Outside the Qianqing Palace, a cold wind swept through. Zhu Qiyu stood on the corridor, looking at the falling snow. The goose-feather-like snowflakes were swept by the wind, fell on his shoulders, and floated into the corridor, quiet and safe.
Behind him, Hua En and Shu Liang stood respectfully. In addition, there were also two eunuchs in python robes kneeling.
After a while, Zhu Qiyu sighed and said.
"Auspicious snow heralds a good year. Once this snow falls, the coming year will be a good one!"
Just listening to these words seems to be a good expectation for next year. However, there are all eunuchs present, and observing people's emotions is a basic ability. From the deep tone in the emperor's tone, you can hear that these words are by no means as simple as they appear.
Despite this, Shu Liang on the side still agreed and said.
"Your Majesty's holy virtue shines brightly in all directions. God has eyes to protect virtuous people. The coming year will be safe and secure, and the country will be safe."
Hearing this, Zhu Qiyu shook his head, but didn't say much. He turned around, his eyes fell on the older of the two kneeling eunuchs, and said.
"Song Wenyi?"
"My slave is here..."
Unlike ordinary eunuchs who are relatively thin and thin, although Song Wenyi is almost fifty years old, he has a strong body and looks less like a eunuch than a warrior.
However, it was only from a distance. As soon as he spoke, the flattering look on his face immediately returned to his identity as a eunuch.
Looking at the young emperor in front of him, Song Wenyi felt quite uneasy.
He had been in Beijing for some time, but he had never been summoned. Strictly speaking, this was the first time he had such close contact with the new emperor.
When he received the order to call him back to the capital, various rumors spread all over the place. They said that he was asked to return to the capital to replace Cheng Jing, who had gone to Shanxi to serve as a guard eunuch.
Song Wenyi himself didn't believe this news, but after all, he was the Chief of Ceremony, the head of the twenty-four yamen of the inner court. Even if there was just a glimmer of hope, it would be a huge opportunity for Song Wenyi.
Therefore, after returning to Beijing, he was always ready, but unfortunately, the emperor seemed to have forgotten him. He just sent someone to bring an oral message, encouraging him to work hard in Liaodong, and gave him a mansion. Not mentioned at all.
In other words, Song Wenyi is basically idle now. If he were an official, he could still go to the Ministry of Personnel and ask questions.
However, he was a eunuch and the emperor didn't want to see him, so he really didn't even have a place to go.
Moreover, because of his status as a eunuch, he did not dare to run around for fear that he would not be able to find anyone when the emperor summoned him.
During this period of time, he was quite anxious.
In order to be able to meet the emperor, he tried every means, and he visited almost all the big officials around the emperor.
Sometimes, the first time he went there, someone was not there, so he would shamelessly go there again, not to mention the money he spent every time he went there, covertly and covertly, from top to bottom.
But even so, most of the time he got only one answer, and that was to just stay honest.
Until later, he rounded the corner and found Eunuch Wang Cheng, the imperial eunuch in front of him. Not only did he receive a warm reception, the prince also promised to ask him a question in front of the emperor, which made Song Wenyi grateful on the spot. Almost shed tears.
As expected, he was suddenly summoned today. Although it was a bit sudden, Song Wenyi felt a little more at ease after taking a look at Wang Gonggong who was also summoned.
Just when he was thinking wildly, the emperor's voice sounded again.
"I heard that you have been very close to Wang Cheng recently?"
This was said in a very relaxed tone, as if it was just a casual question.
However, even in this cold winter weather with heavy snow, there was still a trace of cold sweat on Song Wenyi's forehead.
He glanced sideways at Wang Cheng, but saw that the other party had no reaction and was still kneeling on the spot motionless.
After swallowing his saliva, Song Wenyi gritted his teeth and spoke.
"Back to Your Majesty, I have been favored by Your Majesty and have been summoned back to the capital. I am very grateful in my heart. However, I have been away from the capital for a long time and none of my relatives are in the capital. I suddenly have no one to rely on when I return to the capital. It is quite inconvenient to deal with many miscellaneous things."
"Fortunately, the prince has a warm heart and sees that the slaves are pitiful, so he often lends a helping hand to the slaves. After going back and forth, he became familiar with me."
It should be said that Song Wenyi was not idle during this period.
Now that he has returned to the capital, the first thing to inquire about is naturally the emperor's temperament, habits, and preferences. This is a necessary quality for a eunuch.
