Yang Chong also pricked up his ears and listened. But Tang Di is obviously a knowledgeable person, he stretched out his hand with a smile, shook hands with Zhao Xing, and the two gestured in their sleeves to discuss the price.

Two million, this is the price finally agreed by the two parties, Tang Di bought eight emeralds at a price of six discounts, he planned to give each of the five ladies an emerald jewelry, choose the largest one to set on the hat, and leave two for the child. This guy deserves to be rich.

This price sounds terrifying, but the original price of these emeralds is only half a boat of porcelain, if Tang Di knew the value of only half a boat of porcelain for 2 million yuan, it is estimated that he would vomit blood and die...... However, Zhao Xing wouldn't let Tang Di know.

In recent years, as the situation in Palestine has become more and more severe, trade between the East and the West has been completely interrupted, and maritime merchants have sailed to Vietnam at most, and then transited through Vietnam, and across the Indian Ocean is the world of Arab merchants. The original history should be like this, but the appearance of Zhao Xing has changed history a little, and now, a South Sea Alliance similar to the East India Company has been formed, which may still be very weak, but the high profits will surely make it grow as fast as a monster, and eventually, it may even dominate the trade between the East and the West.

Tang Di accumulated three generations, to this kid, he was mainly focused on "collecting princesses", coupled with the shrinkage of maritime trade, so that he could only go to Vietnam to guide the dumping of goods, so that the maritime merchants who did not go out of the Indian Ocean were not in Zhao Xing's eyes, coupled with Zhao Xing's intentional concealment, so that the Nanyang Alliance did not absorb a merchant in Hangzhou, so Tang Di did not know that Zhao Xing was the leader of the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce.

His family has not personally run the sea trade for many years. In addition, the emerald itself is a rare thing, 99% of the goods are underwritten by Europe, so he doesn't think that the gems he bought are unjustly priced, in your will, Tang Di shook hands with Zhao Xing, and reached this sky-high deal, Zhou Bangshi and Yang Chong next to him were confused, but the two people had vaguely guessed that the amount of this transaction was very huge.

They didn't dare to ask for a price, because their little wealth was in front of these two giants. It's really not a weight, and when the two finished shaking hands, Zhou Bangshi and Yang Chong consciously avoided their eyes and chatted about the moonlight that night.

Yang Chong asked, "Brother Nan." Is there any new poetry in this beautiful scenery? ”

Zhou Bangshi replied very cooperatively: "Ah, I'm thinking about it, and wait a while, what good sentence does Brother Yang have?" ”

Tang Di waved his sleeves and interjected arrogantly: "I'm done talking." Let's talk about the little things, brother, I heard that you have an ivory knife there. Carved picture of a hundred sons and thousands of grandchildren. Come to a dozen, I'll give it away as a New Year's gift. ”

This is a small amount of money, Zhao Xing didn't pay attention to Zhou Bangshi and Yangchong, he replied to Tang Di with a smile: "Brother Qiushan is a big customer, give you a friend price, 10,000 yuan a handle, this price should be nothing?" ”

Zhou Bangshi shuddered. Look at Yang Chong. The two shook their heads together. The Su brothers behind Zhao Xing also shuddered, and they subconsciously touched their waists. Didn't speak.

The so-called ivory knife is actually a seal tooth bone knife. Zhao Xing introduced the concept of seal teeth, in recent years, the craftsmen of the Song Dynasty exerted their imagination, made a thousand strange and strange, even Zhao Xing saw the breathtaking "ornaments", such as the picture of a hundred sons and thousands of grandchildren just said by Tang Di, it is a kind of blessing pendant, it has been out of the concept of bone knife, the scabbard was hollowed out carved out of more than 100 boys, dancing with all kinds of colored bell silk and peach, the back of the scabbard is a birthday star - the whole Song Dynasty birthday picture.

In addition to making carved ornaments, this kind of bone knife for cutting official documents has also developed in application, some people think it is not sharp enough, and also inlay two steel bars on the blade and spine to increase its sharpness. Some people even think that it is not gorgeous, and many jewels are inlaid on the scabbard and handle...... As a result, this bone knife has become a luxury item completely.

