The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 36 Writing this Fundraising Letter

By the time the porridge was distributed that day, it was already noon.

After the matter was settled, Shen Yuan and Jiang Fan wanted to return to the city. When they reached the city gate, they heard someone calling, "Would you be lucky enough to have a drink with Shen Jieyuan and Mr. Jiang today?"

Hearing the voice, Shen Yuan lifted the curtain and looked, and saw a canopied carriage parked next to him. The young man in brocade clothes in the carriage also lifted the curtain and looked at him.

After taking a quick look, Shen Yuan was sure that he had never seen this person before, so he asked in a clear voice, "Who is this young master?"

They had just arrived in Shenjing and had been there for less than a month. It was somewhat suspicious that someone on the street could suddenly call out their names.

"My name is Gao Yue, and I am just a businessman. Shen Jieyuan won't look down on me, right?"

Shen Yuan said calmly: "Among scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, there are top scholars in every field. Why do you look down on it?"

Although he said this, he did not believe that the person in front of him was just an ordinary businessman. The person with the surname Gao in Shenjing City might be a member of the Gao royal family.

"Every profession has its top scholar?" Gao Yue murmured repeatedly, and then his eyes lit up and he praised: "Wonderful! Shen Jieyuan is indeed different from others!"

Shen Yuan smiled and stopped talking. He asked directly, "Mr. Gao, how come you know us?"

Hearing this, Gao Yue smiled mysteriously and kept it a secret: "Brother Shen, do you know Hanmozhai?"

Shen Yuan was stunned, and had some guesses in his mind, and confirmed: "Could it be that Master Gao is the owner of Hanmozhai?"

Gao Yue nodded and did not deny it.

After receiving the confirmation, Shen Yuan was somewhat surprised. "I originally thought that Hanmozhai was just a tabloid circulated in Jiangnan. It seems that I underestimated it."

"Han Mo Zhai is not only published in Jiangnan," Gao Yue explained, "but is distributed throughout the provinces, states, prefectures and counties of the Great Zhou."

Shen Yuan was puzzled. Hanmo Zhai had spared no effort in promoting him in Jiangnan, but there was no news from him in Shenjing. He wondered what Mr. Gao's plan was.
"This is not a suitable place to chat. Brother Shen and Brother Jiang, would you like to follow me to Zui Xiang Ju for a chat?" Gao Yue invited.

Shen Yuan and Jiang Fan looked at each other and nodded, then the two carriages went to Zui Xiang Ju together.

Zuixiangju is located in an elegant pavilion on the second floor.

Gao Yue, Shen Jiang and the other two sat down, and soon the waiter brought the wine and food.

It was not difficult for Shen Yuan to see that this was obviously arranged in advance by Gao Yue.

Moreover, judging from the attitude of the restaurant owner, it can be guessed that Zui Xiang Ju is most likely also owned by Gao Yue.

Gao Yue noticed what Shen Yuan was thinking and smiled, "Brother Shen, if you have any questions, just tell me. I will tell you everything I know."

"This restaurant"

"This restaurant is indeed mine." Gao Yue said frankly, "You may as well tell Brother Shen directly that Zui Xiang Ju and Han Mo Zhai both belong to the Tian Yuan Chamber of Commerce, and I am the owner of this Chamber of Commerce."

Only then did Shen Yuan confirm that the person in front of him must be a member of the royal family and of a high status.

Otherwise, how could an ordinary person achieve such feats? How could he maintain his status?
Moreover, the name of the Chamber of Commerce is "Tianyuan", such a taboo name, only the top royal families do not need to avoid it.

After thinking this through, Shen Yuan became more cautious.

Jiang Fan, however, didn't like to think about these things. He drank alone and didn't talk much.

After Gao Yue chatted with Shen Yuan for a while, they turned the topic to disaster relief.

"Brother Shen, how did you predict this snowstorm with such advance planning? How did you know that the court was unable to provide disaster relief?" "I don't have the ability of Kong Ming, so how could I have predicted it? I just made some preparations." Shen Yuan said the same thing, but he was not being modest.

