Giving Gifts

"The one I gave you last time was expensive. This one is much cheaper-ten taels of silver apiece," Tang Wen said.

"You still owe me twenty thousand taels. Give me two thousand of them." Li Dawang did not even stop to think.

He had played with the previous one for several days and discovered all sorts of wonderful uses.

For instance, Li Dawang's wife wanted several herself, because they made lighting fires so easy.

Otherwise, they had to keep embers alive and blow furiously on them whenever they wanted a fire. It was terribly inconvenient; a lighter made things much easier.

"You're my biggest customer, so I'll throw in another fifty for free." Tang Wen smiled.

"Brother, if you ever need anything, come to me, Li Dawang. Let's eat and drink our fill, then head to the Floating Fragrance House for some fun with the women." Li Dawang looked every inch the nouveau riche.

"Master, we sold it far too cheaply. We lost too much," Tang Jun said after they came out.

"How so?" Tang Wen asked.

"Each pearl on that silver crown alone is worth twenty or thirty taels. The eighteen pearls would easily sell for around five hundred and fifty taels. Add the silver crown, and it should fetch at least seven hundred," Tang Jun said.

"Heh, it's fine. Take a small loss and gain another friend." Tang Wen waved a hand.

He thought that in the modern world, such low-quality pearls cost only thirty or forty yuan each wholesale. The entire silver crown cost less than five thousand yuan.

But in ancient times, there was no pearl-farming technology. Every pearl had to be dug out of a wild shell.

Naturally, the yield was pitifully small. Finding a shell with a pearl inside took a tremendous stroke of luck.

Thus, even a low-quality pearl cost twenty or thirty taels.

Li Dawang was no fool. Those eighteen pearls alone were worth more than five hundred taels, so he was guaranteed a profit.

Both sides thought they had made a killing, and naturally, everyone was happy.

In his delight, Li Dawang even waived the extra three hundred taels on the Thousand-Leaf Workshop's price.

Accompanied by Steward Ning, the two parties headed straight to the commandery offices to complete the deed transfer.

They ran into Yang Yun just as they entered the government compound. Beaming, he said, "My lord, your title of Count has been approved. Lord Zhang was about to send someone to Su Mei Island to notify you, but you've arrived first. Perfect timing-come with me to see Lord Zhang."

"Congratulations, my lord Count." Hearing this, Steward Ning hurriedly cupped his hands in congratulations.

"Tang Jun, go with Steward Ning to handle the transfer. I'll see Lord Zhang," Tang Wen instructed, then followed Yang Yun inside.

"Heh, my lord Count, that grape wine of yours really is marvelous." Yang Yun chatted warmly with Tang Wen as they walked.

Not far away, Steward Ning stared, thinking that these two seemed to be on very good terms.

"If you like it, Constable Yang, I still have a few bottles. I'll give you another one." Tang Wen smiled.

"How could I accept that?" Yang Yun said.

"Why not? Wine is meant to be drunk. I don't have time to drink with you, Constable Yang, so I can only let you take it home to enjoy." Tang Wen smiled.

"Thank you, thank you. Though, to be honest, I could use two bottles," Yang Yun said.

"Are you planning to give them to someone, Constable Yang?" Tang Wen asked.

"You guessed it. Not long ago, Director Wu Yunxian from the Governor's Office came down here. He tried the wine and couldn't stop praising it," Yang Yun said.

"Heh, then congratulations are in order, Constable Yang. I imagine you'll be getting a promotion soon?" Tang Wen smiled. Wu Yunxian was the History Affairs Director responsible for assessing officials throughout the province.

In modern terms, he was the head of the provincial Party committee's organization department.

Of course, Wu Yunxian's authority extended only to officials of the seventh rank and below, including the seventh rank itself.

Appointments above the seventh rank required approval from the Governor's Office, followed by review and authorization from the Ministry of History.

Military appointments also involved the Ministry of War; the Ministry of History had no authority to decide them directly.

"The first stroke of the character hasn't even been written yet. Ah... it's difficult. Lord Qian, the commandery's Criminal Clerk, has been transferred elsewhere, but never mind the whole province-just think how many pairs of eyes in our Yanling Commandery are fixed on that post." Constable Yang sighed.

A prefecture's Criminal Clerk oversaw the constables and supervised criminal justice. It was a Principal Seventh Rank post, equivalent to a municipal public security chief.

Constable Yang was only eighth rank at present, so obtaining that position would naturally be a promotion.

"Surely there aren't any officials in Yanling Commandery with more seniority than you, Constable Yang?

"You're a Martial Jinshi. Serving as a constable is already a waste of your talents.

"The post of Criminal Clerk would suit you much better," Tang Wen said, putting on a look of surprise.

"To tell you the truth, brother, after I passed the martial examinations with high honors, I was supposed to receive an outside appointment as a Principal Seventh Rank Company Commander.

"But fate made a fool of me, and I ended up offending a petty villain.

"As a result, I was demoted and sent to Yanling Commandery as a constable. I've been here seven or eight years now, sitting so long my backside's about to wear through the bench, and I'm still just a lowly constable.

