Chapter 91. Infiltration and Eunuch Alley.
Under Fang Ru's threat and offensive, Zhang Daoquan didn't even dare to explain in words for a moment. He was sweating profusely and couldn't help wiping it with his sleeves. 【Read full text】
Previously, Xu Qingyan was responsible for the contact between Zhao Junchen and Zhang Daoquan. Although Xu Qingyan seems to be arrogant and unreasonable, it is easy to deal with Zhang Daoquan, an old gangster. As long as Xu Qingyan is not given a chance to get angry and has a respectful attitude, he can always be fooled.
But Fang Ru was different. From the moment they met, she took the initiative at every turn without leaving any room. Every word and implicit threat pointed directly at Zhang Daoquan's original intention. While being strong, she also ignored everything. All the pros and cons will be revealed one by one, and all the power and principles will be taken advantage of, leaving Zhang Daoquan unable to resist at all.
Seeing Zhang Daoquan's panic, a trace of disdain flashed in Fang Ru's eyes, and she added: "People can be smart, but they must not treat other people as fools. As a woman, I don't understand your little thoughts and calculations. You can understand it in your heart. Could it be that my master is not clear about it? According to my opinion, based on what you have done these days, it is not an exaggeration to say that you are ungrateful. You should be dealt with severely, and you should be killed as a warning to others. Up and down, including your foundation in Lu'an Mansion, the only way is to uproot and kill them all, and I have already told my master this idea."
Hearing Fang Ru's words, Zhang Daoquan's whole body trembled, and finally he could no longer suppress the panic in his heart. He knelt in front of Fang Ru, his face was pale and his voice was trembling: "Please forgive me, madam. I will never dare to do this again. I will definitely do it in the future." I will do my best to serve Mr. Zhao and never dare to be selfish again..."
Fang Ru ignored Zhang Daoquan's begging for mercy and assurance, and a hint of impatience and regret flashed across her expression. She waved her hand and said, "It's useless for you to say these words to me. How to deal with you depends on my master's wishes." . It’s a pity. Although I wanted to punish you strictly, my master finally softened his heart and thought about his old relationship and decided to give you another chance."
At this point, Fang Ru lowered his head, allowing Zhang Daoquan to clearly see the coldness flashing in his eyes: "Remember, this is your last chance. If you let my master down again, even if he doesn't say anything, I will never let you Zhang Daoquan, your Zhang family, or anyone from Tongji Temple to leave the capital alive, do you understand?"
After hearing this, Zhang Daoquan relaxed, but became even more nervous. He quickly promised again: "Thank you Mr. Zhao for your mercy, thank you Madam for your mercy. I promise, I will do my best to investigate Wei Ping's matter from now on. Absolutely." I will give Mr. Zhao and Madam you a satisfactory answer."
Fang Ru smiled coldly and said: "It is your duty to investigate Wei Ping's matter. Not to mention that you haven't investigated clearly yet. Even if you have investigated clearly, there is no need for you to take credit. More Besides, since Wei Ping is dead, his affairs are only trivial matters, but when I come to see you this time, I am here to tell you a few things according to my master’s wishes.”
Zhang Daoquan nodded repeatedly and said, "Please give me your instructions, madam."
"The first thing is that from now on, Xu Qingyan has other things to do. I will be responsible for you. Now that I have been in contact with you, I think you can guess some of them. If you make a contribution, you will be rewarded. , mistakes will be severely punished, so from now on, don’t take any chances and fool me as that Xu Qingyan, otherwise, you have to think about what will happen.”
Zhang Daoquan, who had seen Fang Ru's power, couldn't help but look bitter, but in the next moment, his expression became more respectful and humble, and he still nodded repeatedly.
Seeing Zhang Daoquan like this, Fang Ru seemed to have softened his attitude a little, and his tone was a little lighter, and she said: "The second thing is, starting from tomorrow, some believers will come to your Tongji Temple one after another and help you with the work of Tongji Temple. , if you have something to do, you can give them orders. However, you don’t have to worry about what these people will do in the future, but you must try your best to satisfy their requests and never neglect them. In the future, you will no longer be able to inquire about information. You are responsible, and you can develop the influence of believers with peace of mind."
