Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 219 Finalized
She wore a round-necked satin jacket with a black collar, a crab-shell green background, and a goose-yellow floral pattern. The jacket was lined with a white collar and a black-edged satin skirt with a bean-green background and floral embroidery. She wore a headband and her bun was accented by two kingfisher hairpins.

Li Wan thought for a moment before nodding and saying, "There's no need to borrow money. If Brother Yuan needs money urgently, just withdraw it from me."

As he spoke, he stood up and went inside.

This was so straightforward that it completely choked back Chen Siyuan's words. Chen Siyuan and Jia Lan exchanged a series of stares, and a moment later, Li Wan returned with a thick stack of banknotes in her hands.

"Brother Yuan, please give me some money. It's only forty thousand taels." As she spoke, she pushed the banknote over.

Chen Siyuan didn't count, but couldn't help but ask curiously, "Does my sister-in-law trust me so much?"

Li Wan smiled and said, "Brother Yuan has a great reputation, why shouldn't I trust him?" Putting aside other things, the 25% stake in Baicaotang alone would yield an interest of around 1,000 taels per month, which would definitely be over 10,000 taels per year.

Chen Siyuan only wanted to borrow 40,000 taels, and at most he could use the shares as collateral, and he could pay it back in three to five years. Besides, although Li Wan lived a secluded life, she had heard of Chen Siyuan's talents, so she figured borrowing it for a few months would be fine.

Besides, if Chen Siyuan hadn't helped to smooth things over, how could Li Wan and her son have gotten involved with Prince Ping of Yan? Li Wan was educated, so she knew that a word from Prince Ping of Yan could sometimes be more important than a fortune.

After hearing her say this, Chen Siyuan thought for a moment and then smiled, "To be honest, sister-in-law, I'm borrowing money this time for a living. I've been thinking about it privately and have already got a recipe for refining latex. It will definitely be popular in the future."

Since my sister-in-law trusts me so much, why not invest a little money? I can't say I'll make a lot, but I can still make two or three times as much.

"

Li Wan was immediately interested and thought of Baicaotang. The initial capital was only 20,000 taels, and now after more than half a year, it is likely that the profit has been made back long ago, and it will continue to make money in the future.

Li Wan was already worried about having so much money in her hands. It would be a good thing if she could find a good job to participate in it.

Li Wan had listened carefully, and after Chen Siyuan had finished speaking, she asked, "I wonder how much money Brother Yuan will allow me to deposit?"

"How about ten thousand taels?"

Li Wan said happily, "Okay, then ten thousand taels."

Chen Siyuan bowed and smiled, "Sister-in-law, please give me some writing materials."

Without waiting for Li Wan to speak, Jia Lan ran into the study to find writing brush and ink. Chen Siyuan picked up his pen and wrote a loan note for 30,000 taels, then a share subscription for 10,000 taels. They made two copies, and the two of them signed and sealed the deal.

Chen Siyuan was in no hurry to leave after receiving the banknotes. He looked at Jia Lan and said, "Fourth sister just mentioned that it seemed as if my eldest sister-in-law wanted to let Brother Lan study with me?"

Li Wan's words were even more concerning than before. She frowned and said, "Brother Yuan knows that I haven't studied much, and teaching Lan'er has been quite a struggle lately. I heard that Brother Yuan will not be taking the imperial examination this spring?"

"Yes."

"In that case, you don't have to come home every day. I would be very grateful if you could teach Lan'er once every two or three days."

Chen Siyuan smiled and agreed: "That's fine. Then, every three days, let Brother Lang come to see me in the afternoon."

Li Wan was overjoyed and quickly nudged Jia Lan beside her. Jia Lan, like a grown-up, bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Uncle Yuan, for your guidance."

Chen Siyuan said, "I see that Brother Lang has an intelligent appearance. It's even more rare that he was born in the Rong Mansion. He is not disturbed by the hustle and bustle. He spends his days reading books by the green lamp, like a diligent scholar. I think Brother Lang will have a great future!"

Li Wan immediately covered her mouth and laughed, "Brother Yuan, it's too early to say these things now... Let's wait and see."

After everything was settled, Chen Siyuan didn't want to stay any longer, so he finished the tea in the cup and stood up to say goodbye.

