Crazy at the end of the Ming Dynasty

() After seeing the guards carrying a bucket of cold water to wake Wang Mi up, and watching Wang Mi crawl away, Wu Shigong turned and returned to the lobby of the garrison yamen.In the lobby, Deng Qifan, who was listening to Wu Shigong and Wang Mi's conversation behind the screen, had already stepped out of the screen and came to the lobby.

Seeing Wu Shigong return to the lobby, Deng Qifan cupped his hands and said admonishingly: "My lord, although the words and deeds of the shopkeeper Wang are innocent today, my lord, your behavior is too reckless."

Wu Shigong shook his head and said: "There is no room for me to reconcile with Qi's family. No matter how I do it, the result will be the same. Now I have a salt farm and a place to sell salt, but it is because of Qi's obstruction that this official There is no such thing as a golden mountain. Before talking today, I was thinking that if Qi’s family was subdued, I could give some of the profits and get some salt from Qi’s family. But Mr. Deng also saw it just now, and the king What kind of attitude is the shopkeeper?"

"Even if the official made a compromise today and got the salt goods from Qi's family, the neck of the salt supply is always stuck in the hands of Qi's family. In case Qi's family wants to get stuck in the neck of this official again in the future , then it may ruin the official affairs."

"Now let's look at the income of this official. The income from the fields is temporarily hopeless due to natural disasters. In Henan, there are mostly poor people, and the workshops and commercial firms don't get much. Now it's just relying on the salt goods. It's a business. And because of raising soldiers, I'm spending money like water. I'm also impatient! If I can't solve the problem of salt goods as soon as possible, I may not be able to last for three years."

Deng Qifan nodded after hearing this: "Your Excellency is also worried. But the students still think that you should hold back your breath for the time being, and make a false deal with the Qi family. At that time, the salt goods will be able to bid for each other between the Qi family and the Lu family, and the adults will also You can get more profit."

Wu Shigong sighed, and said to Deng Qifan: "Actually, this is also my helplessness. Why don't I know what you can do, Mr. Deng? Mr. Deng, today, I will tell you something plain."

"Let's talk about my identity first. From outsiders' perspective, I'm an eminent person, and I look very glamorous. But I know very well that the brand of an eminent person can be useful in deceiving ignorant people. But in the eyes of those who understand, it's not even a fart. Needless to say, the Xue family has lost power, and the Wu family left me outside the ancestral hall, letting me fend for myself."

"My official position is just a small garrison. In the eyes of those civil servants, it is nothing. If it weren't for the desperate efforts of my subordinates several times, this official would not have known how many times he lost his position and life. "

"My official's financial resources. To be honest, in the eyes of outsiders, I seem to be making money in the sun, but I know the bitterness. Mr. Deng also knows the details of my financial resources. Every year, I can't make ends meet. I rely on my official The subsidy from private wealth, and the help from my father-in-law Xue Houye are barely supported."

"What about the foundation of this official? When I came to Henan, I was not familiar with the place where I was born. At the beginning of my tenure, the superior officials bullied me, the local gentry made trouble, and the villagers squeezed me out. Even today, there are still some demon moths from time to time."

"But just walking on thin ice, what about my achievements today? Owning 10,000+ acres of land, tens of thousands of domestic slaves, and five thousand elite soldiers, and can pull up tens of thousands of strong troops at any time. As long as I If you want, you can control most of Guide Mansion and Runing Mansion at any time. Also, you have a good relationship with the local gentry in Henan. It is no exaggeration to say that this official has completely taken root in these two mansions."

"And what is the reason for this official's success? I believe that the main reason is that I say 'faith'. As long as I promise, I have never violated it."

"I have never withheld or delayed the soldiers' salaries; I have never used power to overwhelm others even if I have suffered from the promises made to the gentry. It is because of their trust that I have been able to go so far. This level."

"Looking at the salt business today, I know that it would be more appropriate for me to cooperate with the Qi family. But in this case, where should the promise to the Lu family be placed? So it can be said that , I actually have nothing now, the only thing I have is a reputation."

Regarding Wu Shigong's words, Deng Qifan, who had read sage books since childhood, couldn't say anything wrong.But as Wu Shigong's chief aide, Deng Qifan still felt that Wu Shigong was a bit pedantic.However, in order to conceal his opinion, Deng Qifan joked: "In addition to faith, my lord also has the word 'courage'."

