Chapter 30 declined official bank

The Xibang bank returned to Beijing and Tianjin to resume business, strictly abided by the ancestral motto of "the big hole can afford compensation", opened up the savings in the old cellar, transferred huge silver to the OTC, cashed the old notes, compensated for the loss, and quickly activated the silver market.The strength of the West Gang once again shocked the world's business circles, and the reputation of the West Gang rose sharply, reaching a historical peak. It is also the ability of the West Gang to take advantage of the situation to make a surprise after going through disasters and dangers.And this time after the Gengzi catastrophe, the West Gang made their own reputation great, which naturally alarmed the official circles in Beijing and Tianjin.

In the year of Xin Chou, that is, September 27, the twenty-seventh year of Guangxu, Li Hongzhang, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Plenipotentiary of the imperial court, Minister of Beiyang and Governor of Zhili, died of illness in Beijing.At this time, the imperial court Luanyu who returned to Beijing only traveled to Xingyang, Henan.The imperial court ordered Wang Wenshao to take over as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Plenipotentiary, and Yuan Shikai, the Minister of Beiyang and Governor of Zhili, was appointed to succeed him. After Yuan Shikai took office in Tianjin, he soon heard about the actions of the Xibang in revitalizing Tianjin.At this moment, he was in the throes of becoming the Minister of Beiyang, so he proudly made a domineering decision: open a Beiyang official bank, and invite Xibang Bank to join in and run it for him.He personally named it "Tianjin Official Bank".

Qiu Taiji, the old gang of Tianchengyuan's Jinhao, and the old gang of Tianjinhao, such as Rishengchang, Weizihao, Dadetong, Zhichengxin, etc., were called into Beiyang at the end of the spring of the 28th year of Guangxu. Minister Yamen.It never occurred to them that Mr. Yuan actually summoned them for this purpose, and no one was at a loss for a while, so they could only answer with "the matter is of great importance, we must consult the old account and the boss". But the Zhili Fantai who came forward to summon them, spoke rather harshly, saying that Master Yuan was in a hurry to urge them, and you must be ordered as soon as possible, so as to live up to the importance that Master Yuan attaches to the Western Clan.

No matter how important we are, we can't be the masters! According to the rules of the West Gang, for such a major event, even if the old gang has a good way to deal with it, they still have to consult the old account and the boss.So it's not all excuses. When Qiu Taiji returned to Tianjin, he hurriedly told the matter to Mr. He.Master He is in Tianjin at this time. Why did he also come to Tianjin?It turned out that shortly after the imperial court left Shaanxi and returned to Beijing, Mr. He also returned to Taigu together with Mr. Liu.But this trip to Xi'an has rejuvenated his passion for business management. How can he sit still when he comes back?So, I kept pestering the old man, hoping to let him go to the pier again.As for Kang Hunan, seeing that Mr. He has made great contributions in Xi'an this time, and knowing that he is still a treasured sword, he suddenly realized: why not take Xi'an as an example, and use the order of travel to send Mr. He to Zhuangkou, where there is an urgent business. , Co-organize and supervise some business affairs?This can be compared to him as an imperial envoy!It is also a pleasure to send a master Juren to be an imperial envoy of our family.

Of course, on the surface, you can only be the imperial envoy of the old name, not the imperial envoy of the boss.Otherwise, Shopkeeper Sun will be suspicious.Kang Hunan told Sun Beiming about this idea, and he also agreed, thinking that it would be a pity that He Kaisheng, an expert in business management, would stay at home.However, Master Liu is about to take the exam, is it appropriate to let Master He go at this time?Kang Hu Nanlian said: "Master He is here. He is also insane. Can he concentrate on preparing for the sixth exam? Let him go. We finally found a way to order Master Juren!"

Mr. He was of course overjoyed by this "imperial envoy".When asked where he wanted to go at the first stop, he blurted out Tianjin.It has been his dream for the past two years to be the old gang of Jinhao.Tianjin business is also excited, and after all, Qiu Taiji has just arrived in Tianjin.Kang Hunan and Sun Beiming agreed to send him to Tianjin. When they were in Xi'an, Qiu Taiji and Master He got along very well, and now they are reunited in Tianjin, of course they are very happy.Master He came to Tianjin this spring.Not long after I arrived, this happened to me. As soon as Master He heard the outline of the matter, he guessed what Yuan Shikai was thinking.But he was not in a hurry to say that now it is different from Xi'an, since he is an imperial envoy, he should not be too imposing and overwhelming.He just asked, "What are the plans for the other tubas?"

Qiu Taiji said: "I was very surprised and at a loss. I have to ask the old ones, especially the boss." Master He said: "This involves share capital and personnel, of course it has to be decided by the old boss. But old gang Qiu has always had a lot of ideas, you have to make an idea first, and ask the old boss to make a decision, right?" "Master He has lived in Beijing for a long time, and he is familiar with the temper of such high-ranking officials, so he should know how to deal with it." "I have been out of the rivers and lakes for many years, how can the old emperor's calendar still work! Yuan Xiangcheng, let alone touch his temper."

"Who can guess his temper? In the year of 1898, he even dared to betray the emperor; in recent years in Shandong, he dared not listen to the Queen Mother!" "Exactly! How can we serve him like a mere civilian businessman?" "I think so. Business is not like an official order. Success or failure is always in between. Of course he is happy if you make money for him; what if you lose it? How about paying it back again? Maybe he will chop off your head!" Master He saw that Qiu Taiji had the same opinion as himself, so he asked: "How does he plan to invite us to join this Tianjin official bank, have you said it?"

"It is said that we will follow the Western Bank's method and tell us to pay the bank and the people. The bank counts as the stock, and the people will handle the business for him." "We give out the money and give out the people. They act as the shopkeepers. If they earn money, it belongs to them; if they lose money, blame us! I still can't see his intentions?" When Qiu Taiji saw Master He say this, he said directly: "Then we have no choice but to refuse to obey the order? It's just that we refuted Mr. Yuan's face, how can we gain a foothold in Tianjin?"

Master He said categorically: "Tianjin's business circle is the most important, and the officialdom is second. Besides, the revival of Tianjin City after the catastrophe cannot be separated from the West Gang. I guess, among the several big names that Yuan Shikai wanted to employ, none of them would be ordered to do so." You must refute him for the sake of face, but how to refute him, you can be particular about it." "Then let's quickly contact the other tubas?" "In my opinion, Mr. Qiu has to work hard for you. Hurry up and meet Mr. Dai in the capital. Ask him to predict whether Yuan Shikai will be the Minister of Beiyang for a long time? Only when he has a certainty about his future can he make plans How to refute him. As for me, immediately write to the old account and the rich man to report the matter, and ask them to make a decision as soon as possible."

