Chapter 18 light tower (1)
On the seventh day of March in the seventh year of Guangxu, Hu Xueyan finally arrived in Beijing as promised.There are two foreigners in the same company, one is the manager of Tailai Matheson Co., Ltd., German Fokker, who has been doing business in China for many years; the other is Cameron, the representative of the British HSBC Bank.
Because the weather was extremely cold this year and Haikou, Tianjin had not yet thawed, Hu Xueyan came by land, with more than a dozen vehicles, entering You'anmen, and went straight to Fukangfu Bank in Caochang Shitiao Hutong outside Qianmen.In order to receive the boss, "everyone" Wang Weixian made preparations ten days ago; as soon as the convoy arrived, Hu Xueyan and his guests, as well as Gu Yingchun and Master Yang, who was in charge of writing and ink, were brought into the living room, and four people were specially selected The clever apprentice, pouring face water and tea, is busy.Hu Xueyan was taken care of by Wang Weixian himself, serving him while asking about the travel situation.
After a while of chaos, they sat down; Bao Fu, one of Hu Xueyan's close servants, held a golden water pipe to fill Hu Xueyan's cigarettes; at the same time, he whispered: "Aunt Zhang has sent a girl to urge you."
"Where is the time now?" Aunt Zhang seemed to be ignorant in the words.
Baofu remained silent, but looked at a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl behind the screen and waved her hands, indicating that Hu Xueyan could not go in yet—from south to north, in every major city in the capital, where there is Fukang Bank, there is Hu Xueyan. Most of them have hostesses, Aunt Zhang, who lives in Fukangfu, is not very favored, so Hu Xueyan has this kind of tone. "Mr. Da," Wang Weixian came to ask for instructions, "Do you use Chinese dishes or big dishes?" Then he said, "I'm afraid the two foreign guests can't eat Chinese dishes, so I borrowed a cook who cooks big dishes from Mr. Wen. It's all ready."
The so-called "Master Wen" refers to Wen Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, who was a Manchurian from Zhenglan Banner and served as General of Fuzhou in the seventh year of Tongzhi.When Qing troops entered the customs, they had garrisoned generals in important places. Among them, General Fuzhou was famous for being in charge of the Fujian Customs; Son, exists in Fukang.Wang Weixian knew that Hu Xueyan and him were old acquaintances in Fuzhou, and they had a very close friendship, so he took the liberty of borrowing the cook he brought from Fuzhou who can cook big dishes—western food, to receive Fogg and Camilon.
Now that it's ready, it's natural to eat big dishes.Hu Xueyan wanted to ask Wang Weixian something, but because he was also the host, according to Western rules, he and Wang Weixian sat at the opposite ends of the long dining table, so it was inconvenient to talk.It wasn't until dinner was over that the two foreigners were accompanied by an English-speaking man from Fukang Fuzhong to visit Dashilan, and then Hu Xueyan could talk to Wang Weixian about serious matters.
The most important thing in the business was his mission on this trip, to negotiate a loan of three to four million taels with Zuo Zongtang.What Hu Xueyan is eager to know is whether Zuo Zongtang's situation after entering the court, whether the "sacred family" is still as prosperous as before; He must have a clear understanding of his status in the middle school and so on, so that he can decide what to say and what not to talk about.
"I don't think Mr. Zuo will stay in Beijing for a long time." Wang Weixian is also from Hangzhou, and he talked with his host, "not long" and called it "not long", which surprised Hu Xueyan.
"Why isn't there a long pause?"
"It's not that his old temper of 'not rotten, not cooked' has flared up again." "Not rotten, not cooked" is also a Hangzhou slang, which means self-willed.Then, Wang Weixian cited Zuo Zongtang's discussion of the Russian treaty and "coastal defense" at the military aircraft department to support his views.
It turned out that there was a rebellion in Xinjiang, and Russia, in the name of protecting the overseas Chinese, sent troops to occupy Ili and threatened to take over temporarily. After the rebellion was settled, it would be handed over to China. When Zuo Zongtang went west, he conquered Urumqi, Turpan and other important towns successively. Ping Jing began to discuss the restoration of Ili and asked Russia to fulfill its promise, but Russia's original intention of pushing back and forth and not returning after a long vacation was gradually exposed.So Zuo Zongtang used his troops to fight, and they were at a stalemate. In the autumn of the fourth year of Guangxu, the court decided to follow formal diplomatic channels to settle the matter. The plenipotentiary minister who negotiated the agreement allowed him to act cheaply.
In the twelfth lunar month of this year, Chonghou arrived in St. Petersburg, the Russian capital, via France and Germany, and immediately started negotiations with Minister of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gerth.It took half a year to negotiate, and Chonghou signed the "Sino-Russian Return of Ili Treaty" in Lavadia near the Black Sea with the qualification of "Minister Plenipotentiary" who "acted cheaply". Russia; opened many trading ports; allowed the Russians to trade freely in Xi'an, Hanzhong, and Songhua River to Bodune.
When the news spread back to the country, public opinion was uproarious, blaming Chonghou for losing power and humiliating the country.Chonghou dared to conclude this treaty because there were two powerful people behind him. One was Minister of Military Aircraft Shen Guifen. The trust of the Queen Mother.One is Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili and Beiyang minister, who flaunted his successor to Zeng Guofan's mantle, and his power in military affairs and western affairs has been deeply entrenched and difficult to shake.During the six months of negotiating the agreement, Chonghou wrote to the merchants at any time, and only after obtaining the consent of Shen and Li did he dare to sign the contract with confidence;
Although Shen Guifen and Li Hongzhang both agreed with the Yili Treaty, they had different motives.Shen Guifen was because the stalemate continued. The imperial court had to send heavy troops to defend, and Zuo Zongtang had to borrow foreign debts. In the long run, the huge military expenditure would exhaust the people.
Li Hongzhang is different. He has more or less selfish intentions. First, if China and Russia break up due to hostility, once the war breaks out, Russia will dispatch its navy and will definitely attack Tianjin. Zuo Zongtang continued to borrow foreign debts to expand his power, which was not what Li Hongzhang liked. Once the Yili incident was over and Zuo Zongtang's troops returned to the court, it would be tantamount to disarming and returning to the land.
But Chonghou's negotiation was really not very clever, the two palaces were furious, Shihlin slandered, even the ministers in the General Administration of the Prime Minister's Office of State Affairs presided over by King Gong and Shen Guifen felt too wronged and needed to change the discussion .
So the court ordered the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chonghou, to go to Russia without waiting for the decree, and set off to return to China without authorization, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was severely punished.The discussed Russian treaty will be handed over to the six departments of Jiuqing and Han Zhanke for proper discussion and performance.This is the so-called "Ting Yi".
