The days when I ransacked the house in Jinyiwei

Chapter 360 Three criteria for taking concubines: Illiterate and older than thirty, uglier than a dog

Liu Xiaoyan is going to take a concubine for Chang Feng.

In the Ming Dynasty, there were two major taboos for officials taking concubines. One is to take prostitutes as concubines, and the other is to take officials' daughters as concubines.

But no one cares about these two taboos anymore. It is common for officials to take prostitutes as concubines. In order to curry favor with their superiors, it is common for officials to give their daughters to their superiors as concubines.

You Jingwu returned to the capital from the military camp in the suburbs during his break, and got drunk with some of his old friends who had been friends in Jinyiwei. The news that Chang Feng was preparing to take a concubine was accidentally spread.

It’s exciting now!

This evening. Chang Feng is reading Wang Shouren's "Traveler's Essay" in the study.

"Traveler's Wen" tells the story of Wang Shouren who witnessed the death of a passing official, his son, and servants due to miasma while he was in Longchang Station. Wang Shouren dug three pits at the foot of the mountain and buried them. A story about being offered a chicken and three bowls of rice, while sighing and crying.

The whole text is written in Zhuji, which not only mourns the deceased, but also expresses Wang Shouren's misery after being demoted to a foreign land. The words are sad and sincere, and very affectionate and tactful.

Good articles can always make good readers cry, and this has been the case throughout the ages.

Changfeng read this article with tears in his eyes.

As the butcher grew older, he cried more and more.

At this time Wang Shouren came to visit, and he went straight into the study without asking.

Wang Shouren has always treated Chang Mansion as his own home, allowing him to come and go at will. No wonder the scandal between him and Chang Tian was spread vividly by officials. Even the postures used by the two when they met were vividly described by officials.

Chang Feng stood up and said, "Brother Shou, you are a rare visitor! Ever since you returned to Beijing and became a civil service official, you have been very busy. I invited you to have a drink three times and I didn't even have time."

Wang Shouren smiled bitterly: "If a corrupt official takes the position of Examination of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, it will be one of the four fattest jobs in the capital. But it is the hardest job in the capital for me. I am responsible for the evaluation of thousands of officials in the entire Ming Dynasty, so I will naturally be busy. My feet no longer touch the ground."

Chang Feng raised the "Traveler's Wen" in his hand and said, "I'm reading your "Traveler's Wen" from you. This incident must have happened more than a month after I left Longchang."

Wang Shouren nodded: "Yes. That old official is really pitiful. I was sad for a while, so I wrote this article to commemorate him."

Chang Feng said: "Let's get back to the topic. You are a busy man and don't go to the Three Treasures Hall for anything. Tell me, what do you want from me?"

Wang Shouren replied: "Private matters."

Chang Feng asked: "What private matter? Don't ask me to find out who spread the rumor about you and Tangtang. This rumor has long been spread all over the official circles. If I investigate, I will probably arrest more than half of the officials in the capital."

Wang Shouren shook his head slightly: "No. I have a man of the same age named Wang Anhui. He is now a doctor in the Qing Li Department of Beizhili, Hubu. He has a sister who is 28 years old. He wants me to be a matchmaker and bring his sister to I promise to be your concubine."

Chang Feng was surprised: "How did he know that I wanted to take a concubine?"

Wang Shouren smiled and said: "The news that Chang Shuai, the Jin Yiwei, wants to take a concubine has spread throughout the official circles of the capital. Just watch, the matchmakers will cross the threshold of your house these days."

Chang Feng ridiculed Wang Shouren: "Brother Shouren, why is he also a pimp?"

Wang Shouren said: "There is no way. I am in charge of the Beizhili Qingli Department of the Ministry of Household Affairs in the same year. The Beizhili Department is in charge of the daily expenses of all civil servants in Beijing."

"I just took up my post at the Merit Examination Department. If I offend Beizhisi as soon as I come here, Beizhisi will block the funds of our Merit Examination Department and refuse to release us. How can I still do anything?"

"If you want to do things, you have to deal with worldly affairs. This has been the case in officialdom for thousands of years."

