Ran Zaijing has been very happy in the past two years, but at the same time he is not very happy.
His grandfather was the consort of the Ming Dynasty, and Emperor Chongzhen was his cousin. But to be honest, it was boring. There was no real power in the family, and there was no way to get money.
Historically, Li Zicheng beat his prince-in-law half to death in Beijing, but he couldn't find any silver.
After Ran Zaijing was brought to Nanjing, he was like a fish in water. When he was in Beijing, he was a minor player among the nobles. But when he arrived in Nanjing, as Chongzhen's cousin, many dandies took the initiative to play with him.
Normal consumption in high-end places does not require Ran Zaijing to pay for it himself.
The value of his existence is to accompany these dandies to have fun. His expertise is so perfect, he fights cockfighting lackeys, carries birds in cages, has tea with flowers and wine, sings with interjections... Ran Zaijing is proficient in everything!
Occasionally, he would tell some interesting stories about the palace of the Ming Dynasty and the entertainment activities of Beijing nobles. No matter how he made it up, the bunch of rubes from Nanjing would gather around him and listen carefully, and they would burst into exclamation when he told the wonderful parts.
It's a pity that no matter how many stories we have, there will be a day when they are all over.
The dandy boys in Nanjing gradually lost their novelty towards him and became dispensable. Many times they no longer took him with them when they had fun.
Today, I finally found someone who took advantage of me. I invited him to Goulan to drink wine and sleep until the next morning before going home.
"Where have you been fooling around again?"
As soon as he passed through the yard, Ran Zaijing heard his grandfather's voice.
Ran Zaijing didn't take it seriously and replied with a playful smile: "To tell you my grandfather, I drank too late last night and rested at a friend's house."
Ran Xingrang snorted coldly: "It's those bad friends again!"
"Just playing together." Ran Zaijing defended.
Ran Xingrang suddenly sighed: "Oh, with you and my son, how could I have committed evil in my life?"
Although Xu Ying's careful work brought the consort and his family to Nanjing, the princess (daughter of Wanli) died of illness halfway. The troublesome son and eldest grandson all stopped doing their jobs after settling in Nanjing.
This father and son met once again when they were tea drinking on the Qinhuai River.
At that time, they went to a brothel to have fun and wanted to see a famous prostitute but could not find one. The two groups were arranged to drink tea together. The father and son bumped into each other. They stared at each other and couldn't recognize each other, so they called each other "Sir".
Ran Xingrang called his grandson into the study and said: "I pulled this old face and used my connections to find a job for you. The Physics Museum of Qintianyuan is short of a warehouse boy. Although he is not an official, if he does a good job,
You can also be promoted to an official. What's even more rare is that this job is very leisurely, as long as you can read and write. You can also read more books after your usual work. Promotion to an official requires an assessment, and one test is Datong Theory.
, the second test is the rules and regulations of the physics museum.”
Ran Zaijing suddenly became anxious: "Not even an official? If you want to be an official, you have to be promoted? Isn't that just a government servant? Grandpa, after all, we are also the clan of the old dynasty. Where can we put our face if word spreads!"
"You still want shame?" Ran Xingrang was furious, "The names of your father and son are spread all over the Qinhuai River! I had to bite the bullet and ask for help. I could have arranged the officials' errands. When people heard that it was you, they were worried whether they were alive or dead.
I don’t want to help. I begged you hard, and I agreed to let you work as a handyman first! In three months, as long as you don’t miss work and don’t cause trouble, you can be turned into an official!”
Ran Zaijing said impatiently: "Dad doesn't have a serious business, so let him do a handyman job."
"Say it again!" Ran Xingrang was shaking with anger.
Of course Ran Zaijing did not dare to disobey, he lowered his head and said perfunctorily: "Okay, okay, I'll do it for a few days."
A few days later, Ran Zaijing was fired for being late and leaving early for no reason. He also contradicted the warehouse supervisor and scolded the supervisor's eighteenth generation ancestor in public.
He did not dare to go home, so he was introduced to Cao Fengji by Zuo Liangcheng, who took him to Huafang for three days in a row.
Ran Zaijing was not thinking about Shu anymore, and one day he said: "Shopkeeper Cao is living a happy life, and he wouldn't do it even if he were a god."
Cao Fengji smiled and said: "My uncle is a wealthy businessman from Shanxi. When he comes to the south to do business this time, he has his own assistants to follow the arrangements. As for myself, I want to make more friends with the gentry and celebrities and have good relations with Nanjing officials. I have acquaintances in the officialdom and business
Wouldn’t it be easy?”
"Shopkeeper Cao is really rich and prosperous. He spends all his time eating, drinking and having fun, which can be considered as doing business." Ran Zaijing said enviously.
Cao Fengji said: "Your Excellency is also rich and noble. The previous dynasty was noble and majestic. I heard that Lord Chongzhen is your cousin?"
Ran Zaijing waved his hands repeatedly: "No more, no more, it makes me angry when I talk about it. I am very rich and noble. My grandfather lowered his face and asked for help, but he only found a job as a government servant. His Majesty is also stingy today. Since he can tolerate the old imperial clan
"Why don't you give me a decent house, give me some free time in the government, and give me some silver taels as a monthly payment?"
Cao Fengji echoed: "That's how it should be."
"Drink, drink!" Ran Zaijing became angrier as he thought about it.
Cao Fengji said with emotion: "A few years ago, you were a member of the royal family, while I was just a commoner. Now I am lucky enough to be able to have a good time with such a noble person as you."
"Who am I? No, no." Ran Zaijing was actually very happy that someone finally recognized his identity.
