The chair was an old Hainan Huanghuali rosewood official hat chair with a qilin pattern. The craftsmanship was simple, clean, and heavy, as if it had grown roots. The person sitting on it was trembling non-stop, as if there were springs under it, ready to spring up at any time.
Beside it was an unprepossessing desk. The style was deep and steady, and the patterns were quaint and solemn. The color of the wood had already turned black, and it was actually the precious red sandalwood. However, under that person's merciless beating, it kept swaying as if it would fall apart at any time.
Zhang Wenmian looked away with a pained heart, because Liu Jin had punched it again.
Liu Jin said hatefully, "Yang Ling ah … Yang Ling! Why does this bastard have to make life difficult for my family, and even tried to trick me before he stepped down. All my efforts were in vain, and I helped Gu Daeyong in vain! "
"Bang!" Another punch. Liu Jin said with grief and indignation, "Could it be that I, Liu Jin, was a tailor in my previous life?! Am I destined to make wedding clothes for others? "
Zhang Cai covered her mouth and coughed lightly. She spread out her sleeves and bowed to Liu Jin. She was still well-dressed and had an extraordinary bearing, "Why are you angry, Eunuch Liu? Didn't we already get what we wanted?"
"Get my ass! The inner factory, do you know how powerful the inner factory is now? They are still doing business, and it can be said that they are rolling in money. This source of income has already been taken by them, and it is difficult for others to squeeze in and take their food. But now, even though Yang Ling stepped down, he handed over the inner factory to Wu Jie. What kind of person is Wu Jie? Isn't that the same as Yang Ling personally taking charge of the inner factory?
As for the Seagate City Shipping Department, he's like a springboard, he actually requested an imperial edict to dismiss this position. If he doesn't want to do it, I won't be able to do it either. Instead, it helped that bastard Gu Dayong monopolize the power of the Yamen. That's a Yamen that's overflowing with fat and oil. Also, also, also the four outer families' armies, four outer families' armies … "
Liu Jin was so angry that he couldn't continue. He took the tea that the maid handed him and gulped it down, panting heavily.
Zhang Cai frowned and thought to herself, "What's wrong with the four families? There's no war now, so there's no need to mobilize troops. What I'm least afraid of is him holding the military power. I'm the one who's sad, Yang Shen … He's recommended by Yang Ling, Li Dongyang, Wang Hua, and others. His father is Yang Tinghe. Can I touch this person? A mere seventh-rank Imperial Censor has become a stumbling block in my way. Who knows when I'm not paying attention, and I'll let him stumble. "
Zhang Wenmian thought hard for a moment before saying, "Eunuch Liu, looks like there are capable people around Yang Ling. Yesterday, His Majesty was obviously helping us and wanted to make Yang Ling the Duke of Wei. Now, if Yang Ling insists on resigning and doesn't want to be Duke Wei, even if we don't send a message to His Majesty, His Majesty will come back to his senses sooner or later and understand that Yang Ling doesn't want to let go of his power.
This move of his has indeed gained His Majesty's favor and trust, and he will also become a Duke with unlimited glory and splendor. However, he has given up his power and is no longer Eunuch Liu's enemy. Eunuch Liu has already won a great victory, so why be angry? "
"Our family has won a great victory? Where is it? Why didn't we notice that he has given up some power? "Liu Jin said angrily.
"Hehe, Eunuch Liu, please calm down and listen to me. First of all, if Yang Ling really resigns, how long can he restrain these subordinates by relying on his old prestige? The reason why it's said that a county official is inferior to a current official is because these people's futures are in the hands of the current official who can influence them.
Once he loses this power, his influence won't last more than half a year by relying on his old prestige and beneficence. By then, these people will be out of control. If Yang Ling becomes a Duke, he will enjoy endless glory and splendor, but he can forget about competing with you, Eunuch Liu. Not to mention other things, just based on this, you have already won, and it is a great victory! "
Liu Jin's expression softened. He glanced at Zhang Wenmian, sat back on the chair and gently rubbed the back of his red and swollen hand. His eyes flickered for a long time before he slowly nodded, "Hmm … makes sense. Among my enemies, only this Yang Ling is loathsome, but I can't do anything to him. As long as he obediently becomes a Duke and no longer mischievous with me, what do I have to be afraid of?"