Li Wan stood up and escorted him to the door. Then she turned around and told Jia Lan, "Your uncle Yuan is very capable. His knowledge and talent far surpass others. From now on, when you are with him, you must study hard."

Jia Lan replied in a muffled voice, "Don't worry, Mom. I will study hard."

Just as the mother and son returned to the back room, someone knocked on the door again. Suyun answered and went to check. A moment later, she returned with a letter: "Grandma, it's from Jinling."

"Oh?" Li Wan took the letter and opened it to examine it. It would have been fine if she hadn't read it, but after reading it, her brows furrowed.

This letter, written by his mother, Liang, stated two things: First, it was his father, Li Shouzhong, who came up with the idea of ​​sending the Diamond Sutra to the capital, and not his mother.

Because this item is a priceless treasure, Li Shouzhong has been feeling increasingly useless lately, and is afraid that this item will bring disaster to the Li family after his death.

Secondly, the maid in the study leaked the news, and his brother Li Chongming got the news. He has been making a fuss over the past two days and is threatening to go to the capital to pursue the suspect.

Li Wan and Li Chongming are half-sisters with a full twenty years of age difference. Li Chongming is neither good at literature nor martial arts, but he has a strong desire to be an official. For years, he has been urging his father to find him an official position.

No one knows a son better than his father. Li Shouzhong knew that Li Chongming was useless, so he simply kept him by his side to prevent him from going out and causing trouble.

Unexpectedly, Li Chongming had long been eyeing the Diamond Sutra, hoping to gain official promotion by offering it as a token of good fortune. That was why Li Shouzhong had sent it to Li Wan.

Li Wan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry after reading this. She knew Li Chongming's temper very well and was afraid that her parents would not be able to stop him no matter what they did. It was possible that Li Chongming had already rushed to the capital... There would be trouble in the future!
"Mom, what did Grandma say?"

Li Wan came back to her senses and quickly put away the letter, forcing a smile and saying, "It was just some family talk, nothing more."

Jia Lan did not suspect anything, so he went to the study, picked up the book, and began to read it with his head shaking.

Li Wan, however, sat upright, her brow furrowing again. Because her husband, Jia Zhu, had died young, her mother-in-law, Lady Wang, had been extremely displeased with her, believing it was because she had neglected to discipline Jia Zhu, allowing him to indulge in sensual pleasures and thus causing his health to be drained.

In fact, most of those concubines and maids were sent by the old lady and Mrs. Wang. Whenever Li Wan said something, she would be blocked back by saying something about the old lady and the lady.

Her husband Jia Zhu is obsessed with beauty. Li Wan has tried to persuade him several times, but instead of listening, Jia Zhu becomes even colder towards her... What else can Li Wan do?
My mother-in-law doesn't like me and my son, so she has been staying at home and teaching Lan Ge'er carefully. She thought that when Lan Ge'er becomes successful in the future, she will have finally made it. But who knew that this time, trouble would arise again!
My eldest brother Li Chongming is a reckless person. If this matter gets out, everyone in the family will know that he has exchanged 70,000 taels of silver...how will they feel?

The Rongguo Mansion had spent all its money on garden construction and visits to relatives, and I was afraid that its foundation had been completely depleted. Mrs. Wang didn't like me, so what if she had evil intentions for these 70,000 taels?

Li Wan was at a loss, and could not think of a solution no matter how hard she thought. Suddenly, she remembered Chen Siyuan, and an idea suddenly occurred to her. She thought to herself: Brother Yuan always has a lot of ideas. Why not go find him in a few days to ask about it?
Li Wan had always been cautious, and considering Chen Siyuan was busy with his business, she feared he couldn't afford to be distracted for the time being. Li Chongming wouldn't arrive for some time anyway, so why not wait a few days and then seek out Brother Yuan for advice?

............................................................

But Chen Siyuan came out from Li Wan's place and thought that he had borrowed 40,000 silver taels. He still had more than 10,000 silver taels on hand. To be on the safe side, he only needed to ask Aunt Xue for 30,000 taels of silver.

Just as he was about to move towards the small courtyard in the northeast, a master and a servant came out from the west corner door. They were Baochai and Ying'er.

