The ground in Beijing is very evil, and almost no secrets can be kept. Many secrets that happened in the court can cause uproar in the city in less than half a day.
In the past few days, there are always people from the Eight Banners gathering together, muttering about how several corpses have been carried out from Prince Gong's Mansion, Empress Dowager Cixi dare not go back to live in the Forbidden City at night, and so on.
This city has experienced so much bloodshed and intrigues that even an old Beijinger can smell the faint smell of blood with his nose and see ghosts with a glance out of the corner of his eye.
Why are there so many soldiers patrolling the streets? Why did the inspection intensity of the Nine Admirals increase by another three points? Why are there more and more foreign devils gathering in Dongjiaomin Lane? Even the fluctuations in food prices have become evidence for many conspiracy believers.
Of course, people are most concerned about all the intelligence in Jiangnan. Thanks to the work of Qing Sanye, the Prime Minister's Office, the Qing Dynasty had an advanced telegraph network decades in advance. This allowed the gossips in Beijing to Have more capital to talk about.
"Have you heard? Xiao Letian from Donghai has come up with something new again. He has come up with something called the stock market..."
"Master Huang is slow to get the news, isn't he! I knew it the day before yesterday, for God's sake! You would never have imagined that the money that the stock market handles in one day is as high as a mountain!"
"On the first day, the stock trading volume reached more than 40 million. This is the first day, and after that, we can guarantee a turnover of 2 to 3 million taels every day. Listen, it's all a mountain of silver!"
"That's right, especially when new shares are issued, the scene is really hot. Every time-honored store in Jiangnan is snatched up. They buy as many as they have. I'm confused. Jiangnan has just finished fighting a few years ago, so why is it like this? Are you rich?"
"I don't understand, what does Xiao Letian call this financial economics! I have a relative in the south who is doing business in partnership with the Han people. He wrote to me and told me that war can destroy the city, burn down the shops, and rob all the food and cloth. , but this gold and silver is not afraid of fire, nor is it afraid of being washed away by water, at most it can be hidden..."
"Yellow and white things love to change their owners. If I follow you today, I will follow you tomorrow. War is when money runs around. When the world is at peace, the hidden gold and silver will still come out to make trouble..."
"Xiao Letian is smart. Southern Han people are good at doing business, especially gambling. Xiao Letian has already made a lot of money during the Southern Ticket Crisis. I didn't expect that he would build another casino. This must be fatal. ah?"
The teahouse was full of voices of discussion. Whenever money was mentioned, people's eyes
4000
There will be a strange light, and everyone's throats will be filled with the sound of swallowing saliva.
Just as he was talking, an old man from the Eight Banners who had only eaten half of the rotten meat noodles threw his chopsticks on the table with a snap. He was furious and his eyes were spitting fire. "They are all a bunch of untouchables! It's so difficult for the court." Come on, they don’t want to lose any military resources, but they are just watching our country live a miserable life!"
"If this were the day when the People's Republic of China was founded, I would have led troops to massacre them! What kind of bastards are they? Without the protection of the imperial court, how can those Han billboys make money? Why the hell do they make so much? Damn it, they collected four thousand a day. Thousands of taels! Are all the generals in Jiangnan City idiots? Go and rob him!"
One stone stirred up a thousand waves, and all the Eight Banners men present were excited. "Master Huang is right, these Han people are nothing. At that time, there was a war in Changmao, and their money and women were snatched away by Changmao. It was said that it would be presented to the imperial court. If the money had been presented earlier, would it have lasted so long? We Eight Banners athletes would have slaughtered those rebels!"
"That's right, I didn't have enough money back then. If I had the money, I would go to the battlefield and kill thieves. One head would have to be exchanged for a hundred taels of silver, right? With my ability, I could cut down five or six hundred people. No problem...cough cough cough..." The nonsense-mouthed dandy had completely forgotten that he smoked two pipes of cigarettes last night, and finally failed to last thirty seconds on the woman's belly. At that moment, he really thought he was an ancestor. Possessed.
Among them, an elderly Manchu said quietly, "It's still better than the old days. When our ancestors entered the customs, they were domineering, gold and silver women landed, and they would grab whatever they saw. At that time, the Eight Banners athletes could ride on horseback." If you can't come down for three days, you'll have to eat and sleep on your horse!"
"You know, at that time, my great ancestor was Batulu with the yellow flag. He attacked the Han army eight times a day! Eight times, he was covered in blood like a gourd of blood, and the loot he took was as large as a mountain... "
The Han shopkeeper in the teahouse sighed and shook his head silently. He was used to seeing this kind of scene. These Eight Banners men must not talk about their ancestors. As long as someone started, they could chat for a whole day without taking anyone away. It was a waste of time. The table wastes space and leaves no room for new guests to sit.
But you can't offend these people. One or two of them all have backgrounds, and two of them are men with red belts. They are the ones you can't offend.
It’s all the money’s fault! The shopkeeper sighed secretly in his heart, his black eyes didn't know what to do when he saw two pieces of silver, how could he go all out to return the fucking silver? Damn, the Qing Dynasty has supported you for several lifetimes in vain. Isn’t that money? I still want money. Even if you are virtuous and give me money, it will be the goods of a deserter.
What’s wrong with us Han people being rich? Don’t steal or rob. The property that generations of people have worked so hard to accumulate, just donate it if you say you want to. Each of you has a fortune of tens of thousands, and there are several manors outside the city. When you were having trouble, none of you had even paid half a tael of silver.
"What are you doing, shopkeeper? Are your ears clogged with wax? I told you to add water three times, but you can't hear me?"
"Oh, Mr. Huang, please wait a minute. I blame me for being distracted. I'm going to the backyard to carry water!" The shopkeeper walked to the backyard with a smile on his face and picked up the big copper pot. But after thinking about it, he opened the lid and saw that there was no one around. .
"Bah, bah, bah... I let you scold us Han people, sooner or later the prime minister will kill you!" Three mouthfuls of saliva were spit directly into the copper pot.
"Here... Sir, please heat up the water! Raise your hands, be careful..."
Just as he was talking, a figure suddenly rushed in from outside the teahouse, panting like a cow and roaring, "Oh no, it's so damn evil. There are so many monsters in this Qing Dynasty!"
"What's going on? What are you talking about, Mr. Ma? How come the foreign devils have invaded the capital again!"
"It's not the foreign devils, it's Xiao Letian! This scourge has gone to Suzhou. My brother is working as an errand boy in the Prime Minister's Office. I just read the latest telegram. This is the latest news. I guess the telegram has just been sent to the Queen Mother and everyone at this time. In the hands of the prince!"
Look, this is what the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty said. For them, there is no such thing as a secret in this world. And these people are different from ordinary leakers. You said it’s okay if you become a spy to make money! But these ancestors are addicted to leaking secrets, and they don’t do it for money at all.
They just want to enjoy the feeling of being well-informed and well-connected in front of the crowd. Just to brag and gain face, he can spread the most important secrets of the imperial court to the market.
This is a disease! An incurable terminal disease!
m.