As a result of the court discussion, none of the treaties signed by Chonghou were allowed, so the two palaces held an "imperial meeting". He attacked Chonghou vigorously and infringed Li Hongzhang and King Gong in his words; in this way, Chonghou was exempted from dismissal and interrogation, and handed over to the Ministry of Criminal Justice for deliberation. "In the middle, it is conceivable that the days feel like years.
This move violated the "Public Law of All Nations". Ministers from various countries protested in groups, but the imperial court was unmoved. On the one hand, it sent an imperial envoy who was envoys to Britain and France, Zeng Jize, the eldest son of Zeng Guofan, and Russia, seeking to change the contract; He was charged with "beheading the prison".However, the imperial court did not give up its willingness to settle peacefully. Besides preparing for war, Li Hongjian instigated the ministers of Britain, France, and Germany to mediate; In January, he left for Russia from London.
It is conceivable that the negotiation will not go smoothly at the beginning.Fortunately, Zeng Jize is worthy of his father's son. Using his knowledge of the "public law of all nations", his experience as an envoy and his relationship, he urged the assistance of the British and French envoys to Russia. The manuscript was contracted, but Yili took it back; Jiayu was open to trade, but it was not clear where it could be connected; the navigation of the Songhua River was cancelled; the compensation for military expenses was only increased by 4 million rubles, to a total of 9 million.
When Sino-Russian relations were tense, Li Hongzhang put forward the idea of "coastal defense theory", which was in direct opposition to Zuo Zongtang's "land defense theory".When Zuo Zongtang went to Beijing to enter the military plane, he first discussed the Russian treaty. Because Zeng Jize recovered many rights and interests, which exceeded the expectations of the government and the opposition, Zuo Zongtang also expressed his satisfaction, and there was no dispute; he talked more about Li Hongzhang's "coastal defense" plan later. Now, from coastal defense to land defense; then it turned to the situation in the western frontier, and the history of his use of troops in Xinjiang. Prince Gong of the "Bai Dai" sat silently for an hour or two, unable to even speak a word.
"Mr. Da, think about it," Wang Weixian said, "Don't talk about Prince Gong, anyone can't stand him. Prince Gong endured and endured, until the end, he simply asked Junji Zhangjing to put the original book away, so let's not discuss it."
"Don't discuss it?" Hu Xueyan was surprised: "Li Hefei's coastal defense is very large! The Beiyang Fleet and the telegraph office are going to be opened; how many people are waiting to eat this big piece of fat, so why don't we talk about it? "
"Here," Wang Weixian lowered his voice and said, "That's where the problem lies. It's okay not to discuss it. If you want to discuss it, you are afraid that our Master Zuo will talk empty words. Then we can only talk about it after leaving the mountain."
Hearing this, Hu Xueyan's heart became half cold.I thought that with a backer like Zuo Zongtang as a great military opportunity, he must be in charge of borrowing foreign debts in the future, and the financial resources will be endless.Now it seems that I am afraid that I will let it out again, and my thoughts will come to nothing.Moreover, Prince Gong seemed to hate Zuo Zongtang a little bit, this matter was not good; I just wonder how Prince Chun treated him?
"King Chun treats him well. Mr. Da knows that King Chun is a gang of warriors. Lord Zuo has such military exploits. He regards him as a hero. The so-called sympathy means that they often have contacts and get close. King Jin still invites him to go to Shenji Camp to watch exercises!" "What did you say?" Hu Xueyan asked: "King Jin invites Mr. Zuo to see exercises at Shenji Camp?" "Yes."
"Who did you hear that from?"
There was a hint of disbelief in this statement, and it could be seen that Hu Xueyan attached great importance to this matter; Wang Weixian was a little confused, so he had to answer truthfully.
"I heard from Mr. Xu, the 'Little Military Machine'." Wang Weixian added: "Master Zuo came to Beijing at the end of the first lunar month. , and asked him to watch the exercises face to face, Mr. Zuo agreed, and he will definitely go, but the date has not been fixed. Mr. Da will probably have a date when he comes." Hu Xueyan became more and more puzzled, but he didn't ask questions immediately; after thinking about it for a while, Why can't Prince Chun invite Zuo Zongtang to watch the exercise, but he can't fix the date first; he can only fix the date when he comes?
After figuring it out, I asked, "Who did you hear that from, Mr. Xu?" "Who else is it?"
Hu Xueyan thought to himself, "Master Xu of the Little Military Machine"—Military Zhang Jing Xu Yongyi, has always had a close relationship with Zuo Zongtang. Zuo Zongtang has always entrusted him to deal with Beijing officials; It is reliable.
Then I changed my mind, one guest doesn't bother the two masters, why don't I entrust Xu Yongyi with many things I have?So I immediately asked Mr. Yang to write a post, asking Xu Yongyi to "have a drink", and specially marked "Hope is life, so I can learn from you". In addition, I picked four famous Hangzhou products, two hams from Fang Yuhe; ten handfuls of Shulian The sandalwood fan I remember; the pickles from the Jingguan View of the Four Altars; and Hu Qingyutang's "original loan" Piwendan, tiger bone papaya burnt, etc., packed in a basket, accompanied by invitations, and sent to Xu government.
At sunset, Xu Yongyi came.He still came in official uniform; his background is the head of the Ministry of Finance, and Hu Xueyan's top hat is a coral crown, and his rank is quite different, so he used the etiquette of a subordinate member referring to a senior officer.
"When did your lord arrive in Beijing?" Seeing Hu Xueyan, Xu Yongyi hurriedly paced up and down, picking up the hem of his robe while talking, intending to greet him.
Xu Yongyi's name is Xiaoyun. Hu Xueyan met him once and called him "Xiao Weng". Please change your clothes before talking."
Xu Yongyi's servant had long been waiting on the porch with his bag under his arm. Hearing this, he came in to wait on his master to change his plain clothes.Sapphire blue Ning silk jacket, rose purple tribute satin waistcoat with pipa lapel—this is the natural and special clothing that Zhang Jing of the military aircraft has become accustomed to, and it is very popular in the entertainment field.
They bowed to each other, went to the kang and sat down, Xu Yongyi changed his address: "When did Mr. Hu Da arrive?"
"Just arrived. My first guest is Xiao Weng."
Xu Yongyi seemed a little overwhelmed, holding his fists in his arms and said in a polite manner: "I have never let go of the humiliation, and I have been favored so precious, I am really ashamed."
"Small meaning, trivial meaning, what's the point!" Hu Xueyan asked: "Xiao Weng and Master Zuo often?"
"We meet every day, it's my class, we have to meet twice a day, in the morning at the military aircraft office, and in the afternoon at Xianliang Temple, Mr. Zuo's mansion."
"Is he still in good spirits?"
"It's okay, it's okay. But..." Xu Yongyi frowned slightly and said, "It's a bit too good, but it's not very good."
