Emperor Yongzheng

Chapter 15 Qing Treasury Silver Baylor Jin Throne View Noble Minister Prince Yan Yaoren
With Yinxiang's entry into the household department and the start of cleaning up the deficit bank balance, the atmosphere in the capital's officialdom became tense again.Due to lack of manpower, Yinxiang personally called forty five post chiefs from the garrison outside the mouth, all of whom were recruited during his own military training.In addition, Tian Wenjing and Li Fu were selected from the tribute students in Qiuwei, and Shi Shilun was asked to gather the original staff of the household department to form the general accounting room for verification.In addition to inspecting the accounting offices at Yin, Chen, and Si hours every day, there are also meetings to summarize from time to time, summoning officials in debt, urging the issuance of documents, and drafting memorials.From morning to night, there is a huge household department, but hearing the abacus beat like heavy rain, it drove all the debtor officials to their wits.

Seeing that August [-]th was approaching, seventy-eight percent of the accounts had been collected, and I heard that Wu Dan, the governor of Guangdong, had also arrived.This person is a big debtor, but he belongs to the same category as Wei Dongting, Cao Yin, and Mu Zixu. They are all the founders of the Xi Dynasty. They served as guards from the early years of Kangxi, and repeatedly raised the sky to protect them. Come to death with the emperor.Although he is no more than a high-ranking official in terms of status, no one can compare to him in terms of affection.Kangxi treated people well, his elder brother was not as good as his relatives, and his relatives were not as good as his ministers. The more relatives he had, the more merciless they were. However, these few people were generous and unconstrained in their favors. They rode swords and shoes to the Forbidden City and rode horses. Unlike ordinary officials who could come at a moment's notice and wave their hands. Go immediately.The last Qing Dynasty stopped in the middle, and it was said that a dozen state officials had hanged themselves to resist debts. But honestly speaking, it was because Wu Dan, Cao Yin and others owed a large amount of debt, and they were all for Emperor Kangxi. All previous southern tours were financed with debts.If you don't clear them, the money is spent by the emperor; if you don't clear them, a group of military attachés who are in debt have made up their minds, but they are following their lead.Now we are at this juncture again. Wei Dongting and Mu Zixu claimed to be ill. The emperor has already given permission not to come to Beijing. Wudan Cao Yin is here. If he doesn't come, this matter will still be in trouble.Knowing this, Yinxiang couldn't help but murmur in his heart. He called Shi Shilun and told him a few words. He just said to go back home, so he went to Changchun Garden to find Yin.Just as he arrived at the double gate at the entrance of the garden, he saw Nian Gengyao swaying out from inside. He was wearing a brand-new nine-python five-claw robe with golden pheasant patches on it. The top of his head was also replaced with floral coral, which looked very bright. .Yinxiang couldn't help laughing and said: "Hey! Have you been promoted? When did you come back to Beijing?"

"Back to Lord Thirteen," Nian Gengyao saluted Qian'er, and said with a smile, "I've been back for three days, and I just met Lord Long Live. Lord Long Live said that the errand in Tongcheng was done well, so he revealed it to the Crown Prince and Fourth Master." Face. Because of the vacancy of the admiral in Sichuan, I made up for it. This time when I leave Beijing, it will not be so convenient to see Lord Shisan again.” Yinxiang looked back at Gou’er Kan’er and smiled: “See? This is your role model! Good life, follow the fourth master, with your cleverness, you can also get a red-capped Dai Dai in the future! Dai Duo resigned the day before yesterday, went to Zhangzhou, Fujian, and set up a Taoist platform. I also taught Gao Fuer not to just serve tea and water. Work hard. If you want to stand out and become a master, you must be able to share the worries of the master. If the master is a dragon, you are the cloud. If the master is a tiger, you must be able to blow the wind!" Gouer Kaner half understood, a tiger Ling squinted at Nian Gengyao, who was imposing, and Kaner squinted his eyes and said with a smile: "What's so good about being in the early stage? You can't become a king if you are in the early stage—" He suddenly thought that he was referring to Nian Gengyao, and kept the word "eight" in his stomach inside.

