Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 229

"Brother, let's go for a walk!"

Regardless of his brother's willingness or not, Zhu Pei dragged his brother out, "There is a beautiful pavilion outside, let's go inside and outside the pavilion, be obedient, and I will send you a good stone later."

Jupe knew his brother very well, as long as he told him to find a good rock, he would be obedient. Other children need to be coaxed with sugar, but he must be coaxed with stones.

Zhu Zhe immediately stood up, grinned and said, "Where is the good rock?"

"I'll bring it to you tomorrow!"

Zhu Zhe tilted his head and thought for a while, "Is it at Brother Ning's place?"

Zhu Pei rolled his eyes, that brat only gave him a piece of Tian Huangshi, and he remembered it, but he couldn't remember it when he gave him so much.

Zhu Pei had no choice but to say angrily: "Yes, it's at his place. I'll go find him tomorrow."

"I also need to go!"

Zhu Pei rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "You can go, but you must carve a statue for the Empress. If the statue is good, I will take you there."

"Where is Empress Guanyin?"

Three black lines appeared on Zhu Pei's forehead. How could he remember the Guanyin Empress?
She could only vaguely say: "Let's go! Let's go to the pavilion."

Zhu Pei took his brother to a small pavilion on a rockery, and the wet nurse was helping to bring a bag of Tian Huangshi.

Zhu Zhe sat down and looked around. Zhu Pei pointed to Empress Cao who was admiring the flowers not far away, and whispered to his elder brother: "The one in the long skirt is the Empress Empress. You carve a statue of her, and I will find you the largest one." yellow stone."

"it is good!"

Zhu Zhe agreed without hesitation, and he watched Empress Cao quietly for nearly a quarter of an hour, then he took out a long piece of Tianhuang stone from the bag, and carved it lightly with a carving knife.

He doesn't need to look at Empress Cao anymore, every move, every frown and smile of Empress Cao is imprinted in his heart, and he can carve a lifelike small stone statue in just one day.

Zhu Pei stepped down from the pavilion and smiled at Empress Cao: "It's ok, my brother will remember it, and the engraving will be finished in the afternoon. Can we leave the palace in the afternoon?"

"of course can!"

Empress Cao hesitated again, "In a few days, the officials may also want to ask your brother to carve a statue. I wonder if you can come to the palace again?"

Immediately, Zhu Pei's heart was full of good feelings for Empress Cao, and the majestic empress actually asked for his opinion in a negotiating tone.

She smiled and nodded, "If it's like today, then there's no problem."

"Of course it will be the same as today. If the government doesn't need to carve portraits, maybe they don't need to trouble you to make a trip and send the drawings directly to your mansion."

Zhu Pei nodded silently, of course this is the best.

Empress Cao took another look at Zhu Zhe who was engrossed in carving in the pavilion, and she smiled and said, "Don't you really need to observe me again?"

Zhu Pei shook his head, "It's really unnecessary, he has carved it for so many years, and he never needs to read it a second time."

"OK then!"

Empress Cao smiled slightly: "Have lunch here at noon, and then you can go back. You don't have to carve it out today, you can carve it slowly."

"Thank you Queen for your tolerance!"

"You rest here, and I won't bother you."

Empress Cao bowed slightly, and quickly left surrounded by all the court ladies. Zhu Pei sat down on a big rock annoyed. Why didn't she refuse just now and insisted on staying for dinner?
Empress Cao’s lunch was not as rich as imagined, but it was actually very simple, with only a dozen dishes. This was due to the presence of guests. If there were no guests, Empress Cao usually used four or five dishes. This is the most commendable thing for Empress Cao. Her frugality, low-key, and non-interference in government affairs won the respect of the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty.

Although the Emperor Zhao Zhen loved Concubine Zhang very much, he did not dare to abolish the empress and establish a new queen. In contrast, Concubine Zhang lived a much more luxurious life. There are more than a hundred dishes, and the minister can't say anything?
But Empress Cao's frugality is in stark contrast to Concubine Zhang's extravagance.

Zhu Zhe is always taken care of by his nanny for meals. Except for special days such as New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival, he usually does not eat with his family. Today is no exception. There are only Zhu Pei and Empress Cao at the table.

At this time, Zhu Pei put a finely carved stone statue on the table and pushed it to Empress Cao who was sitting opposite.

Empress Cao was surprised and delighted at once, the sculpture was completed so quickly?
She didn't care about eating, and quickly picked up the small stone statue. It was the moment when she looked back at the flowers among the flowers. His appearance is not only similar, but also has a charm, and the lines of the dress are also very smooth. Even the best painters can't draw such an effect, but this is a statue. Empress Cao couldn't put it down.

She repeatedly praised: "Your brother's talent for carving is simply a stroke of genius, it's unbelievable."

Zhu Pei said triumphantly: "Others carve with their hands and eyes, but my elder brother carves with his heart, so his carving is different from others."

