Archery of Gongshou Rivers and Mountains

Just half a month after Zhao and Ju left that day, Shi Miyuan Yuchao went up and forced Empress Dowager Yang to withdraw the curtain.At least on the surface, Zhao and Ju are now officially in charge.

Another half a month later, Wanyan Kang originally wanted to go hunting that day, but it was early in the morning, it was just dawn, and someone probably knocked on the door of his house just as the city gate opened in Lin'an City.And this person is the Southern Song emperor who said not long ago that he could not come for "a long time".

Or only the middle-aged eunuch followed from a distance, and Zhao and Ju asked him as soon as they met: "Brother Zhao, do you have any wine?"

"Why did you come to my place to ask for wine?" Wanyan Kang couldn't help laughing, although the Southern Song Dynasty is now a corner, but the royal family has no shortage of items, even more luxurious and richer than any royal family today, no matter the East or the West.

"I want the spicy wine you drank last time."

"Oh?" Wanyan Kang understood, but was a little confused.What he understood was that the so-called spicy wine was a high-strength wine made by Wanyan Kang with borrowed distillation equipment, but this high-strength wine was not his original creation, there was a method of distilling and purifying wine in the Tang Dynasty.As for why there is no high-grade wine... It is not because of food shortages, nor is it because it cannot be produced on a large scale, but because at least at this stage, these high-grade wines are not suitable for Chinese tastes, and few people will buy them after they are brewed.Therefore, the wine made by Wanyan Kang is only for self-drinking and taking away for self-entertainment.

What's confusing to him is that when he was drinking last time, Zhao and Ju ran into each other, tasted it and almost spit it out, why did he bring it up again now?

Confused to be confused, Wanyan Kang did not refuse, but led Zhao Yuju to the gazebo in the backyard, asked him to sit down, asked the kitchen to cook two cold dishes, and brought two jugs of wine.

Zhao Yuju poured himself a small cup, took half a sip, and swallowed it with a grin, his face turned red immediately.

"Brother Zhao, strong alcohol hurts the stomach, eat two bites of food." Wan Yankang pressed Zhao Yuju's hand, drinking, especially drunk, is indeed a good way to vent, but some people are not suitable for getting drunk.Drunk and out of control, if you say something, you won't lose one or two lives.

Zhao Yuju was also obedient, took two mouthfuls of food, stuffed them into his mouth almost boldly, and swallowed them without chewing: "Brother Kang..."

"Ok?"

"I think... Shi Miyuan... Youen... Song..." Zhao Yuju murmured, saying a few words intermittently.But Wanyan Kang immediately understood what the young emperor was worried about.

He wanted to take power by himself, he wanted to revive the country, and he felt that Shi Miyuan had to be overthrown first.However, Shi Miyuan's support for him was definitely not an ordinary support.Except for Wanyan Kang who only clicked on his existence inadvertently, Zhao and Ju were pushed by Shi Miyuan from the common people to the position of the Ninth Five-Year Lord.This is not just credit, it can almost be said to be kindness, how can he be ungrateful.

However, Zhao and Ju couldn't discuss this kind of matter with others. The ministers who urged him to "think about the foundation of the Song Dynasty" must naturally just let him abandon the small righteousness and pursue the righteousness.As for Shi Miyuan... he dared not reveal the slightest word, otherwise there would be a bloody storm in the court.

Wanyan Kang was silent, he was thinking about the outcome of Shi Miyuan's death or not from the perspective of an outsider.

When Zhao and Ju were almost disappointed, Wan Yankang said, "Brother Zhao, you want to hear me tell a story."

Zhao Yuju naturally knew that Wanyan Kang wanted to tell him some truths by telling stories, and his teachers and ministers often said things like this, so he really wanted to hear what Wanyan Kang would tell him: "OK."

"There is such a country that is in the midst of internal and external troubles. The old emperor is in poor health and favors the eunuchs. Therefore, the court's taxes in various places are collected by the eunuchs. In the court, there is also the largest eunuch leader, with a A special organization to monitor the courtiers, maintain the government, and kill the ministers."

Zhao Yuju frowned, he was thinking about which dynasty and generation Wanyan Kang was talking about, but after thinking about it, he couldn't remember it.

"This is a country outside the region, not around the Central Plains. This is what I heard from merchants when I was in Shaanxi." Wan Yankang explained, and after Zhao and Ju nodded, he continued, "The old emperor drives Beng, the little emperor came to the throne. Not long after he took the throne, he killed the eunuch who controlled the government, recalled the tax supervisors from all over the country, and recruited the prestigious ministers to serve in the court. His Majesty thinks... the future of this country will be how?"

"Such a dear man, a virtuous minister of Yuan, it is natural... to open a prosperous age?" Zhao Yuju sighed, thinking that Wanyan Kang was also persuading him to go far away, but when he looked up, he saw Wanyan Kang shaking his head, "Why? ,Is not it?"

"As I said just now, this country is suffering from internal and external troubles. In some places, there has been no harvest for seven or eight years in a row. But there are foreign enemies, so they have to increase taxes. But when the notorious old eunuch was here, the increase It is the business tax of various places. Now that the old eunuch is gone, those ministers are also calling for tax increases. After adding and adding, it is added to the people in the land where there is no harvest."

