Chapter 116 – The Moon is Bright, Not for the Nightwalkers
Fan Xian’s chopsticks were picking at the plate, picking a piece of fragrant oil-permeated beef and laying it on top of the white rice, slowly sending it to his lips, chewing and savoring it, still paying no attention to Ming Qingda, who was kneeling on the sidelines.
Ming Qingda was not a simple character, and the significance of this kneeling was definitely not that simple.
Fan Xian needed time to think.
Only after he had finished thinking did he gently put down his chopsticks and said, “Elder Ming, you’re quite a bit older than I am, how can this be afforded?”
While Lord Qinzhi’s hands were weakly supported, Ming Qingda had to stand up.
The conversation between the officials and businessmen started very calmly and composedly, Fan Xian looked at him and said, “What is the old master prepared to give?”
What kind of explanation would bring back the lives of several of Fan Xian’s subordinates? How would Fan Xian be willing to spare the Ming family? Ming Qingda was not clear, and did not need to be clear, all he needed was for Fan Xian to let the Ming family go for the time being, to get the necessary buffer time for the family as well as Kyoto, the situation was too uncertain now, even if he was ready to be a wall grass, he still had to know which way the wind was coming from…….
He was just begging for his own gesture to be able to let the Lord of the Qinzhi loosen his grip a little, to be able to let the Lord of the Qinzhi believe in himself, and also to have a strong desire to fall back toward his side.
Fan Xian did not wait for this wily old master Ming to reply and said, “Your heart is not sincere, so it doesn’t matter if you defect.”
Ming Qingda’s face was calm, but he sighed and said, “Lord Qinzhi cannot trust me.”
“It’s not that I can’t trust you.” Fan Xian lowered his head and said, “You can t trust you yourself, you have been on that boat for too long, and it is …… difficult to come down. You should know this very well. If you are still on that ship, the rest of the people on the ship will always have to keep you safe, and if you go to this official’s ship, what about the goods you left on the original ship?”
This cargo was naturally not the other cargo, and Ming Qingda knew this in his heart, listening to Fan Xian’s words, knowing that it was impossible to convince this young Chinaman Lord, with a hint of fatigue, he mockingly begged, “Please point out a clear path, my lord.”
Fan Xian’s gaze remained between those dishes and delicacies on the table, and after a moment’s reflection, he quietly said, “You have many brothers, and I recently heard that …… the Xia Dangjia of the fourth house of B is also your brother?”
Ming Qingda’s face was unchanged, but in his heart, he began to suffer, his own Ming family had been following Fan Xian’s enemies for too long, if he wanted Fan Xian to really believe that the Ming family was willing to fall to his own, unless he was able to be sure that the Ming family would be completely in control of his hands, and Xia Qufei was obviously the pawn that Fan Xian used to control the Ming family, and in exchange for any other person, Fan Xian wouldn’t have accepted this agreement.
Fan Xian’s words were undoubtedly his own conditions, only this condition, Ming Qingda could not accept in any case. And regardless of the fact that Ming Qingda couldn’t possibly let go of his family’s industry, just the thought of Xia Qufei’s icy cold eyes, and the wretched whip marks underneath that shirt, his heart began to tangle.
In the current situation, the offense is the Supervisory Yuan, the defense is the Ming family, and the Ming family steps back. Today, the inner treasury bid price is only the first link of a string of events, the back of the things that come one after another, the Ming family stormy carry on.
Until this time, Ming Qingda only found, Ming before the seemingly young Chinaman adults, the original bone is so conservative and cautious plus harsh sinister, in the face of their own temptation to give such a big, actually is not moved.
Until this time, he realized, the original Fan Xian want something, far more than he can pay, more than 400,000 taels, more than the Ming family from now on in Jiangnan’s secret cooperation, but a kind of appear some arrogance, incomparable arrogance, extravagant on the internal library of production and sales of the control of the whole.
“Please also give a way to live, my lord.” Ming Qingda said with a bitter smile, earlier was to talk about the clear road, at this time will only be able to talk about the living road, “after the fourth standard to go on like this, tens of thousands of children in the clan, as well as countless subordinates hired in the periphery, I’m afraid that next year the family will not be able to uncover the pot.”
