Chapter 4 The third time, the principal bribed the famous prostitute butler, asked for bribes, and persuaded the stupid officials

Just after you time, the setting sun hanging on the corner of the eaves of the Confucius Temple has been gathered up one by one.The blue waves of the Qinhuai River gradually became hazy.Hu Zigao came to Yicui Tower excitedly in a warm sedan chair for four people. Ever since Zhu Di, king of Yan, usurped the throne of his nephew Emperor Jianwen, he moved the entire imperial city to Beijing.Nanjing, the capital appointed by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, became the capital of Liuzhou.But because the imperial mausoleum of Ming Taizu is in Nanjing, Fengyang, Anhui, where the dragon veins come from, is not far from Nanjing. The emperors of the Zhu family, out of respect for their ancestors, at least in terms of their names, still retain the special politics of Nanjing. status.In addition to the cabinet, there are other government agencies, such as the Clan Mansion, the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies, the Six Ministries, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the General Secretary, Dali Temple, Zhanshi Mansion, Imperial Academy, Guozijian, Taichang Temple, Honglu Temple, The Sixth Division, Pedestrian Division, Qin Tianjian, Imperial Hospital, Wucheng Bingma Division, etc., Nanjing also keeps a set of everything that exists in Beijing.The prefecture where Beijing is located is Shuntian Mansion, and the prefecture where Nanjing is located is Yingtian Mansion.However, the Beijing government is in charge of practical matters, while the Nanjing government, except for a few important positions such as the garrison of the Ministry of War, the right servant of the household department of the governor's grain storage, and the household department in charge of the Yellow Book of Houhu, has a large number of important positions. Some official positions are useless.Since the actual political power is in the hands of the Beijing government, most of the government officials in Nanjing are frustrated in their official careers, or they are arranged to come to Nanjing to be a "Niao Shangshu" or "Flower Censor" in order to take care of their ranks.Although the ranks of the two prefectures are the same, the transfer of officials of the same rank from Beijing to Nanjing is a kind of relegation, while the transfer from Nanjing to Beijing is regarded as a gratifying promotion.Therefore, a large number of officials who were excluded or had no backing gathered in Nanjing to enjoy the leisure and leisure of officials in the capital.

Enjoy leisure and leisure, there are Zen guest bookboys when you go out, and delicious food and concubines when you enter the house.Playing the piano to the moon, sweeping snow and cooking tea, sharing rhymes with celebrities, and serving wine with beautiful women, should be said to be the first-class pleasures in the world.But in the officialdom, except for the gray hair that makes people hopeless for promotion, or the sickness and mental depression, who is the average person who doesn't want to rush for the future?In the spare time of official business, you can let your temper go, and play as you want to have fun.Then again, if you don't get a fat job as an official, how can you have the capital to have fun?For this reason, most of the officials in the Nanjing government sharpened their heads and tried their best to find ways to curry favor with the powerful ministers in the Beijing government, in order to have someone to help them speak during the provincial inspection.As the saying goes, a Taoist is easy to be an official in the court, and if there is someone behind the chair, he will not worry about the time when there will be no luck, when he will be promoted and sit in a fat vacancy.