The Su Shi brothers and Zhou Bangshi had accepted Zhao Xing's gift before, and there were a few bone knives at home, and now they heard that the toys played by their little brothers were at a preferential price of 10,000 yuan per handle, and they couldn't help but feel sorry for the children's waste of things, but Tang Di's answer shocked them even more, this guy took a big mouth and said nonchalantly: "Let's come to twenty-four, I have a lot of friends to send." ”

The Su Shi brothers were speechless by Tang Di's tone, and on the way home, they held back for a long time before asking: "Leaving people, is this Tang Di the richest man in Hangzhou?" ”

Zhao Xing smiled faintly: "This Tang Di is not ranked in the top ten in Hangzhou, as far as I know, the richest man in Hangzhou is the Cao family, I will take you to visit the Cao family when I go back, so that you can take a look at the luxury of the Cao family." ”

The Su Shi brothers were born in the Song Dynasty, and they were shocked and speechless by a wealthy family like the Song Dynasty. Their shock was nothing, when Zhao Xing knew about the Cao family's wealth, the shock was really unimaginable. In this legendary impoverished Song Dynasty, the rich people were so unimaginable, and in the same era, how much money was the so-called richest man in the world, it was laughing to death.

In the 11th century, there was also a richest man on earth named Alain. Rufus was the nephew of Duke William I the Conqueror, the founder of the Normandy dynasty in England. When Rufus died at the age of 53, he left behind an estate of £11,000. This amount was equivalent to the annual income of the whole of the United Kingdom at the time7. The value of his assets is about £81.3 billion ($2.6 billion) by today's standards. This figure was the world's richest man before the economic crisis. 3 times the wealth of Gates' name.

However, at the time of the gold standard, the gold content of one pound sterling was 7.32238 grams (pure gold) at the price of gold, which was equivalent to ...... Ignoring the calculation, it is equivalent to 2 guan, and his inheritance is about 30,000 guan - if it is only converted according to gold, without considering the difference in the purchase rate of the currencies of the two countries, this money is only enough for Cai Jing to eat for half a year.

This is the difference in wealth between the Song people and the rest of the world, in other words, in modern terms, it can be regarded as the gap in people's wealth and GD.

Zhao Xinggen finished chatting about wealth, and a few people walked to the castle while chatting, seeing that they were about to enter the city. A thin figure suddenly rushed over at the gate of the fort, he rushed to Zhao Xing's horse, and immediately knelt down, fortunately Zhao Xing rode a well-trained mare today, otherwise no matter how strong he was, he would not be able to restrain the golden horse.

The horse finally calmed down, and the girl was not afraid of the horse's hooves passing by, so she only cared about kowtowing frequently on the ground, saying, "Great official, help me." Please help me! ”

Zhao Xing replied angrily: "Little lady, if you want to find death, you can't do it, and you don't want to drag others down if you look for death, how can you suddenly jump in front of the horse?" Annoying! ”

The Gurkha soldiers guarding the gate in the castle saw this. Running out at a trot, they picked up the little girl with one hand and dragged the girl from the horse, the girl was still curled up in mid-air with her legs, retaining her kneeling posture, and the door was bright and soft. Zhao Xing found a faint handwriting on the other party's right hand: "Gyeongju!" ”

"Wait!" Zhao Xing hurriedly stopped the Gurkha soldiers.

"Gyeongju?" Zhao Xing muttered to himself thoughtfully, and then asked, "How old are you?" ”

In the fourth year of Shinjong Hennyeong (1071), a mutiny took place in Gyeongju. It's been 1 year since this year. This girl was just born after the Gyeongju Mutiny, and now she should be seventeen years old, how can she have the word "Gyeongju" tattooed on her hand?

