Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 2341: Fortunately in Nanjing (VIII) This is exactly what my uncle meant

With Tian Yi's status and position, his nephew only managed to get a job as a gatekeeper in the Nanjing Imperial Palace, which shows that he is not very favored by his uncle. This is not surprising, Tian Yi has seven brothers and sisters, and there are many younger generations. A not very smart nephew is obviously not worth his efforts.

After leaving the palace, Tian Yi sat in the green sedan chair and closed his eyes to rest. At the same time, Gao Qi, who had left the palace earlier, had arrived at the Nanjing branch headquarters of Jinghua Commercial Company by carriage.

The headquarters of various branches of Jinghua Trading Company are similar in terms of buildings and decoration. They are all concrete buildings that combine Chinese and Western styles, with white-gray walls and Roman columns at the front door, but Chinese-style eaves and ridge beasts are used in the middle of the building. However, its feature that makes it known as the "Crystal Building" is still its biggest highlight - large windows are all made of transparent glass, and some windows that require a certain degree of privacy even use carved glass.

Jinghua Trading Company itself sells goods, and the goods in the trading company are varied, somewhat similar to the large supermarkets of later generations. However, due to its large scale, the trading company also has offices, which are often not in the Crystal Building itself, but in a row of two or three-story buildings behind the Crystal Building.

Gao Qi walked through the first floor of the Crystal Building, from the front to the back, and was about to enter the backyard of the small building. The waiter in the Crystal Building hurriedly stopped him, and before he could say anything with a smile, Gao Qi had already taken out a piece of ivory-like object from his arms and waved it, saying, "The Ministry of Internal Affairs is inspecting, and asked Gao Qi to come to see me immediately." After that, he swaggered into the backyard, looked at the small building, and walked away quickly.

The waiter obviously also knew the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Yapai. He didn't dare to say much and immediately went to inform the manager here, Gao Yu.

Not long after, a middle-aged man hurried over and met Gao Qi at the bottom of the small building. He bowed with a surprised look on his face and said, "My humble self, Gao Qi, greets the young master." After a slight pause, he asked in confusion, "I heard that the young master followed the master of the host family into the palace to serve. Why are you here again?"

From the address, we can know that Gao Qi was not from the sixth room, but from the fifth room, so he called Gao Qi "the eldest young master" and Gao Youshi "the eldest master of the eastern family".

Gao Qi nodded, but did not answer him. Instead, he ordered directly: "This is not the place to talk. Take me to your signing room."

Seeing the young master's solemn expression, Gao Yu did not dare to neglect him. He immediately led Gao Qi into the small building and brought him to his signing room. He asked him to take a seat and then asked again, "Young master, what do you want me to do?"

Gao Qi raised his left hand, held the Tianshu sword horizontally in front of Gao Yu, and asked, "Do you recognize this sword?"

"This is...ah, Tianshu!" Gao Yu was startled, his legs softened subconsciously, and he knelt down and said, "I know, I know, this is the Tianshu sword of the boss. You can use it to mobilize the security teams at all levels under the name of the trading company to act at your convenience."

"I'm glad you recognize me." Gao Qi put away his knife and asked, "Is there a security team in Nanjing?"

"some."

"how many?"

"Nanjing is the capital of the Liao Dynasty, and there are many people with many opinions. Therefore, the security team in the city is not large, only about 200 people, mainly used to protect the three sales floors and two warehouses of the trading company."

Hearing this, Gao Qi couldn't help but frown and shook his head, saying, "In this case, I think it's inconvenient to transfer them. What about outside the city?"

Gao Yu hurriedly said, "There are quite a few outside the city. Jiangning and Shangyuan counties each have more than 500 people, totaling more than a thousand, all of whom can be mobilized." After a pause, he asked with some concern, "Master... is there something big that requires military action?"

After all, they were his own servants, so Gao Qi didn't put on airs and simply shook his head and said, "That's not the case, but I need to mobilize them to monitor the city gates and docks of Nanjing. Whenever they see the flags of certain families, they need to record them one by one."

Hearing that there was no major incident that required violence, Gao Yu was obviously relieved and said, "If it were just this, it would be easy to handle. Master, are you going to mobilize them immediately?"

"Yes, there is no time to lose." Gao Qi said, and took out a small map. He spread it out and pointed out a number of places for Gao Qi to see. He said, "Arrange some personnel in each of these places and divide them into two shifts for surveillance. I will compare the records of the two shifts afterwards. If there is any discrepancy... don't blame me for transferring them all to Java Island without asking the reason."

Java Island is now under the charge of Gao Wuqin, a killer. It is said that he often leads people to the deep mountains and forests to "eliminate those who disobey." Many people said that if you follow him and die in the mountains, it's fine. If you don't die, in just one year, you can become a good person. Gao Qi set such a severe punishment plan when he came up, it seems that he attaches great importance to the task assigned to him.

Gao Yu patted his chest and promised that he would make it clear when delivering the order, and that there would be no such dereliction of duty. Then he coughed lightly and asked, "Master, I know there are some things I shouldn't ask, but... if you don't tell me everything, I'm afraid that some tasks will not be completed properly."

