I don’t know who Wolong came up with the idea, but the Manchu Qing Dynasty’s first bribery target in Nanjing turned out to be Qian Qianyi, a doctor from the Hanlin Academy.
The person who planned the purchase seemed to know Qian Qianyi very well. He knew that this man was greedy for power and fame, and was also very keen on money in private. In this case, Qian Qianyi must be dissatisfied. After all, he had no power and no wealth.
"Principal and Noble" position.
Moreover, they were very careful and started from the past of Qian Qianyi's disciples.
Xi Zuo pretended to be a merchant from Shanxi and bought a house by Xuanwu Lake to open a trading company. He also said that it was difficult to purchase fabrics this year, so he stayed in Nanjing and invited non-official scholars to hold cultural meetings all day long.
Every cultural gathering was held on the boat on Xuanwu Lake.
Famous prostitutes, fine wine, singing and dancing, poetry... and even invited scholars to compile anthologies. Everything was paid for by the merchant, and in just over half a month, he became prosperous.
Even literati who were already officials in the court were gradually invited to go.
Among them are two representatives of "Xinguan Studies": Wang Zhiliang, professor of Jinling University, and Fu Qingzhu, a master of gynecology.
Because Xi Zuo claimed to be from Shanxi, he talked about Shanxi very clearly. Wang Zhiliang and Fu Qingzhu were also natives of Shanxi and had not returned home for many years. They felt cordial when they met and liked to ask Xi Zuo about the current situation in Shanxi.
As his reputation grew, Xizuo finally invited Qian Qianyi.
He did not buy it directly, but talked a lot about his admiration for Qian Qianyi. He also said that Mr. Qian Muzhai has the talent of a king and the new dynasty of Datong is waiting for prosperity. He should join the cabinet to formulate national policies. How can he be the leader of the Hanlin Academy?
What about Qiongjing?
Every time we met, he flattered Qian Qianyi and made him so happy that he actually considered becoming a political officer.
The next step is to make casual inquiries about the Nanjing court through casual chatting. Whenever Qian Qianyi tells something that the outside world does not know, or analyzes a certain current policy, if you look closely, you will be amazed by his lofty vision, and then toast to express your admiration.
Feelings.
Over time, Qian Qianyi and Na Xizuo became close friends who talked about everything.
With Qian Qianyi's reputation, his fine works attracted more scholars!
Qian Qianyi was summoned by Zhao Han, bowed his hands and said: "I see your Majesty!"
"Sit down." Zhao Han said.
When Qian Qianyi saw that Xu Ying, Fu Shan and Wang Zhiliang were also present, he raised his hand to signal them and then sat next to them.
Zhao Han said with a smile: "I heard that a Taigu businessman came to Nanjing. He does not do business every day, but only entertains scholars. Sir, is he also a guest?"
Qian Qianyi explained: "Cao Xiaoyou is also talking about business and is sending people to buy cloth and transport it to Shanxi."
Zhao Han pointed at Fu Shan and Wang Zhiliang: "You guys tell me."
Wang Zhiliang said: "This person does have a Taigu accent, but if he speaks too fast or is drunk, he may have other accents mixed in."
Qian Qianyi said in confusion: "Isn't it common for merchants to have mixed voices when they travel around?"
Fu Shan sneered: "This man claimed that his master was Wen Xue (Wen Xiangfeng), but he didn't know that the late master was also Wen Xue. He said that in the third year of Tianqi, he had been taught by Wen Xue, but in the summer of this year, Wen Xue had already become an official
Returning home."
Qian Qianyi felt that something was wrong more and more, and subconsciously defended: "Maybe it's spring that I received a lesson from. It's normal for me to misremember what happened twenty years ago."
Fu Shan said: "Wan Sheng also felt that he had remembered it wrong, so he said that in the autumn of that year, Wan Sheng and other scholars invited him, and hundreds of people came to see Inspector Wen off. I asked him if he had heard of this?"
"How did he answer?" Qian Qianyi asked.
Fu Shan said: "He did not answer affirmatively. He only said that he was returning to his hometown for funerals in the summer, and I didn't know that some scholars invited him to see Inspector Wen off."
Qian Qianyi said: "He returned to his hometown for funerals in the summer, and the Inspector of Literature returned to his hometown in the summer to serve as an official. In the spring, he was personally taught by the Inspector of Literature. This is correct, and the time is right."
