Bachelor

Chapter 169 It's All Customers, It's All About Your Word

Since the last time he had a deadlock with Shi Wanquan, Ping Qiuli's life has become even more difficult.Ping's bank was run on and there was no one tael of silver in the warehouse, so the exchange couldn't go on, so it just had to close the door.But even so, there are still a large number of people holding Ping's bank notes in their hands waiting outside the Qianzhuang shop, day and night.On a cold day, because the cold was unbearable, someone set up a grass shed on the side of the street, and at night, a little bonfire was lit.Fortunately, the weather is getting warmer now, and people are not afraid of freezing to death.

But even so, there were still many people who suffered from freezing problems, which made a few nearby pharmacies a lot of money.

However, the gathering of so many people still alarmed the Yamen of Shuntian Mansion. Yamen servants kept coming to ask what was going on, and even Jin Yiwei, who was in charge of this area, also made some moves.

Jin Yiwei Ping Qiuli couldn't afford to offend him, so he could only let them go.There are acquaintances in Pingqiu in Shuntian Mansion, and they won't be arrested and questioned because of their favor.However, the yamen servants in charge of firefighting sit in the bank all day long to eat and drink, which is annoying.

Fortunately, there are these yamen servants, and the people holding the banknotes that have become waste paper will not riot. In the past, someone shouted, "He is from the Ping's Bank", and then thousands of people came forward and beat them up. It never happened again.

Ping Qiuli didn't know how many days he had been trapped in the bank. He ate and slept all day, without thinking or doing anything.He is the person in charge of Ping's Bank, as long as he dares to go out, he will be beaten to a pulp by the angry people.Today's Ping's Bank is simply a big prison for him.

"However, this world is nothing more than a bigger prison cell to me." Ping Qiuli lazily sat up from the kang, dressed slowly, combed his hair, and was about to insert the ivory hairpin go up.But he saw a pale and thin face in the bronze mirror.

He was startled, and unconsciously called out: "Who is this, is this still me?"

In the past, he was proud of his spring breeze, his eyes were full of confident light, and he boasted of being handsome.Seeing his haggard face, he felt a pang of sadness in his heart, and murmured: "Ping Qiuli, Ping Qiuli, in vain you used to think of yourself as an unrivaled national scholar. It's not like you! If you hide here again, not only will you be unable to do anything, but you will be looked down upon. Not only Sun Dan and the others will laugh at you, but even the prince of Qingzhou will not let you go .”

He stretched out his hand, flicked a finger on the mirror surface of the bronze mirror, and flicked the mirror to the ground.

He cheered up again, took a sip of hot tea, opened his posture, and punched a set in the room.When the body is hot, the brain is also flexible.

"Now, the matter has deteriorated to the point of no return. It is impossible to go to my mentor. In this world, perhaps only my mentor can save me. However, my mentor is a pawn that the prince has been hiding in the capital for many years. Is it appropriate to touch him, will the lord agree?" Ping Qiuli paused, his mentor, cabinet assistant Mao Ji and Qingzhou's friendship is not a matter of a day or two.But on the surface, like Mao, Qingzhou was very hostile, and even asked the state to limit the size of the manors and servants of the princes in Shandong.

Now, if you ask him to take action just because of the Qianzhuang, and let him be exposed, not only the prince will be furious, but the teacher will also be very disappointed in you, right?
However, if you don't go to him, how will the matter here end?

It's not an option to be stuck in the affairs of the bank all day long, there are still so many important things waiting for me to do in Pingqiu!
Thinking of this, Ping Qiuli stood still in the room, and fell into a dementia again.

Just as he was in a daze, a servant came to report: "Master Ping, a guest surnamed Guo asked to see him, and he said he came from Wudinghou's mansion."

Ping Qiuli was sad in his heart, and suddenly became a little impatient: "Go, go, get rid of him, I won't see anyone... Wait, what did you say, the man from Wudinghou's mansion, his surname is Guo?"

"Exactly." The servant replied respectfully.

"The surname is Guo, but a man in his 40s?" Ping Qiuli thought it was Guo Xun who had come, and his face was uncertain.

"No, it's a young master in his teens."

"I'm thinking about it." Ping Qiuli slapped his forehead, how could Guo Xun come to the bank without hesitation.The one who came was a ten-year-old boy, probably the next generation of the Guo family.He hurriedly said: "Open the middle door and follow me to welcome you."

The servant smiled wryly: "Master Ping, the middle door can't be opened, as soon as the door is opened, the mob outside will rush in."

Ping Qiuli felt very frustrated, and said dejectedly: "Invite him in quietly."

The visiting boy named Guo is Guo Zeng, and there is another person beside him, which is Feng Zhen.Guo Zeng introduced that this is a businessman from Jiangnan.

