Chapter 79 Chapter 16 Talking about Politics

To the north of the east end of Dongzhimen Street, there is a Yaowangmiao Hutong, and further east from there is the Wanwan Hutong where Wu Qingbo's residence is located.It was half past midnight in the morning, and a large sedan chair with oil silk curtains and curtains carried by eight people stopped at the entrance of the mansion. Looking at the fancy decoration of the sedan chair inlaid with gold and jade and the clothes of the guards, one knew that it was rented from the bar room. of.In order to meet the travel needs of local officials and wealthy businessmen who came to Beijing for business, many barn rooms for renting out sedan horses were opened in the capital.There are all kinds of transportation equipment, ranging from a small donkey with broken steps to a large sedan chair carried by eight people.The big sedan chair that landed in front of Uncle Wu Qing's mansion right now is undoubtedly the top sedan chair in the bar room.Besides, the middle-aged man who stepped out of the sedan chair was clearly a wealthy man at a glance. He was wearing a blue satin gown with eight rounds, and he was holding an ebony fan bone. Su Xiangchi Bada spreads the fan.As soon as Bao stepped out of the sedan chair, Qian Shengliang, the manager of Uncle Wuqing's residence, quickly stepped up, clasped his fists, and sang:

"Morning, Uncle Shao." "Hello, Steward Qian." The middle-aged man saluted back. This middle-aged man called Uncle Shao was none other than the hero Shao who helped Gao Gong get rid of his confidant Li Yan in Hengshan in the early summer of the sixth year of Longqing.After that incident, more than two years passed in a flash, and Shao Daxia never came to Beijing again.The reason for this is that Gao Gong resigned, and his wishful thinking of taking advantage of Gao Gong's influence for personal gain fell through;In order to avoid disaster, Li dared not come to Beijing.In the past two years, he has lived in Nanjing and Yangzhou. Although he seldom travels in the government, but with his influence in the Jianghu, he has made a lot of business in cloth, silk, satin and salt, and he has made a lot of money.It is human nature to be quiet and think about movement for a long time. After the beginning of summer this year, he thought that the current situation would not pose any danger to his family, so he decided to visit the capital again.When he came to Beijing two years ago, he ran into Qian Shengliang, the housekeeper of Uncle Wu Qing's residence, on North Street.At that time, he felt that this was a god-given opportunity for him to climb up to the high branch of Wu Qingbo and Li Wei.Although it was delayed for two years due to changes in the world, he never interrupted his contact with Qian Shengliang, and often entrusted people who came to Beijing to send generous gifts to Qian Shengliang.The most important thing to do in Beijing this time is to connect with Wu Qingbo through Qian Shengliang and choose a date to visit him.

Guided by Qian Shengliang, Shao Daxia walked into Wu Qingbo's mansion, which was originally the former residence of Yan Song, the chief assistant of the Jiajing Dynasty.After Yan Song was dismissed as prime minister and ransacked his house, the house was confiscated as public property, and no one lived there for a while.After Emperor Longqing ascended the throne, he gave this house to his father-in-law.At that time, Yan Song had all the power in the world and tried his best to enjoy himself.He has two residences in the capital, one is this university mansion, and the other is Bieyejixianglu by the Paozi River.Yan Song spent most of his later years in Jixianglu, which was actually inhabited by his son Yan Shifan.This Yan Shifan was even more greedy than his father, and he was ordered to be killed by the emperor after a misfortune happened.Yan University Scholars Mansion was originally spacious and magnificent, but under the hands of Yan Shifan, it was built and repaired, and finally became the most feared mansion in the capital, with more than 500 large and small houses.Ever since Uncle Wu Qing became the owner of this mansion, he has always felt that the mansion is too big. If it wasn't for the interference of his daughter, Queen Mother Li, he would have sold half of it to earn a sum of money.

In the mansions of noble officials in the capital, the entrance is generally the sedan hall, the entrance is the screen wall, and the screen wall is the living room.The mansion where Uncle Wu Qing lived was not like this. As soon as he entered the sedan chair hall, the facing screen wall became the side wall of the living room. It was attached to the left wall and formed a long corridor. After walking about twenty feet away, his vision suddenly widened. , a garden about five or six acres in size unfolded in front of my eyes.The gate to the corridor is east-west, but this garden is north-south. Lotus flowers are in full bloom in several square ponds of different sizes, and pines and bamboos are in full bloom on the gentle slopes; The flowers at the bottom are bright, and the side is the fairy cave near the mountain, where the rich and noble families are separated by water smoke.The door of the living room with five couplets in the mansion is facing the garden. Sitting in it, you can hear the sounds of nature and see beauty.Coming here, Shao Daxia sighed in his heart: "I usually hear people say that Yan Song's home taste is very high, and he really deserves his reputation. It's a pity that he has been in business for decades, but let an irrelevant person take over and enjoy it."

