Cixi went to the West to borrow money from Cao's courtyard. Why did Cao's family think it was worth it?

1900, the heroic empress dowager cixi issued an imperial edict to declare war on the great powers. Regrettably, although the number of Qing troops and Boxers convened by Empress Dowager Cixi was far more than that of the allies, they were ruthlessly beaten down by the allies. Empress Dowager Cixi had no choice but to disguise herself as a peasant woman, board a bus in Xiao Lv and leave Beijing in a hurry.

Cixi's Western Expedition is euphemistically called "Western Expedition", but no matter how beautiful it is, it can't cover up the embarrassment of Cixi when she fled. Because of the hurry when she fled, Cixi didn't even bring a change of clothes, bedding and food for sleeping. She just took a little money and left.

Cixi tasted the pain of fleeing this time. Three days ago, she couldn't eat a decent full meal, so she could only cook some cowpeas and green corn to satisfy her hunger. Sleep at night, only sleeping on a heatable adobe sleeping platform, without bedding. Cixi and her party fled all the way to Huailai County, and finally had their first full meal since they fled under the management of Huailai County Magistrate Wu Yong. Empress dowager cixi was overjoyed, thinking that Huailai county magistrate was the best official in the world, and immediately appointed Wu Yong as the "grain handling table before the road", and was responsible for the collection and supply of logistics items from then on, and accompanied him all the way.

We often say that it is easy to be frugal and difficult to be frugal. Cixi followed Wu Yong's example. After three days of hard work, she can't live any longer. After that, the hospitality standard of the land she passed through should at least not be worse than Huailai County. However, due to natural disasters, wars and extortion, many places have been searched and cleaned up. Xuanhua county magistrate really couldn't organize anything decent to entertain Cixi, so he had to hang himself to apologize to Cixi.

Cixi and her party entered Shanxi, getting farther and farther away from the war-torn capital. Compared with when they just left the capital, they are much more relaxed. Cixi can't live a hard life, but she has no money. What should she do? Excuse me. This so-called "borrowing" means "borrowing without returning" and searching in disguise. Of course, the rich gentry have the opportunity to climb the relationship with Cixi, and it is not ink to spend money on it.

So Cixi borrowed money from the passing rich gentry and tycoons in exchange for a reward for official posts, inscriptions and some small things she carried with her. Shanxi merchants began to make a fortune in the late Ming Dynasty, especially Qiao Chang, Cao Houqu and Kang Fankong, the eight masters of Shanxi merchants, who occupied the top eight positions of the richest man for a long time.

Cixi borrowed100000 taels of silver from the Qiao family (the most famous person in charge was Qiao Zhiyong), which read "Heaven's Library". Now this inscription is still at the gate of Qiao's compound in Shanxi. 100002 silver is still not enough. At Wu Yong's suggestion, Cixi took an eye on Cao Jia again.

The Cao family compound is about twenty miles away from the Qiao family compound, and it is also rich. In its heyday, there were more than 640 pavements in Cao family, with assets as high as10.2 billion taels of silver and more than 37,000 employees. Cao Shi's family business not only spread all over China, but also went abroad and went to the world. From Japan in the east, to Russia in the north, to France and Britain in the west, there are traces of Cao Shi enterprises everywhere.

Cao Family Courtyard is known as "Sanduo Hall", which is two or three times as large as Qiao Family Courtyard. It is also a very rare courtyard of Shanxi merchants, and the overall shape is "longevity". Even in modern times, it covers an area of over 65,438+0,000 square meters. Cao compound has three courtyards, 15 small courtyards and more than 270 houses.

Cixi borrowed money from Cao's family, which was much wiser than Qiao's. We want nothing. It's a great honor for the Cao family to pass by Lafayette. Isn't it 100 thousand taels of silver? We will pay 300,000 taels of silver.

Although the Cao family was very rich, by the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Cao family still encountered many difficulties because of wars and natural disasters. Three hundred and two thousand pieces of silver is not a small sum for Cao Jia. However, it is here that businessmen who can achieve great things have different thinking.

Cao Jia's move has at least two advantages. First Cao Cao's name was typed out. Our Cao Cao's strength is still very strong. Don't worry about doing business with our Cao Cao. Second, the generosity of the Cao family will impress Cixi.

If Cixi hadn't fled to the west, I'm afraid the Cao family couldn't find a suitable excuse for giving gifts. Even if it was sent out, Cixi received it. Among the many gifts that Cixi received when she was proud, I am afraid it is difficult to attract the attention of Cixi. Now as long as three hundred and two thousand pieces of silver can impress Cixi, remember the Cao family. This is definitely a good deal. With the support of Cixi, it is far more than the value of 302,000 silver. At least in the official, you can say anything directly in Beijing. This is also the place that Cixi later visited, and some wealthy businessmen and tycoons volunteered to donate money.

What is the "collateral" given by Cixi to the Cao family? This is a golden motorcycle clock.

This clock was given to Qianlong by France as a gift during Qianlong period. The clock is made of gold, platinum, black gold and crystal and weighs 42.25 kilograms. There are two watches on the bus. One can tell the time, and the other is said to predict the weather changes.

Cixi fled to the west in a hurry, and it was impossible to take such a big guy with her. But after Cixi returned to Beijing, she selected many treasures from the palace and gave them to the Cao family. Cixi means that she did not forget to borrow money from the Cao family and gave you a treasure in the palace, which should only be paid off.

According to the value of the motorcycle clock itself, it should have been much lower than 302 thousand silver at that time. The ratio of gold to silver in the early Qing Dynasty was 1 8. In the middle stage, due to the massive inflow of silver, it was as high as 1 to 20. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the ratio of gold to silver should have dropped a lot because of opium imports and reparations. According to the highest calculation of 1 to 20, 43 kilograms of gold can be exchanged for 860 kilograms of silver. One or two in the Qing Dynasty was 37 grams, less than 24,000 pieces of silver. Even if the workmanship and commemorative significance are included, the premium 10 times does not need 302,000 silver. Cixi is still very calculating.

For the Cao family, the value of the golden locomotive clock is not important. When the Cao family returned to Beijing and received a reward from Cixi, they must feel "worth it". Why does the Cao family think it is worth it? Because the Cao family's goal of giving Cixi three hundred and two thousand pieces of silver was achieved, Cixi remembered the benefits of the Cao family. In the name of Cixi, the Cao family may get more than 300,000 taels of silver.