“The Ming family does not lack silver.”
Fan Xian looked at the master of the Ming family in front of him, the heart for each other more and more appreciate, obviously to threaten their own words, said is so mild and humble, not at all harsh, but through a share of obedience moist: “Stay after the four standard …… as you Ming family swallowed the previous years of the silver spit back. ”
He slightly inclined his head, narrowed his eyes to measure the face of some disheveled Ming Qingda, the heart kept guessing the intentions of the master of the Ming family’s heart, said: “You should know the past of this official, the past years you sell things in the past, I do not appreciate the approach. Of course, this official is not unreasonable bandits, as long as you do things steadily, this official will naturally be steadily.”
The so-called stability was naturally referring to last night’s events.
Fan Xian took the tip of the chopsticks and knocked on the edge of the porcelain plate, sending out a tinkling crunch, and finally said, “To hold the bowl, the dragon should spit out the pearl, to put down the chopsticks, the phoenix should nod its head, to eat eighty percent of the meal is full, and if you can’t finish it, take it away …… Being a human being doing things is the same as eating, and the gesture should be beautiful, and you should know how to be measured, and that’s very good. ”
Ming Qingda knew that it was impossible to gain any more progress in front of this Lord Qinzhi, after getting this last sentence from Fan Xian, his heart slightly relaxed a little bit less, although he couldn’t believe all of it, he absolutely believed that Fan Xian didn’t have the idea of forcing the Ming family to collapse, the other party always wanted to keep the Ming family under control rather than destroying it.
And to control the huge Ming family …… Xia Qufei can not, the mother can not, only himself, Ming Qingda have this confidence, so that stay will certainly spit blood because of the latter four markers, but the heart understands that in the days to come, with the Qinzhi adults there is a discussion.
Merchants, the most unafraid to discuss, bargaining is their strength.
Ming Qingda very respectfully bowed again to Fan Xian and retreated.
Looking at the slightly hunched, slightly aged back of the contemporary master of the Ming family, Fan Xian once again gently rested his chopsticks on the table, slightly narrowing his eyes, until now, he still could not see the depth of Ming Qingda.
The meaning of that kneeling earlier was too rich, admitting defeat? Conceding defeat? Surrender? Compensation for last night? If the Ming family really intends to fall to their own, then today’s inner treasury this kind of open occasion, on the contrary, is the best place to show their hearts ……
The problem is, Fan Xian simply does not believe that this old man will willingly surrender, his own cards simply have not been played out yet, and the Ming family is not at the end of its tether, and the painful price that must be experienced by a tree accustomed to standing on the other side of the river wanting to be uprooted and transplanted to this side of the river should not be something that the Ming family is willing to pay at this time.
Why would the other party take such a humble stance? There could still be an old Taijun above him, and which side the Ming family was going to cast their lot with, such a major event that concerned the future of tens of thousands of people across the clan, Ming Qingda should not yet have the ability to make a sole decision.
Moreover, this kneeling, kneeling is not hidden, should have been seen, and will be spread immediately. Fan Xian’s eyes narrowed even more, could it be that the other party was preparing to play the pity card? In a world that hadn’t yet produced such a character as Bian, grief might be a feasible move, but just deliberately kneeling in front of the crowd, how sad could it be?
If other officials were to face the tendency shown by Ming Qingda, they would surely rejoice in their hearts, but Fan Xian didn’t think so, because just as Ming Qingda expected, he wanted too many things that the Ming family could not afford, and he had been preparing for this matter for a long time, and he had the strength to eat the Ming family instead of accepting the Ming family’s defection.
Since no matter when, Fan Xian can eat the Ming family, then why he still need to bargain with the Ming family to get the other side of the defection?
It’s not that he doesn’t, it’s not that he can’t, but he doesn’t care.
