After eating the fragrant mutton and kumis, Liu Chengfeng felt warm in his belly. He wiped his mouth with a wet wipe. Zhu Houzhao beside him stretched tiredly and said to Liu Chengfeng: "Master didn't say to do it."
Business? How is the business now?"
Although Zhu Houzhao is confused, he is not a person who takes money and is indifferent. On the surface, he is crazy, but in fact he has been thinking about Liu Chengfeng's great career. Now he is probably still counting on taking these two thousand taels of silver and earning four
Thousand, five thousand taels of silver come back.
Liu Chengfeng took a sip of kumiss and became excited when he talked about his business experience. This was his first time doing business in this era. In fact, Liu Chengfeng also needed a sum of money to make money, even though he was only a hundred households.
But there will be many places to use money in the future. Although you can get a few hundred taels of silver from the Baihu Office every month, it is not a long-term solution after all. Only things in your own name are yours.
Liu Chengfeng pondered for a moment and then said to Zhu Houzhao: "The business is almost ready. The venue and craftsmen are all ready. The most important thing now is how to open up the situation."
"What does opening up the situation mean?" Zhu Houzhao looked at Liu Chengfeng with his clear eyes and asked.
This pair of clear eyes made Liu Chengfeng feel dazed for a moment. No one could have imagined that the owner of these eyes almost killed Liu Chengfeng not long ago. Liu Chengfeng took a deep breath and thought to himself, Qian
Don't be fooled by this guy's appearance, be careful with this guy.
Liu Chengfeng thought for a while and explained: "This is just like marching to a war. Before the war begins, drums must be beaten to boost the momentum."
This sentence was easy to understand. Zhu Houliu understood it and thought to himself, it turns out that doing business is so complicated. His interest increased instead of diminishing, and he said: "Master, how do you want to build up your momentum? Is there any place where I can be used?"
"
Liu Chengfeng said with a smile: "Of course I want to use you. We are partners, and His Highness is smart and capable. How can we do this business without His Majesty's help?"
Liu Chengfeng's eloquent words made Zhu Houzhao immediately excited, and he suddenly became an indispensable part. What's more, Liu Chengfeng said it himself. This sentence greatly encouraged Zhu Houzhao. Zhu Houzhao said: "Master wants me to
do what?"
Liu Chengfeng asked: "Does Your Highness know Wang Shu?"
When Liu Chengfeng mentioned Wang Shu, Zhu Houzhao frowned and said, "This old guy who has never changed his ways makes him upset just looking at him. He often scolds me with a straight face. Of course I know him."
Liu Chengfeng snickered in his heart, it's good to know each other. He winked at Zhu Houzhao and said, "Does Your Highness want to give him a stumbling block?"
"Jiaozi..." Zhu Houzhao began to breathe heavier, cheered up, his fatigue was gone, and he said with great interest: "What can Master do?"
Liu Chengfeng chuckled and said, "Come here, I'll teach you how to do it?" He attached his ear to Zhu Houzhao and whispered a few words in a low voice. Zhu Houzhao hesitated and said: "This..."
Liu Chengfeng said with a straight face, threateningly: "Didn't you say that you always dislike him? Don't worry, as long as your work is completed, our business will be half successful. Not to mention, we can still see his liveliness.
Why not?"
…………………………………………
The sun was blazing in the sky at noon in Beijing. As soon as the scorching sun came out, the city suddenly became much quieter. The smoke from each house also rose up. Originally, at this time, not even the porters, porters, and salesmen were willing to do anything.
They have emerged, not to mention the lords and wealthy households in major government offices and large mansions.
At this time, there was a sedan slowly passing by on the empty long street. This was a red nun sedan. Unless someone of the third rank or above dared not sit on it, he was sitting in a roadside inn with a towel wrapped around his waist.
The waiter, who was taking a nap on the bench, opened his eyes slightly and couldn't help but feel strange when he saw this posture. Although it was not far from the East Palace, it was rare to see a big shot go to the East Palace at this time.
The four bearers carrying the sedan were already sweating profusely, their heads were wet with sweat, and they were breathing heavily.
Perhaps it was because the cicadas on the roadside were noisy and annoying. The curtain of the sedan was tightly covered, and there was some snoring coming from the sedan. The people in the sedan must have been tired.
The sedan stopped steadily outside the East Palace, and the bearer called out in a low voice: "Master... the East Palace has arrived..."
There was no movement in the sedan.
The bearer of the sedan chair called again, and the person carrying the sedan chair responded majestically and got out of the sedan chair.