At this time, Wu Qingbo Li Wei, who was wearing a light silk python robe, was already waiting at the door of the living room.Although he had never met Shao Daxia, he always heard Qian Shengliang whispering in his ears, and knew that this man was a rich man in the south of the Yangtze River. Silver tickets, and a lot of Jiangnan specialties.Li Wei saw Shao Daxia being so generous, so he wanted to get acquainted. Wu Qingbo led Shao Daxia to the living room to sit down. After talking about tea, Wu Qingbo asked: "Outside Shao, where is Nanjing more prosperous than Beijing?" Although Li Wei is wearing a python suit, he still looks like a farmer. Seeing him sitting on a chair with his legs bent, he looks like he is squatting on a kang head. Shao Daxia wanted to laugh, but he held back and replied:

"Nanjing, of course." "Ah?" Uncle Wu Qing was taken aback, and asked in disbelief, "Beijing is at the foot of the emperor, why is it not as prosperous as Nanjing?" "Nanjing is not only the former capital of the Six Dynasties, but also the foundation of our Ming Dynasty. Today, although the emperor lives in Beijing, there is one set of big yamen in Beijing and one in Nanjing." "That's true." Wu Qingbo echoed, "A few days ago, the palace sent us a few shad, which they said were transported by speedboat from Nanjing. The taste is really good."

"What does it smell like?" "It's a bit like fermented bean curd. Although it's not as chewy as mutton, it's soft and tender." Wu Qingbo swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he spoke, still savoring the delicious taste, but he didn't want Shao Daxia to burst out laughing, and blurted out: "Uncle Wu Qing, what you eat is stinky fish." "Stinky fish?" Wu Qingbo looked bewildered. "What is it if it's not stinky fish?" Shao Daxia managed to stop laughing and said, "The real shad is fragrant and tender. It's the best fish. How can there be a smell of fermented bean curd? Three months ago, this piece The new eunuch Wang Qing, who is in charge of the shad factory, came to Nanjing to take up his post, and made a joke."

"What's the joke?" Li Wei asked. "When the eunuch Wang arrived in Nanjing, it was just in time for the shad season, and his subordinates made a table of exquisite shad feast for him to taste. Unexpectedly, as soon as he tasted the first bite, he immediately lowered his face and scolded, 'Bold slave! , How dare you fool me!' The subordinates were confused by his scolding, and they didn't know where the eunuch Wang's anger came from, so they asked cautiously, "My lord, you are serving you attentively, how dare you fool you?" The eunuch asked angrily, "Do you think we have never eaten shad? How dare you use some irrelevant wild fish to make up the number? If this is not a lie, what is it?" Looking for something to do, he carefully replied, "My lord, this is indeed a shad. It was just caught from the river." The eunuch Wang shook his head and said decisively, "This is not a shad. We have stayed in Da Nei for two years." For more than ten years, which year did you not eat shad? The smell of shad is stinky. Why did you have a smell of shad on your table? When the subordinates heard this, they wanted to laugh but did not dare to laugh, so they had to explain patiently "My lord, what you are eating now is fresh shad. Let's catch the shad at this time, and then transport it to Beijing to pay tribute through the canal. , although the shad is chilled in the cabin, it is inevitable that it will be spoiled. The best shad is enjoyed by the emperor, and the slightly stale ones are given to the princes and ministers and the stewards around them to share, year after year. Get used to it The shad that has changed taste, but the fresh shad is not tasty.” His subordinates replied tactfully, and the eunuch Wang understood the reason, but he still refused to admit defeat, pouted and muttered, “Anyway, it’s still good. The stinky shad is delicious. From now on, we will only eat the shad from Beijing, and we will not eat the shad from Nanjing.” This joke of the eunuch Wang spread throughout Nanjing, and everyone thought it was funny.”

After hearing this story, Li Wei didn't feel embarrassed, but laughed along with Shao Daxia, and asked after laughing enough: "How do you eat shad in Nanjing?" "There are many ways to eat it, the best one is steamed." "Steamed?" Wu Qingbo smiled disapprovingly after thinking about it, "It's bland, what's there to eat? We also agree with Eunuch Wang's statement. It's better to eat shad in Beijing. It's fried in sauce and stewed. It's smelly and smelly." How delicious the incense is." Shao Daxia knew that Li Wei was born as a mason. Although he is the head of the country, he can't change the living habits of the lower class, and he doesn't agree with his theory. One peach to eat. There are more than a dozen bright and fresh peaches piled up on this fruit plate, and the one on top is slightly smaller.Shao Daxia wanted to eat a big one, so he stretched out his hand to take one out from the second layer, but he couldn't take it out even though he got the peach.Seeing this, Qian Shengliang, who was sitting with him, hurried over to take off the peach on top and handed it to Shao Daxia.Only now did Shao Daxia see clearly that the entire fruit bowl was a lacquered boxwood carving, except for the real peach on the top, the rest were "seeing peaches".This is also Li Wei's trick for thrifty housekeeping. No matter how distinguished the guests come to the house, even if there are fruit treats, there is only one.Shao Daxia had never seen such a stingy wealthy businessman, he was surprised, but he didn't dare to make fun of him.

