Chapter 1555: Hold on to the End
Wherever there are people, there are charlatans and lakes, and where there are charlatans and lakes, there must be all kinds of charlatanism. Especially a group like the Haihan people, who are known for their wealth and wealth, are naturally more likely to attract all kinds of scammers. Bold scammers, driven by huge profits, often ignore the serious consequences of being discovered and choose to take risks.
Cao Lu, who pretended to be an imperial merchant, was this kind of person. He was originally a eunuch who came out of the palace. He knew a little bit about the various rules in the palace and the situation of the royal family. It was not easy to fool ordinary people, so he chose Such a unique approach. Most people would never expect that someone would dare to cheat under the banner of the royal family, and Cao Lu and others took advantage of this mentality to pretend to be royal merchants. This group of people had a record of success in other places in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. This time they heard that high-ranking officials from Haihan were meeting businessmen in Ningbo, and those with government backgrounds were given priority. So Cao Lu and others planned to come and hang out in the name of imperial merchants. .
They didn't really expect to reach any cooperation agreement with Haihan. After all, this was just a shell gang and there was no real business in operation. But they had roughly heard about the meetings and discussions between some senior officials of Haihan and local businessmen, and knew that Haihan was planning to operate a large number of industries in Zhejiang, so they thought of taking advantage of the recently hyped Xiangshan Saltworks to use the royal merchants' power. Identity discusses cooperation with Haihan. This group of people has neither channels nor capital. Of course, it is impossible to really win the salt sales agent. Instead, as Shi Diwen said, they plan to use this result after negotiating a preliminary agreement with Haihan. Defraud those related downstream industries and defraud money from other businessmen.
This idea is actually quite feasible, because Haihan always likes to choose businessmen with official background as partners when conducting trade in the Ming Dynasty, so as to gain channels and connections with the government. The identity of the imperial merchants faked by Cao Lu and his group can be said to be very specific to Haihan's habits, and it is difficult to verify their identities in a short period of time. After all, Cao Lu claims to be from Nanjing, and Nanjing to Ningbo The straight-line distance is more than 700 miles. Even if Haihan wants to send someone to Nanjing to verify his identity, it cannot be done in two or three days. Such a long time is enough for Cao Lu and others to implement the plan.
However, Cao Lu and his group probably didn't expect that General Haihan named Shi was not a martial artist who knew nothing about commerce or diplomacy, but a very shrewd jack-of-all-trades. Even when it came to matters related to the royal family, Shi Diwen was very clear. Cao Lu was ill-prepared for this, and the talking points he knew to intimidate Shi Diwen were of no use at all. Instead, they were slowly exposed under Shi Diwen's seemingly careless questions.
Shi Diwen's understanding of the Ming Dynasty royal family actually came from the information prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Security. Among the twenty-seven vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty, none of them had their fiefdom in Nanjing. Cao Lu and his gang thought that Haihan didn't know much about the royal family of the Ming Dynasty and could fool him by just making up information about a prince, but they didn't I don't think I can pass Shi Diwen's level at all. The lack of attention to detail finally made it impossible for this group of crooks to escape. Shi Diwen used a few torture methods, but Cao Lu, who couldn't bear the pain, resorted to all of them. Shi Diwen also specially ordered someone to escort him to the front yard so that other businessmen waiting outside could see him, so as to deter other people with evil intentions.
As for the subsequent scam designed by Cao Lu and others, naturally there is no way to carry out it. However, Shi Diwen probably couldn't have imagined that among the people waiting in the front yard, there was a person like Zhang Qu, who was almost the same as Cao Lu, but at a lower level. Of course, Zhang Qu's fake identity is of a lower level, which means that the difficulty of playing this identity will be relatively low. Therefore, in the previous conversation with Shi Diwen, Zhang Qu basically did not reveal any obvious flaws. Because Shi Diwen had just caught a fraud gang, his guard was slightly relaxed, and he did not have any doubts about Zhang Qu's identity.
But Zhang Qu's purpose is different from that of Cao Lu's group of crooks. He wants to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with senior officials of Haihan to seek an opportunity to be recruited and enter Haihan's officialdom. Selling the future salt produced by the Xiangshan Salt Farm is not his. The intention was just to use this as a topic to chat with Shi Diwen.