After hearing this, Gao Yue felt a little relieved. He was able to make predictions because he knew the situation in the court very well.

Since Shen Yuan didn't have this information, he could only guess. Even so, it was already amazing.

"Brother Shen, what do you think of this disaster relief?"

"Master Gao has a business like Tianyuan and controls a huge amount of wealth, so he should not be short of money and food. It just depends on whether he can dispatch them in time."

"Brother Shen hit the nail on the head!" Gao Yue said with emotion: "Although I have made some preparations in advance, it will take seven or eight days for the supplies to reach the capital, but the disaster is extremely severe! I wonder if Brother Shen has any good ideas?"

Shen Yuan thought for a moment and said:

“Maybe we can mobilize the people to donate.

Although there are tens of thousands of refugees in the suburbs of Beijing, there are more than one million people in the capital city of Shenjing, and their lives are quite prosperous. If one or two of them are kind-hearted and willing to donate generously, it will not be difficult for them to survive the snow disaster.

In addition, disaster relief is a long-term task and it has only just begun. The assistance to these disaster victims will have to continue at least until the beginning of spring after the New Year when the weather turns warmer.

At that time, the victims will be able to return to their hometowns to farm, and they will also need to be given some surplus food so that these people can truly survive.

Therefore, the money and grain needed for disaster relief is huge, and the national treasury is empty at the moment, and we cannot rely on just one or two businesses, so fundraising is a feasible solution."

Gao Yue was stunned and silent for a long time. He chewed on Shen Yuan's words, and the more he thought about it, the more shocked he became.

In such a short period of time, the young man not only thought about solutions to the immediate problems, but also thought about arrangements for the return of refugees after the disaster. His vision can be said to be long-term.

Even the old men in the current cabinet may not be able to think so much at this time.

As far as Gao Yue knew, Shen Yuan was only 18 years old, not yet an adult. Seeing him today, he was indeed mature beyond his years.
After a long while, Gao Yue collected his thoughts, put on a bright smile, and praised: "In the past, I only thought that Brother Shen was quite brave, but today it seems that he also has the talent to assist the king!"

Shen Yuan didn't know whether it was the truth or flattery, so he didn't care and just shook his head and smiled.

Gao Yue's eyes flickered, and he smiled and said, "Since Brother Shen proposed this fundraising method, why don't you write a fundraising proclamation? My Hanmo Studio will print it in a few days and announce it to the people of the whole city to raise funds."

Shen Yuan felt strange when he heard this. The word "publicize it widely" always made him feel uncomfortable when heard from people of this era.

Since it would be beneficial for disaster relief and could also help him gain fame, there was no reason for Shen Yuan to refuse.

Soon, a front-page announcement was published in Hanmo Zhai, which sparked discussions among the people of the entire city overnight.

Han Mo Zhai and Shen Yuan jointly issued a call, hoping that the people of the city would actively donate money and materials and work together to overcome this natural disaster.

"This fundraising letter was written jointly with Hanmozhai and penned by Shen Yuan:
This year is the year of Ji Hai. There is a severe drought in Guanzhong and floods in Lu, causing the people to suffer and become refugees.

Now, hundreds of thousands of hungry people are taking shelter in the suburbs of Beijing, and are hit by a snowstorm, so that they do not have enough clothes to keep out the cold, and not enough millet to fill their stomachs.

Yuan and others, inspired by your Majesty's concern for the people, raised money to fill their stomachs and provide clothes to keep them warm, as a small gesture of help.

However, the number of hungry people is huge, far more than tens of thousands. The funds currently raised can only alleviate their emergency but are not enough to relieve their difficulties.

Anyone with a conscience cannot bear to see his compatriots starving and displaced. I am making this appeal and hope that you will donate your spare money to help according to your ability.

Those who help others will always be helped. Yuan is deeply grateful! 』

(End of this chapter)