Chapter 145 Second History of the Qing Palace (11-1)

"Where does the emperor feel uncomfortable?" The Empress Dowager Cixi asked with doubts in her chest, "Why do you need to take shelter from the wind?" "It's because I've been tired for the past few days. I also said that my stomach is cold, and I'm sweating after taking the medicine, so I have to take shelter from the wind." Li Lianying replied in a calm tone, with an air of truthfulness. "It's not a serious illness, so what's the point of saluting? Besides, if you stop the banquet, you have to tell me!" Li Lianying heard that the Empress Dowager Cixi's words were not good, so she didn't dare to answer. Gu Yi asked indifferently: "Didn't Lafayette tell you yesterday, I want to see the new green in Xiyuan, please order to drive that day, so that the slaves can tell them to prepare early."

"What's there to see green there? Besides, it's still very early." "This year's spring started early, the beginning of spring a year ago, and the vernal equinox the day after tomorrow. The east wind in the past two days has blown so much that you can't wear cotton clothes. Lafayette will take everyone for a stroll!" Empress Dowager Cixi fully understood that he deliberately used such a begging tone, because she was afraid that she would be angry because the emperor stopped giving banquets to the empress family, so she wanted to comfort and resolve it.Thinking about it, there is really no reason to be angry about it. If some severe measures are taken and spread outside, it is said that the mother and son have been at odds since the emperor took power, so what is the honor in his own face.The real "family ugliness should not be publicized", hold back this tone!

"Okay!" Empress Dowager Cixi said to herself, "Let's leave his, it depends on what he tells me?" Li Lianying heard the words.The emperor was self-willed for a while, and he caused troubles, and the palace was always quiet. If the Empress Dowager Cixi really had an opinion with the emperor, she would often get angry and wait on her errands with trepidation, that would be uncomfortable. Thinking about it this way, I felt that I should make up for it as soon as possible.So he took some time to find the eunuch in charge of Qianqing Palace and asked, "How is Long Live?"

"Reading in the study. Almost ready." "You advise Long Live Lord to rest. When the imperial doctor asks for the pulse, tell him quietly, just say what I said, and it must be clearly stated on the pulse record that you must take shelter from the wind, and you can't go out the door. Otherwise..." Li Lianying thought for a while and said, "Otherwise, wheal rash will develop." "Yes." "Take care of everyone again, stop the banquet, don't say too much, just treat it as nothing. Otherwise," Li Lianying said with a serious face, "a big marriage, a personal government, and many happy events, whoever wants to stir up trouble, he himself Guess how many heads there are?"

Nuonuo, the chief eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, took orders repeatedly and left.Thanks to Li Lianying's arrangement, Empress Dowager Cixi came to see the disease in person, so that she could cope with it satisfactorily. Li Lianying expected that she would come to see the emperor and examine her condition in person, but what she was worried about was that she would go too early, before the imperial doctor asked for pulse as usual, so the arrangements had not been made properly.Therefore, when Li Lianying returned to Chuxiu Palace, she stayed close to the Empress Dowager Cixi, in case she suddenly said that she wanted to see the emperor, so she could consider the situation, and if the timing was not right, she had to try to delay it.

Until four o'clock in the afternoon, when the dinner was about to pass, there was still no movement.But when the empress and concubines Jin and Zhen who were serving the meal arrived, Empress Dowager Cixi finally said, "Let's go and see the emperor!" Although the tone was inquiring, it was actually an out-and-out order.So Li Lianying sent someone to inform first, and at the same time took care of the Empress Dowager Cixi to get into the soft sedan chair. Under the retinue of the queen, two concubines, and Princess Rongshou, she entered the Longfu Gate in the west of Jiaotai Hall from Xiyi Chang Street, and entered the Hongde Hall. Before getting off the sedan chair, the emperor had already knelt in front of the west passage hall to meet him.

"Aren't you going to take shelter from the wind?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked as soon as she opened her mouth. "Yes!" The emperor was prepared in his heart because of the secret performance of the eunuch in charge, so he could calmly answer: "Come out for a while, it doesn't matter!" "Go in!" "Yes." The emperor agreed, but still came to help the queen himself. "Long Live Lord obeys Yi's order, please come in quickly." Li Lianying interrupted and said, "It's not just for fun." "That's right! You go in quickly."

After all this pretentiousness, the emperor walked ahead.When the Empress Dowager Cixi entered Xinuang Pavilion, she naturally asked the doctor first, and then looked at the prescription. When she saw the words written on the pulse case, she asked to "shelter from the wind", all the doubts and unhappiness in her heart disappeared. "It's too cold here." The Empress Dowager Cixi looked at the word "Greenhouse" written by Emperor Gaozong on the plaque: "Master Qianlong has the best physique. He doesn't feel cold, and others can't stand it. In fact, since Yongzheng, they have lived in the Hall of Mental Cultivation." Alright, you can move back too!"

