After leaving the Japanese mission on the platform of Chaoyangmen Station, Zhang Pu left the station alone with two domestic servants and hired a taxi carriage to enter the city. Under the introduction of the coachman, Zhang Pu found an inn near Jinxian Street and stayed.

This inn receives most of the scholars who enter Beijing for exams or study tours on weekdays, so the room is quite clean, even Zhang Pu, who is a little clean, is satisfied after seeing the room.

Although he has been exiled overseas in recent years, Osaka University, as a university built on indemnity, gives the salary of hired professors and scholars is quite generous, for example, Zhang Pu received 80 Ming Yuan per month, if you add the foreign scholar allowance given by the shogunate, his annual income is about 1200 yuan, that is, 20 times the annual income of an ordinary Japanese worker, and 15 times the annual income of an ordinary Ming worker.

Zhang Pu finally rented an independent cross-courtyard for three months, with a rent of 45 yuan, including lunch and dinner. After solving the problem of living in the capital, he saw that it was still early, so he asked a younger domestic servant to sort his luggage in the courtyard, and he took an old servant to Dongzhimen.

At about four o'clock in the afternoon, Zhang Pu finally found the Fan Mansion located in the needlework alley of Beixiao Street in Dongzhimen. He ordered the old servant to call the door, and delivered the letter handed over to him by the representative of the Four Seas Trading Company in Japan.

Soon, a young man ran out in a hurry, saluted Zhang Pu and said politely: "Thank you Mr. Zhang for bringing the third uncle's family letter, but my father has not returned home yet." Can the gentleman leave an address, so that he can return to the next when his father returns. ”

Seeing that although the other party was polite but had no intention of inviting him in, Zhang Pu had no intention of reporting his name, but just left the address of his apartment in the capital, and left with his servant Shi Shiran.

After leaving here, Zhang Pu was not in a hurry to return home, but walked around the capital slowly. It has been almost ten years since he last came to Beijing, when the streets of the capital began to be renovated, and many places are still paved with loess, once it rains, the streets are one after another mud pool, if it is a place where mules and horses often pass, there is more livestock manure as mud nourishment. Pedestrians not only have to worry about soiling their clothes, but the sour smell makes people take their breath away and run quickly.

And even if the weather is clear, the dried soil and manure dried on the street can still blow into the sky and pollute the homes of residents in most of the city on a windy day. But after ten years, the alleys are still as they are, the streets have been poured with concrete, the sidewalks are paved with waste bricks and small square bricks, and the drainage ditches are set up on both sides of the streets, so that people can walk on this hardened pavement without worrying about stepping into the mud made of some unknown object, let alone hiding their noses to escape from certain sections.

What surprised Zhang even more was that not only a large number of flower beds were built on the sidewalks on both sides of the main street, but also many street lamps for lighting. Whether it's day or night, it's obviously relaxing to walk on a street like this. In Zhang Pu's memory, there has never been a city with such a large area of urban greening and lighting projects.

Even the wealthy Nanjing, Suzhou, and Shanghai have at most only a little greenery and night light in front of the wealthy merchants, and most of the other urban streets are left unmanaged.

In addition to being surprised by the extravagance of the Yamen in the capital in such a small place, Zhang Pu also saw the vitality of the ordinary people in the city. This is not the arrogance and ostentatiousness of the people of the capital who live at the feet of the Son of Heaven and are superior to outsiders, but the liveliness and vitality that are really full of hope for their current life.

At least ten years ago, most of the people in the capital he saw were in a hurry, bending down and walking on the side of the road, lest they bump into some nobles. The noble servants of the wealthy families walked in the middle of the road one by one with their heads held high, opening the way for their masters, and the people in front of the team were slightly slower to dodge, and they scolded on the spot, and whipped them away.

For such a look of the capital, almost everyone is accustomed to it, at most, some scholars criticize who is too domineering, and no one dares to stand up and accuse in public, these noble and wealthy families are wrong in this way of traveling. In such a society, people can only breathe a sigh of relief in their own homes, and they can still be lively when they are outside.

But now in the capital, not only people and vehicles go their own way, but even vehicles have to pull over. There is no longer such a majesty as in the past, when the frame of the dignitaries moves, it will block the entire street and drive the other people to both sides. Zhang Pu also confirmed that the large and small sedan chairs that were originally commonly used by nobles and women to travel were difficult to see, and were replaced by carriages and rickshaws.

The way of traveling has become low-key, although this has made their travel lose a lot of prestige, but in Zhang Pu's view, the current traffic in the capital is extremely orderly, which makes people feel comfortable when they look at it. In particular, the kind of carriage that runs on the tracks is fast and cheap, and it is convenient, but it completely erases the class of passengers, which may be unpleasant to some people.