Hu Zigao who walked into the Yicui Tower right now is exactly such a person.Tonight, he is going to entertain a man named Xu Jue from the capital here to have flower wine. Hu Zigao is currently the head of the Nanjing Ministry of Industry.He was a Jinshi in the 35th year of Jiajing.Fortunately for him, he was appointed as the ambassador of the Ministry of Household Fucang as soon as he entered the official career.Don't underestimate this Fucang ambassador, although the official rank is only ninth rank, it is a huge vacancy.All the expenses of the country, such as silver goods from Yongan Nanyi and other states, amber, precious jade and ivory from Yunnan Dadian and other states, Lingling incense from Yongzhou, agarwood and ageratum from Guangzhou Prefecture, stone green and Chenxi from Runliu Eheng and other states. Cinnabar from Nanzhou, white powder from Nanzhou, realgar from Yanzhou, jute and white hemp paper from Yizhou, rice paper from Xuanqu and other states, hundred-day oil fine white paper from Puzhou, rabbit skin from Henan, Jinfen and other states The raccoon skins from Yuezhou, the bamboo pipes from Yuezhou, the candles from Jingzhou, the felt from Zhengzhou, the glue from Dengzhou, the mats from Guozhou, the hemp from Qinzhou, and all the precious and playful things donated by the Quartet, such as gold, jade, pearls, shells and shells, must be given by him. The shipping depot ambassador is accepted into the warehouse.He said that if the goods paid by various places are qualified, then nothing will happen.If he is picky and picky, and he wants to find the smell in the eggs, well, you won't be able to hand over the goods.It should be known that the head of a state, in addition to guarding the land and keeping the people safe, has the most important responsibility, which is to pay the imperial court every year the treasures produced in these places according to the regulations.Once these goods cannot be delivered in accordance with the quality and quantity, it is tantamount to disobeying the emperor's order. Can you still wear the black hat on your head safely?Therefore, in order to check and accept the handed-in goods smoothly, when each state capital comes to deliver the goods, it must prepare a generous gift in advance for the warehouse ambassador.Hu Zigao has worked in this fat job for several years, which is equivalent to opening a bank at home, and even replaced the chamber pot for urination with a handful of silver.If you have money, you can take care of people.He used a lot of money to persuade the heads of the personal household department and the official department to be obedient.In the first year of Longqing, he was promoted to the post of magistrate of the Salt Transportation Department, which was another fat job.But there was an unforeseen situation, and when Hu Zigao's official fortune was flourishing, he did not expect his mother to die of illness.According to the law set by Ming Taizu, when both parents died, the official must resign and return to his hometown Ding You for three years.Hu Zigao returned to the countryside to guard the system. After three years of hard work, he returned to the capital and waited for his reinstatement in the Ministry of Officials.Unexpectedly, at this time, the county magistrate in his hometown played a book for him, saying that he violated the rules of heaven when he kept the system, and even drank and had fun with the children of the clan, and even took a concubine by Chuichuida.If you don't observe filial piety, how can you return to office?This is really a disaster from heaven, but the responsibility still lies with Hu Zigao himself.Relying on his background as a Beijing official and having plenty of money, he returned to his hometown to guard the system, and he didn't take the magistrate in his eyes at all.He didn't take the initiative to visit the county yamen, not to mention, the county magistrate came to see him, but he actually scolded the county magistrate in front of his clan.Don't be afraid of the enemy, but be afraid of the enemy.Therefore, when he returned to Beijing, the county magistrate played such a book.In the Ming Dynasty, which ruled the world with filial piety, this was a heinous thing.Hu Zigao had no choice but to admit that he was unlucky when such a disaster happened out of nowhere.When the accident happened, the chief assistant of the cabinet was Gao Gong.At the same time, Gao Gong was also the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and his power had reached the point where he could overwhelm the sky with one hand.Hu Zigao was also a master who was very good at making money. When others went to trustees and guarantors, he actually met a person called Shao Daxia.This Great Xia Shao is neither an official nor a Confucianist, nor a businessman, but for some reason, he has a very deep friendship with Gao Huzi.He gave Shao Daxia a generous gift of 10,000 taels of silver, and Shao Daxia actually got the job done for him.Not only supplemented as usual, but also upgraded from the sixth rank to the regular sixth rank.It's just that the seat has been moved, and the judge of the Salt Transport Division has become the head of the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing.Although the official has been promoted, he is a clear and idle official.How could Hu Zigao live up to this? In any year, entering the Ministry's office to do business is only a matter of point, and all his thoughts are spent on currying favor with the powerful officials in the capital.