Zhang Wenmian continued, "From Yang Ling's arrangement, he also knows that the situation is hopeless and is making a last-ditch struggle. Why did he move Yang Yiqing back to the capital? Because his power is mainly in the factory guards and the army. Just relying on one Liu Yu, he's afraid he won't be a match for Eunuch Liu. That's why he moved back Yang Yiqing, who is more notorious and more famous.
At the same time, he killed two birds with one stone and let his other trusted aide, Wang Shouren, ascend the position and smoothly become the golden seat of the Marshal of the Three Passes. But can a Minister of War and an Assistant Minister of War do anything to Eunuch Liu? Besides, when the time comes, Yang Tinghe will have to fight with him. When Eryang competes, Eunuch Liu can sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor.
He moved Yan Song to Jiangnan and recommended Yang Shenwei to be the Minister of State. Could it be that he has this goal in mind? He wants to leave behind a few capable generals in the court before he steps down, so that the tea cools after he leaves? But without the protection of a big tree like him, how long can these small weeds last? "
The more Liu Jin thought about it, the more he felt that it was true. His eyebrows and eyes couldn't help flying up together. He grinned and said, "What Wenmian said is right. My temper is impatient. Mmm, mmm, that's right. As long as there's no Yang Ling, these people are nothing to me.
But I'm still not satisfied. Yang Ling has become a Duke. Although he doesn't have power, this glory, splendor, and wealth can be enjoyed for ten thousand years. It will be with Ming Destiny and benefit his descendants. I was even tricked by him before I left. I still can't touch the power he controls. I'm not satisfied. "
Zhang Cai listened to this and agreed with Zhang Wenmian's analysis. He calmly thought about it and his thinking became more agile, "Eunuch Liu, this lowly official feels that Wenmian's analysis is very reasonable. In this lowly official's opinion, when Yang Ling steps down, it will have a great impact on his faction.
He anxiously placed these trusted aides because he doesn't have the confidence that he can still make many officials gather under him after he steps down. If this lowly official's guess is correct, these people have nowhere to go. Their only choice is to abandon Yang and seek refuge under Eunuch Liu. This will drive more people to seek refuge.
In the end, Yang Ling's trusted aides would be isolated in the imperial court, just like the current three scholars, and they wouldn't be able to accomplish anything. Even if they are left unmoved, they won't have the ability to cause trouble for Eunuch Liu. "
Liu Jin listened to his analysis and the more he thought about it, the happier he was. He nodded his head repeatedly in agreement.
Although Yang Ling's self-preservation strategy was brilliant, his foundation relied on his increasingly solid foundation of officials. His apparent promotion and secret demotion didn't matter to the few people who were closely related to him, but to many officials who sought refuge under him because they wanted to be promoted and find a big tree to rely on, it was enough to make them betray Yang Ling and seek refuge under Liu Jin.
If all these branches and leaves sought refuge under Liu Jin's side, Yang Ling would be left with a few lonely branches that couldn't reach the sky or the ground. Even the three scholars now would be hung in mid-air and couldn't do anything. What was there to be afraid of?
Zhang Wenmian had always been jealous of Zhang Cai and didn't accept each other. Now that he saw that he had taken advantage of him and reminded Liu Jin, his desire to fight for Liu Jin's favor became even stronger. He immediately said, "Now that Yang Ling has fallen, Eunuch Liu should strike while the iron is hot. Now that it's the end of the year, it's time to evaluate the achievements of the officials in the capital. Official Zhang is in charge of the Ministry of Appointments. If you take the opportunity to 'properly' evaluate the officials on Yang Ling's side, I'm sure that the grass on the fence will clearly see who the towering tree in the court is and can shelter him from wind and rain. "
"Hahaha! Excellent, Wenmian really is our family's little Zhuge Liang. This plan is brilliant. "
"That's not appropriate, Eunuch Liu." Zhang Cai wanted nothing more than to kick Zhang Wenmian. This scoundrel was too complacent and muddle-headed. When the officials came begging for help, they would have no way out and would follow Eunuch Liu wholeheartedly. If he made things difficult for them and they were forced to surrender when they still had feelings for Yang Ling, would the morale of the army be at ease?