"How could it be? Aren't those ministers all well-known gentlemen? How could they do such a thing that harms the people?"

"This is also strange, so I asked the person who told the story. It turns out that those big businessmen are inextricably linked with those gentlemen, or their relatives at home may give them a lot of money. Filial piety to Yin. Now that the organization that monitors them is gone, and the eunuchs who go to various places to supervise the taxation are gone, who would want to let themselves suffer? Naturally, the result is that the people are full of resentment, and finally the army is full of chaos, and the little emperor hangs himself to death."

What Wanyankang was talking about was Ming, Chongzhen, and the eunuch who died was Wei Zhongxian.He was indeed curious—didn’t Chongzhen kill Wei Zhongxian in those TV shows, and just make things a factory? Then the country should be getting better and better, but why did the country perish instead?Only when I had nothing to do, I went to look for the information of those times.

As a result, he came to a very helpless conclusion, Wei Zhongxian was indeed not a good person, but if Chongzhen didn't kill Wei Zhongxian... maybe the country wouldn't die so quickly. ①However, he felt that the current situation of Zhao and Ju was somewhat similar to that of Chongzhen.

"Brother Zhao, you now have a vicious dog in your hand that may turn back. But it is because of this vicious dog in your hand, the people who surround you, that they fear you and respect you. And if you want to To make the Great Song prosperous and strong, why must the entire court be full of virtuous ministers? Were all virtuous ministers in the dynasty of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty?"

Wan Yankang knew that Zhao and Ju were now admiring Emperor Wu of Han more and more, so he simply compared him to the emperor.In the Han Wu Dynasty, there were naturally loyal ministers and good generals, but there were also many notorious ministers, and Emperor Han Wu himself had a bad reputation in some aspects.

So, Zhao Yuju pondered at first, and then his eyes lit up, but without knowing his eyes, his whole demeanor suddenly changed.Then he lowered his voice and said to Wan Yankang: "Thank you, brother Kang, Emperor Wu was naturally a good minister, but this one is not just another one. Regardless of whether he is a gentleman or a villain, as long as he can be used by me, then he can be used." , otherwise..." After finishing speaking, Zhao and Ju clapped their hands together and laughed.

Wanyankang was a little taken aback, but in fact he just wanted Zhao and Ju to understand that compromise is necessary at certain times.But why did Zhao and Ju go on such a wrong path?

But... Maybe this is the right way to be an emperor.

"Brother Kang, change to a pot of bar." When the spirit got better, Zhao and Ju couldn't look down on Wanyan Kang's spirits anymore, and poured the wine that they didn't drink much in the wine cup, turning against the guest.

Wan Yankang naturally obeyed, brought new wine, and sat down for the second time, the two of them stopped talking about court affairs.Wan Yankang talked about strange things overseas, while Zhao and Ju talked about anecdotes in Beijing.The two talked and laughed happily, very happy.But when the two were tossing and changing glasses, first the old housekeeper ran over and was stopped by the middle-aged eunuch, then the eunuch and the housekeeper came to the two of them and reported the matter.

"Have you been thieves?" Wanyan Kang couldn't help but ask back, it's not the first time Wanyan Kang encountered thieves, but it was all in the city, the people of Niujia Village are simple and honest, almost never pick up lost things on the road, and never close their doors at night.After Wanyan Kang came here, he also built bridges and paved roads, and even paid for a private school. He is definitely a good man with a good reputation.But someone actually stole into his house in broad daylight.However, there is now a circle of imperial guards coming out of the palace, and the servants in the mansion are all from the White Camel Villa. They seem to be ordinary servants, but in fact they all have good kung fu.The thief was here to die—in fact, Wan Yankang was surprised that the thief was still alive.

"Send off the official, trouble the butler, and go there in person."

"Master, she's a female thief." After the butler finished speaking, he couldn't help but lament in his heart that he had become soft-hearted after a few years of his life, and so did other people in the house. Those from the villa grabbed it and broke their hands and feet, then threw them into the snake den!But now that he is just a female thief, his heart softens.

At this time, there are no cells dedicated to detaining women. The jailers are all men, and when women break the law, their father, brother, husband, and son are usually punished instead.Unless the whole family is implicated, the crime committed by the female offender is extremely heinous, or there are no relatives, only the female will be punished.

If it were a young female prisoner, facing a vicious prisoner and a cell boss who was even more vicious than the prisoner... one can imagine what kind of encounter she would encounter.Some cell bosses even use female prisoners to receive customers in the prison to make money for themselves.

For women, such an encounter is definitely more painful than breaking off limbs and feeding them to snakes.Everyone in the mansion knew a thing or two about this, so when Wan Yankang said to send him off to the official, the housekeeper made a special statement, but it wasn't actually soft-hearted, it was just human nature.

"Women are all thieves? Is it possible that the people's livelihood has become so depressed recently? Brother Kang, can you let me see that woman?" Originally seeing that this matter should be Wan Yankang's private matter, but when they heard that it was a female thief, Zhao and Ju couldn't bear it. I stopped talking.

The author has something to say:

①The tax system in the Ming Dynasty was actually problematic =-=, do you still remember that you once studied "The Tombstone of Five People", and the few people who died there died because they resisted the tax. What kind of tax did they resist? .Mining tax, commercial tax—shouldn’t this tax be collected?