On December 16, Yang Anxuan returned to Jiyang City with his family.
Before finishing the cup of tea, Hu Yuantong reported to Governor Yang that he should go to the inner hall to discuss matters.
In the inner hall, Yang Quanqi frowned with a solemn expression.
After Yang Anxuan finished the ceremony, Yang Quanqi picked up a letter on the case and handed it to Yang Anxuan.
The letter was written by Yin Zhongzheng, and the letter told bad news.
When the results of the product evaluation reported by the Central Government were submitted to the Situ Mansion for review and approval, Situ and King of Kuaiji, Sima Daozi, said that since Yang Anxuan was only sixteen years old, being promoted to a middle grade would be counterproductive, so he might as well demote him to a high or low grade to leave room for promotion. level.
There are rumors in the capital that the emperor intends to order Yang Anxuan to enter the Imperial Academy to study and cultivate his character, and then he will be promoted to an official based on his conduct after he is weak.
Yang Quanqi said with a worried look on his face: "The King of Kuaiji has always been wary of the Yang family. Zhongshu ordered Wang Guobao to add fuel to the flames and make secret remarks. No one in the Yang family said anything in the court, for fear that there would be twists and turns in Xuan'er's decision. "
Yang Anxuan read the letter and did not expect that something unexpected would happen after the county and state officials reviewed and finalized the product.
Seeing the gloomy look on Yang Quanqi's face, Yang Anxuan said with a smile: "Originally I only wanted to be classified as a middle or upper grade, but now I am lucky enough to be classified as an upper or lower grade. Why should I care too much? The child is only sixteen years old and will be designated as the highest grade in the clan in the future. It must be of middle grade."
Yang Quanqi turned from sadness to joy and said: "I am very happy for you as a father to be neither arrogant nor discouraged. It is a good thing to go to Beijing to study Chinese studies. It will be beneficial to you in the future to get to know more children of ministers."
Yang Anxuan nodded in agreement. The importance of connections is self-evident and has been true since ancient times.
"Xuan'er, you are only sixteen years old. If you can afford to wait, you will be able to see Xuan'er through the lintel." Yang Quanqi sighed while stroking his beard.
But Yang Anxuan knew that he couldn't afford to wait. In a few years, both the court and the Yang family would undergo earth-shaking changes. Time waits for no one.
"My father heard that both the Emperor and the King of Kuaiji liked the "Little Window Quiet Sentences" written by you. You will have the opportunity to meet the Emperor in Beijing and change the Emperor's view of the Yang family. This is extremely important for the Yang family to regain its reputation. Xuan'er , there is still a long way to go.”
Back in the study, Yang Anxuan pulled out Yin Dun's letter from the case. The letter was very thick. It seemed that Yin Dun had a lot to say.
The letter first described the prosperity of Jiankang, and then revealed the depression of being despised in Guozixue. Yang Anxuan showed a smile on his lips. After all, he was a melancholy young man.
Yin Dun mentioned in the letter that the fact that Yang Anxuan was classified as a high-ranking official by the King of Kuaiji was spread everywhere in the capital, and it was a foregone conclusion.
Yin Dun was very happy that the emperor wanted to order Yang Anxuan to enroll in Guozixue. He said that he would work with Yang Anxuan to establish authority in Guozixue, so that the powerful children in the capital could see the power of the eight heroes of Feishui.
The letter said that "Little Window Quiet Sentences" was widely circulated in the capital. The dozen or so latest copies of "Little Window Quiet Sentences" he had brought with him had been donated, and Yang Anxuan was asked to write a few more new ones when he had time to send them.
Then, Yin Dun said to Yang Anxuan both proudly and apologetically that he played the song "Farewell" in the Qinhuai Prostitute House without Yang Anxuan's permission. He was treated as a guest of honor by the geishas and had little reputation in the Fireworks House. When Yang Anxuan comes to the capital, he will be taken to the Qinhuai River to broaden his horizons.
Qinhuai Fengyue has been famous for thousands of years, and Yang Anxuan is looking forward to it.
