The third emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Chapter 917 Dying Struggle (asking for votes at the end of the month)
The Sui Dynasty was an era when prostitution was practiced all over the world. It was not illegal for officials to have fun, and it had nothing to do with morality, but a kind of elegance and fashion.So many famous officials are also famous wanderers.It is almost impossible to seal down brothels in this era.

The only thing the imperial court can do is to register and make records, so as to avoid the tragic incident of forcing good people into prostitution as much as possible.

The Ministry of Commerce then collects taxes on a quarterly basis.

At the beginning of tax collection, there was a common incident. Various brothels thought that the tax collectors were high-ranking officials and came to engage in gray income; the owner of the brothel was not a fool. The policy of the imperial court, and the price is clearly marked. These tax officials are just minions of the imperial court. They dare not charge more money at all, so they are gone. They want to take the opportunity to relax and pay for themselves.

Brothels spread all over the counties and counties of the Sui Dynasty, but the most famous ones are Daxing and Luoyang. If Pingkangfang next to Daxing City is the red-light district of Daxing City, then Luoyang Wenroufang is comparable to it.

Colorful flags are fluttering in the square. When you shuttle downstairs, orchids in exotic costumes will warmly wave to you. When you walk past them,

The exotic atmosphere has not yet waved away, and there may be a few women from the tribe wearing "羃违" who are slowly coming, followed by two maidservants in green clothes, a hat with a brim, extending from the brim to the knee The black gauze envelops the whole person, and the thin and cool figure is graceful, looming under the black gauze, giving people a sense of infinite style.Compared with those bold and majestic orchids, this kind of ancient women's dress has a special taste.

There are also musical instrument stores, stationery stores, jewelry stores, color valet stores, wine house inns, and there are not only Sui people on the streets, but also Turkic people, Qiang people, Hu people, Sogdian people, Goguryeo maidservants, Silla maidservants, Orchids, Persians, monks, Taoists, scholars, warriors, etc., there are all kinds of things, as if the whole world has been condensed into Wenroufang.

Of course, although Wenroufang is a romantic place, not the whole place is full of brothels, Chuguan, fireworks and willow alleys.The brothels in Rouroufang are mainly concentrated in Beili, while the residents in Nanli, Dongli and Xili are still common people.

As soon as you enter the north gate of the workshop, there are three songs in the north, south and middle.Beiqu is mostly small brothels, most of which are mother-daughter relationships. Some prostitutes will raise up their daughters after they have no one's daughters. Women inherit their mother's career; most of Nanqu's well-known prostitutes are free-spirited, one prostitute and one building, and the interior of the building is decorated like a study. These women are either the daughters of criminal officials or maids from wealthy families. Performing for a living, this kind of famous society is very popular with princes and nobles, but it is difficult to get acquainted with Fangze, and the capital is also frighteningly high; the middle opera is mainly large-scale brothels, and the performances of each building are divided into three, six, and nine grades If you have money, you can have your own national beauty and heavenly fragrance for you to pick, and if you have no money, there are ordinary-looking, old-fashioned old tricks to accompany you for entertainment.In short, you will not be disappointed.

When the sun sets and there is only a sliver of twilight left in the sky, Wenroufang is different from the coldness and quietness of other places. People come and go, and the bustle officially begins.

When Zhongqu's family called Baihuaguan an Accord, more than 20 well-dressed people gathered to discuss matters.

They don't have splendid clothes, they only have two colors of black and they look clean and comfortable. Most of them are old men with white beard and hair, mixed with two or three adults and young people, but there is no fixed order for them to sit.

Perhaps these people are not officials, but the order of seating should be arranged according to age, but the fact is that a middle-aged scribe in his forties sits in the first four seats, and the sixth seat is a young and weak crown There are handsome young people, but the ones sitting on the left and right are all gray-haired old people. I really don't know what rules they sit on.

These people did not use the chairs that replaced kneeling, but took the ancient kneeling. Everyone has straight necks and straight waists, and they look extremely energetic. Obviously they have had strict training in sitting, lying, and walking, and they have long been raised. become a habit.So they all have a noble and graceful temperament in their bones.

For such people who do not walk outside all the year round, it is difficult to find a person who recognizes them all in the whole Luoyang City. If there is one person who can recognize these people, I am afraid that I will be amazed, because these unremarkable old people, adult People and young people are all members of the great noble family who were executed. Since Lu Yu, Cui Ling, Zheng Yuancong and others were slaughtered, these people who are either elders or heirs have become the heads of various clans.

The current meeting is a desperate struggle of the gentry who are like rats crossing the street.

An old man sitting at the top said slowly: "Over the years, we have been fighting wits and courage with the tyrant, trying to get back what should belong to us. But we tried our best to infiltrate a group, but we lost a group. , So far, not only has there been no results, but it has become weaker and smaller, and this time, it is even more traumatic, and all the families have suffered heavy losses, even the headquarters of our Spring and Autumn Hall has been taken away."