When the two met and looked at each other, Sister Bao looked puzzled.

Since this place was in front of the main gate of the Grand View Garden, with many servants coming and going, the two of them greeted each other politely.

Chen Siyuan then smiled and said, "What a coincidence! I was just about to go look for my concubine, and Sister Bao, what's going on?"

Ying'er said, "Our young lady just went to Miss Lin to read for a while, and when she saw that Miss Lin was tired, she returned."

Sister Bao is really good at balancing things. On one hand, she takes care of Xing Xiuyan, and on the other hand, she has to think about Sister Lin.

Chen Siyuan was delighted and gave Sister Bao a look.

Sister Bao looked calm and invited Chen Siyuan to go with her.

Because the east corner gate passed through Mrs. Wang's backyard, the two of them walked around and entered the Grand View Garden first. Not far away, they saw a side gate in the northeast courtyard connecting to the garden.

Not only that, there was also a side door inside the wall in the backyard where Aunt Xue lived.

Chen Siyuan asked curiously, "When did the side door open?"

Sister Bao said, "It's been two days. It's not a big project. It will be finished in three or five days."

At this moment, Tongxi came to greet her, and Baochai asked, "Is mother here?"

Tongxi replied, "My wife is suffering from spring sleepiness and has only slept for two minutes."

Sister Bao stopped, her heart filled with joy, but she frowned and said, "In that case, Brother Yuan, shall we go to the front and talk first?"

"Okay, guests are welcome to do as you please."

The two of them then walked through the east hall to the main room in the front. After the host and guest were seated, Ying'er said to her companion, "Sister, just take care of the lady. I'll be here."

Tonggui smiled and agreed, then went back. Ying'er, very tactful, went to the porch to keep watch, leaving only Chen Siyuan and Baochai inside.

Chen Siyuan looked up and saw that Sister Bao was wearing a pale yellow double-breasted jacket with a pink floral pattern, a tea-white tube top underneath, and a long skirt embroidered with pink orchids. A pearl hairpin with emerald green was in her hair, and palace flowers were adorned on her temples. Her pretty face was fair with a rosy glow, her watery almond eyes sparkled, and her red lips were slightly puckered, a look that seemed to indicate both anger and joy.

"precious--"

"How did I see her coming out of Sister Zhu's room just now?"

The two spoke at the same time, and Chen Siyuan stopped talking and replied, "I borrowed some money from my sister-in-law."

Baochai said worriedly, "Since you are short of money, why don't you tell me? I have at least sixty or seventy thousand silver coins at home; you might as well take it all... It's a pity that mother said I couldn't lend it for free."

Even if this old house were on fire, it couldn't compare to the love of a young girl. Bao-jie was now obsessed with becoming Mrs. Chen. Although Aunt Xue was very obsessed with it, she was very calculating when it came to money.

Last time we agreed to borrow 20,000 yuan, and the total interest for five years would be 10,000 yuan, which is already extremely rare... The annual interest is only 10%.

Chen Siyuan thought about it and realized that it was fortunate that Aunt Xue recognized money. If she took the initiative to say that she didn't want the interest, it would probably arouse Sister Bao's suspicion.

After a pause, Sister Bao continued, "How much do you still need now?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Not bad at all. If it weren't for the need for safety, there would be no need to borrow money from the concubine this time. Just collecting the capital would be enough."

Sister Bao was stunned and asked, "How much did you ask your eldest sister-in-law?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and pointed at four fingers, which immediately made Sister Bao surprised and said, "Sister Zhu is so rich? I really didn't expect it."

Chen Siyuan didn't explain, thinking that Aunt Xue might arrive someday. He said hurriedly, "I'll discuss this with my concubine later. I'll tell her that we're short-handed and need someone to take care of the accounts."

Baochai blinked, immediately understanding what he meant. Aunt Xue was originally a woman in the inner chambers, and she was forced to manage the family business. Every year, Baochai usually helped with the annual accounting. Otherwise, the Xue family's wealth would have been eroded by those shopkeepers long ago.