"Master He is really thoughtful!" The next day, Qiu Taiji set off for the capital. After arriving in Beijing, to Qiu Taiji's surprise, Dai Ying's boss from Beijing asked after listening, "Did you refuse?" Qiu Taiji hurriedly said, "How dare we decide on such a big matter?" Dai Laobang said flatly: "It should be rejected on the spot!" "Reject on the spot?" "Yes, no matter what excuse you find, reject it on the spot!" "Several queens who went with me, none of them agreed at that time, but none of them refused." "No matter what the other family is, I should also refuse!" Qiu Taiji hurriedly said: "I came to Beijing and Tianjin for the first time, and I don't know how to do things. I still hope that Mr. Dai will give me advice." Only then did Dai Ying sigh, and said, "Old Gang Qiu, I can't blame you for this. There is one thing that you probably don't know about?" "Which thing?" "In the year of Gengzi, when the two palaces were hunting westward, they passed by Xugou, and Mrs. Kang once met the queen mother and emperor in Dongtai." "At that time, I was still in Guihua City outside the mouth, and I only heard about this incident, and I really don't know much about the details." "At that time, I accompanied Mrs. Kang to Xugou. In the middle of the meeting, the Queen Mother said the most to Mrs. Kang. Do you know what it is?" "What is it?" "This is what Yuan Shikai wants you to do!" "The queen mother also wants to ask Xibang to open an official bank account for her?" "That's not it! The queen mother talked a lot about the misery she suffered when she escaped from Beijing, especially when she didn't bring out the capital salary. If you want to spend money, you have to ask for it like a beggar! So, she said In the future, when you return to Beijing, you must open a bank account of the imperial court. Wherever you go, where the money is remitted, it is just like the bank account opened by you Shanxi people!" "The queen mother also knows the beauty of our ticket number?" "Anyway, it was this escape, which made her look at us differently. She repeatedly said to Mrs. Kang: After Yu and the emperor return to Beijing, you will pick some good money-makers for me and open a bank for the court! Think about it, Queen Mother." If you really want to open a bank account, why don’t you take away all the profits from our West Gang? How can we get the government’s Beijing salary? So, I’m looking forward to the empress dowager returning to the palace to enjoy the high pomp again. The matter of opening a bank account! Now, Yuan Shikai is the first to open an official bank account, and the method is the same as the Queen Mother. When the news spreads to the palace, can we not remind the Queen Mother to relive the old dream? If we do not reject Yuan Shikai, once the Queen Mother makes an order Ask us to open a royal bank account for her, then we can't even find an excuse! Since the West Gang is willing to serve Yuan Shikai, how dare they not serve the Empress Dowager with an excuse!" "I really don't know the details." "If you don't know, it's not your fault. Master He doesn't approve of serving Yuan Shikai, does he?" "Very disapproval. I also strongly disapprove. However, Yuan Shikai is the minister of Beiyang after all. How to refute him, I want to hear advice from old gang Dai. From the perspective of old gang Dai, can Yuan Shikai serve as minister of Beiyang for a long time?" Dai Ying said decisively: "No matter how long it takes, you have to reject him categorically! After returning to Tianjin, no matter how much the other family delays, you must reply as soon as possible: Tian Chengyuan cannot be ordered! There are two ready-made excuses, just give them: One is that it has just passed through the Gengzi catastrophe, and the bank is too short to participate in the shares; the other is that the staff of our account are all white men without fame, and according to the imperial system, those who enter the official bank can only be servants, and cannot be in charge of business." Qiu Taiji said in a low voice: "Master He is famous." "Master He can't serve them either!" "Then listen to the old gang. There will be no objections from the old account and the boss, right?" "Old account, my boss, I'll report it. Blame it, it has nothing to do with you." "Then I will do it immediately after I return to Tianjin!" Qiu Taiji had long heard that the old Beijing gang Dai Dai was brave enough to act boldly, but he was not greedy for merit or blame, and now he personally accepts it, which is really admirable.In Dai Ying's impression, Qiu Taiji was a very conceited person, but he has not been like this since he arrived in Tianjin.He could have discussed the Yujing account with letters and telegrams on the matter at hand, so he went there himself.This was beyond Dai Ying's expectation, and it made him feel more fond of Qiu Taiji. After the discussion, Dai Ying set up a very elegant banquet to entertain Qiu Taiji.During the dinner, the two talked very well. When Qiu Taiji returned to Tianjin, several other tubas had also been instructed: quickly decline Yuan Shikai, and they will not accept orders.The excuses are roughly the same as the two mentioned by Dai Ying.The veteran of the West Gang has never been so happy. Even if he refused, he was hiding his sword behind his smile, and the clouds covered the fog. What happened this time?In addition to Dai Ying's considerations, it is also because Yuan Shikai's popularity is too low that he avoids him for fear of not being able to make it, so how could he dare to form a joint stock with him! Therefore, Qiu Taiji and several other veteran gangsters of Jinhao respectively submitted invitations of decline to Beiyang Minister's Yamen.To their surprise, Master Yuan Shikai didn't seem to be angry, but