The old man's voice was old and hoarse, but no one dared to regard him as a dying old man. His voice was still very powerful, and his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's.

If Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui saw this old man, they would definitely be horrified, because he was Gao Xiaoji, the official secretary of the Sui Dynasty, who was the official secretary of the Sui Dynasty. He resigned from office and went back to hiding. Alive, with a childish face and white hair, at least he is eighty years old, but he doesn't look old at all. How can he look like a dying person?
Gao Xiaoji glanced left and right coldly, and emphasized his tone: "This is our chance for revival, a rare chance for revival, perhaps, it is our last chance. If you win the fight, you will see the sun; if you lose, everything will stop; if you don't fight , there will be nothing.”

He didn't say much, but everyone here should know what he meant long ago. Since this opportunity is so important, no matter who benefits more or who benefits less, everyone should go all out to fight for it. , if anyone has other intentions, that is everyone's public enemy.

The second Qing Qu old man coughed lightly, and said loudly: "I once saw fishermen catch crabs on the shore of the Bohai Sea. Crabs have eight legs and two claws. The wicker basket is not without strength, but crabs can. It can climb out. But what makes the old man strange is that when the fisherman only catches a few crabs, he has to cover them every time to prevent them from crawling out. When the number of crabs reaches the mouth of the basket, he doesn’t even cover it. At that time, the old man was still a young man who didn’t understand anything. He felt curious, so he went to ask the fisherman. The fisherman replied: “Which crab wants to climb out, other crabs will climb on it, and the last one will climb too. Can't come out'. The old man carefully looked at it for nearly a moment, and sure enough, none of them could come out."

Seeing that everyone was thinking, he continued: "I think everyone understands Gao Weng's meaning, that is, I hope everyone can really put aside their prejudices, let go of temporary gains and losses, and go all out for everyone's hope. A crab that no one can climb out of..." He chuckled a few times, and said in a Xiaosha tone: "That is the public enemy of all of us."

The old man who compared the crab is the head of the Li family in Zhaojun. After he finished speaking, he saw that everyone was silent, so he glanced at the handsome young man sitting in the sixth seat, and asked, "What do you think Zi Heng?" ?”

Ziheng's name is Li Ziheng, and he is a child of the Li family in Longxi. Because his father and ancestors did not live long, he is the orthodox eldest son and grandson of Longxi, and he became the head of the clan at a young age. .These years, because Li Yuan attached himself to the Longxi Li family, the orthodox Longxi Li family had no choice but to keep a low profile and dare not make a difference in the political arena of any of the princes, lest they be displeased by both sides. This made the Longxi Li family It just happened to avoid one struggle after another, and preserved part of the strength of the Li family in Longxi.

The Li family in Longxi has also changed their names and surnames in the past few years, and they have been doing business on the Silk Road in a regular manner, and they are not like other gentry in the officialdom. The richest family in the family, money is a kind of strength, no matter in troubled times or prosperous times, no one can live without money, so the Li family in Longxi has gradually gained strength that cannot be ignored. Zheng Fengchi, whom Yang Tong once met in the bank In fact, he is a descendant of the Li family. He himself has traveled with caravans many times, and has been to the Western Regions, Persia, Zhang Zhung and other countries. His knowledge and vision are far broader than these old people.

Whether it is resolutely withdrawing from the officialdom, avoiding one political catastrophe after another, or seeking good fortune and avoiding evil now, these are all things that happened when Li Ziheng was the head of the family.Therefore, although he is young, no one present dares to underestimate him.Li Ziheng is not a quick-witted person, and occasionally stutters when interacting with others, but he has great wisdom, as long as he thinks carefully about everything, he will definitely make a plan, so the head of the Li family in Zhaojun is so old and senior. , I couldn't help but ask for his opinion.

"The younger generation thinks it's too early to divide the crabs." Li Ziheng's eyes inadvertently revealed a hint of contempt. To be honest, he doesn't get along well with these people.

First of all, the imperial court is in the stage of severely suppressing the gentry, and the gentry is in a predicament where everyone is screaming and beating. Isn't it a chance for the imperial court to catch them all when everyone gathers together in such a grandiose manner?But of course he didn't want to, but there was nothing he could do. After all, they were all from the same circle, and the Longxi Li family couldn't be too independent. What's more, it would be good for everyone to keep warm like this, wouldn't it?

