Chapter 570: What is lacking in the hearts of the people can be made up for by punishing rice and eradicating corruption.
They were all eunuchs who had been accompanying Zhu Houzhao since the old East Palace. As Zhu Houzhao ascended the throne, the ministers wrote letters one after another. The title of the Eight Tigers was not only deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the court, but also widely spread among the people.
.However, compared to Liu Jin, Zhang Yonggu, Dayong Qiuju, who has a conspicuous and respectable job, and Lao Gaofeng, who has been ranked at the top since the Hongzhi period, Luo Xiang, Wei Bin, and Mayong achievements are not so impressive. Although Zhu Houzhao is extremely nostalgic
For love, their brothers and nephews were rewarded one by one, and they all took care of their own affairs in the palace. They seemed proud of themselves, but the three of them really couldn't be satisfied.
Liu Jin is in charge of the Supervisor of Ceremonies, Zhang Yong is in charge of the army, Gu Dayong is in charge of the west factory, Qiu Ju is in charge of the east factory, and Gao Feng is now in charge of the emperor's wedding. Only the three of them seem to have one name on the left and the other on the right.
But it was just empty airs! So, when Ma Yongcheng finally found out that the little emperor had listened to Liu Jin's suggestion and wanted to set up an expert factory, and was about to go to activities, another big stick came down from above - Liu Jin, Xu Xun, Li Dongyang
, the eunuch, the military attaché and the civil servant unanimously recommended Qian Ning!
"I can't get through this day!"
There were many spies in the palace, so on this day Ma Yongcheng invited Wei Bin and Luo Xiang out of the palace, booked a place in a clean teahouse that he frequented frequently, ordered a pot of fragrant tea, and complained angrily. At the beginning, Wei Bin
Bin Ziran put the tea cup heavily on the table, and then said angrily: "Isn't that true? The three of us seem to be able to talk in front of the emperor, but as long as Lao Liu says a word and Xu Xun says a word, we can
We all have to step aside! Old Liu was lower than us back then, and Xu Xun, a young boy, is now above our heads!"
Luo Xiang snorted coldly and poured a cup of scalding tea on the ground: "Not to mention Xu Xun, he is in charge of a stall outside. Even if he didn't add fuel to the flames, it wouldn't be our turn to blame for this incident. But.
Old Liu was so unkind! The Chief of Ceremonies had more than just one palm-printing seat. There were so many Bingbi eunuchs, and he just refused to let any of them out. Except for Gao Laofeng, the old immortal, the rest of the Bingbi eunuchs were not allowed to come out.
Now there are still vacancies. I heard that he is using this as bait to make the subordinates obey his orders. If this continues, sooner or later he will dominate the palace!"
Now that the enemy has been eliminated, several people thought that the next step would be their good days, but they didn't expect that none of the good seats would be available. Naturally, the more they thought about it, the more angry they became. You complained to me for a long time,
Luo Xiang poured himself another cup of tea, and then said slowly: "It must be said that we were too cautious and lacked vision at the beginning. Let's not talk about Lao Liu. How close are Lao Gu, Lao Zhang and Xu Xun? What do they think?
At the beginning, he was almost like us, but not long after the emperor ascended the throne, and before Lao Liu had even earned the rank of internal official, supervisor, and eunuch, Lao Gu was already in charge of the West Factory, and Lao Zhang was promoted to royal horse supervisor and eunuch!
That boy is young, but he treats people well. Do you know who owns the now noisy and prosperous land to the south of Xuanwumen?"
Ma Yongcheng and Wei Bin looked at each other and asked at the same time: "Whose is it?"
"It's Xu Xun and Lao Gu who added one to five, one person and half. I didn't find out the general proportion, but it's about the same!" Seeing the astonishment on Ma Yongcheng and Wei Bin's faces, Luo Xiang just whispered, "I think there were only a few people there at Tongjiaqiao back then.
There were only a few people, and there were vegetable fields and pig pens everywhere, but now things have changed a lot. The monthly income from a garden alone is huge, and this is because they have never gotten involved in those brothels, otherwise the income would be even greater.
I have inquired about it, and it turns out that Lao Gu was dragged into the business by Xu Xun. No wonder he was very generous to his subordinates in the West Factory. With this kind of income, he is still afraid of not having any money?”….
Wei Bin knew that Luo Xiang had no connections in Jinyiweidu in Dongchang and Xichang, so he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious when he heard it: "Lao Luo, these news should be kept closely guarded, especially Xianyuan, where literati and elegant people often go to study.
During a meeting or lecture, if you know that there is someone from Lao Gu, I'm afraid there will be a fuss in an instant. How did you find out?"