"Probably because the old man talks a lot?"
"Not only did he talk a lot, but he also had a lot of energy. He talked loudly in the north room, and we in the south room could hear him."
Hu Xueyan nodded, leaving Zuo Zongtang aside for the time being; "Xiao Weng," he said, "I'm in Beijing, my eyes are dark, and I have to rely on you to take care of me."
Xu Yongyi knew that this was a polite word, Hu Xueyan took the silver as a lantern, his eyes were bright, and immediately replied: "I dare not do it, I dare not do it. If there is anything I can do for you, don't be polite, please tell me."
"It's too serious." Hu Xueyan said: "I really want to ask Xiao Weng, I want to ask Xiao Weng to open a ticket, where I want to socialize, I have to go by myself; what is the way to socialize? I ask Xiao Weng to give advice. And This is a heartless request, please ask Xiao Weng to open this ticket right now."
This is a heavy responsibility.Xu Yongyi naturally complied; he thought for a while and said: "The first is the senior officials from the same village; especially those on the road of speech, we should send more."
"Yes. Xiaoweng please give me instructions. As much as you say is as much as you want." Xu Yongyi couldn't help but feel repaying his confidant because of his shallow friendship. , Are you here to talk about borrowing foreign money?"
"yes."
"anything else?"
"Also, I want to inquire about the foreign method of silk reeling. What is the purpose of Beijing?" Zhang Jing, the secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs, has no choice but to meet. I will make a list."
So she brought out a pen and inkstone, and Xu Yongyi drew out a list on the coffee table, after much deliberation, wrote the number under the name, ranging from one hundred to five hundred - naturally the number of bank notes.
"There is a person who needs to study carefully how to deliver the law." Xu Yongyi put down his pen and said: "Now Baozhongtang is in charge of the household department, and he is also the prime minister."
In the Qing Dynasty, there was a system of "University Scholars Management Department". Zuo Zongtang, who had outstanding achievements, was ordered to "join the cabinet to handle affairs" with the order of Dongge University. Naturally, he was in charge of the Ministry of Military Affairs; Wenxiang is in charge of the household department, and he is in charge of the great power.Hu Xueyan also knew about Zuo Zongtang's troublesome words about the foreign debts that he borrowed heavily from the people; now that Xu Yongyi mentioned Junbao and was talking about something on his mind, he couldn't help leaning over and lowering his voice.
"I haven't dealt with Bao Zhongtang before. Ask Xiao Weng, is there any way?"
"There is a way, I've heard of it too, but you can try it." "What way?"
"Is such that--"
"The law is not passed on to the six ears," Xu Yongyi said in a way that only Hu Xueyan could hear.So, when he was entertaining Xu Yongyi with snacks, he took a moment to find Gu Yingchun, and he had something to say.
"You are an expert in antique calligraphy, I want to ask you to take a trip to Liulichang."
Gu Yingchun couldn't help being surprised, when Hu Xueyan came to Beijing, he didn't finish a single business, but suddenly had leisure time to look for antique calligraphy and paintings, what's the reason?
Seeing the doubts in his heart, Hu Xueyan said again: "I want to buy something as a gift."
It turned out to be a gift, "Which one to give?" Gu Yingchun asked.
Hu Xueyan took his hand and wrote the word "bao" on his palm; then he said, "Understood?"
"clear."
"Okay." Hu Xueyan said: "There is a 'Haiyue Mountain House' in Liulichang, the sea in Shanghai, and the Yue of Master Yue. You go in and find a guy named Zhu, who is from Shaoxing. You ask him, what does so-and-so like? He said calligraphy and painting, you want calligraphy and painting; he said antiques, you want antiques, and you need to take care of them: things must be good, no matter the price.”
"Gu Yingchun thought about his words carefully, nodded deeply, expressing his understanding: "I'll go right away. "When he came back, the host and guest had already taken their seats; Hu Xueyan introduced Xu Yongyi to Gu Yingchun, and then said: "Come on, come on, how many more drinks with Xiao Weng?" Then he asked again: "How is it?" "
"Watch something tomorrow."
Hu Xueyan knew that he was on the line, so he didn't ask any more questions; he turned to look at Xu Yongyi and said, "Xiao Weng said just now that there are four shortcuts to become an official. Which four are they?" ’. Li Lansun and Weng Shuping all started their careers because they were the emperor’s master. This is called the “Emperor Master”. Bao Zhongtang is the best friend of King Gong; Wen Zhongtang used to be the same, this is “Wang Zuo.”
"Lord Wen?" Hu Xueyan was not surprised, "I have entered the cabinet to pay homage to the prime minister."
Xu Yongyi was taken aback, and then came to his senses.He was referring to the deceased Tirenge University scholar Wen Xiang, but Hu Xueyan thought that Wen Yu had been promoted to a co-organizer.Immediately replied: "As usual, the hall book will be transferred to the Ministry of Officials to co-operate; he is now the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, which is still early." It is Wenxiang's posthumous title.
"good."
"Xiao Weng," Gu Yingchun interjected, "'ghost envoy', as the name suggests, is to go abroad and deal with foreign devils. It's hard to understand what 'spiritual difference' means." "It's easy to understand once you explain it." Xu Yongyi pointed Hu Xueyan said: "Mr. Hu Da and I were talking about Shenjiying just now. 'Shenji' is an errand for Shenjiying. Because of King Chun, he works as an errand in Shenjiying and recommends special talents. But the Han people have no points; only occasionally Yes, they are also generals, and civil servants are not on duty in Shenji Camp."
"Ying Chun," Hu Xueyan said, "I was talking with Xiao Weng just now. King Chun wants to invite Mr. Zuo to go to Shenjiying to watch the exercises. Mr. Zuo wants to wait for me to come to fix the date. Why do you think? It's to watch Fuck wants a reward, Mr. Zuo will wait for me to prepare for him. You can come up with a charter instead."
Gu Yingchun thought to himself, rewarding the soldiers is nothing more than having Fukangfu Bank here, and Zuo Zongtang wants to pay the money, just send someone to say it.If there is no such picture, it is natural to think that it is not appropriate to reward cash, so we have to think of another way.
"We don't know what people like?" Gu Yingchun suggested, "I don't think it's better to simply invite Master Rong to King Chun to ask honestly how to reward him, and follow King Chun's instructions to prepare."
"Rong Zhonghua has long been out of King Chun's door."
Rong Zhonghua is Rong Lu. Everyone knows that he was promoted by King Chun, but he is not accepted by the "Juzhu". Isn't it strange?Even Hu Xueyan was curious to find out.
"It's a long story. It also involves a secret that no one will believe." Xu Yongyi lowered his voice and asked, "Have you ever heard of the Queen Mother's illness in the south?"
