Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 346 White Gloves

Zhang Mansion.

Zhang Luan has been running to the Hanlin Academy in recent days. In order to show that he is a serious Hanlin official, he even participated in some book editing work, but he was mostly responsible for running errands.

In this way, the matter of selling tribute was temporarily put on hold.

“I didn’t sell many pieces!”

He came back that day and walked into the mansion while talking to someone.

Zhang Yanling was writing something in the west wing. When he heard the noise, he came out and saw Zhang Luan and Chen Gui entering the yard together.

When Chen Gui saw Zhang Yanling, he first smiled and nodded. Perhaps he felt that his courtesy was not enough, so he stepped forward and greeted Zhang Yanling in person.

Zhang Luan asked, "Eunuch Chen, have you been ordered to bring all the tributes back to the palace? Look at me, including the yellow coral I sold before, I only sold ten treasures in total. It may not seem like much, but I have tried my best.

"The specific price and who it was sold to are all recorded in the book. You can take it back and check it carefully, or you can report it to His Majesty. If His Majesty feels that there is something unclear, you can go directly to the person involved to verify it."

Chen Gui smiled bitterly and said, "Master Zhang, you are really worrying too much... You have done a great job by selling the tribute. And this matter... should not be publicized too much..."

Zhang Luan said helplessly: "They are all rare treasures, which ordinary people cannot possess. How can I not advertise them? Besides, if I want to sell things, I have to let people know what I am selling, right? And I can't let people come to my house directly to buy... I usually make a list of the items and give it to the buyer, letting him choose by himself."

"You are really..."

Chen Gui was quite speechless.

I thought to myself, you are afraid that others don’t know that our Majesty is short of money.

Zhang Luan said: "But no one specifically asked where these things came from, and even if they asked, I wouldn't tell you... I just sold a few of them without knowing why, and now no one has come to my store for several days.

"Hey, it's really hot. It's already night, why is there no wind at all?"

Chen Gui looked around, invited Zhang Luan to a corner of the yard, and whispered, "Master Zhang, there is something I want to ask you for advice."

"Eunuch Chen, you are too polite... What's the big deal, just let me come and see you."

Zhang Luan quickly said modestly.

Chen Gui sighed, "Your status is high and favored, and we cannot compare with you. The situation is this: Your Majesty is planning to go to the Taoist temple in the city to meditate for a few days. I want to get a few treasures with fairy spirits. Take a look..."

"What?"

Zhang Luan's face was full of confusion.

He was thinking, am I selling tribute or magic tools? Am I selling things to the palace? Why are you asking me for things?
Chen Gui said helplessly: "Your Majesty said so, there is nothing I can do. Logically speaking, this matter... I should ask someone from the immortal family for advice, but I... can't find anyone at the moment."

Zhang Luan asked curiously, "Aren't there many famous masters of alchemy in the court? Why don't you ask them?"

There are clearly a series of Taoists in the court who claim to be semi-immortals, such as Li Zisheng, Deng Changen and Zhao Yuzhi. Why do you have to trouble me with this matter?
Chen Gui sighed, "Master Zhang, let's be honest. It's impossible to ask them for help. I can't tell you the specific reason, but anyway...if you have a way, please help me. If you really can't...I won't force you.

"Alas! I don't know what your majesty is thinking. Is this method still worth practicing?"

"..."

Zhang Luan was speechless when he heard this. He did not have any immortal treasures, but he could think of a way to get those strange things, such as telescopes, soaps and the like. However, he could only ask his youngest son for his opinion after Chen Gui left.

……

……

June 11th.

It was an unbearably hot time of the year.

That day was the day of the fifth prince Zhu Youqi's coming-of-age ceremony. Zhang Luan went into the palace with the court officials to witness it. There would be a banquet in the palace at noon, and he would not leave the palace until the afternoon.

Li Zisheng was also in charge of this matter in the palace.

However, Li Zisheng specially arranged for Pang Qing to go to the workshop to get the telescopes accompanied by Zhang Yanling, and Li Zisheng planned to deliver these telescopes the day after the fifth prince's coming-of-age ceremony.

Because Zhu Youtang just wanted his father to get more telescopes to help the Ming border troops, and did not insist on presenting the telescopes himself, so the credit of presenting the telescopes fell on Li Zisheng.

In this way, Li Zisheng will have one more opportunity to meet the emperor alone.

"Second Master, this Huangshan mica is hard to find, right? I thought it was extinct, but I never thought that I could find another piece and successfully build a telescope. It is really a blessing for the Ming Dynasty."

Pang Qing is knowledgeable and interesting.

There is no mention of the fact that Huangshan mica is glass.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Yes, today I want to introduce someone to Mr. Pang... She is a Huizhou merchant named Qin. It was her people who helped us find the Huangshan mica this time."

"Huizhou merchants are from the hometown, so it is natural that Huangshan mica is the most suitable place."