"Yes!" The emperor replied, "The son was changed to work in the East Nuan Pavilion of Qianqing Palace every day because of the emperor's mother's order. For the sake of convenience, he lives here and will move back tomorrow." "You don't have to be so busy, right?" Princess Rongshou reminded Empress Dowager Cixi: "The emperor must take shelter from the wind, and I'm afraid I can't move the place for the next two days." "That's right!" The Empress Dowager Cixi nodded, "I'll wait until you're done before moving. In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Empress will take care of my daily life and food, so I can rest assured."

The empress has moved to the Tishun Hall in the west of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, which has been passed down for several generations.When Empress Jiashun lived in Tishun Hall, Empress Dowager Cixi intervened in her daughter-in-law's house, and Mu Zong was so angry that she stayed alone in the Qianqing Palace. Only then did she do little things, and finally caused the great misfortune of "the emperor has smallpox". That's why she said this It contains infinite emotions, and also has the meaning of learning from the past and avoiding the future. It's just that the emperor is different from Mu Zong. Although he is newly married, he is not willing to get close to the empress, so he doesn't think Empress Dowager Cixi's words are a kind of sympathy.

Of course, the feeling in my heart is one thing, and it is another thing to be filial to my son. At this time, I glanced at the queen and replied respectfully: "Yes!" "Let's go!" Empress Dowager Cixi said to Princess Rongshou, "It's too cold here, and my own 'nest' is more comfortable." The suspicion that might have been aroused between mother and son, monarch and ministers was finally covered up by Li Lianying. eliminated below.But outside the court, it was not like this, especially King Chun, who had a different feeling for the emperor's sudden stop of giving banquets to his family.He guessed that the emperor's move was not unintentional, but intentionally humiliated his family, and expressed his dissatisfaction and protest against the empress whom Empress Dowager Cixi had set up for him. The queen is also the niece of King Chun, she has been used to seeing her since she was a child, and in King Chun's mind, she is really not a good match for the emperor.However, as a prince, you can't exercise your "parents' orders" to intervene in your son's marriage. This is already a great grievance, and this grievance is still indescribable pain, so it is also an unspeakable depression.As a last resort, I can only try my best to forgive myself, and hope that after the wedding, the emperor's perception of his "cousin" will change, and the harmony of the strings and strings will be a blessing like heaven. Unexpectedly, his only hope also came to nothing, the wedding was only a few days away, there were already rumors in the palace that the emperor really "respected each other like a guest" to the empress, not like a married couple, let alone a newlyweds.These rumors now appear to be confirmed.If the emperor loved Empress Jiashun as much as Mu Zong did, he would never have the will to stop giving banquets to his stepfather, which disappointed the empress and lost face. Such willful behavior as soon as he was in power made King Chun worried and restless in sleep and food.Although "knowing a son is like a father", his understanding of the Empress Dowager Cixi is more profound than that of the "son" who is not under Chenghuan's knees day and night. Can the Empress Dowager Cixi tolerate the emperor doing his own thing?Can you tolerate the emperor's neglect of her queen?Even if Mu Zong was her own son, he couldn't tolerate it, let alone her heir who was single-handedly supported? From now on, there will be many things in the palace!King Chun sighed in front of his closest staff. It is conceivable that the chronic illness that is almost on the verge of death will inevitably recur. "Be sure to hide it from the emperor!" King Chun kept telling him during his illness, "Don't let him miss you, don't make him embarrassing." ※ ※ ※ 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 smooth 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. 