instead kept sending people to lobby, and his tone was much more tactful. Even so, Qiu Taiji and the others are just trying to deal with it, and the old idea is still: refuse to obey orders. On Beijing's side, a few days after seeing off Qiu Taiji, Er Fuzi, the little palace supervisor in the palace confinement, came to the door.The buddy at the cabinet thought he was here to deposit money, so he just waited on him attentively, not wanting to disturb the old gang. Unexpectedly, as soon as Er Fuzi sat down, he said: "Please come out with the shopkeeper!" A group of friends hurriedly said: "We wear the shopkeeper..." Before he finished speaking, Er Fuzi said sharply: "No matter where shopkeeper Dai has gone, you have to invite me back quickly!" "In a hurry?" "No, it's a big emergency!" Er Fuzi had never shown his power like this before, and the friends at the counter rushed in to ask Mr. Dai to help. Dai Ying came out, and before he could speak, Er Fuzi said, "Master Dai, hurry up, Director Cui is waiting at the palace gate! It's too late, no one can afford it!" Dai Ying couldn't figure it out for a moment, so he asked, "Director Cui?" But Er Fuzi said, "Hurry up, come with me, anyway, something good will happen!" Dai Ying wanted to go in to change clothes, but Er Fuzi refused to let him, so he had to follow the palace eunuch quickly.When they arrived at the Shenwu Gate in the imperial city, Er Fuzi asked Dai Ying to stand and wait at a distance, and he ran in alone. Dai Ying has been in Beijing for decades, and this is the first time he has experienced such a scene: standing outside the gate of the Forbidden City and waiting!This is clearly what the royal family wants to do, what could it be?Er Fuzi only said that it was a good thing anyway, what could it be?Dai Ying thought about it nervously for a long time before he suddenly realized: I'm afraid the empress dowager thought about opening the bank account?When the old master met the two palaces in Xugou, it was Chief Cui who led them in.This must be the thing, but what a good thing!If the Empress Dowager really ordered Xibang to open a bank account for her, it would neither be able to categorically refuse nor agree to it, how should it be worded? Standing outside the palace gate for a long time, thinking for a long time, neither came up with a good plan, nor waited for any movement in the palace.Dai Ying was suspicious when he saw Er Fuzi running out, pulled him closer to the palace gate, and ordered him to kneel down.He knelt down and bowed his head for a while, before he heard a rough and sharp voice coming from afar: "Are you the shopkeeper of Taigu Kang's Beijing account?" Dai Ying didn't dare to look up, he just lowered his head and said, "That's right." "Did you hear that? Why don't you speak? Mute?" Er Fuzi hurriedly kicked Dai Ying, and said in a low voice, "Yes loudly!" Dai Ying raised his head slightly, and said loudly: "The young one is Dai Ying, the shopkeeper of Taigu Kang's Beijing account!" When he said that, he glanced forward, the big palace supervisor surrounded by several small palace supervisors, Stand inside the palace gate.I didn't see their appearance clearly, but I could only see that they were ten or twenty steps away. No wonder they had to speak loudly. "Then listen carefully, the chief manager wants to pass on the old Buddha's oral instruction: 'Gengzi year will be celebrated in Xi'an, and it is a time of adversity. It is rare for the Taigu Kang family to be filial! The donated gift money is temporarily borrowed by us, and it is not easy for others. Pick a rare painting hidden in the palace, and send it out to the rich man Kang to look at for a few days, as a token of his loyalty.' Do you hear me clearly?" Dai Ying hurriedly agreed loudly: "Understood clearly, thank the Empress Dowager for her grace!" The yelling in the distance was still stern: "If you hear me clearly, draw a bet and take the painting away. This is a collection of the imperial court, and it is priceless. Remember: don't show it to others, and don't dare to destroy it. I still want it from you!" Er Fuzi ran over, first brought a yellow leather bookcase, and stretched his hands, and another little palace supervisor brought a pen and ink, and asked Dai Ying to draw it.The page I turned was empty!The text was obviously folded at the front, and Er Fuzi squeezed it tightly again, making it difficult to read it.Dai Ying is a businessman, he hesitated habitually because he didn't see what was written in the paper.Just as he was about to beg Er Fuzi to open the first few pages in a low voice, another shout came from a distance: "What's the matter, I can't write? The real shopkeeper, or the fake shopkeeper?" Dai Ying had no choice but to hastily write down his own name. Er Fuzi took the booklet and ran in, and in a blink of an eye he was holding a brocade box about a square meter in size.Dai Ying caught it and hurriedly shouted: "Thank you for the grace of the Empress Dowager!" After shouting, I realized that this brocade box is not light, and it still has some weight.Calligraphy and painting, this does not have much weight.But such a square and square small brocade box is not the size for ordinary calligraphy and painting.What kind of rare calligraphy and painting are contained in it? Dai Ying was even more surprised by receiving the treasure at the palace gate like this today!The empress dowager who intimidates the world, but she never forgets a friend in need? Back at Beijing, Dai Ying only called Deputy Assistant Liang Ziwei into the internal accounting room, and explained in detail what happened just now.Liang Ziwei was also surprised when he heard this. "The collection in the palace is priceless, what kind of painting is that?" Liang Ziwei couldn't help