"The six ritual vessels are stored in the warehouse of the Sacrifice Department. If you want to take them out openly and aboveboard, you need Bi Chengde's consent."
Today, he wasn't just boasting and chatting. He got a lot of information from just a few words.
He also found out where the six ritual vessels for cultivating the Later Heaven Sixty-Four Hexagrams were.
The wheels rumbled over the stone slabs.
Suddenly, Chong Heihu, who was driving the carriage, said, "Young master, I suddenly sensed the revival of my divine office today."
Jiang Ming was stunned. "What divine office?"
"The divine office of the Great Emperor of Nanyue Hengshan Who Supervises Heaven and Reveals Holiness. I sensed it faintly."
Chong Heihu was also a bit surprised. He had thought that his divine office was just nothing. But today, it really appeared suddenly.
"Then, Lord Chong, do you know what use it has?" Jiang Ming asked.
Chong Heihu scratched his head in embarrassment. "It seems to be of no use. At least I haven't found any use for now."
Jiang Ming frowned. What triggered this change?
The power of wishes from all living beings? No. Otherwise, there would have been changes long ago.
Then what...
Jiang Ming thought hard. Suddenly, he remembered that there was only one thing related to today and himself. He took up the position as the seventh-rank director of the Ministry of Rites and officially became a member of the Great Jin court!
Back at home, sure enough, Zheng Lun also came to talk about this. He also sensed the revival of his divine office.
The three of them sat together. Jiang Ming told his guess.
Zheng Lun nodded and said, "Perhaps it's really related. We were conferred as gods who operate the three realms by the Investiture of the Gods List. It is supported by the luck of the three realms that we have supernatural powers."
Chong Heihu took over the conversation and said, "Brother Zheng means that now that the young master has become an official of the court, naturally, the luck of the dynasty will favor him. Since we are connected with the young master's fate and are blessed together, our divine offices are revived. Can we also ascend to the divine thrones again?"
"Yes."
Jiang Ming fell into deep thought after hearing this. In the Romance of the Investiture of the Gods, 365 official gods were conferred. And these gods control the mountains, rivers, sun, and moon and the operation of the three realms. Wouldn't he be able to directly change the world and become the emperor of heaven?
In an instant, Jiang Ming almost lost his mind. His eyes were filled with a blood-red color. This temptation was really too great!
"Stop!" Zheng Lun's soft shout woke him up in time.
"Young master, don't think wildly. The demonic nature in you has not been removed. Your mind is extremely easy to waver."
Whew!
Jiang Ming also let out a long breath. That was close!
Then he raised his hand to thank Zheng Lun.
"Hehe, a small seventh-rank official can have how much luck? Let's talk about it when I become a first-rank important official someday." Jiang Ming said with a light smile.
Then he quickly skipped this matter and didn't think about it anymore. The temptation was too great. This was like a poor person who has been poor for decades. Suddenly, one day someone tells you that you are the only heir of the richest person in the world.
When having a meal, Jiang's father asked if he should give up storytelling. After all, being an official, his status was different.
But Jiang Ming smiled and said, "There's no need to give it up. Dad, how much silver do we have at home?"
"There are about thirty thousand taels of ready silver."
Jiang Ming had an idea. Then he told his plan.
He was going to propose to the Ministry of Rites to transform his own tea house into a foreign embassy. As the name suggests, it would be an inn for receiving foreign envoys in the future. All foreign envoys and messengers who come to the Eastern Capital must stay at the foreign embassy.
In the past, the Eastern Capital didn't have a special place for receiving foreign envoys. After all, except for special periods like the Grand Prosperity Fair, there were few foreign envoys coming here. The Central Capital was where the emperor was.
And he was thinking of transforming his own tea house into a foreign embassy. Not only could he put these guys under his nose and monitor them together, but he could also earn their money.
Of course, more importantly, he could justifiably move the office of the Host and Guest Department here. Then the storytelling wouldn't be interrupted.
The next day, Jiang Ming went to find Bi Chengde early in the morning.
The two flattered each other for half an hour before getting to the point.
After listening to what Jiang Ming said, Bi Chengde closed his eyes and thought for a while before saying, "Wuchen, how much silver do you estimate is needed to transform such a foreign embassy?"
Jiang Ming replied, "About twenty thousand taels. My Taihe Tea House can be transformed with a little work. There's no need to change the foundation."
Then Jiang Ming once again used his glib tongue skill and boasted about the benefits of the foreign embassy until Bi Chengde was tempted.
