6, down-and-out Jinshi Yan Shizhang

After ordering everything, Hu Chuyuan was ready to go to the tomb again, and just as he was about to leave, someone outside the door said that Li Zongtang's staff came to ask for a meeting.

Hu Chuyuan hurriedly walked out to take a look, and found that it was the poor old Xiucai, and wondered in his heart, didn't Zuo Zongtang finish his orders just now, how could he have something to discuss.

He took a step forward and hugged his fist with Lao Xiucai and said: "The younger generation has seen Mr., but I still don't know Mr.'s surname, it's really offended!" ”

Lao Xiucai also shook his sleeves and clenched his fists, and said, "You're polite, my name, I'm afraid it will scare you if I say it, so ah, Lord Zhongtang didn't introduce it to you." This is a letter of recommendation from Lord Nakado to you.,About my origin and all the things about my life.,Nakado should also write.。 ”

As he spoke, he took a letter from his sleeve.

It was just written, and the ink was not yet dry.

Hu Chuyuan sighed, but he didn't care about it, and invited Lao Xiucai into the room to sit, and opened the letter easily.

There are not many words in the letter, only saying that this person's name is Yan Shizhang, the word Pingqing, a native of Qufu, Shandong, Xianfeng nine years of Jinshi and first, served as an official of the Criminal Department, and was rated as a first-class official of "Officials Fear the People" in the two official examinations of the imperial court.

Now, this person can no longer be a leader, and Zuo Zongtang hopes that Hu Chuyuan will keep him as a staff member.

After reading the letter, Hu Chuyuan wondered, if everything Zuo Zongtang said was true, if a person like Yan Shizhang hadn't suffered heavy losses in the infighting in the court, how could he be a governor now!

He immediately hugged his fists with Yan Shizhang and said: "How offended, it turned out to be Lord Yan Jinshiyan!" ”

Yan Shizhang sighed with deep feelings, and said, "Young Master Hu, I don't dare to use the word adult anymore." If you think I'm still a little useful and keep me by my side as a clerical strategist, then call me Mr. Yan. ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded slightly and said, "Okay, Mr. Yan, I don't know how much monthly salary you need to be willing to give in to me?" ”

"Not much!" Yan Shizhang stretched out five fingers.

Hu Chuyuan smiled and said, "Five taels of silver is too little, right?" ”

In this era, to be that kind of heavy coolie, the monthly income is three taels of silver, and you have to find a good errand, and ordinary people have a monthly salary of 5,000 yuan, which is converted into less than two taels of silver.

If it is a literate reader who makes a clerical account room, the monthly salary is about four taels or five taels.

Yan Shizhang shook his head and said, "How can it only be worth five taels?" ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled: "Fifty taels, that's okay!" ”

He thought, it doesn't matter, what I have is money!

Yan Shizhang shook his head again and said, "The monthly salary is five hundred taels, if Young Master Hu thinks I'm worth the price, then I'll stay." ”

Hu Chuyuan gasped, the monthly salary is five hundred taels, and the annual salary is not six thousand taels, and the income is higher than that of Wang Baotian, the big housekeeper!

I don't know why, he thinks that Yan Shizhang should be a little interesting, maybe it's really worth the money.

Thinking of this, he agreed and said, "Okay, let's pay the monthly salary at this price first." If you don't have another place to live in Hangzhou, I'll have someone arrange a small courtyard for you to live in the compound now. ”

Yan Shizhang hugged his fists and said: "Thank you Young Master Hu, I have been poor for so many years, I have not sent money to my family, and my mother and wife and daughter only rely on the rent of dozens of acres of thin fields, which is also very difficult." If it is convenient for Young Master Hu, can you please advance this month's salary in advance and remit it to my family! ”

Hearing this, Hu Chuyuan couldn't help but feel sympathy, feeling that this person's experience was quite miserable, and he must have been calculated in the officialdom.

He sighed and said, "There's no problem with this, but there's nothing big about it lately, you haven't been home for so long, I'll give you a salary of 1,000 taels, you can go home and take a look first?" Alternatively, you can also bring your old mother and wife and daughter with you, and the house will definitely be enough to live in. ”

Yan Shizhang shook his head with a wry smile and said: "The old man has a hard life, he can't go home, and the mother and daughter at home can't come, so I can only thank the owner for his kindness!" ”

"So?"

Hu Chuyuan became more and more curious, he didn't know who Yan Shizhang had offended in the officialdom, and he was so miserable.

Thinking of this, Hu Chuyuan was even more sympathetic to this person, and asked the chief housekeeper Wang Baotian to vacate a courtyard in the East Garden for him to live in, and also took 1,000 taels of silver, and asked Liu Chengxiang to send a reliable old man to Yan Shizhang's home.

When Hu Chuyuan quickly completed the matter, Yan Shizhang sincerely sighed with Hu Chuyuan: "The owner, the Hu family's office is indeed outstanding, no wonder there is today." Since you're a strategist and an owner, let me give you two ideas. ”

"Oh?" Hu Chuyuan was a little curious, and wanted to know what this down-and-out old jinshi who was over half a hundred years old was capable of, and said, "Then tell me about it!" ”

Yan Shizhang said: "I have seen Hu Siye a few times, and he should be a trustworthy person." For the sake of the future, you should discuss with Hu Siye as soon as possible to re-merge the two that have been separated, but everything in business is named by him, and only you know how to divide the shares of the two companies. ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled and asked, "Why?" ”

Yan Shizhang said: "Merchants can't go out of business, at most they are officials and businessmen, but the sons and nephews of businessmen are different, and the court has no explicit clause strictly prohibiting this." Taking the Hui merchants as an example, Cao Zhenyong, who went through the Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Daoguang dynasties, was the head of the three middle halls of the Han people at that time, and successively served as the three Shangshu of the workers, households, and officials, and the official residence of the Wuyingdian University, and his grandfather, uncle, cousin, and nephew were all very famous salt merchants at that time. If you want to be a leader, then you can't do business, at least you can't come forward openly, and it is the best choice to let the fourth uncle Hu Yueqiao and the two younger brothers come forward. ”

Hu Chuyuan hadn't thought about this kind of thing, and asked Yan Shizhang, "What about the second strategy?" ”

Yan Shizhang said: "I think that if you want to become a leader, you must first grab the post of supervisor of Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau." You are probably the easiest to excel in this position, because the previous superintendents have done too poorly. One step up from this position is the Shanghai Daotai with the rank of Zheng Sipin, and the next step is the political envoy of the Zheng Sanpin, and there are also special cases of directly promoting the governor and governor from the Shanghai Daotai, depending on what you do and how you take care of it. ”

Hu Chuyuan was speechless, Yan Shizhang said it simply and clearly, and found an official path that was easiest for him to climb.

This guy is indeed a bit of a specialty!

He smiled admiringly and said, "Thank you Mr. Yan for your advice, if this is the case, then I will definitely thank Mr. with a lot of money." ”

Do you really want to be a leader?

Hu Chuyuan was noncommittal, and he didn't think it clearly in his heart.

Yan Shizhang said with a smile: "Since the owner agrees, the matter of the family with Hu Siye must be handled as soon as possible, and don't wait for the salt matter to be finalized before talking, so as not to give people a handle and a mouth." ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded silently, but he was still hesitating in his heart.

To be an official, not to be an official?

This is a very strange question!!