but said, "Let's take a look first?" Dai Ying hurriedly said: "We can't move! How to send it out from the palace, I will send it back to Taigu intact." "Afraid of damage?" "I'm afraid I can't bear it! We opened the seal for such a valuable thing, and if there is a mistake, we can't explain it. It's better for us not to move. Manager Cui confessed that it was only a temporary loan and we have to take it back. So , and have to send it to Taigu as soon as possible!" "When will the palace take it back? Is there a deadline?" "No deadline." "No deadline?" Liang Ziwei paused and said, "In my opinion, does the Empress Dowager want to use this painting to repay the debt?" "Debt repayment? According to the oral order passed down by Director Cui, it seems that the Empress Dowager Xi borrowed money from us in Xi'an. How much money was borrowed, and you want to pay it off with priceless things? Ziwei, do you know how much you borrowed from us?" "How would I know? When the two palaces were in Xi'an, Qiu Taiji was also in Xi'an. Ask him?" "In my opinion, it's better not to alarm anyone. The most important thing is to send the treasure to Taigu first! This is different from the usual transfer of silver, just explain it to the escort. Since this is a treasure in the palace, how to send it back to Taigu safely? That would be careless!" The two deliberated for a long time, and decided that Liang Ziwei would take the treasure in person and go back to Taigu.But Liang Ziwei was only carrying a false name, and the real thing was still secretly handed over to the Escort for escort.Confessing to the Escort, it can only be said that the inside of the box is an antique newly bought for Mrs. Kang.To be on the safe side, those handed over to the Escorts were also divided into real and fake pieces, which were escorted separately by two groups of Escorts.Therefore, the first thing Dai Ying told Liang Ziwei to do was to compare the appearance and size of the painting boxes, and secretly buy two back.Three painting boxes, one real and two fake, were escorted separately. In the middle of the search for the painting box, Liang Ziwei found out: this kind of painting box is for long scroll paintings. Scroll painting?There are very few people in the world who can see the long scrolls hidden in the imperial palace.But no matter how tempting it is, Dai Ying will never open it.But the more he knows the value of the things in the box, the more he feels that he should be escorted out of Beijing as soon as possible: long nights and many dreams!Who doesn't have anyone in this area of ​​the capital? Therefore, four days after receiving this treasure, Liang Ziwei and the two escorts left Beijing one after another. A few days after Liang Ziwei left, Dai Ying received an invitation from the Ministry of Accounts, saying that Mr. Lu Chuanlin, Minister of the Ministry of Accounts, wanted to personally summon the shopkeeper of the Western Gang to discuss important matters. This is also unprecedented! Dai Ying has been in Beijing for decades, but he has never been summoned by the Minister of the Household Department.The former Jinghao veterans have never heard of such an honor; if they had, it would have been a good story.To this day, although officials are inseparable from merchants, merchants still rank last in terms of status.Officials and merchants are always in the dark, and it is never convenient for them to be formally summoned in the Yamen.Especially for an important court official like Hubu Shangshu, ask him to summon you?Thousands of mountains and rivers are separated, so don't even think about it! In the year of Gengzi, when the two palaces fled to Taiyuan, Wang Wenshao, Shangshu of the household department, once summoned the old Jinghao Gang of the West Gang.At that time, Wang Wenshao was the co-organizer of the university, the military aircraft, and the minister of the household department. He was the most important minister in the imperial court.It was unprecedented for him to condescend to summon the shopkeeper of the Beijing name of the West Gang, but it was an extraordinary time, and the two palaces were extremely poor, so it was really a last resort for him to borrow money from the West Gang. This time Lu Chuanlin sent a post to summon him, but he was in the dignified capital! After Wang Wenshao took over as Minister of Foreign Affairs Plenipotentiary, Lu Chuanlin succeeded as Minister of the Household Department, and also traveled in military planes.Lu Chuanlin and Xibang have been in touch for a long time.He served as the governor of Shaanxi, Guangdong, and Liangjiang. He was good at and liked to manage money, so he had many contacts with Xibang and made use of each other.But based on this alone, he can openly summon the Western Merchants regardless of the dignity of the court?It's not that simple! Reminiscent of Yuan Shikai's actions in Tianjin, especially the empress dowager's borrowing money to go out of the palace, Dai Ying had a premonition that the imperial court must be planning something for the West Gang! He didn't dare to delay, and immediately went to Jiutiao, the grass factory, to meet Li Hongling, the veteran of the Ping Gang Weifeng's Beijing name. Li Hongling also just received the invitation from the Ministry of Household Affairs, and was wondering, seeing Dai Ying coming, he said, "I guess you're coming too!" Dai Ying asked, "Have you also received the invitation from the Ministry of Household Affairs?" "Lu Chuanlin wants to have a meeting, but he won't just invite your family!" "You Ping Gang have always been close to Mr. Lu, how can he see us? He asked us to go, just as a foil for you." Li Hongling frowned and said, "Since the court summons me, I'm afraid it won't be a good thing!" Dai Ying asked: "From my