"But it's not easy to get these twenty thousand taels. Those people in the Ministry of Revenue won't give us twenty thousand taels to build a foreign embassy."
The people in the Ministry of Revenue are all a bunch of misers. Asking them to take out silver is like digging up their ancestral graves.
Jiang Ming naturally knew this. What he wanted was not silver.
"This silver can be paid out of my own pocket."
Bi Chengde said with a half-smile, "Director Jiang, wouldn't you be doing all this work for nothing?"
He, an old hand, didn't believe in such a good thing falling from the sky.
Jiang Ming complimented with a smile, "Lord Bi is really perceptive. Naturally, I need some support from you. First of all, a formal document allowing me to operate this foreign embassy. I will take thirty percent of the annual income. The court will take thirty percent. Lord Bi and Lord Qin will each take twenty percent. How about it?"
Of course, on the surface, it was thirty percent for the court and sixty percent for Jiang Ming.
Bi Chengde narrowed his eyes. "How much income is there in a year?"
"At least two hundred thousand taels." This was still a conservative estimate that Jiang Ming didn't dare to exaggerate. There were many noble families and wealthy people in the Eastern Capital.
Whoa!
Bi Chengde immediately made a decision. He would personally talk to Lord Qin.
As the saying goes, money makes the mare go. This foreign embassy doesn't need the yamen to pay a single cent. And there's silver to be taken every year. Such a good thing is hard to find even with a lantern.
In less than two days, the document for the foreign embassy of the Ministry of Rites in the Eastern Capital was approved.
After Jiang Ming got the document, he smiled slightly. Although it seemed that he was being taken advantage of here, in fact, he had made a great profit.
From a private enterprise to a state-owned enterprise, this reputation and background were enough.
Chang Gui and others in the Host and Guest Department were all full of question marks when they heard about it. What was Director Jiang doing?
Instead of preparing for the Grand Prosperity Fair, he was building a building. Wouldn't it be doing all the work for others if something went wrong and he lost his head?
Jiang Ming didn't care. Holding the document, he directly found several directors of the Ministry of Works. Throwing down silver, he started work without saying a word. That director even patted his chest and said it could be done in half a month.
And Jiang Ming wasn't idle either. He planned to turn Taihe Tea House into a pearl of the Eastern Capital. There were many things to do in all aspects.
It had to be said that the people in the Ministry of Works were really efficient. They finished the work in ten days.
Now Taihe Tea House has changed greatly.
A circular five-story building rose from the ground. The rooms were like petals spreading out. And on the circular corridor were places for drinking tea and listening to storytelling.
At Jiang Ming's request, many virtual images of three-headed and six-armed gods, real dragons, and phoenixes were carved on the stone walls around. Each floor had a different scenery. Plus, many miscellaneous things were added. Twenty thousand taels was not enough.
Jiang Ming had already owed a lot of debts.
A memorial archway was erected at the entrance with the five big characters "Foreign Embassy of the Great Jin" written on it.
And Taihe Tea House was also slightly renamed and called Taihe Tower.
"Taihe Tea House has changed a lot."
"This... What is a foreign embassy?"
"Yeah. Oh, anyway, looking at this magnificent appearance, it's not a place for us common people."
This person was right. Jiang Ming didn't plan to open the foreign embassy yet. At least common people couldn't come. Only wealthy families and noble people were eligible.
Because the entrance ticket was one thousand taels for a silver card and ten thousand taels for a gold card. Only after getting a card could you spend in Taihe Tower. Naturally, the rights and interests enjoyed by the two were also different.
In fact, this was imitated by Jiang Ming based on the system of some top clubs in his previous life.
As for whether it was worth this price? Wasn't it worth it for the director of the Ministry of Rites to tell stories for you?
Of course, Jiang Ming had more tricks than just this. All kinds of things like self-service hot pot and Heiliu were all set up. With the support of the Ministry of Rites, among those who talked and laughed were learned scholars. And there were no common people coming and going. After the reputation was spread, there was no worry about no one coming.
Just then, carriages came one after another. Everyone made way.
All the adults of the Ministry of Rites, including Jiang Ming, got off the carriage and entered the foreign embassy.
Before long, luxurious carriages appeared downstairs of Taihe Tower. These were all wealthy and noble people who came to support. Recently, Jiang Ming had sent out a lot of small advertisements. Everyone wanted to see it.
Today was the day for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.