Guo Zengping Qiuli knew about it, knew that his status in the mansion was not high, and this visit was not what Guo Xun intended, so he immediately lost interest.But as a host, he had to cheer up and make a fool of himself.As for a businessman like Feng Zhen, Ping Qiuli is not interested in knowing him either.

The two parties sat down, took a few sips of tea, and started chatting without talking about business.

Pingqiuli's eyes are usually above the top, and the people he interacts with are either high-ranking officials or elite scholars. There are great Confucian scholars when talking and laughing, and there are no white people when interacting.He wanted to talk to Guo Zeng about today's weather, and talk about the recent anecdotes and strange things in the capital and the wind direction of Shilin with Guo Zeng.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down, Guo Zeng began to chat about Kunqu Opera, saying that the troupe had come to open a new play, and there was another word for "heaven" in the phrase "beautiful days and beautiful days" New changes, talking and talking, and even a scene on the spot.

The more Ping Qiuli listened, the angrier he became. He is also a great talent with a great reputation, and if he said this in front of him, he would dirty his ears if he heard more than one sentence.

But looking at Guo Xun's face, Ping Qiuli was not easy to get angry, just sat there with a gloomy face, looking more and more impatient.

Fortunately, Feng Zhen saw something was wrong, coughed, and interrupted Guo Zeng's performance: "Brother Guo, Mr. Ping is a great Confucian in the world, and he doesn't like Kunqiang." This made Guo Zeng stop resentfully.

Feng Zhen: "Mr. Ping is amazingly talented. It's understandable that he doesn't like this kind of worldly stuff. However, I heard that Bachelor Yang also likes Kunqu Opera very much, and even wrote a lot of jokes for the Zhanjia class. You can also play with this thing, and it can be regarded as a thing to cultivate one's sentiments."

Feng Zhen used Yang Shen as an analogy, and Ping Qiuli couldn't refute it.However, he paid attention to Feng Zhen, and glanced at his hands protruding from the sleeves, he was surprised: "This man is good at martial arts!"

It turned out that the hands of those who had practiced martial arts and those who had not practiced martial arts looked very different.For example, the protrusions on the fists of the two hands of the man in front of him have been smoothed, obviously caused by long-term sandbags, and they are covered with thick calluses.Moreover, when this person sat here, his waist was tall and straight, his legs were intentionally or unintentionally separated, and the legs and waist were connected in a line, naturally there was a kind of murderous aura.

Ping Qiuli paid attention, "Boss Feng is from Jiangnan. Judging by your figure, you also have martial arts skills, but you don't know which sect you are from?"

"Under Feng Nandang, I have been engaged in the silk business for a long time, and I have traveled the rivers and lakes. I have a skill and an ability to protect myself. I have never formally worshiped a master, but I have learned it from a martial artist who guards the house for a few days. It's just a wild fox Zen. Let a generous family like Mr. Ping make a joke." Feng Zhen cupped his hands.

"The people who take care of the house can't learn martial arts like yours." Ping Qiuli didn't want to get to the bottom of it: "The south is not peaceful recently, and the silk business is not easy to do."

"That's, it's not easy to do. After the Huanhao chaos, my business in the south stopped. Now I have fled to Beijing to see if I can find a way to survive." Feng Zhen pretended to be distressed and sighed: "Hey, every line is like a mountain. Once I stopped doing the silk business, my eyes were darkened. Hey, did my old Feng go out of business and buy a house in Beijing with a few 10 taels of silver? No. willing!"

Hearing Feng Zhen said that he had several 10 taels of silver on hand, Ping Qiuli's eyes lit up and his breathing became short of breath.Cautiously asked: "Boss Feng saw what kind of business a few days ago, what do you plan to do?"

Feng Zhen smiled in his heart, and said to himself: The master is still smart, knowing that this kid is going to fall into my trap, this plan is really poisonous, I, Lao Feng, would definitely not be able to figure it out.

Yesterday, Feng Zhen gave Guo Zeng 60 taels of silver and comforted him a few more words.He suggested that Guo Zeng should do some business with him, so as to make some plans for the future.

Guo Zeng was just a concubine with a low status in the mansion. If nothing happened, he would just be a douchebag for the rest of his life, and he was cowardly and cowardly, so he couldn't do anything.Hearing Feng Zhen's words, although his heart was moved, he said worriedly: "It would be the best if we can partner with elder brother, but I, Guo Zeng, have no capital and no ability, so I'm afraid I will drag elder brother down."

Feng Zhen said it was all right, and said, with the name of your Guo family, no matter what you do, there is one word for "earning" and two words for "earning hard": "I have a big business on hand. You can't eat enough in your life. However, this matter needs to use your Guo family's brand name, and you will need to come forward when the time comes."