The man named Xu Jue from Beijing arrived in Nanjing the day before yesterday.As soon as he came, he attracted the attention of the officials of Yingtian Mansion, because he was not an official, and secondly, he had no fame, but he came with a survey and co-operation post from the Ministry of War.Moreover, on the day of his arrival, Sun Chaoyong, a Nanjing garrison eunuch with great power, held a feast for him on the Daoxiang Building.Such a mysterious person immediately aroused Hu Zigao's interest. After inquiries from all parties, it was found out that this Xu Jue is the current eunuch who holds the pen and the chief manager of Feng Bao, who is in charge of the East Factory. Donated money for him to sign a sixth-rank Jinyiwei.How could Hu Zigao not know Feng Bao's name?The year he passed the Jinshi examination, Feng Bao was already a eunuch with Bingbi. After the Jiajing and Longqing dynasties, the palm print eunuchs above him had changed five times, but he remained motionless.Although I heard that he was at odds with Gao Gong, but I didn't see him flipping his cards and moving his seat, which shows the deep foundation.If you can climb this high branch, it may be a road to promotion.So he exchanged name cards with Xu Jue through a signboard of the steward of the Nanjing Neifu who had some contacts with him.Tonight, this Yicui building was contracted again, and Liu Xianglan, a popular and famous prostitute, was allowed to accompany the housekeeper of Eunuch Feng.The eunuchs in charge of rites in the Ming Dynasty each had their own set of work teams, and were called "private ministers of each family".Each of these private ministers has a title and is in charge of his own affairs.If you are in charge, you are actually in charge of a family.The butler is responsible for handling food and cashiers.The upper room manages the locks and keys of the cabinets, while the office secretary is responsible for wholesale documents and transcribing all necessary documents.These private ministers can be either eunuchs or normal people.For example, Xu Jue is a man with a wife and children.In Feng's residence, he served as the head of the family, and won the trust of Feng Bao.

Nanjing is the former capital of the Six Dynasties, and is known as "the rouge of the North, the gold powder of the Southern Dynasties".The cultural relics of clothes and crowns, armor in the south of the Yangtze River, white under the Qingxi River, fan with peach leaves, and famous Shu, are endless in history.As early as the early years of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the construction of 14 buildings such as Qingyan, Danfen, Meiyan, and Liucui to accommodate official prostitutes, which were popular all over the world and flourished for a while.After one or two hundred years, during the Longqing period, the Yinghua business along the Qinhuai River became more and more prosperous.From Wuding Bridge to Lishe Bridge, and then to Diaoyu Alley, and even to Shuiguan Linhe area, there are dense clusters of families next to each other, and there are all famous prostitutes living in the south of the Yangtze River.The residences of these female historians are called Hefang, also known as Helou.The Fengge and Luan Towers are all exquisitely and gorgeously constructed, with carved railings and painted sills, and silk curtains and windows, which look like a fairyland.Although there are dozens of famous river towers in this area, the most famous ones are Tingyun, Qinghe and Yicui.It is all because the owners of these three buildings are all popular prostitutes with good looks and skills.Princes and grandchildren, rich and powerful businessmen, when they arrive in Nanjing, they all want to visit and kiss Fangze.Therefore, if you want to get their favor, you have to make an appointment in advance.Let's just say that the owner of the Yicui Building is named Liu Xianglan, and the date with her has been booked for more than a month.Thanks to Hu Zigao's great ability, he just squeezed in temporarily.

It was getting dark, and in the Yicui Building, bright palace lanterns had already been lit.Hu Zigao and Liu Xianglan were sitting upstairs in the hall, chatting nonsense and nonsense.In order to deceive others, Hu Zigao took off his official robe and changed into casual clothes.However, from head to toe, every move and every move is still the style of the officialdom.Liu Xianglan was seventeen or eighteen years old, her eyebrows were like a crescent moon, and her skin was like creamy fat.Wearing a clean white shirt and skirt made of western cloth, and combed an ingenious high bun, a bright red rose was inserted obliquely on it, standing in front of the window, like a jade tree facing the wind.Every frown and smile is charming and moving.

It was also the first time Hu Zigao and Liu Xianglan met. When they started talking, they still had some differences. However, after a cup of tea, the two of them talked freely. "Master Hu, what's the last name of the master from Beijing?" Liu Xianglan asked softly. "Hey, what you just said, why did you forget?" Hu Zigao deliberately pretended to be angry, "I'll say it again, remember clearly, the surname is Xu, Master Xu." "Master Xu is such an official, it is worth Mr. Hu's fawning on him like this." "How do you know that I fawn on him?"

