Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 121 Trouble is coming

Before the New Year

The shops in the streets and alleys of the capital were bustling with people. Under the overpasses, men performing tricks would ask for some money by saying "Happy New Year in advance," and the festive atmosphere became even more intense.

This time

If you were to ask what spread the fastest and had the greatest influence in the capital, it would have to be the pineapples that were tributed from Southeast Asia. Almost everyone, young and old, knew about it.

Why...it's strange!

Zheng Guohui, a second-rank deputy general, married the eldest daughter of the Li family in northern Anhui. Although the wedding was a grand affair with hundreds of people parading through the streets, it did not cause much stir in the capital.

The capital was filled with powerful people and royal family members, and weddings and funerals were always grand, so the people in the city were used to seeing them.

At most, they would just say, "Hey, which family is so eager to get married? It's quite a big deal." and that would be the end of it.

The family of Wang Jincai, a big grain merchant who was escorted from Nanjing to Beijing, has been silent since they were thrown into the imperial prison, without even a wave of resentment.

How many cases does the Imperial Court’s Censorate investigate and handle in a year?

Nowadays, even rebellion is not surprising. I've heard it so many times that my ears are callused. The "illegal sale of military rations" case is nothing. It's nothing at all.

This pineapple fruit is a rare thing. Being able to eat tropical fruits from the barbaric land of Southeast Asia in the cold winter is enough to attract people just by hearing the gimmick.

What's more, this pineapple is sweet, crispy and delicious, and it costs five hundred dollars each.

It is said that the royal family and nobles brought cartloads of food to the palace and presented them as tribute to the palace. The Empress Dowager praised the food after eating it.

Each of these rumors is explosive enough.

A pineapple shop in Dongjiaominxiang

This is a storefront that has been renovated into three rooms. Above the middle eaves hangs a plaque with black background and gold characters, with three large golden characters "Nanfeng Hall" and four smaller characters "Zhengjia Laohao" inscribed on it.

A row of wooden cabinets separate the inside and outside of the store, and the shelves inside are filled with pineapples, bananas, coconut meat, rock sugar, various spices, shiny rare shells, tobacco, cocoa and other Nanyang specialties, which are dazzling to the eyes.

The most popular and famous one is the pineapple fruit.

Five or six guys in black clothes and melon-shaped hats stood at the counter, dealing with customers' purchases, and they were so busy that they had no time to rest.

"Excuse me, what would you like to order?"

"I think this shiny shell is really rare. Bring it to me and have a look."

"This one? Fine... just put it in my hand and let me take a look. This shell has natural textures inside and out, and it reflects a rainbow of colors when the light shines on it. It's so beautiful and special. One this big is so rare, it would be really impressive to have in your home."

"Can you show me?"

"Don't worry, sir, just hold it in my hand and let me have a look. If you say you've paid me the silver and I can take it back and look at it however I want, and if it falls to the ground and breaks, will it be yours or mine?"

"Then let me take a look at the pineapple fruit."

"Okay, what kind do you want? This small one is 500 coins, this one is 600 coins, and the largest one is 750 coins. Which one do you want?"

"Which one is delicious?"

"I guarantee they'll be delicious. They're sweet, crispy, and refreshing. They're a great treat for guests in the cold winter. If you have a small family, get a small one; if you have a large one, get a large one."

"That doesn't match what I heard. Didn't they say they were 500 yuan each? Why are they arguing about size?"

"Hearsay is not to be trusted. The specific explanation belongs to our store, so please don't listen to rumors. We get what you pay for, and we are honest and trustworthy."

"Hey... you who's blocking the road up ahead, if you don't want to buy anything, go to the back. There are so many guys waiting in line. What are you dawdling for?"

"Okay, okay, give me a medium-sized one, the kind that costs 600 yuan each. Pick me a bigger one, a better one!"

"Don't worry, just pay the money first. I'll pick it out for you right away. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

The store was packed with customers, and there were four burly men standing at the door, stopping the customers queuing outside.

One out, one in.

There was a long queue outside the shop. Most of the people had their heads hunched and their sleeves rolled up. Many of them were wearing the official uniforms of low-level court officials, and they stretched their heads to look around anxiously.

Dongjiaominxiang is where the six ministries and five government offices are located. The sixth and seventh rank officials who are so majestic outside the capital are nothing here and have to queue up to buy things.

There are countless clerks of the eighth and ninth ranks, as well as those who are not even of the same rank. Most of those queuing up are of this kind.

Many people come here to do their errands or pick up some documents, and they take a break from their busy schedule to buy a pineapple and take it home for their wives and children to taste, which is also a pleasant thing.

Pineapple fruit is so famous that my wife and children at home have been clamoring to try it.

Seeing that the New Year is approaching
The low-level officials serving in various ministries and government offices of the imperial court also ushered in the highlight of the year. Officials from all over the country came to Beijing to pay their respects, and they received a lot of charcoal, tribute and silver.

Just be generous for once, and when you get home you will surely enjoy the praise of your wife and the cheers of your children.

Dong Huanzhang stared at the shop for a while, then lifted the cotton curtain and came out to get some fresh air. The shop was too crowded and stuffy, and the smell was not very pleasant. It was his idea to sort pineapples by grade and size, and it seemed to be working well. The wealthy men in the capital were buying three or four at a time.