The breeze crosses the door and enters, blows away the residual food aroma between the inner treasury mansion, blows away the firecracker fire scent that still has a trace, only the heavy atmosphere is always blowing motionless, the courtyard is filled with tension, as if a thousand years of cold ice, as if the bottom of the river boulders, the spring winds of spring are difficult to melt, and it is difficult to move the huge waves of the big river.
Responsible for singing the rites of transit division officials voice has been hoarse up, not because too much to say, not because drink too little water, just because of nervousness.
Along the two corridors of the A and B living in the various rooms of the giant merchants have also long been unable to sit down, through the hollow lattice of the door, standing in the door of the room within the high threshold, staring nervously at the outside.
In the afternoon, it was the bidding of the last four bids of the inner treasury, and after two rounds of bidding, no one applauded any more, and no one even wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads. The Sun family of Quanzhou, who had been scared off by the Ming family in the morning, listened to the price with a pale face and looked outside with lifeless eyes, having been scared again by those two crazy families. All the merchants felt that today’s trip had opened their eyes and at the same time, they were also frightened.
That’s silver, that’s silver! By what right did the Ming family from house A1 and the Xia family from house B4 dare to throw it out so much? Could it be that in their eyes, there was no difference between those thick silver bills and waste paper!
The Lingnan Xiong family’s Xiong Bai Ling looked outside with red eyes, somewhat unable to believe his own ears, and said to the accountant beside him, “Wasn’t the ceremonial singing official reporting wrong just now?”
The Xiong family’s accountant wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, “The numbers of the flower hall accounting, how can it be wrong …… This day grandfather ah, Xia Dangjia’s yesterday was killed a few brothers, today began to go crazy …… This Ming family actually also I’m not a robber, but I’m not a robber! Master Ming is not a robber.”
Xiong Bai Ling’s saliva nervous to swallow, choking in the middle of the nearly staggered, backhanded grabbed a subordinate in the hands of the teacup dunked down, lowered his voice scolded: “Xia Qufei is Ming Laoqi, I think it is the two of their brothers to dry up the real fire …… sibling rivalry, when it is really stimulating, Ming family members seem to be Bones are a little crazy.”
Not only the singing official’s voice trembling, Jiangnan giant merchants keep sweating, even sitting in the main hall of the three adults, at this time are beginning to be nervous.
Listening to the second round of bidding, Eunuch Huang and Guo Zheng looked at each other, their faces became white, the two of them how did not think that the last four consecutive bids of the inner library opening bidding was actually Fan Xian and the Ming family cajoled to …… such a horrible point!
The Ming family’s four consecutive bids were a loss, and it was a big loss! For Eunuch Huang and Guo Zheng, the Ming family’s income is reduced, Jiangnan to the Beijing to send the silver is naturally less …… too much, think of this section, these two stared at Fan Xian’s gaze will be a bit resentful.
Although Fan Xian with a strong mind to maintain the calmness of the facial expression, but if there are careful people, can still be seen in the purple official uniform of the Lord of the pulp stiff cuffs some slight trembling, thin and beautiful lips pursed a little tight, earlobes below the slightly red.
After all, like today this kind of scene is really some rare. The Qing Emperor is known as the richest man in the world, but Fan Xian bets that the Qing Emperor, who has never entered the coffers of the Ministry of Revenue, has never seen so many silver bills floating around in the sky along with the hoarse and trembling voice of the ceremonial singing officer in his entire life!
Eleven and a half million taels of silver!
Ten years after the founding of the Qing Dynasty, the country’s financial taxes all added up to only 10 million taels! Even now has entered the prosperous Qing Dynasty, such a large sum of silver is still an incredible number, this more than 10 million silver if used to buy dead soldiers on the south of the Yangtze River, enough to wipe out those vassals around the city of Dongyi, enough to become the hegemony of a party!
Such a large amount of silver, can be exchanged for how many beauties? How many horses and weapons can be built? How many miles of dykes can be built if all of it is invested in people’s livelihood? How many pots of congee could be cooked? How many churches could be opened? How many people can be saved? And how many people could be crushed to death if …… were all converted into silver ingots?