"I heard it's dry blood tuberculosis." Hu Xueyan replied, "How did you come up with this problem?" "Yes—" Xu Yongyi suddenly stopped, "It's better not to say this, and it's better not to listen to the two of you; If you hear it and spread it carelessly, it will cause big trouble, then I will kill you two. Let's talk about other things."
When it comes to the important point, Xu Yongyi suddenly sells Guan Zi, and Hu Xueyan is unavoidably displeased.But then I think that Xu Yongyi is so cautious, which is trustworthy.In this flash of thought, the unhappiness in my heart was relieved.
So they chatted over the cup for a while, Xu Yongyi refused to drink more because it was the first time to sit at the same table, and asked for a bowl of porridge to finish, and was ready to leave.
"Weixian!" Hu Xueyan asked; "Are you ready?"
"Ready."
Wang Weixian personally brought a tray with more than a dozen red envelopes on it, and another list, which was a "Philippine Respect" to be presented by Xu Yongyi. "Please, please!" Hu Xueyan arched his hands and said, "I will do the rest according to Xiao Weng's wishes, or I will go to visit in person, or I will send someone to deliver, and I will finish it in one day." "Okay! Okay!" Xu Yongyi Ask: "Mr. Hu Da, when will you go to see Mr. Zuo tomorrow?"
"Wait for him early in the morning."
"Then we will meet at Xianliang Temple tomorrow, and we will talk about it when we have something to say." "Yes, yes!" Hu Xueyan said, stretching out his hand to Wang Weixian, taking a red envelope, and taking out the silver ticket inside to look at it. Meaning, four hundred taels was correct, so she quietly stuffed it into Xu Yongyi's hand, and took advantage of the situation to hold it, not letting him refuse. "No, no! That doesn't make sense."
"It's a small thing. If Xiaoweng doesn't accept me, he doesn't want me, Hu, as a friend." "I really deserve it. Thank you, thank you."
When the guests left, Hu Xueyan asked about the condition of the Haiyue mountain house, and Gu Yingchun told him that he would meet a guy surnamed Zhu, and asked Bao Junjin what he liked?The surname Zhu replied that he liked them all, so Gu Yingchun followed Hu Xueyan's words and explained that it doesn't matter if the price is expensive, as long as the goods are good, they agreed to see the goods in the next morning.
"Go early. I've seen it, and I'll accompany the foreigners to Xianliang Temple right away." Hu Xueyan said again: "Master Zuo rewarded Shenji Camp. I've thought of a way. I don't know if it will work or not. I'll wait until tomorrow Let's talk in the afternoon!" After finishing speaking, he yawned.Mr. Zhu from Haiyue Shanfang is nicknamed "Zhu Tiekou"; so the origin of this nickname, which seems to be the stage name of an astrologer, is that he is very good at identifying antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and editions. Must be false.Therefore, even though he is a hired man, the shopkeepers of the antique shop in Liulichang and the Nanhai shop respectfully address him as "Mr. Zhu" in person.
Gu Yingchun is very meticulous in his work, knowing Zhu Tiekou's ability, intends to win friendship, wronged his status as a customer, and also called him "Mr. Call me Lao Zhu." "It's better to obey than to be respectful." Gu Yingchun said, "Old Zhu, you have something to show me."
That "Mr. Zhu" changed Zhu Tiekou's usual way of receiving customers, "There are a lot of things." He held up an inkstone and said, "Look, old man." Gu Yingchun saw that the inkstone was seven inches long and five inches long. One inch wide and three inches high, the color is like a pig's liver, and there is a line of seal characters on each side of the front, with "Danxin Guanri" on the right and "Tang Yinpeng Juzhi" on the left.
"So it was used by Yue Wumu."
"Not only Yue Wumu used it, Ming Taizu also used it!" Zhu Tiekou said with a smile.
Gu Yingchun took a closer look, and there was also a four-line regular script engraved on the right side of the inkstone pool: "Yue Shaobao's inkstone was offered to the imperial court, and now it is given to the minister by the emperor." The ancient loyal minister also treasured the inkstone, how can the minister be worthy of it?I would like to do my best to be loyal and not to disgrace this inkstone.On the first day of the first lunar month in the second year of Hongwu, my minister Xu Da kept it in mind. "Xu Da was the first founding father of the Ming Dynasty, and he was also the son and daughter of the Ming Taizu's family; this Fang Yan has such a history, and it must be recorded in the notes of the people of the Ming Dynasty, Lao Zhu, don't you think so?" "
Zhu Tiekou laughed, "After listening to the old master, you know that you are an expert; if you don't tell lies in front of real people, you don't need to talk about whether it was collected by Xu Da, the king of Zhongshan." He put the inkstone back to its original place and said: "Master, please come and sit inside."
The so-called "inside" is a head room behind the tent. Once the door is closed, light comes in from the skylight on the roof.Zhu Tiekou waited for Gu Yingchun to sit down opposite, then Fang Shi leaned forward and spoke in a low voice with a mysterious and solemn expression.
"Old Master, who introduced you?"
"It was my boss who asked me to come here, but no one introduced me."
"Who is your boss?"
Gu Yingchun was a little hesitant, wondering if he could reveal Hu Xueyan's name, so he didn't answer for a long time.
"Just let me come to you, Old Zhu, and ask Bao Zhongtang what he likes. The things should be good, "Old Master", Zhu Tiekou said: "How does your boss take care of you? "The price doesn't matter."
"Then it's no wonder you refused to tell the truth. Your master didn't explain clearly." Zhu Tiekou said, "It's certainly useful for your master to buy antique calligraphy and paintings as gifts to Bao Zhongtang. What is it for? How much is it worth? Old man, tell me the truth; I will do the calculation for you, and I will guarantee that you will not spend any money on empty land, and use it on the knife."
Gu Yingchun heard that there were many twists and turns in the words, and seeing Zhu Tiekou's sincerity, he replied honestly: "It is indeed as you said, my boss did not explain it clearly. Old Zhu, can you tell me the secret first, I'll see if I can make the decision for my master." "Why not." Zhu Tiekou said: "We have contacts with various palaces and several Zhongtang households here. To put it bluntly——"
To put it bluntly, it is inconvenient to openly accept bribes if you overpay.Therefore, someone needs to intervene to cover up the traces.
"Suppose, your old master wants to let an examiner go, or the young master's rural examination is about to end, and he is afraid that there will be no papers in the field. If you want to buy a 'joint', you have to go to the grinding factory to ask someone from Jinxi, Jiangxi to sell it." They will negotiate the price with you. If you want to find a job, you have to come to us, we will ask for you and tell you, what you want to send, naturally buy it from us—— "Slowly!" Gu Yingchun interrupted him and asked, "You mean you must buy from you?"
"yes."
"You set the price?"
"certainly."
"Can you make a counter-offer?"