This was Fan Ning's evaluation of Zhu Zhe, Zhu Pei picked it up, and Empress Cao nodded, "Carve with your heart, that's a good word!"

Empress Cao hesitated for a moment and then said: "Can you ask your brother to carve another statue, I want to give it to my mother, she hasn't seen me for a long time."

Zhu Pei was really moved, and said without hesitation: "I will send it to the empress in two days!"

Fan Tiege's fleet arrived in the capital last night. The so-called fleet is actually composed of three thousand-stone cargo ships, carrying nearly a hundred large Taihu stones, hundreds of high-quality Taihu stones and thousands of carved Tianhuang stones. Fan Tiege has been preparing for the opening of the store for two years, and this time he will be a blockbuster.

Two clerks from the Pingjiang Mansion shop came with Fan Tiege, and two other Tianhuang stone carvers also came to Beijing.

The store has been renovated, and Xiangguo Pang Ji personally wrote the name of the store. It is not called "Fan's Kistler Museum". "Stone Breaks Heaven and Strange Stone Museum".

On the huge black-bottomed signboard in Phnom Penh, the three big white characters of "Shi Po Tian" are written in dragons and phoenixes, and the three small characters of Qishiguan are written in block letters below, and the three characters of "Pang Ji Ti" are written on the far right, making the whole store very distinctive. momentum.

The front of the store is Huanlou, which has been covered with ribbons, making the new store particularly eye-catching.

There are more than a dozen long flagpoles on Huanlou, with three flags hanging on them. Of course, the name of the shop is "Shi Potian" in the middle, and the flags and flags on both sides are written "Boutique Taihu Stone" and "Zhibaotian Huangshi". can be clearly seen.

The store has basically been prepared. The shelves on the first floor are full of high-grade and high-quality small Taihu stones, and the large Taihu stones are placed in the warehouse next to the Bian River. There are only a dozen medium-sized Taihu stones in the store.

The second floor is the world of Tianhuangshi. The store shelves are densely packed with hundreds of pieces of carved Tianhuangshi ornaments. The price is very expensive, and the cheapest piece costs more than ten pennies.

In front of a counter on the second floor, Fan Ning placed a frozen stone Tianhuang Guanyin statue with a sandalwood base on a high counter. This is a stone statue carved by Zhu Zhe. It is about one foot long and priced at 500 taels of silver. In addition, there are four pieces of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, priced at 1000 taels of silver. These two pieces of Tianhuang stone are currently the highest price in the store.

Zhao Zongshi carefully admired each piece of Tianhuang stone from the sidelines. He invested 3000 taels of silver and became one of the small shareholders of this store.

For this reason, he specially went to get to know Tian Huangshi, and only then did he know that Tian Huangshi has become an upstart ornamental stone for dignitaries and scholar-bureaucrats under the influence of the emperor's love. Although it is not yet fully famous, its upward trend is very strong.

"Fan Ning, I heard the news that Tian Huangshi has been listed as a first-class tribute, and no more private mining areas are allowed. The imperial court sent a mine supervisor."

Fan Ning jokingly said: "As expected, this kind of stone is produced in a very small amount. Isn't it in line with the government's usual style of doing things to monopolize it?"

"Is there sarcasm in your words?"

"I'm just telling the truth!"

Fan Ning had already received the news from Pang Ji, but what Fan Ning didn't expect was that besides they bought a mining area of ​​[-] mu, Pang Ji also invested in buying a mining area of ​​[-] mu. It is said that Zhang Yaozuo's family was also there Negotiating with the government to buy mines, although the government has a monopoly, but with Zhang Yaozuo's power, he can still dig a piece from the government.

"What about these few Tianhuang stones?"

Zhao Zongshi found the statue of Guanyin and the stones of the Four Gentlemen, which really surprised him. They were actually priced at 500 taels of silver and 1000 taels of silver. "Why are they so expensive?"

At this time, Zhu Pei's clear voice came from behind, "Because the people who carved them carved them with their hearts, they are unique in the world."

Zhu Pei was wearing a brocade robe, a gauze hat, red lips and white teeth, and a high-spirited look. Zhao Zongshi was a little stunned. He didn't know Zhu Pei, but he had never seen such a handsome young man.

"Fanning, who is this?"

Fan Ning introduced with a smile: "This is my classmate friend Zhu Pei, a son of an official, currently living in the capital, and also one of the proprietors of the Kistler Pavilion."

Zhao Zongshi felt that Zhu Pei was a little girl, but when he heard that Fan Ning said that he was a classmate, he became suspicious again. At this moment, Ming Ren, who was walking behind, gave him a wink, so he didn't ask any more questions, and smiled slightly: "I'm Zhao Zongshi." !"

Zhu Pei glanced at him sharply, then calmed down, nodded to him, and said to Fan Ning: "I have something to tell you, come with me!"

Fan Ning had no choice but to apologize to Zhao Zongshi: "Brother Zhao, please take your time, I will come as soon as I go."

Fanning followed Jupe downstairs, came to the street, and walked slowly north.

(End of this chapter)