Seeing that he was so disrespectful, Nian Gengyao glanced at Kaner slightly, and said with a smile: "Master Shisan, it's a coincidence that you came, the crown prince and Master Wang are talking with Wansui at Danningju and the old military gate of Wudan. The fourth master went back to the mansion at Chenshi. If you see the prince, you have to wait for a while, and I want to see the fourth master, and I also want to say goodbye; let's go together?" Yinxiang thought of the prince's weakness every time he met He shook his head and said, "Let's go to Andingmen Sibeile Mansion together." Nian Gengyao moved closer to Yinxiang, looked around, and said in a low voice, "Master Shisan doesn't know yet, right? I just now According to He Zhu'er's letter, Da Qiansui was granted the title of Prince Zhi, the third master was named King of Cheng County, the fourth master was named King of Yong County, the fifth master was named King of Heng County, the seventh master was named King of Chun County, and the eighth master was named King of Lian County. Even Lord Thirteen has been promoted, and now he is Lord Baylor!"

"Really?" Yinxiang said with one foot on the sedan chair, his eyes flickered, "it's a pity that Brother Six went early and missed. Where are Master Nine and Master Ten?" "The servant also asked He Zhuer. , He said he didn’t know.” Nian Gengyao said, “Probably not sealed—the inner court is already drafting an order for this matter, and it will take a few days to promulgate it! Congratulations to the Thirteenth Master, and the Eleventh and Twelfth Lords There is no promotion!" Yinxiang turned his eyes and thought for a while, and said: "I am not so crazy, why do I have things outside my body?" After saying that, he raised the sedan chair and got on the bar.

Yin listened to Yin Xiang's return and Nian Gengyao's congratulations in Wanfu Hall, and seemed a little indifferent.It was a happy event to enter the throne, but it happened to be the eighth prince Yin, so it cannot be said that there are no articles here.Wu Sidao has already analyzed this matter. If the emperor insists on trusting the prince, he will keep the throne of his brothers until his death, and the prince will personally seal it when he ascends to the throne.Now the enfeoffment is done by the emperor himself to win over the elder brother's heart and deprive the prince of his power. After weighing the pros and cons, it would be better not to be promoted to the throne at all.After being silent for a long time, Yin Fang said: "It is a gratifying thing that Liang Gong has been promoted to the admiral of Sichuan. Gou'er Kan'er, come in."

"Fourth Master, the servants are waiting for you!" Kan'er, the dog, was playing with the parrot on the corridor. He came in and said with a smile, "Master, what's your mission?" Yin looked at them and took a breath and said, "You two are very smart. , I like this one very much. But as you get older, you should be sensible and stop being childish and mischievous all the time. The most promising among my slaves is Nian Gengyao, who is good at reading and can lead troops. He is very helpful to me. You have to learn how to show your face. You can't always let the master wipe your butt when something happens."

Thinking of what he said just now, Yinxiang couldn't help laughing. Just as he was about to speak, the dog laughed and said, "Yes, we and the master can't mess around. If the egg seller hit the beggar old man last time, we wouldn't play tricks on him... ..."

"I'm not talking about this." Yin snorted, "You actually sold Master Ba's screen wall, but do you have any?"

Both Yinxiang and Nian Gengyao were taken aback.Although Yinxiang brought them to the Ministry, he didn't take them very seriously. He let them go out to play for an hour or two every day, not wanting to do anything again.Yinxiang said: "Two puppies, why didn't I know about this?" "This happened five days ago." The dog glanced at Kan'er and said, "Kan'er and I went to Xuanwumen to play. A rich man was building a house, and there was a shortage of bricks on the construction site. The old dog was so thrifty that he thought the bricks he bought were too expensive, so he had to deduct his wages to make up for it. Kaner and I saw that the bricks that the bricklayers ate were like dog food. Out of breath, I went over and said: "The screen wall in front of Baye's mansion needs to be replaced with a new one, the old bricks are cheap, how good is it for you?""

"The one surnamed Qian still didn't believe it, so he stared and asked where we were from. We said...we said we were Ba Ye's companions...he followed us to Chaoyangmen. He measured the wall and sold the wall..."