Li Wei squinted his eyes, watching Shao Daxia finish eating the juicy peach, and asked again: "I heard that Yuan Shao is the leader of a business in Nanjing, and his business is very big." Shao Daxia took out a handkerchief from his armband, wiped his mouth, and replied, "I can't talk about being a leader, but there are twenty or thirty shops of various kinds, and the business can still be maintained." "Mr. Shao is modest," Qian Shengliang, who was sitting beside him, interjected at this time, "Master, now we are talking about big businessmen. Hao Yibiao in Beijing, and Shao Daxia in Nanjing, are known as the North and the South. But the wealth of the enemy country exceeds that of Shen Wanshan in the early years of the dynasty."

"No way, no way," Shao Daxia quickly waved his hands, "Shen Wanshan was dispatched by Emperor Hongwu to Yunnan, and died in a foreign land because he was so rich that the country was invincible. I operate with a small capital, so how can I have such a big asset!" "Yes, to be poor is to shout, and to be rich is to hide. This is the foundation of life and life. Holding gold ingots and crying poor is the only way to work hard." Just after Li Wei finished his words of praise, Shao Daxia didn't have time to answer, when he suddenly heard someone outside the door calling like a flute to come in: "Who is here, let's see." While talking, I saw a tall young man in a python silk tunic stepping in carelessly. He walked straight up to Shao Daxia, looked at this short and rich man, and shouted at Qian Shengliang: "Old Qian, this is the Shao Daxia you mentioned?" "Exactly," Qian Shengliang stood up and answered, and then said to Shao Daxia, "Mr. Shao, this is the young master." From the moment this young man entered the door, Shao Daxia guessed that he was Li Gao, the son of Wu Qing Bo Li Wei.His name of blindly messing around without doing business is very famous in the capital.Shao Daxia got up and greeted him, and after sitting down again, Li Gao said: "Mr. Shao, people say that you are a man with a hand and an eye." "This is an honor, Shao, a businessman..." "Don't, don't," Li Gao stretched out his hand to interrupt Shao Daxia, and said in a cynical tone, "Who doesn't know that you Shao Daxia did business out of helplessness, you do one thing for us now, and we will give you one Ten thousand taels of silver." "do what?" "Invite Mr. Gao Ge back and regain his position as chief assistant." "Shaodong, don't be joking," Shao Daxia was startled, his face suddenly changed color, he glanced at Li Wei, and said to Li Gao according to Qian Shengliang's address, "Shaodong, such a big court event, only your sister, the current emperor His biological mother, the Empress Dowager Li, was able to do it, and I am a commoner..." "Stop pretending," Li Gao snapped, "It wasn't you, Gao Huzi, who could squeeze Li Chunfang away, and run back from his hometown in Henan to be the chief assistant in the capital?" This is what Shao Daxia is most afraid of people mentioning now. He wanted to seal Li Gao's crazy mouth, but he couldn't think of a way for a while, so he had to say perfunctorily: "That's a misrepresentation. How could I, Shao, have this ability." "We know why you Daxia Shao dare not admit your great achievements." Li Gao winked his eyes and said teasingly, "You are afraid that the current Chief Assistant Zhang Juzheng will make trouble for you." Shao Daxia was noncommittal, but cleverly changed the subject and said: "I heard that your sister, the current Holy Mother, Empress Dowager Li, relies heavily on Zhang Juzheng." "Pfft!" Li Gao looked disdainful. "Li Gao!" Li Wei was worried that his son was going to talk nonsense again, so he hurried out to stop him.In fact, even if Li Gao didn't talk about it, Shao Daxia understood the mentality of his father and son clearly.The two incidents that happened this year hit Wu Qingbo hard.One is to collect taxes on Zilitian, and the other is to apply for silver for building a grave for yourself.The former made Li Wei take out more than 8,000 taels of silver a year, and the latter made Li Wei's idea of ​​taking this opportunity to make a fortune fell through.Therefore, the father and son hated Zhang Juzheng very much.Legend has it that some time ago someone went to Jingzhou to murder Zhang Juzheng's capable officer, Jin Xuezeng, who was also instructed by Wu Qingbo.Although Jin Xuezeng didn't hurt a single hair, Zhao Qian, the prefect of Jingzhou, became a scapegoat.This is the biggest event that happened in the officialdom this year. Although the emperor has ordered to investigate, but the murderer has not been caught so far, so this matter has become an unsolved case.Judging from the meeting and conversation with Li Wei, Shao Daxia didn't believe this dull and