Moreover, his method could determine the sincerity of the officials according to the order in which they sought refuge, who could be quickly roped in and who could be placed in the outer camp. If these people were to be snatched away at once, the good and the bad would be intermingled. How could he distinguish them? And how many people would he offend?
Before he could explain the reason, Zhang Wenmian laughed coldly and said in a strange tone, "Official Zhang, you are the Minister of the Ministry of Appointments. This is your duty. What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of offending people or are you trying to buy people's hearts? Haha, with Eunuch Liu around, who would dare to do anything to you? If those grass on the fence didn't show him some power, would they be able to join Eunuch Liu's side so quickly? In my opinion, Official only needs to use this soft knife to scare them. After the New Year, when the weather has changed, all the civil and military officials in the court will leave Eunuch Liu's side! "
Liu Jin's blood was boiling from his words. He stared at Zhang Cai with dissatisfaction and said, "You, after being an official for so many years, your courage is getting smaller and smaller. You can't even compare to Wenmian, a scholar. Just do as Wenmian says!"
Zhang Cai saw that Liu Jin was angry and could only bite the bullet and said, "Yes, I will obey!"
Zhang Wenmian glanced at Zhang Cai proudly and continued, "Eunuch, Liu Jian, Xie Qian, Hangul and Liu Daxia used to look down on all the heroes. How amazing were they? If they returned to the court today, would they still have the prestige they had in the past? Of course not. Their loyal henchmen have already dispersed. A dragon without clouds, a tiger without wind. What prestige would they still have?
Not long after, Yang Ling will also end up like this. At that time, Gu Daeyong will not be able to hold on any longer. He will have to lower his head to Eunuch Liu, so there is no harm in putting it aside for now. The hardest to deal with is the Inner Faction. The Inner Faction was established by Yang Ling and will not voluntarily lower their heads to Eunuch Liu. However, there is one condition. Eunuch Liu is the Chief Steward of the Bureau of Rites. According to the system, the Inner Faction guards are all under your jurisdiction.
When Yang Ling was the Supervisor, he had the power to directly go to the Heavens. Eunuch Liu could not control the Inner Faction. Now, who else in the Inner Faction has the ability? Big Gear Leader Wu Jie did not make a name for himself when he was in the Imperial Bodyguard. Second Gear Leader Yu Yong was a famous Thousand Household Guard. These two pieces of trash, it is all because of Yang Ling that they have a smooth life.
Now that there are no generals in Sichuan, Yang Ling actually used these two incompetent people to guard his most important power. It can be seen that Yang Ling is at his wit's end. If Eunuch Liu can topple these two people, the Inner Faction will be at your fingertips. "
Zhang Cai anxiously said: "This lowly official heard that the Inner Faction was set up because His Majesty was worried about Wang Yue and set up another faction to suppress him. Eunuch Liu's trust in His Majesty is unquestionable. With Yang Ling gone, the Inner Faction will inevitably be under your management.
However, you are in charge of the Inner Faction, but you have no right to change the Supervisor. If they are determined to make things difficult for Eunuch Liu, with Yang Ling around, His Majesty will not make things too difficult for them. Therefore, Eunuch Liu should show kindness to the newly promoted officials of the Inner Faction and rope them in. You can also suppress Wu Jie, Yu Yong, and the other leaders and show your power. You can use both methods and show kindness and might. After a year and a half, the Inner Faction will be Eunuch Liu's arm. "
Zhang Wenmian arrogantly said: "Why do you need to put in so much effort? Go straight to the core and take over the Inner Faction. If Wu Jie and Yu Yong can't be moved, then they won't be moved! Raise them up high and hang them on the wall. From the Department of Rites, pick a few capable people to be the heads of the Inner Faction and take over their business and secret agents. The Inner Faction will be Eunuch Liu's bag. They won't even have time to resist. This is what they call a thunderclap that can't cover one's ears. "
Liu Jin happily said: "Wenmian's plan is good. Heh heh, Yang Ling has become a Duke at such a young age. If he doesn't know his place, he will incur the wrath of the Heavens. I am helping him avert disaster and do good."