Chen Siyuan ostensibly asked Aunt Xue to handle the accounts, but wasn't it actually Baojie who was actually in charge? With hundreds of thousands of silver dollars involved, the accounts were numerous, and he'd probably have to leave the house frequently to check them. So... wouldn't the two of them have more opportunities to see each other outside?

Sister Bao was delighted to learn this. After a moment's reflection, she added, "It's not a good idea to say this now. Why not wait until tomorrow, when you're really too busy, and then go talk to my mother."

Chen Siyuan thought about it and nodded in agreement: "Okay."

Since it was not appropriate to talk about anything else at this time and here, the two of them exchanged glances.

After a while, Sister Bao said, "Yes, it's Second Sister's birthday in two days. Don't forget to prepare a gift." After Chen Siyuan agreed, Sister Bao continued, "You can't give her something new every time. It's not a birthday. Just give something fun. If you make it a big deal every time, the sisters won't know how to respond."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Sister, you are absolutely right. I have prepared a sandalwood fan this time."

As they were talking, they suddenly heard someone outside happily say, "The wife is here."

Chen Siyuan and Sister Bao hurriedly got up. They heard hurried footsteps and saw Aunt Xue leading the maids and old women in a hurry through the window.

He took a quick look inside and said with a forced smile, "I was so sleepy just now, it's Brother Lao Yuan who kept me waiting for a while longer."

Sister Bao gave up the main seat and quietly came to the opposite side of Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan said it was fine and sat down again. Aunt Xue drank half a cup of tea before asking, "Brother Yuan, what is going on this time?"

Chen Siyuan suddenly said solemnly, "Madam, please ask the attendants to leave."

Aunt Xue waved her hand sternly, and Tongxi, Tonggui, Ying'er and others all left, leaving only three people inside.

Chen Siyuan said, "I will go to the inner court tomorrow to finalize this matter. This time I will ask my concubine for the money."

"Oh?" Aunt Xue asked knowingly, "Have you figured out the recipe?"

"That's right, but this matter must be kept secret for the time being. I will bring the item to my concubine to see after the important matter is finalized."

Aunt Xue and Sister Bao had different thoughts. They both said that they had seen the real thing again, but they still pretended to be surprised.

Aunt Xue pressed him with a few random questions, then said, "Never mind. I don't understand this business either. I trust Brother Yuan." After a pause, she added, "How about withdrawing 40,000 taels this time?"

Chen Siyuan said, "I have some money saved, so I only need 30,000." "Oh?" Aunt Xue frowned, thinking to herself, "Who got the advantage of being short of 10,000?" The next time she saw the young man alone, she would have to ask him carefully.

Chen Siyuan said to Sister Bao, "Please bring me some writing brush and ink."

Baochai agreed and went to the study to get brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, then ground some ink for him herself. A moment later, Chen Siyuan took up his pen and wrote a share subscription agreement and a loan agreement in duplicate, signing and sealing each with Aunt Xue. Aunt Xue then brought the 30,000 taels of banknotes she had prepared, and the deal was sealed.

Chen Siyuan didn't stop after receiving the banker's ticket. He said to Aunt Xue, "Well, I'll leave first. I'll come and tell Aunt Xue in person if there's any result tomorrow."

Aunt Xue was reluctant to see him off, so Baochai volunteered, "I'll go see Brother Yuan off."

Aunt Xue did not suspect anything, so Baochai sent Chen Siyuan out through the side door at the back.

Ying'er was very tactful and followed from a distance behind. The small passage between the house and the wall was narrow, so the two who were originally half a step apart got closer and closer.

Sister Bao felt something strange and was about to slow down and let Chen Siyuan go first, but suddenly her left hand was grabbed by him.

Sister Bao let out a low exclamation and looked at Chen Siyuan with a reproachful look.

Chen Siyuan turned his head and blinked, then whispered, "You'll have to work harder in the future, sister."

Sister Bao felt relieved, knowing that Chen Siyuan was talking about more than just the accounting. She had been visiting Xing Xiuyan and Sister Lin frequently lately, quietly teaching a bunch of ignorant old women a lesson and carefully counseling Sister Lin several times. Such virtuous behavior deserved the word "hard work".

Suddenly, she felt her palm being tickled. Her cheeks flushed instantly and she said, "Ying'er is still watching..."