fearful old man had such courage, but his son Li Gao, with his powerful and playful attitude, might make foolish things.But it's not easy to guess casually about matters of human life and nature. Shao Daxia thought about it and said: "I, Shao, am in business. If Uncle Wu Qing has business matters, I can do my best." "What kind of business do you do?" Li Wei asked. "Cloth and satin, jewelry headgear, salt and tea wood, whatever can make money, I will do it." Uncle Wu Qing nodded, Li Gao suddenly became interested, and asked, "I heard that the best thing you make is cloth and satin." "That's true." Shao Daxia replied. "Compared with Hao Yibiao in Beijing, who is stronger between the two of you?" "Each has its own merits." Shao Daxia's tone was full of conceit. "Hao Yibiao has a complete range of silk and satin varieties, how about yours?" "As long as there is something in the world, I have it all in my store." "Hey, cowhide doesn't blow, and toads don't fly. Tell me, what do you have in your store?" Li Xing happily urged to ask.Shao Daxia talked about a lot of silk and satin samples like a few treasures. After hearing this, Li Gao clamored for him to talk about cloth. Shao Daxia took a sip of tea and said: "If there is a single cloth, Songjiang Prefecture, which is adjacent to Suzhou Prefecture, has been known as the world's clothing since ancient times. The standard cloth, medium machine cloth, small cloth, and starched gauze produced in Shanghai County of Songjiang Prefecture, and the twill cloth and medicine produced in Jiading County. Speckle cloth, chess pattern cloth, purple flower cloth, fine cloth, Ge cloth produced in Shaoxing, etc., these are all large varieties, if we talk about it in detail, there may be hundreds of varieties.” "Which cloth is the most expensive?" Li Wei asked. "Gebu, top-grade Gebu, such as the Jinnang Gebu produced in Leizhou, is smooth and firm, and its color is like ivory. A piece is worth three taels of silver, followed by twill cloth, which is even, thin and tough, and a piece is worth more than a tael of silver." "Where is the cheapest cloth?" "A piece of starched gauze cloth is only worth four or five cents of silver." "Are there any shops outside of Bu Shao Yuan?" Li Gao asked. "Have." "We want more servings." "How many?" "Two hundred thousand horses." "So many?" Shao Daxia smiled and replied, "Is it not appropriate for the young master to have hairpin tassels and nobles, and he wants to open a cloth shop?" "No," Li Gao glanced at his father and said after deliberation, "Recently, we got a deal." "what?" Without waiting for Shao Daxia to ask, Li Gao continued: "Does Shao know about the king of Hezhong, Sima?" Shao Daxia lowered his eyebrows and asked, "But Mr. Wang Chonggu?" "Exactly," Li Gao said ostentatiously, "Master Wang is now the governor of Jiliao, and he has 200,000 soldiers under his command. He promised to entrust us with the business of changing the soldiers' cotton-padded clothes this winter." Do." "This is a big deal." Shao Daxia said enviously. Li Gao turned to his father and said, "Father, the fabrics for these two hundred thousand sets of cotton-padded clothes should be handed over to Yuan Shao to make them?" "Okay," Li Wei has long had a good impression of Shao Daxia, who has a lot of money, but he still doesn't forget to say, "just not too expensive." "Shao Yuanwai is such a person who can do things, how can he be expensive!" Li Gao got a tall hat for Shao Daxia to wear. Shao Daxia smiled and didn't respond, but he knew in his heart that this business must be done. After talking about the business, Li Wei wanted to stay for dinner, but Shao Daxia refused, so he ate a little indiscriminately, then left in a hurry, and went straight to the Suzhou Guild Hall on Qipan Street where he was staying.The reason why he rushed back in such a hurry was to meet Yuniang, who had been away for more than two years. At the beginning, Shao Daxia wanted to curry favor with Gao Gong.He visited Nanjing and Suyang prefectures with a lantern, only to find such a beautiful "Jieyu flower" like Yuniang. He thought that Gao Gong would be ecstatic, but he never expected that Gao Gong would be a The bad old man who doesn't understand what love is is a waste of his painstaking efforts by Shao Daxia.Shao Daxia also knew a little about Yuniang's ups and downs.When he heard that Yuniang had become Zhang Juzheng's favorite baby, Shao Daxia couldn't help feeling sour in his heart.At the beginning, because of Gao Gong's relationship, he regarded Zhang Juzheng as a thorn in his side, but he never expected that the talented Jiangnan woman he had worked so hard to find would finally be snatched away by this enemy.He found out that Yuniang lived in Jixianglu, where the security was heavily