Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 638

Puren Temple, outside the Buddhist hall.

Those people crept to the window.One of them gently stretched out his hand and pierced the paper on the window, peeping into the Buddhist hall.

With their backs facing the door, were the figures of two men, one of whom was wearing a third-rank official uniform.

Peeping at that person, he nodded to his partner next to him, casually took out a bamboo tube from his bosom, and blew air into the broken window paper.

After a while, I heard two "plops", and looking at the two people in the room, they had already fallen to the ground.

One of them knocked over the candlestick, and although the candle was not extinguished, it dimmed the light in the room.

A few people outside the window saw it, and glanced around, seeing that there was nothing unusual, the leader led the two people to the door, pushed the door and went in.There is one left, watching outside.

Immediately, there was a sound of "Huh".

The candles in the room went out, and the room suddenly became dark.

Immediately there was the sound of a sword being unsheathed, followed by a few muffled sounds.

The man outside heard something wrong, took a step forward, and said: "Boss, boss..." Before he finished speaking, he fell straight down.

After a while, the lights came back on in the room, and there were a few zongzi-like guys lying on the ground.

Standing by the side were Cao Song, Zhiran, Wei Hei and several palace guards.

Seeing the bloodstains on the robes of the fainted guys on the ground, Zhiran couldn't help lowering her eyelids, and whispered Amitabha.

The mitral hats had fallen to the ground, revealing their hair. These few were obviously not monks.

From this point of view, the real owners of these monk clothes may have gone to the west to find the Buddha.

How could Cao Songtong and those guards think of this? Their faces were a little more excited.Looking at the few people on the ground, I became more and more excited, and I was already thinking about how to extract a confession and see if there were any accomplices.

Taking advantage of everyone not paying attention, Zhiran left the house.

It was the middle of the month, and the full moon in the sky was like a silver plate.

Zhiran raised her head, looked at the starry sky, and sighed inaudibly.

The trial has already begun in the room, and it is a mess.Although these people on the ground looked vicious, they were not very clever people, otherwise they would not be easily caught.

After asking for a while, I didn't say anything useful.Those guards were also the first to encounter such a person, and they had a bit of a playful heart.

Wei Hei had also been in the rivers and lakes before, and felt a little noisy when he saw the farce in front of him, so he also came out of the house.

Seeing that Zhiran was still standing in the yard, Wei Hei said: "Master Zhiran, you have been tossing around for most of the night, go and rest, you have to watch tomorrow night."

Zhiran nodded, and the two went out together.

Cao Song and the others also noticed the issue of monk uniforms, and began to look for the unlucky monks according to what these people explained, to see if any of them survived.

Cao Yong knew nothing about the hustle and bustle here.

He was having a good dream, and his dream was full of scenes of various dinner parties.Even in the previous life, there were scenes of office dinner parties.In the self-service barbecue restaurant, there is tender and juicy beef, and there is a round-faced waitress...

On the other side, Elder Sixteen was lying on his side, his sleeping appearance was much more disciplined than Cao Yong's.

On the roof, Cao Jia and Cao Yi did not sit down.

Sitting on the roof is too conspicuous on this full moon night.That's not like protection, it's more like recruiting.

Both of them were lying on the ridge of the blue tile roof, and Cao Yi whispered: "Here, boss!"

Cao Jia reached out to take it, it was a few pieces of beef jerky the thickness of a thumb.He dropped it in his mouth and chewed.

On Cao Yi's side, his mouth was not idle, he chewed and said in a low voice: "Boss, this eldest son hasn't eaten a few meals over there, do we need to throw a few pieces of beef jerky in?"

"Not many things." The Cao family replied in a low voice.

Standing still in the wing room, in the courtyard door, in the corridor, and in the secret place are the guards of Brother Sixteen.

*
When Cao Yong woke up, it was still dark.

Because the candles in the room were as thick as a child's arm, they hadn't burned out yet.

Cao Yong woke up hungry, got up and rubbed his face, staring at the Buddha statue in a daze.What flashed through my mind was a dream I hadn't completely forgotten.

The barbecue on the long stick, the marinated steak, thinking of these, his stomach could not help but growl.

Thinking about not eating for two days, Cao Yong rubbed his stomach, really doubting his perseverance.