Pang Qing smiled and said, "I wonder how much effort this Huizhou merchant put into this matter? How could he be favored by the Second Young Master and Zhang Hanlin?"

What I mean is that your selfless approach of helping others gain credit is really rare.

Unless the Qin family has given you a huge benefit, probably a mountain of gold and silver, your family would be so kind to a merchant.

Zhang Yanling sighed, "Mr. Pang may not know that our relationship with the Qin family started when we were in Xingji. They even provided some help when we went to Beijing. Sometimes people should pay attention to courtesy and reciprocity. We met when we were in humble circumstances, so we should not destroy the bridge after crossing it."

"I see."

Pang Qing smiled and nodded.

I was probably thinking in my heart, can our relationship be considered as one of just acquaintances?
Will you be able to avoid destroying bridges after you cross them?

……

……

Workshop outside the city.

Zhang Yanling personally introduced Qin Zhao to Pang Qing.

"Master Qin, I've heard a lot about you. We've met several times before. I never thought I would have the chance to meet you again today." Pang Qing was unusually polite when he saw the merchants introduced by Zhang Yanling.

No matter what, this is the white glove of the future father-in-law's family, and he is also a famous businessman in Huizhou, so he must be taken seriously.

Maybe in the future when doing business, he will have to ask Qin Zhao for help. After all, Hui merchants travel all over the world and have a network of relationships all over the world.

Qin Zhao said: "I am honored to meet Butler Pang. It is truly a great honor."

"It's too polite of you to say that, Mr. Qin. Everyone knows that Huizhou merchants have chambers of commerce in every province. Even if you go to the northwest, Sichuan, Jiangnan, Fujian, Guangdong and other places, as long as you mention Huizhou merchants, everyone will treat you with great respect. Just look at the relationship between Mr. Qin and Mr. Zhang II... Haha, I know that you Huizhou merchants are not simple!"

What Pang Qing meant was, how great was your vision and foresight to be able to place your bet accurately on the Zhang family when it was in decline?

This can be considered as your good luck and the right bet, doesn't this bring you huge convenience?

If it were an ordinary person, they would never believe that a poor scholar would achieve anything great in the future. Even if someone mentioned the Crown Princess's House half a year ago... others would just think it was a decoration with no sense of existence.

Who would have thought that one day, the prince's status in the court would suddenly rise, and the princess's family would also rise to prominence?
After some polite exchanges, several people entered the yard.

Qin Zhao personally opened a wooden box, and inside was twelve telescopes. "They are all here."

Qin Zhao introduced with a smile.

Qin Zhao handed it over to Pang Qing personally. This was also one of the processes carefully designed in advance by Zhang Yanling. If the emperor carefully investigates this matter in the future, the telescope, soap and other items will only be toys made by Huizhou merchants.

In fact, he was not afraid of a close inspection. Even if the emperor searched all the merchants in Huizhou over and over again, he could not find the so-called Huangshan mica, let alone the technology for making telescopes. Anyway, for people of that era, optical design and technology were like a secret book and there was no fear of leakage.

Pang Qing asked curiously, "Second Young Master, is this made in your house? Is it really made of Huangshan mica?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Mr. Pang, many things are just between you and me. Do you really have to dig into the details?"

"Hey, look at me, I unconsciously want to ask more questions... In fact, I have already instructed you earlier, just take the things, don't ask where they come from. What difference does it make where such a good thing comes from?"

Pang Qing said this with a smile and closed the wooden box.

Qin Zhao asked curiously: "Butler Pang, won't you check it? If there is any damage..."

Pang Qing said, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Qin. I only said that I would present a telescope to Your Majesty. Your Majesty knew about this a long time ago. If I don't present it, it would be deceiving the emperor. But I never said how much I would present. We will give you as much as we have. Even if it's just one, Your Majesty won't mind."

"I see."

After Qin Zhao finished speaking, he couldn't help but glance at Zhang Yanling.

It seems to be saying that your Zhang family is really powerful. Your friendship with Li Zisheng has reached such a level that you don't avoid suspicion at all and trust each other to the point where it cannot be surpassed. It seems that it will be difficult for your Zhang family not to rise!

He can even deal with Li Zisheng, a villain in the court. With the support of the crown prince, then in the future... at least he will be able to thrive in the court, right?

The three of them sat around the table.

Qin Zhao intentionally moved closer to Zhang Yanling. The division of power on the table was already very obvious.

Pang Qing didn't think much of it, and asked with a smile, "I wonder what business Mr. Qin is doing recently?"

Qin Zhao said: "Nothing, just some traveling business... I have been basically in the capital for the past six months and rarely travel far. I only went to Tongzhou once."

"Oh... From now on, the focus will be on doing business around the capital, right?" Pang Qing asked, "Have you done the official salt business this year? It is said that after Liang Fang, the eunuch, was exiled to Nanjing, the official salt business in the capital has been liberalized, and many Shanxi merchants and Huizhou merchants have been involved. I wonder if your family has any business?"

