"Little nun, what's your name?" Wang Zhongxiao asked with a smile. With his demeanor, there was no doubt that he was the tall, handsome, sunny and upright little king and feudal warlord next door!
He has now found Wu Xiaoji's location based on the floor plan of the Princess's House in Shihu Hutong that Wang Leiyong drew for him - this is an inconspicuous wing room. He is wearing a yellow mandarin jacket and has a stick badge hanging from his waist. Wang Leiyong stood outside with a murderous look on his face, as if he would not allow strangers to approach him.
When Wang Zhongxiao walked into this wing, he saw a bald little girl who was crying, extremely delicate and charming. Even if she was placed next to the great beauty Wu Xiaotuo and the plump beauty Yang Xiaohuan, she could still be called a stunning beauty. Although she was wearing a somewhat loose flag suit, she still couldn't hide her graceful appearance.
"I, I'm not a little nun," the bald girl's expression was extremely nervous when she spoke. Her whole body was trembling slightly. Her eyes looking at Wang Zhongxiao were full of sadness and anger.
"Why did you shave your head if you're not a nun?" Wang Zhongxiao reached out and touched the cute little bald head and asked with an easy-going look.
"I, I'm really not a nun," the little girl said, "I shaved my head to pretend to be my second brother."
"Is your second brother Wu Shifan?" Wang Zhongxiao asked again.
"Yes" the little girl nodded.
"Where has he gone?" Wang Zhongxiao asked knowingly.
"I don't know," the little girl shook her head, "My second brother has been missing for several days. My mother told the public that he had chickenpox and had to stay in bed to rest, but she shaved my head and stuffed me into bed to pretend to be my second brother. "
It turns out that this little girl is Wu Shifan's sister Wu Xiaoji. Listening to her words, it is obvious that she does not know the truth of the matter. It seems that Princess Jianning is a very scheming woman. She also loves Wu Yingxiong deeply, and she can do her best to protect Wu Yingxiong and his concubine's son.
"Little girl, you haven't answered my initial question yet. What is your name?"
"My name is Wu Xiaoxian." The little girl replied timidly.
"Xiaojiao?" Wang Zhongxiao said, "As the name suggests, she is small and delicate."
"It's not Jiao, it's a nine under the prefix "草." Wu Xiaoxian said, "It's the name of a kind of grass."
"Oh, that's right." Wang Zhongxiao said, "I am Wang Zhongxiao, did your mother tell you?"
Wu Xiaoji nodded, her cheeks were red, and she said in an inaudible voice: "I said it. E Niang asked me to go with you. From now on, from now on."
"Then come with me," Wang Zhongxiao said, "I will take good care of you in the future."
Wu Xiaoji looked at Wang Zhongxiao again and found that this "neighbor warlord" looked handsome, spoke nicely, was not fierce at all, and looked like a good person, so he nodded, "Okay."
"Then do you need a piece of cloth to cover your bald head?"
"My family has wigs." As Wu Xiaoji spoke, he took out a wig and put it on his bald head like a magic trick. His appearance suddenly improved a lot!
Qianqing Palace, South Study Room.
"Reporting to the emperor, slave's second brother has disappeared a few days ago. E Niang told the people below that second brother had chicken pox and a high fever and had to stay in bed. She also asked slave to go to second brother's room every day. Lie down on the bed and pretend to be the second brother for a while, and then shave the slave's head. The slave is guilty, Your Majesty, please don't kill the slave, the slave must serve the king's guard well."
The one who was kneeling in the south study, crying and pretending to be pitiful, was of course Wu Xiaoji, who had been taken back by Wang Zhongxiao.
However, Wang Zhongxiao did not take her back to his house in Dafu Lane, but took her to his village outside Haidian Town, and did not let Wu Shifan meet her - Wu Shifan was sent to Yuyuantan.
After sending Wu Xiaoxian to Haidian, Wang Zhongxiao spent another night with Yang Xiaohuan to teach her how to deceive the emperor. Early this morning, Wang Zhongxiao took Wu Xiaoji to the palace and deceived Kangxi. Only then could Wang Zhongxiao and his ministers fish into the sea, and the dragon would fly in ninety-five!
Just now, Wu Xiaoxian was brought into the south study room by Wang Zhongxiao and walked to Kangxi's imperial case. When Yingying bowed, the little emperor Kangxi had already condemned Wu Yingxiong to death in his heart - for such a beautiful daughter, he should not have given it to him earlier. Going out to serve the emperor is simply treasonous!