Yinxiang listened and thought about it, and said with a smile: "The gate control in front of Baye's mansion is so strict, will you be allowed to use a tape measure to measure the wall?" Kan'er said: "This is a pre-made set, let's go to Baye first. We have agreed with the gatekeeper that we belong to the third master’s mansion. The third master saw that the wall of the eighth master was in good shape, and wanted to build it according to the size. Why should they not follow it?... The master of the Qian family looked at us from afar Measure the wall. Later, Ba Ye just went out, and we went up to report in person. Ba Ye smiled and nodded, got into the sedan chair and left. Old Guisun couldn't believe it. At that time, he ordered 20 taels of silver and agreed to demolish the wall the next day. He left." Yinxiang laughed so hard that he fell down, and asked: "...the next day, did he really go to tear down the screen wall of mynah?" Kan'er shook his head and said, "On the second day, you ordered us to go to the infantry to command the yamen. , I don’t have time to watch the excitement... I don’t know if he’s gone or not.”

"How would I know if he doesn't go?" Yin frowned and sighed, "Third brother told me as a joke, I guessed it was you, no one else has the guts!... This is the capital, under the royal chariot, the king How can this happen to French civilization?" He stood up with a sullen face and said, "Do you remember what I said when I took you in? This is the end of it! If you follow my house, you must follow my ink rope; if you follow Thirteen Master, you must obey Master Thirteen’s orders in everything. Control your wildness—go!”

The dogs Kan'er stuck out their tongues and looked at each other, then Nuonuo retreated.Yin then said: "I met Wu Dan yesterday and asked him privately. He, Wei Dongting, Cao Yin, and Mu Zixu owed a total of nearly 400 million taels of silver. The silver was indeed the result of Long Live Lord's several southern tours. I told him that the country has a system for pick-up and greetings, and officials’ money should be used. Now I owe a private debt for this matter, and I am very worried about the old general. Wu Dan didn’t have anything to do with it. He only said that he would pay back the money. Even if the other three people exchanged letters, none of them could not repay their debts. But I know their family backgrounds, and it would be difficult to repay them even if they were selling things. So I guess Long live the Lord must use his own money to repay them. ." Nian Gengyao said with a smile: "In that case, why bother making things difficult for Thirteenth Master and Lao Shi? Wouldn't it be settled if we settled the account earlier?"

"Long Live Lord is also a hard book." Yinxiang stretched his eight-character eyebrows, and laughed loudly, "The construction of the Changchun Garden, the Summer Resort, and the inner treasury are also spent. Now it is not forced to the end of the mountain, his old man It's hard to give up good money. Besides, the rest of the debtors are watching, and he doesn't want to have a reputation of relatives. I'm actually forcing the old man to pay the debt now!"

Yin looked Yin Xiang up and down and said, "Those words are clear. In fact, I am asking for money from Ouchi Banzai's private treasury!" His eyes seemed to be frozen as he stared out the window. No one could guess what was going on in this mysterious mind. What is it.After a long time, Yinfang said word by word: "Long Live must have made a promise to Wu Dan and the others privately. Therefore, as long as the debt settlement matter continues to be painful for a while, everything will disappear. We are doing the way of ministers. As ministers, we should do our best. For the sake of the country, you must take back every penny of the money from the treasury; for the sake of your son, you must think of your father, and you must not exhaust your family so much that it will be hard for the emperor to award rewards to the ministers..."

Nian Gengyao opened his mouth wide and was a little confused for a moment. He always thought that the emperor could spend money however he wanted.Yinxiang murmured: "...Then, what should I do?" Yinyi sighed and said: "The prince also doesn't understand this reason. He went to Dan Ningju several times and wanted to touch Amma's real estate. Long live the Lord. It’s all the kings who talk about him. Mr. Wu and I are arguing that we should try our best to squeeze out these Qiu Ba before August [-]th. Except for Wu and Wei, the others are not really poor. They are really crowded. Well, after August [-]th, the Emperor may be able to speak."

