Da Ming Tai Shi

Chapter 511 Huge Bribe
After more than a month of sea voyage, Chen Yunfu's return fleet left Quanzhou.

It is Quanzhou, not Guangzhou.

Fujian officials were very excited to pick up the driver, but this enthusiasm did not get positive feedback from Chen Yunfu, because Wang Jia hurried north and returned to Nanjing after only staying in Quanzhou for one night.

This disappointed many officials.

Chen Yunfu left, but Pu Xiangdong, who came from India with his car, stayed in Quanzhou. He had to deal with some business matters.

In Pu Xiangdong's commercial territory, Quanzhou is also an extremely important city.

For example, he is currently busy negotiating with the Fujian Chief Envoy to prepare for the construction of the Fujian Railway.

"In the planning of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the imperial court, there is only one railway track in Fujian, which is the Fuquan railway track from Fuzhou to Quanzhou, and the northern end is connected to the Nanjing railway track. This is obviously not enough."

Pu Xiangdong did not go to Fuzhou, but Weng Bingyuan, Fujian's deputy chief minister, came to Quanzhou from Fuzhou, and made a special trip to discuss this matter with the former.

In the yamen of Quanzhou Prefecture, the two sat side by side and talked freely.

"Investing in your railway tracks in Fujian, it is planned to build seventeen tracks with a total length of 23 miles, connecting nine prefectures and [-] counties."

Weng Bingyuan smiled brightly like a blooming chrysanthemum, and said hello repeatedly.

"The investment conditions are the same as those in Guangdong. After the railroad track is completed, I want 30 years of income rights."

"It should, it should." Weng Bingyuan hurriedly patted his chest and promised: "Before coming here, Fantai specifically instructed this matter, and the right to earn money from the railway track for 30 years belongs to President Pu."

Pu Xiangdong raised his hand: "Deputy Envoy Weng, besides this, Pu has one more condition."

"Please say."

"I want to become a shareholder of the Quanzhou Chamber of Commerce."

Weng Bingyuan's face froze, and then he said with a sneer: "President Pu was joking, the Quanzhou Chamber of Commerce belongs to the imperial court, but then again, the investment conditions between President Pu and Guangdong were just a period of income rights. "

"There are many mountains in Fujian, and the project of changing the dangerous mountains and rivers to pass through is extremely huge. How many slaves and gunpowder will it take to remove the obstructing mountains?"

Pu Xiangdong said bluntly: "Although Pu is an Arab, he has lived in Daming for many years, and in Fujian, Pu also has many businesses running, and he knows that there is a saying in your place, which is called different sounds in three miles, and different customs in ten miles.

Even if separated by a mountain, normal communication between the two villages is difficult. In this Fujian, if the roads are not repaired, you can't even manage the "same pronunciation and same script" mentioned by the Central Committee on the great unification. Education is even more disadvantageous. Therefore, what Pu built was not only a good economic road, but also a Qingyun road for official careers for Weng Fushi and other local officials.

From this point of view, the conditions for Pu to become a shareholder of the Quanzhou Chamber of Commerce are not too harsh. "

Weng Bingyuan fell silent, hesitating for a moment.

What Pu Xiangdong said is not unreasonable.

The geographical environment in Fujian has no advantages, and it is precisely because of this that only two prefectures in Fujian, Fuzhou and Quanzhou, are considered wealthy, and other places are much worse.

This is very similar to Guangdong.

But building roads is a big project, and Fujian's local finances alone are unable to realize it, and the central government has been emptied of all its assets by Chen Yunfu's extravagance in the past few years. In addition, since the currency reform, local prices have skyrocketed, and there are not many remaining in the imperial court. All the money has to be used to balance several important materials.

Food prices, salt prices, sugar prices, cloth prices, etc. are the most primitive living materials that are closely related to the lives of ordinary people.

Under such circumstances, it would undoubtedly be a dream come true for Fujian to count on Nanjing to support them in building roads.

Everyone knows that if you want to get rich, you must first build roads, but where in the country should you not build roads?
With Nanjing as the capital, roads have to be built.

I heard that a new thing called cement was invented. Now Nanjing plans to renovate the main roads in the city, and build them all into cement roads so that they can be used as supplementary to the carriage tracks.

The imperial court has no money to support the local government, and the local finances are becoming more and more tense due to the skyrocketing prices. If the local government wants to make achievements, it is undoubtedly a dream without money to support it.

Businessmen thus became the guests of honor of local government officials at all levels.

Weng Bingyuan weighed for a long time, and finally gave Pu Xiangdong a vague attitude.

"This matter, let me talk to the Fantai, let the Fantai decide."

"of course."

Pu Xiangdong didn't press too hard, and after sending Weng Bingyuan away, he settled down steadily in Quanzhou, dealing with local officials in Quanzhou Prefecture all day long.

Tang Shizhuan, the prefect of Quanzhou, even accompanied him throughout the whole process with an almost earnest attitude.

