Chapter 20 Bribery

  The streets were bustling with people, and the sound of voices was deafening. A teahouse, Deng Zixuan and Chen Jintang stopped in their tracks. "Master Deng! This is the teahouse where Shen Zhuang has arranged to meet us," said Chen Jintang. Without hesitation, Deng Zixuan led the way inside, accompanied by the shouts of the waiter, and the two were seated at a table. Two cups of oolong tea, a plate of melon seeds, and a plate of peanuts were brought over. Deng Zixuan took a light sip of the tea, and the pure flavor filled his senses with a refreshing aroma that lingered on.

  About half an hour later, a man in his 40s came to the table. The man had a long face and sparse whiskers, with eyes that revealed maturity and wisdom. Due to the heat, the visitor's upper garment was unbuttoned, giving off a casual feeling. "Is it Mr. Shen? I am Deng Zixuan!" "Ah! It's Master Deng, I'm sorry for being late!" "No need to apologize! No need to apologize! This is Brother Chen!" Deng Zixuan took the opportunity to introduce Chen Jintang.

  After the necessary pleasantries, Shen Rui Sheng got straight to the point: "Mr. Hu has already gone to Beijing, and I'm in charge of discussing the matters you've agreed upon with Young Master Deng. Before he left, Mr. Hu instructed me to ensure that your requirements are met, and at that time, the Fu Kang Money House will put up a sign for comprehensive market transactions. Mr. Hu fully agrees, and I'll be temporarily overseeing the transaction market. However, there's been a slight change in circumstances!" "What kind of change?" Deng Zi Xuan asked, slightly taken aback!

  Shen Ruisheng said: "The land in Pudong belongs to the jurisdiction of Songjiang Prefecture, and if you want to buy land in Pudong, you must go through the Songjiang Prefectural Government Office for approval before it can be implemented. Due to inconvenient reasons, we cannot come forward to buy land, so our cooperation between us may be cut off. If Master Deng can solve the problem of buying land, I promise that our cooperation can continue." Deng Zixuan's head turned a few times and immediately understood what was going on.

  Mom's purchase of land is such a simple matter, but it also involves you and me, political rivalry. Don't look at Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang are both Zeng Guofan's students, but the contradictions between the two people are very deep, and they often sabotage each other. Since Hu Xueyan is Zuo Zongtang's capable general, and Daoist Wang Jie is Li Hongzhang's man, it's not surprising. "Deng Gongzi, this matter is actually quite difficult to handle?" Shen Ruisheng comforted Deng Zixuan with a look at his expression.

  "Mr. Shen, our cooperation remains unchanged, you can start preparing now! I promise that three days later, I will definitely get this thing done!" Deng Zixuan said decisively.

  Shen Risheng looked at Deng Zixuan's confident young face and couldn't believe his eyes, saying: "Since Mr. Deng is so confident, Shen awaits good news, farewell!"

  "Mr. Shen, slow down!" Seeing Shen Risheng's departing back, Chen Jintang asked in puzzlement: "Sir! Don't you have a relationship with the governor?"

  "I don't have a relationship with the governor, but I will soon!"

  "Hey! Zixuan! Brother Chen! Please come in quickly!" My sister greeted the two warmly and politely welcomed them into the courtyard. After entering the house and taking their seats, my sister said: "Zixuan, why have you two suddenly come to visit? Is there something urgent?" Deng Zixuan nodded and said: "Sister, you sent someone to bring your husband back, I need to see him about an urgent matter!" Although my sister was puzzled, she still dismissed the maid. Around noon, my brother-in-law returned, and during this time, my sister had arranged for wine and dishes to be brought to the table. The usual pleasantries were exchanged upon meeting.

  At the wine table, Gao Shizong said with a smile: "Brother! There are still several months before next year's imperial examination. What brings you to my place instead of studying hard at home?" "Sister-in-law's husband! It's like this, my brother Chen wants to buy a piece of land in Pudong, but it must go through the Songjiang Prefecture government office. You are the teacher of the Songjiang Prefecture, and I'm sure you can talk to the governor!" Gao Shizong quickly replied: "In theory, this matter is not difficult, but I don't dare guarantee that it will be successful!"

  Deng Zixuan glanced at Chen Jintang, who understood and immediately pulled out two gold bars from his pocket: "A small token of appreciation, not enough to show respect!" Who would have thought that Brother-in-law's face changed greatly, saying: "How dare you! You think I'm someone who can be bought with just two gold bars? My surname is Gao, and although I may not be a completely honest person, I won't stoop to the level of being bribed by two gold bars!" Deng Zixuan was taken aback, wondering if Brother-in-law was dissatisfied with the amount or just pretending. However, after careful observation, it seemed that Brother-in-law was genuinely upset. Deng Zixuan suddenly felt a sense of admiration for him, thinking that perhaps the image of corrupt officials in later generations' TV dramas wasn't entirely accurate, and that they were actually quite harmful.

  The scene was very awkward, Deng Zixuan took the gold bar and said: "Sister, you must accept it, it's a gift from your brother." "Please sister, please accept it!" Chen Jintang said sincerely. When the conversation reached this point, the sister took the gold bar and said: "We are all family members, why be so polite! Brother Chen, I've accepted it!" Seeing Madame say this, Gao Shizhu's expression eased a lot. Deng Zixuan said "Brother-in-law! This matter must go through Dao Tai Wang Jie, I wonder if Wang Jie..."