Although he has never been summoned, judging from the information collected from everywhere, the new emperor is very resourceful and has considerable control over the entire harem of the previous dynasty.
More importantly, when Song Wenyi visited various eunuchs, he also gained a deeper understanding of several big officials in the inner palace.
Especially Eunuch Shu Liang of Dongchang. Everyone in the palace respected and feared Eunuch Shu.
Logically speaking, collusion between eunuchs is a taboo for superiors, so for a moment, Song Wenyi hesitated whether he should be more 'tactful'.
However, he soon realized that it was probably even more taboo for people below him to socialize with each other and deceive the emperor.
Moreover, the most important thing is that with Dongchang here, it is difficult for any news in this capital to be hidden from the emperor's eyes and ears.
Therefore, in this case, if he tells lies, that is the real way to die.
However, in the final analysis, he had no real contact with the emperor and did not know what the emperor's true temperament was.
Therefore, after saying these words, Song Wenyi felt very uneasy, lowered his head deeply, and bursts of cold sweat broke out on his back.
Fortunately, soon, the emperor's voice sounded again, as relaxed as before, saying.
"Oh? Then you should really thank Wang Cheng..."
These words seemed to have deep meaning, but at last they did not mean to blame, which made Song Wenyi feel relieved a little and said.
"Your Majesty said that this slave must thank the prince properly."
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qiyu waved his hand and said.
"Get on your feet."
So, the two of them stood up carefully, bowed and stood, and heard the emperor continue to ask.
"Since we have dealt with each other before, you should also know what Wang Cheng does in the palace, right?"
"Your Majesty, the prince is in charge of the imperial store. He is responsible for contacting the Ministry of Household Affairs, transporting the goods in the imperial store, and trading with other ministries on the grassland."
Song Wenyi lowered his hands and replied, with a hint of envy flashing through his tone.
Nowadays, there are rumors outside that the first-ranked Dajue in the inner palace must be Cheng Jing, Hua En, and Shu Liang.
Cheng Jing is in charge of the Supervisor of Ceremonies, Hua En serves the emperor, and Shu Liang is the admiral of the East Factory. They are all powerful eunuchs.
However, it seemed to Song Wenyi that they had great power, but if he was asked to choose, he preferred Wang Cheng's position.
You know, that's an imperial store!
Although he himself didn't have much hope that he could take over Cheng Jing's position, there was still a glimmer of hope after all.
Therefore, during this period of time, he took good care of the situation in the capital in his mansion.
Of course, I have also heard many anecdotes. For example, in the two years since the emperor ascended the throne, there have been major projects almost every year, and money has been spent like water.
For most of this, the Ministry of Household Affairs was reluctant, but in the end, the emperor used the silver from the inner treasury to pay part of it, and then used part of the national treasury, without any delay.
For another example, Shen Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue was notoriously stingy. From time to time he would go to the palace to cry and complain. The key is that he could really fight. I don’t know if the emperor was bothering him or what. Anyway, Shen Shangshu would not go back. Returned empty handed.
This news simply stunned Song Wenyi. He had also stayed in the palace, and he more or less knew what the internal treasury was like.
In the early years, when the Empress Dowager Zhang was still in office, she had always been frugal. Over the years, she had saved some money in the inner treasury, so that after the Emperor took charge, she basically did not worry about the expenses in the palace.
However, even at that time, it was only enough for the palace. It was unthinkable to support the national treasury in turn.
But now it's completely the other way around, why?
Of course it’s the imperial shop!
Song Wenyi has naturally had his own business in Liaodong for so many years. However, during these days and in contact with Wang Cheng, he truly realized that his accumulation over the years was nothing compared to this prince. A small witch has become a big witch.
As the emperor's property, the Imperial Store only does two things. One is to purchase various materials at low prices all year round near the capital, and the other is to sell these materials to those at the border at several times the price. Prairie people.
In the meantime, Huangdian doesn't even need to worry about transportation. He has his own Beijing camp to dispatch officers and soldiers to escort him. Huangdian only needs to send a few people to follow and hand over.
Just like that, the handfuls of white gold and silver immediately went into his pocket.
Although the Ministry of Accounts was supervising, a lot of profit had to be distributed, and most of it went into the internal treasury, but the little bit that slipped through the cracks between his fingers was more than what he had accumulated over the years. .
More importantly, this life is safe!
In the inner palace, people like Cheng Jing, Hua En, and Shu Liang are powerful.