"She won't tell anyone."

Sister Bao then fell silent. Chen Siyuan knew it was not a good idea to stay long, so he briefly held Baochai's hand and then said goodbye.

Sister Bao leaned against the doorway and watched Chen Siyuan walk away at a brisk pace. She only withdrew her gaze after he had crossed the Qinfang Sluice Bridge. She closed the door and glanced back at Ying'er, who jokingly said, "Miss, I didn't see anything just now."

"Speak up."

Sister Bao paused for a moment, waiting for the fever in her ears to subside, before hurriedly returning to the main room at the back. Meanwhile, Aunt Xue had returned and was sitting on the couch, frowning in thought.

After seeing Baochai and asking a few questions, he frowned and said, "Brother Yuan originally wanted to borrow 20,000 silver coins, but now he only borrowed 10,000... Who do you think lent him so much silver?"

Of course it’s the eldest sister-in-law Li Wan.

Sister Bao knew the truth, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Aunt Xue. If her mother let it slip, and Aunt Wang got to know the news, who knows what kind of trouble it would cause.

Aunt Xue said, "Never mind. We'll find out sooner or later anyway." She thought to herself that next time they met, she would ask her young lover in detail.

............................................................

But Chen Siyuan returned to his own courtyard, ordered Wu'er to lock the door, and then handed over 70,000 taels of banknotes to Hongyu and Xiangling for safekeeping. Hongyu and Xiangling were immediately frightened and speechless for a moment.

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "This is a banknote, not a silver note. What are you afraid of?"

What's the difference between a Zhuangpiao and a Yinpiao? Sometimes, the two are just different names. However, in Dashun, Zhuangpiao is mostly used for large-denomination certificates of deposit, and requires a matching seal when withdrawing. Yinpiao is more like a bearer certificate of deposit, with a maximum denomination of 1,000 taels, and anything larger is rare.

Hongyu couldn't help but say angrily, "Master, you're talking lightly, this is 70,000 taels!"

They dragged Xiangling over to the west wing, and after a long search through all the boxes and cabinets, they finally found a place to hide her. The other girls were worried that the west wing would need someone to stay, so they arranged for them to take turns looking after her.

While they were discussing, they suddenly heard a knock on the door, and Yunxiang said, "Master, Sister Miao'er is here."

Xiangling, Hongyu and Liu Wu'er were just muttering to each other when they were frightened by Yunxiang's shout.

Hongyu couldn't help but scold, "You're courting death! Just spread the word in the courtyard, who are you trying to scare?"

Yunxiang responded vaguely. In fact, she came over to watch out of curiosity. However, she only saw the three of them huddled together and whispering, and she really couldn't figure out what was going on.

Hongyu then opened the door and ushered Miao'er in. Miao'er came in and said, "Brother, our mistress invites you to come over and have dinner with us."

Chen Siyuan was very puzzled and asked, "Is there something else?"

Miao'er covered her mouth and laughed, "I don't know about that...but from what Madam said, it seems that we have to go to the Niangniang Temple to fulfill our vows on the third day of the New Year."

Chen Siyuan nodded in agreement, gave a few brief instructions, and then followed Miao'er to the east side of the courtyard. As soon as they entered the Grand View Garden, Miao'er would occasionally glance over.

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Sister, why are you looking at me?"

Miao'er chuckled and said, "Madam said I only need to bring one this time, and she'll give me three days off."

Chen Siyuan understood Ya's intention and asked, "So, how are you planning to spend the next three days, sister?"

"I will definitely go home and take a look on the first day."

"In the next two days."

"Not ready yet."

Seeing that no one was around, Chen Siyuan quietly tugged at her hand and whispered, "Shall I take you to the Imperial Household Department in the next two days?"

Miao'er was very shy, but she finally responded in a low voice.

Soon, the two entered the black oil gate and passed through the three-tiered ceremonial gate. Chen Siyuan turned his head to look around. Xing Xiuyan was there that day, but Xing Zhenshi and Xing Zhong were also there, so he couldn't come over to see his cousin.

In a moment, he passed behind the screen and entered the main room, where the table had already been laid out. The dishes looked ordinary, except for the addition of a pot of wine.