Zhang Daoquan's expression was complicated, seeming happy and worried. Naturally, he could understand Fang Ru's thoughts. In the future, the "believers" who came to seek refuge would be responsible for collecting information. In this way, he seemed to be able to save the time at Tongji Temple. There was a lot of trouble and a lot less danger, but on the other hand, it also meant that Zhang Daoquan's status in Zhao Junchen's heart was greatly reduced.
However, facing Fang Ru, Zhang Daoquan did not dare to violate it after all, so he nodded again and again, not mentioning all the guarantees.
Fang Ru took out another list from her sleeve, handed it to Zhang Daoquan, and said: "Here is the list of those believers. After you read it, burn it. There will be fewer people at the beginning, but in the future, more and more believers will come to seek refuge with you." The more you have, the better you can be aware of it.”
After a pause, Fang Ru continued: "As for the third thing, it is the most important thing."
While speaking, Fang Ru once again drew out a list and handed it to Zhang Daofuan: "In the future, you must focus on contacting the people on this list. Even if you cannot develop them into believers, you must develop the people around them into believers. Believers, you are the best at this, you have to be close and responsible, but after developing these people into believers, you no longer need to take care of them, and the people I have arranged for you will be responsible for everything after that."
Regarding such an arrangement, Zhang Daoquan is quite familiar with it.
When he was still in Lu'an Mansion, Zhao Junchen gave him a list and asked him to try his best to develop the people on the list into believers. However, in the original list, most of the people on it were court officials. It's low, but the location is mostly important.
In this regard, Zhang Daoquan has always done a good job.
However, the list this time is very different from the previous ones. Most of the people on the list have no official positions. Except for some eunuchs in the inner court, the rest are some unknown people, such as servants and servants. , among which the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, the prince Zhu Heyu, and several people under the palace are the most numerous.
"Please rest assured, Madam, I don't dare to say anything about others. With the current methods and momentum of our Tongji Temple, I am still somewhat sure of developing these people into believers."
Hearing Zhang Daoquan's assurance, Fang Ru seemed to be in a better mood. She no longer allowed Zhang Daoquan to continue kneeling, and slowly said: "Get up. Don't keep kneeling. I'm just a member of the Zhao family." I am a concubine, but you are now considered a prominent figure in the capital. How can you kneel down before me?"
Seeing Fang Ru's expression gradually softening, Zhang Daoquan also stood up with a smile and said flatteringly: "Madam, you are too modest. Although I don't know much, I have heard that in Mr. Zhao's house, you are no different from the main wife, sir. Everything in the house, no matter how big or small, is under your control. Master Zhao's trust in you is extraordinary. How dare I treat you like an ordinary concubine? Let me tell you, you belong to the Zhao family. My real wife, even if Mr. Zhao marries the main wife in the future, everyone in the Zhao family will still have to take your wishes as the main priority."
Different from her previous acting, Fang Ru couldn't help but feel a little happier when she heard what Zhang Daoquan said, and the corners of her mouth subconsciously turned up.
Seeing Fang Ru like this, Zhang Daoquan didn't know that his flattery was finally in the right place? Countless compliments followed, not to mention. Most of them praised Fang Ru for being able to do things for Zhao Junchen, being valued by Zhao Junchen, and Zhao Junchen and Fang Ru being "harmony as husband and wife" and so on.
However, Fang Ru is not Xu Qingyan after all. Although such flattery can make Fang Ru happy, it cannot disturb Fang Ru's mind, and it will not make Fang Ru forget about her past.
Therefore, Zhang Daoquan's flattery was interrupted not long after by Fang Ru waving his hand: "There is no need to say any more compliments. I have one last thing to tell you here."
"Please give me your instructions, madam."
Although Fang Ru's mood seemed to be improving, Zhang Daoquan still did not dare to neglect and said quickly.
Fang Ru smiled softly and said: "This last thing is of great benefit to you. What my lord means is that since your Tongji Temple has now established a firm foothold in the capital and its influence is growing, then your vision must be Take a longer view, don’t stick to one place in the capital. From today on, you must also look for and train some talents. As long as you have enough manpower, then your Tongji Temple can spread teachings outside the capital, build temples, and finance. , I will help you, so you don’t have to worry about anything."
Hearing what Fang Ru said, Zhang Daoquan was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.