"You don't need to ask," Liu Xianglan raised her slender eyebrows lightly, and giggled, "People who come to my place are all only thinking about their own souls, there is no one like you, babe Xinbagan entered the Yicui Tower, but he was helping the master Xu from Beijing to play tricks." Liu Xianglan was eloquent, laughing while talking.After hearing the sarcasm, Hu Zigao didn't feel embarrassed at all, and laughed along with him. "Yu'er, refill the tea for Master Hu." Liu Xianglan called out to the little maid who was standing beside her. Hu Zigao took a sip of tea, and said, "Xianglan female history, you think you have a humble job, ah no, you think I don't have the heart to pity you? Then you are wrong. From the moment I entered your door, I felt lost. "

"Then why did you give it up to someone else?" "He is a guest from afar, so I should be a gentleman?" "What a gentleman." Liu Xianglan smiled teasingly. "You are a sixth-rank official, and you are not too small. Taking a little girl to curry favor with the big man from Beijing, is this considered a gentleman?" "You?" Hu Zigao couldn't hold back after being robbed, and said angrily, "You visit with a lantern. My reputation in Nanjing doesn't allow you to talk nonsense like that." "Hey, look, I'm not happy," Liu Xianglan imitated Hu Zigao's tone, swept up like a warbler, walked up to Hu Zigao, bent down and gave a salute, and said, "My family's words are so offensive, I can't make up for it here. .”

Seeing Liu Xianglan's overwhelmed shyness, Hu Zigao turned his anger into joy again, turned around and said, "You Liu Xianglan, a man who has made you so capable, can't even weigh his bones when he comes to you." "Master Hu, I can't hear you. Are you flattering or belittling my words?" "Of course it's flattery," Hu Zigao said to Maid Yu'er, "Go downstairs and call my housekeeper up." Not long after Yu'er left, she led a half-aged man up, holding a gift box in his hand. Hu Zigao took the gift box, put it in front of Liu Xianglan with both hands, and said: "Here are some jewelry, as a meeting gift for the female history, I hope you accept it."

Liu Xianglan took the gift box, opened it, and saw a pair of jade bracelets, a pair of earrings, and a pectoral, all of which were high-quality emeralds that glowed green and soft.Seeing such an expensive gift, even Liu Xianglan, who was used to seeing big scenes, couldn't help being surprised. "Master Hu, how can my family afford such an expensive gift?" "I thought that the name of Nushi's building is called Yicui Building, so I chose a few kinds of jadeite. It's a small thing. There is also a thousand taels of silver note here, which can be regarded as your cosmetic money." Hu Zigao made such a generous move, which really moved Liu Xianglan.She murmured: "Master Hu, you spend so much, how can I ask the slave family to repay you." Hu Zigao waved his hand, and the steward retreated. "As long as you accompany Uncle Xu well tonight and let him go back full of joy, you will repay me." "Who is this Master Xu?" Liu Xianglan asked again.This time, she was no longer flirting, but inquiring seriously. Hu Zigao pondered for a while, and asked, "Do you know Eunuch Feng?" "Eunuch Feng, where is Eunuch Feng?" Liu Xianglan shook her head blankly. "It is Feng Bao, the current eunuch Bingbi, the supervisor of ceremonies, and the hand seal of the East Factory." "I don't know." Liu Xianglan still shook her head. Hu Zigao felt a little annoyed when she saw that she didn't know what to ask.But when I think about it, it's normal for her to be a brothel girl in Nanjing who doesn't know important figures in Beijing's official circles.So he raised his voice and asked: "Who is the current emperor, you should know?" "This is not a problem for my family. The current emperor is Emperor Longqing." Liu Xianglan replied seriously. "This Eunuch Feng is the eunuch holding the pen next to Emperor Longqing, a big celebrity." "Ah, the people around the emperor," Liu Xianglan's expression immediately became solemn, "Master Hu, you said he is coming tonight?" "It's not him. I'm talking about Eunuch Feng. Master Xu is here tonight." "What is the relationship between Master Xu and Eunuch Feng?" "Master Xu is Eunuch Feng's housekeeper." Hearing Hu Zigao's detours for a long time before he figured out this relationship, Liu Xianglan said in her heart: "In the final analysis, it is a shrimp on the tail of a dragon." But on the surface, she complimented, "I said Mr. Waiting for piety, it turned out to be a character who stomped on the imperial city." "It's good if you understand," Hu Zigao said with a