"Speaking of Quanzhou, it has a long history with us Arabs."

Chengtian Temple in Quanzhou is one of the sacred places of Buddhist incense among the diversified religions in Quanzhou. Thanks to the increasing economic prosperity of Daming in recent years, more and more wealthy businessmen, and the religious places have followed suit. Not only are there many tourists, but also incense money is not enough Fei.

Tang Shizhuan couldn't understand why Pu Xiangdong, an Arab, wanted to visit Buddhist temples instead of visiting their native religion. However, as the prefect of Quanzhou, he was quite familiar with Quanzhou's customs, customs, and religious history.

"Chairman Pu is right. Since the opening of the Maritime Silk Road in the early Tang Dynasty, Quanzhou has also benefited from it, becoming one of the important sea-connecting ports in the Tang Dynasty, and its prosperity is growing day by day.

The gathering of merchants from all over the world also brought various religious cultures. After hundreds of years of development, Quanzhou is not only very prosperous economically, but also diversified in religious culture.

In addition to the traditional Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, there are also religions from your country, as well as Nestorianism, Manichaeism, and Catholicism. "

Pu Xiangdong nodded frequently, and said casually: "The reason why I came to Chengtian Temple today is also for one person."

"Oh, is that so? Can I know which sage it is?"

"It can be regarded as your old friend from Quanzhou." Pu Xiangdong turned his head to look at Tang Shizhen, and grinned: "Pu Shougeng."

Hearing this name, Tang Shizhuan's eyes subconsciously twitched, and although he was a little embarrassed, he still gave a polite laugh.

"It's very familiar, it's very familiar."

"We Arabs like sailing and adventure. Since 800 years ago, our ancestors have been to the far west of Europa, crossing the sea from the Tarek Mountain in the Iberian Peninsula to the present Africa. One thousand and one hundred Years ago, during the Western Jin Dynasty in your country, our ancestors traveled thousands of miles to the present Guangzhou of your country."

Pu Xiangdong babbled about the glorious history of their Arabian maritime merchants and their once extremely developed shipbuilding achievements and voyages.

"Before Pu Shougeng's ancestors came to Guangzhou in your country, they were rich merchants in our local Arabia, who had been engaged in maritime trade for generations. After coming to your country, there were not only merchants but also craftsmen in his family.

The lucky ships of your country during the Song Dynasty borrowed from the experience of our Arabian sea ships. During the period of Kublai Khan, the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, your country's shipbuilding industry was completely in charge of our Arab supervisors. "

Tang Shizhuan listened silently, but he was muttering in his heart.

What does Pu Xiangdong mean by saying this? He wants to say that the Arabs have made historical contributions to China?

Then you can change it to another person, even if it is good to go back to Qin Tianjian.

No matter how bad it is, in the fields of mathematics, history, and culture, you Arabs have many famous people in China, and you can find them in Yuan History. What did Pu Shougeng do?

This guy has made some contributions to Quanzhou, but to the whole country, this guy is a big cancer.

"Pu has an unfeeling request, and I don't know whether to say it or not."

Just when Tang Shizhuan was thinking wildly, Pu Xiangdong revealed his real plan after laying the groundwork.

"Ah, President Pu has something to say."

When the two of them were alone, there was nothing they couldn't say.

"The prefect of Tang also knows that Pu is a businessman. These years have been smooth, and the business has grown bigger and bigger. It just so happens that he has a good friend who is the descendant of Pu Shougeng."

Pu Xiangdong said with a smile: "My good friend is far away in Arabia, and it is inconvenient to come to Daming, so please entrust me to come, thinking about building a statue for his ancestor and enshrining an incense tablet."

Give Pu Shougeng a statue, and set up an incense tablet?
Crazy!
Tang Shizhuan was almost subconsciously about to blurt out his refusal, but Pu Xiangdong took out a promissory note from the central bank.

"My friend asked me to send me a small gift, which is donated to Quanzhou. It's not much, so please be careful."

On the promissory note, there are a large number of Tang Shizhuan who don't read much.

Billion!

Before the currency reform, 100 million taels!
In other words, as long as I nod my head, this astronomical 'donation' will be in my pocket.

My one-year salary was only 150 taels before the restructuring, and it was 15 after the restructuring.

One billion, how many years do I have to work as a magistrate to earn it.

1000 years or 1 years?

"In addition, as long as Tang Zhifu agrees, I, Pu, will help build a railway track for Quanzhou free of charge."

With all the economic bribes and political bribes in front of him, Tang Shizhuan blinked several times, wiped off the dense sweat from his forehead, and laughed.

"Then Tang, on behalf of the people of Quanzhou, thank President Pu for his generosity."

Seeing Tang Shizhuan pocketing the money with a smile on his face, Pu Xiangdong smiled lightly.

Money can make the ghost push?
Wrong, as long as you have money, grinding can push ghosts away!

(End of this chapter)