"Anyway, I've got what I said. Whether you refuse or not is up to you. I know that 90% of the time you will refuse. Because you look down on people like this."

Chang Feng smiled and said: "Brother Shou Ren understands me. I will never accept a woman from an official family. Firstly, it goes against the rules, and secondly, you are right. I look down on those who climb high and become nobles, and cling to grass and trees." Disciple."

The two chatted for a while. The servant informed: "Sir, Lin Kewang, the commander of Zhenwei Battalion, would like to see you."

Wang Shouren smiled and said, "I'm probably here to give you a concubine."

Chang Feng waved his hand: "Tell Commander Lin that I have gone to bed. If he has official business, let him go to Jinyi Guard to find me tomorrow. If he has personal business, I have no personal relationship with him."

The servant reminded: "Sir, Commander Lin is here to ask for an audience with the name card of Eunuch Zhang, the Supervisor of Ceremonies."

The famous post has two major functions. A business card similar to that of later generations. The second is similar to a letter of introduction from later generations. With Zhang Yong's face, Chang Feng would not be able to give up to Lin Kewang.

Chang Feng said helplessly: "Okay. Let him come to see me."

Wang Shouren smiled and said, "I'm not here to watch the officials vying to give you concubines. I'll say goodbye first."

Chang Feng said: "Okay. We are brothers, so I won't send you off. There is only one street between the Ministry of Personnel and Jinyiwei. Come to Jinyiwei to meet me for tea when you have time."

Wang Shouren left the study. Not long after, the servants led Lin Kewang to Chang Feng.

Lin Kewang bowed his head and said, "I will finally pay my respects to Mr. Chang Shuai!"

Chang Feng said politely: "Commander Lin, please get up quickly."

Lin Kewang stood up. Chang Feng asked: "Why did you come to Hanshe?"

Lin Kewang replied: "Reply to the handsome man. I heard that the handsome man is choosing a concubine. The last general's sister is fourteen years old and has a beautiful body. She is proficient in female celebrities and can compose obscene poems. It is simply that she can go up to the hall and down. Gotta have the kitchen.”

"The most important thing is that she and Mr. Chang Shuai are quite suitable in age."

Chang Feng frowned: "I am forty-six and she is fourteen. I am more than enough to be her grandfather. Where is the age match?"

Lin Kewang said: "I asked a fortune teller to calculate the marriage. If a forty-six-year-old husband marries a fourteen-year-old concubine, it will be a lucky marriage! If Mr. Chang doesn't mind his sister-in-law and accepts her as a concubine, There must be two in one year and four in two years. They are all twin boys!"

Chang Feng couldn't laugh or cry: "Two are born in one year, and four are born in two years. I want to have children with my sister for ten or eight years, why don't we give birth to two little flag teams?"

Lin Keyang smiled flatteringly: "Master Chang is really funny."

Chang Feng remained silent. Lin Kewang thought Chang Feng had been taken to court. He quickly took out a 20,000 tael silver note from his sleeve: "This is the dowry money prepared by the general for my sister-in-law."

Chang Feng immediately refused: "You should take the banknote back. You don't know something. My wife is a jealous tigress. I am a henpecked rake."

"I remember Commander Lin is originally from Sichuan? You should know what raking ears means, right?"

"My wife has spoken. This time, only old and ugly concubines are allowed. They must be at least thirty years old and uglier than a dog. It is best not to be illiterate. It is a virtue for a woman to be untalented."

"Commander Lin's sister is only fourteen, and she is a beauty. She can also compose obscene poems. If I take her in, my tigress won't be able to cut off my private parts and send me to the palace as a eunuch?"

"I appreciate your kindness. But my sister, I really don't dare accept it."

For the sake of words, Lin Kewang knew that this matter was no good. But he hasn't given up yet: "I can help Chang Shuai find a woman in her thirties who is ugly and illiterate."

"The general has admired Mr. Chang Shuai for a long time and has long wanted to do some hard work for you."

Chang Feng said: "Forget it. I'd better find my own concubine. I appreciate your kindness."

After speaking, Chang Feng picked up the tea bowl to see off the guests.

Lin Kewang had no choice but to say, "General, I'll take my leave now. If Master Chang has anything to ask the general to do, he just needs to send someone to say hello."

