Beiyang Dream

Chapter 36 This is my future purse!

Guo Shigui clutched the "tea money" note, his palm trembling with fear. He stared at Chang Desheng, wanting to say something, but unsure how to begin.

Chang Desheng leaned back in his mahogany chair, crossing his legs.

"Brother Jichuan," his voice was languid, "what's wrong? Is money burning your hands?"

Guo Shigui was startled, looked up at him, and chuckled dryly, "No, no... I just feel that this money... is too generous."

"Is it really that bad?" Chang Desheng laughed. "If you think it's too bad, give it to me, I won't mind."

Guo Shigui quickly stuffed the envelope into his pocket, his movements so fast it was like he was snatching it. Afterward, he felt ashamed; wasn't this an admission of embezzlement?

Chang Desheng looked at his demeanor and couldn't help but find it amusing.

Old Guo is timid and greedy, but also a bit of a bookish pedant. We need to take drastic measures to cure his "pedantry." Otherwise, he might back down at any time when it comes to high-risk businesses like arms smuggling.

"Master Zhang," Chang Desheng turned to Zhang Zhensheng with a smile, "does your house have a quiet room? I'd like to have a few words with Brother Jichuan."

Zhang Zhensheng raised his eyes and smiled: "Yes, on the third floor, in Jingrou's study, the quietest place."

Luo Jingrou stood up and nodded to Chang and Guo: "Mr. Chang, Mr. Guo, this way please."

......

The study on the third floor is about ten square meters, facing south, with a small garden outside the window. The bookshelves are full of books, in German, English, and Chinese. The desk is made of mahogany, with the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper) on it, as well as an open copy of "Faust".

Chang Desheng thought to himself: This rich young woman is quite diligent. But reading *Faust*... is she trying to make a deal with the devil?

Luo Jingrou led them in, said "Please take your time chatting," and then left, closing the door behind her.

Only Chang Desheng and Guo Shigui remained in the room.

Guo Shigui plopped down in the chair opposite the desk.

Chang Desheng calmly pulled out another chair and sat down, then looked at Guo Shigui: "Brother Jichuan, just say what you have to say, there are no outsiders here."

Guo Shigui took a deep breath, leaned forward, and lowered his voice, as if he were doing something wrong:

"Zhenbang... what exactly is this arms company you told Fifth Master about?"

Chang Desheng blinked: "An arms company, of course, buys and sells arms."

"Where to sell them?"

"Sell wherever the money is."

Guo Shigui grew impatient: "Stop trying to fool me! I'm asking... where will these weapons end up?"

Chang Desheng stared at him for a full three seconds, then slowly uttered a few words:

"The Dutch East Indies".

Guo Shigui's face turned pale instantly.

"The Dutch East Indies?" His voice trembled. "That's...that's Dutch territory! Smuggling weapons there is...that's a capital offense!"

"Who's going to kill them?" Chang Desheng chuckled. "The Dutch? This company is based in Germany, with shares held by foreigners on its behalf. The nominal manager and assistant manager are also foreigners... Brother Jichuan, you're the counselor at the Qing Dynasty's embassy in Germany; you have immunity. How did the Dutch manage to trace it back to you?"

"If we can't kill the Dutch, can't the imperial court?" Guo Shigui's eyes were bloodshot. "Colluding with foreign powers and smuggling arms are capital offenses!"

"The imperial court can't kill us either." Chang Desheng shook his head. "We are Beiyang people. As long as the Grand Secretary protects us, the imperial court can't do anything about it."

Guo Shigui was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "But what makes the Grand Secretary protect us? Just because we helped him... make the old lady happy?"

"That's just one thing," Chang Desheng lowered his voice, "The more important thing is that we co-founded this arms company with Master Zhang."

Guo Shigui stared at him, wide-eyed: "What do you mean?"

Chang Desheng smiled wryly: "Brother Jichuan, think about it carefully. Aren't the Zhang Zhensheng family and the Luo Jingrou family exceptionally wealthy?"

Guo Shigui nodded: "Of course!"

"What's their real purpose in setting up this arms company?" Chang Desheng prompted him. "Is it to smuggle arms from Germany to Southeast Asia and sell them to wealthy Chinese merchants so they can protect themselves?"

Guo Shigui thought for a moment: "Most likely."

"But the arms company can't get export licenses from the Germans." Chang Desheng tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "We'll have to rely on the cooperation of our Beiyang Army—that is, the two of us—to get the goods out under the guise of procuring arms. In other words..."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:

"We hold the leverage over the Zhang and Luo families' arms smuggling activities, right?"

Guo Shigui's eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed again: "Yes, yes... but they also have leverage over us! What if they turn on us and expose us..."

"Who are we?" Chang Desheng interrupted him. "How much money do they have? Can we compare? Besides, don't we still have the Grand Secretary?"

"But why does Your Excellency want to protect us?" Guo Shigui still couldn't get past this question.

Chang Desheng sighed inwardly.

This old Guo is not only timid, but also slow-witted, so he had to make his point even clearer:

"Brother Jichuan, let me do some calculations for you."

He held up three fingers.