sigh of relief, "Master Xu should be here by now." Liu Xianglan regained her relaxed and lively demeanor, and she said: "Master Hu, don't worry, tonight, I want to let Master Xu have fun at my slave's house, but..." "But what?" Hu Zigao asked. "I'm just playing around with Mr. Xu. Now, my family really likes Mr. Hu a little bit." At this time, only a shout from downstairs: "Master Xu is here!" Hu Zigao stood up abruptly, ready to go downstairs to meet the guests, and said to Liu Xianglan before going out, "If you really like me, you have to wait until the scene tonight is finished." Before Hu Zigao went downstairs, Xu Jue had already rushed up the stairs.I saw him with a short stature, a bulbous nose, and fish bubbles. eyes, swaying like ducks as they walk.Seeing his appearance, Hu Zigao couldn't help but muttered in his heart, "The big housekeeper of Mr. Feng's family, why is he so virtuous, he's like a toad." But then he thought, "People don't look like they are, good fortune is with ugly people The person that Eunuch Feng is looking for must have some ability." Thinking of this, Hu Zigao greeted Xu Jue who went upstairs and shouted: "Master Xu, my subordinate Hu Zigao has been waiting here for a long time." "You are Mr. Hu?" Xu Jue came upstairs, and before he could enter the hall, he yelled while panting heavily, "I took a few more mouthfuls of yellow soup at noon, and overslept." Entering the hall, first give up your seat, and then exchange greetings and rituals.Hu Zigao introduced Liu Xianglan to Xu Jue.Liu Xianglan bent down and squatted with a blessing, and said: "Master Xu, thank you for your kindness. You are willing to come and talk to me in my humble house." Xu Jue stared at Liu Xianglan obsessively, breathed out his alcohol and said, "I heard from Mr. Hu that Miss Liu's flower wine has been ordered for more than a month." "Thank you all the masters for your support." Liu Xianglan was really tired of this father-in-law's big housekeeper, but because of Hu Zigao's affection, she had to force a smile, "Actually, the slave family has a false name." "Well, this sentence is useful." Xu Jue drank the tea handed over by the maid in one gulp, and then said: "In the capital, I have seen a lot of people who do your job. When I first debuted, eating a rotten pear was enough to quench my thirst. Once it became popular, hey, I started to build up my arms and call myself a sage. As the saying goes, the emperor’s daughter, the wife of the champion, is a beggar Like my wife..." Xu Jue's words became more and more rough. Seeing Liu Xianglan's cheeks flushed and her brows frowning, Hu Zigao knew that something was wrong, so he coughed dryly and cut off Xu Jue's words: "Master Xu, look , do you want to put the wine on?" "Let's have some more tea," Xu Jue took advantage of his drunkenness and purposely said a few foul words. This was his usual tactic of seeking flowers and asking Liu, and seeing the beauty's pink face turned black, he felt 120% happy in his heart.He glanced at Liu Xianglan, who was still biting her lip, pointed at the pipa hanging on the wall and asked, "Ms. Liu must be a master of music?" "Not to mention." Liu Xianglan replied coldly. Xu Jue laughed, and said: "I, Xu Jue, have a great hobby in my life. I like to watch beauties get angry. Today, I have passed another addiction. Miss Liu, you go downstairs to calm down for a while, and I will have a serious talk with Mr. Hu." Things, later, drink while listening to your singing." Liu Xianglan went downstairs with a sigh of relief. Listening to Liu Xianglan scolding and scolding the girl downstairs, Hu Zigao said cautiously: "Master Xu, your way of pity and pity is different from ordinary people." Xu Jue blinked, and said slyly: "No matter how good a woman is, you can't spoil her. Otherwise, she will entangle you so badly." "Wow," Hu Zigao praised, "You are the grandson's art of war in the gentle village." "Master Hu, I am a quick-talking person, and I like to speak out when I have something to say. Please tell me now, what do you want to do with me?" Compared with the crazy state when he talked with Liu Xianglan just now, Xu Jue is a different person.It was only then that Hu Zigao realized that this person was not someone to be taken lightly.He subconsciously raised his eyes to look at the big butler, only to see that his two sharp eyes were also shooting at him. After all, Hu Zigao is a veteran in the officialdom, he flashed that look naturally, smiled slightly and said: "Master Xu looks like a trial judge." "The officialdom is complicated, so I have to be careful. What's more, my master