"What time is it?" Elder Sixteen asked vaguely with his eyes closed, not sure if he was awake or in a daze.

Cao Yong took out his pocket watch, glanced at it, and found that Cai Yin was at the second quarter (04:30 in the morning).

"Let's sleep again, it's not until Maoshi." Cao Yong said.

Brother Sixteen heard this, but rubbed his eyes, turned over and sat up.

The ground of the bluestone slab was hard after all, Brother Sixteen rubbed his shoulders, elbows and waist.

"It's okay to continue fasting. Can someone give me a mattress?" Cao Yong asked.In fact, he was still thinking about whether he could ask someone to send some meat for something.But thinking that this was in a temple, and he was using the big sign of praying for the Emperor's Longevity Day, he swallowed the rest of the words.

"Forget it, let's stay for another two days!" Brother Sixteen said, "According to the days, Huang Ama should have received my booklet. If you ask for details on a whim, you know we have been here for three days. Wouldn’t that be worth the candle?”

Speaking of this, he couldn't help laughing, looked at Cao Yong and said: "I know that Fu Ruo is impatient to make these fake people, but sometimes, it's easier to show loyalty with a little fake than a real one."

If there is no mattress, there will be no mattress. How to solve the washing problem?

Cao Yong stood up and stretched out, walked to the door, and wanted to push the door out, but he couldn't push it open.

Cao Yong turned around, looked at Elder Sixteen, and said, "Master Sixteen, is it possible to avoid washing?"

Elder Sixteen glared at Cao Yong, and said: "My lord is not that dirty, I already ordered people to open the door at Chenshi, change the toilet and bring hot towels over."

It was really tormenting, Cao Yong sat down again, thinking about those governors from other places, who said that they fasted for a week and ordered to steal something, otherwise how could they persist?
I just felt that my body was stiff, but I would only feel more hungry if I stayed like this. Cao Yong picked up the pen and continued to copy the "Diamond Sutra".

The sixteenth elder brother got up and walked for a while, just like Cao Yong, and then copied the scriptures.

After Chen Shi, I finished washing and finished copying Cao Yong's "Diamond Sutra".

The more difficult the day gets, I take out my pocket watch once in a while, but I don't see how far the hands go.

There is still one and a half days, how should we endure it?Although it is broad daylight now, Cao Yong really feels hungry and cold.

Brother Sixteen also finished copying and was lying on his side with his eyes open, wondering what he was thinking about.

What is his life like? Is he really a "confused prince" as the unofficial history said, or is he wise and foolish, knowing how to protect himself and survive three dynasties?
It has been seven or eight years since Cao Yong got acquainted with the sixteenth elder brother. It can be regarded as watching him transform from a young boy to the present.

"What is Master Sixteen thinking?" Cao Yong asked

Elder Sixteen sighed, and said, "Furuo, the Eight Banners have been abolished. It's been less than a hundred years since the Eight Banners entered the customs, and what it has become. Thinking back, when our ancestors conquered the world, hundreds of thousands of Eight Banners cavalry galloped across the Central Plains , occupying the world of Ming Dynasty, what are you afraid of? Now, the disease of ringworm on the frontier cannot be solved. Let the bear soldiers be weak, lack horses and food, and let the villains clamor."

Although Cao Yong lives in peace and order, and has no idea of ​​"reversing the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty", he still feels quite uncomfortable when he hears Brother Sixteen talking about the entry of the Eight Banners into the customs.

Yes, it was less than a hundred years since the Manchus entered the customs, and it was also less than a hundred years before the "Ten Days in Yangzhou" and "Three Massacres in Jiading".

Jiangnan accounts for two-thirds of the world's taxes.

The imperial court did not dare to ignore Jiangnan, and the Huairou policy has been used a lot in recent years.Due to various floods, Jiangnan has various tax reductions and exemptions every year.Even so, the bloody feud cannot be resolved in a short while.

As long as the literati are young, as long as they can be officials, who cares whether it is under the Great Tomorrow or the Great Qing.

However, there are also many great Confucianists who hid themselves from the people and did not become officials until their death, just like Cao Yongmeng, the father of Master Song.

The "Golden Age of Kangxi" praised by the civil and military courts of the Manchu Dynasty is like a paper lantern, looking at the light, but can't pierce the layer of window paper.