"Sure!" Yinxiang came to Yin to get this idea. He slapped the armrest of the chair up and was about to walk away, but Yin stopped him: "What are you busy with? Once the debt is understood, it is no longer a big deal. Come on. Gengyao, tell me about the situation of meeting Long Live, and ask the Thirteenth Master to listen too."

Nian Gengyao seemed a little surprised, he was taken aback for a moment, and said: "Long Live Lord didn't say much, only Wu Dan was there at that time, and Long Live asked me that when I was a guerrilla in the Feiyang Ancient Army, I went to Shaanxi to adjust grain and kill the governor of Shaanxi The situation of Ge Li. I prepared a detailed account of asking the Son of Heaven to kill Ge Li. The old man listened very carefully, and sometimes nodded at Wu Dan... Later, Long Live said that Tongcheng's errands were done well, and he shared the country's worries. It is not in vain for your master to cultivate. He also said that Wu Laojun has devoted his whole life to the country. He is a monarch and minister in his name. In fact, he never treats these people as slaves. He is going to transfer Wudan back to Beijing to serve as the governor of Zhili. Now The servant of the Jin Dynasty has become an admiral, and a one-foot-wide stream can be jumped across, so I have to learn from Wu Dan to do things faithfully..."

"What happened next?" Yin looked at Yin Xiang who was listening absentmindedly and asked. "Then the prince came, and Long Live called the slaves out." Nian Gengyao said, "Just when I came out, I met Fan Shijie, who was going to the eighth master's house to say goodbye. He said that the eighth master had invited an old Taoist named Zhang Deming, who was the best at reading faces. I asked my servant to go too, but he didn’t agree. I met the Thirteenth Master again, so I came with him.”

Yin thought of Fan Shijie and couldn't help but smile, but it only passed by for a moment, and then said: "You will be on the road tomorrow. I will give you a few words, you must remember them." Nian Gengyao stood up quickly and stood with his hands down, and said: "Master, please give me instructions." "You are still sitting and listening. Although you are my servant, we are still relatives." Yin suddenly became extremely easy-going and approachable. He waved his hand with a smile on his face and said, "You, the admiral, are the royal family. Yes, after you go there, you must do your errands conscientiously, lead good troops, and win face for the court, which will also earn face for your fourth master. This is the most important thing. Secondly, do not have casual interactions with the court brother. The court has repeatedly issued decrees not to allow him. Brother, make friends with foreign ministers. If anyone comes to you or says anything, you must report it truthfully and let me know. Third, if you don’t obey the order or my words, you don’t have to go back to Beijing again and again. Beijing is a place of right and wrong. , it is a troubled time. Your status is dazzling. There is no benefit in coming back. Your sisters are Fujin and Niu Hulu in the house, and I will take care of them. You can rest assured, bring your family members to your post, and work hard. . Hello, we are naturally good. With me, you are naturally good. Honor, disgrace, profit and loss are all the same thing - do you understand what I am saying?"

"Cha!" Nian Gengyao was originally sitting with his body tilted, but he stood up and agreed with a "huh", "I understand! Fourth Master's words are only told once, and I will keep them in my heart!"

"Go." Yin nodded with satisfaction, "Go and see Fujin and say goodbye to your sister. Just give me a safe note when you take office."

Yinxiang waited for Nian Gengyao to go out and stood up. He stretched his arms and smiled and said, "What important purpose do I have for Long Live! If there is nothing else, I will go back to the headquarters. There are more than a dozen hard-headed nails there." You are waiting for me to pull it out!" Yin sighed: "Good brother, none of what Nian Gengyao said just now has nothing to do with my brother. Brothers are heroic and heroic, but they are just too careless! Think about it at night, you will all Understood……"

Nian Gengyao's news is not false at all.A large group of people gathered in the West Flower Hall of Babeile Mansion outside Chaoyang Gate, waiting for Zhang Deming, a man with extraordinary powers who is famous in Beijing.The ninth elder brother Yin and the tenth elder brother Yin had already arrived. Wang Hongxu, Aling'a, and Kuixu were sitting or standing, waiting uneasily for Ren Bo'an, who was going to invite Zhang Deming.On the surface, they all came to the mansion to congratulate Yin Rong on becoming a king, but the host, the eighth elder brother Yin, never showed up. Only the family elders shuttled back and forth with them, placing plates of delicate palace delicacies. It is neatly arranged, with lychees, longans, apples, grapes and other seasonal fruits, and it looks really bright.But no one had the intention to taste it. Some were drinking tea, and some were tasting olives. The whole room was filled with the sound of hookah, making the room full of smoke.