"As a prefecture's constable, all I do is catch bandits and thieves. It's far too difficult to earn great merit through such minor work." Constable Yang sighed.

"Two bottles of wine alone probably won't be enough to secure that post. Other people will be sending silver," Tang Wen said.

"Of course. But I've always conducted myself uprightly. After seven or eight years on the job, I haven't saved any silver at all. Even if I borrowed a little to send him, he wouldn't give it a second glance," Yang Yun said.

"Leave the gift-giving to me. I'll find a way for you," Tang Wen said.

"Look at that-I owe you another favor, brother. If you ever need anything, just say the word," Constable Yang said.

"Certainly, certainly." Tang Wen nodded. Before long, the two entered Lord Zhang's office.

They found two other men there besides Zhang Hongjiang, one taller and one shorter.

"Heh, congratulations, Lord Tang." Seeing Tang Wen enter, Zhang Hongjiang rose from his conversation and cupped his hands in congratulations.

"I must thank you for your recommendation, Lord Zhang." Tang Wen modestly returned the gesture.

"Lord Zhang, who is this?" the tall, big-eyed middle-aged man asked, looking at Tang Wen.

"Heh, Lord Zhou, haven't you heard? This is the lord of Su Mei Island, Count Tang Wen," Zhang Hongjiang said with a smile.

"Zhou Zhao greets you, my lord Count." Zhou Zhao cupped his hands, though his manner was somewhat cool.

"Lord Zhou is our Vice Prefect. And this is Assistant Prefect Tian Shilong," Zhang Hongjiang said, introducing the other man.

"Greetings, my lords." Tang Wen gave them a faint nod.

If you're going to throw your official weight around in front of me, Zhou Zhao, then I certainly won't stand on courtesy with you either.

"Adviser, bring His Lordship's things over," Zhang Hongjiang told his adviser, Zhou Tong.

Zhou Tong then brought out the newly made Official Hat, documents, Official Robe, and Command Token. The old ones had to be handed in.

"By decree of the Imperial Clan Court of Great Chu: at this critical juncture in the Northwestern War,

"Tang Wen generously opened his purse and donated a large sum of silver, aiding Great Chu's iron cavalry in reclaiming lost territory.

"Furthermore, he led the Personal Guard Army in annihilating seventy-two pirates, thereby earning military merit...

"The Imperial Clan hereby confers upon him the title of Third-Class Yanling Count..."

After the formalities were completed, Zhou Zhao and Tian Shilong offered a few more perfunctory pleasantries, then found an excuse to leave.

Given their attitude, Tang Wen naturally saw no reason to fawn over them.

"Lord Zhang, you're a master of painting. On this visit, I specifically wished to ask you to appraise a painting," Tang Wen said with a smile.

"Oh? Bring it out and let this old man have a look." Zhang Hongjiang smiled.

Tang Wen opened the box. The instant he unfolded the oil painting, Zhang Hongjiang grew visibly excited and blurted out, "That's it! That's the one!"

Tang Wen knew, of course, that Zhang Hongjiang meant the oil painting Apollo, God of the Sun.

The painting had originally been bestowed upon an ancestor of the Zhang family by the Imperial Clan. It had been destroyed in a fire, and Zhang Hongjiang's father, obsessed with the painting, had been bedridden ever since.

At the time, they had commissioned a master of traditional painting from the Chu Kingdom to copy it. But the materials were different, making its essence difficult to capture, and the Zhang family had always considered this a bitter regret.

Through Yang Yun, Tang Wen had secretly photographed that copy with his phone. After returning to Cloud Sea, he had specially commissioned a European master of oil painting to reproduce it.

With the same materials, its essence emerged.

Not only Zhang Hongjiang, but even Constable Yang beside him was dumbstruck, probably wondering how it could be exactly the same.

"That's the one? Lord Zhang, what do you mean by that?" Tang Wen looked at him with feigned bewilderment.

"To tell you the truth, my lord, my father has been ill and bedridden for over ten years because of it," Zhang Hongjiang said.

"Yes. Back then, a court official brought that painting back from the Western Lands..." Constable Yang immediately chimed in.

"Would you be willing to sell me this painting?" Zhang Hongjiang asked.

"Selling it is certainly out of the question." Tang Wen shook his head.

"Ah... then lend it to me for a while. I want to show it to my elderly father and fulfill his lifelong wish." Zhang Hongjiang sighed.

"Lord Zhang, your calligraphy is unmatched. I'd like to request two pieces from you, and this painting can serve as your brush fee. What do you think?" Tang Wen said.

"My lord, you've certainly come to the right person. Lord Zhang's calligraphy is renowned even at court.

"He placed third in the palace examinations that year.

"Plenty of people come seeking his calligraphy, but Lord Zhang rarely takes up his brush," Constable Yang said.

"It seems I truly have come to the right person. I only wonder whether Lord Zhang would favor me." Tang Wen cupped his hands.

"What would you like me to write, my lord?" Zhang Hongjiang asked.