Chapter 63. Power and wealth.
Zhao Mansion, main hall, afternoon. [Full text reading] Zhao Junchen and Liu Changan took their seats respectively as guest and host.
At this time, Zhao Junchen was slowly sipping the tea, while Liu Changan was sitting upright with a worried look on his face.
At this time, according to Zhao Junchen, Shen and Huang reached a deal, seven days had passed; according to the day Liu Changan was promoted to the right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs by Emperor Deqing, more than a month had passed.
However, Liu Changan didn't arrive in the capital until today, and without any delay, he left his family at the inn and hurriedly came to see Zhao Junchen.
"So, the reason why you came so late is because someone was causing trouble in the dark?"
Zhao Junchen put down the tea cup in his hand, looked leisurely, and asked slowly.
Liu Changan nodded quickly and said: "That's right. It usually only takes three to five days for the angel from the capital to deliver the decree to Lu'an Mansion. Unexpectedly, this time it took seven days to arrive at Lu'an Mansion. Then. , the local governor handed over power, and the new local official had to take office. After receiving the order, although the subordinates had made preparations early, they never thought that they would have to wait for half a month. The newly appointed Lu Magistrate An only arrived four days ago. After receiving the message from your lord, I have been working hard day and night, but I am still late. I have delayed your important event, so I ask your lord to punish me."
While speaking, Liu Changan knelt in front of Zhao Junchen, bowing his head to listen to the instruction.
Looking at Liu Changan in front of him, Zhao Junchen sighed softly, raised his hand and said: "That's all, get up. I'm afraid this matter has been planned for a long time. No wonder you, but I missed a move in my official game."
While speaking, Zhou Shangjing's old face flashed through Zhao Junchen's mind.
………
It turned out that since Zhao Junchen and Shen Huang reached an agreement that day, the three of them jointly submitted a report on the rectification of Sichuan's salt affairs to Emperor Deqing in the morning of the next day.
Because Emperor Deqing had already expressed his intention, and many officials in the court had been persuaded by Shanxi merchants, Zhao Junchen's proposal was quickly approved.
However, for hundreds of years in the Ming Dynasty, salt was produced and sold, and Huaihe salt accounted for seven out of ten. The Nadu Salt Transfer Department, Salt Class Tiju Department and other yamen have always been based in the Huaihe area. Nowadays, Sichuan Salt is being reorganized and production and operations are being expanded. The relevant yamen will naturally be tilted towards the Sichuan and Shu regions, and various expansions of official positions and powers are inevitable.
As the most well-oiled yamen in this era, even the most inconspicuous eighth-grade governor in the Capital Salt Envoy Department has an income of at least tens of thousands of taels of silver every year. The various factions in the DPRK do not need to pay attention to the rectification of Sichuan salt. However, we cannot ignore the official positions and powers that came from the expansion.
The presiding official responsible for this matter is a lucrative job that all factions in the DPRK and China must strive for, even the prince's party, which has always prided itself on being clean and honest, is no exception.
Although Zhou Shangjing has deliberately kept a low profile in recent days, he must strive for it with all his strength at this time, otherwise even he will not be able to explain to his officials.
Although Zhou Shangjing has prestige and means, in the final analysis, he is just the spokesperson of a bureaucratic group. If he cannot fight for the interests of the bureaucratic group he represents, then the bureaucratic group will abandon him without hesitation and elect a new one. As a new spokesperson, Zhou Shangjing naturally understands this.
Because of this, with Zhou Shangjing's full efforts, Zhao Junchen finally saw how deep-rooted the influence and power of Zhou Shangjing's faction in the court was.
Zhao Junchen naturally supports Liu Changan in taking on this role. From all aspects, Liu Changan is also the most suitable candidate. For Liu Changan, not only Emperor Deqing is interested, but Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong also fully support him. But even so, Despite Zhou Shangjing's objection and recommendation of another person, most of the officials in the DPRK agreed, and the situation turned into a stalemate.
As the saying goes, public opinion is hard to disobey. Finally, after six days of stalemate and various overt and covert negotiations and disputes, the matter was finally settled yesterday morning.
Liu Chang'an has still become the person in charge, but unlike Zhao Junchen's plan, due to "lack of experience" and "insufficient prestige" and other reasons, Jiang Hua'an, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Ma Sen, the left minister of the Ministry of Revenue, will also be in charge during the period. Assist Liu Changan and act together, but these two people are disciples of Zhou Shangjing.
Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen sighed secretly.
It's not that he regrets that the benefits he can get will be greatly reduced in this way. The Sichuan salt rectification and Shanxi merchants entering Sichuan will bring too many benefits. They are so big that they are envious and even scary. Even if they are all handed over to Zhao Junchen, Zhao Junchen will Junchen did not dare to monopolize it, and distributed some of the benefits to the various factions in the court. This was the original meaning of the question.
What really made Zhao Junchen sigh was that the influence and power of Zhou Shangjing's faction in the court was so strong. As Zhou Shangjing came out to speak, a bunch of bachelors, ministers and other important officials in the court followed suit. , As a result, not only Zhao Junchen had a hard time parrying, but even Emperor Deqing did not dare to deny it easily.
"If I had the power and influence of Zhou Shangjing, I wouldn't be afraid even if Zhu Heyu eventually ascended the throne. Unfortunately, in the hundreds of years of the Ming Dynasty, the only person with such great power and influence besides Zhou Shangjing today was Zhang Juzheng back then. . Although Emperor Deqing has been supporting me overtly or covertly these days, his purpose is just to let me check and balance Zhou Shangjing, but he will never allow me to become the second Zhou Shangjing. If he wants to have such a The influence of power is difficult..."
Thinking of what Zhou Shangjing has done these days, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but sigh secretly.
………
Seeing Zhao Junchen's face calm and his eyes thoughtful, although Zhao Junchen had said just now that he would not blame him, Liu Changan was still worried.
After coming to Beijing, Liu Changan had found out clearly that the reason why Zhou Shangjing was able to get Ma Sen and Jiang Huaan involved was because he was unable to come to Beijing to take up his post, which made Zhao Junchen passive.
Thinking of all the losses he had caused to Zhao Junchen, and looking at Zhao Junchen who was thoughtful at this time, Liu Changan became more panicked and his face turned slightly pale.
People always change unconsciously, and they and the people around them are always unaware of it. Liu Changan and Zhao Junchen have not seen each other for nearly two months. Now that they meet again, they can feel it more clearly than anyone else. Zhao Junchen’s various changes.
When Zhao Junchen was still in Lu'an Mansion, although Liu Changan decided to take refuge, it was more because Zhao Junchen had the favor of Emperor Deqing, and Zhao Junchen himself did not have the means and temperament to impress Liu Changan. At that time, Zhao Junchen was still accustomed to using various strong tones and deliberate expressions to strengthen his persuasiveness and show his official authority. But in the final analysis, this kind of behavior was also a kind of lack of self-confidence. Performance.
But Zhao Junchen today is completely different from before. As the saying goes, "Living the Qi, nourishing the body", after these days of experience in the officialdom in the center of the capital, Zhao Junchen's expression is always calm, and his tone is always indifferent. No matter when or what happens, it always makes people unable to understand the depth. , in this way, it gives people a deep sense of being well-informed, capable, and capable. He raises his hands and feet with confidence and elegance, and his official authority is naturally revealed, making people dare not look down upon him.
This feeling was hard to explain, but Liu Changan felt it clearly, so he became increasingly panicked after he felt that Zhao Junchen's plan had been ruined.
On the other side, seeing Liu Changan's uneasy expression, Zhao Junchen didn't care and chuckled: "You don't have to blame yourself for this matter. I never thought about taking advantage of the Sichuan salt. Zhou Shangjing He is in charge of the civil service and has a lot of power in the court. It is a matter of course to give him some. People can only eat as much food as they have an appetite. If the people's hearts are not enough, in the end, in addition to being stretched to death, there will be nothing. The rest is over.”
Hearing what Zhao Junchen said, a look of gratitude flashed across Liu Changan's face, and he quickly said: "That's what your Excellency said."
Zhao Junchen took another sip of tea, and then said: "However, although our power and influence are limited compared to the chief minister now, we cannot just give in, otherwise it will only make people look down upon. This Sichuan salt affairs rectification, Since you are in charge and responsible, then you have to take responsibility, fight for what you should fight for, and find ways to try for what you shouldn't fight for. You can no longer just be submissive like in the past. You have to remember, What you represent in the court now is not just yourself. If anything happens, I will naturally make the decision for you. As for you, just do your job well."
Liu Changan nodded again, put on a firm face, and said, "Please rest assured, sir, I will never let you down."