And when the deceived Kangxi was about to get angry, a young man next to him first spoke up to plead for her, "Brother, please spare her, she is so beautiful and so pitiful, she must not be a bad person."
Kangxi looked back and saw that the person speaking for Wu Xiaoxian was his fifth brother, Prince Gong Chang Ning. This kid Chang Ning has been "touched" by Wu Xiaoji, and he is crying together!
"Your Majesty, this servant also begs for mercy for this little girl. Please be noble and spare her life!" Fuquan also spoke for his younger brother. It was not that he was "touched", but that Yang Xiaomi blew it last night. One night of pillow talk convinced him.
Seeing that the two good brothers had interceded for Wu Xiaoji, Kangxi could no longer pursue the case, and what he hated was not that Wu Xiaoji had helped let Wu Shifan go - killing Wu Shifan or not would not affect the quality of the "letter of surrender". Kangxi hated Wu Yingxiong for not sending the beautiful woman to the palace earlier!
This shows that Wu Yingxiong has long wanted to rebel.
Kangxi sighed and looked at Wu Xiaoxuan with reluctance - he still looks so good after shaving his head, it's really hateful, beauty is a curse!
Kangxi gritted his teeth and waved his hand, "Okay, okay, Wang Datou, please take her back. I said I would reward you with her, so naturally I have to spare her."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Xiaoji, please thank Your Majesty."
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
Kangxi nodded, "Kneel down!"
He didn't want to look at Wu Xiaoxian for a moment - he would get angry just by looking at him!
Moreover, Kangxi could not let Wang Zhongxiao sacrifice Xiao Geng now. If Wu Sangui is eliminated, then of course he can bring Wu Sangui's granddaughter into the palace, but he can't do that now. Now that Wu Sangui is so arrogant and has made it clear that he wants to seize the Qing Dynasty, and Kangxi invites Wu Sangui's granddaughter into the harem to be favored, what will the Eight Banners disciples below think?
You, the little emperor, are so lustful that you can't tell the difference between us and our enemy. Can you still defeat Wu Sangui?
Seeing Wang Zhongxiao taking the little beauty away, Emperor Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked at the eight bachelors, two Hanlin bachelors, two young princes, and Mi Sihan, the minister of household affairs, who were standing on the left and right. He smiled and said: "Although Wu Shifan ran away, the certificates of vote for those people have been established. These people cannot be used by Wu Sangui, can I use them?"
"Your Majesty!"
No one here has any objections to this, so they all shouted "Sheng Ming" together.
Kangxi asked again: "Then how should I use them? Let's talk about it."
"Your Majesty," Nalan Mingzhu was the first to leave the office and knelt down, "Is it okay for me to say this first?"
"Okay, tell me."
"Your Majesty, my servant is in charge of the Ministry of War now, so let's talk about the use of troops to fight. I think these people are not extraordinary talents, but just barely useful. Perhaps the most capable among them are Wang Fuchen, Wang Zhongxiao and his son, but how can they compare with Wu Yingqi, Wu Guogui, and Ma Bao? Not to mention Wu Sangui himself. But from ancient times to the present, wars have been fought with more than just generals. Otherwise, how could Emperor Han Gao have defeated them? Overlord of Chu? How could Sima Yi block Zhuge Kongming to death in the Qinling Mountains and Qishan Mountains?"
Kangxi nodded, "It makes sense. The key to war is to use the right combination of surprises to win. But using surprises is to take risks. It has become a natural name in history and flaunts the tactics. But if it is messed up, it will give the opponent a weak victory over a strong one, and a few attacks." This is a great opportunity. In this battle in southern Sichuan, to put it bluntly, Wu Sangui and I both want to use Qi, but I am not as good as Wu Sangui, a veteran. Haha, I can’t accept it! But it doesn’t matter that I am not as good as him in Qi. I have a lot of money. Just use less strange things and more correct ones!”
Mingzhu said: "Your Majesty, I am a wise man. But please forgive me for speaking frankly. Although our Qing Dynasty is rich all over the world, the actual amount of silver in the national treasury is only 1,340,000 taels."
"Mi Sihan!" Kangxi called the name of Mi Sihan, the Minister of Household Affairs.
"My servant is here." Mi Sihan hurriedly left work and knelt down to Kangxi. Before he could reply, he had a look of sadness unique to the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, looking poor! No money!
"How much money is there in the treasury now? Is it enough to spend?"
"Reporting to your Majesty, there are still more than 13,567,600 taels left in the national treasury over the years. It is not enough to spend!"
