Rule over Ming Dynasty

"I'm not afraid to tell you everything! The reason why my boss got this job was because he came to the capital with Mr. Yin Ge's letter and met with the current Heavenly Official Li Yu. Did you know that Mr. Yin Ge and Li Shangshu are the same? What's the relationship?" The master stretched out his hand and pinched his mustache, and immediately revealed his trump card to put pressure on the little Jin Yiwei Qianhu in front of him.

If a bachelor's degree in the cabinet is not enough, then adding the minister of the Ministry of Personnel of the current dynasty is enough to shut up a small wealthy family.

Huh?

When Zhang Cai and others heard these remarks, they all turned to look at the fair-skinned old man behind them.

The obese member of staff seemed to know something about the inside story, so he gave the answer directly: "They are all Jinshi in the same ranking of Jingtai for five years!"

"Wrong, they are close friends of the same age, or even brothers!" Master corrected him seriously as he loosened his handlebar mustache.

Siblings?

The corners of the fair-skinned old man's mouth twitched slightly, and his eyes looked at the conversing master with complicated eyes.

This……

Zhang Cai and others looked at the other party's effort, and suddenly realized that the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty was so deep, and the small official promotion seemed to be unbreakable.

"I advise you not to look for trouble, otherwise you will not be able to keep your position, and you may even harm your relatives and friends! If you are sensible, I can also make the decision for my master and give you a small salary as a token of my appreciation! "The master thought Zhang Cai was frightened and said with a smile.

Nowadays, the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Shipping is one of the fattest yamen. In fact, there are many people who come to ask for benefits. Today, a supervisory censor was sent away.

In this officialdom, one can never live alone, and they not only win over important officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but also send warnings of ice and charcoal to officials in Beijing every year.

As long as they collect enough, they won't be afraid of people like this eating some of their flesh. This is the long-term way of officialdom.

The fair-skinned old man who had been silent all this time looked at the well-organized master in front of him, and suddenly said leisurely: "It turns out that I am really responsible for this matter, and it actually affects Brother Gu Dan!"

This fair-skinned old man was none other than Yin Zhi, who was ordered to come to Jiangnan and serve as the governor of Zhejiang.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed what he saw. Starting from the servants of the Shibosi Yamen, people at all levels were openly asking for bribes.

As the saying goes, deeds lead to deeds, but now the gatekeepers are so greedy for money. One can imagine how rampant and lawless the officials in this yamen are usually.

In fact, in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, it was always a hundred times easier to be a corrupt official than an honest one. After all, honest officials not only require themselves not to be corrupt, but they also have to spend effort to control the people under them, and even stand on the opposite side of the people in the yamen.

When Hai Rui was a county magistrate in Chun'an, in order to create a truly clean and honest government, he finally had to serve as a government official himself and spank prisoners with a board.

It's just that his disciple who he formed in the Hanlin Academy, the current Ningbo Shipping Secretary Zhao Fu, turned out to be the leader of this corruption group, and even clearly marked the price for sea navigation and ship redemption.

The reason why the Ci officials of the Ming Dynasty had a distinguished status was largely due to the fact that they could have a large number of disciples. Even if they could not preside over the provincial examinations and joint examinations, they could still form a teacher-student relationship by teaching common people.

Zhao Fu was a concubine in the 11th year of Chenghua. When he was in the Hanlin Academy, he took a fancy to Zhao Fu's righteousness and saw his long-cherished wish to serve the country wholeheartedly.

The officialdom of the Ming Dynasty did pay attention to background. Although Zhao Fu had excellent grades, he could not stay in the Hanlin Academy. When he was sent to work elsewhere, he failed to achieve his goals. Because his parents passed away, he had no choice but to return home to observe his filial piety.

Since there is no connection in the officialdom, this reinstatement is destined to not be reused. Yin Zhi saw himself in Zhao Fu, and wanted to help Zhao Fu who came to visit him.

But no matter what, he never thought that he would actually create a corrupt official with his own hands, and even inadvertently drag Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, into trouble.

"You...who are you?" The master was born in Shaoxing, and the master from Shaoxing immediately asked alertly.

Naturally, Zhang Cai did not need to reveal his identity as Yin Zhi, so he immediately scolded the master: "Stop talking nonsense and lead the way!"

The master vaguely sensed that something was wrong. If there was just a small Jinyiwei Qianhu, there would be nothing to fear. But what if this Jinyiwei Qianhu was just a follower?