The poem "Send Off Your Friend Yin Dun to Jiankang" was widely praised. When Yin Dun signed up for an elegant gathering, people often exclaimed, "Are you the Yin Dun who sent your friend Yin Dun off to Jiankang?" People were praised for their poems. name.
The letter did not mention Yin Huizhen at the end, which made Yang Anxuan feel a little disappointed. I don't know when he started to feel more concerned about this beautiful young lady.
Hu Yuan entered the room and said, "Sir, my father sent someone to bring something. This is the gift list."
Yang Anxuan smiled and said: "Uncle Hu is very interested. The New Year is coming soon. Do you plan to celebrate the New Year at Panlong Mountain?"
"Master, are you willing to let me go back?" Hu Yuan asked in surprise.
Yang Anxuan opened the gift list and said with a smile: "Hu Yuan, don't think that you are a proton. You and I have been together for a while, so why should I regard you as a proton? If you want to go home, you can go back. If you want to come back, you can come back at any time."
Hu Yuan was a little hesitant. The life in Jiyang City was much more interesting than in Panlong Mountain. To be honest, Yang Anxuan did treat him as a friend and did not treat him like a servant.
"Two stones of white glutinous rice, two stones of blue glutinous rice, fifty pounds of dried venison, deer meat, rabbits, pheasants..." Yang Anxuan laughed out loud when he saw the words on the gift list. This gift list was clearly from "A Dream of Red Mansions" Wu Jinxiao sent new year's goods to Jia's family.
"I like these gifts very much. If you tell me when you go back, I will prepare some gifts in return."
As he spoke, Yang Anxuan took out a gold ingot from the box at the end of the couch, handed it to Hu Yuan and said, "Take these two taels of gold and buy whatever you want. If you don't have enough money, tell me."
After taking the gold ingot, Hu Yuan had already made up his mind and said, "I will go back on the 20th, and I will rush back to Jiyang after the first month."
"I may go to Jiankang to study at Guozixue in the next year. If you want to go with me, discuss it with your family earlier. If you go to Jiankang, you won't be able to go home for a while."
Hu Yuan's eyes lit up. He had heard about the prosperity of the capital for a long time, and Qin Huai Fengyue wanted to see it. He quickly said: "I hope to come back as soon as possible and go to Jiankang with the young master."
Zhang Feng poked his head in from outside the door and said, "Master, I would like to follow you to Jiankang."
Yang Anxuan smiled and said: "Is your mother willing to let you go?"
"Mother is definitely willing." Zhang Feng said in a firm tone: "Mother told me to let my servant follow the young master wherever he goes. This time the young master went to Ruyang, and my mother blamed the servant for not following him."
"Okay, I'll take you with me when the time comes."
Hu Yuan pointed to the letter on the case and reminded: "Master Yuan dropped in with a letter and put it on the case."
Yuan He, Yang Anxuan almost forgot about this person. He found the letter and tore it open. In the letter, Yuan He described how he opened a grocery store in Hujiawu. With the support of the Hu family, the business was doing well, and Tianjia Grocery Store became a well-known brand in Hujiawu. In the letter, Yuan He excitedly described the business prospects to Yang Anxuan, and wanted to continue to invest in expanding this year's profits.
Unexpectedly, Yuan He is actually a good businessman. The branches he planted at random showed signs of taking root and sprouting. Yuan He was Yang Anxuan's chess piece in Hujiawu to spy on the Hu family. It would be an unexpected surprise if he could expand his business. . You can also strengthen the connection with the Hu family through Yuan He. Maybe Panlong Mountain will play an unexpected role in the future.
He wrote a reply to Yuan He and asked Hu Yuan to bring it to him when he returned. Thinking that the Chinese New Year was coming soon, he took out two thousand dollars from the box and handed it to Zhang Feng and said, "I'll give you these two thousand dollars and one thousand dollars. You can send the other thousand dollars to Yuan He's house tomorrow and give it to his wife." This is a reward from the government, allowing her to have a good life and raise her children, and wait for Yuan He's return."