"Not enough money?" Kangxi was stunned, "Why is it not enough when there is so much left?"
"Reporting to the emperor," Mi Sihan said, "Although the balance of more than 13 million taels is not much, it is enough to meet the normal expenses and turnover. After all, the imperial court still has 30 to 40 million taels every year. But this is not an ordinary year, it’s wartime! Just the pensions and army reorganization expenses that must be paid after this battle in southern Sichuan can empty the treasury! "
The losses of the Qing army in the Battle of Southern Sichuan were too great! The Green Camp plus the Eight Banners lost twenty to thirty thousand people, and the pension money would cost millions of taels! If we need to replenish the battle damage and strengthen the containment of Wu Sangui in various places, why not spend all the surplus of more than 13 million?
Kangxi was a little anxious, "What should we do? What suggestions does the Ministry of Finance have?"
"Your Majesty, my slave's suggestion is to increase the levy and send more troops!" Mi Sihan said, "The troops in the southwest need to be paid, the southeast to destroy Obai and resist the pirates needs to be paid, and the additional troops and training also need to be paid. Therefore, the slave suggests to increase the levy of Sichuan soldiers." , sea rates, and training rates. Every year, at least 30% of the regular classes must be added to the levy. Your Majesty, this additional levy and additional stipends are all precedents to follow. The late emperor had levied and sent additional levies twice during his reign, and in the 18th year of Shunzhi In the same year, the Liaoning salary was restored, and more than 5.2 million taels were collected a year, which is still received today."
Kangxi frowned: "Then, aren't you afraid that the people will rise up because they can't bear the exorbitant taxes?"
"Your Majesty, this servant is not worried about this," Mi Sihan shook his head and said, "Actually, there are no additional troops and levies, and the gang of unruly people also rebelled. Doesn't Prince Zhu San rebel every year?"
"Damn it!" Fuquan yelled at the side, "How can you talk? What does it mean that there are rebellions every year? Our Qing Dynasty is a bright world, the sun and the moon are shining, how can there be so many rebels?"
"Fuquan, okay, Mi Sihan is right!" Kangxi frowned, "Although this dynasty is more holy and moral than all previous dynasties, the unruly people below don't know it. They just like to rebel. But this additional tax Don't go too far in adding more troops. After all, the lessons learned from Chongzhen's mistakes are there.
Mishan, a few days ago Wang Zhongxiao suggested that I reopen maritime trade and set up a Guangzhou shipping company to make money. Do you think this can work? "
Mi Sihan said: "Your Majesty, I think there is no need to open a shipping department. If the imperial court wants to collect from sea trade, it might as well set up a customs. The shipping department still has to operate, how can it be practical to set up a customs to collect taxes? ?”
"Yes," Kangxi nodded, "Let's just set up a Guangdong customs channel and let Wang Zhongxiao be the leader to raise military expenses for me."
"Your Majesty, this servant has something to say." As soon as Suo'etu heard this, he immediately went out to the class to play.
"Say it."
Suo'etu said: "Your Majesty, Wang Fuchen now has fifteen thousand troops. If he has his own financial resources, won't he become a vassal town?"
"I have thought about this problem for a long time," Kangxi sighed, "but Guangdong is too far away from the capital, and the transportation is not convenient. If Wu Sangui sends troops to Huguang at some time, and the pirate Zheng clan blocks the Fujian-Guangdong waterway, what will happen to the Guangdong and Guangdong provinces? The army's salary path will be cut off. At that time, Wang Fuchen, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, will still try to get money, and maybe even the chief secretaries of Guangdong and Guangxi will be in his hands!"
"The emperor is wise," Suo'etu said, "but we must be on guard against others. I suggest that we send reliable people to serve as governors of Guangdong and admirals of Guangdong, and increase the number of role models for the governors and admirals."
Guangdong's land and sea admirals already had a lot of pacesetters, and the cost was of course quite staggering.
"This will cost money again." Kangxi frowned, "As for Suo'etu, do you have anyone you can recommend?"
"Your Majesty, the slave recommends Zhu Guozhi to be the governor of Guangdong," Suo'etu said. "This Zhu Guozhi is very good at making money! In addition, the slave recommends Li Lan, the son of Li Guoying, to be the governor of Guangdong. Li Guoying is Zuo Liangyu's old subordinate, and he is in Zuo Meng. After Geng's death, most of Liangyu's old troops were used by Guoying, so Li Guoying had many old troops, so when Li Lan became the governor of Guangdong, he would not be afraid of not having anyone under his command."