Naturally, Zhang Qu was not willing to discuss the issue of the group of swindlers with Shi Diwen in depth, so he took the initiative to change the subject and said: "Actually, I have admired Haihan for a long time. If my family hadn't stopped me, I might have applied for a job in your country long ago. Recruited.”
"Recruiting?" Shi Diwen was really interested when he heard this and asked proactively: "What position does Boss Zhang intend to apply for?"
"I also took the imperial examination in my early years, and there was a scholar with a good reputation. I heard that your country particularly favors scholars with a good reputation, so I have always wanted to give it a try." Seeing Shi Diwen answer, Zhang Qu hurriedly added He said the words he had thought of and looked at Shi Diwen with an expectant look. He came here pretending to be an official and businessman, and his purpose was to ask the senior officials of Haihan to show him a clear path.
Scholars in the Ming Dynasty could only enter the officialdom if they passed the imperial examination. However, because the population under Haihan's rule was limited and the popularity of education was not high enough, there was a great demand for the appointment of scholars, which inevitably led to relatively lower requirements. However, Zhang Qu I have heard many rumors such as "a scholar becomes a county magistrate" and "a man is elected to manage a state". This kind of rumors made Ming literati prosper in the officialdom after taking refuge in Haihan. Zhang Qu was actually a little obsessed with being an official in his heart. Even if he couldn't be an official in the Ming Dynasty, being an official in another country seemed to be a way to achieve his wish.
What's more, today's Haihan is not a small foreign country, but a powerful country in the Far East that can truly compete with the Ming Dynasty. With the speed of Haihan's development and expansion, the demand for officials is very large. Of course, the prospect of becoming an official in this country is Very nice. Although Zhang Qu had no experience in politics in the past, he thought that after so many years of reading the books of sages and sages, he didn't understand the principles of the world, so it would be easy for him to become a minor official in Haihan.
However, Shi Diwen's next response made him slightly disappointed: "A scholar? I don't know if Boss Zhang has ever done errands like a master or a clerk in a government office in the past. I mean he can really get in touch with the local government." That kind of position in government affairs.”
Regarding Shi Diwen's question, Zhang Qu wanted to brag, but he didn't dare to do so, because as long as Shi Diwen asked for details, his true face of having no experience in governance would be immediately exposed. So although Zhang Qu was unwilling to give up, he could only honestly admit that he had no experience in this area.
"Is that boss good at arithmetic calculations? There are many departments in our country that need talents who are proficient in calculations. For example, the Ministry of Commerce, which is responsible for handling trade affairs, has many vacancies." Shi Diwen continued to ask without any discouragement. .
"I'm probably not good at this..." Zhang Qu's heart sank again. He does know that Haihan people are generally good at calculation, otherwise they would not be able to build a country based on business. This kind of request made by Shi Diwen is not too much, but it is Zhang Qu's shortcoming, and there is no way to fool it.
Shi Diwen didn't expect that this man, who didn't have much to offer, could actually express his desire to join the officialdom of Haihan in front of him. He really thought that if he knew a few big characters and read the Four Books and Five Classics in a few days, he would be able to work in Haihan. Become an official? Even if you want to be a village chief, you must at least know basic administrative management and agricultural knowledge. This person has no political experience and is not good at magic, so it is impossible for him to find a better place.
"What skills does Boss Zhang have that he's good at?" Shi Diwen asked patiently. "I will read the classics and history carefully and understand how to govern the country, so that I can make suggestions for your country." Zhang Qu finally had the opportunity to praise himself, but unfortunately Shi Diwen didn't listen to a few words, and an impatient look appeared on his face.
"Hmm... Well... Judging from Boss Zhang's situation, you can probably apply to the Ministry of Education in our country to see which level of academy is suitable for you to be a teacher." Shi Diwen could think of the most suitable job for Zhang Qu. It can only be like this. After all, he is a person who has passed the examination as a scholar, and his cultural foundation should be no problem. At least teaching reading and literacy should not be a big problem. However, the treatment of this kind of errand is definitely not as good as being an official. Most of them are not comfortable in Zhejiang.
For a businessman like Zhang Qu who had a certain official background, Shi Diwen thought that he would not be so humble as to be a teacher in Haihan. As for what Zhang Qu said about governing the country and giving advice, Shi Diwen automatically filtered it out. How to develop the Haihan Kingdom has its own executive committee and many time travelers to jointly plan it. How can it be the turn of people of this era to express their opinions? , not to mention he is just a scholar with no experience in governing. Wouldn't it be a joke to let him participate in running the country?