brother's point of view, it's not a good thing, what could it be?" "I'm afraid it's the same idea as Yuan Shikai's!" "I was so worried too, so I hurried to see you!" The two had just said these few words, and Liang Huaiwen, the veteran of the Beijing account of Rishengchang, the boss of the ticket industry, also ran over.Hearing the speculation of the two, he also said decisively: "That's what Lu Chuanlin came up with! He didn't want Laxi to help him open an official bank account, how could he give us courteous treatment?" Dai Ying said: "Let me see, although Lu Chuanlin is high and powerful, I'm afraid he wouldn't dare to give Western merchants such courtesy?" Li Hongling hurriedly asked: "Then what do you mean, Lu Chuanlin is also acting according to orders?" It was inconvenient for Dai Ying to tell the story of the Empress Dowager borrowing the treasure to leave the palace, so he turned a corner and said: "This is about a court gift, how dare Lu Chuanlin be careless?" Liang Huaiwen said: "If the court also moves this kind of thought, how can we refuse?" Li Hongling said: "But we can't agree, right? This is clearly seeking skin from a tiger." Dai Ying said: "The old name and the rich man will definitely not agree." Liang Huaiwen said: "One of the excuses we made for rejecting Yuan Shikai was to emphasize that we are civil and businessmen, and it is inconvenient to work in the officialdom. If the imperial court really wants to take our idea, it will only issue a decree to grant the appointment of officials, and this excuse will be gone." Li Hongling sighed, and said: "In the year of Gengzi, Qi Gang exposed his wealth too much! Dadeheng's family lent 300,000 yuan to the Ministry of Households, and Dadetong turned the old name into a royal palace. How can the court be so publicized and exposed?" Don't play the idea of ​​the West Gang!" Liang Huaiwen also said: "Qiao's two major bank accounts, after all, they got up late, so I can't hold back!" Dai Ying was afraid that he should blame the Taigu Gang if he went any further, so he hurriedly said: "Let me see, the thing that shocked the court the most is our return to Beijing after the catastrophe, propping up the capital with huge silver in one go. After the catastrophe, the national treasury is empty, but your West Gang has endless money to go to Beijing, whether it is the Ministry of Households, or the Queen Mother, can you not be jealous? But we are not like this, and it is difficult to come back to life after the catastrophe!" The three of them discussed for a long time, but they didn't come up with a good solution.We had to agree to talk about it after meeting Lu Chuanlin.When meeting Lu Chuanlin, no matter what the discussion was about, he couldn't easily agree to it. He had to delay it by asking the old rich man for instructions. The three also agreed that before Lu Chuanlin summoned them, whoever secretly met with the officials of the household department who had a personal relationship, and if they heard important news, they would definitely inform each other. Unfortunately, such a thing did not happen.The summon date is too tight. Sure enough, Lord Lu Chuanlin, Minister of Military Aircraft and Minister of the Ministry of Finance, personally summoned the shopkeeper of the Beijing Bank of the Xibang Bank, exactly as Yuan Shikai, the Minister of Beiyang, planned to invite the Xibang Bank to select financial experts to participate in the establishment of the Bank of the Household Department of the Qing Dynasty , And invite major bank accounts to invest in shares, and the government and businessmen will cooperate in this government bank. This bank of the Ministry of Accounts was established as expected, not only by the Ministry of Accounts.It is not the queen mother who speaks today's edict! Everything is as Dai Ying expected. However, on the day of the summoning, all the forty-eight ticket offices of the Xibang stationed in Beijing were invited.This is somewhat unexpected.Why is there such an equal treatment?After hearing Mr. Lu's idea of ​​setting up a household bank, everyone suddenly realized!It turned out that the Hubu Bank planned to collect a share capital of 4 million taels, of which the Hubu would contribute half of the capital and invite the Xibang Bank to join in the other half.Based on the forty-eight stock companies stationed in Beijing, each subscribed 50,000 taels of shares, and Xishang's 2 million taels of shares would be more than enough.A mere 50,000 taels of silver, isn't it easy for anyone in the West Gang? It's no wonder that Lu Chuanlin has a reputation for being good at managing money, and this wishful thinking is really well done.It's a pity that it's okay to please the Queen Mother in this way. It's too superficial to try to persuade the old Beijing gang of the West Gang. When Dai Ying heard about this plan, he saw through Lu Chuanlin's real intentions: Hmph, half of the 4 million share capital is paid by the household department, can it afford it now?For the rest of the life after the catastrophe of the imperial court, a lot of waste is waiting to be done, especially with the monstrous indemnity of 450 million, how can the Ministry of Households use this money to open a bank?Even if it is really possible to show it, I am afraid that I will rely on the official position and refuse to show it in real terms.When the bank opened, it must have been a fake name for the official stock, and it was only operated by the half of the commercial stock of Xibang!In a joint venture between officials and businessmen, the officials are the overbearing ones, and the businessmen are the ones who suffer the most. Dai Ying looked at his colleagues present, although all of them were calm, he had already noticed that most of them, like