amaotonovel Chapter 599 Zhang Sheng: This money is a bit too hot to handle
Chapter 599 Zhang Sheng: This money is a bit too hot to handle
Liu Shan also came from a poor background. In his childhood, he followed Liu Bei and wandered around without ever having a peaceful day. Although he has now become the crown prince, his life has not improved. He and his wife are still wearing patched clothes.
So the largest sum of money Liu Shan ever saw in his life was the 20,000 strings of cash that Liu Bei gave him, but before he could even enjoy it, Shi Hui snatched it away.
So at this moment...
Looking at the vast mountain of money in the treasury, Liu Shan felt like a lowly ox or horse that had suddenly won a lottery worth hundreds of millions. He was excited and in a daze, as if he were dreaming.
Liu Shan lay on the mountain of coins, smelling the copper rust emanating from them up close. He found the smell to be more pleasant than ever before, even more alluring than the fragrance of a stunning beauty, and he was so captivated by it that he didn't want to get up.
After smelling it for a long time, Liu Chan suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself. After feeling the pain, he quickly stood up, turned around and hugged Guan Xing excitedly, saying, "Anguo, slapping hurts. This is not a dream. We really made a fortune. We brothers have finally made a fortune."
Guan Xing was also stunned by the enormous wealth he had never seen before and said, "Slap me too, so I can confirm if I'm dreaming."
Without hesitation, Liu Shan raised his hand and slapped him across the face. Guan Xing, feeling the pain he hadn't felt in a long time, hugged Liu Shan and said excitedly, "It's true, it's not a dream, we've really struck it rich!"
Zhang Sheng rolled his eyes at their excited expressions and muttered, "Is it really necessary to make such a fuss over such a small amount of money? They act like they've never seen money before. You're supposed to be princes and dukes, don't you feel ashamed if word gets out?"
As the son of Zhang Lu, the former warlord of Hanzhong, Zhang Sheng had seen a lot of money. Among everyone present, he was the only one who did not lose his composure. He reached out and patted Liu Shan and Guan Xing on the shoulder, saying, "Your Highness, General, there are other burial objects and countless gold in the tomb. Would you like to go and take a look?"
Liu Shan and Guan Xing said in unison, "Of course, please lead the way, Daoist."
Led by Zhang Sheng, the group scanned each tomb chamber one by one, and were once again shocked by the extravagance of the tombs.
After exploring all the tomb chambers, they discovered that in addition to the two treasuries they had previously encountered, there were more than 10,000 sets of gold, bronze, iron, jade, lacquerware, bamboo slips, wooden tablets, and other items.
They also discovered a granary containing various foods and fruits, including rice, millet, hemp, melons, and plums.
There were also boxes of gold, including hundreds of kilograms of gold ingots with a purity of up to 95%, as well as various types of gold such as horseshoe gold, hoof gold, gold plates and bricks, and various silver items such as gilded silver, inlaid silver, and gold-plated silver, and even various jewelry such as jade and agate.
Moreover, these items are not raw materials, but rather various ornaments and utensils carved by artisans. These items not only reflect the wealth of the Marquis of Haihun, but also demonstrate the superb craftsmanship of the Han Dynasty artisans, making them a combination of wealth and art.
Finally, Liu Shan, Guan Xing, and others entered the main burial chamber where the coffin of the Marquis of Haihun was placed, and were shocked once again after entering.
Besides the coffin, the most eye-catching feature in the tomb chamber is a jade wall. This jade wall is carved from a single piece of jade and has a bronze mirror inlaid in the middle. It is a screen, or more precisely, a screen that combines a screen and a bronze mirror. It was used by the Marquis of Haihun to adjust his clothes.
To carve a two-meter-long piece of jade into a mirror is beyond luxurious; it's simply outrageous.
Besides this priceless jade wall, there are many smaller jade walls in the room, carved with various patterns such as kui dragons, phoenixes, and grains. The carvings are exquisite and the decorations are gorgeous, making it impossible to look away once you see them.
Above the coffin were three jade-hilted swords wrapped in gold thread, each of considerable value.
Guan Xing, seeing the sword, instinctively wanted to grab it, but Liu Shan grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him back.