………
When Fang Ru finished "burning incense and praying for blessings" at Tongji Temple, she was sent off by everyone in Tongji Temple and left in a carriage without any further delay.
On the way back home, sitting in the carriage, thinking about her previous contact with Zhang Daoquan, Fang Ruliu frowned and thought to herself: "This Daoquan is really thoughtful and thoughtful. No wonder Xu Qingyan can't deal with him. It's a pity. As the master said, Such smart people are often difficult to control, and they have all kinds of selfish desires, making it difficult for them to be of the same mind. But those who can be controlled, although loyal, are often not smart enough."
In Fang Ru's view, she may be the only person in the world who has the mind and means and is extremely loyal to Zhao Junchen.
In fact, in Fang Ru's view, she was even more loyal to Zhao Junchen than Xu Qingyan.
Not to mention that Fang Ru has been devoted to Zhao Junchen all these years, and she will do whatever it takes to benefit Zhao Junchen. This meeting with Zhang Daoquan alone is enough to prove that her loyalty is higher than that of Xu Qingyan.
It's not that Xu Qingyan is not loyal enough, but when Xu Qingyan works for Zhao Junchen, he always has an urgent urge to prove his ability to Zhao Junchen. Sometimes in order to prove himself, he will even unknowingly sacrifice Zhao Junchen's interests.
Take this meeting with Zhang Daoquan as an example. If Xu Qingyan had been in charge, when he threatened Zhang Daoquan, Xu Qingyan might have said, "My master intended to kill you as a warning to others, but I interceded for you and finally gave you Fighting for the last chance" and so on.
But in Fang Ru's mouth, these words turned into "I wanted to kill you as a warning to others, but my family was soft-hearted and decided to give you another chance."
The two seem to have the same function, and both can achieve the purpose of warning. Even Xu Qingyan's statement can make it easier for him to control Zhang Daoquan, but at the same time, it will also reduce Zhang Daoquan's recognition of Zhao Junchen.
But Fang Ru's statement gave Zhang Daoquan the impression that "the king of hell is easy to meet, but the devil is difficult to deal with." Although Fang Ru played the role of the villain, it could increase Zhang Daoquan's identification with Zhao Junchen.
When doing things for Zhao Junchen, she only considers Zhao Junchen's interests and nothing else. This is the embodiment of Fang Ru's loyalty to Zhao Junchen.
"However, for such a difference, I have to find a way to make the master notice it. In this case, the master will value me more."
Thinking of this, Fang Ru thought secretly.
Fang Ru is not the kind of silly woman who only knows how to give. Everything she does for Zhao Junchen is just to increase her weight in Zhao Junchen's heart. She has some small thoughts that only little women have.
"Although I don't know much about it, I have heard that in Mr. Zhao's house, you are no different from the main wife. Everything in the house, no matter how big or small, is under your sole control. Mr. Zhao has no regard for you. Trust is extraordinary. How dare I treat you as an ordinary concubine? Let me tell you, you are the real wife of the Zhao family. Even if Mr. Zhao marries the main wife in the future, everyone in the Zhao family will still have to It depends on your wishes, madam..."
Thinking of Zhang Daoquan's previous flattery, Fang Ru's eyes flashed with confusion, and she murmured to herself: "The principal wife..."
Thinking of her origins and that Zhao Junchen had already reached the age to marry his wife, Fang Ru couldn't help but sigh softly.
………
Just as Fang Ru was thinking, the carriage returning home suddenly stopped.
At the same time, outside the carriage, there was a burst of noise. It seemed that some people were scolding and some were cheering. It was quite chaotic.
"Go and see what's going on."
Fang Ru was in a hurry to go back home to see Zhao Junchen. When she saw that her trip had been delayed, she was a little unhappy. She frowned and gave instructions to Xiaobi who was waiting at the side.
Seeing Fang Ru like this, Xiaobi quickly got out of the carriage, and not long after, she came back angrily, with a slightly weird look on her face.
Fang Ru couldn't help but wonder when she saw Xiaobi like this, and asked: "Xiaobi, what is going on?"