"Nine masters," Wang Hongxu was sitting next to Yin. He was a little anxious about waiting. He lit the fire matchmaker and asked: "It will be time to hold the lamp in a while. Why don't you come? I'm afraid this cow nose doesn't have real talent and learning, so he doesn't dare to come." ?" Before Yin could speak, Yin next to him grinned widely and said, "I never believe in these people. Last time I followed Bago to Tanzhe Temple, and I met a man who was pretending to be a ghost. A man and a woman hugged each other and kissed each other. They were surrounded by four circles. There was a huge crowd of people, saying that this pair of sluts were not serious in Foshan. The Buddha was so weirded out that he told them to stick together in public and make a fool of themselves. I picked up a fucking centipede and put it on their noses, which scared them so much that they said, "Fuck!" We separated..." After saying that, he laughed.

Yin crossed Erlang's legs, held the cup and looked at the foaming tea leaves, and said: "Such things are either true or false. I didn't believe it at first. Last time, the eldest brother said that even the third brother asked him to meet, which is strange - - What kind of Taoism does the third master have? How can you easily believe in these people? Look, what is true cannot be fake, and what is false cannot be true." Wang Hongxu was born as a Confucian scholar, and the Han Dynasty was secretive. He came to take a look just out of curiosity, and he felt sorry for Yin in his heart. However, he disapproved of this move and said with a sneer: "I want to see what this Niubi can do today! He cheated and deceived even the scholar-bureaucrats in the six departments, and he made trouble in the elder brother again! If he is playing tricks here, I will call him He can't eat and is walking around!" Elundai, the guard of Qianqing Palace who was sitting across from him with a fat and shiny face, was talking to Aling'a. When he heard Wang Hongxu say, he turned around and smiled: "Don't think that after reading a few sentences, he said Poetry can help you understand the world's affairs! Ma Rendao told me that when he met Zhang Deming, he was still a scholar, and Zhang Deming judged that he could get into the second, seventh, and seventh places. After the first ranking, he was No. 3. I was thinking about it. The person named Zhang was not very accurate. When it came to the imperial examination, the examiner noticed that his poem was wrongly raised by one line, and he was suddenly demoted to No. 17, which happened to be No. [-] among the top two! Do you think the match is accurate?"

While everyone was talking, the curtain rang, and Ren Bo'an hurriedly walked in and said, "Here you go, why don't you see the eighth master?" Yin dusted off the corner of his robe and said with a smile, "The eighth master was here when I was young. Mr. Zhang You're here, please come in." Everyone looked out and saw a white-haired old Taoist priest walking along the stone corridor with a few long guides, and everyone fell silent.Wang Hongxu looked coldly at Zhang Deming, who was about 60 years old. He had white hair and a childlike face, and was walking swiftly. He was wearing a Bagua crane cloak and a Leiyang scarf on his head. He was shaking a feather fan in his hand. He looked like a fairy, but he just smiled. Feixiao stood at the door indifferently and looked at everyone in the room.Wang Hongxu asked coldly:
"Immortal Elder isn't practicing Taoism in the mountains, what's the matter in this bustling bush?"

Zhang Deming bowed slightly, and said lightly: "Come here for preaching." Wang Hongxu smiled, and said: "A crane in the cloud, flying around to the prime minister's office! Taoists are proficient in magic, so what magical powers do they have?" Zhang Deming stared at Wang Hongxu silently for a long time, and said: "Layman, what you said just now is good. It depends on the ability of the poor Taoist. How can he deceive the capital and deceive the scholars and bureaucrats of the Six Departments! Changtou Mingshi, who has cultivated five thousand words of moral scriptures, and mastered the secluded paths in the lacquer garden, if he has no real learning, he has no choice but to walk away without food!" After speaking, everyone looked up to the sky and laughed, everyone was horrified, staring at each other dumbfounded.