Chang Feng nodded: "I appreciate your kindness. Come on, see the guests off!"

Just as Lin Kewang left, a servant came back to report: "Sir, the right deputy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Imperial Censor Gao Xiang, would like to see you."

Chang Feng frowned: "If you don't see me, just say I'm asleep."

But the servant said: "Sir, Mr. Gao came to pay his respects this time, and he brought Xiao Jing and Mr. Xiao's name card."

Xiao Jing is a veteran in the palace. When I was the Chief of Ceremony, I had a good relationship with Chang Feng. Mr. Xiao's inner prime minister's face is often given to him.

Chang Feng said: "Okay, bring Gao Xiang to the study."

The civil servants of the Ming Dynasty have always flaunted benevolence, justice and morality, and on the surface they disdained being associated with the emperor's slaves and guards.

Not long after, Gao Xiang, who was in his fifties, came to Chang Feng.

Chang Feng said: "Gao Qianyuan, I have admired you for a long time. We had no personal relationship before."

"I remember that in the first year of Zhengde's reign, you read a book about me and said that I was bloodthirsty and cruel and unworthy of being in charge of a royal guard. Why did you come to my house tonight?"

Gao Xiang knelt down to Chang Feng. "Bang bang bang" he kowtowed three times in a row, and then began to cry bitterly: "Ooooooo! Ouch! Ouch! I'm sorry for Mr. Chang Shuai!"

Chang Feng's scalp was numbed by the crying of Gao Xiang, an old man. He quickly said: "Gao Qianyuan, what are you doing? Stop crying."

Gao Xiang snorted heavily and said, "Master Chang, you must listen to my explanation. We had a misunderstanding back then."

Chang Feng asked: "Oh? I would like to hear the details."

Gao Xiang said: "At the beginning of Zhengde, the treacherous ministers Liu Jian and Xie Qian came to power. They forced me to write that memorial, slandering you, the loyal and brave Master Chang!"

"If I didn't write that memorial, they would send me to the army. I was forced to do something that was sorry to Master Chang."

"When the memorial was delivered to the General Affairs Department, I was so sorry that my intestines turned green! That night I slapped myself two hundred times on the front and back. My face was swollen!"

Chang Feng cursed in his heart: After all, Liu Jian and Xie Qian are far away in Henan and Zhejiang, and a phoenix without its feathers is not as good as a chicken. Weren’t you allowed to arrange what happened six years ago?

As for slapping two hundred big-eared scrapers, only a ghost would believe it. What a silver-tongued snob.

Although he cursed in his heart, he still wanted to save some face for Gao Xiang. After all, what he was holding was Xiao Jing's famous post. Besides, official contacts should not make the relationship tense. No matter how much I feel bad in my heart, I still smile on the outside.

Chang Feng smiled and said: "It's all a matter of the past. I've turned over the story a long time ago. Now Gao Qianyuan and I work for the emperor together. We should put aside our past grudges and work together in the same boat."

Gao Xiang gave a thumbs up: "Master Chang Shuai is really a rich man. It's like the governor's belly can support a boat! I am extremely ashamed of you!"

Chang Feng said: "Forget it, you'd better talk about business. What's the reason for coming here tonight?"

Gao Xiang said: "I heard that Mr. Chang Shuai wants to take a concubine. I have a daughter, she is only 28 years old. Although she is not born with a beautiful face, she is very beautiful. I have taught her the Women's Sutra since she was young. She has kept the three obediences and the four virtues in her heart. It’s perfect for her to be Master Chang’s concubine!”

Chang Feng randomly found an excuse: "You said that my daughter-in-law is only 28 years old? Is she born in the year of Dog? The fortune teller said that people born in the year of Dog will defeat me. Once I sleep with someone born in the year of Dog, I will be shamelessly criticized. If an official is impeached, he will be imprisoned and his life will be at risk."

"I would like to take my wife as my concubine. But I'm more afraid of losing my head. Let's drop this matter."

Gao Xiang, a shameless civil servant, reacted quickly. He immediately slapped his head: "Ahem! I'm so confused! My daughter is a pig. I forgot."