The girl kowtowed frequently, and said, "The slave's name is Kou Li'er, and she is eighteen years old." ”

Zhao Xing suddenly sighed, and the guards in the castle saw Zhao Xing questioning, and they put the girl on the ground. The girl knelt on the cold ground. He knocked his head and begged, "The big official helps." Save the slaves! ”

Zhao Xing glanced at the Su Shi brothers behind him, shook his head slowly, and said, "Do you ask me to be exempted from the status of a cheap slave, where the imperial court decree is, how can I disobey it?!" Besides, if I pity you and specially pardon you, then who will pity the 100,000 unjust souls in Gyeongju? ”

According to modern theory, the cause of the Gyeongju mutiny was that the soldiers were unwilling to suppress the uprising of the people of Yizhou, so they waved their knives at the people of Gyeongju who did not revolt, after the massacre, those soldiers originally planned to occupy the mountain as the king, but unfortunately, the Song court reacted too quickly, mobilized heavy troops to besiege this group of rioters in the uprising, and then brutally suppressed the peasant uprising that slaughtered the peasants.

Are these people worthy of pity, according to records, there were originally more than 200,000 people in Gyeongju, plus the attached counties and townships, with a total population of more than 400,000, but after their uprising, there were only more than 50,000 remnants of the people left in Gyeongju, and no less than 100,000 people died directly from their swords.

The girl was still prostrating, her forehead touching the cold and hard ground, and there were already blood stains, and she cried with a mournful voice: "The great officials do not remember me, but they should always remember my mother, and on that day my mother served the bachelor, and it was the great officials who saw the tattoo on my mother's hand and expelled my mother from the fort. Great official, please have mercy, my mother has not been able to find life everywhere since she left the castle, such as today's cold ground, the family has been out of cooking for many days, a word from the official can make me wait for life, a word can make me wait for death, please be merciful. ”

Su Yu's face showed unbearability, and he sighed and said: "I see, leaving people, saving people's lives, and winning the seventh-level floating slaughter, now it is the Lantern Festival, and it will add some joy to her family." ”

Zhao Xing hesitated, and the woman hurriedly shouted: "Big official, I know who wants to sneak into the castle frequently, I know." ”

Zhao Xing was startled, he looked left and right, and found that at this moment, there were already several people gathered at the gate of the castle. Fortunately, this is the Lantern Festival holiday, and most of the people around are a few Israelis, seeing Zhao Xing looking around, one of the Israeli elders stood up and replied: "Da Lang, we know the severity, don't worry, the secret that shouldn't be told will never flow out of our mouths." ”

Zhao Xing jumped off his horse, handed the reins of the horse to the guards guarding the gate, and beckoned to Kou Li'er and said, "Poor son, don't raise your voice, come and speak." ”

The name Kou Li'er may have been a bit nostalgic for her background, it sounded similar to "poor child", Zhao Xing directly called the latter, and he beckoned the little girl to get up while burying his head in the castle.

When the Su Shi brothers saw Zhao Xing jump off the horse, they also dismounted, handed the reins to the servants, and followed Zhao Xing to the castle. Su Guo was young, he couldn't hold back the words in his stomach, and he sighed as he walked: "The branch woman said that your heart is as hard as iron, I didn't believe it, but today I only learned that such a poor child knelt in front of the horse and begged, you can bear it, and your heart is indeed harder than iron." ”

The Dizhi woman mentioned by Su Guo refers to Chaoyun. Chaoyun was when he was in the capital. looked at Zhao Xing's complaints about Chen Yiyi's attitude.

In the past few years, Zhao Xing's vicious name has become louder and louder, and no one else dares to make random accusations in front of Zhao Xing, and only Su Guo is young and vigorous and makes such accusations. In this regard, Zhao Xing was very indifferent, and he replied calmly: "My benevolence and righteousness are divided into objects, I never criticize my own people, and I never forgive my enemies." ”

Su Guo wanted to say a few words, but Su Yu secretly tugged at his sleeve. Gently shaking his head to signal him not to speak.

In the past few years, Su Yi has been getting older and older, and recalling that Zhao Xing killed cattle neatly when he was a teenager, and the bloody scene left him deeply impressed. He gradually realized Zhao Xing's outlook on life, this person is definitely a person who is clear inside and outside, once he treats you as a friend, as his own family, he will not care about your offense, and once he believes that you are an enemy. Within his ability, Zhao Xing's revenge would be a nightmare. So he didn't want his younger brother to clash with the other party.

