Chapter 67 Section sixty-seven

The emperor has kept it a secret for more than a year, and the emperor has never known about King Chun's condition.And the administration of officials for more than a year is like King Chun's illness, which is getting worse day by day.The emperor also heard a little about it, but he didn't get it from the statements of the masters in the study, but from the mouth of the concubine Zhen. "Where did you get the news?" "Slaves listen to what people say." Concubine Zhen smiled, "They are all slaves and are not sensible, and they don't hide their words very much."

"So that's it!" The emperor was terrified, "You have to be careful, what you hear, don't tell anyone except me." "The servant knows. Apart from playing with the emperor in secret, the servant can't be so ignorant, talking nonsense and causing trouble for himself." "Yes! As long as you understand." The emperor was very pleased, "Who are you talking about 'they'? Is it a eunuch? " "yes!" "The eunuchs?" "This," Concubine Zhen smiled innocently, "You can't tell the emperor about it. If you say it, it's a slave." She said with a straight face, "If the emperor wants to hear these news, don't ask the source, otherwise I can't hear it anymore."

The emperor knew that concubine Zhen would never reveal the source of the news, so he didn't ask any more questions.However, since then, I have been wary of the name notes handed down by the Empress Dowager Cixi, or verbal explanations: a certain official is missing and calling someone, and when summoned, he asked about his resume, which was extremely detailed.Of course, there are those who have clear words and clear grammar, but there are quite a lot of people who have unequal qualifications and whose language is tasteless.Especially the banner people, especially the department staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, are more like this.It goes without saying that he has gone his way.

What kind of doorway is this?The emperor was determined to find out.In the palace, it was naturally Li Lianying who handled it.What about outside the palace?Li Lianying didn't come home very often, and those who walked in the palace couldn't go into the palace to talk to Li Lianying, so one knew that there must be someone living outside the palace.Who is this person? Gradually, the emperor saw the clue. There was a Taoist priest named Gao Dongyuan, who was the abbot of Baiyun temple outside Xibianmen.Baiyun Temple was built in the Liao and Jin Dynasties. Its original name was Taiji Palace. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was renamed Changchun Palace because it enshrined the statue of Changchun real man Qiu Chuji.It was rebuilt during the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty and renamed Baiyun Temple.In the last year of Wanli, a "Tao Cang" with more than 5,400 volumes was published, and Zai Xuzi, the chairperson, wrote "Detailed Notes on the Catalog of Dao Cang".This is much more brilliant than alchemists who bluff people with talismans and pill furnaces. It really deserves to be called the Northern School of Taoism.

There are many sects of Taoism, with a total of 86 sects.But there are two sects in Dabie, the Quanzhen sect in the north and the Taoism in the south, with Baiyun Temple and Shangqing Palace on Longhu Mountain in Guixi, Guixi as the sects of the two schools.However, although the emperors of the Ming Dynasty all advocated Taoism, Jiajing was particularly fascinated, but the Taoist priests of Baiyun Temple who were close at hand were far less popular than the Taoist priests from Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi.Because the Quanzhen religion does not drink alcohol, eat meat, or live in livestock, it is a "taoist monk", while the way of a heavenly master is no different from that of a layman. They have wives and children, and they can also eat wine and meat during non-fasting periods. Ju Taoist".These Taoist priests talk about the practice of compound medicine, immortality, and magic in the house, which is really the dream of the emperor who is rich all over the world.