  Gao Shizu said, "Wang Jie is an honest official, and his subordinates all respect him. It's not possible to bribe him!" The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive. "However, now that we're encouraging business and entrepreneurship, I can introduce you to some people, but whether or not it succeeds depends on your own luck!" Deng Zixuan persisted, "Brother-in-law, don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. What are Governor Tai's hobbies?" "Governor Tai only has a fondness for calligraphy and painting." Upon hearing this, Deng Zixuan had an idea.

  Back at the Deng mansion, Deng Zixuan selected a pair of white porcelain vases from among the ceramics and then went out again with Chen Jintang. "Master Deng, what do you mean?" Chen Jintang asked in confusion. "We're going to exchange calligraphy and paintings!" "Exchange calligraphy and paintings?" "The Magistrate likes calligraphy and paintings, so I'm catering to his tastes. I don't believe he won't accept them!" They arrived at the same pawnshop as before. "Master Deng, long time no see! You must have made a fortune by now! What good things do you bring this time?" The pawnshop owner greeted them with a smile.

  "What's this?" Deng Zixuan asked directly. The package was opened, revealing a white porcelain vase with a floral pattern. "This is indeed a fine piece, a Southern Song Dynasty Jingdezhen official kiln white porcelain vase!" The pawnshop owner's eyes gleamed with greed. "I'm not here to pawn it, but to exchange it," Deng Zixuan said. "What do you mean?" "I'd like to exchange it for a painting or calligraphy from the same period. Do you have any in your store?" The pawnshop owner thought for a moment before saying, "Deng Gongzi, please wait a moment."

  After a while, the pawnshop owner brought out the painting and unfolded it. A magnificent palace appeared on the paper, with a square ancient palace building that outlined the customs of that era. The surroundings were lush green trees, especially the ladies in the painting had different shapes and postures, giving a vivid feeling as if one was there in person. "Master Deng, this is a Han Palace Painting, an authentic Song Dynasty work!" The pawnshop owner said with a smile. Master Deng didn't know anything about paintings, so he couldn't tell whether it was genuine or fake. Since the pawnshop owner thought it was valuable, the deal was naturally settled.

  Next, under the introduction of his brother-in-law, Deng Zixuan and Chen Jintang came to Songjiang Prefecture to visit Dao Tai Wang Jie. In the spacious hall, Dao Tai Wang Jie was seated with dignity, his expression humble and courteous. Since it was not a formal occasion, he did not wear his official hat, but rather dressed very casually. Wang Jie was around 50 years old, his goatee had turned white, his cheeks were somewhat gaunt, and his eyes sparkled with spirit. "Jieshan! What brings your younger brother to visit me?" Jieshan was the courtesy name of Gao Shizong.

  Before Gao Shizu could respond, Deng Zixuan stood up and said: "Your Excellency is above, I often hear my brother-in-law praise you, so I came to visit. I happened to get a painting, and I'm not afraid to ask Your Excellency to appreciate it." "A painting? You're quite eloquent!" Wang Jie's eyes lit up. Deng Zixuan immediately presented the painting, which was opened, and Wang Jie stood up, taking out his magnifying glass to examine it carefully. Everyone held their breath and waited quietly, clearly Wang Jie knew a lot about paintings.

  After a long time, Wang Jie suddenly stood up and said: "This is a picture of the Han Palace in autumn. It depicts the scene of Emperor Wu of Han's concubines going out for a walk and returning. Although it describes the story of the Han Dynasty, the buildings and characters' clothing are all characteristics of the Song Dynasty, so this is a work of the Song Dynasty. In those days, the Qianlong Emperor highly praised this painting and wrote poems to praise it. Unfortunately, this is a fake!" "Fake!" The crowd exclaimed!

  Wang Jie smiled and said, "This is a counterfeit from the Ming dynasty. Even if it's a fake, it's still very valuable. Congratulations to you, Master Deng!" Deng Zixuan let out a sigh of relief and said, "Your Excellency has extraordinary connoisseurship skills. I'm clueless about calligraphy and painting, so it's better for this painting to stay in the mansion." Wang Jie's smile faded, his sharp eyes fixed intently on Deng Zixuan as he asked, "No reward without merit, Master Deng, tell me the truth, what brings you here?"

  Deng Zixuan anxiously said: "Your Excellency is wise, currently the imperial court encourages trade and commerce, so I was thinking of buying land on the Pudong coast to build a dock. Would Your Excellency grant me permission?" Wang Jie gazed at Deng Zixuan for a long time before saying: "Buying land for business is a good thing, but you are not allowed to occupy fertile fields, and secondly, you must not engage in illegal businesses. Can you do that?" "I will remember Your Excellency's teachings!" Wang Jie smiled and said: "Deng Gongzi is young and ambitious, very well, I grant you permission!"

  No land can be occupied, only the riverbank can be chosen, which will double the investment cost. However, in the face of Shen Rui's worries, Deng Zixuan did not hesitate at all and deposited 100,000 taels of silver into the Fuh Kang Money House. This move shocked Shen Rui so much that he almost dropped his jaw! Wow, this young master Deng is really generous! The conditions were naturally agreed upon, with Shen Rui in charge of supervision and operation, and Deng Zixuan bearing the expenses. After the profit was made, the Fuh Kang Money House earned a 20% profit.

  In addition, Fu Kang's money house was responsible for publicity, using its extensive commercial network to advertise, and the effect is self-evident. Deng Zixuan's real purpose lies here.