"The old man really has some fucking skills!" Yin saw that Wang Hongxu's face was pale when he got off his horse, so he laughed and got up and patted Zhang Deming on the shoulder and said, "Look first, how is our fortune?" Zhang Deming looked at Yin in a blink of an eye, After pondering, he said: "You are the tenth master? Yan gnawed ape eyes and broom eyebrows square mouth. He was originally a general. Unfortunately, this pair of brains and ears is another master of Fulu. They rushed twice. They lost their murderous spirit and could not lead soldiers. The son and grandson of the ten masters, who had no great achievements in fame and career, lost a long life, and died at the age of 94, so he was a long-lived elder brother." Yin couldn't help applauding and laughing: "Okay! I am rich and powerful, and I am most afraid of short life Carpe de merle in time is also called happiness, you are scratching the itch!" After saying that, he pushed Zhang Deming: "Go, show them all!"

Zhang Deming nodded slightly, went to Aling'ah, looked at him carefully and said: "Junshan's root energy is upright, Saturn is bright, and the position can reach Taige, so don't be suspicious. In the next two years, you must pay attention to preventing diseases." Alingah He said: "This is all flattery, why is it so surprising! If you say you are sick, you should find a doctor early, and you will end up?" Zhang Deming walked forward and replied, "To avoid illness and turn it into a disaster in prison, instead The gain outweighs the loss." As he spoke, he came to Erlundai's side, looked the guard up and down, and said: "You are not greedy for women, you have no mechanical skills, you are admirable, your talents are limited, and you must rely on others to achieve success." The so-called "the flight of bluebottles is only a few weapons, but with the tail of a horse, it can reach thousands of miles!" While speaking, he turned around and laughed and said to Wang Hongxu: "The prime minister is a prime minister, and Zu Delong is thick. Except for my elder brother, everyone here is a senior Prime Minister, there is only one person. I am afraid that I will be relegated when I am too young. Although the king wants to recover, but his life is over, what can I do!"

"What about me?" Yin had been listening by the side, and when he saw Zhang Deming talking, he threw his pigtails behind his head and raised his face and asked: "I'm asking about bad luck, not good luck, please tell me." Zhang Deming smiled and said: "Jiuye gentleman The mind should be like this. According to Jiuye's five-lipped lips, phoenix eyes, silk-eye eyebrows, and ear wheels like beads, it is originally a very noble appearance. Unfortunately, the eagle nose, right cheeks, slightly broken appearance, bright hall aura hidden, heart full of murderous intentions. I'm afraid Just in case there is a little misfortune at the age of 54. For example, a stream is one foot wide and can be crossed with a single step. It is passable. If you live to be eighty, if you cannot cross it, there may be something unbearable to say." After saying this, he pondered for a while and then said: "Please invite Mr. Jiu Stretch out your left hand, Pindao, and look again."

Yin silently stretched out his hand, and Zhang Deming took a quick look and said: "This is the jade well pattern. There is no need to ask about the help of Chao Gang. This pattern is called 'Heaven Seal', but it is cut off in the middle. Is there anything about killing maids in the house? If so, That is to say, this matter hinders Yin Gong. This is the same as physiognomy - I know why Master Jiu cannot make further progress." The muscles on Yin's face twitched sharply: he did kill the maid. , not because of adultery.The summer before last, two girls had a quarrel in the kitchen, which made him unable to take a nap. When he got up, he was almost dead. He was placed next to the stable to bask in the sun, and the guard hid in the cool air, so the girl died of heat stroke.She had never paid attention to this matter. Zhang Deming made it clear. Yin couldn't help feeling regretful and sighed: "This is fate..."

Just as they were talking lively, a group of people outside, all dressed in blue clothes and hats, all dressed up in casual clothes, filed in without saying a word, and lined up in front of the big bookcase.Elundai was startled when he saw that Yin was also dressed in such a way.Kuixu stood up and said, "One of the people here is the Eighth Master, and the rest are servants of the mansion. Please ask the Immortal to observe the situation!"

Everyone immediately turned their gazes to Zhang Deming.

(End of this chapter)