There are more than fifty taels of gold and more than a thousand dollars in the cash box, which are compensation from the Chen family. The dividends from Yunjie Paper began to decline, to about five or six taels of gold per month. Yang Anxuan asked the Yin family to send this money directly to Yin Ji for the expenses of Anxuan's army.
Looking at the money in the box, Yang Anxuan thought that he was going to Jiankang soon, but this little money was not enough.
Living in the capital is not easy. If you want to get around in the capital, you can't find a way without strong capital. Yin Dun's letter aroused the idea of appreciating the beauty of Qinhuai. There was a gold selling cave, and no matter how much gold was spent, it would be spent quickly.
Yang Anxuan closed the money box and prepared for a rainy day. He had to bring enough money to go to Jiankang.
The money provided by the clan was definitely not much, and Yang Anxuan didn't want his mother's private money, which made Yang Anxuan miss the car of gold given by Murong Yan. If you can bring the five thousand taels of gold back to Jiyang, you don't have to worry about money now.
Wanting to find another way to make money, Yang Anxuan mentally recalled the contents of "Tiangong Kaiwu" and remembered that one of the goods he brought with him when traveling northward was a hundred catties of stone honey.
Stone honey is made by frying and exposing sugarcane juice to condense, resulting in lumpy sucrose, which is dark red in color and has a sour taste.
"Tiangong Kaiwu" records the "yellow mud water drenching sugar method" (1), which can produce sugar as white as frost, which is better than stone honey in terms of color and taste.
Stone honey is expensive, and if it is processed into "icing sugar", it is definitely a luxury product. It can be used as a tribute, and only the noble family can afford it.
This is a hugely profitable industry, and if anyone touches it, they will be swallowed up by the royal family, nobles, and top aristocrats, leaving nothing behind.
Yang Anxuan does not have the energy or ability to run this business, so selling the secret recipe is his first choice.
Recalling that the secret recipe for Yunjie Paper was sold to the Yin family, it seemed that the secret recipe for making sugar frost could also be sold to him this time. As for how the Yin family operates, with that old fox Yin Xi here, he will definitely not suffer.
…………
Yin Dun went to Jiankang City, and his connection with the Yin family could not be broken. The next day, Yang Anxuan went to the Yin Family Fort to meet Mr. Yin.
In Yin Xi's study room, Yang Anxuan saluted the old man respectfully. Yin Xi smiled and said: "An Xuan, you know about being demoted by King Kuaiji."
Yang Anxuan's expression remained unchanged and he said: "It's okay, the sky is not falling. Seeing that the Chinese New Year is coming soon, I wish you a happy new year and wish the old man good health and all the best."
Ji Xiang's words made him smile gloomily and narrow his eyes. Yin Xi pointed at Yang Anxuan and said, "You have such a sweet mouth. You come to the Three Treasures Hall for everything. If you have anything to say, just say it. Don't beat around the bush."
"Old man, after the Chinese New Year, I am going to Jiankang. There are crouching tigers and hidden dragons in the capital. I want to prepare some money for self-defense, and I want to borrow some money from the old man." Yang Anxuan said with a smile.
Yin Xi stroked his beard and said: "You have a delicate heart with seven orifices, but you are still short of money? But you need to prepare more money when you go to Jiankang. Since you opened your mouth, you still have forty or fifty taels of gold. Even if I’ll pay you the Yun Jie paper bonus first.”
The Yin family and the Yang family not only have close official ties, but both Yin Dun and Yin Ji have close contacts with Yang Anxuan. In addition, Yin Dun has described Yang Anxuan's strange behavior, and Yin Xi feels that Yang Anxuan is worth investing in.
If his granddaughter Yin Huizhen hadn't made arrangements six years ago, Yin Xi would have been tempted to marry her to Yang Anxuan.
"The old man is just happy." Yang Anxuan said with a smile: "There is a big business, I wonder if the old man can take it."