One held it vigorously, the other drank happily, and by the time he drank it, Ran Zaijing regarded Cao Fengji as a confidant.
Finally, Cao Fengji asked casually: "I heard that it was my grandfather who sent the princes and daughters of the Ming Dynasty to Nanjing. This is really a great achievement!"
Ran Zaijing became more and more angry: "Your Majesty today is very mean and ungrateful. No matter how great his contribution was, my grandfather was only rewarded with dozens of taels of silver, and the house he was given was also very shabby. There are so many people in my family, and the house is not even big."
I can’t live here! We don’t get monthly stipends, so we have to earn our own living. In the past, people in Beijing had stipends!”
Cao Fengji saw that Ran Zaijing was already drunk, so he asked: "Besides your grandfather, when you escorted the prince south, who else was there who was loyal to the old dynasty?"
"There are no loyal ministers in this world. They are all..." Ran Zaijing thought of someone and suddenly said sarcastically, "There is one loyal minister. At that time, he was escorted out of the capital by the eunuchs and guards on the pretext of worshiping his ancestors. Ban Dao pretended to be a trespasser and killed him, and the eunuchs and guards were there.
They were so frightened that they dispersed. There was a red-helmeted guard who actually did not run away and did his duty to protect the prince. This man is also in Nanjing now and has become a patrol captain. Do you think he is stupid? He doesn't have much monthly salary and he still has to support his family.
, actually buy cakes for the prince and princess every month as a tribute."
Cao Fengji's eyes lit up, he unlocked a new character, and hurriedly said: "This is a loyal minister and righteous man, it's a pity that we can't meet him!"
Ran Zaijing smiled and said: "Isn't it easy to see him? He leads patrols every day and can be seen on the streets. He is a dignified red-helmeted general and the bodyguard of the Ming Emperor. He can only be a policeman when he comes to Nanjing."
Good catch!
Cao Fengji became increasingly happy.
He continued to inquire about the information and learned that the person's name was Zhou Yingyuan, so he went to secretly investigate the situation the next day.
It was soon discovered that the news about Ran Zaijing was lagging behind. Zhou Yingyuan was not a patrol captain, he had been promoted long ago, and he was in charge of the security of the entire Anbrifang, which was probably equivalent to the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau.
Cao Fengji asked Ran Zaijing to introduce him to him and said some words of admiration. He also said that he missed the old dynasty and liked to make friends with the loyal ministers and righteous men of the Ming Dynasty.
But Zhou Yingyuan said with a dark face: "There is no new dynasty or old dynasty. Now there is only one Datong court. Don't talk nonsense and harm Lord Chongzhen's children. You do your business honestly and you are not allowed to visit everywhere in the future, otherwise you will
Catch him and punish him as a spy!"
Cao Fengji quickly apologized and said with a sad look: "General Zhou, please don't be angry, the common people are just... alas! The common people are also talented people, and those with merit and fame, who wouldn't bathe in the emperor's favor? The dynasty has been raising scholars for three hundred years, and we are the scholars.
But I can't repay your kindness. Now that His Majesty Chongzhen is no longer here, I happen to come to Nanjing to do business. I really... I really can't help it. I want to meet the royal nobles of the Ming Dynasty. But I dare not take the risk for fear of causing trouble for the princes and princesses.
If disaster comes, you can only make friends with loyal ministers like the general."
Zhou Yingyuan saw that what he said was sincere, and he couldn't help but feel a lot. He immediately said in a calm tone: "It's good that you have this intention. It's not easy. You are not that kind of ungrateful person. But you must also remember that today's Emperor Shengming,
When the royal family of the old dynasty is good enough, all the princes and princesses can study, and they can take the imperial examination and serve as officials when they reach adulthood. If you are really loyal to Lord Chongzhen, don't bother the Ming Dynasty bloodline again. If you know that your children can be treated like this, your Majesty will be able to do it too
Nine springs of laughter."
"General Zhou is right." Cao Fengji did not dare to say more.
Inciting rebellion did not happen overnight. He had plenty of time to plan. If it didn't work in one year, then two years; if it didn't work in two years, then three years. It was best to delay it until the Manchu Qing Dynasty was destroyed.
Cao Fengji likes life in Nanjing, which is much more comfortable than Liaodong and Shanxi.
He is indeed from Shanxi, but he is not Cao Sanxi's nephew, but a descendant of the Fan family of the "Eight Imperial Merchants".
Their whole family was doing business in the Zhangjiakou area. As Beizhili became sparsely populated, the family business became difficult to run. The Manchus withdrew to Liaodong and took some of the family members of the "Eight Imperial Merchants" with them, and now they are all doing business in Shenyang City.
hostage.
To betray the country is to betray the country, and to make money is to make money. The Tatars can't stand it anymore. Since they can't exchange for glory and wealth, who the hell is willing to work like a dog?
Sometimes, Cao Fengji even thought that he might as well give up his wife and children in Liaodong and directly vote for the Datong court in Nanjing.
But Cao Fengji was not the only one who came to Nanjing to do detailed work.
Cao Fengji didn't know exactly how many there were, let alone where they were hidden. He was afraid that if he betrayed him, not only would his wife and children be gone, but he would also be silenced.
Cao Fengji now devotes half of his energy to being a spy, and the other half to frantically creating people. The maid he brought from the north is kept in his room every night, just hoping to give birth to a son as soon as possible.
If you have children, you can spread the incense.
When things went wrong, he surrendered himself with his young son and asked for the blessing of Emperor Datong.
Having seen the prosperity of Nanjing and the living environment of southern merchants, Cao Fengji wanted to do business in a decent manner in Nanjing.