It was different in the Qing Dynasty.In view of the loss of the previous Ming, abandon the alchemist.Qianlong did it most happily, thinking that although Zhang Tianshi, the "Zhengyi real person", is hereditary, he must not be compared with the hereditary Yan Shenggong, so he downgraded Zhang Tianshi's rank from first rank to fifth rank. The status of the Taoist priests of the Baiyun Temple has been improved. Baiyun Temple has been a tourist attraction since the middle of Ming Dynasty.The most lively day is the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, which is called the "Yan Jiu" festival, or "Yanqiu", or "Eunuch Jiu", because Qiu Chuji is the same as the eunuch who voluntarily joined the palace.His self-importance may be for the purpose of "cutting off the roots of right and wrong" and asking questions with sincerity, but the eunuchs didn't have time to examine the reason carefully, just because Qiu Zhenren also "purified" his "body", he implicitly regarded him as the patriarch , Dang Baiyun Temple is the eunuch's "family temple".When the Baiyun Temple opened on the 19th day of the first lunar month, all eunuchs, big and small, would visit and greet friends, and there was an endless stream of them. Over time, it became a custom.As a result, there are many fascinating and bizarre legends, the most famous of which is "meeting the gods". It is said that the day before the Yanjiu Festival, there must be a god descending, or turning into a gentry, or turning into a beggar, maybe an old woman, maybe a child. Only by fate can we meet.Among them, of course, it is also possible to "transform" into a white-faced scholar with ups and downs, meet a young woman who "asks and is sincere", and achieve a "fairy" of "fairy fate", which is also heard from time to time.

Because of the mixed influence of Baiyun Temple, in the minds of scholar-bureaucrats, its status is far inferior to ancient temples such as Chongxiao Temple, Longshu Temple, and Huazhi Temple.However, in recent years, it has been different. Gao Xuan, a high-ranking official, often appears in front of the Baiyun Temple, because Gao Dongyuan is the host. Gaodong's Yuan character is Yunxi, and he can speak Shandong dialect.Some people knew that he was from Rencheng, Shandong Province. His family was lonely and poor. He worked as an apprentice in a shop when he was a child.But the owner of that store couldn't let him go, so he had to leave.I don't know how many years have passed, and I don't know what kind of tricks he has, but he suddenly became the host of Baiyun Temple.This is still the second thing, the most impressive thing is that Gao Dongyuan and Li Lianying married Jinlan, and lived in the elder, so Li Lianying was called "Brother Gao".

"Brother Gao" knows the anecdotes of the previous dynasties, and often tells Li Lianying stories about how famous the former Ming emperor Feng Bao, Wei Zhongxian and others were, and how the former Ming emperors and empresses treated Taoist priests with courtesy.Of course, it also talked about how the Taoist priests in the Ming Dynasty were proficient in spells, how they could reach the gods, pray for the prolongation of life for ordinary people, and the supernatural deeds of blessing Yanma.Just after Empress Dowager Cixi came back to power, she had too much time to take care of herself, and she was doing everything possible to find entertainment. Li Lianying thought that letting Gao Dongyuan talk to Empress Dowager Cixi about gods was a good way to break the boredom, so she recommended him to enter the palace.Gao Dongyuan's eloquence is not hindered, and he is good at peeking at people's opinions. He only picks what the Empress Dowager Cixi likes to hear, and compliments him on the sidelines.So after a summons, I have a good impression.Soon, it was rumored that the Empress Dowager Cixi named Gao Dongyuan the "General Taoist Secretary".

In the Great Qing Huidian, there is only the official position of "Taolu Division", and the authority in charge of Taoism belongs to the hereditary "Zhengyi Zhenren" Zhang Tianshi.Even if the Empress Dowager Cixi really named Gao Dongyuan the "General Taoist Secretary", he is still a black official.However, it is an undoubted fact that Gao Dongyuan has a real way to sell officials and nobles because of the traffic ban.The emperor guessed that this Taoist priest had a lot of tricks because soon after Gao Dongyuan was called into the palace, the Empress Dowager Cixi issued an order for promotion.

However, it is very difficult to investigate Gao Dongyuan's misdeeds.Because his backing is too strong and his methods are very high, not only did many eunuchs be wooed by him to help him cover up, but also because it was the Empress Dowager Cixi who sold the officials and nobles, she was too afraid to move. Because of this, Gao Dongyuan became more and more unscrupulous, and the followers of the Gougouyingying camp did not worry about having nowhere to go.Every time Gao Dongyuan went to the city, he would live in Wanfuju on Yangmeizhu Xie Street.This is a restaurant, originally famous for its slippery eel, and later added a specialty dish of fried chicken, which is extremely tender. It is said that it was secretly passed down by Gao Dongyuan, and this dish is called "Gaojidong".

