I

  Chapter 477 474 [The state of the world]

   Ran Zaijing has been very happy in the past two years, but at the same time not very happy.

  His grandfather was the son-in-law of the Ming Dynasty, and Emperor Chongzhen was his cousin. But to be honest, it's very boring, the family has no real power, and there is nowhere to start if you want to be greedy for money.

  In history, Li Zicheng tortured his salary in Beijing and beat his son-in-law to death, but he couldn't find any silver taels.

  After Ran Zaijing was brought to Nanjing, he felt like a fish in water. When he was in Beijing, he was a minor player among the nobles. But when he arrived in Nanjing, as Chongzhen's cousin, many dudes took the initiative to play with him.

   There is no need for Ran Zaijing to pay for the usual high-end consumption.

  The value of his existence is to have fun with these dudes. The majors are so perfect, cockfighting and running dogs, cages and birds, flowers, wine and tea, interjections and singing...Ran Zaijing is proficient in everything!

   Occasionally tell some interesting stories about the palace of the Ming Dynasty, and tell about the entertainment activities of the nobles in Beijing. No matter how he made it up, the group of bumpkins in Nanjing gathered around him and listened carefully, and they were amazed when he talked about the wonderful things.

  It's a pity, no matter how many stories you have learned, there will be a day when the story will be finished.

  Nanjing's playboys gradually lose their sense of freshness to him and become a dispensable existence. Many times they don't bring him along for fun.

  Finally got taken advantage of today, and invited him to Goulan to drink flowers and wine, and slept until the next morning before returning home.

   "Where have you been fooling around again?"

  Just passing through the yard, Ran Zaijing heard his grandfather's voice.

   Ran Zaijing didn't take it seriously, and replied with a playful smile: "Back to my grandfather, I drank too late last night and rested at a friend's house."

  Ran Xingrang snorted coldly: "It's those cronies again!"

   "It's just playing together." Ran Zaijing defended.

  Ran Xingrang suddenly sighed: "Oh, with you father and son, in what life have I committed crimes!"

   Although Xu Ying's meticulous work brought the son-in-law's family to Nanjing. But the princess (the daughter of Wanli) died of illness halfway through, and her worry-free son and eldest grandson all went out of business after settling in Nanjing.

   This father and son met in Dachawei, Qinhuai River.

  At that time, they each went to the brothel to seek pleasure, but they couldn't get to see famous prostitutes, so the two groups were arranged to drink tea together. The father and son bumped into each other head-on, staring at each other, and it was inconvenient to recognize each other, so they called each other "Mr."

Ran Xingrang called his grandson into the study, and said, "I got rid of this old face and asked my relationship to find a job for you. There is a lack of a warehouse boy in the Physics Museum of Qintianyuan. Although he is not an official, if he does well, You can also be promoted to an official. What's more rare is that this job is very leisurely, as long as you can read and write. You can also read more books when you are not doing things. Promotion to an official requires an assessment. Theory, and the rules and regulations of the physics museum."

  Ran Zaijing suddenly became anxious: "Aren't you an official? If you want to be an official, you have to be promoted? Isn't that a handyman in the government! Grandfather, no matter what, we are also the clan of the old dynasty, so where do you put your face when it comes out!"

"You still want to lose face?" Ran Xingrang was furious, "The name of your father and son has been spread all over the Qinhuai River! The old man had to bite the bullet and ask for help. He could have arranged official affairs. When people heard that it was you, they would die I don’t want to help. The old man begged hard, so he agreed to let you do a handyman first! Three months, as long as you don’t miss work and don’t make troubles, you can become an official!”

   Ran Zaijing said impatiently: "Father is not working, let him do chores."

   "Say it again!" Ran Xingrang trembled with anger.

  Of course Ran Zaijing didn't dare to disobey, he lowered his head and said perfunctorily, "All right, all right, I'll go and do it for a few days."

  A few days later, Ran Zaijing was fired because he was late and left early for no reason. He also contradicted the warehouse supervisor and scolded the supervisor's ancestors for eighteen generations in public.

  He didn't dare to go home, and was recommended by Zuo Xiaocheng to Cao Fengji, who took him to the painting boat for three days in a row.

  Ran Zai Jingle didn't think about Shu, so one day he said: "Treasurer Cao is happy today, even if he is a god, he won't do it."

Cao Fengji smiled and said: "My uncle is a wealthy businessman from Shanxi. This time I came to the South to handle business, and I have my own staff to obey the arrangements. As for myself, I make friends with gentry and celebrities, and make good relations with officials in Nanjing. There are acquaintances in this official, business Wouldn't it be easy to do?"

   "Cao shopkeeper is really rich and honored, eating, drinking and having fun all day is considered a serious business." Ran Zaijing said enviously.

  Cao Fengji said: "Your Excellency is also rich and honored. How majestic is the honor of the previous dynasty. I heard that Lord Chongzhen is still your cousin?"

Ran Zaijing waved his hands again and again: "Don't say it, don't say it, I get angry when I say it. I am very rich? My grandfather turned down his face and asked for help, but he only found a job as a government servant. Today's His Majesty is also stingy. Why don’t you give me a decent house, give it to some errands in the government, and send some silver taels as regular money every month?”

  Cao Fengji echoed, "That's how it should be."

   "Drink, drink!" The more Ran Zaijing thought about it, the more angry he became.

  Cao Fengji said with emotion again: "A few years back, Your Excellency is an honorable clan, but I am just a grassroots person. Now Sansheng is lucky to be able to have a drink and talk with an honorable person like Your Excellency."

   "What kind of nobleman am I? No, no." Ran Zaijing was actually very happy that someone finally recognized his identity.