Zhao Junchen nodded, changed the topic, and said: "However, in the final analysis, this Sichuan salt affairs rectification is just money. Although money is useful, it is of little use in the end. You will be the official next. The official department has been appointed. This official department has always been Zhou Shangjing's sphere of influence. It has been in operation for many years and has already been deeply rooted. When you get there, you must be careful every step, but there is no need to deliberately give in. Just do whatever you want, as long as you can be in the official department. Once we have established our position, it will be much more convenient for us to do things in the DPRK from now on."
"Thank you for your advice, sir. I understand what to do."
Liu Changan nodded again.
Seeing Liu Changan's appearance, Zhao Junchen sighed secretly in his heart.
In front of Zhao Junchen, although Liu Changan tried his best to show a responsible look, after meeting Zhao Junchen, he was actually still submissive. Zhao Junchen said whatever he said, without any opinions or suggestions of his own from beginning to end. .
With such a temper, Zhao Junchen really didn't think he could do anything good in the official department.
Unfortunately, Zhao Junchen had no other choice but to let Liu Changan catch his duck.
Thinking like this, Zhao Junchen suddenly called out: "Come here, bring me my gift."
As Zhao Junchen finished speaking, three handsome maids came to Liu Changan each holding a wooden plate. On each wooden plate, there was a contract.
Zhao Junchen picked up the tea cup again, and while using the lid to scratch the tea powder, he said casually: "Mr. Liu, you came to Beijing in a hurry, maybe you didn't prepare anything? These three deeds, one is a house deed, and the other is a land deed. , is the mansion I have prepared for you in the capital, barely worthy of your status as a minister. There is also a contract for the shareholding of 'Yue Rongfang'. All 3% of the shares will be given to you today. Mr. Liu, this is a congratulatory gift from me for your promotion to Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Mr. Liu."
After hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Liu Changan hurriedly stood up, waved his hands and said: "How can this happen? I owe you the care and support of your Excellency, so I have the honor to serve as the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. How can I let you spend money now? What's more, you have been promoted, Your Excellency." Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, I haven’t given you a congratulatory gift yet, so how can I accept your congratulatory gift now? You must not do it, you must not do it!”
Zhao Junchen waved his hand and said: "Take it as long as you are allowed to take it. As long as you work hard for me, I will not treat you badly."
After Liu Changan hesitated for a moment, he finally said: "In that case, I would like to thank you for your kindness."
While talking, Liu Changan had already put the three contracts into his sleeve.
Next, seeing that Zhao Junchen paid no attention, Liu Changan also stood up and left knowingly. Xu Qingyan, who was waiting by the side, naturally saw off the guests on Zhao Junchen's behalf.
Not long after, after sending Liu Changan away, Xu Qingyan came back with a smile. With a wave of his hand, he let the servants of the Zhao family leave. For a while, only Zhao Junchen and Xu Qingyan were left in the living room.
Then, Xu Qingyan took out a thick stack of silver notes from his sleeve.
Seeing such a scene, Zhao Junchen shook his head and laughed, and asked: "Oh? There is money again? How much is it this time?"
Xu Qingyan chuckled and said: "These local officials are still rich, sixty-six thousand taels, the number is auspicious. According to Liu Changan's words, this is just his filial piety to the Lord, and he will send another sum of money tomorrow. As the Lord A congratulatory gift for being promoted to Minister of Household Affairs."
Zhao Junchen nodded, but didn't care. He just said softly: "Put it away."
Every corrupt official faction is a strictly hierarchical money-making pyramid. During the New Year and festivals, the officials below will always take the initiative to pay large sums of money to the officials above, in order to close the relationship and seek the next relationship. Continue to shelter during the day.
For corrupt officials, such filial piety is much more important than governing the people and handling state affairs.
Zhao Junchen is now the leader of a faction and stands at the top of the pyramid of corrupt officials. Although he has never deliberately taken bribes since returning to Beijing, as the new year is approaching, whether it is the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, or the Ministry of Rites, whether it is Zuo Lanshan, Zhan Shanchang, or Gu Quan, as long as they are Zhao Junchen's subordinate officials, these Every day they were scrambling to send money to Zhao Junchen's house. If you add in the routine "carbon tribute" money from local officials, all the money added up, in less than half a month, the Zhao family had received no less than 300,000 taels of silver.
When Liu Changan first came to the capital, Zhao Junchen deliberately supported him and gave him a lucrative job, so he paid extra money to Zhao Junchen.