Guo Zeng hurriedly asked: "What kind of big business?"

Feng Zhen said without changing his face, "Put usury."

Guo Zeng was shocked: "Is this a bad thing?"

Feng Zhen said lightly: "Why can't it work? You won't be allowed to pay, and you won't need to collect money in the future. I heard that your Guo family knows Ping Qiuli, so you can come forward and introduce me. After this matter, I will give you 5000 taels. Haha, brother , 5000 taels. A monthly shift is only five taels, even if you see him every day, it will take three years to spend. Think about it, I'll wait for your reply."

As soon as Yue Guan was mentioned, although Guo Zeng felt that it was inappropriate, he obediently gave in.

Hearing Ping Qiuli's question at this moment, Guo Zeng interjected with a smile: "Mr. Ping, Guo Nan had dealt with my Guo family for many years before becoming Boss Guo. This time, Boss Guo fled to the capital. When he visited my father, he once I thought about asking my father to help him with an idea. In the end, my father suggested that he use loan sharks to make a living."

Ping Qiuli nodded: "Marquis Guo is in charge of public security in the capital, and you belong to him, so it is naturally the best choice to release loan sharks."

Feng Zhen scratched his head, and was even more distressed: "That's right, loan sharks are very profitable. It's a pity that I have too much money on hand, and I can't find such a big user, and no one has the strength to take it from me in one go. Borrow the 30 taels of cash. Hey, I heard from Brother Guo Zeng that Mr. Ping is a senior in the business circles of the capital. He came to visit today because he wanted to ask Mr. Ping to give old Feng advice on what I should do. it is good?"

"Do you really have 30 taels?" Ping Qiuli stood up suddenly, his eyes full of eagerness: "What better business than loan sharks? In this way, you put the money in Ping's Qianzhuang. Yes, I want both."

Feng Zhen was a little embarrassed: "We are so familiar, isn't it good? According to the rules, usury is only a short-term loan, and it cannot exceed five days before and after, and you have to pay back three times the interest. Such a high interest..."

"Needless to say, just five days, triple the interest, and lend me your 30 taels." Ping Qiuli was very excited. As long as he had the 30 taels in hand, he would dare to issue 300 million taels. ticket.As long as we have dealt with the current wave of runs, and the reputation of the bank is restored, is it not easy to make money?Although borrowing Feng Zhen's usury will cost 60 yuan.But Ping Qiuli set up this bank to raise funds for the prince's activities, and never thought about doing business to make money.As long as the prince ascends the throne, it doesn't matter even if the issued money bills become waste paper again, then let the prince have a headache.

Ping Qiuli: "Where's your money?"

Feng Zhen: "I'm on the boat, I should have arrived in Tong County." He pretended to be embarrassed: "We are all acquaintances, aren't we?"

Ping Qiuli waved his hand and called a servant to come over: "Servant of the Four Treasures of the Study, I want to write a contract with Boss Feng. Brother Guo, you come to be the middleman."

Feng Zhen still looked very reluctant, and muttered in his mouth: "I really don't want to do this kind of business, but we are still friends. Mr. Ping, I don't want it. Can you help my brother to find another way to make money?"

Now, the 30 taels of silver in Feng Zhen's hands is the only life-saving straw in Pingqiu, so naturally he refuses to let it go.Everything is chaotic if you care about it. Pingqiuli is already in chaos, and there is a flash of anger on his face, "Boss Feng, it is meaningless for you to say that. I will lend you money, and I will pay you back with interest. One is willing to fight, the other is willing How can you push customers out when you open the door for business?"

Feng Zhen still looked unwilling: "It's not right."

Ping Qiuli also disagreed with Feng Zhenduo, and started writing the IOU as soon as he picked up the pen.

"Wait." Feng Zhen put his hand on the IOU.

Ping Qiuli: "Why, you still don't agree?"

Feng Zhen smiled: "Master Ping is willing to take care of Feng Nan's business. I am naturally grateful. However, there are rules for doing business. Personal friendships belong to personal friends, and business belongs to business. Lord Ping lent me such real money Baiyin, rely on such a note?"

Ping Qiuli understood, and felt even more annoyed: "I still have more than 20 shops and a few manors in the capital, and the total value is more than 100 million taels. I can't sell it for a while, so I will mortgage it to you. I only lend you the 30 taels." Days, five days later, I will pay you back 100 million." After writing the IOU, Ping Qiuli threw away the pen: "Boss Feng, please sign and make a deposit. I will give you this contract after I see the money tonight."

Feng Zhen: "Okay, let's set off for Tong County later. My silver boat is currently docking at the Tong County Wharf."

(End of this chapter)