Chapter 180 Everyone is one of our own
"No need to cry."
Chen Cao waved his hands impatiently, not because he was bored, but because he didn't like to see others cry: "Uncle Zhang took great care of me during his lifetime. I was shocked when I heard about his death outside. Since something like this happened, then I, Chen Cao, should also help you;
Besides, when Uncle Zhang was reincarnated, I said that if your Zhang family is in trouble in the future, just come to me. "
Zhang Yingnan stood up and knelt down with a group of Zhang family members: "Thank you for your great kindness, Marquis Dingwu..."
"Everyone, get up." Chen Cao stood up and took the banknote from Liao Yaowen's hand: "There are three hundred taels of silver here. You go and prepare some carriages and other daily necessities. If you don't mind it, you can follow me back to Nanjing. I will find a place to accommodate you,"
As he said this, Chen Cao looked at Zhang Yingwu and said, "Okay, boy. Are you interested in joining the army?"
Zhang Yingwu bowed down and said, "It's all up to the Marquis to send you."
.
In Duke Baoguo's mansion, Zhu Yanrong and Chen Cao were sitting across from each other and drinking.
"Censor Zhou Wei suddenly attacked Wang Zhicai in the imperial court. Wang Zhicai was a backbone of the Donglin Party, and even Zuo Guangdou was captured. Would Wei Wei still be afraid of him?
Lao Zhang was unlucky because Wang Zhicai's career was recommended by him. Now he was just like your father-in-law, and the censor Mou Zhikui said that Zhang Wenda had been corrupt during those years when he was the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. It's a lot of money, let Zhang Wenda refund the money; hey...
Zhang Wenda really has no money, and this old man knows it. I asked people in Fusi, Beizhen, and found that the accountant at his residence only had a deposit of 6,000 taels. According to the report from Jinyiwei who came back from Shaanxi, Zhang Wenda only had 60 acres of land in his hometown in Jingyang. , his son’s son’s family, who is the Chief Envoy and Zuo Counselor, only has a fortune of more than 3,000 yuan..."
Zhu Yanrong said as he picked up a glass of wine and drank it to quench his thirst: "No, all I have to do is sell the mansion in the city and look for people to borrow money. I only collected 50,000 taels of silver. By the way, I also lost his son's official position. He was taken out by the Chief Envoy of Shaanxi Province and used as a scapegoat for the civil uprising."
Now the relationship between Chen Cao and Beizhen Fusi is not very good. If he wants to get complete information, he can only come to Zhu Yanrong. After all, this old guy is in the same boat as him, and he also has an official position in the court. The news He is also very well-informed.
"What about Zhang Wenda's former students and classmates? Doesn't the Donglin Party have any control over them?"
Zhu Yanrong laughed: "You are still an eunuch. Even Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou were imprisoned in Fusi Prison in Beizhen. Who dares to rescue Zhang Wenda?
Hey... By the way, you are also a member of the Eunuch Party. They should know the relationship between Zhang Wenda and you. Why, they didn't let Zhang Wenda off even though they saw you working loyally for the Eunuch Party? "
Chen Cao looked at Zhu Yanrong expressionlessly: "Master, are you really making fun of me?"
"Hahaha..." Zhu Yanrong laughed loudly: "You are also an outsider. In order to rectify the entire Donglin Party, Zhang Wenda must suffer. Fortunately, the old man himself died, otherwise , maybe you will suffer."
Chen Cao figured it out as soon as he thought about it. In order to vigorously rectify the Donglin Party, none of the elders who were born in Donglin should be spared. Otherwise, the eunuch party would lose its prestige. In history, the eunuch party was only established in the fifth year of the Apocalypse. The most glorious year for the party.
"Oops... Now the Donglin Party and the Eunuch Party are at odds with each other. You'd better not find trouble with the Donglin Party, otherwise you may get burned. Wang Wenyan's case involves too many things. Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou have successively He died in the imperial prison, and now the only celebrity left there is Zhou Chaorui, who probably won’t be able to survive for too long.”
Chen Cao is not interested in party disputes. As Zhu Yanrong said, what he has to do is to leave the court, a place of right and wrong, as soon as possible after the dynasty. Only by staying away from the center can he live longer.
...
Chen Cao knew that Wei Zhongxian wanted to see him, but he didn't expect it to be so soon...
In the other courtyard, only Tian Ergen and Xu Xianchun were present at the moment. Wei Zhongxian had not come out when Chen Cao arrived and had to wait.
"Brother..." Tian Ergeng stepped forward and grabbed Chen Cao's shoulders with enthusiasm: "I haven't seen you for many years, how are you?"
Chen Cao knew that Tian Ergeng was pretending to be in love with him, so he smiled and touched him: "You are better at it than me."
After saying that, he saluted Xu Xianchun: "Master Xu..."
After all, Chen Cao was also a marquis, and it was already a big deal for him to take the initiative to salute Xu Xianchun. Moreover, Chen Cao was Wei Zhongxian's loyal younger brother to the current eunuch party.
"Marquis Dingwu..." Xu Xianchun also knew etiquette and called Chen Cao in his official title.
After a few people exchanged pleasantries, Wei Zhongxian appeared in the central hall.
"Meet the Duke (adopted father)..."
Wei Zhongxian is still the same as before, perhaps because he has rectified the Donglin Party and taken control of the government. He seems to be in high spirits, and the blush on his face is also faintly shining. He does not look like an old man in his fifties at all.
"Chen Cao..."
"Governor..." Hearing Wei Zhongxian calling him, Chen Cao quickly stood up to answer.