guarded and it was difficult for ordinary people to enter, so Shao Daxia paid money for the purchase of Jixianglu, and passed a note to Yuniang, asking her to meet at the Suzhou Guild Hall. But it is said that Yuniang has become a thrush in a golden silk cage since she lived in Jixianglu.Except for being occasionally recruited by Empress Dowager Li into the palace to sing and sing, she spent most of her time in Jixiang Lu playing the piano and playing music to pass the time. On this day, she suddenly received a note from Shao Daxia who entrusted someone to bring her in. It brought back memories of her old acquaintances in her hometown, so she didn't even think about it, so she found an excuse and came to the Suzhou Guild Hall in a sedan chair. Around the end of the afternoon, Yuniang came to the Suzhou Guild Hall. Shao Daxia had sent someone to wait in front of the door, and when he took him to the living room where he stayed to meet, for some reason, the two people who knew each other very well felt a little strange .Shao Daxia fixed his eyes on Yuniang, and felt that although she was not as pure as two years ago, her eyebrows were more charming.Sitting opposite her, Shao Daxia couldn't help but feel complacent. He managed to restrain himself, and asked politely: "Yu Niang, is this always good?" "Okay." Yuniang smiled sadly. "You have suffered a lot in the past two years." "It's passed." "How long have you lived in Jixiang Cottage?" "More than a year." "what!" After a question and an answer, I ran out of words again.There was an awkward silence in the flower hall.Although Yuniang has an unforgettable gratitude to Shao Daxia in her heart, she refuses to please him because she has always been afraid of him and because she has a withdrawn personality raised in Jixianglu.Shao Daxia obviously felt that Yuniang was not as well-behaved as before, so he thought that Yuniang climbed up the big tree of Zhang Juzheng and looked down on him, so he immediately got angry and said mean words: "I heard that Mr. Zhang Ge treated you very well. People in the capital say that he held you in his mouth for fear of melting, and held you in his hands for fear of flying." "Bengong," Yuniang heard that the words were wrong, but she pretended not to understand, but replied affectionately, "Master Shoufu has treated me with great kindness." Her intoxicated eyes made Shao Daxia even more angry, he paused, and angrily reprimanded: "You completely forgot Mr. Gao Ge!" "Yes!" Yuniang answered simply, meeting Shao Daxia's dissatisfied gaze. He looked at Yuniang, and said tauntingly: "Back then in Jingnan Station, you bumped your head against the pillar for the sake of Gaoge Lao, wishing to die for love. At that time, Yuniang was worthy of the ages. Martial girl. Unexpectedly, soon afterward, you would turn your love to Zhang Juzheng. This kind of change is really beyond my expectations." Hearing this groundless reprimand, Yu Niang's face turned pale. She held back her tears and replied sadly: "Grandfather, how can you talk like this? My slave's house touched a pillar, and my eyes are also blind. Mr. Gao went back to his hometown in Henan. , as soon as he left, your benefactor was nowhere to be seen. The poor family is lonely, like a kite with a broken string, letting the rain and the wind blow. Later, he was deceived by gangsters and sold to Yaozi Street. If Mr. Zhang did not send If someone saves you, how can there be any life left in the slave family to this day!" Yu Niang recalled the past like a knife, and cried while scolding.Seeing her tearful and mournful, Shao Daxia couldn't help feeling cold and pitiful. He sighed a long time, and his tone eased: "I know you have suffered a lot, but when I brought you to the capital, I originally intended to be Elder Gao Ge. Now, seeing that Elder Gao Ge is replaced by Elder Zhang Ge by your side, I find it hard to accept for a while." Yu Niang stopped sobbing, and asked in a trance, "How is Mr. Gao Ge?" Shao Daxia shook his head and said, "I haven't seen it either. People from Xin said that he lives in his hometown in Xinzheng and never leaves the house. People sent by the government are still spying on him." "Why are you still watching him?" Yuniang asked blankly. "Well, you go and ask Mr. Zhang Ge." Shao Daxia said angrily, "One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. As long as Mr. Gao Ge is not dead, Mr. Zhang Ge will not be idle." Yu Niang didn't want to fight with Shao Daxia, so she just sighed lightly and said sadly: "The old man is nice, but he has no interest." "So, Mr. Zhang Ge is very interesting?" Shao Daxia said with strong jealousy. "Engong is right!" Yuniang raised her head as she spoke, and met Shao Daxia's awl-like eyes, not timid at all.This stubbornness forced