At this time, a manservant brought in a pile of memorials and placed them on the table. He quietly said: "Eunuch Liu, these are the memorials sent by the hundreds of officials today."
Liu Jin had set the rule that when sending memorials to the Emperor, they must first be sent to him in red letters, called the 'Red Book'. Then they must be submitted to the Office of Transmission, called the 'White Book'. In this way, the Office of Transmission was completely stripped of its authority to directly report to the Emperor. The enormous yamen of the Office of Transmission became the receiving office of the Department of Rites.
One reason Liu Jin did this was to deprive the Office of Transmission of its authority, but there was also another reason. Liu Jin was a person who didn't read much, and scholars liked to write memorials as abstruse as possible. It was strenuous for him and he couldn't understand them. He also didn't want to submit them to the Emperor in such a muddle-headed manner, so he thought of this method. All the memorials were to be made in duplicate and one was to be sent to his private residence in advance. This way, he could have a clear idea of everything and could discuss it with his subordinates at any time.
"Is there something urgent?" Liu Jin asked casually.
"Eunuch Liu, none of the letters sent by the hundreds of officials have the word 'urgent' written on them. However, the one at the top was sent over by the Office of Transmission. It says that this is a matter of the internal court and has nothing to do with the external court. Thus, it shouldn't be registered or submitted through the Office of Transmission."
Liu Jin curiously took the memorial. It was a red envelope with the words "To Liu Jin" written neatly on it.
When Liu Jin saw this, he flew into a rage. "Bam!" The bamboo table made of red sandalwood received another heavy blow. "Bastard! How dare they! The Office of Transmission is becoming more and more impudent! "
Zhang Cai and Zhang Wenmian were both startled. They didn't know what major event had happened in the court to make Eunuch Liu fly into such a rage. The two hurriedly walked closer to take a look. The memorial in Eunuch Liu's hand hadn't even been opened yet. Why was he so angry?
They saw Liu Jin sneer and say, "It seems that Ma Qinggeng, the Office of Transmission's Commissioner of Transmission, has had enough. He actually dares to call me by my name. Hmph! Is Liu Jin someone he can call? San 'er, take my letter and visit Ma Qinggeng. Tell him that Liu Jin thanks him for sending the memorial to me. On another day, Liu Jin will pay him a visit! "
The manservant hastily acknowledged and retreated in a fluster. It turned out that when the civil and military officials sent memorials to Liu Jin, they would write on the envelope, "For Eunuch Liu, this official kowtows and pays his respects". Some officials who had sought refuge under Liu Jin would shamelessly write, "For His Majesty, this servant kowtows and pays his respects". Even Li Dongyang and the others were polite to them. Only the Office of Transmission, who was sending a memorial to him for the first time, didn't know the rules.
After the two persuaded Liu Jin with kind words, he opened the envelope angrily. After reading the contents of the memorial, Liu Jin's anger immediately turned to joy. He laughed and said, "So it's a memorial from the Inner Yard. Haha, without Yang Ling, they don't even know how to deal with the Emperor. Wu Jie became the Factory Supervisor, but he doesn't know how to thank the Emperor and sent the memorial to the Office of Transmission."
Zhang Wenmian had just persuaded Liu Jin to take over the inner sanctum as fast as lightning. Liu Jin was quick to change her mind. She immediately stood up and said, "Servants, quickly prepare the sedan chair!"
He smiled at Zhang Cai and said, "I'm going to Leopard Garden to send this memorial to the Emperor. I'm also going to ask the Emperor for an imperial edict. As long as the Emperor gives the order to put the Inner Yard under my control, I'll immediately arrange for people to take over the Inner Yard and make Wu Jie and Yu Yong a mere figurehead!"
* * *
"Haha, Duke Wei, the Emperor personally chose you to be the matchmaker for Princess Yongfu's son-in-law. This shows the Emperor's great trust in you. In fact, among the three of us, Duke Wei has the highest rank. Of course, we'll follow your lead. Marquis Of Shouning is the Emperor's uncle and the closest relative of Princess Yongfu. He's also more qualified to speak than me. As for the son-in-law, I'll listen to you and Marquis Of Shouning. "
Bi Zhen was thin, but his eyes were full of spirit. He was full of smiles and bowed to the left and right. He spoke very politely. Bi Zhen was originally a eunuch of the Catering Department. Because he was good at currying favor, he was first promoted to a junior eunuch and then to a eunuch. Yang Ling used to walk around the palace and met this person before. However, they did not speak to each other and were not familiar with each other.