himself, had already seen through Lu Chuanlin's hidden trap.Therefore, he remained calm. Lu Chuanlin saw the shopkeepers sitting quietly one by one without any reaction, so he thought they were restrained by stage fright: after all, they were facing the lobby of the household department!So, he didn't care too much.I explained the plan of the Ministry of Accounts, and emphasized that this is an imperial order, that the formation of the bank is based on the imperial order, and that inviting the West Gang to join is also based on the imperial order. After clarifying the two meanings, I don't want to say more.Then, name the shopkeepers of Rishengchang and Weifenghou, and talk about how to act according to the order. Liang Huaiwen and Li Hongling pretended to be sincere and fearful, but their answer was only: "Immediately report to the general number and the treasurer, and respond to the order of the Ministry of Household Affairs." Lu Chuanlin didn't take a closer look, so he retreated boldly, less than half an hour later.The year before last, when Wang Wenshao, as the Prime Minister, summoned these shopkeepers in Taiyuan, he only heard a cry of poverty, unable to borrow money, extremely embarrassed, but also inconvenient and angrily retreated.Comparing the two, Lu Chuanlin is much more majestic and ostentatious today. But can he gain more than Wang Wenshao back then? After being summoned, because everything was expected, Dai Ying was not in a hurry to see Li Hongling and Liang Huaiwen again, but concentrated on writing a letter with his own hand and urgently sent it to the old shopkeeper Sun Da.In this matter, whether to follow the order or violate the order, it is always up to the old name and the owner to decide. The next day, after the letter was sent out, Liang Huaiwen sent a young friend to invite Dai Laobang to the dinner in the evening. At this time, Liang Lao Gang's banquet must be based on the decree of the Ministry of Household Affairs, but it would be a bit strange to place the banquet in Hanjiatan.Now is not the time to play with a prostitute!Perhaps, the officials from the household department were invited? In the evening, Dai Ying arrived at the residence of Mr. Han's family as promised.After entering, the mother-in-law was courteously fawning, but Liang Huaiwen pushed her away: "I told you that we have to discuss things first today, so don't bother me, don't you remember?" Dai Ying saw that the person who arrived before him was Zhou Zhangfu, the veteran of the Beijing name of Qi Gang Dade Tong.Just as he was about to ask Liang Huaiwen what kind of banquet he was having today, Li Hongling also arrived.Liang Huaiwen said to everyone: "I invite three of you today. Although I am the host, it is at the request of a lord. Qi Taiping's three gangs each invited one." Zhou Zhangfu asked, "Who is this lord?" Liang Huaiwen said: "You will know when you come, everyone will recognize you." Dai Ying said, "It must be a senior member of the household department, right?" Li Hongling said: "Employees elsewhere, we can't take care of him right now!" Without saying a few words, this senior official also arrived.At first glance, of course everyone recognizes it: it is Zhang Berne, the banker of the Ministry of household affairs.The West Gang solicits exchange rates from Beijing, so how can they deal less with the Bank of the Ministry of Households!The bank doctor was naturally very flattering, and it became a common occurrence to invite Master Zhang to eat flowers and wine in this kind of land.However, Zhang Berne's expression today was very serious and abnormal, which was not commensurate with this gentleman's status.Liang Huaiwen asked to set up a banquet first, but he also stopped him, saying: "Today, if you have something important to do, I will teach you all the shopkeepers. Talk first, then drink, so as not to cause delays!" Li Hongling smiled and said, "Master Zhang is scaring us again? Apart from organizing the official bank, what else is important for us?" Zhang Berne said: "That's the matter!" Dai Ying said: "My number has written a letter overnight, and I will send it out early this morning to report the ministry's decree to the old Taigu. Since we have received the court's grace, how dare we neglect it?" Zhou Zhangfu also said: "I don't dare to neglect the old name and the rich man." Zhang Berna sneered, and said, "In this kind of land, you don't have to pretend anymore! I don't know you yet?" Liang Huaiwen hurriedly said: "Master Zhang, how did we offend you?" Zhang Berna said: "It's still useful for you to act for Mr. Lu, but it's useless for me to act for me!" Li Hongling also hurriedly said: "Master Zhang, did Master Lu misunderstand us?" Zhang Berna sneered again, and said: "Lord Lu believes in you very much, thinking that if he calls out like this, you will all respond together!" Dai Ying said: "Master Zhang also knows the rules of our West Gang. This kind of important matter must be decided by the old account and the wealthy owner. We can only appeal to the Beijing account as much as possible." Zhang Berna said: "I am here today to see you all, I just want to tell you a few words of truth, and I want to hear a few words of truth from you. This is not only for the sake of the court, for Lord Lu, but also for the sake of you West Gang." Liang Huaiwen said: "Master Zhang doesn't treat us as outsiders, so if you have any advice, just say it, we will listen sincerely." Zhang Berna said: "Then let me ask first, in your opinion, should the Xibang join the Bank of the Ministry of Households, or not?" Zhou Zhangfu said: "This is not an idea I can take." Zhang Berna said: "I'm not forcing you to overstep your authority and make decisions, I just want to hear your opinions! You are all elites in