Shao Daxia to look away.He admired Zhang Juzheng not only as a veteran in officialdom, but also as a master in love.It took only one year to train Yuniang so docilely.Now that the matter has come to this, instead of making everyone unhappy by being angry, it is better to make good use of Yuniang and draw Zhang Juzheng's line.Since I have spent a lot of money on Yuniang, it is time to get something in return.With such a turn in his mind, Shao Daxia's dark clouded face immediately cleared up, and he said with a grin: "Don't take it to heart, Yu Niang, I was teasing you just now." "Ah, when did benefactor learn to joke?" Yuniang's broken mood couldn't be recovered for a while. "Yuniang, Shao spent a lot of money to buy you from your adoptive mother and redeemed you for you. The original intention was to see that you were rich and powerful. No, Gaoge is not blessed to keep you, and Zhang Mr. Ge loves you very much. In terms of status, the two are equally tall, in terms of looks, age, and taste, Mr. Zhang Ge is above Mr. Gao Ge. You have the glory and wealth you have today, and I, Shao, am really happy .” Some sweet words made Yuniang laugh out of tears.She said gratefully: "My family is today, thanks to benefactor's rescue." Seeing that Yuniang's mood eased, Shao Daxia struck while the iron was hot and said: "Yu Niang, Mr. Zhang Ge loves you so much, if you ask him to do something, he won't fight back." "The servant has nothing to ask him for." "You don't, I have wow." "You?" Yu Niang was taken aback, and asked, "What's the matter with benefactor?" "Ask him to write a letter to Hu Zigao, envoy of the Lianghuai Salt Transport, and help me get some salt out." "Yanyin, what does benefactor want Yanyin to do?" Shao Daxia smiled treacherously, and said mockingly: "Silly girl, you don't need to ask this question, do you know how much money a nest of salt can make?" Yu Niang shook her head blankly. Shao Daxia continued: "Do you know what is the most profitable business in the world? Tea and horses in the north, cloth and grain in Nanjing, but these businesses are nothing compared to Yanyin. You If you go to Yangzhou City, you will know that those who build big houses and gardens, and those who raise theater troupes and sit in gold-inlaid sedan chairs are all salt merchants. Hu Zigao sits in the yamen of the Lianghuai Salt Transport Department. Whoever fawns on him will immediately become rich. This Hu Zigao is a big corrupt official. He committed a crime at the beginning, so he won’t be dismissed from the high cabinet. Later, he spent 30,000 taels of silver to buy a string of Bodhidharma beads and gave it to Feng Bao. The person in the bag. After Zhang Ge took power, Hu Zigao won this huge vacancy and sat in the Yangzhou Lianghuai Salt Transportation Department. From this incident alone, it can be seen that Hu Zigao has all-powerful means, and he doesn't know what to do How much money does it take to bow down to Zhang Ge's old sect. That kid is confident that there is someone behind his chair, and he is domineering in Yangzhou. He holds 700,000 nests of salt in his hands every year, and those who want to curry favor with him have smashed the door." After listening to this introduction, Yuniang knew that there was a lot of fame here, but she asked in puzzlement, "With your benefactor's ability to command wind and rain, can't you make friends with this Hu Zigao?" "It's possible to pay, but this guy is too dark-hearted, he doesn't even spit out his bones when he eats meat. If Mr. Zhang Ge is willing to write him a note, the situation will be different." "Mr. Zhang Ge's note is so useful?" "Stupid girl, why don't you even understand this!" Shao Daxia suddenly emphasized his tone, moved his chair in front of Yuniang, and said mysteriously, "You hang out with old Zhang Ge every day, don't you know what kind of person he is? ?He is the teacher of the current emperor and the chief assistant of the cabinet! The Lianghuai Salt Transporter is a prominent figure in Yangzhou City, but in the eyes of Zhang Gelao, he is just a small grasshopper, which can turn into pulp when squeezed .” "Since that's the case, I will beg him on behalf of my benefactor." "How do you seek the Dharma?" "Just say it." "How can you say this kind of thing directly," Shao Daxia shook his head, blinked his bulging eyes for a long time, and then said, "You can't mention my name Shao. You can't say that I want Yan Yin, just say, you have a Uncle lives in Yangzhou City, I hope Hu Zigao can take care of him." "It's such a nonsense, what if Mr. Zhang Ge gets to the bottom of it?" "You need me to teach you this? You are extremely smart, as long as you put your heart into it, what story can't be made up?" "Then. I will give it a try at this opportunity." "Okay, I'm