The five million taels of silver in the morning was already the highest bid ever made by the Inner Treasury, while in the afternoon it easily broke the record. Especially in the second round of bidding, the Ming family then shouted out a price that broke ten million taels, which not only broke the record, but also broke through everyone’s psychological defenses.
The reason for this result was of course due to the internal and external difficulties that the Ming family was in, as well as the large amount of real money that Fan Xian had borrowed from the Emperor of Beiqi – the Ming family had to grab the bid, while Xia Qufei had the ability to hedge his bets, and all of these factors added up to create such a horrible figure.
Fan Xian drank a mouthful of herbal tea, forcibly suppressed his inner emotions, and made a very secretive gesture.
That’s fine, let’s stop here. Take a break, take a break.
Only at this point did Fan Xian gradually somewhat understand Ming Qingda’s thoughts, His Majesty’s thoughts, the thoughts of many people.
When Ming Qingda grabbed the bid, he was extremely obedient to follow Fan Xian’s plan, on the one hand, he was pressurized by Xinyang, on the other hand, the idea of storage is a bit mysterious, around but to send silver, shouting price is low, a part of the silver earned to be handed over to Xinyang, shouting a high price is equal to the silver sent to the inner coffers,……, which is also sent to his majesty and Fan Xian.
Ming Qingda see things see extremely accurate, he saw out of the court need their own silver, so simply come to a hard, the family business hate to smash half out, so that, and won the standard, and Fan Xian’s intention, both sides can not offend the people, he did not offend one.
Just a pity to offend the money, so much real money, I do not know how many years the Ming family to spend to restore vitality. The so-called spending money to cancel the disaster, the Ming family this time used in canceling the disaster on the silver, is really a blood money.
In Fan Xian’s opinion, the Ming family’s strength in the economic aspect has been too big to the point of horror, such a kind of existence, the Emperor of Qing will not see them sitting on the big, either to weaken the other side, or to destroy the other side.
This is the emperor let Fan Xian down to Jiangnan’s real intention.
And, Ming Qingda also clearly grasped this intention.
It s just that Shen Wansan was still dead that year, and the Ming family …… can live? This is a later thing, Fan Xian also has no way to fully control, but for the performance of the Ming family, Fan Xian feels very flattered, so he will make a gesture, let Xia Qufei no longer bid.
It was not the small farmer’s consciousness that was at work, nor was it pity, but Fan Xian knew that Elder Ming’s play was definitely not yet finished, 11.5 million taels of silver, was already enough, Fan Xian did not want to make too much talk in the court and bring too many negative comments to himself.
Seeing that the robbers of the fourth house of B stopped their bidding, everyone, including the officials and merchants, didn’t have the regret and irritation of watching a play without seeing the whole scene, but instead they all breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, with a feeling of relief.
This afternoon’s call price is too horrible, that number is too sensitive, merchants do not want to trigger some bad things happen, officials also do not want, the situation was pulled to the extent of the outbreak.
The joint reviewing officials of the Ministry of the Interior’s treasury in the Hall of Flowers began to carry out their intense reviewing work, and finally confirmed the bid, using a vermilion pen to carefully and nervously write the bottom letter, and handing it over to the antechamber.
The singing official walked to the stone steps, swallowed a mouthful of saliva to moisturize his hoarse and fiery voice, and said in a trembling voice: “The line of the southeast road and the sea road, a square of goods, four bids in a row, a house, the Ming family, eleven million, one hundred and fifty thousand taels …… to get!”
No one applauded, no one clamored, everyone hated to hurry to escape from the inner treasury mansion, the farther away from this figure, the better.
“Father! Father!”
Right at this time, a cry of alarm came from the A-1 room closest to the main hall.
For a moment, everyone was so shocked that they stood up from their chairs and looked at that party, not knowing what had happened to the Ming family.
“Father! What has happened to you? Come someone ah! Come to the people ah! …… Come to the rescue!”
In room A1, there were miscellaneous cries for help from young master Ming Lan Shi in panic. The officials hurriedly pushed the door and entered the room, only to find that the original master of the Ming family, Ming Qingda, had an iron face and was already fainting on the ground!