Yin Xi leaned back and stroked his beard and said: "No matter how big the profitable business is, even if the Yin family can't take it, there are still the Deng family and the Cen family. They can always take over your big business."
Yang Anxuan took out the written sugar frosting method from his arms, put it on the table and said: "I have a way to make stone honey into a sugary cake that is as white as frost and deposited like ice. I call it sugar."
Yin Xi pondered for a moment and said: "Stone honey itself is expensive, five taels of gold and one stone. If it is made into the sugar you mentioned, how much does it cost per stone, and how many people can afford it. Although this recipe is good, it is not practical. .”
Yang Anxuan said: "At least two candies and two gold."
Yin Xi shook his head and said: "It's so expensive, how many people can afford it."
It seems that Mr. Yin also has limitations. I don’t know that there is a mentality of only buying expensive ones, showing off his status as a powerful person, and showing his difference.
Yang Anxuan smiled and said: "This thing is valuable in gold and can be offered as a tribute. Only the nobles and nobles can enjoy it. The idle people have no right to enjoy it even if they have money."
With one sentence, Yin Xi's eyes brightened up and he said with a smile: "So, this method can be used. I wonder how An Xuan wants to divide the profits?"
"Five hundred gold, one time buyout." Yang Anxuan said.
Yin Xi paused while stroking his beard and muttered: "This matter is too big and I can't make the decision. I have to summon the clan members to discuss it. I even have to invite Deng and Cen to discuss it together."
Yang Anxuan stood up and handed the recipe to Yin Xi, and said with a smile: "It will be some time before I leave for Jiankang. The old man will discuss it slowly. We might as well make the icing according to the recipe first, and then talk about it after trying it."
Yin Xi took the prescription without opening it, looked at Yang Anxuan and said: "I received a letter from Ji'er, saying that An Xuan abandoned thousands of gold in the Yan Kingdom like worn-out shoes. It is difficult for me to have such a big heart. Don't worry An Xuan, I will definitely I’ll give you a fair price.”
Yang Anxuan bowed and was about to leave, when Yin Xi stopped him and said after a moment's hesitation: "An Xuan, I have something unclear. I have been wanting to ask you for a long time, but I don't know if I should tell you or not."
"Old Yin, it's okay to ask."
Yin Xi stared at Yang Anxuan closely and said: "Anxuan, you are talented and talented. It is reasonable to write good poems, good poems and even "Little Window Quiet Sentences". But you have never been farming, how can you make it?" Yang Jiali, does he know how to use bamboo to make paper? From the sound of the kite, the book, and the secret recipe for making sugar, I am really puzzled."
Yang Anxuan had long thought that someone would be suspicious and considered how to respond.
After pretending to hesitate for a moment, Yang Anxuan said: "When my father was guarding Luoyang, his servants hunted everywhere. One day it rained in the mountains, so he took shelter in the wild view."
Yin Xi listened attentively.
"The servant ordered his entourage to barbecue the prey, and invited the Taoist priest from the Song Dynasty to eat with him. When the rain stopped, the Taoist priest from the Song Dynasty gave the servant a silk book. The things such as Yang Jiali, bamboo paper, sugar frost, and paper kites were all recorded in the book."
"Oh, what's the name of the book? Where are you now?" Yin Xi was so excited that he almost stood up.
Yang Anxuan looked embarrassed and said: "The title of the book is "Tiangong Kaiwu", I accidentally lit it on fire while I was drunk and burned it."
"Alas, what a pity." Yin Xi sighed repeatedly, wishing he could stamp his feet and beat his chest. The boy wasted his natural resources, it is disgusting and hateful.
Seeing that Yang Anxuan was smiling but not smiling, Yin Xi realized that this little fox probably still had the book, and he deliberately said it was burned. He couldn't send people to search his residence.
No matter what Yang Anxuan said was true or false, Yin Xi planned to send people to the mountains near Luoyang to look for the Taoist priest of the Song Dynasty. If he could find the sacred book "Tiangong Kaiwu", glory and wealth would be at his fingertips.