Seeing that Ma Yongcheng was also staring at him with some disbelief, Luo Xiang was immediately annoyed. He put down his cup and sneered: "Why, you still can't trust me? If you can't trust me, I will defeat you. Just go and guard the cold yamen of the Chief Supervisor!"
"Hey, aren't you curious, Lao Ma? Why are you so angry, Lao Luo!" Wei Bin quickly grabbed Luo Xiang who stood up to leave, and said with a smile, "I just thought, Lao Gu transferred the people from the West Factory
Xiaoban is guarding the south of the city. It is obvious that he has made a plan in advance. ""... But this news is really important. Lao Ma and I will ask you why, this is always not unfair? It's a lot of words."
"That's right, we just want to have accurate information. All the news channels in the capital are controlled by others. Aren't we afraid that you will be fooled?"
Luo Xiang sat down reluctantly, and both of them relaxed before meeting him. He squinted his eyes and pondered for a long time, and then he said with a smile: "Do you know that now, from the capital to the common people?
, up to the most dignified officials, what they believe in most is not Taoism and Buddha, but the Wuji Saint Ancestor who has just emerged?"
"Saint Ancestor Wuji?"
Although eunuchs are rootless people, they have always believed in Taoism and Buddhism. When they were alive, they went to Buddhist temples and Taoist temples and spent countless money. After death, they often built tombs and temples, and appointed famous monks of their choice as monks.
His own slaves were monks who guarded his graveyard after his death. Therefore, as soon as Luo Xiang talked about the Holy Ancestor Wuji, Wei and Ma immediately became interested. Ma Yongcheng even said thoughtfully: "I have heard that Gong
There are quite a few believers here, and they keep talking about vacuum and hometown, which sounds confusing."
"Don't be confused. This sect is about wealth and wealth in the next life. Although it is somewhat similar to Buddhism, it doesn't have as many strict rules and precepts. You can practice it anytime and anywhere. Unlike Buddhism, you have to meditate, chant sutras, eat fast, and do good deeds."
Luo Xiang said mysteriously: "Not to mention others, when Shouning Hou was unlucky, Mrs. Shouning Hou asked someone to blame him, and soon after, Shouning Hou was released.
It is said that Lao Zhang has been secretly seen by others. People say that he became prosperous because of Xu and became famous because of Xu. Are you accurate? Nowadays, there are countless people in the capital who believe in the Wuji Saint Ancestor. It is said that good men and women even offer gold foil to worship him.
But Mr. Luo, who has the same surname as me, insisted on not accepting it. This conduct alone is much better than that of those Buddhist temples and Taoist temples! He has many followers, so some information cannot be hidden from him. This matter about Xianyuan, I got it from him.
I got some information from there."
Speaking of this, both Wei Bin and Ma Yongcheng were still a little doubtful, but they were already quite interested. After asking Luo Xiang, they learned that he had quietly asked someone to calculate his birth date.
There will be wealth and fortune. He went to see him in person. Before he could speak, the other party called him a noble man. The two of them looked at each other and felt a little moved.
"Come to think of it, haven't we discussed making a speech to the emperor to adjust the border troops? By then, as long as there is a name to supervise the army, how much benefit can be gained from this? Master Luo is not bad!"
Although they had not mentioned it in front of Zhu Houzhao, the three of them all firmly believed that given Zhu Houzhao's love for leading troops and training, this proposal would be passed easily and skillfully, so they all looked at each other and laughed. So, Wei Bin and Ma Yongcheng came up with the idea.
He asked Luo Qing to come and take a look at him, but Luo Xiang agreed wholeheartedly, called the boy guarding outside, and sent him off after a few words.
The three of them had not waited long in the teahouse when they heard a noise coming from outside. Wei Bin frowned, stood up and looked outside the teahouse, and saw the shopkeeper who they had kicked out at the beginning, prostrating himself on the ground and saluting.
, when they were surprised, they found an old man with silver-white hair on his temples, neatly combed, arriving in front of the door. Although he did not have the celestial spirit as imagined, he seemed extremely approachable at first glance, especially when Wei Bin saw the person.
He lowered his body slightly and helped the shopkeeper up with his hands. The shopkeeper's face was filled with gratitude, as if he was being favored...
If Wei Bin hadn't ordered this teahouse in person today, he would almost have thought that this scene was specially prepared by someone else, but now he was somewhat convinced that this person was magical. Especially since the shopkeeper followed Luo Qing step by step, and then personally
I went to prepare rare and good tea that I never brought out in the past and served it. Even though they couldn't taste any good tea in the palace, the three of them were full of praise at the same time.
