The Rise of the Writers of the Republic of China

Seeing that Zhou Hexuan was still hesitant, Victor Sassoon suddenly clapped his hands: "Pah, pah, pah!"

As the slaps sounded, three servants filed in, one of them holding a scroll in his hand.

Victor Sassoon smiled and said: "Mr. Zhou, I am going to give you three gifts. The first one is the promise just made, to sponsor 50 Chinese students to study abroad within five years. The second one, I heard that Mr. Zhou likes calligraphy and painting. It just so happens that I have another pair in my hand." With that, Sassoon ordered the servant, "Open it and show it to Mr. Zhou."

The two servants carefully opened the scroll. This ancient painting was more than three meters long, and it seemed real and illusory under the light.

Zhou Hexuan looked calm on the surface, but he was already making waves in his heart. He has worked hard to practice calligraphy over the years and has collected many antiques. Although his appreciation of calligraphy and painting has not reached the level of an expert, he is at least an expert.

The name of this painting is "Han Xizai's Night Banquet", one of China's top ten famous paintings handed down from generation to generation.

National treasure!

Compared with the painting in front of me, the Qianlong sword that Norman gave to Zhou Hexuan a few months ago is not even worthy of carrying shoes.

"Mr. Zhou, are you satisfied?" Victor Sassoon smiled.

Zhou Hexuan raised his eyebrows: "I heard that this painting was originally stored in the palace, but now it was taken to the northeast by Puyi. So, Mr. Sassoon, is this painting of yours a fake?"

"Hahaha," Victor Sassoon laughed loudly, "I have asked experts to authenticate it a long time ago. How could it be fake? Antique experts told me that the original "Han Xizai Night Banquet" has been lost long ago. Puyi's hand The one here is a copy of the Southern Song Dynasty, which was leaked from the Qing Dynasty palace. The one we are looking at now is a copy of the Northern Song Dynasty, which has been hidden among the Chinese people. It is said to be more precious than the one that leaked from the imperial palace."

Zhou Hexuan finally couldn't help but walked towards the painting, and the servant immediately offered him a magnifying glass.

"Hiss!" Zhou Hexuan couldn't help but take a breath after carefully appreciating it.

The "Han Xizai Night Banquet" collected by Puyi has at the tail the seals of Shi Miyuan of the Southern Song Dynasty, Wang Pengchong of the Ming Dynasty, Song Naoqian and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, as well as poems by Ban Weizhi of the Yuan Dynasty, inscriptions and postscripts by Wang Duo of the Qing Dynasty, etc.

The painting in front of me has the inscription and seal of Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi. If it is authentic, it was at least copied in the early Northern Song Dynasty. Its collection value is much higher than the copy in Puyi's hand.

This painting not only has the inscription and postscript of Zhao Guangyi, but also the seals of Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng, Song Renzong Zhao Zhen, and Song Huizong Zhao Ji. Especially Song Huizong's thin gold-style poems. Zhou Hexuan also has some appreciation for calligraphy. He is 80% sure that it is an authentic work by Song Huizong.

Behind the seals of the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty, other collectors were ministers and literati. It can be inferred from this that this copy from the early Northern Song Dynasty was originally collected by the royal family of the Northern Song Dynasty. After the Song royal family moved south, it was lost among the people.

Zhou Hexuan returned to his seat and couldn't help but smile: "Mr. Sassoon is so lucky to come across such rare treasures."

Victor Sassoon smiled and said: "This is only the second gift I gave to Mr. Zhou. Please enjoy the third one below. Bang, bang, bang!"

After three more slaps, a young girl walked in timidly.

Zhou Hexuan saw the girl's face clearly and was so angry that he slapped the table and said, "Sassoon, what do you mean!"

"Ah! It's Xuanzi!" Ruan Lingyu couldn't help but exclaimed.

"I heard that Mr. Zhou likes beauties, so naturally I want adult beauty," said Victor Sassoon. "This Miss Zhou Xuan is the most popular singer in China this year, and she is only 15 years old. I think Mr. Zhou must be very happy."