Secondly, the thinking of these people is too dangerous. Things have come to this stage, and they still have to put the few remaining children in the officialdom of the Sui Dynasty.This kind of thinking is also in line with the tradition of the Dashi clan, but today is not what it used to be. Isn't it asking for trouble to seep sand at this time?Instead of doing things in a sneaky way, it is better to close the door, respond to the policy of the imperial court, use the wealth of the family, and invite the best gentlemen to teach your children. After this stage, it is not too late to participate in the scientific examination openly.As long as one's own children are capable, they will be able to make a comeback sooner or later; as long as one's own children are capable and occupy an important position in the center, they can still recruit a group of people in a dignified way.But these people are lucky. Seeing that the imperial court’s anti-corruption efforts have been strengthened and a large number of lawless officials have been sacked, they start to covet these positions again. They plan to send their own children to participate in scientific research to seize these vacancies. The economy of the place where the children work is promoted, so that they become a dazzling existence, and use public opinion to spread their good name, so that they can enter the vision of the emperor and central officials, and finally get promoted.

These people have been hit and defeated by the court time and time again, not only lost their previous status, but also lost the good reputation they depended on for survival. With the advancement of the imperial examination step by step, everyone is worried that the competition will be stronger in the future and the opportunities will be less, so they are eager to catch the immature respite of the underprivileged, preemptive strikes, and occupying official positions. The root cause of insane penetration.

However, Li Ziheng, who has successfully competed again and again in the process of business, feels that the world has changed, and the old way is no longer feasible. He must cater to the current policy, consolidate his own strength, and bravely meet the challenges of the future. This is the kingly way.

What makes Li Ziheng even more ridiculous and sad is that before he started to participate in the scientific examination, one or two hastily "scored" and did not belong to the vacant positions under their control. Everyone has selfishness, how could it be possible to "really Let go of prejudices"?

However, he continued: "The imperial court has always been in a predicament where no one can be used. Almost every year, the students who passed the examination are appointed. The younger generation thinks that what we need to do now is to help the imperial court get rid of more people, so that there will be more There are vacancies; if our people become Jinshi, then everyone will be appointed, so there is no need to think about how to divide the crabs."

"Yeah!" Gao Xiaoji nodded approvingly: "Although Ziheng is young, his knowledge is extraordinary. That's the reason. So, everyone, don't rush to fight for benefits now. We should use our power to First remove some officials who do not conform to the principles of the court’s use, and create more vacancies. If there are more vacancies, everyone will not have to hurt their peace.”

The head of the Li family in Zhaojun responded: "The old man also thinks that Ziheng's method is very good. Everyone mobilizes their own strength, takes advantage of this opportunity to fight corruption and cooperates with the court's actions, and pulls down some lawless officials so that our People occupy these positions; now let's discuss how to do it."

. . . . . . . . .

Just as the representatives of the gentry were discussing, a group of men who took off their official uniforms and put on ordinary clothes stepped into Ruanroufang.

The person who took the lead was actually Qiao Shiwang who said that the atmosphere in the officialdom was not good. Of course, what he said was not good. have more contact with outsiders.

It seems that Qiao Shiwang came to Ruanroufang for the first time. Seeing such a lively scene, he couldn't help but praise: "This Ruanroufang is so lively."

"That's necessary, otherwise why is it called Wenroufang?" Liu Dewei, the servant of the criminal department, who has always been unsmiling, listened to Qiao Shiwang's words, with a smile that can only be understood by a man: "Brother, this is Wenroufang, the gentleness in Luoyang City. Township. I remember that in the sixth year of Daye, the old man had just passed the Jinshi examination. After reading the list of that year, all the new Jinshi were in high spirits.

Xu has been in the army for a long time, Qiao Shiwang's brain was a little knotted, and he curled his lips: "You scholars are really stupid in reading and studying. You won the Jinshi, and you didn't drink to celebrate, but ran to enjoy the flowers. But I don't know that Luoyang City Besides peonies, what other flowers do you have for me?"

Liu Dewei's old face turned into a chrysanthemum with a smile: "What a stupid cow, coming to this Ruanroufang, of course, is to appreciate the beauties"

Qiao Shiwang wondered, "There are flowers like beauty flowers?"

A censor couldn't help laughing: "A beauty is like a flower, isn't it a beauty flower?"

Only then did Qiao Shiwang come to his senses: "So that's how it is."

Liu Dewei said: "The women in the brothel here are graceful, eloquent, well-behaved, and most of them are proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry and poetry. Whether you are a young man, a literati, or a rich man, they can follow your taste and habits. , coaxing you to linger."

Qiao Shiwang understood, and said with a dry smile: "Who whores are just whores, why do you have to say something fresh and refined? I don't understand what you call beauties. Since they are brothels, then we should not go there, there is no need to spend money on them .”

"That's wrong." Liu Dewei shook his head again and again: "Young people are not flirtatious, and they always have nothing to worry about. You always have to think about everything so that your life in this world is not in vain. If you don't cherish it now, wait until a lot At my age, I don’t even have the money to come here to go crazy once.”