When Zhang Pu returned to his residence in the night, he thought about it that night and couldn't close his eyes and fall asleep for a long time, but before he went to sleep, he once again firmly determined his choice, thinking that his trip to the capital was not in vain.

When it was about to noon on the second day, Zhang Pu, who was reading the newspaper in the room, received a report from a servant that a businessman surnamed Fan had come to visit. Zhang Pu knew who was coming as soon as he heard it, and while putting away the newspaper on the table, he calmly instructed the servant: "You go and invite Fan Yuan to come in, and then prepare some tea." ”

Under the guidance of this servant, Fan Yunsheng, director of Daming Sihai Trading Company, walked into the courtyard, and he saw Zhang Pu standing on the steps of the main room at a glance. Compared with his son, he is much more enthusiastic when he understands Zhang Pu's identity. Fan Yunsheng hurriedly walked a few steps, bent down and made a big salute to Zhang Pu, then straightened up and said: "I already knew about Mr. Zhang's return to China when I received the pigeon book a few days ago. However, the dog didn't know about it, so it was a little rude yesterday, and he couldn't leave Mr. behind, and asked Mr. for forgiveness. ”

In the past, Zhang Pu has always used businessmen like Fan Yunsheng as money bags, but he doesn't want to see them on weekdays. Anyway, he was in the limelight that day, and the several societies and restores he established had wiped out all the talents in Jiangnan, and which businessman dared to put up a shelf in front of him. Therefore, his attitude towards businessmen has always been to come with a wave and go.

However, after wandering overseas for so long, Zhang Pu has changed his temper a lot, and today he saw that Fan Yunsheng was quite respectful to himself, so he also walked down the steps, held his hands and said with a smile: "Fan Yuanwai is polite, this time I have to rely on the staff to enter Beijing a lot, what to talk about forgiveness and non-forgiveness, let's go into the room and talk slowly." ”

Seeing Zhang Pu so kind, Fan Yunsheng, who was not a few years older than the other party, was also quite excited for a while, after all, Zhang Pu was one of the leaders of the young literati in Jiangnan in the past. After all, his status is incomparable with the other party, and if the other party can enter the official career, he must aim to enter the cabinet. In the Ming Dynasty, money was always less important than power.

After the two entered the house, they exchanged a few words, and after the servant brought the tea, Fan Yunsheng got to the point: "I have read the letter that my brother wrote to me last night. He returned to Beijing this time to make a big difference, and he also had the support of the Tokai Patrol Office and the company's representative in Japan.

I'm just a businessman, so naturally I don't dare to interfere in my husband's affairs. However, Mr. has been abroad for so long, and I am afraid that some people in the capital are not familiar with the land, so if there are any chores, please just give me orders, and I will run for Mr. ”

Zhang Pu thought for a long time before he asked Fan Yunsheng, "If I want to meet the members of the board of directors of Sihai Trading Company, except for the representatives of the Internal Affairs Office, how long will it take to contact me?" ”

Fan Yunsheng thought for a while and said, "As long as you are a member of the board of directors in Beijing, there should be no problem within a week. Do you want to see each other or together? ”

Zhang Pu replied without thinking: "Naturally, we will see you together." However, before meeting with the directors again, can you provide a batch of business information of the four seas trading company, as well as information about Daming's overseas trade, I have difficulty accessing detailed information on this overseas, and I would like to hold on to it for a while. ”

Fan Yunsheng pondered for a moment before he said: "The public part can be taken out, and I'm afraid I can't do anything about some secret information." And in seven days, I will send someone back. ”

Zhang Pu's face suddenly relaxed, and he said gently: "This is natural, I just want to know some data, and I don't have any intention of engaging in business, it is enough to be able to see the public part of the information." So the second thing is, after I have finished meeting with the directors, I hope you can arrange for me to meet with Choi Chengxiu and Bachelor Choi. ”

Fan Yunsheng glanced at Zhang Pu in some surprise, but after all, he didn't say anything, but nodded and agreed. As soon as these two things were discussed, Zhang Pu didn't ask for anything more. Seeing this, Fan Yunsheng had to take the initiative to mention: "Since Mr. wants to make a difference in Beijing this time, does he need some help in moving around?" The king of Hades in this capital is easy to see, but the little ghost is still very difficult to entangle, I have prepared some for Mr., can Mr. see if it is enough? ”

Zhang Pu glanced at the envelope that the other party put on the table, and couldn't help but reach out and push it back and said, "I entered Beijing this time, but I didn't plan to see any little ghosts." If that happens, I'll open my mouth to the outside world. ”

Seeing Zhang Pu firmly push the envelope back, Fan Yunsheng just hesitated, then put away the envelope and said: "Since this is the case, then I will keep it for Mr. first, if Mr. needs anything, just give me a word..."

( = )