There is a courtyard in the east of Wanfuju, which is the place where Gao Dongyuan receives guests. It is free to talk about the lack of fertility and the price.One day, a visitor came, with a fat head and big ears, wearing a brand-new satin dress, with a green glass emerald finger on his thumb, and holding a "Gu Yue Xuan" snuff bottle in his hand.Just looking at his adornment, one can tell that he is from the House of Internal Affairs. Sure enough, he made his fortune from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He was the shopkeeper of a large wood factory in Xicheng, named Yuming, and contracted a project in the Summer Palace, earning two to three hundred thousand silver. When Yuming came to see Gao Dongyuan, it was natural that someone was going through the needles. This person was named Enfeng, and he was a postman from the Construction Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.He and Gao Dongyuan are friends who play Go, their chess strength is on par, and they know each other with high eyebrows and low eyesight, and they speak cautiously, which is very appreciated by Gao Dongyuan.As time went by, he became Gao Dongyuan's powerful minion. The reason why Yuming pursued his business was actually encouraged by Enfeng. Apart from being able to do his own business, he himself has nothing to do. Entertainment is not what I'm good at, so I don't know how to get to the point besides complimenting me indiscriminately?Undoubtedly, Enfeng spoke for him. "Second brother," Enfeng winked, "please sit outside. If you are interested, go to the west to drink for a while, and I will come to accompany you later." "Okay! I'll sit outside. I'll wait for my brother's reply." Yu Ming took a bulging "protection book" and opened it, "I'll give you the bank note first." Upon hearing this, Gao Dongyuan frowned, and Enfeng said quickly: "Not busy, not busy! Second brother, calm down." "Yes, hold your breath." As soon as he retreated outside, Gao Dongyuan said: "Brother En, where did you move such a big layman?" "He is rustic, and his heart is not bad." Enfeng asked with a smile: "Master Dao, you are always proficient in sackcloth, what do you think of this person?" "Simple and honest, with more than enough food and clothing for a lifetime." "Where's the official star?" "It's very hard to say, you have to look carefully to know." "Why look carefully? His official star is not clear, it all depends on whether the Taoist is willing to take care of him." Enfeng took two steps, dragged a chair and sat down beside Gao Dongyuan, and said in a low voice: "I I have never begged Daoist for favors. This time, I have to ask Daoist to give me some face. He is my brother. I have blown it out in front of him. Gao Daoye will definitely give me face. Don’t refute me. It's good to come back." "I can help with anything, let alone you? However, you don't do things with me once or twice. You always know the rules." "Of course, you haven't seen that, didn't he want to withdraw the banknote just now?" Enfeng said, "He has prepared one hundred thousand silver coins." Gao Dongyuan looked at Enfeng very attentively, "One hundred thousand silver?" He asked, "You have a lot of money? Did he fancy that vacancy?" "Think about the lack of Dao." Enfeng said, "He himself is the foundation of Tongzhi, and he has donated it for several years." "If you donate a class or don't donate a class, don't mention it. There is a big difference between a fifth-rank Taoist and a third-rank Taoist!" "It doesn't matter, just add donations." "Well, it won't be too late after he donates." "No way! Daoist," Enfeng approached and said, "there is a case involving the Sichuan Salt and Tea Ceremony. I have already inquired and confirmed that the punishment proposed by the Ministry of Officials is to be demoted to a third level. If you want to take this opportunity to fill his vacancy, if It would be a waste of time to let others go.” "Good guy!" Gao Dongyuan laughed, "His appetite is not small, Sichuan salt tea ceremony! Did he know that it was a unique deficiency in the world? " Of course Yu Ming knew.Salt officials in all provinces call it "Salt Way", and only Sichuan "uniquely" calls it "Yalt Tea Way".Salt becomes the great profit, not because of the large output, but because of the ability to sell it.Each salt sales site has its own territory, which is called "Yindi". In addition to this province, there are five places where Sichuan salt is introduced: Tibet, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, and Yunnan.Salt from the two lakes does not come out, so salt from Lianghuai, Guangdong, and Sichuan is eaten. The Hongyang