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" As the tide rises, all boats rise, rolling in, 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 very favored, and you belong to your master An arm. 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 Ye Weiyang, 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 the allusion of Tang Minghuang: "When Feng Gechun laughed deeply, Zhaorong 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. ※ ※ ※ In Wang You, he always holds the ring of caution.Things are good, but I'm afraid that if I can't hold my breath, the first sentence will be inappropriate and unpleasant, so Concubine Zhen replied: "Don't mind this kind of business!"Then nothing can be said. Calculation and calculation, but also to wait for the opportunity.On this day, the Empress Dowager Cixi sent someone to present the rewards, which were just two purses. As usual, the rewards would be given out after thanking them from afar.There are also general rules for the number of rewards, such as this kind of rewards, there is always eight taels of silver, but Wang You deliberately gave less and withheld half of it. "What's going on?" The little eunuch of Chuxiu Palace stretched out his palm, held the four taels of silver, and asked with a raised face, "These four taels are for Su La, right?" "Brother!" Wang You replied, "Just feel wronged! You only walked a few steps, and four liang of silver is still less?" The people sent by Chuxiu Palace are all domineering because of their strong backing. This little eunuch doesn't even pay attention to the concubine Zhen, so why would he care about Wang You?Immediately swearing, and the words are vicious, saying "look at the top and respect the bottom", it must be looking down on the "Lafayette", so the rewards are deliberately withheld as usual.He wasn't fighting for the four taels of silver, "he was fighting for face and status for Lafayette!" This big hat is pressed down, but no one can bear it.Then someone else came out to smooth things over, and even Wang You himself softened, and he gave another eight taels of silver, and the reverse proportion cost four taels more. Concubine Zhen has been watching through the glass window.I was very angry, but it was inconvenient to come forward, because of the disparity in status, if the little eunuch contradicted me, even if the Empress Dowager Cixi could vent her anger on her behalf, it would still be uneconomical to blame the rude little eunuch, so I kept holding back. It wasn't until the matter was over that Fang Shi asked Wang You to ask him carefully. Wang You's arrogance and respect to the little eunuch, as well as someone coming out to smooth things over, were all arranged by him in advance, in order to attract the attention of the concubine Zhen, so that he could pay attention to the bitter experience he lamented. He took care of the account for Concubine Zhen.All the expenses of Jingren Palace are handled by him, "The master's division is three hundred and sixty taels per month. It is said that there is no need to spend money on food, and the odds and ends are less than two hundred taels a month. You can spend one hundred taels a month. One hundred and sixty taels is left over, and it is quite ample to save up to reward people during festivals. But," he said with a frown, "these two years have been different. Last year's income and expenditure were balanced, and the deficit