After all, they are still a family, so why should a family fight among themselves.

Su Guo was pulled by Su Yiyi. Immediately understood. In fact, Zhao Xing spared no effort to protect the interests of their family, so accusing Zhao Xing was a bit excessive, he arched his hand and apologized, but Zhao Xing didn't pay attention, he just walked with his head down. Until I came to the small building where we received visitors.

There are a total of six small buildings in the castle. One was used as a widow's house, and the other was used as Zhao Xing's collection room. One Zhao Xing lives by himself, and the other is a house reserved for Su Shi's family, and the remaining two are considered to be guest buildings, Zhao Xing is now going to this building that is usually uninhabited, and when Zhao Xing enters the room, he retreats left and right, leaving only Su Shi's brothers and Kou Lian'er, and then asks: "How do you know that someone has infiltrated my castle?" Who told you about the land? ”

Kou Li'er knelt on the ground, kowtowed first, and then replied: "Great official, a few months ago, a man came here to ask about the people who were working in the castle. The people who work in the garden of the big officials usually don't go out of the garden, but we who come and go frequently, so we know. Da Lang, on the day of the accident in the courtyard, this person was in the dock and several people sent their companions into the castle, and the maid happened to see it, but the maid couldn't talk to Da Lang.

Later, those who entered the castle were never heard from again, and this person begged us, the Gyeongju people, in the hope of impersonating him and infiltrating the castle. My mother had been questioned by him, and my father had wanted to promise the man, but the little woman had stopped him, and I had heard that the man had finally infiltrated the castle, but had not been heard from since, and had not been seen again. The big official, the face is about five inches long, the face is white and beardless, the body is lean, the lips are thin, the eyes are squinting, the nose is garlic, and the speech is elegant. The servant has a lot of contact with people, and he feels that he has a smell on him, which seems to be the inner knowledge of a certain noble official's family - not an official eunuch's family, and he can't raise that kind of momentum to command people. ”

Zhao Xing had no impression of the person she described, but the other party was able to admit that his father had been tempted and planned to help others infiltrate, which made Zhao Xing very satisfied, he nodded thoughtfully, and replied: "Yes, since you still have a bit of loyalty in your heart, I will give you this opportunity, and from now on you can come to work in my house." It's the New Year, I enjoy the New Year's gift in my house, you go and get a copy, so that your parents can also have a safe New Year. ”

Kou Li'er kowtowed and replied: "Big official, the little woman heard that the rules in the big official's house are strict, and she didn't dare to let the big official break the rules, and the little woman only asked for one thing - I heard that the big official put a few acres of land on the other side of the river, and planned to plant some fresh fruits and vegetables, so please give the big official a grace and give the little woman a piece of land and some seeds, so that the little woman can support her family." ”

At this moment, Zhao Xing was shocked.

What this girl means: Zhao Xing's mansion has strict rules, and at this moment it is the time when someone is trying to sneak in, in order to avoid breaking the rules, this girl does not want to ask to work in the fort, because in this way, it will become the target of others, as a cheap slave, once someone coerces them to help infiltrate, they can't refuse, so they simply don't want money to enter the castle to work, and only ask Zhao Xing to give some seeds and set aside a piece of arable land, so that they can rely on farming to support their families.

There was such an independent woman in the Song Dynasty? There was such a wise person among the cheap slaves, Zhao Xing was in awe, he stood up, arched his hand, and said: "Little lady, please get up, there is no need to kneel...... You ask for ploughland and seeds, it's not difficult, I'll give you a piece of land outside the castle, it's just ......"

The girl replied eloquently: "If that garlic nose comes again, the little woman must quietly tell General Jin." ”

Kou Li'er said that the "General Jin" was Jin Buji, the janitor of the inner courtyard.

