It also snowed in Kyoshi, and it was raining heavily.

Zhu Gaoxu is going to leave the palace today, because he has made an appointment to meet someone in advance. Of course, the emperor could change the time, or even miss the appointment, but he felt that it was not necessary, so he went to the meeting in the afternoon.

The person he wanted to meet was a merchant of the Xue family in Huzhou.

Previously, Du Erlang, the envoy of Beizhen, tried to contact the famous businessman who made the mirror, and the matter has been done, and he will discuss and cooperate with the Xue family in the name of the Imperial Sinan Administration. This matter is not a big deal, Zhu Gaoxu can be handed over to the officials to handle; However, he has lived in the palace for a long time, and sometimes he just wants to go out and see some people other than palace people and ministers.

In the battle of Liaodong that will be launched in the spring of next year, he gave up his personal expedition, and it is still okay to go out and walk around the city of Jingshi at this time. What's more, when it comes to the novelty of glassmaking, he thinks that it may be better to talk to the businessman himself.

The place of meeting is in the Shen family's pear orchard. It's about business, and Zhu Gaoxu doesn't use his real identity, it's best in that kind of place.

Shen Xu, who owns a number of businesses and business gangs, came to the pear orchard in person and waited outside the door. When Zhu Gaoxu's carriage arrived, she stepped forward to salute, "Concubine to welcome Gongzi Hong." ”

Zhu Gaoxu stepped out of the carriage and whispered with a smile: "My surname is Hou today." ”

Shen Xu covered his mouth and smiled, leaned over and said, "Hou Gongzi, please upstairs." ”

A few people walked into the hall first, straight up the wooden staircase. There were a lot of people in the hall, it was a little noisy, and there was a play singing on the stage; When Zhu Gaoxu left the palace, of course, he did not wear a dragon robe, only a cyan satin robe and a square scarf on his head. So almost no one noticed him.

When they arrived at a door on the side of the corridor upstairs, Shen Xu said, "The person Hou Gongzi wants to see has arrived." She then chuckled meaningfully, "Today, the concubine won't disturb the son, you can talk slowly." ”

Her smile was a little strange.

Zhu Gaoxu said casually: "When I'm done talking, let's meet again." ”

Shen Xu smiled and said, "Next time." ”

Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but look at her again, and when she gently opened the door, he stepped in. Zhang Sheng, the commander of the Jinyi Guard, who accompanied him, also stayed outside.

As soon as he walked in the door, Zhu Gaoxu immediately understood the meaning of Shen Xu's expression just now. I saw a man stand up from his chair, the man with his hair tied and wearing a scarf, and a light gray round-necked cloth robe. But she was a woman, a young and beautiful woman, and even a blind man could see it.

The woman said, "Xue Pingniang, the slave family, has seen Lord Hou." ”

Zhu Gaoxu said: "I've kept Xue Niangzi waiting for a long time, I'm sorry." Let's sit down. ”

Xue Pingniang raised her head and said softly, "Are the adults as kind as you?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu smiled and said, "It's hard to say. ”

He sat down on the chair opposite, looked at this Xue Niangzi a little, and saw that she was dressed as a man very plainly. There is no trace of powder, but the plain makeup is very white, and the sideburns are jet black, which looks very good. The chest of the round-necked robe on her body is a whole piece of cloth, which makes the curvature on her chest more obvious than that of a woman's clothes, and the arc is very smooth and beautiful.

Xue Niangzi noticed his gaze and glanced at him with a frown.

Zhu Gaoxu hurriedly looked left and said: "I didn't expect the Xue family to come, it's a woman." ”

Xue Niangzi's voice was soothing and even, very good

Listening, she explained: "The shopkeeper is a little old, and he is afraid that he will not be able to withstand the toss of the carriage and horses, so the slave family heard about this, so he invited himself into Beijing and came with his husband." The father and the shopkeeper are of the same clan, but he only gave birth to a woman from the slave family, and recruited a husband to come to the door. Lord Hou don't worry, although the slave family is a woman, she knows how to make a mirror. ”

"I see." Zhu Gaoxu nodded. This Xue Niangzi is articulate and speaks in such detail, she seems to be a relatively honest person.

Xue Niangzi said: "I didn't expect Lord Hou to be so young, so he was admitted to the Jinshi and became an official." ”

Zhu Gaoxu quickly realized that her words were a bit similar to what she had just said, and the two immediately glanced at each other.

"Your husband?" Zhu Gaoxu asked casually.

A trace of unhappiness flashed on Xue Niangzi's face, but she didn't know if it was because Zhu Gaoxu shouldn't have asked this. She pouted slightly, "Wait in the shop and call him to come along, but he is afraid of seeing the official." I don't know what to be afraid of? Usually I only polish the mirror, and I don't care about anything. That being said, she could tell she was a little nervous.

Zhu Gaoxu said in his heart that the life of his son-in-law does not seem to be easy, in this world where men are superior to women, Xue Niangzi seems to have no respect for her husband at all. But she's a straightforward person, and she doesn't mean to hide anything.

She picked up a fair cup, poured tea into the small white porcelain cups on several cases, looked at the cups and said, "The people in this teahouse told the slave family that Lord Hou was about to arrive, and the slave family made a pot of tea. ”

Xue Niangzi handed over the small cup with both hands: "Look at this cup, isn't this place cheap?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu said with a smile: "The owner is my friend, so I don't need to give money." But Xue's mirror is so famous, you should have earned a lot of money, are you still afraid of expensive miles? ”

Xue Niangzi said: "How can trading be so profitable? Besides, they are all the heads of the Xue family who are shopkeepers. ”

"Really?" Zhu Gaoxu looked at her with a smile on his face. After all, businessmen are a little wary of the government.