"We have been in the palace for so long, how come we have never had such good tea?"
The shopkeeper already knew that the three people in front of him were all powerful officials in the palace. Hearing this, he said tremblingly: "I would like to teach my three father-in-laws that the things in the palace are paid tribute in the same way. We do not seek merit, but we seek no fault.
The latest chapter of the Holy Temple... If the emperor or nobles like this kind of tea with a strong aroma and want it next time, there may not be something of this quality available in the coming year. Therefore, tributes have always been obtained with Zhongzheng
Peaceful words, so as not to follow this example in the palace and make it difficult for the adults."
The three of them were all human beings. After hearing this, Luo Xiang tilted his head and asked, "Why did you greet me at the door just now?"
"Reporting to my father-in-law, this teahouse in Xiaoke was opened under the guidance of Mr. Luo. Now the business is booming. Even the mother-in-law who has been sick for a long time has money to treat her. My son has also been enlightened to read, so he is naturally grateful to Mr. Luo."
Historically, missionaries have mostly used heresies such as spreading beans to make soldiers, or using talismans such as water to be invulnerable or supernatural legends that can cure all diseases. Therefore, Luo Xiang and the other two people thought they would hear these. At this time, unexpectedly, they
He suddenly became even more surprised. Ma Yongcheng said with great interest: "What did Mr. Luo tell you?"
"Master Luo gave instructions on how to choose a local store, how to hire people, how to mix flower and fruit tea..." The shopkeeper was very eloquent and said several things. When Luo Qing glanced over, he hurriedly said in silence.
, "Young man, go and serve tea on the stove at the back. The three father-in-laws and Mr. Luo are talking here!"
Seeing Luo Qing's look that made people stop talking, Ma Yongcheng's eyes flickered, and then he said with a half-smile: "I didn't expect Master Luo to have such insight into these common affairs."
"Now that you have entered my sect, you should solve his troubles, not to mention your knowledge." Luo Qing folded his hands and recited, and then said calmly, "I wonder what the three nobles ordered when they were summoned?"
Ma Yongcheng immediately laughed and said: "You are not a monk, you are not a Taoist, and you are so arrogant in the capital, are you not afraid that people will arrest you and jail you for deceiving people?"
"Xiao Ke once became a monk in his early years. However, the Buddha could not relieve Xiao Ke's pain, let alone his troubles. Therefore, Xiao Ke left the Buddha after a few years of conversion and traveled around the world in search of the road. After decades of wandering, this
Only then did I realize that the great road had arrived in the capital. As for deceiving people, Xiao Ke has been charged with this crime countless times during his preaching, and has been jailed several times. He has long been accustomed to the slander of those people." At this point, Luo Qing said calmly, "
If you believe it, then you will believe it, if you don’t believe it, then you will not believe it, everything depends on fate.”
The three of them had met a lot of Taoist monks with eloquent tongues, so they believed Luo Qing's calm attitude even more. Ma Yongcheng simply asked Luo Qing to give a lecture, but Luo Qing did not mention those illusory avenues.
, only talked about all kinds of suffering in the world, and only talked about the boundless peace and happiness of one day being liberated and returning home. He, who had been in the palace and suffered all kinds of pain since he was a child, resonated with him unknowingly. Not only him, but also people who had heard this saying before.
Luo Xiang and Wei Bin, who first heard this, were also moved to varying degrees.
Even if you are in a high position, homesickness is inevitable, and the ignorant happiness of childhood is no longer available no matter how rich you are!
The three people had different feelings after listening to some teachings. Later, when Wei Bin wanted to ask Luo Qing to forgive the blame, Luo Qing solemnly said something ominous about swordsmanship and beware of misfortunes, which made him suddenly change his expression. Ma Yongcheng suddenly changed his face.
Unable to bear it anymore, he said bluntly: "The three of us go in and out together on weekdays, and we do most of the same things. You said that Old Wei should be careful about misfortunes, but the last time you said that Old Luo will have a windfall in the near future, then again
What’s the point?”….
"Different people have different fortunes. Even if they have the same things, it will be in vain. Just like you, you have been blessed recently with your son and nephew."
With such completely different criticisms, when Ma Yongcheng, Wei Bin and Luo Xiang returned to the palace, their expressions and moods were completely different. Wei Bin, who was criticized for being in trouble, didn't want to say a word, got on his horse and walked out of Zhi Street, then started galloping forward.
, Ma Yongcheng and Luo Xiang behind him inadvertently failed to stop the person, and the next moment the person was gone. The two looked at each other, and said with a wry smile that Old Wei was just like this. A Taoist who spreads his hands will have misfortune and good fortune, but he can't help but keep it in his heart.