This is the default unspoken rule in the officialdom. Although Zhao Junchen knows that the origin of the money that comes one after another is filial, he will not refuse it. Otherwise, it will cause suspicion and panic among the officials below. Although for these money, Zhao Junchen Don't care.
However, although Zhao Junchen didn't care, Xu Qingyan was very happy these days, and he looked like he was "counting money until his hands cramped."
In fact, since time traveling, although Zhao Junchen has no longer deliberately taken bribes, but as his power has grown, more and more officials have taken the initiative to show their filial piety, and "Yerongfang" has been making money every day. Now Zhao Junchen's wealth is The speed is much faster than its predecessor.
Seeing Xu Qingyan happily putting away the money, muttering something in his mouth, as if calculating the money he had received these days, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.
"Power, wealth, power, no wonder the word 'power' is in front of the word 'wealth'. In this world, power is more important than wealth after all. Having wealth does not necessarily mean you have power, but with power, you will no longer worry about lack of money. No wonder There have been so many corrupt officials throughout the ages, and how many people can refuse such a large sum of money for nothing."
Thinking of the money that has been flowing into his account these days, Zhao Junchen secretly sighed.
………
With Liu Changan leaving, Zhao Junchen had nothing else to do and was preparing to return to the study to handle official duties.
However, just as Zhao Junchen was about to get up, he saw a servant of the Zhao family rushing over and reported to Zhao Junchen: "Sir, Butler Li from the Wen Ge Mansion asked to see him, saying that there is something urgent."
Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "Oh? Is it finally over? Let him in."
It turns out that these days, Zhao Junchen, Shen Huang and Zhou Shangjing have been in a stalemate in the court, but Wen Guanliang, who is also the elder of the court, has no intention of participating at all. He just sells out his money in Zhili among the people. Domestic industries.
There are so many of these industries that the land prices near Zhili have dropped by more than half because of them.
The mansion that Zhao Junchen just gave to Liu Changan was originally the home of Wen Guanliang's youngest son. The house was originally worth 20,000 taels, but Zhao Junchen only spent 13,000 taels on it.
A moment later, an old man around fifty years old came to the main hall of the Zhao Mansion with a humble expression. After seeing Zhao Junchen, he also hurriedly knelt down and saluted.
"The villain Li Jie has met Lord Shangshu."
Zhao Junchen didn't let him get up, but just asked: "Has Mr. Wen Ge prepared the money?"
After Li Jie hesitated for a moment, he nodded and said, "Ready."
As he spoke, Li Jie took out a stack of silver notes that was more than an inch thick from his arms.
Even Zhao Junchen, who was in charge of the household department and had a huge fortune, had never seen so many banknotes. The moment Li Jie took out the banknote, Zhao Junchen clearly heard the breathing of Xu Qingyan next to him became much heavier.
When Xu Qingyan took the bank note with slightly trembling hands, Li Jie's face suddenly turned pale, but he had the same temperament as his master.
"How much is this bank note?"
Zhao Junchen took the banknotes from Xu Qingyan's hand, but found that the minimum amount of these banknotes was twenty thousand taels, and he did not count them in detail. He just waved them gently in his hand and asked quietly.
Li Jie gritted his teeth and said, "The total is 9.25 million taels."
Hearing this number, Xu Qingyan couldn't help but let out a soft cry.
Zhao Junchen's expression did not change, he just turned around and glared at Xu Qingyan, then nodded to Li Jie and said: "Go back and tell Mr. Wen Ge that I will help him handle this matter today and ask him to report to His Majesty as soon as possible. A request to become an official, if nothing else happens, His Majesty will probably grant it this time."
After Li Jie left in agreement, Zhao Junchen stood up and said to Xu Qingyan beside him: "Qingyan, prepare the carriage, we are going to the palace to see the saint."
Xu Qingyan was slightly stunned and asked: "Enter the palace now?"
Zhao Junchen smiled meaningfully and said: "Your Majesty is too anxious to wait for the morning. No matter when it comes to bribery, it is always sooner rather than later."
Once you have power, you will naturally have no shortage of money. If you treat corrupt officials like this, why not treat emperors the same way?
..The update is super fast, please press "crtl+d" to add "Ranwen Chinese Network" to your favorites for your next reading!
< >, reading is a kind of enjoyment, it is recommended that you collect it.