army is flourishing, and the Jiangnan road is blocked. The salt from the Lianghuai cannot reach the two lakes, so Hubei naturally eats Sichuan salt nearby.The Sichuan salt industry has made a big profit, but the salt tax revenue has not increased much. This is naturally the reason why the salt merchants colluded with the salt officials to leak and cheat. Later, Wu Tang, the governor of Sichuan, who was known as "Yipin Meat", died of illness while in office. Ding Baozhen, the governor of Shandong, was promoted to the governor of Sichuan, determined to reform, and reused Tang Jiong as the salt tea ceremony. The General Bureau of Salt Transportation has been thoroughly rectified to curb leaks and eliminate cheating. The price of salt has been reduced, but the number of official courses has increased sharply. "Public expenses" have also risen with the tide, rolling in and becoming legal fat. The transportation and marketing of tea, like salt, also has a "leading place", which can be divided into "frontier" and "abdominal".Sichuan is listed as "Bianyin", and Sichuan tea is exclusively sold in Tibet, and the Tibetan plateau does not produce vegetables, so tea is an indispensable thing.During the Tongzhi period, the population of Tibet became more and more Tibetan, and more tea was consumed, so Sichuan tea, like Sichuan salt, prospered greatly.But "tea Yin" has always had a quota, five packs per pack, twenty catties per pack, so one pot can only sell one hundred catties of tea, and the tea pots are issued by the Ministry of Households, which has been fixed for many years. .So someone suggested to the Salt Tea Ceremony that in addition to tea imports, there would be another "tea ticket". The tea tickets sold spontaneously in Sichuan were actually taxed but not invoiced. The tax on ticket tea is light, so it becomes "both public and private". There is no limit on the quota, and Tibet needs a lot of tea, so laymen with insufficient strength also do a lot of tea business.In order to compete for sales, the price of tea was lowered, and the quality of tea was deteriorating. Some "veteran merchants" who had been in the tea industry since the Qianlong period and called for genuine goods at a fair price, saw that it was not the case, and made many complaints, and finally the ticket tea stopped. However, in the early years of Guangxu, when they sold ticket tea again, due to the low cost and high profit, many people changed their careers to become tea merchants.There was a shortage of tea, and the leaves were added. The transportation and sales were booming, the tax on tea increased sharply, and the "public expenses" drawn from it were considerable.Sichuan's "Salt Tea Ceremony" has become a double source of food. Not only did Yuming listen to Enfeng's detailed discussion, but he also asked many people who were familiar with the situation in central Sichuan, and they all agreed that it was worthwhile to make a full effort, so he made up his mind to abandon business and become an official.The "capital" he prepared was not only one hundred thousand taels of silver as Enfeng said, but three hundred thousand taels.Of course Gao Dongyuan also knew that there was a lot of room for bargaining, but since the "salt tea ceremony" was a unique deficiency, he didn't know what his income was, what price he should sell it for, or whether Li Lianying had promised someone else. Hastily agreed.He only replied that he could give it a try, but he dared not say whether it was successful or not.Agreed to call back in three days. Three days or not.Because Li Lianying is not sure, it will take a few days to find an opportunity to speak up before he can test the Empress Dowager Cixi. This was originally a matter of being patient and slowly waiting for the water to come to fruition, but the official addiction is at home, if you don't move, you can't stop it, and you can't stop it if you move.Yu Ming thought with all his heart that "the fire is so bad that the pig's head is rotten, and the money is used for business affairs". What he dreams of is not only the daily income, but also the dark blue roof, the green woolen sedan chair, the salt merchants and the tea merchants surrounded by compliments. That kind of bureaucracy.Therefore, I was very disappointed to hear that Enfeng still had to wait for the reply when he transferred, and naturally I couldn't listen to his words of comfort and forgiveness.In addition to urging and begging me face to face, I had to find a crack myself. I wished I could meet Li Lianying and ask for a real answer in person. Yuming's impatience was a joke in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but