There was a trace of hesitation. However, when they returned to Xi'anmen, they learned that Wei Bin had not returned. They were all a little strange, but they didn't reason. They said hello and went back to their respective yamen.
It wasn't until the evening that the two of them got the news one after another. It was said that Wei Bin was galloping out of the city. However, because it happened that the vanguard of the government army was training their horses, his horse stumbled and fell directly into the ditch beside the road. Fortunately, he was rescued in time, that is, he was not frightened.
He sprained his foot, and if he fell harder, he might even lose his life. At this time, Ma Yongcheng and Luo Xiang suddenly shivered together, and then hurriedly went to see Wei Bin. Sure enough, the two met there.
Wei Bin was right there yelling at Luo Qing for being a monster. The two of them said a few words of comfort and hurriedly left. As a result, they met Ruisheng at the door of Ma Yongcheng's prison department.
"Eunuch Ma, Eunuch Luo."
Now Rui Sheng is accompanying Zhu Houzhao on every day. On the contrary, each of the eight tigers has their own responsibilities and cannot serve in front of the emperor every day like before. Therefore, when Ma Yongcheng and Luo Xiang saw Rui Sheng salute respectfully, Ma Yongcheng suddenly smiled.
He said, "Hey, what brought the busy little Eunuch Rui to my shabby yamen?"
"It's the emperor who ordered me to tell Eunuch Ma." Ruisheng said and saluted Ma Yongcheng again and said, "The emperor promised Eunuch Ma to promote your brother Ma Yue to the official position, but when the decree was issued to the Ministry of War
But something went wrong. It was written as your brother Ma Zhao by mistake, and the Ministry of War has already reported it. The emperor said that since it was a happy event, it was a double happiness, so he didn't bother to change it. Ma Zhao was actually awarded the title of Jinyiwei Baihu, and Ma Yue was also awarded the title of Jinyiwei.
Hundreds of households.”
Upon hearing this, not only Luo Xiang was stunned, but even Ma Yongcheng, who should have been overjoyed, stayed there. Ruisheng didn't know what was going on. Seeing that the two of them didn't look happy at all, he asked cautiously.
He said: "Eunuch Ma and Luo, is there something wrong with this? They were all seniors before, but now they have all been promoted, which is a good thing!"
"It's a good thing, it's a good thing!" Luo Xiang came back to his senses, laughed and slapped Ruisheng hard on the shoulder, "You go back to see the emperor, I will go back in person to thank you soon!"
After Ruisheng agreed and left, Luo Xiang breathed a long sigh of relief, looked at Ma Yongcheng and said: "Okay, don't be in a daze, such a good thing will only happen to your Ma family. Now you are almost the same as Lao Liu and Lao Zhang.
They are side by side, Lao Liu has made three nephews, and Lao Zhang is two brothers. Go and thank him quickly, this matter is settled, it is better than Lao Wei being unlucky!"
"Okay, okay, it's really amazing!" Ma Yongcheng finally came to his senses, smiled bitterly and nodded towards Luo Xiang, "Anyway, I have to go back and learn from Master Luo's preaching. Now
I'll leave first, son, and I won't leave you to sit in charge of the office. If you have anything to say, we'll talk later later!"
Seeing Ma Yongcheng walking very fast, Luo Xiang walked back while thinking about his so-called windfall. When he was about to reach his Yamen, he was not paying attention, and a person suddenly appeared next to him and pulled him away.
He grabbed his sleeve. He was so surprised that he was about to shout when the little fireman following him called Eunuch Gu. Seeing clearly that the person with an increasingly round body was indeed Gu Dayong, he breathed a sigh of relief and then complained:
"It's all nonsense, Lao Gu, you suddenly show up, you're going to scare people to death!"….
"Don't do anything bad, don't be afraid of ghosts knocking on the door, there's nothing to be afraid of. Besides, it's a good thing that I'm looking for you!"
Gu Dayong let go of his hands carelessly, then folded his hands and said, "Have you heard about the new policies implemented by Old Liu? There are many words including asking the censor to go down to Liang Zhejiang to inspect the salt affairs and trace the past.
I have accumulated debts. My West Factory has just found out that there is something fishy in the Lianghuai Salt Transfer Department. I want to ask the emperor for instructions to send someone to check and verify. You know Lianghuai, the Huaiyan salt is the best in the world, and those salt merchants are real thieves.