A hundred years from now, China will be even weaker.

Cao Yong looked at Brother Sixteen and said, "Master Sixteen, do you know about the East India Company?"

"East India Company?" Elder Sixteen pondered for a moment, and said: "I know, they established a foreign firm in Guangdong in 50 years, specializing in the purchase of tea. Although I was not in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the time, those people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs have mentioned this now. They also said that the foreign devils made good money. By the way, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has bought most of the spices and indigo from them in the past few years, and at the same time sold them some silk."

"Does the sixteenth brother know that the East India Company is authorized by the British emperor to occupy territory, mint coins, build its own fortresses, and organize its own army?" Cao Yong asked.

"What?" Brother Sixteen was surprised when he heard this: "The 'Eagle Ocean' was cast by the East India Company itself? Didn't it mean it was from Mexico?"

"'Eagle Ocean' is indeed from Mexico, but the other silver and gold ingots are probably cast by the East India Company." Cao Yong said: "Anyway, there are gold mines in India, and it doesn't take them any trouble to occupy them!"

Brother Sixteen frowned when he heard this, and said, "I heard that they only build factories in India, how can they even occupy mines? In this way, they are no different from robbers."

Cao Yong laughed and said: "People are greedy, whoever is powerful will speak. In the education of those foreign devils, there is no Confucian etiquette. What they pay attention to is benefits!"

"After all, it is a small country in a foreign country, and it is not educated." Elder Sixteen shook his head, glanced at Cao Yong, and said, "Why did Furuo tell me this? Could it be that they still want to rely on the dozens of numbers in Guangdong?" Man, we won’t be able to grab land in the Qing Dynasty? Isn’t that just a dream.”

Cao Yong went on to say: "Nowadays, they are doing business in Guangdong, buying our tea and silk, and selling them in Europe. The only things they can sell to us are clocks, watches and spices. They buy more and sell less. Once they come and go, there will be more and more people. More and more money is flowing into our side."

Brother Sixteen raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "It's the best, let these robbers work for nothing. It's their credit to move all the gold and silver mountains from other places to our Qing Dynasty."

"Master Sixteen forgot what a robber is? A robber just wants to take something from others without working hard, not to take advantage of others. If they continue like this, what are they called robbers? Wouldn't they be legitimate merchants?" Cao Yong said .

"What does Fu Ruo mean, that they are afraid that they will harm the Qing Dynasty?" Elder Sixteen pondered for a while, and said, "How can a few clowns make such a big storm?"

In fact, Cao Yong didn't know when the East India Company dumped opium in China.

I just know that Lin Zexu banned smoking during the Daoguang period, 130 years later, when opium was already rampant.

But now, the East India Company has a trade deficit with China, and Cao Yong knows it.Although the amount is not large, the proportion is also very obvious.

It's just that Britain has not yet carried out the industrial revolution, and overseas colonization is still in its infancy, and it has not revealed the domineering face of the empire on which the sun never sets.

Cao Yong saw that Elder Sixteen looked dismissive of the East India Company, took a blank piece of paper, picked up a pen, drew a big circle on it, and then drew a thumb-sized small circle outside the big circle .

"This is India, and this is England." Cao Yong pointed to the big circle, then pointed to the small circle and said, "As a result, businessmen from England have spread over half of India. At first, the Indian emperor thought that he was introducing a big merchant. Seeing the dazzling array of watches and jewelry, I was overwhelmed with welcome. In the end, it was easier to ask the gods than to give them away, and in the future, they must be ruined in the hands of these businessmen."

Elder Sixteen's expression slowly became serious, looked at Cao Yong, and said, "What exactly is Fu Ruo trying to say?"

Cao Yong didn't know what he wanted to express, did he explain the disaster that the Opium War brought to the Chinese people?Or is it that China is getting old while other countries are growing up, so they will be bullied in the future.

"Talk about the suggestion I made a few days ago, the one that has been left in history, is Master Sixteen interested?" Cao Yong thought for a while and replied.

"Could it be that you asked the Lord to come forward and wipe out those foreign devils from the East India Company, so as to prevent future troubles?" Elder Sixteen asked curiously.