Fu Shan said: "Inspector Wen fell ill in the winter of the first year, and he was promoted to Taipusi Shaoqing without even taking the post. He stayed in bed from the winter of the first year to the summer of the next year before he could cheer up and return to his hometown to recuperate. He couldn't even get up from the bed.
How could he teach him personally? The late student was not sure at the time, and said that Inspector Wen’s asthma relapsed very seriously that year. He fooled him again, but did not refute it. Inspector Wen’s chronic illness was not asthma, and he continued to
I don’t even know this!”
Qian Qianyi frowned: "Is this person sent by Li Zicheng?"
Fu Shan said: "This man must have lived in Shanxi for a long time, and he must have passed the imperial examination under the name of Inspector Wen, and was even personally taught by Inspector Wen. But in the third year of the Apocalypse, he was definitely not in Shanxi. What happened three years after the Apocalypse
, is mostly made up. Wan Sheng tried to trick him a lot. This person should have returned to Shanxi in the second year of Chongzhen. Many things about Shanxi in the middle are not correct. He said that he went out to do business with his father and only returned to Shanxi occasionally.
, wanting to make up for his gaffe. Wansheng asked him other things, but there were always some things he made up!"
Qian Qianyi said: "Perhaps he is someone who likes to brag. He tells so many lies that he believes them."
Xu Ying suddenly said: "So Mr. Fu was not sure, so he came to tell His Majesty, and His Majesty asked me to check quietly."
Qian Qianyi couldn't help but ask: "How was the investigation?"
Xu Ying said: "This man was afraid of meeting knowledgeable Shanxi merchants, so he made up an identity for himself, saying that he was a close relative of the wealthy businessman Cao Sanxi. This time, he also went to the south to buy fabrics in the name of Cao Sanxi. I sent someone
I went to Yangzhou to check, and the Shanxi merchants there said that Cao Sanxi has indeed been involved in the fabric business recently."
"That means it's no problem?" Qian Qianyi couldn't understand.
"This is a big problem!"
Xu Ying said in a deep voice: "If he is really sent by Cao Sanxi to receive the goods, and instead of doing business, he holds cultural gatherings every now and then, Cao Sanxi will have to kill him!"
Cao Sanxi was born as a farmer. Due to the difficulty of living, he went to Liaodong and settled in the countryside near Liaoyang.
The land there was vast and sparsely populated, so Huang Taiji encouraged the Han people to open up land, so Cao Sanxi opened up wasteland and grew vegetables as a free citizen. With a little savings, he raised pigs, ground tofu, and started brewing sorghum wine.
Due to the bitter cold in Liaodong, sorghum wine sold well and business gradually became prosperous.
He grows vegetables and soybeans, opens a tofu shop and grinds them into tofu, feeds pigs with tofu residue, and uses pig manure as fertilizer for planting. This is the so-called circular economy. He also opens semicolons everywhere. The chairman is not responsible for management, but the general manager is responsible for operations.
The management rights and ownership rights are divested, and audit teams are regularly dispatched to conduct inspections. What an advanced business management model.
The above are all promoted by the descendants of the Cao family. It seems that due to hard work and excellent management, a large business name was born that later expanded its business to Russia.
But if you think about it with your buttocks, can a farmer make a fortune by operating legally in Liaodong?
He had been blackmailed and bankrupted by the Manchus long ago!
What really made Cao Sanxi rich was following the Qing army into the Pass and looting. He provided military supplies to the Qing army and digested the looted goods by the Qing army on the spot. Not only could he make a fortune from it, but he could also get it in his shops in Liaodong.
Protected by the Qing army.
As Dorgon moved the army and civilians to Beizhili, Cao Sanxi's business in Liaodong could no longer continue, so he returned to Shanxi with a huge amount of property to open a store. When he met everyone, he told everyone about his hard work, why he went there with a pole
In Liaodong, I almost starved to death on the way. It was bitterly cold in Liaodong, and when I was the poorest, I slept with pigs to keep warm.
This guy put aside his disgraceful entrepreneurial history, built bridges and paved roads in Taigu, Shanxi Province, bought grain to help the villagers, and spent money to repair county schools and support scholars, and his reputation has been extremely good.
After the Qing army withdrew from Shanxi, Cao Sanxi defected to Li Zicheng and took the initiative to provide supplies to Li Zicheng, thus gaining Li Zicheng's favor.
This time the Manchu Qing Dynasty sent a detailed operation, instead of using the "Eight Great Imperial Merchants", they used Cao Sanxi's name because they felt that this person's reputation was more "innocent". Even in Liaodong, few people knew that Cao Sanxi was here every time.