Chang Feng laughed and said: "That's even worse. The fortune teller also said that people born in the year of Pig and I are also incompatible. If I sleep in the same bed with a person born in the year of Pig, I will die of yang-dying disease. Ah, it is commonly known as Immediately wind."

"I appreciate Gao Qianyuan's kindness. It's a pity that we don't have the chance to be the father-in-law in this life!"

Gao Xiang said quickly: "I also have a cousin who is a rat. She is not married yet."

Chang Feng had a big head: "The fortune teller also said it. Forget Gao Qianyuan, let's not say anything secretly in front of the public. I will never violate the system set by Taizu and take a woman from an official's family as my wife. .”

Gao Xiang hurriedly said: "This is the rule of the year. No one has cared about it for a long time. What a big deal is Mr. Chang Shuai choosing a concubine? Why bother to stick to small details?"

Chang Feng smiled and said: "But I'm afraid!"

Gao Xiang asked: "What are you afraid of?"

Chang Feng replied: "I'm afraid that I will meet another censor who is critical and picky. Use this matter as an excuse and go to the emperor to impeach me."

Gao Xiang was extremely embarrassed: "This, this."

Chang Feng finally became impatient and picked up the tea bowl to see off the guests.

Gao Xiang had no choice but to say, "Then I'll take my leave first."

Chang Feng said: "I won't send it away."

In just one night, six groups of matchmakers came to the Chang Mansion. At best, it's a matchmaker, and at worst, it's a pimp. Changfeng never gets tired of it.

Meanwhile, the Leopard Room.

Jiang Bin brought a sixteen-year-old girl to Emperor Zhengde.

Jiang Bin held up his hands: "Father, this is the girl Biyun that I mentioned before."

Emperor Zhengde took a closer look. I saw that Biyun looked pure and lovely, with a pair of big watery eyes that seemed to capture people's soul. That strip, that waist, tsk tsk. She is simply curvy and curvy, with protruding legs and long legs that are so beautiful.

Emperor Zhengde said: "Turn around."

Biyun obeyed the order and turned around.

Emperor Zhengde asked her to turn around not to see if her buttocks were straight, but to test her. Emperor Zhengde asked: "Tell me. What are the things on my desk?"

Biyun replied: "Back to your Majesty, there is a copper basket on the dragon table, pen, ink, paper and inkstone, memorials, a tea cup, and a seal box."

Biyun said eleven things in a row. Not bad at all.

Emperor Zhengde asked again: "How many stacks of memorials are there? What shape is the tea cup?"

Biyun replied: "There are three piles of memorials in total. The tea cup is a blue and white bowl with lotus pattern made in the Xuande year."

Emperor Zhengde nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, turn around."

Jiang Bin said from the side: "Father, I selected Biyun from hundreds of women according to what you said. She has a photographic memory, and what's even more rare is that she is very smart and good at Be adaptable.”

"It's perfect for her to be Master Chang's concubine!"

Jiang Bin is not choosing a woman for Emperor Zhengde tonight, but for Chang Feng.

The news of Chang Feng taking concubines spread throughout the officialdom of the capital. Naturally, he could not escape the eyes and ears of Emperor Zhengde.

Emperor Zhengde planned to give him a concubine, and put an ear, an eye, and a nail beside him.

Emperor Zhengde asked Biyun: "What should I do after I go to the Chang family? Jiang Bin has told you everything, right?"

Biyun replied: "I have already explained everything to you, Your Majesty."

Emperor Zhengde said: "Well. From now on, you must serve my uncle well and keep an eye on him for me! That's all, you can go down."

After Biyun left, Emperor Zhengde said to himself: "What a flower-like woman."

Jiang Bin smiled and said: "Father, may I help you call her back and sleep with you tonight?"

Emperor Zhengde cursed: "Fart! What, you want me to be brother-in-law with Chang Feng? In the future, I will let Xiao Qingyun go fishing with me in Xiyuan. How can we talk about this seniority?"

"Okay, hurry up and go to the Supervisor of Ceremonies! Wei Bin is on duty there. Tell Wei Bin and ask him to deliver my concubine order tomorrow!"

(End of this chapter)