"If you can bargain, why can't you?" Zhu Tiekou said, "Old man, you think highly of me. I can't bear to take your ignorant money, so please tell me what kind of job your boss is planning to find, so that I can tell you the truth. market."
"En, um." Gu Yingchun thought about it for a while, and there was still something he didn't quite understand, then he said: "Please give me an example to listen to."
For example, you always want to let go of Haidao.I went to ask to tell you that it is enough to give Baozhongtang a piece of 'Jade Pillow Lanting'.This post costs 120,000 silver, you buy this post and send it in; Bao Zhongtang knows that he has got it, and he will do what you want.In fact, the market price in Shanghai Road is 100,000 silver, we add 20% to the cap, and deduct 20% as rebate, making a transaction of 40,000.If the customer is shrewd, he will grind back and forth to bargain, at most he will wear off the extra 20% of the hat; as for friendship, like you always do, I will tell you honestly, one hundred thousand silver is not less. "Oh, that's it." "Gu Yingchun asked again: "If you don't know your way here, how about entrusting someone else to do activities?" "
"They will also tell you to send a 'Jade Pillow Orchid Pavilion' and tell you where to buy it." Zhu Tiekou added, "This method was invented by Heshen during the Qianlong period; His own collection, when we went to ask the price, we brought things back by the way.”
"Thank you, thank you! I have learned a secret. However, there is one more thing I want to ask. For example, I don't want to bargain, but I just want to give someone a lot. What should I do?"
"We also have rules. Let me ask who you are sending to. For King Gong, there are things for King Gong. For Bao Zhongtang, there are things for Bao Zhongtang." Yue Shaobao inkstone, two thousand; that "Ge Tie" three thousand; one Song version of Du Poems five thousand, if you want to give ten thousand silver, it's just right. ’ ‘Is there a hat in it? "
"The real deal, no hats on."
Zhu Tiekou explained that this situation is different from that of sellers and short sellers; for example, Shanghai Daoyi is worth 100,000 silver, and if you receive 100,000, you should have everything in your hand, and the "buyer" who loses money is the hat.
If someone wanted to give away 80,000 denarii, but the reserve price was only 70,000 denarii, wouldn't it be embezzlement of the money due to the "seller"?Once the credit is lost, find another place to pay, such a good deal cannot be done, it is really unwise to be greedy for small things and lose big things. "Old Zhu, you have explained everything, and I can't lie to you a little bit." My boss's family is not looking for a job, there are other reasons; I don't know how much I want to give away, but I guess it's not a matter of thirty or fifty thousand silver .When I go back and ask clearly, we will discuss further. " Gu Yingchun said with a more emphatic tone: "Old Zhu, please rest assured.Unless you don't want to give it away, if you want to give it away, you must handle it; even if my boss wants to find another house, I will not agree. "
Seeing his sincerity, and seeing his appearance and clothing, Zhu Tiekou knew that he had met a rich customer. If the matter was successful, the shopkeeper would give him at least a few thousand silver, so he could start his own business.
Thinking of this, my heart was full of elation, "I am very grateful for the cultivation of the old man." Zhu Tiekou stood up and invited Ann and said, "The old man wants to collect a lot, and I don't know what he likes to play with. Let's see if I can help you?"
Gu Yingchun thought to himself, since he wanted to make friends, he would not return empty-handed, but he couldn't think of what he wanted for a moment, so he asked casually, "Is there anything new?" "Yes, why is there nothing new?"
"Yes, why not? Old Master, please come outside and have a look."
Zhu Tiekou searched and searched, and found four antiques. The long one was round and square and flat. The long one seemed to be a flute made of topaz; Xu Hui's ancestor Mengyu gave him an iron coupon to save him from death; the flat one was a "gourd vessel" made in the reign of Emperor Kangxi, which was an inkpad box. "Grandpa, do you think about it, which one is the most valuable?"
"It should be this jade flute," Yu Xiao?You want to take a closer look to see if it is jade? Gu Yingchun picked up the Xiao branch, flicked it twice with his fingers, and his voice resounded, "What is it if it's not jade?" "he asks.
"Look again."
Look at the inscription on it again: "No luster on the outside, no dryness on the inside, full of energy, its sound is not suffocating or floating, and its quality is above the best bamboo." The words are ink marks, how can jade be inked?This is strange.
"It's a paper flute, made in Fujian." Zhu Tiekou said, "It's something from the Ming Dynasty, and the method of making it has been lost."
Gu Yingchun was very surprised, he put his hands aside casually, expressing his interest in buying it; then he asked: "Old Zhu, which item do you think is the most rare?"
Rare things are precious, and the rarest ones are naturally valuable; Zhu Tiekou carefully picked up the cricket jar, tapped it lightly with his fingers, and the sound of gold and stone sounded from deep to deep; he said with satisfaction: "It's true, it's from five hundred years ago. thing."
Seeing this scene, Gu Yingchun became curious, took the pottery pot and took a closer look. Figures were carved on the sides of the pot; the bottom of the pot was engraved with "Made in Xuande Year of the Ming Dynasty"; there was another line of small characters: "Made by Zou Daxiu, Lu Tomb of Suzhou" .However, although the production is quite exquisite, it is only a cricket jar after all. After four or five hundred years, it cannot be regarded as a valuable antique.He was ashamed to express his feelings directly, so he had to ask: "Old Zhu, what do you think is good about it?"
"The good thing is that it's old, it's earthy, and the anger is gone, so it won't hurt the insects. Old man, have you always fought against crickets?"
Crickets are called "crickets" in the north, and there are some names in the south. Although Gu Yingchun is not good at this, he knows that the difference between winning and losing in cricket fighting is huge. "After a cricket fight, the silver is worth tens of thousands; to put it harshly, a good cricket is really treated as its ancestors, what is a Xuande basin worth a hundred taels of silver?" Gu Yingchun was secretly speechless, "One day An earthen jar, worth a hundred taels of silver?" He asked. "Yes, but the old man wants it, of course he is very self-restraining." Zhu Tiekou said: "For the four items, let's count two hundred taels of silver in total."
This shouldn't be considered expensive, Gu Yingchun didn't say a word; he took out a foreign-style wallet from his body, took out a stack of bank notes, made up the amount of two hundred taels, and put away the wallet.Zhu Tiekou saw clearly from the side that all the banknotes were issued by Fu Kangfu; at that moment, he had an idea, and said pleasantly: "It turns out that the noble owner of the old man is the 'Hu God of Wealth'."
Hu Xueyan has been called "Hu God of Wealth" for several years.
It was inconvenient for Gu Yingchun to deny it, so he just said in a low voice: "Old Zhu, it's good that you know it. Put it in your stomach! If you let it go, this deal will not be done." "I know, I know. How can such a thing happen?" So flamboyant?"
