Chapter 126 Invitation
Shen Shaoheng was dumbfounded. He never expected that he was just taking a ride, but Gu Zongci would be so shameless as to want his money!
Gu Zongci pretended not to notice Shen Shaoheng's reluctance, and said slowly: "There are many people affected by the disaster in Guanzhou, so the more food donated, the better."
Of course, Shen Shaoheng knew that for Guanzhou, the only thing they were worried about was the lack of food, not too much.
But he said donating food was just an excuse.
Otherwise, how to explain this sum of money?
Who knew that Gu Zongci would not follow the rules of the underworld.
Gu Zongci asked again, "Does the prince have any other concerns?"
"Concerns...hahaha...I do have a little bit of concerns." Shen Shaoheng rubbed his nose with his fingers. "Well, the Guanzhou officials embezzled 300,000 dan of grain, and you and Lao Qin sold a batch of grain to them. You also have to donate grain, so how can you sell extra grain to me?"
Gu Zongci determined from Shen Shaoheng's reaction that there was something wrong with the money, and he had no intention of donating food at all.
If this amount of money is related to the Guanzhou granary case, Shen Shaoheng must not be allowed to bring it back to the capital.
As they returned to the capital from Guanzhou, there were always people who became suspicious as they passed through many checkpoints along the way.
Once it is discovered, this matter will be of great importance. He might also be implicated and charged with the crime of harboring a criminal.
Especially since Gu Zongci doubted Shen Qingtan's identity, if she was really his niece, wouldn't she be implicated?
"Our Gu family has been engaged in business for generations, and we have extensive connections. We can still raise this amount of food." Gu Zongci smiled and said, "It all depends on whether the prince is sincere in his donation."
Of course, Shen Shaoheng didn't really want to donate, but he had already said it, so he couldn't contradict himself, right?
If you really want to donate...
Let him contradict himself, he doesn't care about face anyway.
Gu Zongci's eyes sparkled, as if he could see into people's hearts. He deliberately mentioned, "I'm reminded of an ancestral motto I saw in the medicine hall: 'No one sees your cultivation, but Heaven knows your intentions.' It's most appropriate for the prince."
Shen Shaoheng: “???” What does that mean?
"This sentence is a warning to the disciples of the pharmacy. Even if they prepare Chinese patent medicines without the knowledge of others, they must still act according to their conscience and consciously ensure that the herbs are authentic and weighed accurately." Seeing his bewildered look, Gu Zongci patiently explained, "In short, it means to keep a low profile and have a clear conscience."
When Shen Shaoheng heard Gu Zongci's words, his heart suddenly shuddered.
Although he has little education, he has a bright mind and is good at drawing inferences from one instance.
After Gu Zongci's explanation, he figured out another meaning of this sentence. In other words, people should not go against their conscience and forget their principles for the sake of profit.
Shen Shaoheng glanced at Gu Zongci a few times, wondering if Gu Zongci had seen through the illegal origin of the money and said this specifically to sound a warning to him?
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Gu Zongci move. He subconsciously became defensive and looked at Gu Zongci vigilantly.
"When I came to the capital this time, I heard others say that the Crown Prince was playful and unruly, and his reputation was not very good. Today, when I met the Crown Prince, I found that the rumors were not credible. When you heard the severity of the disaster, you traveled thousands of miles to Guanzhou with silver to provide disaster relief."
Gu Zongci's eyes showed admiration. "Your Highness, what you're doing now is upholding the ancestral precepts. No matter what others think of you, you are a kind-hearted person. Not to mention those prestigious young masters of high-ranking families, even I and Old Qin, who is known as the greatest philanthropist, can't compare to your sincere heart that does not seek fame or fortune. It is truly admirable."
Shen Shaoheng's words were still on the tip of his tongue, but Gu Zongci suddenly changed the subject and put a high hat on him. All the people in the capital who talked about benevolence, morality and noble character were no match for him, a dandy boy with no knowledge or skills.
He couldn't guess what Gu Zongci was thinking, so luckily he just took it as a compliment.
After all, this was the first time someone praised him sincerely, and he felt quite delicate.
It's like he tore off his face and threw it on the ground, but someone thought his face was pretty, picked it up, dusted it off and pasted it back on his face, and even tried to flatter him.
He actually felt very useful and even a little elated.
"Old Gu, no wonder your family's business is so big. You have a good eye and are good at judging people. What you say is always accurate." Shen Shaoheng knew that if he didn't donate the money today, he wouldn't be able to get a ride with Gu Zongci tomorrow.
Anyway, money is a dead thing, you can't bring it when you are born and you can't take it away when you die. If he dies because of this money and his revenge is not yet taken, it would be a loss.
He weighed the pros and cons in his mind: "Since you have extra food, then these boxes of silver can be exchanged for food, and you can donate it on my behalf."
Seeing that Shen Shaoheng agreed to donate, Gu Zongci felt relieved.
His words were meant to warn him. He originally thought that Shen Shaoheng would be a stubborn person, but he turned out to be so easy to talk to.
Since Shen Shaoheng wants to donate food, we have to donate the food he wants to donate in the name of Shen Shaoheng.
The six boxes of silver on the carriage will be counted and the same amount will be donated from Gu's Bank.
"Old Gu, are all of you businessmen as talkative as you?" Shen Shaoheng leaned lazily against the car wall, crossing his legs: "Tell me a few more words, what other advantages do I have?"
Gu Zongci: “…”
Now, even if I have to go against my conscience, I can't praise him anymore.
——
After the Gu family's carriage left Yongning Town and returned to Guanzhou City, Gu Zongci counted the amount of silver. The total amount of gold, silver and banknotes was a full 200,000 taels.
He was convinced that the money came from illegal sources, so he immediately went to the imperial envoy Lin Zhenxing to donate grain, and then donated another sum of silver.
However, he was cautious and only donated 100,000 taels. He would donate the remaining 100,000 taels to the military camp after the storm had passed.
Lin Zhenxing knew that the Gu family was wealthy and donated a sum of money to the military camp every year. They were also the first to step forward when natural disasters occurred. Therefore, when he saw him donate such a large sum of money, he did not think much of it.
However, after seeing Shen Shaoheng donate a large amount of grain, Lin Zhenxing frowned slightly. Before he could ask Gu Zongci, someone came outside to report: "Master Lin, the granary has been replenished with grain."
Then, the subordinate handed out a list.
Seeing this, Gu Zongci immediately took his leave and returned to the Gu family residence in Guanzhou.
On this day, officials of all ranks in Guanzhou City were arrested, and the people cheered.
Gu Zongci found out that all the officials in charge of the grain supply had been arrested and would be taken to the capital the next day.
He immediately made plans and rushed back to the capital overnight.
Probably because he was escorting a prisoner, the checkpoints were very strict. When he arrived in the capital, the prisoner was also taken there.
As soon as Gu Zongci returned to the Gu Mansion, without even having time to wash up, he wrote a letter and sent it to the Qin Mansion, asking Boss Qin to help him make an appointment for Shen Qingtan to meet him.
After all, Boss Qin and Shen Qingtan are friends, so it would be more appropriate for Boss Qin to make the invitation.
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