Originally it was still a guess, but Zhang Cai's next words almost frightened him: "Mr. Yin Ge, please!"

Yin... Mr. Yin Ge?

The master's eyes were wide open and he couldn't believe his own eyes. The dignified elder actually went to Jiangnan and came to their Ningbo Shipping Company.

It's just that the identity of the fair-skinned old man in front of me seems to be taken for granted. Otherwise, which person from the capital can be equipped with thousands of royal guards?

"You are a smart person, you know what to do next, right?" Zhang Cai directly picked up the frail master and walked inside.

Master Shaoxing realized that the situation was irreversible, and now he just hoped that his punishment would be lighter.

Ningbo Bosi Yamen is located in the south of the Yangtze River, and it is a Yamen directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, so the back house is unique. There are not only rockeries, small lakes and weeping willows, but also a water pavilion that cost a lot of money.

Jiangnan people are fond of poetry, music and beauties, and in the water pavilion here there are beauties playing the pipa, and the melodious tunes add a touch of spring to the sky and the earth.

Zhao Fu, who was wearing the official uniform of the fifth rank, and Zhang Jue, the governor of Zhejiang, sat around the table, and the two had a pleasant conversation here.

Although the two of them had no overlap in their previous official careers and had completely different life experiences, now that they have formed a community of interests, there is a feeling that they met too late.

As the governor of Zhejiang, Zhang Jun is based in Hangzhou, but now he frequently comes to Ningbo, in order to share fine wines and delicacies with Zhao Fu, and even the beauties he specially brought with him.

Zhao Fu has now completely sunk in and cannot extricate himself, but he has a feeling that the first half of his life was in vain, and now the life is called living.

"Brother Yan Qing, try this local dish. Did you put a lot of effort into it?" Zhang Juan pointed at a dish of vinegar fish and said with great effort.

Mr. Zhao watched the beauty next to him pick up the fish for him, but he shook his head gently and said: "This dish looks really good, but Mrs. Song's fish is still authentic from West Lake!"

"Try it first!" Zhang Juan raised the corners of his mouth and smiled mysteriously.

The beauty brought the fish meat, and Fu Zhao opened his mouth to taste it and said in surprise: "This tastes wonderful. Is this the Song Sao fish from West Lake? It's just..."

"If Brother Zhao likes it, you can eat authentic Song Sao fish every day from now on. It's just a small thing to spend some money on!" Zhang Jue said very grandly.

Song Sao Fish is a dish created by Song Wu Sao, a fisherman from West Lake. Although it actually uses ordinary grass carp, because it was originally sourced from West Lake, the world considers West Lake to be the authentic one.

It’s just that the biggest cost in this era is often not the material itself, but the transportation cost involved.

For example, when Concubine Yang wanted to eat lychees, lychees were not valuable in Lingnan. However, in order to bring lychees to Chang'an, lychee trees that were hundreds of years old had to be cut down, and a large number of people were needed to transport them.

Now if you want to transport West Lake grass carp to Ningbo City, although the distance is not that ridiculous, the cost along the way is no longer a small sum.

Mr. Zhao swallowed the fish meat in his mouth, looked very happy and picked up the wine glass and said: "It is really a great blessing in life to be able to eat authentic Song's Fish in Ningbo City. I would like to have a drink, Brother Xian!"

Zhang Jun actually counted on Zhao Fu to open the door to Jiangnan merchants. Although it was indeed difficult to get a few fish from the West Lake, it was just a small amount of money to do a big thing.

Just when the atmosphere was very harmonious, a discordant voice sounded in this era: "Looking back at Chang'an, there are piles of embroidery, and thousands of doors are opening on the top of the mountain. The concubine riding on the red dust is laughing, and no one knows that it is the lychee coming!"

Although the poems have been famous throughout the ages, the poet Li He of the Tang Dynasty wrote a poem with the title "Passing the Huaqing Palace". It seems to be about the prosperity and decline of the Huaqing Palace, but it is actually a satire on the luxurious life of the royal family.

Now quoting this poem is naturally to ridicule the two people who live a luxurious life here and ridicule them for transporting grass carp from West Lake all the way to Ningbo. Zhang Juan's eyes could not bear the sand. He looked up and saw that the person who made the sarcasm was an old man in plain clothes. A fierce look suddenly flashed in his eyes.