has always kept himself clean. He has always abided by the Ming ancestor's precepts and never associates with foreign officials. Therefore, he always warns us not to walk around in the officialdom." Hearing Xu Jue's words, Hu Zigao thought in his heart: "If you don't walk around in the officialdom, how did you get the inspection and cooperation of the military department?" But the words that came out were grossly flattering: "Eunuch Feng's high morals and integrity are in the world. It is well-known among the scholars. Master Xu has been by his side for many years, and he has taught him by ear and taught him day and night, and his realm is naturally elegant." "You haven't said anything yet, why are you looking for me?" Xu Jue began to ask again.Hu Zigao looked at Xu Jue's domineering look, and felt a little unhappy.I thought to myself why this person is so ignorant of the rules, I am a sixth-rank official of the imperial court after all, how can I allow you to ask questions like this.But when he thought of Feng Bao, he felt so useless that he had no choice but to keep it to himself. "I don't have anything special about being an official, I just admire Eunuch Feng's reputation." Hu Zigao said. "Although I met Mr. Hu today, I have heard about it for a long time," Xu Jue said. You have been promoted to the sixth rank. For this matter, you should thank Elder Gao Ge a lot." Hu Zigao had already heard about the conflict between Gao Gong and Feng Bao.Hearing that Xu Jue deliberately pointed out Mr. Gao Ge, he knew that he was wary of him, so he said lightly: "The lower official has no friendship with Mr. Gao Ge, but I just asked him to tell him once." "That's true," Xu Jue nodded, "Sixth-rank officials like you have several sitting in every room in the capital's yamen. Can Mr. Gao Ge recognize him? You're not his protégé. , Second, there is no fellowship, how can he take extra care of you? When something happens, you can pay it with money, raise your hand to let you go, and give you a favor. But then again, as long as you are willing to spend Yin Zi, which one can't do it when it comes to favors. Salt luck makes the judge, you can do it, and others can do it, it depends on who can do it, Mr. Hu, don't you think so?" "Yes, yes," Hu Zigao echoed, "If you have money, you can buy ghosts and grinders. This is the eternal truth." "I don't think Mr. Gao Ge wants to help you. Although he was promoted to the head of the Ministry of Industry, he is still from Nanjing. What kind of official is this? His family is so poor that all the mice have run away. I don't know how much money you spent, and I don't want to I know. But spending money to buy a piece of poverty, isn’t this obviously a trick?” At this point, Xu Jue paused, saw Hu Zigao contemplating, and then said, “Master Hu, I have I want to remind you of this sentence, and I think of the first time we met, it is hard to say." "But it doesn't matter." Hu Zigao raised his head. "Then forgive me for being rude." Xu Jue looked out of the window and said in a low voice, "Although you are an old official, you haven't figured out the truth behind it." "I would like to hear the details later." Hu Zigao became interested. Xu Jue said: "Those who know how to use money can exchange a thousand catties for four or two, and those who can't use money can exchange a thousand catties for a piece of hair." Hu Zigao asked: "What is a person who knows how to use money, and what is a person who can't use money?" "Those who know how to use money burn cold stoves, and those who don't know how to use money burn hot stoves." Seeing Hu Zigao's puzzled expression, Xu Jue simply pierced it and said, "For example, you give a lot of money to Gao Huzi , This is the hot stove. The flames are already blazing there. Do you need your fire? You rush to throw firewood, and people don't appreciate it. But those cold stoves, relying on your fire, are thumping and thumping. People will remember you only when the heat comes out." "That's the reason," Hu Zigao thought for a while, and then said slowly, "It's just that people can do things with a hot stove, but if it's a cold stove, they won't be able to get cheap after all." "Master Hu's words are wrong," Xu Jue said with a sneer. "Being an official is a lifetime career. How can you care about temporary success or failure. You have been burning cold stoves for three years, and you seem to be at a disadvantage. In the fourth year My son, maybe it will turn around regularly, and the cold stove will become a hot stove. Don’t you also follow the carp to jump the dragon gate and fall into the golden cave!” Hu