In the Ming Dynasty 1498, my restaurant connects two worlds.

Chapter 118 Deceiving Two Old Men

Song Xiaoyi was only considering practical issues.

Song Xiaoyi poured three cups of tea, put down the teapot, and said, "Actually, I think the best option would be to set up this door inside the Forbidden City, which would be convenient for you and Brother Zhu."

"Yes, Lao Dan, take a look in the Forbidden City. Are there any abandoned houses that are rarely visited? Pick a few, and Xiao Yi will go there to confirm which palace they correspond to. Finally, we'll choose a suitable one so that it will be convenient for us to come and go."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind and take care of it when I get back tonight." Old Master Shan picked up his teacup and took a sip. "And what are your plans for the Yongle Encyclopedia?"

Song Xiaoyi knew that given Elder Shan's status, it was impossible for him to help conceal the matter; it was a serious matter that couldn't be kept secret forever. So he had planned to bring it up after discussing the passage, but he didn't expect Elder Shan to be so direct and bring it up so eagerly, suggesting that he had been holding it in for a long time.

"Regarding the issue of the Yongle Encyclopedia, I want to make my position clear first. I'll have Mr. Wu as a witness. I've already said this once before in the Ming Dynasty: I will not take it out unless I can confirm its safety. Keeping it with me is the safest option."

"I can report this to your superiors for you."

"How high up is 'up'? After you report, all sorts of shady characters will come looking for me. What should I do? Should I give it to them or not?"

"Should it be donated to the National Museum of China or the Palace Museum?"

"Suppose this were placed in your Palace Museum, and hostile foreign forces came after you, could you withstand it?"

"Now, even a copy can fetch over 80 million at auction. A perfectly preserved original like this would start at over 100 million. Money is a powerful motivator. If you're not tempted, it's because the lure isn't strong enough. How much do your museum's employees earn in a year? With internal and external theft combined, can you really prevent it?"

Do you really want me to explain it so clearly?

Dean Shan fell silent, holding a cup of tea but not putting it in his mouth, just staring blankly at Song Xiaoyi.

"I'm a soldier by birth, and even though I've retired now, I'm still a soldier at heart. You should know that." Song Xiaoyi took the teacup from Dean Shan's hand, poured out the cold tea, and poured a fresh cup of hot tea.

"When Brother Zhu gave it to me, I never intended to keep it for myself. This is Brother Zhu's obsession, and I must find him a good home."

"Okay, I've figured it out. It seems the Yongle Encyclopedia won't be entering the museum system."

"You're right, the three directions I considered did not include museums."

"Xiao Yi, which three directions?" Old Wu, who had been listening attentively and deep in thought, finally spoke.

Song Xiaoyi remained calm, slowly pouring hot tea into the cup, and began to speak slowly, "The military region's logistics department has built a special secret room..."

The National Library should build a secret room, or at least a secret room in the very center.

"Building a special secret room for the original copy of the Yongle Encyclopedia with the highest level of security is worthwhile, no matter how much it costs."

"Alright, you two, old and young, are making the atmosphere too dull." Old Wu finished his tea and put down his cup. "Let's skip this topic. The items belong to the country, but it's definitely safest for now to keep them with Xiao Yi. I have no objection to Xiao Yi's three plans."

"Is there anything else you need to say, Xiao Yi? If not, this old man is going back now."

"Yes, and it's important."

"Oh? There really is one. Tell me about it."

"I need silver, a lot of silver. Of course, it's not me who wants it, it's Brother Zhu who wants it."

"The Ming Dynasty was short of silver. In the late Ming period, a large amount of overseas silver poured into the Ming Dynasty, which choked the Ming Dynasty to death."

"It seems that Elder Shan's research is quite thorough. That's exactly what he means. Brother Zhu and I have been thinking about first establishing a silver standard economic system for the Ming Dynasty to delay and restrict the inflow of overseas silver."

"I'd like to entrust this matter to the two elders." Under the shocked gazes of the two elders, Song Xiaoyi did not rush to explain, but refilled the three empty cups with tea. "Of course, I know that you two are not in the economic field, but through you, I can definitely find someone in the economic field to oversee things. Once the Yongle Encyclopedia is published, the passage will no longer be my secret."

"I've already taken you two to the Ming Dynasty, and I don't intend to keep it a secret any longer. But at least one thing is certain: the key is in my hands."

"If something happens to me, all of this will be meaningless."

"Therefore, all malice directed against me, the passage, and the Ming Dynasty will be met with certain death."

Modern weapons cannot enter, and modern people without space cannot enter the passage. Once they arrive in the Ming Dynasty, no one can cause any trouble. Those with malicious intent will have nowhere to hide in front of Zhu Youtang.

"Xiao Yi, you don't need to be so harsh. We understand."

"There's nothing we can do. We didn't originally plan for Brother Zhu to meet Dean Shan, but things have changed."

"Of course, it's not that Xiao Yi doesn't trust Elder Shan. Brother Zhu and I still trust Elder Shan's character. It's just that once Elder Shan reports it up, the others who know the news will start to have their own ideas."

"Shall we get back to the topic of raising money?"

"Okay, let's raise the silver. My first step is to donate the Yongle Encyclopedia to the country and contact various museums to collect ancient silver from them. This is the most direct way, as it can be used there. The second step is to establish a modern silver minting factory to cast Hongzhi silver ingots."

"I can arrange the factory construction, but where will the money for purchasing it come from?"

"Old Wu, have you forgotten? What did the Ming Dynasty have the most of? Antiques and calligraphy."

"Come, let me show you two items from the Imperial Palace's Ancient and Modern Collection."

"What? Zhu Shou gave you all the treasures from the Ancient and Modern Treasury too?"

"Yes, Brother Zhu gave it all to me. He said that rather than letting it be sold off and lost after his death, it would be better for me to exchange it for silver."

"Moreover, the famous painters of the time, such as Tang Bohu and Xu Zhenqing, are now mass-producing works in the Wuying Hall of the Imperial Palace. Those works that have passed through my hands are now antiques in modern times."

"Moreover, as you can see, I also had Brother Zhu add the imperial collection seals of the Hongzhi Emperor and the Zhengde Emperor."

"Although the Jiajing Emperor hadn't been born yet, I could still affix his seal during the Hongzhi reign, and I could even affix the Qing Dynasty's seal..."

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This method was unheard of and unseen before! Both Elder Wu and Elder Shan were dumbfounded!

They started making it during the Ming Dynasty? Who can call something like this a fake?

"Xiao Yi, you're framing all those calligraphy and paintings for the old man? If so, that's really commendable!"

"Who is the ancestor?"

Uh oh! I have to explain again.

"Our ancestor was an ancestor of Wu Lao, a direct descendant of Wu Xuanhe, and the mother of Qiu Ying. She is currently in Taoye Ferry, Nanjing, during the Ming Dynasty."

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"Old Wu's ancestors? You've met them?!"

"Of course, I've learned how to mount several paintings from my master."

"Old Dan, guess what? You'll be very surprised when you see it next time. I personally helped frame Zhu Yunming's 'Fireworks Cave Talent'."

"The 'Fireworks Cave' is as famous as 'Ode to the Golden Powder of the Six Dynasties'!"

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