The officials of the three laws next to him nodded repeatedly, with a look of deep approval.

The group of them made a lot of contributions in this anti-corruption campaign. Except for Liu Dewei who stayed behind in the capital, almost everyone got promoted. Among them, Qiao Shiwang undoubtedly contributed the most. He inquired The intelligence provided powerful help for the army to wipe out many strongholds of Lu's private army such as Wanghai Town and Yingkou County. He was also praised by the emperor for pointing out the bad habits in the process of law enforcement, and he became the servant of the imperial department in one step.

As soon as the appointment was announced today, many colleagues who were close to him started booing and asked him to treat him. He also proudly agreed. After the handover, a group of people came to Ruanroufang to celebrate.

Everyone was elated, but Liu Yanke walked behind sickly, and his spirit was very depressed.Originally, he was the most popular candidate, but it is a pity that Liaodong and his party, he fell into the trap of a beauty, was teased by the girl Xu Yingying, and finally missed the opportunity.

As Liu Zhenghui joined forces with the Ministry of War in Liaodong, Qiao Shiwang also followed the vine and uncovered more than 2 private troops and countless caravans of the Lu family and "Chunqiutang" scattered all over Liaodong. Unable to stretch freely, and almost being raped by Lu Maozhi, who likes masculinity, although that bastard thing failed to escape the French Open, he was demoted by a level instead.If he hadn't worked hard in the back and turned out the case of the prefect of Shuangliao County defrauding relief, he might end up ruined and dismissed from office by now.So Liu Yanke could only watch sadly as his former deputy took advantage of the spring breeze to sit on the throne of the imperial servant. Although he was also relegated to the imperial department, he became an "honored subordinate" of Qiao Shiwang.

How could Liu Yanke be happy in such a dire situation?
At this moment, a broken gong-like voice suddenly sounded from a shop in the distance: "Little Qiao!"

Everyone turned their heads in astonishment, only to see a man rushing out of a cheap jewelry store, with a beard on his face shining under the lamp, it turned out to be Cheng Yaojin from the general system.

Cheng Yaojin is definitely a strange flower in the officialdom of the Sui Dynasty. He is very popular and plays well with everyone. Both civil and military people like this guy, especially his big mouth, which was banned by Yang Tong for three months, which made him completely Famous, almost everyone in the central government knew him, and during the punishment period, everyone teased him to talk, and when they couldn't help it, they were punished to copy books, and then they simply blocked their mouths with a piece of cloth on.Those dark days were miserable for Cheng Yaojin, but they were a great pleasure for everyone.Everyone was very happy to meet this product by accident.

"General Cheng, didn't you go back to the barracks? Why did you appear here?" Qiao Shiwang asked curiously. The decisive battle of the Sui and Tang Dynasties was imminent. As a general of the Seventh Army, Cheng Yaojin appeared here, which is really impressive. Accident.

Cheng Yaojin chuckled: "My mother is sick, I will take a few days off for Lao Cheng."

"Oh?" Qiao Shiwang asked with concern, "How is Aunt Cheng?"

"I heard that I'm going to make meritorious service, and I'll be cured soon!" Cheng Yaojin said with a happy smile, "I'll leave Luoyang the day after tomorrow."

"Oh!" Qiao Shiwang didn't dare to ask any more questions because it was a matter of military affairs. He glanced at the shop selling cheap jewelry: "Why are you buying jewelry for your wife here?"

"She won't want the jewelry here!" Cheng Yaojin scratched his head and grinned, "I'm buying toys for my daughter, and the little girl likes shiny things, so I'll buy some shiny things for her." She plays. Hey! Just like her mother."

Everyone laughed.

Cheng Yaojin asked again: "Where are you going?"

Qiao Shiwang smiled and said, "We've been busy for a while, and finally relaxed, so we came out to celebrate, do you want to come together?"

How could Cheng Yaojin let go of such an opportunity, and said with sparkling eyes, "Of course."

"That's fine! Let's go together, there are so many people." Qiao Shiwang smiled heartily.

"Wait a minute." Cheng Yaojin ran out, and coyly pulled out a horse from a low-end brothel diagonally opposite, and everyone burst into laughter.

Liu Dewei couldn't help laughing: "The soldiers are all rich people, why is General Cheng's taste so bad, even this kind of place?"

Cheng Yaojin chuckled: "When my old Cheng had no money, I would rather go to this kind of small place to have fun than steal chickens and dogs. This shows that I strictly abide by the law."

"That's good, let's go!"

"Baihuaguan has all kinds of colors and fragrances. Orchid girls, Goguryeo girls, Silla girls, Turkic girls, ugly, beautiful, fat and thin, everything you expect. Come with me." Old Cheng said with experience.

The crowd burst into laughter again, speeded up, followed Cheng Yaojin and rushed towards Zhongqu.

(End of this chapter)