"...After investigation, Zizhenzhai is a treasure shop in Guangfu, with a jewelry workshop inside. The jewelry made are of different styles and are valued at very high prices. The glass lamps are not sold by them, but there is another shop named Zichengji.
The various items displayed in this shop are all Australian foreign goods, all of which are exquisite and exquisite. They are also famous for their glassware, including plates, lamps, windows, mirrors, etc. They also use clear glass bottles to vend wine, which is said to be unparalleled among the country's scholars...
"Both shops are owned by one person. This person's surname is Guo Mingyi, whose name is unknown. He has neither fame nor aristocratic family. However, a ten-foot-high building was built on the ground, and he acquired a fortune of ten thousand gold in a short time. There is also Ziming Tower, where there are sensual dogs and horses,
The place where romance and gold are sold is under the control of his concubine Pei. Pei, in the name of oiran, has a close connection with the gentry in Guangli. The dandies flock to her like a duck, and the merchants gather around...
Along with the tip, there were several joint ventures, including several Australian goods bought by Liu Zheng: several carved wooden powder boxes with silver mirrors inside, which looked similar to those seen in Yangzhou before.
They are very similar, but the materials seem to be different. There are also two glass bottles, which according to Liu Zheng's secret report, should be the Guoshi Wushuang wine. Although the wine in them is clear and pure, without any turbidity, it is undoubtedly the best wine.
But this crystal clear glass bottle is even more valuable. Using such a vessel to store wine seems to be putting the cart before the horse. This wine is actually the "fire wine" that Zhou Xianren proposed to brew before. It's just that he originally proposed to sell it to the cheap public
route, but this wine is on the upper-class route. I heard that the price is sixty taels of silver per gift box, but the supply is still in short supply, and it is often out of stock. Wang Yehao was stunned.
What concerned Wang Yehao the most was Dongzhu Guo mentioned in the letter. A foreign merchant with no roots could actually earn such a huge fortune in the Guangzhou market. It seemed that he had some background tricks.
Originally, Wang Yehao was just trying to trace the whereabouts of the Universe Mirror, but now things started to get complicated, and he had to be more careful. He handed the report to Liu Zhao who was standing aside.
"Sir, so the Australian maritime merchants are really back? That Universe Mirror..." Liu Zhao said in surprise after looking at it.
Wang Yehao raised his hand to stop Liu Zhao's words: "It's difficult to tell whether the story about the Qiankun Mirror is true or not, so we can't make it public for now."
"I understand that I followed Mr. Zhou to Guangli earlier to find something. Judging from his words and actions, it doesn't seem like he was lying."
Wang Yehao nodded slowly in agreement. Indeed, if he was not looking for something at that time, there would be no need to go back to Guangli. Moreover, while in Guangli, Liu Zhao exposed many flaws according to Wang Yehao's wishes, but the Hearthstone Taoist did not show any
He had no intention of taking the opportunity to escape. What's more, the Hearthstone Immortal followed Liu Zhao back to the capital obediently, and Wang Yehao's previous doubts were dispelled.
"Ignoring the Universe Mirror for now, what do you think of today's secret report?"
Liu Zhao thought about it for a while and said cautiously: "Sir, I have a guess, I don't know whether to say it or not."
"But there's no harm in talking."
"When my subordinates visited Guangli before, there was no such person as Guo Yi, and according to what Liu Zheng said, this person seems to have no foundation, but he can make such a big success in just one year. It sounds really weird.
Like a legend, how can it be possible without the help of gods?"
"If you don't have a foundation, you won't have a backer. Even the maritime merchants of Guangdong and Fujian will inevitably have high-ranking officials operating in the court." Wang Yehao played with the wine bottles in the exquisite Guoshi Wushuang gift box - he didn't like fire wine.
Drink, but this bottle and wine set are really exquisite.
"Nine times out of ten, this person is on the road of Gaoji. Otherwise, he is a migrant and sells Australian goods. How can Gaoji accommodate him?"
"The master is right. Judging from what he said in the letter, Gao Ju and Dongzhu Guo seem to have a very harmonious relationship..." Liu Zhao said, "I just don't know what Gao Ju's intentions are in supporting such a person."
Wang Yehao frowned. He had found out clearly that he was holding the high eunuch behind. He was indeed the eunuch in the palace. Although he was not a new member of the royal family, he had nothing to do with the nine thousand years old. His position in the palace was very stable at the moment.
When these things are put together, there seems to be an answer. Dongzhu Guo who suddenly appeared is probably an "Australian maritime businessman", or his agent. In order to do business with Australians, Gao Li had to support him...
This makes sense. To be cautious, it’s better to check it out. After all, Dongzhu Guo is a mysterious “Australian” – and the Hearthstone Immortal seems to be particularly interested in Australians, and even claims to be Australian.
people……
It seems that the Hearthstone Priest claiming to be "Australian" may not be an expedient nonsense. Maybe they are really in the same group.
"You go out and ask if there is anyone in the court who can stand as a threshold for me. It is not appropriate for me to come forward in this matter. You can find an excuse and go to my fourth uncle to find out the news."
"My subordinate understands."
Wang Yehao put the Australian treasures on the table back into the box, put the letter into the heater, and then asked in a casual and casual manner: "How have you been, Master Hearthstone, recently?"
"It's nothing unusual. He has the air of a rich and idle man, which makes people really envious." Liu Zhao replied with a smile.