Xiaobi said angrily: "Madam, when you get back, you must teach today's coachman a lesson. In order to take a shortcut, this coachman actually took us to Eunuch Lane. The area around Eunuch Lane has always been the most smoky. And It is said that the yin energy is very strong, and we usually avoid it. How can we delay passing by here? There are two groups of eunuchs fighting in front of us, and another group of eunuchs are watching the fun, and the road is blocked. "
After hearing Xiaobi's explanation, Fang Ru also frowned.
In the late Ming Dynasty, although eunuchs had lost their yang roots and had no offspring, they would be looked down upon by others, but in a certain respect, they were still a promising profession. At least they had internal treasury to support them, and they had enough food and clothing. If they were lucky, , can gain a firm foothold in the inner court, and is even more powerful, wealthy, and prestigious.
Although the inner court has been suppressed repeatedly in recent years, in the eyes of ordinary people, they still dare not look down upon the eunuchs of the inner court.
And in this case, there will naturally be many people who are lucky enough to want to enter the palace and become eunuchs, either because they have no choice or because they are too lazy to do it.
But what is quite cruel is that when the Ming Dynasty's inner court selected new eunuchs, the selection scope was "those who are from the palace." That is to say, those who intend to enter the palace, just to participate in a selection, must first cut off their Yang Gen. , in this way, if they are not selected in the end, it goes without saying that the fate of these "self-employed people" will be tragic.
In the late Ming Dynasty, the inner palace would recruit eunuchs every three years, and each time there were two to three thousand "self-employed eunuchs" recruited. It seemed like a large number, but in fact there were more people who failed to be selected.
In fact, in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the number of these unsuccessful "self-employed people" was so large that it became one of the more serious social problems in the capital.
After the "self-employed ones" failed to become eunuchs, they were despised by the world. Most of them gave up on themselves, making people afraid to approach them. In order to survive and wait for the next selection, they used all legal or illegal means. Some Some of the beggars are scheming, and some are cheating and swindling. Needless to say, it is a mess.
The place where these "self-imposed persons" gather is known as "Eunuch Alley" by the world.
In the eyes of many people, a place like Eunuch Alley would be full of bad luck even if they just glance at it from a distance, and they would avoid it.
Precisely because of this, it is not difficult to understand why even Xiaobi, who has always been a gentle person, would be so angry when she found her carriage passing by Eunuch Lane.
………
Thinking of all the things in "Eunuch Lane", Fang Ru was naturally not happy. She snorted softly and said, "When you go back, tell the manager of the house that the coachman, horseman, and entourage who led the way today will all be deducted one." Months of wages, among which the proposer was driven out of the Zhao Mansion directly. In order to take a shortcut, they just wanted to take the Eunuch Lane, but no one thought to ask me for permission beforehand, but they broke the rules."
Xiao Bi nodded and said: "Madam, you have not been in charge of things in the past few days. Everyone in the house has indeed forgotten the rules. They need to straighten things out after they go back. If you want a maid, I say, our Zhao Mansion is inseparable." Come on, madam, otherwise everything will be in chaos sooner or later."
Hearing Xiaobi's flattering words, Fang Ru could not deny it, but said: "Master, he understands clearly and intends to train a group of useful manpower for the Zhao family through the expansion of 'Yerongfang'. Now our Zhao family After all, there are still too few people available inside. No matter what I do, it is always inconvenient and has become a bottleneck. I have a lot of things to take care of in the future, and I don’t have the energy to take care of the small things in the house. It’s just such a mess. It’s impossible to go down.”
Xiao Bi smiled and said: "It's natural. The master values his wife and asks her to help with many things. Naturally, she cannot be distracted by some trivial matters in the house."
Fang Ru smiled softly, but said nothing more. Instead, there was a hint of thoughtfulness in her eyes.
Fang Ru naturally looked at the previous conflicts between Zhao Junchen and the inner court. In Fang Ru's view, the people in the inner court were all short-sighted people after all. It was better to directly control them than to cooperate with them.
Zhao Junchen must have had the same idea, but he just had nowhere to start.
However, on this day, she accidentally passed by Eunuch Lane, which gave Fang Ru a wake-up call.
Although Eunuch Lane is filthy, the people living there are all eunuch candidates. If you start from here, you may not be able to succeed.
"Well, remember to mention it to the master when you get back. I think he will have his own plans when the time comes."
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ps: Two chapters in one.
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