Marquis Of Shouning, however, Zhang Heling knew that this person was a typical smiling tiger. He was originally an ignorant and incompetent local ruffian. He was ruthless and greedy for money. When Wang Yue was in power, he tried to please Wang Yue and became the guarding eunuch of Shandong's Dezhou. After Liu Jin took over the Rites Department from Yang Ling, he was the first to send gifts to the capital to show his loyalty to Liu Jin. As a result, he was promoted to the guarding eunuch of Shandong.
After Liu Jin ordered that the guarding eunuchs could enjoy the same power as the local officials of the same level, Bi Zhen immediately responded. He overstepped his authority and accepted the lawsuits without authorization. He used this as an excuse to extort money from the people. The pension case of the hunters in Qingzhou was caused by his unreasonable bullying. Although Liu Jin mobilized the Five Guards to suppress the bloody uprising, he was worried that Bi Zhen would cause more trouble, so he transferred him back to the Rites Department.
"Not at all. I am young and inexperienced. I don't know the rules of choosing a son-in-law. I heard that choosing a son-in-law should be presided over by the eunuch of the Rites Department. The Emperor loves his younger sister, so he asked the eunuch of the Rites Department, the current Imperial Uncle, and this lowly official to preside over the ceremony together. This big idea should be decided by Lord Marquis Of Shouning and Eunuch Bi." Yang Ling hurriedly returned the courtesy.
Yang Ling resigned from all his posts. He was relaxed. He changed his official robe into a scarlet duke's robe, which made him look even more powerful. Marquis Of Shouning knew that although he did not have any real power, he was still more popular in front of the Emperor than him. Moreover, the two of them had made a fortune together. They were like brothers. He did not care about the little bit of happiness they had in the past. He hurriedly said with a smile, "Lord Duke is choosing a son-in-law for the princess. This is an unprecedented event. Lord Wei, please don't be so polite. It's almost time, we should enter."
"Okay, okay, Lord Duke, Lord Marquis, please." Bi Zhen jumped up, moved the chair, and said with a smile.
The three of them were having breakfast at the Longxing Pavilion on the main street in front of the Zhuwang Restaurant. This was the main venue for choosing a son-in-law for Princess Yongfu. Only after three candidates were chosen could they be brought into the palace to be seen by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
Because they arrived early, the three of them met each other in their palanquins and went to the teahouse to have tea. Seeing that there was an endless stream of people on the street and more and more people were rushing into the Zhuwang Restaurant, the three of them got up and went downstairs.
"Sixth Aunt, help me look after the stall. I will go and sign up. What? Three copper coins for ten, five copper coins for twenty. Hmm … Okay, that's enough. If I'm chosen as the son-in-law, I won't sell donkeys anymore. " A young man with a dark face and a sweet smile hurriedly took off his apron and ran to the Zhuwang Restaurant.
Yang Ling was sitting in the palanquin. When he heard this, his eyes widened. Who … who are these people? How can a peddler who sells donkeys and rolls apply for the son-in-law position? Princess Yongfu …
Yang Ling remembered the first time they met in the Crown Prince's palace. Her golden hairpin scratched the screen and he was forced by Yongchun to take the blame for her. At that time, there was a trace of apology in her gentle eyes. He remembered the beautiful young girl in a light yellow palace dress walking down the stairs with the Taoist Master in front of the Jiangji Pavilion …
He thought of the Princess of the Ming Dynasty in the hot spring in Ji Province. The sound of the zither was faint, the curtain was like water, and a candle was swaying. She was dressed in white like snow. Behind the curtain, she looked like a pure lotus flower with a noble temperament. Suddenly, the image of the noble descendant of the Heavenly Emperor and the image of a beautiful girl high up in the air overlapped with a dark-faced young man wearing an apron that was indistinguishable from black and white and holding a bamboo clip in his hand.