Suo'etu recommended Li Lan not only because Li Lan could win over Li Guoying's old subordinates, but also because Li Lan gave him a large sum of money. In addition, Li Lan and Wang Zhongxiao were jealous because of "Wu Xiaoxian" recently. Although it is not a big deal, there is still some resentment there.
Kangxi thought for a while, nodded and said: "Zhu Guozhi and Li Lan are indeed useful. But how much money can the Guangdong Customs collect in a year? Is it enough?"
"Your Majesty," Mi Sihan said, "the most the Guangdong Customs Department can collect is one million taels a year. Maybe it can supplement the military expenses of Guangdong and Guangxi. But so many troops across the country have to spend money. I'm afraid it won't work if we don't send more soldiers and raise taxes!" "
"Okay!" Fuquan suddenly interrupted at this time.
"Fuquan, what did you say?" Kangxi looked at his brother.
Fuquan also went out of work to kneel to Kangxi, "Your Majesty, I have a suggestion. I don't know whether to say it or not."
"Speak quickly!" Kangxi said with a smile, "If you don't speak well, can I still punish you?"
"Your Majesty, that slave said it," Fuquan said, "My slave's suggestion is to sell your official position to raise money!"
"What? Selling. Selling an official position?" Kangxi was stunned, "Isn't it bad to sell an official position to get a title? Chongzhen, a king who has subjugated his country, has never sold an official position, right? How can I do this?"
"What the emperor said is that Chongzhen didn't sell his official position very much, so he perished!"
"Ah?" Kangxi was dumbfounded, "Did Chongzhen perish because he refused to sell his official position?"
"That's right," Fuquan said, "If Chongzhen is willing to sell his official position, and sell him for 10 or 20 million, can't he use the money to train an elite army with sufficient food and pay? With elite soldiers, he will Can defeat Li Zicheng or our Qing Dynasty."
This seems to make some sense.
Kangxi didn't know how to educate his brothers for a while!
Didn’t Chongzhen die of poverty because of lack of money? He wants to have one to two million taels, but even if he has one, it may not work! But Kangxi definitely had 20 million to spare, so he could raise and train a 100,000 new army with sufficient food and pay and sophisticated firearms.
With such a new army, it will be much easier to defeat Wu Sangui!
"In addition to selling officials, is there any other way to make money quickly?" Kangxi asked again.
Kangxi asked the wrong person this time!
In addition to selling their official positions, those people below have no other way to earn money!
Oh, there is another way they also know, and that is to confiscate your home!
But no one would encourage the emperor to raid the homes of corrupt officials. Isn’t this just digging a hole to bury himself?
Seeing the group of people below shaking their heads, Kangxi stopped pretending. Isn't it just selling his official position? What's the big deal? If the Qing Dynasty wanted Wu Sangui to be defeated, Wu Sangui should sell out his official position!
"Then sell your official position!" Kangxi slapped the table, "How do you want to sell this official position? Do you all know?"
"have no idea"
"Your Majesty, this servant doesn't know anything about selling an official position!"
"Your Majesty, this slave will go back and read the ancient books to see how the ancients sold their officials."
No one in this group of ministers dares to say that he can sell his official position! To say that you can sell your official position is to admit that you have been doing it? By then Kangxi would no longer have to sell his official position, and he would have money by confiscating their homes.
"Your Majesty," Fuquan, the "helping brother devil" brother, was still a righteous brother. He was not afraid that Kangxi would raid his home and began to give his brother bad ideas. "I know a little about selling an official position."
"Then tell me, how do you want to sell this official?"
"Your Majesty, first of all, selling an official position cannot be called selling an official position. It should be called donating an official position or donating an official position." Fuquan said, "Secondly, this selling of official positions should be divided into three types: selling official titles, selling candidates, and selling real vacancies. Selling official titles It means paying money with one hand and giving official photos with the other. Selling candidates means collecting money during the selection of civil servants. Whoever donates more money can be given priority to become an official and get the quota of candidates. Selling for real vacancies means that there is no need to wait for candidates, and you can directly get the job. He took office with a real vacancy.
In addition, the emperor could also sell the imperial examinations. The imperial examinations were too difficult, and many people failed in the examinations. The emperor simply asked them to donate some money in exchange for scholars and candidates. Anyway, a scholar cannot become an official, and it is difficult to select a candidate for promotion. The candidates who are bought will probably not be able to pass the Jinshi examination. Isn’t this just selling a piece of paper? "
(End of chapter)