Zhao Fu looked up and saw Yin Zhi suddenly appearing, and blurted out in disbelief: "Teacher?"

In the Ming Dynasty, the high-ranking court officials were almost insulated from the local area. Not to mention the high-ranking cabinet ministers, even the six ministers rarely left the capital.

It's just that the cabinet minister Yin Zhi, who was supposed to be serving the emperor in Xiyuan, suddenly came to Ningbo thousands of miles away, and no one was able to turn around.

"Don't call me teacher, I don't have students like you!" Yin Zhi said with his own eyes as he saw his favorite disciple completely degenerate.

Huh?

Zhang Juan couldn't help being stunned when he learned that the old man in gray clothes in front of him turned out to be the cabinet minister Yin Zhi.

Fu Zhao still respected Yin Zhi very much. At least he gave him this wealth. Even when he stood up, he still addressed him as a teacher: "Teacher, aren't you in the capital? How could..."

"Your Majesty does not want to be Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, and I really want to leave the capital and reflect on myself!" Yin Zhi found that Zhu Youtang's arrangement for the elders to be old was indeed a wise decision, and he seemed to have understood the good intentions.

Leaving Beijing to reflect on yourself?

Fu Zhao was slightly stunned at first, but then said bitterly: "Teacher, why have you been demoted again?"

It was originally Yin Zhi's emotion about the changes of his disciple Zhao Fu, but when it fell into Zhao Fu's ears, it had a different meaning, and he mistakenly thought that Yin Zhi had been demoted again.

Demoted?

Zhang Juan reacted from the shock, but he knew that the elder Ge who had fallen into the water was in front of him, but he still took the initiative to give up the first seat and said: "Don't worry about the road ahead without friends, there is no one in the world who doesn't know you! Mr. Yin Ge, please take a seat!"

If anyone has the most magical career, it is probably Yin Zhi in front of him.

In his early years, he failed to achieve his goals in the Hanlin Academy. He finally gained the attention of Emperor Chenghua, but was demoted to Nanjing not long after. After eight years of hard work, he finally returned to Beijing successfully, but encountered the change of power between the old and new emperors.

Yin Zhi was forced to take the initiative to resign. After waiting for three or four years, he was finally restored by the new emperor. Just one year after his recovery, he was "demoted" again.

As for whether there is a second possibility? Not to mention that Zhang Jun would not think too much, not even the officials in Zhejiang would have thought of other possibilities for a cabinet elder who left Beijing.

"This wine tastes so good!" Yin Zhi did not move, his eyes falling on the table full of fine wine and delicacies.

The corners of Zhang Jue's mouth raised slightly, and she pointed to the opened wine jar on the table and said, "Mr. Yin Ge really knows the goods. This is the century-old Shaoxing Huadiao wine!" As he said this, he noticed Master Qian who was leading the people over: "Qian Master, I know that I am your favorite, so I will give you a jar as a gift later!"

"Thank you so much!" Mr. Qian said awkwardly as he met Zhang Jue's gaze.

"I'm afraid the food on this table costs a hundred taels, right?" Although Yin Zhi doesn't know much about wine, he also knows that it is worth a lot of money.

Zhang Jun smiled mysteriously, but pointed at the beautiful woman who had stopped playing the pipa and said: "This girl is the number one in Yichun Courtyard in Hangzhou. I specially arranged for her to come here, and the number is no less than a hundred taels!"

"Good fellow, this meal will eat up ten years of your salary!" Yin Zhi couldn't help but sigh with emotion when he saw the other party taking so much trouble.

Zhang Juan picked up the wine handed over by the beauty, drank it down in one gulp and said: "To be successful in life, you must have all the joy, and you will come back again after all the money has been spent!"

Although they spent more, they now earn more, not to mention that this kind of luxurious life is not available every day, even if it is arranged every day, they can afford it.

"Master Zhao, I remember when I taught you that as an official, you should be the first in the world!" Yin Zhi still dare not accept his disciple's depravity, but he turned to look at this former proud disciple and said.

Fu Zhao still looked like a humble gentleman, but he saluted Yin Zhi and said, "Yes, my disciple has always taken this as a warning!"

"The shipping company's office in this city has been asking for permission at all levels. They openly put a price tag on the navigation and redemption of the ship, but I don't know what it means?" Yin Zhi didn't expect that his disciple didn't seem to know his mistake, so he asked in a deep voice.

