Hangzhou Zhan family goods bank sent a special person to send a request, Hangzhou Chamber of Commerce invited, named the name of the Zhan family north and south goods bank Zhang Yingquan to attend, although there is no problem with the title, the owner has a size, after all, it is not a big owner, how to cross the seat of the Zhan family? The person who came said that the shopkeeper instructed that Zhang Dongjia had to participate, saying that there were officials to meet him, and he chattered and did not know the reason.

Let's take a trip!

Bring the little long hair, bring the letter of the official body seal of the nine grades, and hit the road. Don't look at the identity of this inaccessible Jiupin micro-end, no one in the officialdom pays attention to you, and no one in the shopping mall looks down on you, but it is feasible on the road, but the checkpoint is tightly paid, the small officials are in front, the big officials are coming, and the unspeakable things cannot be offended.

Zhang Yingquan is familiar with Hangzhou Mansion, and was apprenticed in Hangzhou Zhan Family Goods Store before leaving Nanyang.

The two met very affectionately!

"My second brother didn't bother you, did he?"

"Okay! Busy with students, dozens of small people. ”

"Good!" Zhan Dalian found a notepad: "There is an official who seems to be named Bai Xianglong, and he sent someone to pass on a post for you to visit!" The official family has a noble status, and I invite you to go in the name of the Chamber of Commerce. ”

"Five-grade Fujian and Zhejiang casting envoys?"

"Isn't it? It seems to be a four-product Hangzhou weaving envoy. ”

"Promoted?"

"You know?"

"I know, the piece of 'craftsman iron fan' in the general number of Jin County was given by him."

"I remembered, I remembered, I wasn't in King County at the time."

Hangzhou Weaving Bureau and Jinling Weaving Bureau, Suzhou Weaving Bureau is called by the imperial court, the three major bureaus in the south of the Yangtze River, managing the local industry and commerce, including: textile, smelting, handicrafts, etc., the status is important, it is different from the Cloth Administration, although the Cloth Administration is in charge of civil affairs, but purely administrative management, the Weaving Bureau has resources in hand, including land, minerals, craftsmen, etc., is a genuine entity, and is the industry counterpart management agency, the so-called' The division of the bureau's level is only one level, or even half a level, the weaving makes it the fourth product, and the political envoy is the third product or from the third product, which is compared with later generations, one is the vice governor of the industry, and the other is the director of the large industrial bureau.

Bai Xianglong was promoted, he was promoted quickly, and he jumped into four grades, which is related to his implementation of iron fan copper on the 'Xianfeng Heavy Treasure', how did the functional officials during the Qing Dynasty evaluate their performance? There is nothing earth-shattering, minting money is a political achievement, plus he is a full man, with deep roots, it is difficult not to be promoted!

Lord Bai was blessed and his smile was bright.

"I heard that my Qing Dynasty produces its own cotton cloth, and it is not inferior to the West, so I was really excited for many days, and it became a thought, and it was your little brother's masterpiece, an accident, an accident!"

"Blessed by Lord Bai!" The title of this little brother gave Zhang Yingquan goosebumps.

"Now that the official has taken over the weaving envoy, he has a fate with the little brother, which happens to be a matter of internal affairs, and I want the little brother to make a few good cotton fabrics and enter the palace to publicize and publicize it, so as to make a name for you!" This is one of the tasks of the weaver.

"The shop just collects a few good batik fabrics that have just been developed before, and they will be presented when they turn around, which is a great honor if they are selected for the palace. Thank you! ”

"No thanks! Ming people don't say dark words, Hangzhou Mansion has produced skilled craftsmen, and it is also the political achievement of this official! ”

"That's it! The small ones are backed by big trees to enjoy the shade. ”

"At present, the business atmosphere in Hangzhou is not right, and they are frying raw silk in one go, which is speculation, not doing practical things, or your little brother is real, down-to-earth!"

"......" officialdom is less evaluated.

"Recently, I received a proposal from the official to change the smelting workshop under this official into an armory workshop, and I want to discuss something with you."

"Don't dare, don't dare, please command!"

"This official knows, you are outstanding in the iron industry, please go out of the mountain, raise your rank, how about eating official meals from now on?"

"I'm just a small mountain farmer who eats handicraft food, I haven't read a book, and I can't be an official."