Zigao heard Xu Jue's ambiguous voice, so he simply copied and said: "Master Xu, I need your advice later, where can I find such a cold stove now?" Xu Jue saw that Hu Zigao had already made up his mind, so he stopped covering up and blurted out, "That's my master." "Eunuch Feng, him?" Hu Zigao was stunned for a moment, "With such great power, is he still cold?" "There are a total of 20,000 to 30,000 eunuchs in the northern and southern capitals. Compared with those ordinary stewards, he is of course a hot stove, but..." At this point, Xu Jue deliberately put off his words and blinked. Yu Buyan shook his head and said, "Forget it, forget it, it's better not to talk about it. People's hearts are far away." "Master Xu and I met for the first time, so it's reasonable for me not to trust me," Hu Zigao smiled leisurely, and continued, "However, even if you don't say the half-words that Master Xu swallowed, the subordinate officials can guess it." .” "Really?" Xu Jue moved his body. "What you want to say is that, on top of Eunuch Feng, there is, after all, the eunuch Meng Chong, who is in charge of the chief of ceremonies." This time it was Xu Jue's turn to be surprised.He stared at Hu Zigao, and thought to himself: "You can't underestimate this sixth-rank official." He said, "Yes, the current eunuch Meng Chong, the chief inspector of ceremonies, can compare with him in terms of qualifications and talents. My master." Hu Zigao smiled, his expression became reserved: "Master Xu just asked me why I invited you, now I can answer." "Speaking." "It's for burning a cold stove." As soon as the words fell, the two laughed at the same time.After laughing, Xu Jue said seriously: "Master Hu, a gentleman has no jokes, can you really mean what you say?" "really!" "Okay!" Xu Jue seemed quite happy, his face relaxed, and his bulbous nose glowed red, "With your words, when I return to Beijing, I will definitely speak well for my master in front of my master." "Thank you so much, brother." Hu Zigao changed his address and asked Xu Jue, "Do you mind if you call him that?" "It should have been like this earlier, it looks much more intimate." Xu Jue nodded in agreement. "When does Xiongtai plan to leave Nanjing?" "If things go well, I'll be back tomorrow." "When you leave, I will prepare a generous gift, please pass it on to Eunuch Feng, and I will also prepare another gift from your brother." "I'm exempt here, but at my master's place, you should be filial to me." "How to be filial, please teach me, brother." "Since I'm not an outsider, I'll just say it straight. I came to Nanjing this time to find a treasure for my master." "What treasure?" "Do you know Bodhidharma?" "I know", Hu Zigao nodded, and then showed off: "He is a great monk who came to China from India, and he is known as the first ancestor of Chinese Zen." "It is said that when he came from India, he first went to Guangzhou, and then came to Nanjing from Guangzhou to meet Emperor Liang Wudi, the emperor of Liang Dynasty at that time, and presented a hanging Buddhist beads to Emperor Liang Wu. It was made of relics and was regarded as a national treasure by Emperor Wu of Liang. It has been more than a thousand years since the Liang Dynasty, but the hanging beads are still in Nanjing." "It's a national treasure." "That's right, this hanging Buddhist bead has now fallen into the hands of a master. I found him to discuss reselling it. He insisted not to sell it at first, saying that this treasure has been in his family for five generations, and it cannot disappear in his hands. It is a dishonorable place." The reputation of my children and grandchildren. To put it bluntly, even Grandpa Sun Chaoyong, the Nanjing garrison eunuch, also came forward. They saw that I had some background, so they let go and agreed to resell, but the price was 50,000 taels of silver. It stands to reason that such a national treasure would cost 50,000 taels. Taels of silver are not expensive, but my father-in-law is usually an upright person, so how could he come up with such a large sum of taels of silver. I will still discuss the price with the teacher, and I will finalize it this afternoon, 30,000 taels of silver, and I will go tomorrow morning Ouxiangzhai next to Baoying Gate, one hand pays the silver and the other hand delivers the goods." After hearing what Xu Jue said about the cause and effect, Hu Zigao sighed: "I didn't expect Mr. Feng to be so devout to Buddha." "The Buddha is his lifeblood, and he does a lot of good deeds every year." When Xu Jue said "my master", he looked respectful, "but this time, my master sent me to hurry