Zhao Xing clapped his hands and praised: "Smart." I've been wondering who wants to sneak in, how about if you can quietly help me catch that person, and I want to redeem you? ”

Kou Li'er kowtowed and replied, "Thank you, the officials." ”

In fact, at this time, Zhao Xing didn't believe in Kou Li'er's excuses that his family was already poor and helpless, and he had no place to live. With such a smart girl, how could their family be hungry. If nothing else, just the species that this girl is asking for. The "fresh fruits and vegetables" in her mouth belong to Cheng Laoqi's farm work. This piece happens to be Zhao Xing's most lucrative industry in farm work.

Zhao Xing has a habit of collecting species, so he will not talk about the vegetable seeds he collects, even if the collected flower and tree seeds are successfully cultivated in Hangzhou. It is also the best choice for wealthy families to be the first to introduce seeds and decorate their gardens. In order to obtain these novel flowers and trees, they do not hesitate to spend a lot of money. For example, the rhododendron seeds introduced by Zhao Xing from the South Himalayan Road have so far cost three times per seedling, and the income is thousands of miles a year.

As for seeds for fresh fruits and vegetables, the price is even higher. They are now sold not as fruits and vegetables at the price of ordinary vegetables and fruits, but as seeds, at a price of a hundred times. Kou Li'er asked to cultivate these vegetables. It's actually asking for a privilege.

This privilege was first reflected in the florist who cultivated jasmine in Zhao Xing's yard. While helping Zhao Xing cultivate jasmine, the family sold dried jasmine, cultivated the pruned branches into roots, and sold them to the homes of nearby wealthy families. And after the team of florists and his wife became rich, cultivating flowers and plants in Zhao Xing's garden became a grace. Just do the work. There is no need to worry about becoming well-off within a few years.

However, Kou Li'er's identity is that of a lowly slave. No matter how rich her family is, she is still a slave, so wealth may not impress this smart girl. But Zhao Xing's promise to restore them to civilian status will definitely make her moved.

Kou Li'er stepped back with a thousand thanks, Su Guo looked at her back, couldn't hold back her words, and asked, "This little lady, you don't have to say a few words." Why did you just let her go? ”

Su Yi replied for Zhao Xing: "Smart people don't need to be dialed, this little lady is a smart person, and her cleverness is amazing." ”

After a pause, Su Yi looked at the pensive Zhao Xing, and asked again: "I don't know if someone sneaks into the park frequently, who will it be?" Who is so interested in this garden? ”

Su Guo pursed his lips and said, "My brother traded with Tang Di just now, and as soon as he made a deal, it was a transaction of hundreds of thousands of yuan, and those who heard it must have wondered where those goods were stored - no need to guess, they must be in the courtyard wall house." People must be thinking, there are so many warehouses in the whole walled building, how many things are stored in it, no matter what, it is worth grabbing a handful! ”

Zhao Xing shook his head and replied: "Those people didn't come for the wealth in the garden, my garden, no matter how I say it, there are thousands of craftsmen living in it, and ordinary people don't dare to move the idea of robbing the land." Besides, the man who infiltrated the fort for the first time got into the storehouse, but did not take the contents of the storehouse, and only wanted to look around in the garden at night, and what he wanted to see was worth pondering.

The second wave of intruders into the garden was three, and I have already found out, a Cantonese maritime merchant who sent a shipload of goods from Canton, several of which were used as collateral to cover my freight, and the crates were sent from Fuzhou to my yard, and that batch of goods amounted to twenty-three boxes, three of which contained living people.

Originally, those containers were inspected once in Fuzhou, but I don't know what means he used to transfer the inspected goods, and three living people got into the boxes, and there was enough food and water in the boxes. The three men remained motionless in the box for two days, entered my castle, and then used the tools in the box to pry open the wooden box and crawl out.

But they didn't expect that the warehouse where I stored my goods were all thick ebony wooden doors, and the space in their boxes was too small, and the tools they brought were also small, and they could pry open the wooden boxes, but they couldn't pry open the door of my warehouse......

I've been wondering if these two groups of people are in contact, and they want to find something in my castle, so they go out of their way to send people to infiltrate? How weird? ”

Su Yu got up and looked at the garden, and said in wonder: "Brother Xing, actually, what is the mystery in your garden, every brick and wood here is not a secret to Hangzhou officials, what do they want to come in and find?" ”