Gu Yingchun nodded, and told Lao Zhu to send the four antiques to Fukang; he hurried into the city by car, and rushed to Xianliang Temple in Bingzhan Hutong to be an interpreter.
Xianliang Temple was originally the former residence of Prince Yixian in the Yongzheng Dynasty. The house was clean and sparsely decorated with flowers and trees, and it was very close to Donghuamen, so it was convenient to go to court.The place where Zuo Zongtang stayed was the largest courtyard among them; when he opened the door to go in and out, there were seven or eight strong men standing at the door, dressed casually and behaved roughly, they looked like servants, but Gu Yingchun did not dare to neglect at all.It turned out that Zuo Zongtang Pinghong Yang, Ping Nian Pinghui, commanded countless battles in the past 20 years, the generals and schools under him, the rest of their lives, from military merits to general soldiers and admirals.But the warriors are honest and simple, and they are quite reluctant to take up the post. They would rather follow Zuo Zongtang as an official, and go in and out of each other. Don't tell me that they all have red caps, yellow jackets, and even double-eyed feathers.
Once, Zongbing He was ordered by Zuo Zongtang to meet with the Shaanxi feudal secretary to discuss business.This vassal is a descendant of a Manchurian family.He has a lot of airs, and usually regards his subordinates as servants, and takes it for granted when they come and drink, so they respect ghosts and gods and keep them at a distance. I know He Zongbing's head; but for Zuo Zongtang's sake, treat each other with common courtesy during the interview.I just have an idea in my heart: I respect the one above and place more emphasis on the one below; you should abide by your rules and be humble and polite.
No way, Zongbing He didn't pay attention to it at all, and when he "raised the kang", he went up the kang, and when he "sit up", he sat up, and he raised his legs, talking loudly as if no one was around.The vassal was already very disgusted, and when it was time to "bring tea" to see off the guests, He Zongbing went straight out of the middle door boldly, leaving the vassal behind him, and he seemed to pretend to be an officer.Is it tolerable or unbearable?When the vassal was furious, when he had an audience with Zuo Zongtang the next day, he talked about this matter, and his indignation was still reflected in his words.左宗棠笑一笑，将何总兵传了来训斥，他说：“你们自以为都出生入死，立过战功，在我面前随意坐卧谈笑，固无不可。藩台大人是朝廷大员，体制何等尊贵，你怎么可以放肆，当是在我面前一样，何以这样不自量。你现在赶快给藩台磕头陪罪；不然藩台发了脾气，我亦没有这张脸替你再求情。”
何总兵答应一声，跪倒在地，磕头请罪。过一会，左宗棠送客，藩司一出中门就看到十几个红顶花翎黄马褂的武官手扶腰刀在那里站班，其中有一个就是何总兵。
这一下，头上蓝顶子，脑后只有一条辫子的藩司，大惊失色，手足无措。还算见机，定定神伛偻着身子，——请安招呼，步行到辕门外，方始上轿，但已汗透重棉了。古应春从听说这个笑话以后，就不敢小看这些“老粗”们；当时陪笑问道：“大人回来了？”
其中有个差官认识古应春，上前接话，“我们大人刚回来。”他说：“胡大先生陪着洋人早就到了，派人出来问过你两次，赶快请进去吧！？
到得花厅，见了胡雪岩，还来不及叙话，只见角门已开，闪出来两名差官，知道左宗棠要来了，当即招呼两名洋人站起来迎接。
左宗棠自然是便衣，一件旧薄棉袍；头上是兰州织呢厂所出，一顶鼻烟色的毡帽。胡雪岩跟古应春自然磕头请安；洋人则是一鞠躬，然后又跟左宗棠拉手。
上是左宗棠独坐，问了些，“哪天到的”、“路上如何”、江南有什么新闻”之类的话，胡雪岩一一照答，一阵寒暄过后，谈入正题。
正题是借洋债。胡雪岩自同治五年至光绪四年，为左宗棠借过四次外债，以充“西饷”。西陲用兵，须由各省补助军响，称为“协饷”。但协饷分年解送，而打仗不能说今年饷银用完，不打了；明年有了饷再打。因而胡雪岩想出一个借洋债的办法，最大的“银主”是英商汇丰银行，还款的方式是由江海关开出期票，而由协饷省分，主要的是江苏、浙江、广东、福建四省的督抚，盖上大印，表示承诺在到期以前，将协饷解交江海关，偿还洋商，年限总在六年上下，半年一期，付息拔本。方式是由胡雪岩秉承左宗棠的意思，找洋商谈妥细节，然后由左宗棠出奏。奏准后，以上谕饬协饷各省出具印票，交江海关；同时由总理衙门照会英国公使，转知贷款的汇丰银行照付。