the Western Gang and have been stationed in Beijing for many years. They should have great foresight. If you make a decision on this matter, how will you act? ?” Li Hongling said: "I have long wanted to transform the bank into a bank, but I have never thought of a joint venture between the government and the business. How can the government and the business be in one place?" But Dai Ying asked: "Is it really the Empress Dowager's order to invite the West Gang to join the official bank?" Zhang Berna said: "Lu Chuanlin has only one head. How dare he pretend to entrust the Queen Mother's order! It is really the Queen Mother who appointed him to rely on you. During the court meeting, the Queen Mother said several times: "We don't want to open a money shop." Yes, let the Shanxi people handle it. The Shanxi people are very good at opening money shops and making money, I know it very well.” Qu Hongji, Minister of Military Aircraft, strongly seconded, saying: “The giant merchants on the right side of the mountain set up bank accounts with precise methods and people. You Dunpu, the most creditworthy!" Master Lu also said at the time: "Sheng Xuanhuai has been running the China Commercial Bank for several years, but there has been no major improvement, because he has not recruited the best financial talents from the Western Gang!" From the Queen Mother to the military aircraft, I value you so much His financial ability is really a golden opportunity for the West Gang!" Liang Huaiwen hurriedly said: "It is of course the great fortune of the Western Bank to be so valued by the imperial court. However, compared with the Western Bank, the system and rules of the Western Bank's ticket office have long been outdated. The Household Bank imitates the Western Bank's system, and we really do not Very rusty." Zhang Berna sighed and said, "I really think highly of you! How many of you turned a blind eye to such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? You run the bank, no matter how unfamiliar you are, are you better than Sheng Xuanhuai? In today's whole country, who handles finance? Can you compare to you? So, if you join the Bank of the Ministry of Accounts, isn’t it up to you to control it? Besides, the imperial court’s establishment of the Bank of the Ministry of Accounts is not to replace it with the Xibang Bank. Recognize the shares and make a person , and it won’t hurt the bones of any treasure. Your ticket number is issued as it is, but there is an extra bank of the Ministry of Accounts as a backing, so what’s wrong! Some of you know it, in the West, such as the Bank of the Ministry of Accounts , Calling the National Bank, or the Central Bank, the supreme! How many of you are indifferent to the empress dowager and the military plane asking you to manage such a dignified official bank? I really think highly of you!" Zhang Berna's words really moved two people present: Dai Ying and Li Hongling.It's just that they didn't show it. At that time, like the other two, they only pretended to echo Mr. Zhang, but did not make a substantive statement.It's not that they can't trust Zhang Berne, it's just that they can't make irresponsible remarks on such a big matter that is decided by the old account.This is the rule. Zhang Berna tried so hard to make a deal, of course because he had a good personal relationship with Lu Chuanlin and wanted to help him out.Lu Chuanlin's overconfidence in this matter worried him a lot.However, Zhang Berne also saw the historical opportunity, and really wanted to point it out to the West Gang. That night, the four veteran gangsters of Beijing were always reserved and did not tell the truth, which disappointed Zhang Berna.So after the banquet was over, he also left and did not stay in Hanjiatan for long. Last year in Shanghai, Dai Ying had inspected Western Bank calmly, so he had a deeper understanding of the power of the National Bank.Zhang Berna compared the Bank of the Ministry of Households to the Western National Bank, and he suddenly realized.What Zhang Berne said was right, this is a rare opportunity for the West Gang to reform. It is not a bad thing that the National Bank of the Qing Dynasty was founded and controlled by the West Gang.It will also be of great help to banks that will convert their ticket numbers in the future. Among the old Beijing gang, Li Hongling is the one who is most enthusiastic about restructuring the bank.So, the next day after meeting Zhang Berna, Dai Ying went to look for Li Hongling again. The two hit it off right away, and both agreed not to miss the opportunity in front of them. They should take advantage of the opportunity to receive the toast from the Empress Dowager West and the Military Aircraft Department, and enter the Bank of the Ministry of Households in a pompous manner.In today's world, it is unstoppable for the imperial court to run an official bank.Especially after the Gengzi catastrophe, the national treasury was empty and the finances were in dire straits, so it was even more urgent to set up an official bank.Knowing that the official bank is a source of profit for the Western Gang, but if you don't join, it will do it; since it is unstoppable, why not break into it and make it as beneficial as possible for me? Besides, now that the Western Gang is so reputable and famous, even the imperial court will reward you with a toast. We responded with a cold face, as if we don't even have the imperial court in our eyes. If we anger that woman, I'm afraid there will be endless troubles. However, Li Hongling and Dai Ying alone cannot control the overall situation of the West Gang.As the first step, they had to convince the veterans of Jinghao.After deliberation, the two listed three top, middle, and bottom strategies for dealing with