Chen Siyuan came forward and greeted her. Madam Xing then said, "I've been busy taking care of my fourth brother these days, so I haven't had a meal with him in a while. Come on, sit down, and we'll talk while we eat."

The Rongguo Mansion always emphasized the importance of not talking while eating or sleeping, but Madam Xing didn't care about that. Chen Siyuan sat down and only had the maids wait on him briefly before Madam Xing sent them all away.

As soon as the man left, Madam Xing personally poured wine for him and whispered, "It's settled. We'll set off on the third day of the new year."

Chen Siyuan said, "I just heard from Miao'er."

Madam Xing frowned and said with disdain, "He really did ask Lian'er to accompany him!"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I'm just a fake nephew. How can I compare to a biological son?"

Mrs. Xing snorted twice, still feeling sullen. After a moment, she added, "I've specially kept Miao'er's little hoof here and given her three days off. You'd better take advantage of it."

"Don't worry."

Mrs. Xing sighed, thinking to herself that if they hadn't really been together, why would she resort to such a desperate measure? Then, remembering that the second day of the Lunar New Year was the day Yingchun gave birth to a child, Mrs. Xing said, "I've adopted the second young lady, and I plan to have a good time in the East Cross Courtyard on the second day of the Lunar New Year. You can come too."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, is Mrs. Xing still trying to help him and Yingchun get together? Some things are hard to say. Baochai is the niece of the second wife. If he reveals it, Mrs. Xing will definitely find him and make a fuss.

Because it was Chen Siyuan, he said vaguely, "I'm afraid I don't have time... Once I have the money, I will go to the inner court tomorrow. I think it will take some time to finalize this matter."

Mrs. Xing blinked, puzzled, "Have you collected enough? If you've collected enough, how are you going to sell it?"

Chen Siyuan was at a loss for words, and he quickly explained the situation in detail. Only then did Mrs. Xing understand. It turned out that Chen Siyuan had borrowed money to buy the shares in order to get a high price, then immediately sold the finished product, attracting a large crowd. Only then did he sell the shares at a high price.

After Chen Siyuan finished speaking, Madam Xing immediately giggled like a fox. She was more interested in making more money than arranging marriages.

As the saying goes, even a fool may make a thousand mistakes, but he may still make one right. Mrs. Xing laughed and suddenly said, "That's great! Who knows, maybe the eldest master will take the initiative to match you with the second young lady in a while."

Chen Siyuan blinked, then suddenly realized: Yes, Jia She, that stupid bastard, is always greedy for money. How could he remain indifferent when he had invested over a hundred thousand silver coins in his business? Maybe he was going to use Yingchun as a carrot to tug at his own expense again!
But he already has Sister Bao, so how could he be willing to deliberately act like a fool? I'm afraid the master is really going crazy this time!

Mrs. Xing and Chen Siyuan had a long discussion, and only after they had eaten and drunk their fill did she let Chen Siyuan go home. As it was getting late, Chen Siyuan did not go to look for Xing Xiuyan.

That night, Chen Siyuan slept soundly, but Hongyu, Xiangling and Wu'er were unable to sleep. They would often look under the box, fearing that the 70,000 taels of banknotes had disappeared.

The next day, the three girls all had red eyes from staying up late.

Chen Siyuan felt both distressed and amused. He got up early, ate a quick meal, and hurried out with the banknotes in his pocket, leaving Hongyu, Xiangling, and Wu'er to catch up on their sleep.

He returned to his new house first, sent his third sister to withdraw 10,000 taels of silver, and waited until the afternoon before he took a carriage to the inner palace.

When he arrived at the inner court, he went to the gatekeepers to negotiate, intending to find the doctor Zhai Kui to take him to finalize the rubber emulsion matter. But after waiting for a cup of tea, Zhai Kui did not come to invite him. Instead, a minor official hurried out and bowed to Chen Siyuan, saying, "Chen Xiaolian, the prince invites you!"

After a while, he entered the second hall and saw Prince Ping of Yan, dressed in a bright red python robe, sitting crookedly behind a table, looking at him with a frown.

Chen Siyuan did not dare to neglect and hurried forward to greet him. The King of Yanping then asked, "Are you here to see Zhai Kui? Is there something you want?"