这套手续很繁琐，其中还有两道关口，一道是总税务司赫德——根据中英条约，关税是用来赔偿鸦片战争失败军费的保证，因此英国人要求制中国新开各口岸，称为“洋关”的海关；职称是税务司，都归总税务司赫德官辖。赫德不下命令，江海关税务司不肯出票，钱就借不成了。
再一道关口是英国驻华公使，没有他的核准，汇丰银行不能拨款；有他批准了，即等于英国政府担保汇丰银行不会吃倒帐。赫德还好，因为他毕竟是中国的客卿，不能不买总理衙门的帐；而且有回佣好分，亦愿乐观其成。但英国公使这一关很噜苏，哪怕上谕批准了，各省的印票也备齐了，总理衙门跟赫德也说好了，没有英国公使点头，钱仍旧借不到。以左宗棠天马行空的性格，这当然是件不能容忍的事，中国人借洋债，要做中国官的英国人赫德同意，更起反感。因此当德国泰来洋行的经理福克，向左宗棠表示，有钱可错，手续可以节减许多，左宗棠自然是欢迎的。
福克之所以谒见左宗棠，出于胡雪岩的推荐，那是一年前的话，西陲已经平定，左宗棠准备在陕甘大兴实业，关照胡雪岩招聘技师，胡雪岩找上了福克。在哈密行营一席之谈，左宗棠认为福克“切实而有条理”，颇为欣赏；福克便抓住机会，为德国资本找出路，当然，要谈这笔借款，仍旧需要胡雪岩。
当时正是崇厚擅自订约，被捕下狱，中俄关系搞得剑拔弩张之时，左宗棠接到一个情报，说俄国举了一笔“国债”达五千二百万两之巨，用来扩充装备；认为中俄难免一战，将来兵连祸结，其势难以停止，亦须未雨绸缪；如果能借二、三千万银子，分数十年偿还，则饷源一广，练兵必精，写信给胡雪岩，要他跟泰来洋行谈判，而且约他在开年灯节以后，进京面谈。
不久，这件事打消了，因为由于曾纪泽斡旋，中俄形势已趋缓和，没有再大举外债的理由。
这是第一遍；第二遍旧事重提，又要借了。原来左宗棠内召入关进军机时，奉旨将他的一差一缺，分别交卸，一差是“钦差大臣督办新疆军务”，交由刘锦棠接替；一缺是“陕甘总督交由杨昌浚署理。刘、杨都是左宗棠麾下的大将，但资望不足，难当重任；陕甘贫瘠，全靠各省协饷，各省如果不买帐，刘、杨就一筹莫展，因此，左宗棠必须为刘锦棠、杨昌浚筹好了饷，西征的功绩，才算有了着落。
照左宗棠的盘算，新疆与陕甘以玉门关为界，每年关外军饷要三百七十万；关内二百一十万，全年为五百八十万两。光绪五年起，上谕各省协饷，必须解足五百万两，相差八十万，前后套搭，总还可敷衍得过，哪知上谕归上谕，协饷归协饷，各省两年之间，各省协饷欠解竟达四百二十万两之巨。为此，刘锦棠忧心忡忡；左宗棠为他出奏陈情说：“不虞兵机之迟钝，而忧饷事之艰难，深惧仔肩难卸，掣肘堪虞，将来饷不应手，必致上负圣恩，悔已无及。”这也是实在情形，即令宝均金表示：“西饷可缓，洋款不必着急。”朝廷仍旧许他再借一笔外债，弥补饷之不足。
胡雪岩与福克，就是为这件事来的。
胡雪岩在左宗棠面前的信用，大不如前了。一则是借洋债及商款的利息过重，人言籍籍，连左宗棠都没面子；二则是采买军火有浮报情事。但左宗棠仍旧少不了胡雪岩；而胡雪岩亦想力盖前愆，对这趟借洋债，格外尽心尽力，希望左宗棠能对他的成绩满意。
“雪岩，你信上说票要出给汇丰，怎么又是汇丰呢？”左宗棠指着福克说：“不是他们泰来洋行吗？”
“是。一大半是泰来的款子，不过要由汇丰出面。”“这是什么讲究？”
“汇丰是洋商的领袖，要它出面，款子调度起来才容易。这好有一比，好比刘钦差、杨制台筹饷筹不动，只要大人登高一呼，马上万山响应，是一样的道理。”
左宗棠平生一癖，是喜欢人恭维，听胡雪岩这一说，心里很舒服，“雪岩，”他说：“你这一阵子倚红偎翠之余，想来还读读书吧？”
这话想来是指着“登高一呼”、“万山响应”这两句成语而说的。胡雪岩笑着答道：“大人太夸奖我了，哪里谈得到读书？无非上次大人教导我，闲下来看看'唐诗三百首'，现在总算平仄也有点懂了，王黄也分得清了。”
“居然平仄也懂了，难得，难得。”左宗棠转脸看着福克说：“我本来打算借三百万，你一定要我多借一百万，我也许了你了，你利息上头，应该格外克已才是。”
古应春司翻译之职；福克与凯密伦各有所言，及至他再翻给左宗棠听时，已非洋人原来的话了。
福克的回答是：“不早就谈好吗？”经古应春翻给左宗棠听是：“一分一厘。”
“还是高了。”
左宗棠的话刚完，胡雪岩便即接口：“是不是？”他向古应春说：“我早说大人不会答应的。你跟他说，无论如何不能超过一分。”
于是古应在便要求福克，就谈好的利率再减若干，福克自然不悦，便有了争执的模样。其间当然也牵涉到汇丰的利益，所以凯密伦亦有意见发表。最后，古应春说了句：“好吧！就照原议。”洋人都不响了。
“怎么样？”胡雪岩问：“肯不肯减？”
“福克跟凯密伦说：以前是一分二厘五，这回一分一厘已经减了。我跟他们说：你不能让胡先生没面子。总算勉强答应在一分以内，九厘七毫五。”
“是年息？”
“当然是年息。”
于是胡雪岩转眼看着左宗棠，一面掐指甲，一面说道：“年息九厘七毫五，合着月息只有八厘一毫二丝五。四百万两一个月的息钱是三万两千五，六个月也不过二十万银子。头两年只付息，不还本；第三年起始，每年拔还一百万，四年还清。大人看，这个章程行不行？”
“一共是六年。”
“是。”胡雪岩答说：“头两年只付息，不还本，我是磨了好久才磨下来的。这一两年各省关有余力还以前的洋款，就宽裕得多了。”
“好，好！”左宗棠连赞两声，然后俯身向前，很关切地问：“要不要海关出票？”
“不要！”胡雪岩响亮地回答。
“只要陕甘出票？”
“是。只凭'陕甘总督部堂'的关防就足够了。”左宗棠连连点头，表示满意，但也不免感慨系之，“陕甘总督的关防，总算也值钱了！”接着叹口气：“唉！”“事在人为。”胡雪岩说：“陕西、甘肃是最穷最苦最偏僻的省分。除了俄国以外，哪怕是久住中国的外国人，也不晓得陕甘在哪里？如今不同了，都晓得陕甘有位左爵爷；洋人敬重大人的威名，连带陕甘督的关防，比直隶两江还管用。”说到这里，他转脸关照古应春：“你问他们，如果李合肥要借洋款，他们要不要直隶总督衙门的印票。”
古应春跟福克、凯密伦各说了一句不知什么话，等他们回答以后才说：“都说还是要关票。”
听得这一句，左宗棠笑逐颜开，他一直自以为勋业过于李鸿章，如今则连办洋务都凌驾其上了。这份得意，自是非同小可。
“好！我们就这样说定了。三两天后就出奏。这回宝中堂应该不会有后言了。”
胡雪岩不懂“后言”二字，不过意思可以猜得出来；而且他也有把握能使得宝均金服帖，因而提出最要紧的一句话。“有一层要先跟大人回明白，如今既然仍旧要汇丰来领头调度，那就仍旧要总理衙门给英国公使一个照会。”“这是一定的道理。我知道。”
“还有一层，要请大人的示，是不是仍旧请大人给我一道札子？”
下行公事叫“札子”，指令如何办理，左宗棠答说：“这不行！不在其位，不谋其政；你是陕西驻上海转运局的委员，应该杨制军下札子给你。”
“是！不过，我有句话，不知道该不该说？”
“你说，不要紧。”
“同样是陕甘总督衙门下的札子，分量不一样。如果是大人的札子，我办事就方便多了。”
“呃，呃！我明白了。”
左宗棠心想，杨昌浚的威望不够，胡雪岩就不能见重于人；为他办事顺利起见，这个障碍得替他消除。盘算了好一会，有个变通办法，“这样，”他说，“只要是牵涉到洋人，总署都管得到的，我在奏折上的上特为你叙一笔，请旨下总理衙门札饬道员胡某某遵照办理，你看如何？”
胡雪岩喜出望外，因为这一来就是受命于恭亲王，身价又抬高了。不过，表面上却不敢有何形色，而用微感无奈的神情说：“如果大人不便下札了给我，那也就只好请总理衙门下了。”
“好！这就说定了。”左宗棠接着又说：“雪岩，我们打个商量，西边境况很窘，刘毅齐又要撤勇；打发的盘川还不知道在哪里？你能不能先凑一百万，尽快解到杨石泉那里。”毅齐、石泉是刘锦棠、杨昌浚的别号。胡雪岩责无旁贷，很爽快地答应了。
这时有一名听差，悄然到左宗棠身边说了句话；他便问道：“这两个洋朋友，会不会用筷子？”
左宗棠是打算留福克与凯密伦吃饭，胡雪岩倒觉得大可不必，便即答说：“大人不必费心了。”
“那末，你留下来陪我谈谈。”
"yes."
