Daxianguan

Chapter 9

Chu Xian intends to go to Ancheng to sell his paintings on consignment. Ling County is a small place, but Ancheng is a big city in a state. There are people with knowledge who are willing to be arty and can afford the starting price.The most important thing is that there is a "Yueguan Tower" in Ancheng, which is a place of elegance. Students of Ancheng literati and scholars gather here to drink tea and discuss Taoism on weekdays. There are also many people who hang calligraphy and paintings obliquely on the wall. If someone wants to sell it, if someone takes a fancy to it and straightens the painting, it will be regarded as an intention to buy it. As for how much it costs, it all depends on where the calligraphy and painting are placed.

Yueguan Tower has seven floors up and down, also known as the Seven-story Treasure Pavilion, one floor is higher than one floor, not only calligraphy and painting, but also other good things, the lowest price of things sold on the bottom floor, at most a dozen taels of silver After that, it increases layer by layer, until the seventh floor, the price of any calligraphy is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.Naturally, the ones on the upper floor are all masterpieces of famous artists. As for the first floor, most of them are paintings by unknown people, so naturally the price cannot be too high.

Chu Xian is self-aware. His goal this time is only the bottom floor of Yueguan Tower, because if he can take the painting to Yueguan Tower for consignment, he can at least exchange it for ten taels of silver. The money can already buy some key points. Compared with other places, it is estimated that the paintings of an unknown person like him may not even be exchanged for a tael of silver.

From Ling County to Ancheng, it is only [-] miles, and it takes only half a day to go back and forth, so Chu Xian didn't delay, told his mother that he would go to Ancheng to visit his classmates, and then got up, waiting for the journey to catch up It took just over an hour to reach Ancheng.

The size of Ancheng is far from what Xiaoxiaoling County can compare. The towering towers of Ancheng alone are ten feet high, and the streets and alleys are full of people, showing prosperity.

In the Tang Dynasty, immortals and martial arts were respected, and the style of writing flourished. Yueguan Tower was the favorite place for these people to go.

Yueguan Tower is located on the banks of the Nanhe River in the city. When you climb up the tower to watch the river and the moon, you can see the beautiful boats and boats in the river with a slight breeze, showing elegance.

In Mengzhong's 30 years, after Chu Xian became an official, he occasionally came to Yueguan Tower a few times. To be honest, Chu Xianmeng's salary as an official is only enough to drink here a few times. As for buying some things , that is needless to think about.

Chu Xian in the dream is a poor official.

Because of being here, Chu Xian quickly found the manager of Yueguan Tower.

On weekdays, there are quite a few poor scholars who come to consign and sell calligraphy and paintings in Yueguanlou, so the stewards have long been used to it, and they even have a special gentleman to appraise calligraphy and calligraphy. Students, or masters of calligraphy and painting, there is nothing to say about their vision.

Following the steward, Chu Xian arrived at a room where there were already several ordinary-dressed people, old and young, who were obviously waiting to appraise calligraphy and paintings, to see if they could enter Yueguan Tower and sell them for a good price.

Chu Xian waited for a while, and when it was his turn to enter the room, he saw a middle-aged scribe sitting behind a wooden table.

"Whether it's calligraphy or painting, take it out and have a look." The middle-aged scribe said disapprovingly, without even raising his eyelids. After all, he has to receive many poor scholars like this every day, and most of them were dismissed after he glanced at them. go back.

If you want to consign paintings and calligraphy in Yueguanlou, they usually don't accept them at all.

Chu Xian spread that painting on the table and spread it out. The middle-aged scribe glanced at it and said, "The painting is pretty good, but if there is no signature on the painting, then it is not a famous work, and the price will not be too high."

Chu Xian said: "I know the rules."

"That's good." The middle-aged scribe was quite refreshed, and looked carefully at the painting of the lotus pond at sunset, and he really thought it was good, so he said: "Generally, those who are not famous can be given up to 15 taels. This one is yours. I'll give you 12 taels."

12 taels of silver is enough for a family of four to eat and drink for a year. For Chu Xian, it can be used temporarily for emergency, so Chu Xian nodded and did not negotiate the price.

After all, selling paintings is just a temporary move for him, and he needs to buy medicine. As for the future, Chu Xian will have other ways to make money, so it's just this one time.

The middle-aged scribe was very quick to do things, and soon the money and painting were cleared. Chu Xian left and left, and the middle-aged scribe called a clerk to hang the painting on the bottom floor, waiting for it to be sold.

It is said that although Yueguanlou accepts calligraphy and paintings for sale, because the threshold is very high, sometimes it may not be possible to receive one in a whole day. Today's order was opened early, and the clerk took the painting and hung it in Yueguanlou quickly. A very inconspicuous corner on the bottom floor.

After it was hung up, no one went to see it for most of the day. After all, everyone knew that the calligraphy and paintings on the bottom floor of Yueguan Tower were very ordinary, and few people paid attention to the calligraphy and paintings on this floor.

But that night, when Yueguan Tower put up lights to welcome guests, an old man came in surrounded by people outside the door.

This old man was dressed in a literary robe, with an extraordinary temperament, walking like a dragon and a tiger, but without losing his elegance.

It is the owner of Yueguan Tower, who seldom shows up at this moment, and is by his side.

"Master Wei is really a rare visitor. Since you came, the whole Yueguanlou is full of splendor." The owner of Yueguanlou said respectfully.

Naturally, ordinary officials don't need to be so polite. After all, it is possible to open Yueguan Tower in Ancheng without a background background, but the old man he called Mr. Wei in front of him is not an ordinary person.

That was the Sima of the Ancheng Military Mansion. From the official position of the fifth rank, he controlled the defense of Ancheng City and the surrounding soldiers.

Who would dare to offend such a person?
The old man nodded and said: "Today I am here to invite one of my younger brothers to drink and enjoy the moon. You need to bring a few more jars of your old-fashioned sweet-scented osmanthus wine later."

"That's natural, Mr. Wei, please!" The owner of Yueguanlou is also a slick person. He was secretly shocked, and it was definitely not an ordinary person who could invite Wei Zhen, the Sima of the Ancheng Military Mansion, to treat guests, so he glanced and followed Wei Zhen. people.

This person seemed familiar.

Officials in Ancheng, businessmen like the owner of Yueguanlou, are very rare. This one in front of him must be an official, but he must have never seen it a few times, so he is not familiar with him.

But it doesn't matter, with Yueguanlou's ability, it's too easy to check a person.

So after the few people are settled, the owner of Yueguanlou will know the situation.

The guest invited by Wei Zhen, Sima of the military mansion, was Cui Huanzhi, the writer and judge of the Ancheng Gongyuan.

Although Cui Huanzhi is also an official of the sixth rank, there are quite a few such officials in the Gongyuan. The most important thing is that he has no real power, and it is impossible to compare with Wei Zhen, the military Sima, in any aspect.

But today, Wei Zhen actually invited Cui Huanzhi to drink.

This is somewhat intriguing.

The owner of Yueguan Tower also has a backer, and his backer is also a figure in Ancheng's officialdom, so he immediately reported the news.

……

During the new book period, please recommend it for collection.

(End of this chapter)