"I heard that you can speak Western, this is rare! In the past, it was difficult to negotiate business with foreign businessmen, and it was difficult to find an interpreter. ”

"Nanyang dialect is different from Western dialect, so don't mention it." Zhang Yingquan deliberately led the topic crookedly.

"Think about it, don't eat official dinner? If you miss it, you won't stand a chance. ”

"My lord, if you make weapons, if it is a sword or arrow, it doesn't matter if it's good or bad, it's a consumable anyway, unless you make a foreign gun."

"Do you have a way to make a foreign gun?"

"There's a way to try." Zhang Yingquan suddenly had a flash of inspiration, why not use the name of the official family to hide the fact that he made a gun a little deeper, after all, many things, paper can't contain fire, once exposed, today's good days may be gone.

"I can contact Nanyang, in fact, I have already contacted them, there is a Western-run steel mill in Luzon, which produces good iron, we can provide a model for it to be directly cast into a gun barrel, we buy, kill two birds with one stone, and other supporting facilities include the bolt machine, the wooden tray can be imitated by itself, and the foreign guns produced are not worse than those of Yingyi."

"Yes! Is this Nanyang merchant reliable? ”

"Very reliable, my master does a large class with them. They also opened a foreign firm in Ningbo, called Hanzhang Foreign Company. ”

"This wooden support is easy to make, can you make this mechanism?"

"It's not a smuggled weapon, is it?"

"In business, OEM parts cannot be regarded as privately manufactured weapons."

"That's good, Lord Bai! Build an assembly plant, from the Nanyang into the barrel, I provide other parts, find some craftsmen to engage in assembly, do not need much capital, the skill threshold is also low, as long as there is an order to make a lot of money, no order only to feed a few craftsmen, why not? ”

"Is there a precedent?"

"Yes! At present, Hanzhang's foreign guns are assembled in Ningbo, except for the barrel of the machine, well! Please keep it confidential, Hanzhang Foreign Company doesn't want people to know, saying that it is a trade secret. ”

"Okay! ……”

Two days later, Bai Xianglong made a secret visit in plainclothes, and the first thing he said when he entered the door was: "Little brother! You've done me a great favor. ”

In fact, the cost price of firearms made in Shanzhen does not exceed three taels of silver, of course, many costs cannot be calculated, such as ore, machine demolition, technical costs, etc., no matter what, the profits are extremely high, and it is not surprising that the weapons business is highly profitable, but it is necessary to make money steadily, and it is only natural to make money.

Han Zhang foreign firm is new, at present there is no problem with foreign business, and it is more difficult to negotiate with Qing officials, some officials, not to look at the quality of goods, the focus is to get benefits, this kind of dirty business, can not see the light. There are also officials who are extremely powerful, nodding their heads to the oceanic merchants, and not turning a blind eye to the goods of the South Seas, what flintlock pistol? Musket guns? I can't see the difference, don't the foreigners in the concession also use flintlock pistols? That's it, just cheaper.

If they let them build their own guns, Zhang's Iron and Steel Company will supply accessories, and this layer of cover will be quite solid. Presumably, when the imperial court is equipped with Qing soldiers, it will definitely prefer the firearms made by itself, right? Business must be good, and it must be safe.

"Little brother! I promised Governor Huang that you would be able to build your own musket within half a year, and you wouldn't be able to play tricks! ”

"No, I can't. In less than half a year, I can place an order with Hanzhang now. The round-trip journey to Nanyang is not far, and two months is about the same! ”

"I will not participate in this matter to you, don't let people say that it is a collusion between officials and businessmen to frighten foreigners. Also, hurry up and find a way to learn the art of making gun barrels, I know you have a way. ”

"I tried my best. But...... This privately made weapon is to be ....... ”

"The governor agrees to be a guarantor, let you donate a political secretary experience title, from the sixth grade, untruthful, no money, hang the name of the six-grade official, and do this first."

"Thank you for your trouble!"

"By the way, I will reveal to you, this official may have to take over as the political envoy."

"Congratulations! Enter the ranks of the three products, the mainstay of my dynasty! "I thought in my heart: This official has been promoted too fast, right?