That girl was none other than Zhou Xuan with a golden voice. She was standing timidly in front of the dining table, like a frightened little beast, not daring to move.

Zhou Hexuan said angrily: "I'm asking you what's going on!"

Victor Sassoon smiled nonchalantly and said: "Fifty thousand oceans, I only spent fifty thousand oceans to buy Miss Zhou Xuan as a servant."

"According to the Constitution of the Republic of China, human trafficking is illegal!" Zhou Hexuan was really angry. A foreigner whose ancestors made his fortune by selling opium has harmed countless Chinese people, and now he is buying and selling a big star and giving it away at will. This is an insult to the Chinese people.

Victor Sassoon said: "Of course it is illegal to buy and sell people. I am a law-abiding businessman. How could I do that kind of thing? The 20-year long-term employment contract I signed with Ms. Zhou was completely voluntary for her and her adoptive parents. I No violence was used."

It’s hell if you don’t use means!

With Sassoon's power in Shanghai, even Du Yuesheng would kneel down and lick him, let alone just bullying ordinary people. Zhou Xuan has only been with her current adoptive parents for a few years, and their relationship is not very deep. As long as Sassoon scares her a few times, Zhou Xuan's adoptive parents will definitely choose to sell their daughter, not to mention they still have 50,000 yuan to sell themselves.

Victor Sassoon said proudly: "Mr. Zhou, are the three gifts I gave you not bad? As long as you promise to go to London to convince those damn MPs, regardless of success or failure, these three gifts will be yours. "

Ruan Lingyu begged in a low voice: "Brother Zhou, please help Xuanzi, she is also a poor person."

Zhou Hexuan suppressed the anger in his heart and sneered: "Mr. Sassoon, you think too highly of me. I'm just an ordinary Chinese. Even big consortiums like you can't convince the British government. How could I succeed?" "

"No, no, no," Victor Sassoon said with a smile, "Mr. Zhou is too humble. Your influence in Europe and the United States is far beyond your imagination. You are the most famous Chinese in the West. It is up to you to do this. , more effective than us British people. And, we will cooperate with you."

"How to cooperate?" Zhou Hexuan asked.

Victor Sassoon said: "Did you know? Mr. Zhou, you were recommended to run for the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Nobel Prize in Medicine this year, and both passed the primaries. Only this news report, coupled with appropriate publicity, will It can cause the whole world to go crazy. As long as you agree to go to London, I promise to make you a world-class great scholar, one who can rival Einstein."

Zhou Hexuan was so angry that he laughed: "Can I compete with Einstein?"

"In Chinese terms, Mr. Zhou, don't belittle yourself," Victor Sassoon said with a smile, "Your achievements in history and literature are already frighteningly high, and now you have been selected for the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Don't you think it will attract people's attention?" It’s hard to even pay attention. And if I have money, I can mobilize newspapers in China, India, Southeast Asia and Europe to help you publicize. Promote, publicize, and publicize again, let people all over the world know you, and then you will be a great man. And a A great Chinese man preaching in London about the suffering caused by Japan to China will inevitably arouse the sympathy of the British people. When the time comes, if we reveal the inside story of Britain's desire to unite Japan to solve the silver crisis, public opinion will turn to our side. Britain Now it is a multi-party coalition government, and the cabinet is quarreling every day. Everyone is trying their best to cater to public opinion and want to get more votes. When the time comes, haha!"

"It turns out that you have already made plans." Zhou Hexuan narrowed his eyes and smiled.

Victor Sassoon said: "Not only me, but also all the British diplomats stationed in China, and many big businessmen and politicians in the UK. We all support you, this is the plan we made together. You just need to go A trip to London, a few interviews, a few public speeches. Leave the rest to us, and you can not only help China get out of its economic troubles, but also become a world-class great, and get three little gifts from me . Mr. Zhou, will you still refuse?"

"I seem to have no reason to refuse." Zhou Hexuan said.

Victor Sassoon laughed and said: "Then, happy cooperation!"