"First, what does Your Excellency lack most right now? Money. The Beiyang Fleet needs new ships, the Army needs new guns, and the forts in Weihai and Lushun need to be rebuilt. All of these require money. Can the Ministry of Revenue provide it? Will Weng Tonghe provide it?"

Guo Shigui shook his head, "I definitely won't give it to them!"

"Secondly, what does Nanyang have? Money. The Zhang family of Penang has a turnover of more than three million pounds a year just in Europe, which is equivalent to more than ten million taels of silver. A little bit of sand slipping through their fingers is enough for Beiyang to catch its breath."

"Third," Chang Desheng stared at Guo Shigui, "what kind of connection have we made now?"

He asked himself and answered:

"It's a line that can flow silver from the Nanyang Treasury to the Beiyang Treasury, to the Zhongtang (the central government), and to you and me."

Guo Shigui's breathing suddenly became heavy.

He understood.

"You mean..." His throat went dry, "we can... help the Grand Secretary... raise money from Southeast Asia?"

"It's not 'us'," Chang Desheng corrected him. "It's you, Brother Jichuan, who can help the Grand Secretary raise funds. I, your younger brother, am ultimately going to Korea."

He looked at Guo Shigui, his tone as sincere as if he were reporting a project budget:

"Think about it, you're now a counselor at the embassy, ​​a fourth-rank official. You've been in Berlin for over ten years, how many things have you done for His Excellency? But does His Excellency even remember you?"

Guo Shigui's expression changed.

"But if," Chang Desheng changed the subject, "you held this direct line to the Nanyang treasury, and could get 100,000 or 200,000 taels of military funds for the Grand Secretary at any time...would you still be a minor advisor in Berlin?"

He paused, then added:

"You are the 'God of Wealth' who can find military funds for the Grand Secretary. And I am not a lone commissioner in Korea. I am a great general who can expand territory and raise funds on my own."

Guo Shigui stopped talking and just sat there, his face turning pale and then red.

Chang Desheng didn't urge him, leaned back in his chair, and waited.

After a full half minute, Guo Shigui slowly raised his head. He stared at Chang Desheng, his eyes as complex as a palette of colors.

"Zhenbang..." his voice was hoarse, "Are you... really serious?"

"Absolutely true." Chang Desheng nodded. "Brother Jichuan, if this path is successfully established, you won't just be a messenger in Berlin. You'll be the 'money bag' of the Beiyang Army in Southeast Asia. When the Grand Secretary needs to expand the army, acquire more cannons, or pay salaries, you'll be the first person he thinks of."

He paused, then added the last sentence:

"This road is much wider and safer than the road of deceiving the emperor."

Guo Shigui took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.

"Alright!" he uttered, with the ruthless edge of a Tianjin man, "Let's do it!"

Chang Desheng finally felt relieved.

He knew that Lao Guo was truly on board this time. Not coerced, but bound by mutual interests. This kind of ship is the most secure.

......

The two came out of the study and went downstairs.

In the living room, Zhang Zhensheng was still sitting there, half-smoked cigar. Luo Jingrou was flipping through another book when she heard footsteps. She looked up and gave Chang Desheng a slight smile.

Those two dimples were faintly visible.

Chang Desheng's heart skipped a beat; this girl was really beautiful.

He quickly looked away, thinking: I can't look, looking too much will make me angry... The dowry hasn't been discussed yet.

Seeing them come down, Zhang Zhensheng glanced at their expressions and said to Luo Jingrou, "Jingrou, pour the wine."

Luo Jingrou stood up and took a bottle of wine and three stemmed glasses from the wine cabinet next to her. She skillfully opened the bottle and poured the wine, the amber liquid swirling in the glasses.

Zhang Zhensheng raised his glass: "Mr. Chang, Mr. Guo, it's been a pleasure working with you."

Chang Desheng and Guo Shigui also raised their glasses.

"It's a pleasure working with you!"

The three cups clinked together, making a crisp sound.

......

Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Zhensheng and Luo Jingrou saw them to the door.

The carriage is already waiting.

Just before getting into the car, Luo Jingrou suddenly spoke, her voice soft:

"Mr. Chang, when are you available? There are still some parts of my German that I don't understand, and I would like to ask you for help."

Chang Desheng's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive: "Miss Luo, you're too kind. I'm usually free on Sundays."

"Well..." Luo Jingrou's eyes curved into a smile, "Next Sunday at noon, at the Kempinski Restaurant, I'd like to invite you to lunch and also ask you some questions, is that alright?"

"Sure," Chang Desheng nodded. "You've gone to so much trouble."

"Of course." Luo Jingrou smiled, her dimples deepening.

Chang Desheng turned and got into the carriage.

The carriage curtain was lowered, and the carriage clattered away from the Zhang residence.

Chang Desheng leaned against the carriage wall, closed his eyes, and began to rack his brains again:

The arms company was established.

Guo Shigui has been completely dragged down.

And now the future purse strings of this president have a clear picture!

Next Sunday, Kempinski, Luo Jingrou...

Take your time, there's no rush.

This is just the beginning.