Regardless of the officials and businessmen, all thought they knew what was going on, everyone thought, the master of the Ming family, was internal and external pressure, forced to grab this four consecutive bids, but was forced to bid a sky-high price, the thought of the Ming family is likely to go down the drain because of this sky-high price, the master of the Ming family was anxious to fire, and that’s what caused him to fall unconscious.
Everyone knew that the Ming family had been forced into such a miserable situation, so everyone in the courtyard subconsciously cast their eyes toward Lord Qin Zhai, who was standing on the stone steps.
Fan Xian wasn’t too alarmed, and narrowed his eyes as he said, “What’s the panic? Hurry up and seal the treasury, store the silver, and when the procedure is complete, hurry up and send Elder Ming to seek medical attention!”
There was a whole set of procedures for opening and closing the inner treasury, and there were a lot of silver cheques in the mansion, so it took some time for the unconscious Master Ming to be lifted out and onto the Ming family carriage that Fan Xian had authorized to be driven to the door, and then headed straight to the doctor’s store.
No one had expected that the lively and bustling tender of the inner treasury, after setting several records and causing countless dangers, would end so miserably.
Looking at the Ming family’s far away carriage, think of the unknown life and death of the master of the Ming family, Jiangnan merchants can’t help but sigh, the heart of a few silk rabbit death of fox sadness.
The Ming family retired first, the merchants after the inspection, also quit the inner treasury mansion, the rest are all officials, began to carry out the final closing work of the inner treasury.
Since it was a money selling business, naturally the work of counting the 40% fixed silver silver bills was the most crucial.
The three great men stood in the middle of the flower hall, watching the officials of the Ministry of Revenue and the Transit Department register the entries and seal them.
Fan Xian looked at the Ming family’s final four million taels of fixed silver, the bottom of a thick stack of Merchants Bank’s silver checks, eyes slightly narrowed, knowing that things have finally come to pass.
Originally in the plan, the last four bidding to force the Ming family to use the Merchants Bank to open the current ticket, Fan Xian also deliberately difficult, after all, the Merchants credit is not as good as the world, and then, Eunuch Huang and Guo Zheng will certainly speak for the Ming family, in this way, Fan Xian and will be able to take off their own cleaner.
Just did not think Ming Qingda acted so dryly, Fan Xian also lazy again in the small place on the paste, just the last Ming Qingda’s fainting ……
“Pretend, you continue to pretend.”
Fan Xian heart coldly laughed, face but with sympathetic color, to the side of the Huang eunuch sighed: “The Ming family hard to win the bid, just Ming old master in the end or older, actually can not forbid this kind of surprise, but fainted in the past, this happy event don’t turn into a funeral only good.”
Is rubbing his fingers, looking at the silver check drooling, and still have a few nervous Huang Gonggong heard the Lord of the Qinzhi’s speech, a stunned under the nearly will be their own fingertips to pouting folds, open mouth would like to scold, but do not dare to scold, thinking which have you such as playing the people still talk about sneering guy?
Eunuch Huang grumbled and didn’t say anything, but Guo Zheng said with a smile on his face, “This year, the internal treasury has received 80% more than in previous years, and when this matter is sent back to Kyoto, His Majesty will surely give His Excellency Fan a lot of commendations, and in the future, he will be crowned as a king and a marquis in the next few days.”
To Fan Xian’s identity, to the power he now holds, the future of the king and marquis is the nail in the coffin, he also did not want to listen to Guo Zheng’s fart, coldly smiled and said: “All rely on all the adults, but also rely on the businessmen of the south of the Yangtze River sympathy for the court, rather than loss of blood to subsidize the internal treasury …… As for this official, in this matter As for this official, in this matter, he did not play any role.”
Guo Zheng choked, thinking that the Ming family today pants are about to pawn, is not forced by you? How can you still have the face to say that you didn’t play any role? He snorted coldly, and no longer spoke, but in his heart he kept cursing, “Pretend, tell you to keep pretending!”