  One praised vigorously, and the other was smug. After drinking, Ran Zaijing already regarded Cao Fengji as a confidant.

  Finally, Cao Fengji asked casually: "I heard that it was Grandfather Ling who sent the princes and daughters of Ming Dynasty to Nanjing. This is really a great contribution!"

Ran Zaijing became more and more resentful: "Your Majesty today is very mean and ungrateful. No matter how great my grandfather's contribution is, he only rewarded a few dozen taels of silver, and the house he bestowed was also very shabby. With so many people in my family, the house is not I can’t live there! You don’t get a monthly salary, and you have to earn your own living. In the past, in Beijing, everyone had a salary!”

   Cao Fengji saw that Ran Zaijing was already drunk, so he asked, "Aside from grandfather Ling, who were the loyal ministers from the old court who escorted the prince south?"

"There are no loyal ministers in this world, they are all..." Ran Zaijing thought of someone, and suddenly sarcastically said, "There is one loyal minister. At that time, the **** and guards escorted him out of Beijing under the pretext of offering sacrifices to the ancestors. He pretended to be a thief and killed him, and the eunuchs and guards frightened him." There was a red-helmet bodyguard who did not run away, and devoted himself to protecting the prince. This person is also in Nanjing now, and he is also the captain of the patrol. Do you think he is stupid? His monthly salary is not much, and he has to support his family. He actually buys pastries for the prince and princess every month as a filial piety."

  Cao Fengji's eyes lit up, and he unlocked a new character, and hurriedly said: "This loyal minister and righteous man, it's a pity that we can't see him!"

  Ran Zaijing smiled and said: "It's not easy to meet him? He leads patrols every day, and he can be seen on the street. He is a dignified red-helmed general and the bodyguard of the Ming emperor. When he comes to Nanjing, he can only be a catcher."

   Good job, catch!

  Cao Fengji became more and more happy.

  He continued to inquire about the news, and learned that this person was named Zhou Yingyuan, so he went to secretly investigate the situation the next day.

   It soon became apparent that Ran Zaijing's news was delayed. Zhou Yingyuan is not a patrol captain, he has already been promoted, and he is in charge of the security of the entire Anbifang—roughly equivalent to the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau.

  Cao Fengji asked Ran Zaijing to introduce him to a meeting, said some words of admiration, and said that he missed the old dynasty and liked to make friends with loyal ministers and righteous men of Ming Dynasty.

But Zhou Yingyuan said with a dark face: "What is the new dynasty and the old dynasty? Now there is only one Datong court. You must not talk nonsense and harm the children of Lord Chongzhen. You should do your business honestly, and you must not visit everywhere in the future, otherwise you will be killed." Catch them and treat them as spies!"

Cao Fengji quickly apologized, and said with a miserable expression: "General Zhou, don't get angry, the grassroots are just... oh! The grassroots are also born as scholars, and those who have fame and fame, who doesn't bathe in the emperor's grace? The country has supported scholars for three hundred years, but we wait for scholars. I can’t repay your kindness. Now His Majesty Chongzhen is gone, and I happen to come to Nanjing to do business. I really... I can’t help it, I want to see the royal family of Ming Dynasty. But I dare not take it easy, for fear of causing disaster to the prince and daughter , can only make friends with loyal ministers like generals."

Zhou Yingyuan saw that he spoke with sincerity, couldn't help feeling a lot, and immediately said in a relaxed tone: "It's good that you have this kind of heart, it's not easy, and you are not the kind of ungrateful person. But you must also remember that today's Holy Son, The royal family of the old dynasty was not weak. All the princes and daughters could study, and they could take the imperial examinations to be officials after they reached adulthood. If you are really loyal to Lord Chongzhen, then don’t disturb the Ming bloodline. If you know that your children can be treated like this, your majesty must be able to Smiling Jiuquan."

   "General Zhou is right." Cao Fengji didn't dare to say more.

  Instigating a rebellion did not happen overnight, and he had plenty of time to plan. If it doesn't work for one year, it's two years, and if it doesn't work for two years, it's three years. It's best to delay it until the Qing Dynasty is destroyed.

  Cao Fengji likes life in Nanjing, which is much more comfortable than Liaodong and Shanxi.

  He is indeed from Shanxi, but he is not the nephew of Cao Sanxi, but a descendant of the Fan family of the "Eight Great Imperial Merchants".

  The whole family is doing business in the area of ​​Zhangjiakou. With the sparse population in Beizhili, the family business is not easy to do. The Manchus withdrew to Liaodong, and even took some family members of the "Eight Great Imperial Merchants" away, and now they are all held as hostages in Shenyang City.

  Being a traitor is a traitor, making money is making money, and the Tartars are dying. Since they can’t exchange for glory and wealth, who the **** is willing to work like a dog?

  Sometimes, Cao Fengji even thought that he might as well give up his wife and children in Liaodong, and just vote for the Datong court in Nanjing.

  Cao Fengji is not the only one who can come to Nanjing to work in detail.

   Cao Fengji didn't know exactly how many there were, let alone where they were hidden. He was afraid that after he betrayed, not only his wife and children would be gone, but he would also be silenced.

  Cao Fengji now spends half of his energy on being a spy, and the other half on making people crazy. The maid he brought from the north was kept in the room and tossed about every night, just hoping to give birth to a son as soon as possible.

   Once you have offspring, you can pass on incense.

   When the time comes, things will not help, so he directly surrenders with his youngest son and asks for the blessing of Emperor Datong.

  Having seen the prosperity of Nanjing and the living environment of merchants in the south, Cao Fengji really wanted to do business in Nanjing.

  (end of this chapter)