Liu Shan said, "Don't touch anything in the main tomb chamber. We're here to collect money, not to rob. We can't just loot the tomb like bandits. Apart from the copper coins, gold and silver jewelry, don't touch any other utensils, bamboo slips, or vehicles. After we're done, reinstall the stone gate of the mausoleum."
After speaking, he stepped back, bowed deeply, and paid his respects to the coffin.
He's after money, not to insult the corpses of his ancestors. He should at least show some respect to the Marquis of Haihun.
Upon hearing this, Guan Xing did not insist any further. He, along with Zhang Bao, Jiang Wei, and others, voluntarily retreated behind Liu Shan and bowed deeply before the coffin.
After bowing three times, Liu Shan led everyone out of the tomb chamber and closed the tomb door before saying, "Arrange for people to move the things. Xingguo Boyue is in charge of the treasury, and Anguo is in charge of the gold and silver. Remember, only take the gold and silver."
Guan Xing nodded and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I promise to be careful and not damage anything inside the tomb."
The rest was simple. Liu Shan commanded his army to frequently travel back and forth to the mausoleum's storerooms, gradually moving out the copper coins and gold inside. To move these coins, Liu Shan even ordered soldiers who were carpenters to cut down trees and build many wooden boxes.
It took thousands of people two whole hours to move everything, and it wasn't until the afternoon that everything was finally moved. Jiang Wei ran over to report: "Your Highness, Marquis Shence, the count is complete. There are 125,341 strings of copper coins, 3,563 catties of various silver ornaments, 289 catties of gold ingots, and 2,342 catties of other gold, including horseshoe-shaped gold, hoof-shaped gold, gold plates, gold bricks, etc."
Gold ingots have a purity of over 95%, making them the purest and highest quality, while other types of gold are of lower quality.
Despite this, Liu Shan was still trembling with excitement, his hands gripping Guan Xing's shoulders like pincers as he said, "120,000 strings of cash, Anguo, 120,000 strings of cash! I've never been this rich in my life, we've really struck it rich!"
Despite his excitement, Liu Chan didn't forget his share. He glanced at the wooden box, feeling a pang of regret, but still generously said, "Master Zhang, I keep my word. You take 15% and we'll take it back to Jiangling together, or I'll send someone to deliver it back to Longhu Mountain for you."
Money can be forsaken, but integrity is not. As Liu Bei's eldest son, Liu Shan knew the principle of keeping one's word.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Sheng also trembled and his Dao heart wavered. He stared at the money box, swallowed hard, and struggled for a long time before finally saying, "Forget it, there's too much money. Give me half a percent, that will do."
One-fifteen percent is twenty thousand strings of cash, plus a share of the gold and silver, which is a huge sum of money. Such a large sum of money made him feel a little hot.
Liu Shan insisted, "That won't do. We agreed on 15%, so it's 15%. What would I be doing if you cut back afterwards?"
Zhang Sheng smiled bitterly and said, "Your Highness is wise. Giving me so much money would be more of a hindrance than a help. Liu Zhao has gone to Jiangling to file a complaint with the Emperor. We don't know how His Majesty will handle it, but once he goes there, the whole of Jiangnan will know that we are robbing tombs. For a powerless Taoist priest like me to take so much money is like a child carrying gold through a bustling market, courting death. I still want to live a few more years, so I beg Your Highness to reconsider and give me half the money."
Liu Zhao will definitely expose their tomb raiding when he goes to Jiangling. With so much money, how could those greedy gentry not covet it?
If the aristocratic families couldn't deal with Liu Shan and Guan Xing, surely they could deal with Zhang Sheng?
It should be noted that the gentry in Jiangnan are also short of money. In recent years, the gentry in Bashu have been constantly levied grain rations by Liu Bei, the gentry in Jiangdong have been exploited by Guan Xing, and the gentry in Jingzhou are in an even worse state, having been successively ravaged by Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan. All the gentry in Jiangnan, big and small, are now as poor as Liu Bei, their eyes practically glowing with greed. If they knew that Zhang Sheng had a huge sum of money, wouldn't they swarm him and chew him to pieces?
So although the money was tempting, Zhang Sheng really didn't dare to take it.
Liu Shan thought about it and agreed. After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "Since that's the case, let's do as the Taoist priest says. I'll owe you a favor for this matter. If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know."