The man who stood out was in his fifties, with thin eyebrows and long eyes, and spotted temples. Every move of this man had a majesty that made people dare not get too close to him. His slightly cloudy eyes looked intently, and he moved every step.
After stepping over the handle of the sedan chair, he said to the bearer beside him: "Wait here." After that, he walked up the white jade stone steps in front of the East Palace gate and entered the East Palace.
Not long after, a young eunuch came over, smiled at the man, and said, "Hello, Taibao Wang, His Highness is waiting for you. Please go to the study room quickly."
Wang Taibao is Wang Shu. Wang Shu's status can be described as transcendent. As the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, he is his own sect and has a lot of connections in the court. Not only that, he is also the crown prince's Taibao. Although the current emperor attaches great importance to the prince's education, the prince's Taibao
, there are more than a dozen people including Shaofu, Taibao, Shaobao, and ministers, but this status is completely different when paired with the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He is definitely a giant that no one dares to mess with. You don’t have to bow to him when you see him in the court.
You can count them on two hands.
After hearing the eunuch's words, Wang Shu showed no emotion or anger on his face. He just nodded his head and followed the eunuch step by step towards the depths of the East Palace.
Although he looked indifferent, Wang Shu was full of doubts in his heart. Usually the prince saw him like a mouse to a cat. Even when he came to teach sometimes, his eyes would twinkle. Why did he change his temper today?
, specifically asked someone to write a note asking him to teach?
But how could Wang Shu neglect the prince's summons? He took the note in the staff hall and set off immediately. He thought doubtfully: "I heard recently that the prince is willing to study. Could it be that he has really changed his temper?
Are you thirsty for learning?" Although he thought it was a bit absurd, Wang Shu could only think in this direction.
After a while, the little eunuch led Wang Shu to the study room of the East Palace. The study room in the East Palace is naturally different from ordinary people's homes. It occupies an area no smaller than the Chengxin Hall of the Imperial College. When you step in, you will see screen bookshelves on three sides, with a dazzling array of classic ancient books.
The ink is fragrant, and his collection contains no less than a thousand copies.
More than a dozen palace lanterns were carried by the little eunuchs, illuminating the study room brightly. Everyone was hunched over, not daring to show off their atmosphere. The only one with his head held high was Zhu Houzhao, who looked eager for knowledge.
Holding a book and reading aloud, when he saw Wang Shu coming, he stood up with a smile on his face and said respectfully: "Master Wang."
"Yeah." Wang Shu was very satisfied with Zhu Houzhao's current performance. Even at this time, he suddenly felt that the prince had grown up. When he came in just now, he was not only studying, but he was also very polite when he saw him. The prince was so polite.
Wang Shu could only vaguely remember seeing the prince's appearance four or five years ago when he was still a child. At that time, the prince was also polite, but as he got older, he became more and more unruly.
"Master Wang, I have just read the chapter on Ren in the Analects of Confucius. There are many things I don't understand in it, and I would like to ask Master Wang for advice." Zhu Houzhao looked like he was harmless to humans and animals, and seemed very sincere. He did not forget to say to Liu Jin behind him.
: "Slave dog, why don't you ask Master Wang to sit cross-legged!"
Liu Jin moved a chair, Wang Shu leaned over and sat down, thanked him, and said with great relief: "If there is something that Your Highness does not understand, I will naturally help His Highness clear it up. I wonder what questions Your Highness has?"
Zhu Houzhao then came over and talked about a few doubts. This Wang Shu was a Shuji scholar and a leader of the Sanyuan School. These questions were naturally child's play for him. He didn't even hesitate, so he explained them to Zhu Houzhao eloquently. Zhu Houzhao
He just nodded, and sometimes he didn't forget to say: "Master Wang said it very well."
At this time, Wang Shu had only one thought in his mind: "The prince has indeed grown up and has become a prince." Then his heart was filled with ups and downs, and he was very happy.
After a full hour, Zhu Houzhao had learned almost everything, so he asked someone to watch tea, and said with a smile to Wang Shu: "Master Wang, it is said that when you took the imperial examination, you won the third flower and ranked among the top three. In this Manchu Dynasty,
Among civil and military people, this knowledge must be first-rate."
Ranking among the top three is a memorable thing for anyone. When Wang Shu heard what Zhu Houzhao said, he smiled and said modestly: "No, no, it's just fate."
Zhu Houzhao said with a straight face: "This is not a chance meeting. I know that there is a scientific examination every three years, and scholars all over the world must participate. There are more than a hundred thousand candidates? Master Wang can stand out from so many people.
This person deserves the title of Great Confucian."