"Eunuch Dongfang, where is Lu Xiangsheng now?"
"Back to Your Majesty, Governor Lu is now in Ninguta, waiting to go to Sakhalin Island to take up his post as the governor of Sakhalin Island. He is also the first governor of Sakhalin Island. Your Majesty is so busy with so many things to do that he forgot that he was appointed by His Majesty just last month. …”
Liu Zhaosun thought for a while and realized that this was indeed the case. He smiled awkwardly, nodded to the chief manager, and asked casually:
"My father-in-law Dongfang is well-educated and knowledgeable. He is about to catch up with Qian Qianyihou, Wen Tiren and the other bachelors. Do you think Lu Xiangsheng can be of great use?"
Dongfang Zhucheng was horrified. He thought that the Supreme Emperor was going to beat him again - these days, all factions had been beaten, and all parties had sacrificed scapegoats - the father-in-law quickly knelt down and kowtowed.
Of course Dongfang Zhu knew what this great use meant, which was to let Lu Xiang be promoted to the cabinet, replacing the original position of Sun Chuanting and Ma Shiying, and together with Kang Yingqian, he would be in charge of the affairs of the Qi Dynasty, with one person less than ten thousand people.
Dongfang Zhu had no friendship with civil servants. The political turmoil caused by the Empress Dowager Cisheng's hunger strike made the father-in-law understand the nature of bureaucrats more clearly. They are all people who are willing to bring chaos to the world for their own selfish interests.
Although my father-in-law is loyal, he does not dare to offend this group of people easily, let alone wade into this muddy water.
"Your Majesty, this slave is just a eunuch, a useless person without eggs. He has no knowledge. How can he talk nonsense about important matters? What he said is wrong. The person who killed this slave is a young man. He missed the important military affairs of Long Live Lord. That is a crime worthy of death. !”
The palace maid Amber came forward with a large basin of cards and whispered a few words in the ear of the Supreme Emperor. Liu Zhaosun was immediately elated when he heard that the Empress Dowager Cisheng had recovered.
"Then there's no need to turn over the signs. Let's go to Cining Palace tonight to accompany the Queen Mother."
The Emperor's mood improved, and he wished Dongfang with a smile on his face:
"But it doesn't matter, Sun Chuanting and Ma Shiying, the two of them can't stay. In just a few years, Daqi has been reduced to this. I almost became Li Yuan. If we don't change people, the Xuanwu Gate will not be far away."
When Dongfang Zhu heard the words Xuanwumen, he quickly raised his head:
"The Supreme Emperor is wise and mighty, but those little ones are no more than a small cricket that can shake a big tree. They don't know what they can do. I look at those foreign ministers. They have understood the power of God this time and they don't dare to do anything wrong again."
The Supreme Emperor was quite disappointed with Dongfang Zhu and stopped discussing with him, saying with a displeased look on his face:
"Are you scared by this group of people down there?"
"Slave, slave, no, I don't dare."
Liu Zhaosun stretched out his big hand and patted his father-in-law on the shoulder, asking him to stand up.
"I have seen battles that were bigger than this back then. Ministers betrayed and assassins killed. What does this mean? It's just a few cabinet ministers. It seems like the sky is falling. Don't be alarmed. Call the great scholar Qian Qianyi to the palace overnight. Prepare a decree for me."
Dongfang Zhucheng was horrified and stood up to accept the order. He saw the Supreme Emperor staring at a pile of harem beauties wooden plaques on the table and murmuring:
"Sun Chuanting killed too much and almost triggered a civil uprising. Ma Shiying ruined the country with empty talk and sat back and watched hundreds of officials form cliques for personal gain. Xu Guangqi Jinni Pavilion focused on scientific research. The thieves have all come to me. I don't know! Although these people are loyal , but I don’t dare to use it anymore, that’s it, that’s it. Let Kang Yingqian and Lu Xiangsheng come back quickly.”
~~~~
At dusk, in Kangjia Lane in the east of Jize County, the front door is deserted. A foraging sparrow has been reluctant to return to its nest. It is still looking around in front of the Kangjia house, rubbing against the crack in the door, trying to get in to search for some food.