Shi Diwen even thought that if the Ming literati were like this man and felt that they were the pillars of the country after reading a few collections of classics and history, then it would be no wonder that this huge empire has been in decline.
Zhang Qu was naturally disappointed when he heard such an answer. If he just wanted to be a teacher in an academy, then why would he bother pursuing an opportunity to join Haihan. As the saying goes, those who have learned literature and martial arts will be sold to the emperor's family. Zhang Qu naturally hopes that the knowledge he possesses will win the favor of high-ranking officials in Haihan, and then directly appoint him an official on the spot and leave the Ming Dynasty in glory. But the reality was obviously cruel. The senior official of Haihan in front of him obviously did not realize his value, and there was even an unconcealable contempt in his tone. Zhang Qu was so angry that he secretly called Shi Diwen a "reckless man" in his heart.
Obviously, the demands of both parties are not consistent when it comes to becoming an official in Haihan. What Shi Diwen needs is a talent with real materials, not such a scholar who only talks about rhetoric; and Zhang Qu thinks he has a lot of money. I have the ability, but I just can't meet Bole who knows the goods. The two people's values on this matter are so different that there is no possibility of them talking about being together.
It's just that Zhang Qu is not reconciled to such a result. He wants to be an official and even takes risks to come here to recommend himself. If Shi Diwen dismisses him with just a few words, then wouldn't this trip be in vain? .
Zhang Qu plucked up the courage and said to Shi Diwen: "General Shi, I have admired Haihan for a long time and have always hoped to serve Haihan, but I have never been able to get in. Maybe there is someone more suitable for me than an academy teacher." Position? ”
Of course, Shi Diwen also noticed that the attitude of the man in front of him was a bit strange. When other businessmen came in to see him, they all took the time to talk about business, hoping to complete the trade negotiations with Haihan within the specified time. Only this man seemed not to He did not take the salt business mentioned earlier too seriously, but showed great interest in joining Haihan. To be precise, it seems that he is interested in becoming an official in Haihan.
Shi Diwen has been in Zhejiang for such a long time that he has met a lot of all kinds of people, including some "official fans" like You Zhangqu, who only wants to go to Haihan to become an official. If it had been two years earlier, Haihan would have naturally ignored the situation and collected the people first. Nowadays, although various government departments still have a huge demand for personnel, the corresponding requirements have also increased a lot. It is not like in the past that anyone who can come is welcome as long as they are literate. If you want to be an official, you must at least have a certain foundation.
Of course, it is not impossible for Shi Diwen to accept a situation like Zhang Qu's, but he must first be sent to Sanya for a period of government training, and then distributed there based on the training results. If you have excellent grades and good personal conditions, it is not impossible to directly appoint a local official such as a county magistrate. But Shi Diwen didn't quite understand why this man was so obsessed with being an official. There were obviously better choices in front of him, such as becoming Haihan's partner.
Shi Diwen thought about it in his mind, and then responded to Zhang Qu: "Things are not as simple as you think. Even if someone who has served as an official in the Ming Dynasty comes to our country to resume his old career, it will still take a period of time to get started. The training must be assessed and certified by the training institution. I’m afraid that Boss Zhang will lose his patience after a few days. Wouldn’t that be a waste of everyone’s time?”
When Zhang Qu heard that things were about to turn around, he immediately expressed his position: "Training is no problem! What I lack is administrative experience. I believe that the training provided by your country must have this aspect. As long as I have the ability to do something, If I get promoted, I believe I will be qualified for more positions in your country.”
Shi Diwen finally understood that this person was not only an official fan, but also an extremely persistent person who would try his best to break into officialdom before he would give up. This probably meant that he didn't win the imperial examination. If he had won the imperial examination and had the opportunity to serve as an official in the Ming Dynasty, he would definitely not choose the development direction of Haihan. But since the other party has expressed such a strong intention, it would be too unkind if Shi Diwen did not leave the other party with the opportunity to receive training.
"How about this? You register here first. When there is a boat to Zhoushan tomorrow, you can follow it. Someone will naturally receive you there and arrange the follow-up matters." Shi Diwen decided to give him a certificate. own opportunity.
(End of chapter)