"Sit down..." Wei Zhongxian waved his hand: "Did you gain anything from your trip to Japan?"
After Chen Cao sat down, he raised his hands to Wei Zhongxian and said, "During this trip to Japan, our Dingwu Army won a complete victory. We successfully helped Toyotomi Hideyori gain a foothold in Japan, and received the Toyotomi clan's gift of gold and silver." Thirteen million taels, the Ryukyu Kingdom surrendered, and asked General Ryukyu to govern Ryukyu, and sent envoys with credentials. Ryukyu was poor and weak, and had been oppressed by the Japanese country for a long time before surrendering, so there was no benefit, so I just collected gold and silver. It’s only five hundred thousand taels.”
Xu Xianchun and Tian Ergeng were both a little excited. With so much money, at least hundreds of thousands fell into their hands, which was much more comfortable than squeezing those poor officials in Beijing.
Wei Zhongxian's eyes lit up, and he immediately squinted his eyes as if closing his eyes to rest: "How are you going to arrange it..."
Chen Cao handed over his hand again: "My subordinates left two and a half million taels as a reward for the Dingwu Army, and then prepared to hand over three million taels to the Ministry of Household Affairs to seal their excuses, and then donate three hundred thousand taels of internal funds to Your Majesty. Ten thousand taels, and the remaining five million taels are all escorted to the Governor. My subordinates know that the Governor has many people and will spend a lot of money in winter and summer, so the money is all decided by the Governor."
"Well..." Wei Zhongxian responded happily. He was a eunuch who could get more than the emperor, so he was naturally happy: "You are also thoughtful, but you have to be careful in the future... ."
careful? Why are you so petty? Isn't it you, Wei Zhongxian, who has the final say in the court now?
"My subordinates are scared. Please ask the Governor to clear up my confusion."
"Although we have captured many backbones of the Donglin Party, Zhao Nanxing and Gao Panlong are still there, and His Majesty will not let our family become the dominant one. So now our family is on an equal footing with the Donglin Party in the court. This emperor's intention It’s not easy...”
Wei Zhongxian opened his eyes: "Although His Majesty likes carpentry and leaves everything to our family, His Majesty has always personally dealt with military and state affairs. A few days ago, Yuan Chonghuan gave His Majesty another plan for Ping Liao. Your Majesty read it I am very happy, but it involves eight hundred thousand taels of silver and two million military expenses. The Ministry of Revenue cannot come up with the money. Although His Majesty's internal funds were sufficient last time, it is not a solution..."
Chen Cao always felt that there was something in Wei Zhongxian's words, so he handed over his hand and said, "I wonder what my subordinates can do?"
"Well... just do your job well. If someone in the imperial court criticizes you, your majesty will arrange it. Your obedience is..."
really...
This was to remind him that there must be something disadvantageous to him during the imperial dynasty. Chen Cao didn't feel comfortable asking more questions, so he handed over his hand and said, "I know this, and I don't dare to complain..."
"Well, not bad, it's a good seedling..."
The two sides talked for a long time, Wei Zhongxian arranged some other matters, and finally let the three of them disperse.
Before leaving, Wei Zhongxian specifically stopped Chen Cao: "Chen Cao, do you have anything else to explain?"
Wei Zhongxian's expression did not change at all, he still had the old look of squinting eyes. Chen Cao thought for a moment and then handed over: "My subordinate is fine."
"Well... then you go ahead..."
.
"Something's wrong with Xin Zhao..."
Chen Cao's right eyelid has been twitching constantly since he left Wei Zhongxian's hospital. Judging from his years of experience, something bad must have happened.
"Master Marquis, could it be that Wei Wei is threatening you, Master Marquis?"
Chen Cao shook his head: "It would be a good thing if it was a threat. At least I know what he wants. The key is that before leaving, the gelding asked me if I had anything to say."
Xin Zhao frowned and thought for a long time: "Master Hou, could it be that we didn't do something right and he discovered it?"
"Except for the Zhang family, there is only one thing I can think of..."
"Chongming Island?" Zhao Xin blurted out.
On Chongming Island, Chen Cao brought back nearly 50 million taels of gold and silver jewelry and precious calligraphy and painting utensils from Japan. Wei Zhongxian always spoke like a pearl of wisdom. Now that Chen Cao thinks about it, only Chongming The property on the island can make Wei Zhongxian hate himself.
"Master Marquis, if this is the case, it will be troublesome. We are still in the capital and the army is in Nanjing. If something happens at this time, we are afraid that we will not be able to get out of the capital..."
Liao Yaowen followed from a distance, walked into Chen Cao and whispered: "Master Hou, I found a lot of informants... They should be Tiqi's people..."
"Don't look back, ignore them..." Chen Cao whispered, and then he rode forward on his own.
After entering the inn, Chen Cao asked Liao Yaowen to lead someone to guard the door, and then went into the house to think. After a long time, he said: "The navy escorted us all the way, even when we went to Chongming Island."
Chen Cao walked back and forth in the room as he spoke: "If the traitor sends a message from Nanjing, even a fast horse will not be as fast as us, so this can be ruled out. The only reasonable thing to say is that the traitor is following us. of."
Zhao Xin was startled and immediately approached Chen Cao: "Master Marquis, is the traitor in the Navy?"
"The possibility is very high..." Chen Cao looked out the window at the pedestrians walking back and forth. The capital was more prosperous than Nanjing: "By the way, do you have any plans for me to let you monitor Zhao Tianlin's actions?"