"If the East India Company is destroyed, it will still be the West India Company, or some North India Company. It will treat the symptoms but not the root cause." Cao Yong said: "It's just that we should be vigilant here to prevent them from playing tricks. Even ordinary people, in the If you lose money in trade, you will also think about getting it back in trade, not to mention the robber mentality, you can only let others suffer, so there is no reason for yourself to suffer."

"Fu Ruo thought of it? What kind of means will they have to earn back the money they sent?" Elder Sixteen's eyes lit up, and he praised: "I knew Fu Ruo's financial problems a long time ago, but I didn't expect to be able to do so." Considering such a long-term, it’s okay, and I’m not fooling around.”

"Big smoke!" Cao Yong replied: "Maybe they still can't move their hands to plot against us, but it won't take long, or two or 30 years, or three or 50 years, they will use big smoke to make money. go back."

Although there are opium cigarettes in the world nowadays, most of them are sold in pharmacies, which are expensive and are used to relieve pain for patients.

Hearing Cao Yong say this, Elder Sixteen was quite puzzled: "That is medicine, even if you sell it hard, how much money can it sell for?"

"Didn't Master Sixteen hear that there are opium smokers?" Cao Yong asked.

"I've heard of it..." Brother Sixteen said, thinking of a clan general who liked to smoke this, and made him skinny and dying.

"Master Sixteen, what would happen if the civil and military soldiers of the Manchu Dynasty and the soldiers of the Eight Banners all smoked opium?" Cao Yong followed up.

Elder Sixteen thought of the plot, couldn't help being stunned, and murmured: "The country will not be the country..."

Next, Brother Sixteen, like a curious doll, began to ask various questions about opium.At the same time, he is also looking for various ways to try to overturn Cao Yong's argument.

Cao Yong is well aware of the dangers of opium, but after all, he has never been in contact with it. Speaking of its allure, he has no good reference.

Finally, he thought of snuff.He has also smoked snuff, although it cannot be said to be addictive, but it is indeed refreshing.He doesn't smoke often, those who are addicted to cigarettes, take it out and sniff twice under their noses if they have nothing to do.

"Snuff smoke already refreshes one's mind, and is easy to be addicted to. When smoked, the smoke is like a fairy, and you don't think about eating and drinking, and you can't put it down anymore. Master Sixteen, you said that this story is ten, ten How many good people are left after passing it on?" Cao Yong said, taking snuff as an example.

Brother Sixteen rolled his eyes when he heard this, but didn't respond.

When Cao Yong saw it, he hurriedly said: "Don't take it as a joke, Mr. Sixteen, you can't try this thing. Not to mention it is very addictive, but it is not easy to quit. If you smoke someone, you will be useless."

Elder Sixteen waved his hands with a smile, and said, "Am I a fool, knowing that it is poisonous, and still trying this?"

Before they knew it, the two had already debated for half a day, and it was night again.

Cao Yong finally told people about the afterlife, and I was a little excited.In fact, he didn't know if he was looking forward to Elder Sixteen being suspicious and asking him "how do you know what happened decades later".

Who would have thought that Elder Sixteen would not have the slightest suspicion at all, only thinking that he has unique insights on the economy, so he is so concerned about the country and the people.

I don't know, I don't know, I was shocked when I said it, I didn't expect the prelude to the Opium War to be so close.

Cao Yong was also counting the time in his mind. When opium began to be dumped in China, would it be decades or a hundred years later? Would he still be alive?
Think of a way to curb this, and do something for this country and future generations.

Cao Yong didn't know how he became patriotic, maybe he just didn't want his grandson to become a big smoker...

It was peaceful in the temple that night, and it was the same on the night of the third day.

In a blink of an eye, it was March [-]th, Longevity Day.

Cao Yong and the sixteenth elder brother got up early, took a bath and changed clothes, offered incense in front of the Buddha, and kowtowed in the direction of the capital, which was regarded as the completion of the fast.

After the Vegetarian food was delivered, Cao Yong touched his chapped lips after smelling the fragrance of rice, and then he realized that eating and drinking is also a happy thing.

Although Elder Sixteen said that he was hungry more often when he was a child, it was many years ago, and he couldn't survive without eating or drinking for three days like this.

It was only the presence of opium topics that made him more energetic.