However, you also have to look at how much risk you are taking?
Although the Chief Supervisor of Ceremonies has great authority, if he makes a slight mistake, it can affect the affairs of the court.
Serving in front of the emperor is a glorious thing, but the emperor's heart is unpredictable. It is an errand that has to be carried with one's head at all times.
As for Dongchang, regardless of the people who cheered and supported him, many people in the capital changed their minds after hearing this, but there are countless people who have been offended. Once he loses power one day, there is no telling what will happen.
In contrast, Huangdian's errands are low-key, lucrative, and simple.
When the foreign court mentioned the great kings in the palace, few would mention Wang Cheng. However, in fact, Wang Cheng's status in the palace was not lower than the previous ones.
Over the past few days, Song Wenyi had made some insinuations. Although Wang Cheng's words were vague, the little bit of information revealed was enough for Song Wenyi to guess that the annual revenue given to the inner treasury by Huangdian is now equal to that of the national treasury every year. The amount of silver transferred to the inner treasury is almost there.
What's more important is that this job is nothing more than buying and selling. Now that the mutual market is completely monopolized by the imperial shop, it is not the prince who has the final say on what price to set.
The risk is small, the profit is big, the money is abundant, and it is easy to stand out in front of the emperor and other elders. Who wouldn't envy him...
Although Song Wenyi's envy was fleeting, it was naturally captured by everyone present who was a simple person.
So, Zhu Qiyu gave him a meaningful look and said.
"Recently, there are rumors in the capital that I called you back to the capital because I want you to take over Cheng Jing's job. What do you think?"
After the words fell, Song Wenyi immediately calmed down and secretly glanced at the emperor's expression. He was not sure what the emperor meant. After hesitating for a moment, he tentatively spoke.
"Your Majesty clearly knows that this slave is one of your slaves. Naturally, any errand you give me will be done with all my heart. How outsiders spread the word is the outsider's business. I think that as long as I can share your majesty's worries, it will be a great blessing. point."
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qiyu looked Song Wenyi up and down, then turned around again, looked at the falling snow, and said.
"Cheng Jing is gone, and the Supervisor of Ceremonies is indeed a little unable to take care of it. However, the gentlemen in the cabinet are working very hard now. If Wynn runs around more, it won't delay anything."
The meaning of these words was that he was not going to be admitted to the Department of Ceremony. Although he had long expected that this might be the result, when he actually heard it, Song Wenyi couldn't help but feel a trace of disappointment on his face.
However, it only took a moment for him to adjust his mood and agreed.
"Your Majesty is wise, although I have been in Liaodong for a long time, I have long heard that Eunuch Huai'en is considerate in his affairs. It is naturally the most appropriate thing for him to be in charge of the Chief Ceremony Supervisor for your Majesty."
Zhu Qiyu did not turn around, but his calm tone seemed to penetrate Song Wenyi's heart and said.
"You don't have to be disappointed. Wynn has been in the ceremonial department for a long time and is very familiar with all kinds of affairs. After all, you have been away from the palace for a long time, so you still need to sharpen your skills."
"The reason why I summoned you to Beijing this time is because before Jin Ying left, he recommended you to me and said that you were quite talented in matters of wealth. At that time, I was busy and didn't take care of it. Now I am free. I did think of you."
As soon as these words came out, Song Wenyi blinked, and the doubts in his heart were cleared.
Originally, he was still wondering why the emperor suddenly came to him for no reason. It turned out that he had a relationship with Jin Ying. In this way, everything made sense.
At the same time, after appreciating the hint of Emperor Pin's tone, Song Wenyi felt something vaguely awakened in his heart, and immediately knelt down and said.
"Your majesty's usefulness is the blessing of this servant. No matter what the errand is, I will do my best."
"Um……"
Zhu Qiyu nodded slightly, finally turned around, looked at Song Wenyi who was kneeling on the ground, and said.
"Since you have some friendship with Wang Cheng, you should probably know something about the situation. The Imperial Store was originally my property when I was living in the mansion. In addition to those shops, there are also some Zhuangzi. These properties were not too numerous at first, so they were all handed over to Wang Cheng. keep it."
"But now, the stalls in the Imperial Store are getting bigger and bigger, and Wang Cheng doesn't have enough energy to take care of them. It just so happens that Jin Ying said that you are good at management, so I plan to leave these Imperial Stores to you to manage, what do you think? "
(End of chapter)