Before Zhao Fu could speak, Zhang Jun had already defended Zhao Fu: "Mr. Yin Ge, do you dare to ask if the Ningbo Shipping Company's tariffs can be reduced by a penny?"

"Not really! Judging from the account books alone, Ningbo Shipping Company is much better than Shanghai Shipping Company!" Yin Zhi shook his head gently, looking very honest.

The corner of Zhang Jue's mouth raised slightly, but she said as if she was doing something for Fu Zhao: "Mr. Yin Ge, the purpose of setting up the Ningbo Shipping Department is to increase fiscal revenue. Isn't Mr. Zhao doing a good job now?"

Huh?

Zhang Cai and others heard this argument and found that it seemed true, but something seemed wrong.

"Is the imperial court setting up the Shipping Department just to increase fiscal revenue? You really underestimated His Majesty's wisdom in governing the country, let alone His great talents and strategies!" Yin Zhi was disappointed when he found that the corrupt officials in front of him really only focused on money. He shook his head.

Zhao Fu couldn't help being stunned, but he said in confusion: "Isn't it?"

"The imperial court established the Municipal Shipping Department to develop maritime trade in order for Ming Dynasty to establish good trade relations with overseas countries, for Ming Dynasty to continue to obtain overseas resources, and even for Ming Dynasty Maritime Business to become an agent for countries A and B!" Yin Zhi knew that they He didn't understand it at all, but he also expressed Zhu Youtang's intention.

Originally, he had similar thoughts, but as the situation developed, especially when he saw the rice rolling in from the imperial court, and saw the capital prospering with cotton, he realized that the dominant country in maritime trade was what the emperor was pursuing.

Now it seems that the Ningbo Shipping Company's tax revenue is not small, but with what they do, let alone the Ningbo Shipping Company's contribution to the prosperity of maritime trade in Jiangnan, in the end it will only ruin the good situation due to shortsightedness.

Zhang Juan felt that he had been humiliated, but suddenly a plan came to his mind: "Mr. Yin Ge, I don't know whether to say something or not!"

"Say it!" Yin Zhi knew it was not a good thing to say.

The corners of Zhang Jun's mouth raised slightly, but he said with a bit of sarcasm: "You are dedicated to assisting the emperor in governing the country, but in the end, you are not a breeze? Now, you have been demoted again!"

"Brother Zhang, how could you talk to my teacher like this!" Zhao Fu defended himself when he saw Zhang Jue revealing his teacher's "pain points".

Zhang Jue knew that Zhao Fu was actually a cold-blooded person, but he continued to preach: "This is an unpleasant thing to say, but you have to let your teacher know the world! Not to mention that your Majesty is now in a state of indebtedness, and all the virtuous ministers in the court are all We know what we are doing, and we should support each other when we are officials in the same court. However, there are many treacherous and sycophant people in the court now, and they try to flatter the emperor for the sake of political advantage. This has not only chilled the hearts of my colleagues, but also messed up our great Ming Dynasty!"

"I really didn't expect such disloyal words to come from the mouth of a Zhejiang governor!" Yin Zhi's face suddenly turned cold and he couldn't help but look up and down at the eloquent governor.

Zhang Jue glanced at Yin Zhi, who was demoted, with disdain, but suddenly changed his face and said, "Brother Zhang, your teacher seems to be someone who doesn't belong to the same school. Are you leaving today for your brother's sake, or are you reminiscing with your teacher?"

"Teacher, I will help you find a place to stay now, and I will come to you later for training!" Zhao Fu hesitated for a moment, then looked at the teacher in front of him and said.

"I have been wondering all this time whether there was a misunderstanding about this matter. After all, you were indeed a hateful child back then. But people really do change, especially the Vanity Fair here can really change a person beyond recognition, and you have become You have lost the look you should have hated the most back then!" Yin Zhi looked at the disciple in front of him, shook his head gently and sighed.

Zhang Jun snorted coldly and said mercilessly: "You are just a lost official, and you dare to preach to two of our local officials here. How shameless!"

"Teacher, I'm offended, please leave!" Zhao Fu was also angry and immediately planned to have Yin Zhi asked out.

Yin Zhi knew that some things needed to be settled, so he said calmly: "Zhang Qianhu!"

"Elder Ge, here is my humble duty!"

Huh?

When the two people heard this title, they couldn't help but look at each other. Hasn't this person been demoted? (End of chapter)