见此光景，古应春便向洋人表示，公事已经谈妥，应该告辞了。接着便站起来请了个安，洋人亦起立鞠躬。左宗棠要送客，胡雪岩劝住，说是由他代送，乘此机会可跟古应春说几句话。
“应春，你把他们送回去了，交代给陪他们的人，空出身体来办两件事。”
胡雪岩交代，一件是跟汪惟贤去谈，能不能在京里与天津两处地方，筹划出一百万现银？
“这件事马上要有回音。”胡雪岩轻声说道：“左大人一开了话匣子，先讲西征功劳”再骂曾文正，这顿饭吃下来，起码三个钟头，你三点钟以前来，我一定还在这里。 ”“好！还有一件呢？ "
“还有一件，你倒问问福克，王府井大街的德国洋行里，有没有望远镜、挂表。如果有，你问他有多少，先把它定下来。”
“喔。”古应春明白了，是左宗棠应醇王之邀，到神机营“看操”，作犒赏的，便即问说：“有是一定有的。不知道要多少？”
“现有还不知道。你先问了再说。”
古应春答应着，陪着洋人回阜康福。下午三点钟复又回到贤良寺，果然，那顿午饭尚未结束；他在花厅外面等待时，听得左宗棠正在谈“湖湘子弟满天山”的盛况，中气十足，毫无倦容，看来还得有些时候才会散。
古应春心想，胡雪岩急于要知道交办两事的结果，无非是即席可以向左宗棠报告。既然如此，就不必等着面谈，写个条子通知他好了。
打定主意，便从怀中掏出一个洋纸笔记本来，撕一张纸，抽出本子上所附的铅笔，蘸一点口水，写道：“现银此间有卅万，天津约十余万。镜表各约百余具，已付定。惟大小参差不齐。
这张字条传到席面时，为左宗棠发现问起，胡雪岩正好开口，“回大人，”他说：“京里现银可以凑五十万，一两日内就解出去”另外一半，等我回上海以后，马上去想法子。不知道来得及来不及？ "
“能有一半先解，其余慢一点不要紧。”
“是。”胡雪岩又问：“听说醇亲王要请大人到神机营去看操？”
“有这回事。”一提到此，左宗棠的精神又来了，“神机营是八旗劲旅中的精华。醇王现在以皇上本身父的身分，别样政务都不能管，只管神机营，上头对神机营的看重，可想而知。李少荃在北洋好几年了，醇王从未请他去看过操；我一到京，头一回见面，他就约我，要我定日子，他好下令会操。我心里想，人家敬重我；我不能不替醇王做面子。想等你来了商量，应该怎么样犒赏？”
“大人的意思呢？”
“每人犒赏五两银子，按人数照算。”
“神机营的士兵，不过万把人，五六万银子的事，我替大人预备好了。”胡雪岩又说：“不过现银只能犒赏士兵，对官长似乎不大妥当。”
“是啊！我也是这么想。”
“我看送东西好了。送当然也要实用，而且是军用。我有个主意，大人看能不能用。”
"you say."
“每人送一架望远镜、一个挂表。”
话刚完，左宗棠便击案称赞，“这两样东西好！很切实用。”他说：“神机营的官长一百多，要一百多份，不知道备得齐，备不齐？”
“大人定了主意，我马上写信到上海，尽快送来。我想日子上一定来得及。”胡雪岩紧接着说：“大人去看操的日子，最好等借洋款的事办妥了再定。不然，恐怕有人会说闲话；说大人很阔，西饷一定很宽裕，洋款缓一缓不要紧。”不等他话完，左宗棠便连连点着头说：“你倒提醒了我。
此事虽小，足以影响大局，我准定照你的话办。 ”“是！ ”胡雪岩问：“大人还有什么交代？ "
“一时倒想不起，想起来再跟你谈。”左宗棠说：“借洋款的章程，你马上写个节略来，我尽明天一天办好奏稿递上去；倘或顺利的话，大概三五天就定局了。”
“是！”胡雪岩说道：“明天我想跟大人告一天假，办办私事。后天来伺候。”
“后天如果没事也不必来。有事我会随时派人来招呼你，你尽管办你自己的事去好了。”
“于是胡雪岩告辞回阜康，先请杨师爷将借洋款的条件写成一个节略，即刻派人送到贤良寺。然后向古应春细问到海岳山房接头的经过。
“应春，你知道的，为了去年买水雷的价钱，福德多嘴泄了底，左大人对我已经起疑心了。这件事我心里很难过，所以这趟借洋款，除了大家该得的好处以外，我不但分文不要，而且预备贴几万银子，一定要把这件事办成功。办成功不算，还要办得漂亮，要教左大人心里舒服。倘或宝中堂噜苏，就算办成功，他也不会高兴，所以宝中堂那里，一定要摆平；能听他说一句：这笔洋款借得划算。我这几万银子，花得就值了。”
“小爷叔的心思，我是早看出来了。不过，我想也不必把钱花在宝中堂一个人身上，他手下的人也是要紧的。”古应春问道：“小爷叔预备花多少。”
“这个数。”胡雪岩将手一伸。
“那末，送四万，留下万作开销。”
“好的。你跟徐筱云去商量，看这条路子应该怎么样走通？”
第二天三月初九，徐筱云不待去请，自己来访；胡雪岩不在，由古应春接待。他告诉古应春说，左宗棠的奏稿是他办的，已经誊正呈递。不过，三五天内，决不会有结果，因为恭亲王为福晋安葬，请了七天假；而这件大事，非恭亲王来议不可。
“这样说，宝中堂也不能起作用？”
“不，不！有作用的。恭王听他的话。而且凡是到了这个地位，不管怎么样，败事总是有余的。”
“筱翁，这么说，胡大先生要重重拜托你。海岳山房我去过了，跟老朱谈得很好。胡大先生要我跟筱翁商量，这条路子一定要走