waiting for your good news." "How long will En Gong stay in Beijing?" "Stay a few days longer if you have something to do, and stay a few days less if you have nothing to do. Wait for your letter. I will always have a few days to live in." The two had been talking for more than an hour without knowing it. Seeing that it was getting late, Yu Niang offered to leave, but Shao Daxia didn't want to keep him. He just made a bunch of souvenirs brought from Nanjing and asked Yu Niang to take them back. taste.Yu Niang thanked Wanfu for squatting, said goodbye, and returned along the same road in a small sedan chair. After sending Yuniang away, Shao Daxia's mood improved, and when he had nothing to do for a while, he thought of the word testing in the "Li Tiezui Character Testing Hall" two years ago. Since then, he has always admired Li Tiezui's god.Now that he has free time, he wants to go there again to find out the mystery.He just said to go out, but he heard a commotion in the yard, he was wondering what happened, but he saw a person running up the stairs, Shao Daxia took a closer look and found that the person who came was Li Gao. "Hey, Uncle Guo is here," Shao Daxia hastily said with a deep bow, "Why don't you say something first, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "We, Li Gao, don't like false tricks." Without waiting for Shao Daxia's invitation, Li Gao headed into the room, sat down with a cat, and yelled, "I neglected you at our house at noon, our father is an old man, and he can't make friends. Man, we are here now to make up for you." "How to compensate?" Shao Daxia asked with a smile. "Let's play." Li Gao grinned, "In the capital, there are many seats for fun, eating, drinking, whoring and gambling, which one do you like?" As the saying goes, seeing is believing. Shao Daxia felt that Li Gao's straightforward words were very straightforward, but he was right-hearted, so he put down his gentle manner, stared at Li Gao with both eyes, and asked with a wicked smile: "I like eating, drinking, prostitution and gambling. What should I do?" "It's easy, let's go to Minglan Pavilion." Minglan Pavilion is the most famous brothel in the capital city, and it has all kinds of charming and charming girls, all of whom are exquisite and capable of ecstasy.The last time he came to Beijing, Shao Daxia had already been there to kiss Fangze, so he didn't feel anything new, so he shook his head and said: "Compared with Nanjing's brothels, Beijing's brothels are ultimately less rich. The pleasure of leaning against the red and nestling in the green is hard to find in Minglan Pavilion." "We knew that you Shao Daxia is a loach in the oil, a very slippery old player, why don't we find a family to marry?" "What is piecemeal marriage?" "There is always something you don't understand," Li Gao sneered triumphantly, and then explained, "In the capital, there are some dilapidated rich families. Occasionally open the door to receive guests due to livelihood, this is called piecemeal marriage." "So that's how it is," Shao Daxia replied, "In Nanjing, we call this kind of people half-opened doors." "Half-opening the door is also very impressive, but it is not as appropriate as a piecemeal marriage," Li Gao said with a smile, licking his lips. Law." "How many people are like this?" "Not many. Although they are joking about being poor and not prostitutes, they are from rich families. After all, more people still want to get a chastity memorial archway." "Being a whore and setting up a memorial archway is this kind of piecemeal marriage." "That's exactly what my brother said." Having said that, the two laughed heartily.After playing around, although Shao Daxia intends to follow Li Gao to see the fragmentary marriages in the capital, he still thinks that the first meeting will not be unreasonable, so he suppresses his smile and said euphemistically: "Twenty-eight beauties, emerald eyebrows and cicada temples, although ecstasy, will eventually lead a life of bones, it is better to play less." "Look, I've put out that sour turban again," Li Gao sneered sharply, "Old Shao, we invite you tonight. There is a family in Chongwenmen, whose surname is Zheng, and the owner is an imperial servant. The horse official was arrested and died in prison for embezzling horse feed. His wife stayed at home with two concubines and did not receive guests for a while. It was only made sense a few days ago. We will go tonight and drink First soup, let's go, let's go now." Li Gao got up as soon as he said that, and Shao Daxia knew that if he refused, he would annoy this uncle Guo who had sincerely invited him.So he laughed and said: "Uncle Guo is so kind, Shao dares not to respect it, but it's still early, why don't we go to a place to play