Gao Qi said, "What can't be done? These surveillances are only a small part of the plan. You and I have more important things to do. You will naturally know what they are by then."

Suddenly he said this, Gao Yu naturally couldn't ask any more questions, so he could only ask: "Then please wait a moment, Master. I will send the order out right away."

Gao Qi nodded, and sat on Gao Yu's usual armchair to rest. Gao Yu quickly took out the key to open a locked thick cabinet next to him, took a few small ivory cards and went out to find someone to pass on the message.

Not long after, Gao Yu came back and said to Gao Qi, who seemed to be asleep, "Young Master?"

Gao Qi immediately opened his eyes and stood up, asking, "Do you have a way to visit the inner guard?"

"Master, you are joking. Jinghua Trading Company has been operating in Nanjing for many years. Although it is inconvenient to expand for some reasons, which of the leading figures in Nanjing does not have some business with the trading company? I dare not say how much, but if it is just a small request to see the inner guard, it will probably not be rejected."

"That's good. Go get someone to prepare some clothes for me. I'll pretend to be your housekeeper and go with you to the Inner Garrison." After a pause, he added, "Hurry up. The Inner Garrison can also send someone to deliver a letter saying that you will be there soon. Things are urgent. Don't waste any time."

Gao Yu agreed immediately and hurried down to make arrangements.

The weather in Nanjing was indeed changeable. When Gao Qi, pretending to be Gao Yu's housekeeper, arrived at Tian Yi's residence, the previous heavy rain had turned into light rain.

The drizzle covered the city of Nanjing, adding a bit of hazy beauty. Gao Yu introduced his name to the doorman, and the doorman smiled and said, "Master Gao, my master has just seen your visiting card and has told us that when you come, please go to the flower hall to have tea. As for this 'steward' in your house, the master said that he seems to be able to do great things. After I meet him, I will invite him to the master's study for a chat. What do you think..."

Gao Yu glanced at Gao Qi. Gao Qi knew that the other party must have known his identity and expected him to come. It had come to this point, so there was no need to hide it anymore, so he smiled and said, "Since the inner guard has given the order, how dare I disobey. Please lead the way." The doorman hurriedly led Gao Qi to the study, and Gao Yu was led to the flower hall. Gao Yu was very calm about this arrangement. He knew very well that the reason why he appeared here today was to act as a go-between, but in reality, to cover up the whereabouts of the young master. As for the real "big thing", it was naturally not his turn to intervene.

On the other side, Gao Qi was walking and looking at the layout of Tian's mansion, thinking in his heart. As the eunuch guarding Nanjing, Tian Yi's mansion in Nanjing is not small in scale, but the layout is a bit compact. Compared with the Jingguo Mansion of Gao Youshi in the capital, which may have just changed its plaque, it is less grand and more exquisite. The decorations and furnishings in the mansion are also mainly Jiangnan characteristics, which appear to have a unique flavor.

Soon, Gao Qi was led into the study room, where Tian Yi was sitting behind a desk, playing with a jade pendant. When he saw Gao Qi coming in, he smiled and waved, "Mr. Gao, please take a seat."

Gao Qi was not polite, he sat down directly and said straight to the point: "Since the inner guard expected me to visit, then let's not beat around the bush... I came here this time to discuss a business with you."

When Tian Yi heard this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. He seemed to have not expected Gao Qi to be so direct and even omitted the simplest greetings. What did this mean?

Tian Yi wanted to test him, but was afraid that Gao Qi's actions were actually Gao Youshi's instructions. If so, testing him might reveal his weakness, so he simply followed Gao Qi's lead and said with a smile, "Oh? Master Gao, are you going to negotiate business with us in the name of Jinghua Commercial Company or in the name of Xinzheng Gao family?"

Gao Qi smiled slightly and said, "Of course it's in the name of the Gao family. However, if this deal is successful, it will naturally be of great benefit to Jinghua Commercial Company's business in Nanjing. And conversely, anyone who has a cooperative relationship with Jinghua Commercial Company will probably gain something."

Tian Yi nodded and said, "Mr. Gao is a man of quick words, which we like. Then please speak frankly, what business do you want to discuss with us?"

Gao Qi said in a deep voice: "I heard that the inner garrison has a lot of inside information about the Nanjing officialdom, especially some information within the past year or so... My Gao family is willing to pay a high price for it."

Tian Yi's eyes flashed with surprise, and then he laughed and said, "Mr. Gao is indeed a rising star of the Gao family, and he is well-informed. However, Mr. Gao, you also know that my family has been in the post of Nanjing garrison for thirteen years, and it is not that I have never seen money."

Gao Qi held up a finger and said, "Ten thousand taels of gold."