The price of pineapples in Jiangnan Province has also increased. Now, regardless of size, each one costs 300 coins. Although sales are good, it is difficult to talk to.

When it comes to heroism, it has to be these gentlemen from the north.

Reporting this to the General will definitely give you extra points, and you will be treated differently in the future.

This "Nanfengtang" store was opened by Dong Huanzhang himself. The shopkeeper and the clerks reviewed everything one by one, and personally checked the pricing of the goods. All aspects of the preparation were very thorough.

As soon as it opened, it became a hit.

Dong Huanzhang knew what a big thing the general was doing, so his expectations were ten percent higher. This was also the general idea of ​​the core staff.

Ordinary staff who usually handle general affairs have no chance to know such confidential matters.

Dong Huanzhang called over the shopkeeper, Dong Qifa, his uncle, who was always experienced and calm. He gave him careful instructions, "Shopkeeper, are you clear about everything I've told you to do?"

"Don't worry, Vice Commander. Leave this store to me. I will take good care of the business of the general no matter what. I won't cause trouble, but I won't be afraid of it either. The accounts will be clear and not a single cent will be wrong."

"Is someone causing trouble?"

"If the offense is minor, we should persuade them with kind words and make them give up. If the offense is serious, we should send them to the Nine Gates Governor's Office for punishment. If they are members of the imperial clan, we should report them to the Imperial Clan Office."

"Well... the waters in the capital are very complicated. Even as a general, you must be careful with your words and actions here and not easily make enemies..."

The two were talking
They were interrupted by a loud noise, and saw three noblemen in gorgeous clothes with a dozen slaves, walking over cursing all the way, causing a commotion among the low-level officials who were queuing.

Obviously, these low-level officials knew the origins of these noble young men.

Dong Huanzhang's face darkened. There were not many shops on the streets near Dongjiaomin Lane, and it was obvious that they were targeting him.

He quickly pulled the shop owner, Dong Qifa, over and said in a hurried voice, "Go and find out who these people are."

"I understand. Don't worry." Dong Qifa immediately pushed through the crowd and went to find someone to investigate.

The three young men in brocade clothes came to the door in a swaggering manner, looked up with contempt, and shouted loudly;
"What kind of crap is this place? It's called 'Nanfengtang', but they don't know the rules when doing business, and they don't even bow down to the boss. They look down on men. Do you believe I'll make you Beifengtang? You're a bunch of bumpkins."

"Where's the shopkeeper? Come out and kowtow to me, then close the shop."

"Why is no one answering? Are they all dead? If you piss me off, I'll burn your lousy face to the ground and throw you in jail to wake up."

"Everyone...what advice do you have?" Dong Huanzhang stepped forward and asked in a deep voice.

"Finally someone came out to breathe, but how do I know who the hell you are? You can't just stand and talk like that. You have to kneel down in front of me." A son of a powerful and wealthy man said arrogantly.

Dong Huanzhang bowed respectfully and replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "My surname is Dong Huanzhang. I was a fellow Jinshi in the ninth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign. I currently serve as a fifth-rank garrison commander in the imperial court. I don't know who this person is, and what they are making such a fuss about."

Fifth rank, tsk!
The dozen or so slaves behind him booed, and the three noble young men laughed so hard that they fell over.

One of them pointed at Dong Huanzhang and said wildly;
"Is a fifth-rank garrison commander still considered an official? I have more than just servants in my mansion. Have you seen this one?"

He pointed at the thin and arrogant young man in the middle and said, "Look, open your eyes wide and take a look. What is this gentleman wearing around his waist?
It's a yellow belt. This gentleman is Lord Babutai. Come over quickly and kowtow to him and I will spare your life.

Let me tell you, this knife of mine hasn't killed anyone for a few days, and it's crying out for blood.

You country bumpkins are so bold! You come to the capital to do business, but don't you know how to respect your father?

Just bring me tens of thousands of taels of silver, and maybe when I’m in a good mood, I’ll let you go.”

I see, this is robbery.

Since the imperial court entered the Central Plains, it has been a rule that those wearing yellow belts are direct descendants of the Manchu royal family. They will not be punished for killing others and will be supported by the royal family.

In fact, don’t take it too seriously. The imperial court has a strict system for inheriting titles. Only the eldest son of the family can inherit the title and be considered a member of the royal family.

Although the second sons and other brothers of the royal family could also wear yellow belts, they could only be regarded as idle royal family members. They led the iron crops of the court and lived a comfortable life where they were not starving but could not get rich.

To this day, there are always tens of thousands of yellow belts in the capital.

These idle royal family members eat and drink all day long, and they are really bored. So they ride hawks, play birds, fight crickets, and do a lot of trouble and bad things in their daily lives.

When he met an old farmer who was roasting sweet potatoes, he took a bite and spat it on the ground, cursing, "What a piece of crap! Is this something humans can eat?" Then he stomped the potato to pieces and walked away.

When he encountered a pretty girl, he would kidnap her and take her to a secluded place, then rape her and walk away. The humiliated girl was so ashamed and angry that she jumped into the well.

There have been countless similar troubles, and today's trouble has come knocking on my door.

Dong Huanzhang knew that the visitor had ill intentions, especially this Beizi Lord Babutai, who was a member of the royal family who inherited the title and was a super-class person. He could not cause trouble for the general.

So he pretended to be submissive and tried to delay time as much as possible.

(End of this chapter)