first." "where to?" "Li Tiezui's character test library." "I've heard of it, but we don't believe him." "Why?" "Our capital has a few proverbs, do you Shao Daxia know?" "Which words?" "Articles from the Imperial Academy, swords and guns from the arsenal, tea soup from Guanglu Temple, and prescriptions from the Imperial Hospital. What do you think these four sentences mean?" "Speaking." "It means that their names do not match the reality. The most stinky articles in the world are written in the Hanlin Academy. Although the prescriptions of the Taiyuan Hospital can't kill people, they can't cure them either. Let's see that Li Tiezui's word test library is similar to the Hanlin Academy. Hospitals and so on are all the way." "Uncle Guo's words are wrong, Li Tiezui does have some skills." "yes?" Seeing that Li Gao was still skeptical, Shao Daxia recounted in detail the situation when he asked Li Tiezui to test the word "Shao" when he went to the character testing hall. Li Gao listened and said doubtfully: "Since that's the case, let's bend our legs first and go to the character testing hall to meet Li Tiezui, whom you have boasted so amazingly." After finishing speaking, the two went downstairs and boarded the sedan chair, and they arrived in front of Li Tiezui's word testing hall in a short while.It was dusk, and there was no one in the hall, so the servant invited them into the hall to sit down.Shao Daxia inspected the furnishings in the hall, and there was not much change from two years ago.An antique frame, a few pots of fresh flowers, and the middle hall painting of Cangjie, the god of calligraphy on the front wall, are still spotless.Li Gao didn't look at these things, he just crossed his legs and looked at the passers-by on the street absently.At this moment, the servant invited out Li Tiezui.After seeing each other for two times, Li Tiezui no longer knew Shao Daxia. He sized up the two visitors and asked: "You two guest officers, why did you come to test the word so late?" "It's not just for word testing," Li Gao glanced at Shao Daxia, and hurriedly replied, "We went shopping, so we wandered here by the way." "Oh," Li Tiezui pushed the pen over and said, "Please write." "You write first." Li Gao gave way to Shao Daxia. "You should write it." Shao Daxia pushed the pen and paper to Li Gao again. Li Gao thought for a while, and thought that Shao Daxia was in the cloth and silk business, so he picked up a pen and wrote the word "silk" on the paper. Li Tiezui took the word "silk" over for a closer look, then looked at Li Gao carefully, coughed and said: "This guest officer must be very human." "How do you know?" Li Gao asked. "Silk characters are the emperor's head and feet. If what I say is correct, you are from the emperor's family." Li Gao's body was shocked, and the expression of surprise was already on his face.Li Tiezui continued: "The word silk is connected with cloth, cloth is cloth, cloth is the mother of silk, silk is the source of cloth, silk is connected with money, and money is used to change cloth. This guest official, there is a Pile cloth transaction." "Can it be done?" Li Gao asked eagerly. Li Tiezui smiled treacherously: "The emperor's family members, there is nothing they can't do." Shao Daxia saw that Li Gao still wanted to ask each other, afraid that he would reveal his identity by talking too much, so he took the conversation and said: "Bo is the emperor's head and feet. What the old man said is very true. I won't write it anymore. I will just report the word 'Nai'." "Yes," Li Tiezui thought for a while, and smiled, "You guest officer, with all due respect, you will never be destined for fame in your life." "yes?" "Naijiao is the word 'and', but you are short of this stroke, so you will not be able to rank in your life." "You've guessed the fuck right," Li Gao yelled in a foul language, "Our old man is still a white-clothed scholar, he doesn't care about that bird's fame. Well, let's make another guess. " "What word?" "spring." "Spring?" Li Tiezui rolled his eyeballs, stared at Li Gao and asked, "Why did the guest officer report this word?" "To be honest," Li Gao replied with winking eyebrows, "we will leave your place later, and we will go to find spring." “五陵少年，轻裘肥马，寻春无可厚非，”李铁嘴话锋一转，一脸峻肃地说，“但是你这春字儿，可有些不吉利啊!” “什么不吉利?”李高紧张起来。 “秦头太重，压日无光。” “这是什么意思?” “点到为止，老夫就此收口了。” 邵大侠已明白了话中的玄机，忙掏了五两一锭银子放在桌上，拉了李高出来。李高仍没明白到不吉利在哪里，便缠着邵大侠问： “李铁嘴的话是啥意思?” 邵大侠想了想，小声回道：“秦头指的是秦政，即秦始皇暴政也。如今给子粒田征税，减少江南织造局用银等等，不是秦政又是什么?这秦头一压，肯定就压日无光，日是什么，日是皇上，如今的皇上，让秦政压着了。” 听邵大侠一番解释，李高豁然而悟，脱口说道：“咱明白了，当今之世，张居正权大欺主，咱外甥万历皇帝受制于他。” 李高口无遮拦，邵大侠怕他寻衅生事，又改口道：“李铁嘴信口雌黄，不可全信。” “这老家伙有两下子，赶明儿，让咱老爷子也来测一回。”李高蹙着眉头，咕哝道，“真不知道咱姐吃了什么迷魂药，竟那么相信张居正。” 邵大侠不接腔，只笑着问：“咱们现在是不是去崇文门外?” “干啥?” “找那家零碎嫁哇。” “啊，看看，咱差点忘了。”李高一拍脑门子，又恢复了嬉皮笑脸的劲头儿，他朝轿夫一挥手，令道，“起轿，到崇文门里福马巷。”