Tian Yi was indeed moved. Ten thousand taels of silver was already a huge sum of money, and ten thousand taels of gold... even according to the official exchange rate, it was one hundred thousand taels of silver. This amount of money was not a small sum even for the emperor.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Gold is good, but what we value more is long-term cooperation. Master Gao, do you know what we mean?" At this point, he smiled slightly and added sincerely, "If Master Gao knows and is willing to make a promise to us, we will not only not take a penny of the ten thousand taels of gold, but we are even willing to give it to you."

Gao Qi hesitated for a moment and said, "My uncle has just given me some advice on the inner guard's mind..." When he said this, he carefully observed Tian Yi's expression and saw that his eyebrows twitched subconsciously. He knew what was going on, so he continued, "My uncle meant that you are a few years older than Chen Zhangyin, so it may not be appropriate for you to replace him."

Tian Yi waved his hand and said, "We don't have such extravagant hopes."

Gao Qi nodded and continued, "Since Chen's position as the Chief Seal is now as stable as a rock, then the position that the Inner Guards are eyeing must be the Admiral of the East Factory, right?"

Tian Yi's eyes flickered for a moment, and he did not answer directly. Instead, he asked, "After Wang An's death, the Emperor has not yet officially appointed a new governor of the East Factory. Is there some inside story?"

Gao Qi smiled slightly and said leisurely, "You asked the right person. Even in the Duke of Jingguo's Mansion, besides my uncle, there are no more than three people who know the inside story... Yes, there are indeed some inside stories, so that the emperor has not yet made up his mind."

Tian Yi pondered for a moment before he slowly said, "Chengshan Earl Wang Yunzhong was responsible for allocating the craftsmen from the guard post to renovate the Nanjing Imperial Palace."

Gao Qi suppressed his smile, he knew why Tian Yi suddenly said such an "irrelevant" word - it was not irrelevant, but they were exchanging secrets with each other, and Tian Yi generously chose to "deliver first".

Since the other party was so ready, Gao Qi didn't act pretentiously anymore and nodded, "The position of the East Factory Commander is very important. Currently, two eunuchs with strong backgrounds are keeping a close eye on them... Liu Ping and Li Wenjin."

Tian Yi took a deep breath and frowned deeply, seeming a little unbelievable: "Liu Ping is already the seal of the Imperial Horse Administration, it is not surprising that he is eyeing the position of the governor of the East Factory, but what about Li Wenjin...if he becomes the governor of the East Factory, won't the outer court react?"

  It was not surprising that he asked this, for Li Wenjin was the younger brother of Empress Dowager Li and the uncle of the present emperor. With this identity alone, he had already achieved the point where "no matter how hard he tried, he would not die". If he were to become the commander-in-chief of the East Factory, who knew what kind of chaos he could cause. How could the outer court not react?

Gao Qi spread his hands and said, "This is the problem. Naturally, no one in the outer court wants Li Wenjin to be the commander of the East Factory, but Empress Dowager Li is still sitting in the Cining Palace. She has always loved this younger brother the most. No matter how big a mess Li Wenjin makes, it is always the Empress Dowager who will settle it for him in the end. Take the last time... uh, I won't go into details.

In short, Li Wenjin wanted to be the governor of the East Factory, and although the Queen Mother did not comment, for the Emperor, this was tacit approval, wasn't it? In this case, coupled with Liu Ping, it is understandable that the Emperor had difficulty in making a decision. "

Tian Yi hesitated for a moment and asked, "What is the Duke's attitude towards this matter?"

"My uncle doesn't want to get involved in this matter... Of course, if the inner guard insists on asking, my uncle would be more happy to see Liu Ping move forward. After all, he is the younger generation of Master Huang, and he has always cooperated with Jinghua."

Gao Qi said, looking at Tian Yi who looked even more worried, smiled slightly, and said: "Inner Guard, I have already told you the truth about the situation in the palace, now we might as well speak frankly - my uncle thinks that under the current circumstances, it is as difficult as ascending to heaven to force the Inner Guard to be the governor of the East Factory, but if you can take a step back, then everyone will be happy."

Tian Yi frowned and asked, "What does this mean?"

Gao Qi said: "It's very simple. If you set your sights on the Imperial Horse Administration, this dilemma will be resolved."

Tian Yi immediately understood what Gao Youshi meant, and said, "Master Gao is saying that the Duke helped us to negotiate an alliance with Liu Ping, and we helped Liu Ping to push him to be the governor of the East Factory, and when he stepped down from the Imperial Horse Administration, he had the opportunity to recommend a successor, so he recommended us again... Is that what you mean?"

  Gao Qi clapped his hands and said, "It is really pleasant to talk to a smart person. Yes, that is exactly what my uncle meant."
-

Thanks to book friend "KeyNg" for your reward support, thank you!

Thanks to the book friend "ceo iron" for the monthly ticket support, thank you!

PS: Qidian's web login almost pissed me off. I finished coding this chapter at 11:47 and was ready to update, but I couldn't log in no matter what. It kept telling me that I was operating too frequently. I waited for almost two hours and it was still the same. Then I had an idea and thought, let's try logging in with the phone verification code. It worked this time. What? Should account login be discriminated against?