Rich, so I don’t want to take advantage of others. Lao Luo, you happen to be idle and have nothing to do. If you are willing, how about you go there in person and I ask the people in the West Factory to cooperate with you? "
Luo Xiang didn't expect that Gu Dayong was talking about this matter, and was caught off guard for a moment. However, after standing there hesitating for a long time, he couldn't help but feel a little excited. It should be noted that the yamen he is now in charge of does not have much oil and water, and
He was a well-known eunuch in the palace, so you can imagine what he would get from a trip to the south. After thinking about it, he pretended to say: "Such a good thing, Lao Gu, why are you thinking about me? What about the people around you?
There should be a lot of people doing this job, including you, and your family’s expenses are not small."
"Well, they are all juniors and have not been friends with us for many years. As for my brother, let's not talk about him. I gave him a future, a house, a carriage, and horses, and I will not spoil him. Besides, I There is also income, so we can’t take advantage of all the good things.”
Gu Dayong has always been known for his generosity, and Luo Xiang knew about Gu Dayong's huge source of wealth. After thinking about it, he felt that the border army was not settled yet, so he might as well get a handful of it. In the end, he was a little humble. Ju Fang agreed. After sending Gu Dayong away, he thought of Luo Qing's instructions and felt convinced for a moment.
That old guy is so amazing!
Not to mention how Wei Bin was annoyed by such sudden misfortune, Luo Xiang and Ma Yongcheng, who had confirmed their fortune and official fortune at the same time, did not have so many worries. They took advantage of the opportunity the next day and went to visit Luo Qing in person. In the future, after listening to Luo Qing's talk and asking them to be impartial and not to stand out, they who were originally worried about being plotted naturally gave up their worries. After all, if it was really pretending, they would definitely be tricked into standing here. On that side, there was no reason for them to sit on the fence and wait and see. As long as there was no need to speak out, the two of them gave up the idea of going first to seduce Zhu Houzhao to mobilize the border troops.
Xu Xun was naturally relieved to have nipped such an incident in the cradle. As for how these three fence-riding parties would line up, he now naturally had no worries at all. Liu Jin sent his cronies to check the salt affairs in Zhejiang and Zhejiang, and asked them to Isn't it easy to instigate people to continue going to Lianghuai? At that time, Liu Jin and Luo Xiang can be brought into conflict easily. When he met Zhang Cai in the study that night, he picked up the copy in front of him that he secretly picked up from the Supervisor of Ceremonies. Liu Jin came out and handed Zhang Cai the new rule of fine rice after flicking it twice.
Zhang Cai took it and flipped through a few pages before the expression on his face suddenly became wonderful: "Is Eunuch Liu crazy?"
"Needless to say, the emperor is in favor of this new rule. If officials make mistakes, they will fine the rice and send it to the border areas for military rations. It seems to reduce the pressure on military supplies, but in fact this move is extremely cruel. One thousand shi of rice, according to the current market price, is How much does it cost? In good years, it cost one tael of silver and four shi of rice. Nowadays, it is about one tael of silver and three shi of rice. It only costs enough to transport it to Xuanfu. But if it is transported to Gansu, or even to Yansui Guyuan, how much does it cost? I'm afraid it's more expensive than rice."
"But Eunuch Liu not only knows how to use this trick to deal with corrupt officials."
"You are right. If you use this trick to deal with officials from Han Wen who are not from a decent family, what will be the outcome? People will be forced to death!" Xu Xun smiled self-deprecatingly, and then said lightly, "Others Not to mention, a gentleman like Lin Shangshu and Zhang Duxian cannot be tolerated in the first place. They have told me several times, so they must let Liu Jin taste the sweetness first."
"Let him attack those greedy people first?"
"Yes, I have already mentioned it to Lao Gu. One day when Eunuch Liu is in front of the emperor, he will reveal a case and give Eunuch Liu a chance to test his skills! Now that I think about it, if I had encountered the Zhao Qin case that year, It will be fine now, Eunuch Liu will be happy to skin him!"
Liu Jin had neither power nor money for half his life. Now that he has such an opportunity, how can he really confiscate his house to fill the national treasury? Of course, the small head will be sent to the national treasury and the big head will line his own pockets. And after completing such corruption cases one after another, he will make a lot of money. Naturally, he will never stop. But even so, the money will fill up Liu Jin's warehouse, and the deterrent effect in the officialdom is not trivial. Such a sharp knife can be used well, and it will naturally be invincible, and there is no suspicion of getting burned. , enough to clean up the entire officialdom!
Zhang Cai saw the regret on Xu Xun's face. Even though he didn't know much about the old events in Jinling, he couldn't help but secretly feel lucky that Zhao Qin had decided to fight, otherwise he wouldn't know what the outcome would have been!