"Feng Fu, from the fifth rank of the Hanlin Academy, was a teacher of Weng Tonghe... According to the salary standard in the early days of the Kingdom, the annual salary was 80 taels of silver and 80 dendrobium of rice. Later, after Emperor Yongzheng added the system of raising integrity silver, the official and food officials in the capital were given double salaries. Calculating this, you only get 160 taels of silver and 160 hu of rice a year..."
"It's not enough. It's really not enough. A medium-sized table in the capital costs ten taels of silver, right? When officials attend weddings and weddings with gifts, it costs ten taels or twenty taels. Your salary is simply not worth it. It’s not enough of a human relationship…”
"I have inquired before. For the three houses you have, the annual rent is 35 taels. It is really difficult to live in the capital. What's more, the court's salary has not been paid in full in recent years. It seems that the maximum amount is 35 taels. Just 70% of it? Most of the time, it’s only half..."
Shopkeeper Ding was settling accounts with Feng Hanlin bit by bit like an old acquaintance. Unexpectedly, he had discovered all the circumstances of Feng Hanlin's family, even the acres of thin farmland in his hometown.
At this time, Feng Hanlin was as if he was naked, all the details were clearly understood, not only shopkeeper Ding, but also the situation of his wife's natal family.
"My lady, my mother's family is a landowner with a small fortune. Not only have I not received your care these years, but I have to give my daughter thirty or forty taels in aid every year. Otherwise, you would really not be able to survive this life... "
These words were like sharp knives piercing Feng Hanlin's heart. Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore and shouted, "That's enough. Did you come to my house today just to humiliate me? Don't think you lent me money." Now, you can humiliate me...me, me, me!"
Feng Fu's eyes were darting back and forth, as if he was looking for something, but Xiao Ding, who spoke like a knife, sneered, "What are you looking for? Are you looking for your wife's jewelry to pawn? I can tell you, the pawnshops are closed at this late hour." Already..."
With a whimper, a figure outside the window cried and left. Only then did they realize that Feng Hanlin's wife had been eavesdropping in the shadows.
The cry hit Feng Fu's heart like a heavy hammer. The anger he had just accumulated disappeared immediately, and his whole person was like a deflated rubber ball.
The living room suddenly fell into silence. Shopkeeper Ding gave him enough time to think until finally Feng Fu sighed, "If you have something to say clearly, don't beat around the bush..."
"Haha, have a good time..." Shopkeeper Ding suddenly revealed a small tooth-bone abacus from his sleeve and began to type. "Your annual rent is 35 taels. I will give you 40 taels. A year's weddings, weddings, and official contacts I calculated according to the standards of a third-grade senior official, 450 taels is enough..."
"The family needs to have an old family member to look after the door, right? Then there will be a cook, and the lady must have a maid. I calculated based on the four standards, and it will cost one hundred taels of silver a year to support them..."
"Also, my hometown has suffered a lot for you these years. Every year, you have to prepare thirty taels of cash or other things to supplement the subsidies... Also, the official uniform is old and I have to buy a few sets..."
Shopkeeper Ding’s little calculations made Feng Fu’s eyes dazzled. After finally calculating the winter charcoal money and the money for pens, inks, paper and inkstones, he clapped his hands and said, “Okay… If we calculate according to this standard in a year, the total amount will be 960 taels of silver! Let me give you a round number, how about one thousand taels? That’s one thousand taels... I’ll do the math... I’ll give you a total of 1,300 dragon-patterned silver coins!"
As he spoke, shopkeeper Ding took out a stack of brand new bonds from his sleeves, counted thirteen and placed them in front of Feng Fu and Feng Hanlin, "Sir, count them. I won't make up for the missing ones... "
"You..." Feng Fu suddenly stood up and wanted to shout but didn't dare. Finally, he said in a low voice, "You are so brave. You dare to bribe the court officials. Are you willing to die..."
"Yes! How can I give up my life... I cherish my life so much that I have to spend money to buy peace! You should take care of this money, and I won't let you rebel. What are you afraid of?"
"This is Xiao Letian's poisonous plan, isn't it? What a way to drain the firepower and corrupt all the officials in the court?"
"Haha, don't say that. The Prime Minister is the emperor's master. Can this emperor's master still rebel? Last year, my prime minister defeated the Forty-Nine Cities, didn't he rebel? Why not clean up the Forty-nine Cities? For a moment, then turned around and left again..."
"But you kidnapped His Majesty!" Feng Fu roared angrily.
"Ouch... You are being unreasonable. What do you mean by abducting? That is His Majesty's order, okay? Besides, in the more than half a year since you have been studying, Your Majesty has become taller, stronger, and more knowledgeable and knowledgeable. It's a huge increase. Even the four million taels of silver for this rescue was raised by our Majesty. Do you really think that the Prime Minister gave it to you for free..."
"How wonderful that a holy king has risen up now... But a holy king must be supported by loyal ministers! Do you really think that everyone in this court is of the same mind as the emperor?"
Shopkeeper Ding pressed forward step by step like a poisonous snake, using clever verbal traps to force Feng Fu into a corner. He knew that as long as Feng Fu received this first sum of money, he would become dependent on the bank's political donations in the future. , I can never extricate myself from now on.
"Lord Feng, you are noble, but you cannot ignore the Emperor even if you are noble... Even if the Emperor rewards you with this money, wouldn't it be enough to be loyal to the Emperor in the future? You must know that our Prime Minister is also a very loyal minister..."
"Come on, come on, you put it away... Count the amount. If you don't want to do it, that's okay. Just sign here and I can give it to His Majesty later..."
"Hahaha, that's right. From now on, you must remember that the salary given to you by the Imperial Household Department is 160 taels of silver and 160 hu of rice per year... At the same time, our Emperor Tongzhi, I will also secretly give you 1,300 yuan of dragon-patterned silver coins a year..."
"You don't need me as a businessman to say who you will be loyal to in the future, right? Just remember, what should you do with His Majesty's proposals in the future... Hahaha!"
The poisonous snake finally twisted around Feng Hanlin's neck. After he signed it with his own hands, his fate was no longer up to him.
At this time, there were several crisp sounds from outside the door: "Master, I have prepared some side dishes. You and your distinguished guests can have a drink..."
"Oh my! I'm sorry for bothering my wife..." Come on, I was a lady just now, but now I'm my wife. This businessman really knows how to climb the ladder!
Feng Fu felt as if all his strength had been drained from his body. There was only one sentence in his mind that kept repeating back and forth: "Taking hold of the emperor to command the princes... This is holding the emperor to command the princes!"
One night in the capital, the shopkeepers of Lotte Bank and Foreign Bank, as well as the secret officers of the Intelligence Bureau, began to attack everywhere to bribe the Beijing officials who were tearing up the bonds.
Chun Shisanniang made a plan based on the temperament of each official, so that they could clearly feel the pressure of money. One was a bad face, and the other was a good face. The Qing official system was poached that night.
From that day on, Qingliu, a group that was originally very independent and united, was no longer what it used to be.