"Haha, money is indispensable for you, but there is one thing. You must keep an eye on him." Wang Yehao picked up the teacup, glanced at Liu Zhao, and signaled that he could retreat.
About a month later, Liu Zheng's second secret report was placed on Wang Yehao's desk.
"There are no Australian ships docking at any of the ports in Guangzhou Prefecture. Some people say that the goods sold by the Guo family came from Lingao County, Qiongzhou Prefecture..."
"Lingao..." Wang Yehao put away the letter and muttered to himself, pondering the name of this far away place, when suddenly a vague impression flashed through his mind.
"Wang Liang, go find Mr. Jin quickly and ask him to look for any official documents involving Lingao County in the past two years."
After the fall of the Eunuch Party and the restoration of his fame, Jin Wenchi increasingly felt that Wang Yehao was a boss who kept his word and was worthy of being entrusted to his family. Therefore, Jin Wenchi was always very attentive to his work in the mansion, whether it was taking care of official and private documents, or organizing welcome and drop-offs.
There must be no leakage. After more than two years in the palace, Jin Wenchi has become an important figure in Mr. Wang's family, specializing in various secret affairs.
These days are the New Year holiday, and there are no official documents to be done. It is a rare leisure time. But Mr. Wang suddenly wants to investigate a remote small county. It seems to be something important. This makes Jin Wenchi a little confused. However,
Strange as it is, errands must still be carried out. Important official documents between the DPRK and China are copied and archived in the General Affairs Department. For the convenience of management, they are also abbreviated and pasted. For the convenience of doing things, Wang Yehao keeps copies in his study room at home.
Here comes the yellow book.
However, Lingao County is too small and remote, and there are few relevant title books. Jin Wenchi and the clerk in charge searched for a long time before they found a few.
Although there was only an abbreviation, it was enough to understand the relevant matters. Jin Wenchi was afraid that Mr. Wang would want to read the question book, so he asked the master who managed the documents to rush to the General Affairs Department to retrieve the relevant question books and archive them. He came to Wang Yehao with the abbreviation.
"Sir, this Lingao County has no production and is not an important place. There are very few titles involving this place." Jin Wenchi said, "However, in the past two years, there have been several titles involving this place. It was not an important issue originally.
Because what he said is an anecdote, I have some impression. The student has asked Mr. Han to go to the General Affairs Department to get the original copy."
"What did you say?"
Jin Wenchi took out the abbreviation and replied: "Lingao County is located in a remote area. Except for the occasional intrusion by pirates, it is rarely heard of. The first one is an urgent document asking for the suppression of pirates, saying that there are more than 500 pirates.
The thieves came in a big iron boat, intending to cause harm to the village. However, the county magistrate led the villagers to resist and kept the city gate intact. Although the thieves could not plunder, they did not retreat. Instead, they built forts, built bridges and paved roads, intending to
Long-term occupation. Lingao County suffers from the poverty of the people and lack of money, and is unable to evict them, so they write to the imperial court in the hope of sending troops to clear them out."
Wang Yehao glanced at the abbreviation and chuckled: "It's really funny. You just drive a boat, how can you drive a big iron ship? Pirates are building bridges and repairing roads, so the slaves are not allowed to give porridge or food?"
"Students also feel that this matter is quite absurd, so I just read it for fun. However, the second thing is well-founded."
"Oh? Let's talk about it in detail." Wang Yehao said with great interest.
"The booklet I received around April or May last year showed that more than a thousand pirates under Liu Laoxiang landed ashore and plundered. However, this time the Lingao County Magistrate led the township warriors to take the initiative and won a great victory, beheading the pirates.
Hundreds of dollars, it’s useless to pay the flag.”
"Well, when Mr. Jing said this, I also remembered that at that time, the court also rewarded people based on their merits to show their bravery."
"Exactly this. If there is any other news, the students will not remember it."
Wang Yehao thought for a while and felt that something didn't make sense: "With the financial resources and population of a remote small county like Lingao, even if we recruit local braves, we can only recruit more than a hundred people. If we want to repel the attack of more than a thousand desperate pirates,
, it’s simply an idiot’s dream.”
"According to your opinion, Lingao County kills good people and takes credit for it?"
"That's not right." Wang Yehao shook his head, "Qiongzhou Mansion is, after all, a peaceful land, not a place of war and chaos. The people stationed there are just flag army sergeants, who usually deal with a few barbarians. I shouldn't do such a thing as cheating on rewards.
Come out. Besides, there is no aristocratic family in Lingao County to control it, so this kind of thing cannot be hidden at all."
"What your Excellency said is true. The students also feel that this matter is strange. If the Lingao Xiangyong can really fight one against a hundred, then there is no need to worry about the disaster of pirates. Wouldn't it be better to simply transfer them to the north to suppress them and establish slaves?"
After much deliberation, there was still no conclusion, so Wang Yehao had no choice but to end the topic: "If there are any documents involving Lingao County in the future, please have them transcribed."
"Students, please remember." Jin Wenchi bowed his hands and asked, "It's just that Lingao County is thousands of miles away from the poor mountains and rivers. Why do you care so much about it?"
"There are a lot of strange things about this matter, and I don't have a clue yet. Sir, just do as you please."
"Student understands." Jin Wenchi withdrew knowingly.
"Is there really a Universe Mirror? It seems that we still have to find him to find out." Wang Yehao struggled for a long time, and finally made up his mind and ordered: "Wang Liang, prepare some New Year gifts, and come with me to Mr. Zhou's house tomorrow.