Wu Shigong laughed out loud after hearing this.Then, as if he could see Deng Qifan's thoughts, he gave Deng Qifan his heart completely: "Mr. Deng, don't say that I am pedantic. I also understand the tricks and cheats, and I can do it. I am not afraid to be in Deng Qifan's place." It is embarrassing in front of Mr. When I was in the capital, I used to open a gambling house, but after I arrived in Henan, I never touched this kind of evil business again. I also know that these businesses make money quickly, but I just don’t like it. Would love to do it again.”

"But why is this official like this? Of course, if you only care about the present, then of course I have no scruples in doing things, but the entire Ming Dynasty will be full of wind and rain in the future. If I want to go well and go long, I must focus on it." for a long time."

Seeing Wu Shigong open his heart, Deng Qifan didn't hide it anymore, he asked Wu Shigong directly: "My lord, you keep saying that the Ming Dynasty will be in chaos, but although there are some small scars in this world, according to the students, they haven't arrived yet." This step."

"No." Wu Shigong shook his head and said, "Let's take a look at the current situation of the world. Not to mention the Zhengshuo branch of our Ming Dynasty, there are two other big forces, one is the Tartars outside the pass; The stocks are the Shaanxi bandits in the northwest."

"Let's talk about the Tatars outside the pass first. It's fine to win consecutive battles outside the pass, but the year before last and last year they were able to cross the Great Wall and hit the capital. Did you say it was a wound?"

"Let's talk about the Shaanxi bandits in the northwest. In just four short years, the rebellion has spread from northern Shaanxi to Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, and the momentum is getting bigger and bigger. Can this be called devastation?"

"What's more, just look at our Henan. From the first year of Chongzhen to now, there have been severe droughts in the past four years and three years. The people have no fixed place to live and can't eat enough. Mr. Deng also knows the situation of Guide Mansion and Runing Mansion. Areas along the river near the city, as well as the Zhuangzi we have established, and other places, the refugees are already in groups in the countryside. If it is not for the deterrence of the army of the official, it is impossible to say that those refugees will do something. What unexpected behavior."

"Perhaps it is as Mr. Deng thinks that the Ming Dynasty is the most powerful. But according to my opinion, if the court gathers all its strength and only targets one side, whether it is the Tartars or the Shan bandits, the court will definitely have the upper hand. But Those two forces cooperated with each other intentionally or unintentionally, and kept shedding the blood of the Ming Dynasty. The imperial army is exhausted, and the future of the Ming Dynasty is indeed worrying."

"There is another hidden danger. Just look at me. In these short four years, I have gained a lot of power. Is there no military leader in other places doing the same thing as me? As far as I know, at least the Liaodong Most of the generals in the army are listening to the tune and not listening to the announcement. With the strength in their hands, how much is their loyalty to the court?"

Deng Qifan understood Wu Shigong's words, he nodded and said: "It is indeed possible, this chaos seems to be caused by the Jiedu of the Mid-Tang Dynasty."

Wu Shigong also couldn't understand what was about the middle Tang Dynasty, what about Jiedu making it chaotic, but he also knew that Deng Qifan understood what he said.So Wu Shigong went on to say: "Then what should we do in this troubled world? Speaking of the large area, Mr. Deng can understand it himself; It's not enough to look at."

"When the Tatars entered the customs, they claimed to have an army of 10,000, and the Shaanxi bandits were even more exaggerated. They could easily have 10+ or ​​tens of thousands of horses. And it will definitely not be able to win against these opponents in three to five years. At least It will also take ten years, so this official is doing things for the long term. This is why I have to pay attention to credibility when doing things."

Deng Qifan didn't expect Wu Shigong to take the salt business so far.However, Deng Qifan still had some doubts in his heart: "Then, my lord, are you really sure that there will be chaos in the world within three years?"

Wu Shigong shook his head and said: "I'm not a god, of course I can't be sure. However, judging from the situation, I can't be far from it. So this time Mr. Deng wanted to go to the capital for a test, but I forcibly stopped him. Although I It is true that you are indispensable to the officer now, but it is also for the sake of your husband!"

"I'm also here to make a promise. If the situation is calm after three years, if Mr. Deng goes to the capital for another test and leaves me to seek another development, I will definitely not stop me."

"Since the adults trust the students so much, do the students dare to die?" Deng Qifan clasped his fists in gratitude.