was limited. , from this year onwards, I will lose hundreds of taels every month. If this continues, I will lose more and more, even if there are mountains of gold and silver, I can't stand it!" Concubine Zhen was surprised, "It turns out that there is a deficit every month! I didn't know." She asked anxiously, "How did the deficit come about?" "Isn't this the reason why the servant had a quarrel with someone just now?" Wang You replied, "Lafayette usually sends someone to present a reward, and the reward from the person who came here turned out to be only two taels of silver. I don't know who was extra flattering and gave eight Two, this has become a rule. This is still "restricting food", appreciating food, and rewarding purses like today, ordinarily, you should give twelve taels of silver. Lafayette's grace is too much, I can't stand it! " "Then..." Concubine Zhen suddenly thought, "How about the other palaces?" "The other palaces are also full of complaints. However, their rewards are not as many as the master's, which is better." Wang You said again, "Even the Long Live Lord is terrible. The new rules, go to the Lafayette to pay respects, every day You have to pay fifty taels of silver." "Isn't that going to rebel? Who made the rules?" Concubine Zhen blushed with anger, "So what if I don't give it?" "If you don't give it, you will be unhappy. For example," Wang You took two steps, bent down, and his voice became lower and lower, "Isn't the Lord Long Live unwilling to meet the Queen? If you give the money, there will be thoughts法子给挪一下子，错开了两不见。或者老佛爷那天什么事不痛快，忌讳什么，私底下递个信给万岁爷，就都是那五十两银子的效用。倘或不然，他们随便使个坏，就能教万岁爷好几天不痛快。” “有这样的事！”珍嫔重重地叹口气，咬一咬小小的一口白牙，“总有一天……。” “主子！”王有大声一喊，却又没有别的话。 机敏的珍嫔，并不觉得王有这样突然打断她的话是无礼，她能领受他的忠心，知道这是出于卫护的鲁莽，阻止她去说任何可以招致他人对她起戒心的话。 经过这样一顿挫，她为皇帝受欺的不平之气是消失了，但皇帝亦要受太监需索的好奇之心，却还存在，略想一想，便又问道：“照这样说，大官儿进宫，也得给门包罗？” “是！”王有答说：“这原是早有的规矩。不过从前都是督抚，或者藩司进京才打发，而且是客气的面子事儿，不能争多论少。如今可大不同了，有谁进贡，或者老佛爷赐膳、赏入座听戏，都得给'宫门费'。外省的督抚不用说，红顶子的大人也还能勉强对付，最苦的是南书房、上书房的老爷们。南书房的翰林，更不得了。” "how?" “也不知是谁兴的规矩，南书房翰林奉旨做诗写文章，交东西的时候，得送个红包，不然就有麻烦。” “我倒不信。”珍嫔问道，“难道他们还敢玩儿什么花样？” “怎么不敢？花样多着呢！” “什么花样？你倒说给我听听。” “譬如说吧，稿子上给来块墨迹，老佛爷见了当然不高兴。或者东西取了来，先不交上去，老佛爷不提就不说。到有一天，老佛爷忽然想了起来要查问，就说根本没有交来。事情隔了好多天，交了没有交，那儿分辩去？主子请想，这个翰林吃了这么个哑巴亏，官运还能好得了吗？” “可恶！”珍嫔恨恨地，接着又问：“皇上那儿也是这样子？” “比较好一点儿。” “不行！我可得跟皇上提一提。” “奴才求主子别这么做。”王有放低了声音说，“如今忌主子的人，已经挺多的了。主子就不为自己着想，也得为老大人想一想，犯不着招小人的怨。” 听得这话，珍嫔便觉得委屈。桂祥补了工部右侍郎，德馨在江西的官声很不好，但仍旧安然做他的巡抚，只有自己的父亲长叙，至今未曾补缺。听说皇帝倒跟慈禧太后提过，不知为何没有下文？是不是有人说了什么坏话的缘故呢？ 见珍嫔怔怔地在想心事，王有觉得进言的机会到了，便用低沉而诚恳的，那种一听便生信赖之感的声音说：“奴才替主子办事，日日夜夜，心心念念想的，就是怎么样替主子往好里打算？如今用度太大，不想个法子，可真不得了。有几位宫里，都是娘家悄悄儿送钱来用，那是真叫莫可奈何！这么尊贵的身分，按说应该照应娘家，谁知没有好处，反倒累娘家！自己想想也说不过去。” “是啊！”珍嫔焦灼地说，“那就太说不过去了。而况……。”她想说：“而况，我娘家是诗礼世家，没有出过贪官，也贴不起！”但以年轻好面子之故，话到口边，又缩了回去。 不过，话虽没有说出来，因为“而况”是深一层说法的发端之词，所以王有能够猜想得到，她还别有难处。这样，话就更容易见听了。 于是，王有轻轻巧巧地说了一句：“其实只要主子一句话，什么都有了。” 珍嫔一愣，她的心思很快，立刻就想到了，而且也立刻作了决定，“你要我给皇上递条子可不行！”她凛然作色地答说。 王有想不到一开口就碰了钉子！费了好大的劲，话说得刚入港，自然不甘半途而废，所以他定定神，重新鼓起勇气来说：“主子何不探探万岁爷的口气？作兴万岁爷倒正找不着人呢！” “你是说，什么缺找不着人？” “四川盐茶道。” 珍嫔没有听清楚，追问一句：“什么道？” “盐茶道，管盐跟茶叶。” “有这么一个缺？我还是第一次听说。”珍嫔看到王有的脸色阴暗，很机警地想到，宫中用度不足，不论想什么办法弥补，眼前总得他尽力去调度，不宜让他太失望，且先敷衍着再作道理，因而便又接了一句，“等我想一想。” “是！”王有答应着，不告辞却也不说话。 这象是在等她的回话。珍嫔觉得他逼得太紧，未免不悦，正想发话，忽然想到，他不是在等回话，是在等自己问话。 要敷衍他，就要装得很象，是什么人谋这个缺，打算花多少钱？不问清楚了，从何考虑起？所以问道：“倒是什么人哪？” “是……”王有忽然警觉，决不能说实话，因而改口答道：“是内务府有差使的，旗人，很能干的，也在四川待过，盐茶两项都很熟悉，名字叫玉铭。”接着，他将预先写好的一张白纸条，从怀中取了出来，双手奉上。 珍嫔看上面写的是：“正蓝旗，玉铭”五个字，便问： “他是什么身分呢？” “候补同知。”王有答说：“正在加捐，捐成道员，才能得那个缺。” “那个缺当然是好缺，不然他也不必费那么大的劲。他是怎么找到你的呢？” “也是听说主子在万岁爷面前说得动话，所以亲自来找奴才，代求主子。许了这个数。”王有伸出右手，揸开五指，上下翻覆了一下。 “多少？”珍嫔不解也不信，“十万？” "yes." “那个缺值这么多钱？” “这本来没有准数的。”王有又说：“中间没有经手人，净得这个数。” “中间没有经手人？”珍嫔自语着，在估量这件事能不能做？ 这一夜灯下凝思，反复考虑，真正懂得了什么叫做左右为难。卖官鬻爵，一向为自己所轻视，而且皇帝亦很了解自己的性情，持正不阿。如今出尔反尔，为人关说，这话怎么出得了口？ 若是舍弃这条路子，宫中用途日增，亏空越积越重，如何得了？心里巴不得有个人可以商量，但宫女们不懂事，不但拿不出主意，而且不知轻重，将这些话泄漏出去，会招来祸事，决不能让她们共机密。此外只有姐姐瑾嫔，泄漏倒是不怕，无奈她为人老实，说知其事，必定害怕，那又何苦害她？ 想到头来，计无所出，只有一个结果：慢慢再想。因此第二天王有来探问时，她含含糊糊地，没有肯定的答复。这是看看再说的意思，而王有却误会了，以为珍嫔只是在等机会向皇帝进言。