the Ministry of Accounts Bank: the best strategy, of course, is to block its establishment, and the Xibang will still be the leader of the country's finance;The best policy cannot be achieved, and the worst policy is not advisable. Only the middle policy is left: assess the situation and adapt to it, participate in it, benefit yourself and protect yourself. It should not be too difficult to convince the veterans to take the middle policy.However, how to avoid the trap of Lu Chuanlin's government-business partnership?The two discussed for a long time, and they believed that Xibang told the Ministry of Accounts that they could try their best to reduce the number of bank subscription shares. The more seats it has, the better.In terms of distributing money and distributing people, insisting that one less and one more is not against the purpose, but also makes Lu Chuanlin's wishful thinking unsatisfactory, so it may be approved by everyone. 两人有了此番主意，便鼓动梁怀文召集了一次同业公议。果然，京号老帮们大多赞成李、戴二位的主张。公议后，都立即以此主张说服老号和东家。 梁子威押了一个假画匣，最先回到太谷。因为他出京后，乘了一程卢汉铁路，即从丰台卢沟桥，坐火车到正定，然后才雇了标车，西行入晋。所以，他比镖师们早到几天。 他的突然归来，先把孙北溟吓了一跳。戴膺为了安全，事先未告之总号这个消息。等梁子威在密室说出了西太后借宝出宫之事，孙北溟更惊骇不已，连问宝物在哪。梁子威说明了押画迷阵，孙北溟又要立即将此事禀报康庄。 梁子威忙说：“大掌柜，还是等镖局将宝物平安押回，再惊动康老太爷吧！宝物尚在回晋路上，实在不宜早声张的。” 孙北溟才说：“梁掌柜想得周到。老太爷最喜欢金石字画了，听说后哪还能坐住？” 梁子威问：“庚子年，西太后在西安过万寿时，跟我们天成元借过多少钱？” 孙北溟说：“现银加银票，总共六万两银子呢！” 梁子威说：“六万两？那这借出宫的，该是一幅很值钱的画了。内府藏画，虽号称价值连城，但现在京中古玩市面，再珍贵的东西，标六万两银子，那可是天价了！” 孙北溟说：“值不值六万，老太爷一看，就知道了。” 梁子威这才忽然似有所悟，说：“难道皇家大内也知道老太爷的嗜好？” 孙北溟没听明白梁子威说什么，便说：“更值钱的东西，大内也舍不得出借吧？既是借给我们开眼，值不值六万，倒也不关紧要了。” 梁子威就说：“在京时，戴老帮就和我猜测过：此件宫藏古画，只怕是给我们抵债的。虽明面上说借，却未定归还期限；借我们的六万，更未提一个还字！” 孙北溟却说：“只要老太爷看着值，抵债就抵债吧。” 梁子威感到，与孙大掌柜说事，好像总是隔着一层什么，难以说透。 在等待镖师的那几天，梁子威未走出老号一步：他还是怕将事情张扬出去。 五天后，终于将押宝镖师平安等来。画匣一交割，孙北溟就与梁子威一道，坐了字号自家的车马，悄然往康庄去了。 康笏南听完梁子威的禀报，精神顿时大振。先哈哈笑了一声，才问：“谁去宫门接的画？” 梁子威忙说：“是戴老帮去的。” “哪座宫门？” “是神武门。” “谁出来送的画？” “听说是崔总管。” “崔总管？我见过他！在徐沟见两宫时，就是他引的路。那太监手劲还真大，死死攥住你，就往进拽！听说在西安，也是这个崔总管到咱们字号，讹了六万两银子？” 孙北溟就说：“就是他。老东台，你快启封看看货吧！从宫门接了画匣，他们可是谁也没敢动，原封给你送回来了。” 康笏南又哈哈一笑，说：“孙大掌柜，你也沉不住一点气？我问你：西太后借画给我，你知道为了什么？” 孙北溟说：“京号他们估计，是为了抵债，抵在西安讹去的那六万两银子。所以，才催你启封，看东西值不值？” 康笏南就问梁子威：“你们真这样以为？” 梁子威说：“只是一种猜测吧。或许，皇太后是真念着患难之交？” “患难之交？”康笏南拉下脸来，哼了一声。“举国跟着她受难受辱，还要领她的情？” 梁子威忙说：“我们也不相信那堂皇之言！” 孙北溟就说：“老东台，是不想叫我们看宝吧？那我们就回字号去了，这画匣里装的是什么，是金子，还是石头，都与我们无关了。” 康笏南说：“孙大掌柜，就你着急！” 孙北溟说：“我们担着责任呢！梁掌柜这一路押宝回来，担惊受怕，费尽心机。” 康笏南就唤过老亭来，吩咐他去把三爷和六爷请来。今年三爷一直没有外出，所以立刻就到了。但六爷却未到，老亭回来说：“六爷说了，他正念书备考呢，要是生意上的事，就不来了！” 康笏南拉下脸说了声：“放肆，叫他来！” 老亭说：“我告他，不是说生意的事。他说：那我和六娘一搭去……” 康笏南更沉了脸问：“他说什么？” 老亭说：“要来，就和六娘一搭来。我说：老太爷只叫你一人，有紧要事！六爷还是说：那一搭去了，给老太爷问过安，六娘先回来就是了。” 康笏南忙问：“真都来了？” 老亭说：“哪敢叫他们来？我说，那得先问问老太爷！” 康笏南一脸怒气，说：“快给我撵走！快给我撵走！” 老亭应声出去后，孙北溟忙说：“六爷小两口新婚燕尔，如此相敬相投，也是康家福气。老东台，你也不用太计较了。” 三爷也忙说：“父亲有何吩咐，我代六弟领受就是了。” 康笏南冷冷哼了一声：“跟他五哥一样，没出息！” 六爷的婚事，也是在去年九月办的。汝梅出嫁，六爷娶亲，康家连办了两件喜事。康家的传统，是丧事排场，婚事简朴。这两件喜事，赶上动乱刚过，办的也就更简约。但婚后六爷和孙氏新娘，真是如漆似胶，形影不离。大家就惊奇，怎么跟当年五爷五娘一样呢？其实，六爷与孙小姐因有西安那一次秘密的浪漫之旅，回到太谷后不免相思得厉害，可又难以再秘密相会，熬到成婚，自然就格外亲密些。这就是现代很普通的恋爱，但在那时代不是常有，所以像传奇似的。这很使康笏南想起五爷五娘的下场，就不大高兴。尤其这位新六娘，婚后不久，居然就和杜筠青一样，三天两头进城洗浴，而六爷居然每次还陪了去！这就使康笏南更不高兴，但又不便阻止。 这情形，孙北溟是知道的。康老太爷为此发火，在场的也只有他能说话，便说：“老东台，你是不稀罕我们送来的大内藏画，还是真怕我们沾光，分享了你的眼福？梁掌柜，咱们还是先走吧？” 三爷忙说：“老太爷是说我们呢！” 康笏南这才说：“梁掌柜，去仔细洗洗手，过来开封吧。” 梁子威有些意外，慌忙说：“我可不懂……” 孙北溟立刻说：“你不动手，难道叫老太爷动手！” 康笏南忽然问：“梁掌柜，你说里面是长卷？” 梁子威说：“只是估摸。这种画匣，是装长卷的。” 康笏南就命老亭往桌上铺了软毡，软毡上又铺了软缎。这中间，已有仆佣过来伺候梁子威洗手。洗毕，老太爷就对他说：“梁掌柜，开封吧。” 梁子威也只好捧起画匣，轻放在软缎上。然后，解开外面的锦缎包袱，这层包袱是京号加的；接着，解开了黄缎包袱，画匣才全露出来。 屋里顿时静下来了。 梁子威正要去撕匣口的封条，康笏南过来挡住，说：“我来。”梁子威退后，康笏南命老亭倒了杯清水，含了一口，轻轻喷到封条上。片刻后，封条被完好揭起。他略挽了挽袖口，打开匣盖。大家不由得都伸过头来，见里面还包着一层黄绫！康笏南小心掀开黄绫，才终于露出了画卷，几乎占满了画匣的一粗卷画。 康老太爷往出提画卷的时候，更是极其小心。画卷放到软缎上，他叫三爷过来抻住卷头，他自己慢慢往开推展。一边展开，一边低头细看。 大家也早凑近了来看：画似绢本，设淡色，幅宽一尺左右，长就不好估计了。画卷上仿佛是一条街市，布满茶坊，酒肆，脚店，肉铺，寺观，其间行人车轿涌动，倒也逼真。只是，他们几位实在也不大懂字画，不知此画如何宝贵，只觉展开在桌案上的，仅为极小部分，不免惊叹此长卷之长！以前，谁也没见过这样规模的长卷画。 老太爷当然是懂画的，大家就盯了看他，想从他的表情上寻得暗示。但老太爷一脸凝重，也猜不出什么意思来。 画还在慢慢展开，老太爷这边往开展，三爷那边往里卷。谁也不敢说话，屋里气氛凝重异常。 大约展开到一半，老太爷忽然颓然坐下。What's wrong?大家吃惊不小，尤其梁子威，更吓了一跳：出什么差错了？但又不敢开口。 孙北溟说：“老东台，看累了吧？” 康笏南对老亭说：“你们把画展到头，展到头，小心些展！” 展到卷尾了，康笏南站起来看了看，并没有什么收藏者的跋语诗文，倒是有画师的题款钤印，但那是颇生疏的无名之辈。 他又颓然坐下了，带着几分怒气说：“宫中也藏这种东西！” 梁子威赶紧跪了说：“老东台，有什么差错吗？” 康笏南说：“起来吧，没有你的事！” 孙北溟就问：“这画不值六万？” 康笏南就着老亭递过的铜面盆，洗了洗手，又呷了口茶，才说：“孙大掌柜，出三万，我就卖给你！” 孙北溟笑了，说：“我又不识画，要它做甚？太后真赐下一件不值钱的东西？” 康笏南冷冷说：“什么赐？她这是讹我们！这样的东西，还说是内府珍品，只借给我们开眼，真把我们当成土老财了？” 孙北溟说：“能说详细些吗？我们可都在云雾山中！” 康笏南又冷冷哼了一声，说：“她还以为我也跟你们似的，什么也不懂，只要是朝廷内府赐物，就价值连城了？我给你们说，这是一幅名画的摹本，低劣的摹本！” 一直未说话的三爷，这才问了一句：“摹的是什么名画？” 老太爷说：“传世的长卷中珍品《清明上河图》，系北宋张择端所作。入清以来，真迹即为内府收藏，世间再难见到。金元以来，摹本不少，其中亦有精品流传。太后出借，当然也只会是摹本，但也不能拿如此低劣的摹本来戏弄人！” 三爷就问梁子威：“路上没出什么差错吧？” 梁子威忙说：“没出差错！为保险起见，此画接出宫，就未敢在京多耽搁，路途上还布了迷阵，一真二假，同时一道上路。” 孙北溟说：“你们在京也未开封验看吧？” 康笏南断然说：“与京号无关！当场开封，你们也不识货。” 三爷就说：“会不会是那位崔总管捣了鬼？” 康笏南说：“不用多说了，这种事很像那位妇道人家的作为。梁掌柜，你们京号辛苦了。此事到此为止了，你们还是费心张罗咱们的生意吧。” 梁子威才松了口，说：“谢老东台明察。京号生意，就请放心！” 数天后，曹家忽然派人来请康笏南与三爷，说备了桌酒席，务必来一聚。康笏南问曹家来人：“有什么事吗？”来人也不大知道，说主家只叫转达：贵府务必要赏光！ 康笏南觉得有几分奇怪，也就带了三爷，应邀去了。 一到曹家，就见当家的曹培德有些兴奋。康笏南就说：“贵府有什么喜事吧？” 曹培德忙说：“哪有什么喜事！我是听了你老人家的指点，也要开一家票号。起了一个字号名，叫锦生润。想请教你们父子，此三字，在票号业不犯忌吧？” 康笏南一听是为这事，倒也不失望，就说：“做生意做到你们曹家这种境界，起个什么名字都成！我早给你说了，曹家开票号，股本，信誉，码头，什么都不缺，只选一个好领东，就全有了。叫什么字号，实在很次要。” 曹培德说：“那从你们天成元借一个好手，来给我们锦生润做领东吧？” 三爷说：“曹家账庄的金融高手还少呀？” 康笏南却笑了问：“你看上天成元的谁了？” 曹培德立刻说：“京号的戴掌柜！” 三爷也立马说：“你这是要砍我们的顶梁柱！还没开张，倒谋了要拆我们的台？” 康笏南依然笑道：“戴掌柜过来做领东，你们曹家给顶多少身股？” 曹培德也笑了说：“顶多少身股吧，你们舍得给我？戏言尔！锦生润初入西帮票业，初入太谷帮，只望贵府天成元大号不要欺生。” 康笏南正色说：“西帮票业有规矩，无论祁太平三小帮之间，还是各字号之间，不倾轧，不拆台，危难时还要互相救急。争抢生意，当然常有。但百多年来西帮一直信守：内让外争。天下如此之大，各帮各号尽可自辟畛域，自显奇能，取利发财的，无须自相火拼残杀。曹家入票业，只会壮西帮声势，谁会欺负你们！” 曹培德起身作了一揖，说：“有康老太爷这一席话，我们也放心了。为表谢意，请你们父子看一件稀罕的东西！” 一听稀罕的东西，康笏南心里就一动：难道曹家也得了皇家赐品？ 曹培德带他们走进一间密室，除了一主二客，跟来的只有一个男佣。男佣进入里间，一阵响动过后，就见搬出一个匣子。这匣子较那画匣稍大，看男佣搬动的样子，分明沉重异常。 曹培德就说：“这是朝廷内府密送出宫，暂借与我们观赏的一件珍宝。刚从京师押运回来不久。所以敢说是一件稀罕之物。” 康笏南和三爷对望了一眼，便问：“西太后也借你们曹家的银钱了？” 曹培德听了一惊，也问：“难道你们康家也得了皇家赐品？” 康笏南一笑，说：“先看看这是一件什么珍宝吧！” 男佣卸去匣子，现出来的是一件金光闪耀的西洋自鸣钟！形状为西洋火车头，钟盘不大，嵌在司机楼两侧，但火车头极其精致，虽小，却与真物无异。 曹培德说：“出宫时听宫监交待：此为西洋贡品，除了钟表机器，其余全用金子铸成，黄金、乌金、白金都有。运回来，我们用大秤称了称，五十斤还多！” 康笏南估计了一下，不大一件东西，就五十斤重，应该是金质无疑。他就问：“西太后借了你们多少钱，竟拿此珍宝来抵押？” 曹培德说：“人家说是借，不是抵债。要抵债，我也不愿意！这么件