Follow Huang Taiji to enter the border and rob.
However, Cao Sanxi's business model and Cao Sanxi's strict management of shopkeepers and clerks exposed the detailed work sent to Nanjing.
The person in charge of purchasing goods sent by Cao Sanxi cannot hold a cultural conference lavishly!
Xu Ying said: "This person is not Li Zicheng's meticulous work, because it is not like Li Zicheng's meticulous workmanship. Li Zicheng's detailed work is very shabby for many small businessmen. This person's work is too generous, and it seems to be the work of a fake Qing Dynasty."
Li Zicheng paid tens of millions of taels of money in Beijing, and a lot of money was intercepted by the puppet Qing Dynasty along the way, which was enough for them to spend money to run things in Nanjing."
Qian Qianyi felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, with cold sweat breaking out on his vest.
One time after drinking, he revealed that the royal family of the previous dynasty was in Nanjing. Moreover, the concubines of the previous dynasty could weave and sell their own cloth, and the princes and princesses could go to school and move around freely. This was rare in ancient times and today, His Majesty has a big mind.
"Your Majesty, forgive me, sir... I really didn't know that this person was a craftsman!"
Qian Qianyi was so frightened that he knelt down and almost kowtowed.
Zhao Han asked: "What news did you reveal?"
Qian Qianyi recalled quickly, and no matter what he remembered, he said it all at once.
Zhao Han smiled and reassured: "Get up. From now on, continue to contact this person. If you give me money, you can accept it. You can also complain to me a few times while drinking. There should be more than this one of the fake Qing's tricks in Nanjing. We will slowly find out.
.The cashier works for the Qing Dynasty... Hehe, don't even think about running away!"
"My lord, I obey the order!" Qian Qianyi quickly kowtowed and accepted the order.
Zhao Han waved his hand and said, "Just step back."
Qian Qianyi slowly got up. His legs felt weak when he walked. After going out, he found that his vest was completely soaked with sweat.
Realizing his own embarrassment, Qian Qianyi gritted his teeth and said: "The traitor harmed me so much, I want you to die without a burial place!"
As soon as I got home, an old servant handed me a greeting card: "Sir, shopkeeper Cao invites you to a banquet tonight."
In the evening, Qian Qianyi went to Xuanwu Lake for an appointment, drinking and listening to music in the painting boat.
Cao Fengji, who was a careful writer, asked: "Why is the shepherd sighing in peace?"
Qian Qianyi said angrily: "I heard what you said a few days ago, and I went to see Your Majesty today. I want to resign from the Hanlin Academy and become a capable official in the court. I don't expect to be anything else, just a fifth-rank doctor.
Not only did your Majesty refuse to serve as an official, he also scolded me and asked me to compile books honestly in the Hanlin Academy. The sage has a saying: Cultivate oneself, harmonize one's family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. I, Qian Muzhai, have been cultivating myself for decades. How can I only compile books if I am virtuous and talented?
?Can’t you be an official and govern the country and bring peace to the world?”
Cao Fengji hurriedly gave Qian Qianyi more wine and sighed: "Alas, the herdsman is a great talent, but it is a pity that he has not met his talent. My uncle (Cao Sanxi) has a lot of connections in the Dashun court. If the shepherd wants to use his skills, it is better to go to Taiyuan with Wansheng."
Qian Qianyi was surprised: "Are you actually Li Zicheng's lobbyist?"
"A late student is not talented, but he is not stupid either," Cao Fengji said with a smile, "Li Zicheng is not a master of the Ming Dynasty. Dashun will be destroyed sooner or later, so why should a late student serve as his lobbyist?"
Qian Qianyi said angrily: "Then you still persuade me to join the bandits?"
Cao Fengji said: "If the herdsman defected to Li Zicheng, he might be able to become prime minister. When the time comes, wouldn't he be reused if he defected to Nanjing as prime minister?"
Qian Qianyi shook his head and complained with some sincerity: "You don't know that His Majesty in Nanjing doesn't care how big an official he is elsewhere. Even if he is the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty's cabinet, he can only start from a small official. He is very tight-lipped about his official position and title, and he doesn't seem to be doing big things."
Cao Fengji took the opportunity to say: "This kind of behavior is indeed not enough to accomplish great things."
Qian Qianyi smiled bitterly: "Sometimes, I even think that if I work as a sinecure under this single husband, I might as well do the opposite... Ahem, drink, drink."