Qin Zhao smiled and shook his head: "No. My Qin family did not do any official salt business this year, but in previous years we did leave some salt permits and sent people to the Lianghuai Salt Field to wait for salt."

Pang Qing said: "Oh, that's a bit troublesome. Why don't I try to find some connections and help mediate. Maybe I can get the salt out sooner?"

"Need not."

Qin Zhao didn't seem to want to accept Pang Qing's favor, especially in front of Zhang Yanling. She made the matter very clear, "Thank you for your kindness, Butler Pang. Just wait in line. It can always be redeemed within two years. Don't be too anxious."

"What a good attitude! If it were an ordinary merchant, he would have gone all over the capital to seek help from his connections... But to be honest, most of the connections they found are irrelevant. There are very few officials who can actually be involved in the salt fields. Many officials take the opportunity to cheat, especially those who make money in the name of their fellow villagers, and they are too embarrassed to pursue them later."

Pang Qing seemed to be very clear about the ways of officials and businessmen in the capital, and shook his head with emotion.

Qin Zhao smiled and nodded, but said nothing.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Mr. Pang must have a lot of people asking for favors, right? After all, Mr. Pang is very successful in the officialdom of the capital, and he knows a lot of high-ranking officials."

"Yes, there are, but not many. As someone in the Taoist's house, you should keep a low profile when you go out and not cause trouble!"

Pang Qing had a confident smile on his face and said, "Regarding official affairs, it might be helpful to ask the Taoist or me, but if it involves the livelihood of the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Works, I really don't know much.

"Hey, Mr. Qin, I don't know if there are many officials from Huizhou Prefecture in Beijing? Backed by Huizhou merchants, they are very wealthy and have an easier time being an official than others..."

Qin Zhao nodded first, then shook his head and said, "Yes, there are, but we don't interact much."

"Haha, that's right. With a powerful backer like the Zhang family, what can the local officials of Huizhou do? No matter how big their network is, can it be as powerful as the Zhang family?"

When Pang Qing said this, he burst into laughter.

Zhang Yanling said modestly: "Mr. Pang, you are making fun of our Zhang family. My sister is just an imperial concubine and my father is a minor official in the imperial court. How can they have any extraordinary powers?"

Pang Qing waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Second Young Master, you are too modest. If not for your father, even you would be able to stir up a turbulent tide in this court. This is the current situation. In the future... your achievements will be limitless!"

……

……

At sunset.

Li Zisheng returned home with a tired look on his face. When he saw the wooden box that Pang Qing brought over, he picked up the telescope inside with interest and instantly became full of energy.

"Good stuff, really good stuff!"

Li Zisheng picked up one and placed it in front of him, looking at it towards the yard, and sighed, "It is just like the one Lai Zhan gave me. Just take it in your hand and look at it, and you can see the scenery in the distance. It is really magical. Huizhou merchants are really extraordinary. They can find such good things."

Pang Qing frowned and asked meaningfully, "Master Dao, do you really believe that this was made by merchants from Huizhou?"

"cut."

After looking at one, Li Zisheng picked up another telescope and checked it one by one, saying, "I don't care who made it. Lai Zhan said so, so I believe it. Oh, by the way, did you see the Huizhou merchant representative today?"

"Yes, she is a woman named Qin. We met before." Pang Qing said.

Li Zisheng asked, "Have you tried it?"

Pang Qing nodded: "I have tried it."

"Then what did she say? Does the Tongzhou Warehouse incident have anything to do with her?"

Li Zisheng asked further.

"She said she went to Tongzhou once." Pang Qing thought for a moment and replied, "I didn't ask anything else."

Li Zisheng put down the telescope and tried to kick Pang Qing, but Pang Qing dodged it skillfully.

Pang Qing protested, "Master Dao, why are you suddenly being unreasonable?"

In the past, we quarreled, but at least it was verbal and not physical. Why did you even resort to physical violence this time?

"You're making fun of me, so who else should I kick if not you? Didn't you say you've already tested me?" Li Zisheng said, "Don't tell me you forgot!"

Pang Qing said helplessly: "I only asked her about the salt permits, and learned that she did not do any official salt business this year. As for the grain in Tongzhou Warehouse, I think this way... You said that Zhang Qi, the cousin of Lai Zhan, was once the governor of Liaodong. Many officials in Hejian Prefecture and even Northern Zhili had close contacts with his mansion. If he wants to know the inside story of Tongzhou Warehouse, does he need to rely on Hui merchants to give him advice?"

Li Zi paused and thought for a moment before nodding and saying, "What you said seems to make some sense."

"Then, Mr. Dao, has His Majesty taken any action regarding the Tongzhou warehouse?"

Pang Qing asked.

"No."

Li Zisheng shook his head and said, "Eunuch Tan mentioned it to His Majesty, but the memorial was kept and not sent out. I can't ask His Majesty directly what he plans to do. I can only wait..."

(End of this chapter)