Chen Siyuan blinked and thought to himself that the noble Prince Yanping was very busy, so maybe he had forgotten about the latex.

Without him having to speak, a eunuch beside him whispered something in his ear, and then the King of Yanping said, "Is it about the latex?"

"My lord, that's right."

King Ping of Yan was amused and said, "Since you haven't come to see me since the first month of the year, I thought Shu's conscience had repented and he didn't dare to come to see me."

"The prince is joking."

King Ping of Yan said, "Stop talking nonsense. What have you made with that latex?"

"This..." Chen Siyuan thought to himself, we have to finalize it first, right?

"Tsk!" Prince Ping of Yan pointed at Chen Siyuan and said to his attendants, "Look, he must have found something valuable. He's probably afraid I'll snatch it away. Anyway, someone come and take Chen Xiaolian to finalize the deal on the latex."

Immediately, the person in charge came out and took Chen Siyuan to the back to get the document signed.

As the saying goes, it is easier to get things done when you have someone in charge, and Chen Siyuan didn't need to work hard. The clerks would present all the documents to him. Chen Siyuan only had to pay 70,000 yuan in bills and sign his name.

The written agreement was finalized in less than half an hour. Chen Siyuan wasn't in a hurry to see King Ping of Yan. He smiled and said to Huang, "Huang, I've been checking around. It seems that in addition to Zheng He Island, the Imperial Household also has over a thousand acres of rubber forest in Qiongya."

Huang, the chief, was amused and asked, "Why, Chen Xiaolian wants to take over the business too?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I'd like to, but I'm short on cash... I wonder if I can cover the entire output for two years?"

Huang, the chief official, recounted the details: "Qiongya has a total of 1,200 mu of rubber forests, not as large as Zheng He Island. Each year, it produces only a little over 100,000 jin of rubber, worth 4,000 taels of silver."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly pulled out a stack of banknotes from his sleeve, shocking Huang Zhushi so much that his eyes twitched! He thought to himself, "Wow, this Chen Xiaolian is really the Tao Zhugong of the time. He took out 70,000 taels of banknotes before, and now he took out tens of thousands of banknotes without blinking an eye!"
This person is so optimistic about it, maybe the latex will be of great use in the future!
Huang, the official, was also a shrewd man. He immediately said, "Well... Chen Xiaolian, don't worry. This matter must be reported to the prince before it can be dealt with. I really can't make a decision."

Chen Siyuan sighed inwardly, knowing that he could not get what he wanted, so he smiled and returned to the second hall in front with Master Huang.

When he met King Ping of Yan again, Chen Siyuan said, "I have made a real thing. It is in the carriage outside. I will go get it right away."

King Ping of Yan waved his hand and said, "Send a few people to follow."

At that moment, several minor officials and guards followed Chen Siyuan out.

As soon as he left, Huang, the official, hurried to find Prince Ping of Yan to report. Prince Ping twirled his beard, frowned, and gasped, "Where did Chen Shuliang get the silver? Did he coax Li away?"

Huang Zhushi kept silent, his nose watching his mouth, his mouth watching his heart. This prince was unreliable and would tell anything, so how could he dare to respond casually?
A moment later, a guard quickly entered, clasped his fists, and said, "Your Highness, Chen Xiaolian has brought in a carriage. Please come over and take a look."

"He's talking nonsense." After muttering to himself, King Ping of Yan lazily stood up and walked out in a moment. When he looked up, he saw a cart parked in front of the second hall.

It looks the same as any other car, the only difference is that there is a black object wrapped around the wheels.

Prince Ping of Yan was confused and asked, "Chen Shuliang, what exactly is your name?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Please take a seat, Your Majesty. I will have someone take it for a ride and we will know the truth."

The ground in front of the two halls is paved with bluestone slabs, which were used in the Ming Dynasty. From a distance, it looks relatively flat, but in fact it is bumpy and uneven.

Prince Ping of Yan was also a playful person, so he immediately got on the cart and sent two guards to tow it. At first, he didn't notice anything, but after it turned half a circle, Prince Ping of Yan suddenly realized: "Wow, this cart is stable, it seems to be better than my carriage!"

(End of this chapter)