

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At this time, at the Chuansha Pier, Jia Yucun was leading a group of newly recruited corvees and had just finished cleaning the messy ground. Several craftsmen who were breaking stones and driving piles were thinking about where the hammer fell. Occasionally, they looked up at Jia Yucun, who was supervising the work with arms akimbo in the distance, and asked, Sir, we really need to smash it. This pier is brand new.

Smash! Smash me hard. Jia Yucun said bitterly. My family's future is tied to this dock. How can we build a big port that will benefit the country and the people without smashing it all up?

Several craftsmen looked at each other and had no choice but to do as the county master said. Several people held up the utensils, and a strong man rolled up his sleeves and spat into his palm. Then he grabbed the heavy hammer and smashed it hard against the stone.

There was just a bang and sparks flying.

The passers-by who were watching could not figure out the meaning. He just commented angrily, You thief, what's the use of repairing this broken thing? If the Japanese pirates come in the future, everyone should run away.

Shh, don't get yourself into trouble. Someone next to him hurriedly advised.

Friday is a good day. The mood of coding has become much happier. Ha ha ha ha. Please vote, please monthly vote, please recommend votes.