Crazy at the end of the Ming Dynasty

It was also a rainy season during the Qingming Festival, and the journey was very tiring, so Wu Shigong arranged for a group of people to find an inn earlier that day and prepare to rest for a day.

But after dinner, Wu Shigong saw Tao Xin hiding in the corner with his head down, not knowing what he was doing, so he quietly walked past Tao Xin.Looking around, it turned out that Tao Xin was concentrating on a stack of food stamps.

"What are you doing with so many food stamps?" Wu Shigong suddenly became curious.

Suddenly hearing someone questioning from behind, Tao Xin frantically tried to stuff those food stamps into his arms, as if he was doing something bad.

"What are you doing? What are you doing in a sneaky way?" Wu Shigong immediately scolded Tao Xin when he saw Tao Xin's rough appearance, "Could it be that I, a master, will snatch your food stamps?"

"Hey! Master!" Only then did Tao Xin see that Wu Shigong was behind him, and he patted the back of his head with a smirk.

"Don't smirk. Let me ask you, what are you doing with so many food stamps?"

"Master!" Tao Xin hurriedly replied, "I secretly hid these ration stamps. My military pay has always been given to my mother. My mother said that she would save it for me to ask for a wife."

"Hey!" Wu Shigong was amused by Tao Xin's answer.How could I have such a stupid apprentice?Who cares what private money you hide?So Wu Shigong continued to ask angrily: "I'm asking why you are going to Nanjing with so many food stamps?"

Unexpectedly, Tao Xin blushed all of a sudden and twitched.After hesitating for a long time, he finally replied hesitantly: "Master! I heard that there are a lot of goods in the south of Nanjing, and I want to buy something for Xiaojie. Last time I went to Beijing, I forgot to buy something, and my mother scolded me when I got home." And me."

Wu Shigong immediately cursed in his heart.Unexpectedly, Tao Shi actually instigated her son to seduce his daughter.But every time she thought of returning home with her own soldiers, Xiaojie always used the excuse of welcoming her to flirt with Tao Xin.So I can only lament that girls are extroverted.

But Wu Shigong suddenly thought of a question, so he asked Tao Xin: "Then do you bring any money? You can't buy anything in Nanjing City with food stamps."

"Really? Master?" Tao Xin immediately became anxious, "But in Runing and Guide, we can buy things with the food stamps of our Runing Army! Why can't we buy them in Nanjing? I didn’t bring any money! Master, what should I do? The disciples have already agreed with Xiaojie!”

Wu Shigong's eyes widened immediately. He didn't expect Tao Xin and Xiaojie to establish a relationship right under his nose. The potential of young boys and girls who fall in love with each other is indeed infinite!

There was no other way, Wu Shigong said angrily: "If you want to buy something, I will lend you money first. Don't be so sad!" After finishing speaking, Wu Shigong almost wanted to slap his mouth.What a shame!He actually lent money to Tao Xin so that he could take care of his daughter smoothly.

But after hearing Wu Shigong's words, Tao Xin immediately smiled.But he thought for a while, and said to Wu Shigong with some worry: "Master is here to borrow money this time. It's not good for my apprentice to take your money."

But Wu Shigong just comforted Tao Xin's sensibleness in his heart, but he didn't expect his next words to reveal his tail: "But the master opened it with a golden mouth. I will never lie to my apprentice."

Wu Shigong immediately gave Tao Xin a shudder, and scolded with a smile: "No matter how poor the master is, there is no shortage of those few taels of silver to lend you."

Wu Shigong was not worried about the smoothness of the trip.He knew that as long as he gave up his face, the honorable families in Nanjing City would not be short of these silvers.Anyway, every honorable family can always draw relatives.

…………

Twenty days later.

It has been more than half a month since Wu Shigong arrived in Nanjing.Visited more than a dozen honorable families.With Xue Lian's request letter for help, those nobles still met with him.But when it comes to borrowing money, there is nothing left.

Generally, he would send a junior to entertain Wu Shigong for a banquet, and if he was more polite, he would also offer Cheng Yi of one or two hundred taels of silver.It's all about sending beggars.In the end, Wu Shigong also became ruthless.What shamelessness, as long as you dare to give it away, Wu Shigong dares to accept it.Anyway, I am also a member of the nobles, if I want to lose face, then lose face together.

Wu Shigong wanted to walk away several times.But the foundation of the Runing Army is reluctant after all, maybe they will meet a kind nobleman?Although Wu Shigong knew that the hope was very slim, but Wu Shigong still suppressed his anger and impatience, and planned to return to Runing after visiting all the nobles.At least I have worked hard!

On this day, Wu Shigong was going to rest for a day in the inn where he was staying, and then visited the rest of the nobles as quickly as possible, and then left the sad place of Nanjing City as soon as possible.

Worrying and dozing off a lot, Wu Shigong was drowsy in his room when suddenly several knocks on the door woke him up.Tao Xin reported outside the house: "Master! Get up quickly, a Mr. Ma is coming to visit you."

Wu Shigong didn't know that what he had done in Nanjing these days had become a laughing stock in the honorable circle.Of course, Wu Shigong's "brilliant deeds" also reached the ears of the leader of the nobles in Nanjing, Wei Guogong Xu Hongji, so Wei Guogong Xu Hongji called his eldest son Xu Wenjue over.