Seeing what he was eating now, he couldn't stand it any longer, he raised his chopsticks like a whirlwind.

Neither of them is a child, and they also know that they can't eat too much after being hungry for too long. After finishing a few small dishes and half a plate of porridge, they put down their chopsticks.

Out of the house, looking at the bright spring, Cao Yong felt quite reborn.

It seems that it is good to be hungry for nothing. I used to feel tired, but now I feel that there is nothing worth worrying about.Being able to eat and sleep, and having a healthy family is happiness.

Brother Sixteen asked Cao Song what he had obtained in the past few days, and he was disappointed to know that only four had been caught.Until this time, Cao Yong knew that they had set traps in other temples.

Because of the death of a monk in the temple, when Cao Yong and the sixteenth elder brother met the presiding lama here, they added a lot of sesame oil money.

Zhiran did not follow back to the mansion, but stayed in the temple.

In the monastery, there are a few Tibetan monks who can speak Chinese. They have discussed Buddhism with Zhiran, and they have some friendship.Zhiran saw that the sixteenth elder brother was there, and there was nothing wrong with Cao Yong, so he stayed here to study Buddhism.

These days, Zhiran is not like a monk, and has more ties with the world.

Cao Yong knew that this was all because of his own sake.He saw it in his heart, wondering if he should choose a suitable opportunity to persuade Zhiran to return to vulgarity.

Zhiran seemed to see through Cao Yong's thoughts, and said: "The people inside and outside the door are all young monks. Why should Master Cao stick to common sense?"

Even friends have independent lives.

Seeing that Zhiran is like this, Cao Yong won't talk anymore, but when he looks at him occasionally, he feels quite strange in his heart.

Zhiran is the same age as him, and his birthday is older than him.

If there is a blood relationship, isn't it his brother?

I always feel that there is a kind of understanding in Zhiran's eyes, and there is also an indescribable heaviness. Several times Cao Yong wanted to ask out the doubts in his heart, but he couldn't say it.

Because it was the Longevity Festival, the officials of each yamen dressed up according to their grades, went to the chief official's yamen, and kowtowed in the direction of the capital together.

On the side of the Yamen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, of course, there is no exception.

Elder Sixteen said he was tired and impatient to move.After Cao Yong changed his official uniform, he went to the palace.

On the Yamen side, after bowing and kowtowing with everyone, Cao Yong went to visit his wife and daughter.

On Chuyu's side, there are distinguished guests, Baoya and a Mongolian Gege.

The last time I saw Baoya was when I was injured the year before last.Two years passed in a blink of an eye, but Baoya is still the same.

She was sitting on the kang, with Tianhui in her arms, and all kinds of food in front of her eyes.She ate a piece of pastry for herself and fed Tianhui a piece.

Except for her family, Tianhui usually doesn't like to be close to others.But obediently sat in front of Baoya, allowing her to hug and feed her.

That Mongolian Gege was sitting beside him, smiling and listening to Chuyu and Baoya talking.

Bao Ya is an in-law, so there is nothing to avoid. Hearing that Cao Yong is coming, she got up and met with a smile.That Mongolian Gege, eighteen or nine years old, looked generous and hearty, showing no sign of evasion.

Speaking of which, this Mongolian Gege is not an outsider, he is Gege from the Darkhan Palace, and in terms of seniority, he is Suhebalu's cousin.

While speaking, Cao Yong learned that not only Baoya came to Rehe, but also Suhebalu.

"Suhebalu is here too?" Cao Yong was overjoyed when he heard the words: "Where is it, I just heard, why didn't you give me a letter first?"

"I heard that you and Sixteenth Uncle are fasting, who dares to disturb you?" Baoya said, "But you won't be able to meet him today, he has something to go out of town, and he said he won't be back until tomorrow."

*
In the garden of Prince Chun's Mansion, the upper room in the east courtyard.

Brother Sixteen sat on the bed, looked at the black thing wrapped in the paper in his hand, and frowned in disgust.

A court lady came over with a candlestick, looked at Elder Sixteen puzzled, and asked softly, "Master, do you want to light it?"

Seeing Elder Sixteen nodded, the maid picked up the scythe and lit the candles.

Brother Sixteen waved his hand and said: "Go out, no one is allowed to enter without the master's order..."

(End of this chapter)