"Hey, hey, hey! Your little brother wants to upgrade from nine to six, faster than me, treat yourself! "Bai Xianglong is not like other Manchurians, he is an easy-going person, and he has a bit of a relationship with Zhang Yingquan.

"Good! Outside the building. ”

"You have a treat, I'll find someone to pay the bill."

"Who? How can this be? ”

"The group of waste in the Hangzhou Chamber of Commerce is the life of paying the bill, if they are all like your little brother, this magistrate still has a little taste to sit, let them see the real person! I pondered that it was time for the directors of the Hangzhou Chamber of Commerce to be replaced. Ha! ”

"Don't, don't, don't! This is small and weak, so don't ...... it" Zhang Yingquan was really a little panicked, I don't know if Lord Bai's words are true?

"Hah! Ha! Don't rush, take your time. ”

…………。

Three months later, the New Year was approaching, and everyone was busy, and suddenly a group of county officials and soldiers came to the mountain town.

Do? Come to fight the autumn wind?

Walking in front was the magistrate of the county, and when he came to the door of Zhang's house, a servant said in a loud voice: "The lord of the magistrate has arrived!" Let Zhang Yingquan come out to answer"

Zhang Yingquan has not returned to the county seat, it is estimated that he can arrive at this time, the eldest brother has a hairless head, afraid of seeing the official's family, and the second brother comes out: "The county master, all the officials, the third brother has something to do when he goes out, do you want to see if I can respond?" ”

"Someone has sued you for making weapons and illegally arming, do you know what crime you should be guilty of?"

"No, everyone in the mountains has shotguns, and repairing and modifying them doesn't count as making weapons, right? It's all an open secret, so please be aware of it. ”

"Zhang Yingquan is a Jiupin master, let him talk!"

"Who's looking for this official? The tone is not small. Zhang Yingquan arrived at this time, he went down the mountain to take official clothes and official certificates, Bai Xianglong did this very well, he directly made the decision for Zhang Yingquan, first cushioned down 5,000 taels of silver, due to the guarantee of the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, the court did not drag the mud and water directly. Because he was an official of the Yamen of the Political Division, and because he had experience from the six products, and he was not in the way with the county government, the Yamen of the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang directly sent someone to Jinxian County to confer the official certificate, and Zhang Yingquan also got the letter and went to accept it without any delay. When I got my coat and hat, I turned around, and I happened to see the county lord on the mountain, and I knew that it was not a good thing, otherwise why would I bring so many officers and soldiers? Just try the official clothes.

I saw him with a six-grade coral top, an indigo blue Hangzhou silk official robe, from the six-grade Ru Lin Lang Su rust to make up for it, dragging his hair braids (fake), and walking step by step.

It's all stupid, the county master here is the biggest, that is, the seventh grade, and there is a sixth-grade official in the deep mountains, and the county officials only know that he is a nine-grade craftsman. Now it's even more excessive, and it's become a six-grade official? Whose shit luck is this?

"This ...... This! I don't know if I can sue ......"

"The chief secretary has experienced from the six products, how? Do you see it? ”

"Poof!" Kneel down, make a big salute, it is said that there is a meritorious name, or when the grade of the two officials is not much different, there is no need to kneel, but you know that the county is a person who understands, since you have offended someone, you have to make amends, and you can not see it when you kneel and bow to show your sincerity? This kid has a big tree behind him.

"Forgive your sins! It's the slackness of the lower officials. ”

"I just heard someone suing this official for making weapons privately, who is it? Troublemakers? Why don't you ask the political envoy! Don't get in the way of business here. ”

"Don't dare, don't dare!" Qipin Zhi County, go and ask the political envoy of Sanpinbu, what are you kidding? You can't get in the door.

"Scattered, scattered!"

"Yes! The lower official took his leave. ”

After the official family left, the whole family rushed up, touched the official uniform, knocked on the official hat, so handsome! This young shopkeeper is terrible, and the county master kneels down for him.

"The third brother is amazing! What else does the official have from the six products? ”

"It's bigger than the seven-pin county, smaller than the sixth-pin, and it's six and a half grades." Xiang Xianyun was born and knows a lot about officialdom.

"The largest seventh-grade official in the entire Jin County, the third brother is the sixth-grade and a half, and there will still be people in Jin County who dare to bully us in the future?"

"Really! ……”