Wei Guogong Xu Hongji said: "Today I heard that the son of a prince came to Nanjing. He was first the abandoned son of Wuhou, and then the son-in-law of Xuehou. He was expelled from the capital and became a local military officer. I am so sympathetic to people who have the audacity to ask for alms. You look for an opportunity to treat one or two of them, and prepare a gift to send them out of Nanjing, so that they will lose face in Nanjing. Also remember, let them have a taste of the prosperity of Nanjing. What are the flowers? If you sell it, go to the account and spend it."

Xu Wenjue, the son of Wei Guogong, was overjoyed when he heard it.In fact, among the honorable groups of the Ming Dynasty, two factions formed in the north and the south.Those in Beijing thought they were closer to the emperor and could easily gain the emperor's trust, so they felt they were superior to those in Nanjing; while those in Nanjing thought they were richer than those in Beijing because they were in the rich south of the Yangtze River, so they also looked down on those in Beijing.This is a bit similar to modern Beijingers and Shanghainese.

Although the two parties intermarry frequently and even have a large number of cooperative businesses, they also have a mentality of comparing each other.Therefore, the eldest son Xu Wenjue knew that Wei Guogong Xu Hongji asked him to come forward to let Wu Shigong have a taste of the luxurious and lustful nightlife of the nobles in Nanjing. It is best for Wu Shigong to pass the news back, so as to open the eyes of the nobles in Beijing.

As an upper-class honorable family, the family education in Duke Wei's mansion is also very strict.Therefore, the place of fireworks and willow alley and the monthly schedule, Xu Wenjue, as the eldest son, has also been strictly controlled on weekdays, and he cannot often go out to be cool.

And this time, he was actually able to pick up girls according to the order. Isn't that pie in the sky?So the eldest son Xu Wenjue took action immediately, first confirming the number of friends who will accompany him, and then booking the Meilou on Chaoku Street for one night, inviting famous prostitutes such as XX, XX, etc. to accompany him, and deciding how many girls to accompany him for the night.

Of course, Xu Wenjue chose Gu Hengbo, the head of Meilou, to accompany him.But the arrangement for Wu Shigong was a bit tricky.The courtesans arranged were of high grade, and marginalized noble children like Wu Shigong did not have this status at all; but the arrangement was low, and it would not have the effect of opening the eyes of the nobles in the capital.After hesitating again and again, and with the help of a bully, the eldest son Xu Wenjue finally decided to choose a famous prostitute Liu Rushi for Wu Shigong.

By the way, a piece of gossip, Liu Rushi was also being pursued by Qian Qianyi, a member of the Donglin party who was resigned at the time, a leader of the Jiangnan literary world, and an old man in his fifties.But judging from the heart of the commotion, Qian Qianyi was no different from Zhao Ming.

Except for the 2000 taels of silver accompanied by Gu Hengbo and Liu Rushi, the rest of the banquet cost a total of 800 taels of silver. As soon as the budget was submitted, Wei Guogong Xu Hongji approved it with a stroke of a pen.Although the expenses are a bit high, they are not unbearable for Duke Wei's mansion.Although silver is important, it is more important to win glory for Nanjing Xungui.

The eldest son, Xu Wenjue, was not a prodigal son either. There was a bully who was willing to take the 2000 taels of silver from Gu Hengbo and Liu Rushi.And the one who was taken advantage of was none other than Ma Shouxin, the son of Ma who came to look for Wu Shigong today.

Ma Shouxin is from Songjiang Prefecture, and the Ma family he belongs to is a first-class rich man in the south of the Yangtze River.The industry under his father's name spans all walks of life in Jiangnan, and has become the leading large-scale trust in Jiangnan.

Ma Shouxin was the second son of the family, and his elder brother, who was the default heir to the property, assisted Ma Shouxin's father in managing the business, and Ma Shouxin went to Nanjing to become a male publicist who made friends with the sons of honorable officials and eunuchs.However, this kind of division of labor among family members was not uncommon in the Ming Dynasty, such as the Lu family of salt merchants in Yangzhou mentioned above.

With a large public relations fee given by his father, Ma Shouxin immediately became a very popular figure among the "princelings" in Nanjing.And after hearing that Xu Wenjue, the heir of Wei Guogong, took the lead to win honor for the nobles of Nanjing, of course Ma Shouxin also wanted to join in the fun, so he also provided 2000 taels of activity funds to join in.

But Ma Shouxin is the son of a merchant after all, and although the sons of Xungui think about his money bag, they will not be equal to him, so today when Xu Wenjue has arranged everything, Ma Shouxin will do the errand invitation.

Of course Wu Shigong didn't know this, so he welcomed Ma Shouxin in very politely.When he heard that Xu Wenjue, the leader of the "Princeling Party" in Nanjing, personally invited him, and that he was going to arrange himself in such a high-end entertainment place, Wu Shigong suddenly felt like a pie in the sky.

Due to the great difference in identities, Wu Shigong only went to Wei Guogong's mansion to vote for a greeting card when he arrived in Nanjing, and Wei Guogong's mansion only sent a senior manager to come forward and accompany Wu Shigong to say a few words. There is no text on the side.So Wu Shigong had no hope for Wei Guogong at all.

But he never expected that the prince of Wei Guogong would invite him suddenly, that would be a turn of events! (To be continued..)