The young man suddenly shouted, "Come here, donkeys, ten for three coins." His shout immediately silenced the elegant sound of the zither. The palanquin stopped abruptly. Yang Ling leaned forward. He felt a little restless and annoyed. He lifted the curtain and scolded, "What is it?"
Now that Yang Ling was Duke Wei, Wu Hanchao was arranged to enter the Ministry of War, leaving only Liu Bangchao by his side. He was considered the leader of the family guards. Liu Bangchao puffed out his chest and led a group of family guards to protect the palanquin.
The flow of people in front was like a jam, pushing and shoving. The officers who maintained order waved their leather whips and lashed out, shouting, "Get lost, all of you get lost, let the three imperial envoys in. Damn you, what's the use of you squeezing in first if you can't get in? Do you want to be a eunuch? "
"Hey, how can you say that? If I become the son-in-law, I'll punish you for what you said!"
"Hey! With that kind of character of yours? Get lost, if father was ten years younger, I'd have a much higher chance than you. Get lost! All of you, get lost! " The whips made cracking sounds, but they didn't really hit people with force. These QING Five Cities Warlords were good at using their whips. The whips were crisp and loud in the air.
There was a sea of people, squeezing in the middle without their feet touching the ground. Although the palanquin of Yang Ling, Zhang Heling and the other two was protected in the middle, it was still swaying. Everyone was afraid that if they moved away, their seats would be taken by others, so no one moved.
Someone in the distance pulled down the banner of the restaurant and stood on a table, waving the banner, shouting with a red face, "Outrageous, why can't we Shanxi people sign up? This is unfair, I've been here since the third watch period. Ming Destiny is the Ming Destiny of the world, the Princess is the Princess of the world, why should those from Beijing have priority? "
A young man beside the table jeered, "Serves you right, who asked you not to know the rules? You can't stand to death! The Prince Consort will be chosen from the officials in the capital. If you can't be chosen, you'll go to Jinnei, Shandong, and Henan. If you can't find anyone from these places, then you'll go to other places. You just wait. "
Another person tried to persuade him, "Forget it, brother. I'm from Huailai Chicken Cry Inn. I just happened to be visiting the capital, so I came to sign up quickly. In the end, I had to wait for two more days, so I'm the third choice."
The young man said angrily, "At least I have a chance in the third choice. I don't have a choice even if I wanted to! Hey, motherf * cker, you, I recognize you. You're obviously a beggar, what are you doing here? "
"Me? I … I'm from Beijing. "
The Shanxi fellow was probably going crazy with anger. He jumped off the table and was about to hit the beggar. The beggar hurriedly begged, "Brother, spare me, spare me, this … doesn't this mean that we get lunch after signing up? I'm just trying to make a living, so the first choice has to be boiled, because … I can't read."
Yang Ling almost jumped out of the sedan chair to hit him. What kind of person was this? Even if it was an audition, shouldn't they have some self-awareness? That was the Emperor's daughter, the daughter of a high-ranking official, the dignified Princess Ming Destiny. She had both talent and looks. How could the Prince Consort be chosen so casually?
The patrolling imperial messenger led more than twenty bailiffs and overcame many obstacles. He squeezed in with a face full of sweat and said, "Eunuch Yang, why don't … we go in from the back door. We can't go in from the front door."
"Mm, the main door and the back door don't matter. I say … why is it so messy? There are so many people signing up, and there are still many … Look at that one, holding a basket of salted duck eggs. Are people like that allowed to sign up? "
"Yes, Eunuch Yang, as long as you're a citizen of the four provinces, well-groomed, dignified, and well-educated, you can enter the top three. Between the ages of 14 and 16, you can enter the top three choices. There are no restrictions on your background or occupation. In the previous dynasty, the Prince Consort of a princess was a duck breeder. "
"The conditions … are so lenient?" Yang Ling said with difficulty.
The sedan chair retreated and circled to the back door of the Zhuwang Guesthouse.
Yang Ling lost all confidence. "There are so many people, and there are all kinds of people. When will the audition end? Can I … choose a Prince Consort that Princess Yongfu will be satisfied with? "
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