some people couldn't help but be moved.There is also a errand in the manufacturing office, named Quan Geng. I usually see Enfeng running between Li Lianying and Gao Dongyuan, and I am very envious. Luzi, if he succeeds, he will at least have the benefit of thousands of silver, if he fails, he will not lose anything, why not give him a try? This way of his can also lead to the emperor, Wang You, the leader of Jingren Palace, is his good friend.At this time, the concubine Zhen had moved from Yikun Palace to Jingren Palace. Wang You was faithful and capable, and was quite trusted.It was he who inquired about the "news" that Concubine Zhen reported to the emperor in secret.When he arrived at the House of Internal Affairs that day, Quan Geng gave him a wink and greeted him to a secluded place for a private conversation. "Have you heard about Yu Ming?" "I heard." Wang You replied, "Aren't you talking about it as a joke?" "It's not a joke. Bai Huahua's silver is two to three hundred thousand, it's not fake. Wang Laoyou, let me ask you first. You know about this matter, why did it run aground?" "It's not easy to inquire. That side is wary of me now, obviously talking and laughing, when it sees me, it shuts its mouth." Wang You said, "In my opinion, it's probably because Lafayette has been in a bad mood for a while. Great, he was afraid of hitting a wall when he said it, so he didn't dare to speak." The "that side" and "he" in Wang You's mouth both refer to Li Lianying, and they are tacit to each other.Quan Geng also used "he" to refer to Li Lianying: "I was thinking, he told Lafayette face-to-face, and Lafayette had to tell the emperor. Anyway, the emperor has to explain the military plan before he can issue an order. You don’t have to look for him. Don’t you think so?” "No, who is he looking for?" "Looking for you!" "Looking for me?" Wang You felt a little weird, and replied with a smile: "I don't have that much face." "Wang Laoyou," Quan Geng said seriously, "don't underestimate yourself. As long as you are willing to try, you have a way to reach the sky. I heard that your master is quite favored, and you are an arm of your master.Why don't you make up your mind? " "This..." Wang You pondered for a long time before hesitatingly said, "I don't know if it will work?" "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. What's the big deal if I touch a soft nail?" Quan Geng said again, "Besides, you are doing it for your master's good. Say something with tens of thousands of silver, what a wonderful thing!" Wang You was moved, "But," he said, "I have to be entrusted to me." "It's all about me." Quan Geng patted his chest and said, "Enfeng's ability to pull horses and strings, I have it!" "Okay, go talk to him." Wang You asked, "What do you think the asking price is?" "I heard that Enfeng had dealt with it, and he promised Gao Daoist 100,000 as soon as he opened his mouth, not counting Yuming's own contribution to the 'pass class'. Of course we also want 100,000. That's already cheap. Because Enfeng Handling, of course, has other benefits, we put it in the bag, a total of 100,000." "Isn't it too much?" Wang You felt that asking too much price was tantamount to empty talk, and there was no point in doing futile things, so he reminded Quan Geng: "A governor is only one hundred thousand." This is referring to Shao Youlian, one of Li Hongzhang's popular men.Shao Youlian was promoted from Shanghai Dao to Taiwan's vassal, and he was at odds with the governor Liu Mingchuan.There was no reason why the governor and the supervisory department should not be allowed. Shao Youlian got the information and hurriedly said that he was ill. He flew directly from Keelung to Tianjin, rushed to Beijing, and entrusted someone to visit Li Lianying.On the first day, one hundred thousand taels of silver was deposited into the bank designated by Li Lianying, and on the second day, there was an edict, and Shao Youlian, the governor of Hunan, who was in short supply, was specially Jian Shao Youlian to fill it up. Quan Geng also knew this story, shook his head and said, "The market is very different now. Two years ago, Shanghai Road was only worth 80,000 silver. It cost hundreds of thousands of dollars." The so-called "80,000 silver" in Shanghai Road is related to the story of Shao Youlian.This Shanghai Taoist has a very powerful background, he is Zeng Guofan's youngest son-in-law, Xihou Zeng Jize's direct brother-in-law, his name is Nie Jiyue, and he is from Hengshan, Hunan.He is not from Kedi, but the good thing is that he has a famous father-in-law. When he was an alternate in Jiangsu, Zuo Zongtang sent