In Jize County, which is suffering from floods and droughts, it is indeed not easy to search for a few extra grains of grain.
The door creaked, and the sparrow flapped its wings and flew away. A crack opened from the inside of the door, and a young man with a sad face and a frail figure stuck his head out and glanced at the street. When he saw that the intersection was empty, , clenched his fists, and whispered:
"We don't give out porridge today. I really don't think Jize County would be able to survive without Li Xianzhong! Daqi is worried, really worried!"
As the sky gradually darkened, a few dark figures flashed quickly on the street and slipped into the alley next to them like ghosts. Then a few submissive figures followed in. After some bargaining, a group of ghost figures each took what they wanted. They dispersed in a hurry and disappeared under the gloomy night.
Kang Jingxiu knew that it was a crony of Peng Tianxing, the deputy shopkeeper of Jize County, who was selling grain privately. The price of this black market transaction was more than three times that of the chamber of commerce, and it was hunger selling (real hunger marketing). The supply was limited every day, and he took the money. I can't buy much food.
People in Jize County all know where the grain, cotton, tea, and sugar traded on the black market come from. After the disaster in Jize County this year, the court allocated tens of thousands of stones of rice and wheat to the county. Only half of the total amount actually entered the grain depot. , and the rest flowed into the black market.
The people were quite angry about this kind of smuggling that violated Daqi's laws and regulations and ran counter to Daqi's system, but no one dared to report it.
A few years ago, someone wrote a letter to report, but after the letter was sent out, there was no news, and the person involved was soon imprisoned for various inexplicable crimes.
It can be seen that the forces involved in smuggling cannot be underestimated. It can be said that they cover the sky with one hand.
Several chief officials in Jize County have different attitudes towards smuggling, and the people below are at a loss. If there is a total ban, the people may starve to death. What if we let it go? Da Qi's national foundation was shaken.
According to the Daqi system, the distribution of food supplies is jointly handled by the Lian Chamber of Commerce and local officials. However, now that even the Chamber of Commerce is taking the lead in smuggling, the common people have no choice but to choose black market transactions.
Kang Jingxiu still remembers Peng Tianxing because when his family was raided, Peng Tianxing was among the officials who counted the silver. At that time, Peng was just a clerk from the chamber of commerce.
Kang Jingxiu closed the door, returned to the yard, and said inside:
"Uncle, there is still no porridge today. I don't know how many people will starve to death."
A hoarse cough came from the wing, and then a familiar voice was heard:
"If the imperial court doesn't help, we, the old Kang family, will help ourselves. How much food is left in the cellar?"
Kang Jingxiu entered the room, where sat a skinny old man, holding a teacup in one hand and rummaging through a pile of waste paper with the other.
"Uncle, we don't have much left? One hundred shi, I guess? Damn it, Peng Tianxing fined us 200 shi. If you hadn't had the foresight to sell the drug store last year, our uncle and nephew would have starved to death! The stuff at the bottom of the box Food cannot be given to the poor."
"Well, that's what you said. It's better to keep the life-saving food. Maybe these beasts will do something bad."
Kang Yingqian sat down like an old tree with entwined roots, gently put down the tea cup, and joined in searching the pile of paper with his other hand.
"Uncle, what are you looking for?"
Kang Yingqian ignored his nephew. His old hand, which was like a dead branch, suddenly shook, and his eyes narrowed into threads.
"found it,"
"What?"
Kang Jingxiu thought that Lao Kang was looking for the banknotes, but when he thought that Da Qi didn't buy Qianming's banknotes, he couldn't help but become more confused.
"What? It's a public security notice I wrote to the emperor."
Kang Jingxiu was even more frightened and confused after hearing this.
"Public Security Shu? Uncle, you want to imitate Hai Gangfeng? Shangshu scolded the Dog Emperor? When did Uncle become so upright? Uncle is the material of Yan Song and Xu Jie, so we can't imitate Hai Rui!"
Kang Yingqian gritted his teeth and glared at his nephew bitterly, but the slap he raised did not fall down.
"The Great Qi is in chaos. The Supreme Emperor is calling me out. I have been waiting for this day and my comeback for more than ten years. Jingxiu, follow me, your good days are still to come."
Lewen