I came to Nanjing to buy this treasure, but not for my own collection." "Oh?" "The current emperor is ill, do you know?" "I know, the mansion has already reported it, and the cabinet has also sent a message, ordering each yamen to keep people on duty every night." Hu Zigao paused for a while, and then said, "I just wanted to ask brother, the emperor's illness How's it going?" "The emperor's illness is the top secret of the imperial court. How can I know the details. But judging from my master's whereabouts, I am afraid that the illness of the Lord Long Live is not serious. I came back to look for the string of prayer beads, which is also related to the illness of the Lord Long Live." "how do I say this?" "The emperor's favorite concubine Li Gui, who is also the biological mother of the current crown prince, is a very Buddhist person. She usually eats Huazhai, and there is a big Buddhist hall in the Cining Palace where she lives. After chanting Buddhist scriptures, the ladies in the court called her Goddess of Mercy. This time the emperor was ill, and she took a long fast. A few days ago, Eunuch Feng went to pay his respects to Concubine Li Gui, and accidentally mentioned that there was such a string of Buddhist beads in Nanjing. Concubine Li Gui Immediately stared and asked, then sighed, saying that there is such a Buddhist treasure in the country, which should be able to protect the emperor's longevity. The speaker has no intention, but the listener intends. When I get home, my master sent me to Nanjing quickly. No matter what , I also want to get this string of Buddhist beads, and honor it to the imperial concubine." "Brother don't have enough bank notes?" "Yes," Xu Jue pointed out the level of Concubine Li Gui, because he wanted Hu Zigao to hand over the money readily.Seeing that Hu Zigao was still thinking about it, he deliberately said provocatively, "However, as long as I am willing to open my mouth, the thirty thousand taels of silver is not a big deal. How many people want to curry favor with my master, but they can't find a way out?" Hu Zigao nodded. He admitted that Xu Jue was telling the truth. No matter how bad Eunuch Feng was, he could still get 30,000 taels of silver after being with the emperor for more than ten years.This time when Xu Jue was sent to Nanjing, he never expected to pay for the string of beads by himself.He, Hu Zigao, was reluctant to spend the money, so someone would rush to pay it.Although Xu Jue was cunning, he still revealed the truth.But then I thought about it, thirty thousand taels of silver is not a small amount after all, if Xu Jue cheated and smuggled it in the name of Eunuch Feng, wouldn't he be a big fool.But if Xu Jue's words are true, thirty thousand taels of silver to make friends with Eunuch Feng and get on the line of Concubine Li Gui is another huge bargain.The emperor's illness has been tossing for a month or two. If the imperial physicians can't rejuvenate, once Long Bin goes to heaven and the crown prince takes over, Li Guifei will be a big hot spot.Thinking of this level, Hu Zigao's heart became hot, and he said: "Brother, I will pay the thirty thousand taels of silver!" "Okay!" Xu Jue patted the coffee table, and a rare smile appeared on his face, "Master Hu is really straightforward, I will thank you for my master first." Although the money came out, Hu Zigao still kept a cautious eye, and then Xu Jue said: "When I get the string of Buddhist beads tomorrow, I will send someone to Beijing with my brother to present to Eunuch Feng to show my kindness." Filial piety." Xu Jue was taken aback for a moment, he knew that Hu Zigao was worried that he would play tricks on him, so he felt a little unhappy.So he said angrily: "That's fine, although thirty thousand taels of silver is not much, but since Lord Hu values ​​it, he sent someone to meet with Eunuch Feng with me, and I will let go of my suspicions." Hu Zigao heard the bones in the words, and quickly smiled and said: "Brother, don't be suspicious, I'm just worried about the road, in case there is a mistake." Xu Jue forced a smile, got up and walked to the window facing the river, only to see that the red lanterns in front of the river houses everywhere had been lit, illuminating the Qinhuai River like daytime.The painted boats on the river are connected to each other, and the pavilions on the bank are uneven.Fragrant mist lingers, candle shadows shake red, flutes, drums, zithers, and zithers can be heard endlessly.He stretched himself, unable to restrain his lust, so he couldn't wait to ask Hu Zigao: "Where's Miss Liu? Tell her to come upstairs."