Xue Niangzi said: "Ming people don't say secret words. If it weren't for the fact that our business was becoming more and more difficult, and a female member of the slave family, why would he take the initiative to take this errand and come all the way to Beijing? ”

Her bright eyes looked at Zhu Gaoxu's clothes, and then at the mutton fat jade hanging from his waist. Plain Zhu Gaoxu hung the "match made in heaven" imperial green jade, and only when he went out did he grab a piece and replace it. She said softly again, "It's still rich to be an official." ”

If it is an ordinary civil official, it is estimated that he will have to refute and explain, for fear of ruining his reputation. Zhu Gaoxu said without pressure, "The world didn't say it, everything is inferior, only reading is high." ”

The two drank a cup of tea, and Xue Niangzi said: "What does Lord Hou mean, the yamen named 'Shouyu Sinan Administration', do you want to order a batch of mirrors from the Xue family?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu shook his head and said: "It's not about custom-made mirrors, it's about letting you try to make new mirrors and open up a new business." The government can cooperate with the Xue family, and the government will contribute a sum of money to the shares, and control 51 percent of the shares in this business. Usually, you are still in charge of things, but the imperial court holding has the right to supervise and make decisions. ”

"What kind of new mirror?" Xue Niangzi asked seriously.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "It's very simple, use quartz calcination and condensation to form it into glass; By attaching a metal sheet to the back or plating a layer of something, you can make a mirror that is brighter and clearer than a copper mirror. In the past, the stones selected by the tribe to make stone knives and arrows, and the semi-permeable sand and gravel in the sand were all quartz. You just have to try it, and the government will fund it to help you

and will not let you suffer. ”

Xue Niangzi pondered for a while, and then asked, "Lord Hou thinks that this thing is profitable, so he is in charge of the business?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu said quietly: "The imperial court does not rely on this trading income, what it wants is the process of making glass, which is a strategic technology." Therefore, when you try to make mirrors, even if you lose money, we will invest money. ”

Xue Niangzi's face was a little confused, "The slave family doesn't know what it means, but why doesn't the government make it themselves?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu said: "The government is engaged in trading, it is because of the wood for fish, or the businessman is suitable for this." And this kind of thing, only by buying and selling can the market demand be formed, and only when there is demand can the technology be promoted. ”

Xue Niangzi looked at Zhu Gaoxu in a daze, speechless for a while.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "If the Xue family agrees to cooperate with the government, let's give the money first, and you can sign for it." If you lose money in the early stage, you should invest in vain, and you will earn dividends according to shares, and you will have to pay taxes to the market company. ”

Xue Niangzi looked at him with emotion and asked cautiously, "Is there such a thing?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu said calmly: "As I said, the government does not rely on trading to maintain income, we are in charge of the national level." ”

Xue Niangzi pondered for a moment and said, "The slave family is willing, but in advance we thought it was just an order from the government. The slave family had to call someone back and talk to the shopkeeper before he could reply to Lord Hou. ”

Zhu Gaoxu stretched out his hand and patted lightly on a few cases, "That's it." After Xue Niangzi replied, things immediately proceeded as we said. ”

Xue Niangzi said: "Lord Hou is really happy. ”

She turned her head to look at the sky outside the window, and then looked at the beautifully crafted tea sets and furnishings on several cases with her eyes, as if she wanted to stop talking.

Zhu Gaoxu suddenly turned his head and said, "Someone." ”

The commander of the Jinyi guard made Zhang Sheng open the door for a moment, and looked around the room with sharp eyes.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "Ask the shopkeeper Shen to prepare a table of wine and food." ”

Zhang Sheng hugged his fists and said, "Yes." ”

Zhu Gaoxu turned his head and said: "I'll make my own decision, Xue Niangzi can be appreciated." ”

Xue Niangzi pursed her soft lips and said, "How embarrassed is the slave family?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu said with a smile: "Xue Niangzi doesn't let her eyebrows, why should we care about those subsections." Today's banquet should wish you and me success in business. ”

Xue Niangzi arched her hand and said: "It is better for the slave family to be respectful than to obey their fate." ”

In addition to watching opera, Shen Xu's pear orchard can also drink tea, drink, and find other fun. So Zhu Gaoxu and Xue Niangzi changed rooms and prepared to have dinner. Of course, Shen Xu knew Zhu Gaoxu's identity and would not treat him badly. A table of wine and food is very rich, there are delicacies from the mountains and seas, and the aroma of the wine jar is open, even Zhu Gaoxu's people who are used to eating imperial meals can smell it as a rare good wine.

During the banquet, Zhu Gaoxu saw that Xue Niangzi blushed after drinking wine, and became more and more delicate, so he asked with a smile: "Xue Niangzi loves women to dress up as men?" ”

Xue Niangzi shook her head and said: "I hate wearing men's clothes the most, but today I don't do it." ”

Zhu Gaoxu smiled. At this time, the red clay stove warms the wine jug, the room is elegantly furnished, the lights are gorgeous, and there are actors playing and singing on the side. Zhu Gaoxu drank and laughed with a woman he had met for the first time, and he only felt that it was light and comfortable to do such a small thing.