him out to the governor of Liangjiang, thinking of his old friends, and sent him a good job in the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau.Zuo Zongtang left Liangjiang, and his uncle Zeng Guoquan took over again, and his salary became more and more stable. When Shao Youlian was active in Beijing, he happened to be introduced by a probationary doctor and a donated Taoist priest.Seeing that Shao Youlian's family is very responsive, he followed the same method, but it took a lot of tricks to ask his uncle Zeng Guoquan to "do not avoid relatives in internal affairs" and to protect him as the "Shanghai Taoist".Nie Jitsu was ranked tenth on the list of Marquis in Shanghai opened by the military plane and delineated by the emperor. Normally speaking, there was absolutely no hope in Zhubi's point of view.Some people also said that Zeng Guoquan spent 10,000 denarii to obtain the book that he was trying to protect from the copywriting in Liangjiang Governor's Yamen.The real price of this Shanghai road is 90,000, so Wen Tingshi congratulated him, saying that "it can be said to be 'swinging up' with one step." Because there is a poem: "Swinging up to 90,000 miles" is a mockery of him spending 90,000 silver to buy it. One of the Shanghai roads. Wang You also knew this story, but he didn't believe that someone conspired for this vacancy. "The eight characters don't see a stroke" has already spent more than a hundred thousand, so he immediately asked, "Who is the surname Lu?" "I heard it's called Lu Boyang." There is a name and a surname, and it seems that I have to believe it, "Then," Wang You asked, "Where are the hundreds of thousands of flowers?" "I didn't go the right way, it was spent in Qiye's mansion." The king of alcohol actually does this kind of thing?Wang Youke couldn't believe it, "No way?" He shook his head. "I don't think so. But the words are true, maybe someone in Qiye's mansion is using Qiye's banner to flaunt, there are also some." "Let's ignore other people's affairs for the time being." Wang You thought for a while, taking into account the cause and effect, interests, and the steps to start, and thought it might as well give it a try, so he put an end to the topic and made an agreement: "This matter is ours. The first thing to do is to keep it secret; the second is to go with the trend and not force it. If you are willing to do as I say, I will go and find out. But there is one thing, if it doesn’t work, don’t blame me.” "Of course. This is not a matter of putting ducks on shelves. Besides, I know the seriousness, so don't worry." What Quan Geng said was one thing, but what Quan Geng thought was another.He has more confidence in his concubine Zhen than the king has in his master. This is because the House of Internal Affairs has many people walking in the inner court, and they know a little about the affairs of each palace. Wang You, whose knowledge and knowledge was limited to a corner, knew better the weight of the concubine Zhen in front of the emperor. Anyone who often has errands in the palace knows that the feelings of the empress have become hopelessly cold, not only can't talk about being alone, even when they greet the Empress Dowager Cixi every day, they avoid each other.During the long days and many days off, the emperor always spends the evening with his concubine Zhen.Therefore, there are two more palace poems, the first one is: "The same voice urged the night to be young, and the high-burning silver wax illuminated the strict makeup; Zhu Dun was specially set up in front of the stage to read the memorial for Zhao Zhaoyi." That is to say, the emperor seemed to imitate the story of Wenzong who ordered "Yi Guifei" to serve the desk and approve chapters on his behalf, and specially summoned the precious concubine to read the memorial.The second song is an allusion of Tang Minghuang: "When Feng Gechun laughed deeply, Zhao Rong danced his sleeves and hung on the imperial bed; the neon clothes were not used to messy things, and he teased the king of Bin to play the small pipe." Although the beautiful scenery in it is not known to outsiders, but the sound of the jade tube is clear, and the palace wall is far away, one can also imagine the emperor's feelings in Jingren Palace.If a beloved concubine like Concubine Zhen wanted anything, the emperor would never bear to refuse. Therefore, Quan Geng felt that his own path was very sure, and he was not afraid of people's struggles or obstruction, so he might as well open up and discuss it openly.Otherwise, it would be like ostentatiously ostentatiously knocking wooden clocks, which would arouse suspicion instead.