The Rich and the Idlers of the Red Chamber

Lin Ruhai's journey was fairly peaceful, and the Zhen family didn't care about him at all right now. Besides, they didn't feel that Lin Ruhai was threatening their capital. Even when Lin Ruhai left, the Zhen family and the local officials, Saying goodbye to Lin Ruhai.

Lin Ruhai, on the other hand, sat comfortably on the boat going to Beijing. He walked on the road in a leisurely manner, and occasionally had to play some elegant things. He watched the scenery in the mountains and rivers, went fishing, and took the water from the heart of the river to make tea and so on. of.As for the Zhen family, it was already a mess, and everyone was in a state of desperation.

The Zhen family has used the salt tax in the past few years. It can be said that they have set up a huge net. I don't know how many officials have been recruited to work for them.There is a saying that being an official for thousands of miles is only for money. Among those who are officials, there are very few people who do not love money or power. They do nothing and really only think about making decisions for the people.Money is really a good thing. If you have money, you can clear up the officialdom. Obviously, being an official is at most mediocre. You've got to wait, and promotion is just around the corner in the future.

And if you feel that you have done a good job as an official and feel that you are capable, then you will be dismissive of giving gifts or something. .Then you can't say it, the evaluation will be down two grades, and those who could have been promoted can only be re-elected.Originally, he could be re-elected, but in the end he was driven directly to the backcountry.

These days, it is not popular to go deep into remote areas, take root in the grassroots, and have any dedication. Seeing that you have been gilded in those backcountry areas, your qualifications will be your qualifications, and you will naturally have a bright future.These days, those poor places are a big trouble. There are many troublesome people in the poor mountains and rivers. Over there, if you can’t raise taxes, if the people below can’t eat, they will have to make a fuss. It is a good thing not to be cheated to death if you expect to make some political achievements.

Therefore, in the officialdom, most people are just like the light, and most people will never challenge the rules. However, those who are not greedy, they also have a lot of money, and they don’t need to search the officials in the village. It's just a matter of filial piety. However, most of these people have backers in the court. As long as their luck is not bad, they can always get along smoothly.

However, many officials are at best from small rich backgrounds. How much money and energy were spent on studying the imperial examinations, and after they become officials, they want to get back hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Zhen family in the south of the Yangtze River is the emperor of the soil, and they colluded with most of the salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River, controlling the money bags of the south of the Yangtze River, and annexing land everywhere. Those who are hostile to them, then they will be merciless in their strikes, and they will not follow the rules at all.

Relying on the Zhen family, those officials can gain a foothold in Jiangnan, which is already a rich place, on the one hand, and on the other hand, they can also receive a lot of tribute, collusion with each other, mutual benefit, and after a few years, they can make further progress. Everyone is willing to hang out with the Zhen family. Even if the Zhen family has something illegal, they will help cover it up. They and the Zhen family each hold each other's handles, so they form an alliance of interests. There is only a deeper truth.

But the problem now is that the originally bulging money bag, from which everyone can get a share, is not only leaked and suffocated, but everyone even smells the wind and rain coming from it.

If the sage had a direct showdown with the Zhen family and took the Zhen family down, then there was nothing to say. In the south of the Yangtze River, with the power of the Zhen family and many officials working together, it would be enough for the sage to suffer. The holy lady is still there, and Concubine Zhen Gui is still able to talk to the old saint. When the time comes, the old saint's saint will not be able to explain it.

However, the sage directly announced that the reform of the salt administration would only offend the interests of the Zhen family. After all, because of the control of the Zhen family, those ministers in the court had not been taxed in salt for many years. It's gone, anyway, it's not their own flesh, so they don't feel bad.

Now that the reform of the salt administration, all of them can only applaud. After all, although they can't afford it, their opponents can't eat it either, which is naturally a good thing.What's more, the sage also released a fragrant bait, and they would not be able to get the benefits of those coarse salt.Although this is a slow-flowing business, just like selling grain is also a slow-flowing business with small profits but quick turnover, the ministers in the court and the central government are mostly not involved in this. After all, this is only possible when the quantity is large enough. Only under the circumstances, there will be more substantial benefits, not to mention, there are too many people involved, and they are too lazy to spend too much energy on it.

However, refined salt is different. Due to the problem of refining technology these days, the refining of sea salt is very troublesome. Therefore, the popular refined salt on the market has always been green salt produced in the northwest. The price of that salt is not low, and the average person I can't get involved, because that is the territory of those ethnic minorities, and many of the salt mines of Qingyan are controlled by those big tribes. If it is for this benefit, it is not worth turning against those tribes.

It’s different now, sea salt can also be refined into refined salt, and the refined salt is better than the green salt in the northwest. It is said that it can play a lot of tricks, and there are quite a few tempted people here.The sage said that this matter is the same as the previous woolen business, and the imperial merchants are selected to manage it.But to be honest, there are not a few officials behind the imperial business, otherwise, it would be impossible to continue!Here, the ministers in the court will naturally be able to get corresponding benefits.

Anyway, the Zhen family's group was their target of hostility. After Zhen Yingjia joined the cabinet, he was immediately isolated.Who are the people in the cabinet, all of them are from the imperial examination, have experienced in the court for many years, and have countless students.What kind of thing is Zhen Yingjia? The Zhen family was originally a wealthy landowner in Jinling, but later turned to Taizu and became a royal family slave.As a result, the family still couldn't change their original habits, and sent the clan wife to the palace to be a wet nurse. As a result, it happened that the old saint who was just born that year was serving her.

The old sage stood out and became a great treasure, and the Zhen family trembled all of a sudden. Later, thinking that a holy lady was not enough, they offered their daughters for glory!In short, this family has no other skills, it has always been lucky, it is really hard to see.

As for the means of being an official, Zhen Yingjia is even less popular.What kind of official did Zhen Yingjia ever be? At the beginning, she was just a humble official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, not much better than a petty official. Later, she cried poorly with the saint and got a job in the salt administration. Difference.

Fortunately, the old sage was in power at that time. If any emperor in this dynasty was replaced, the Zhen family would not be able to have the glory it is today. You have no money, what kind of fight did you take at the beginning, the sage stayed in your house, that is to think highly of you, even if you go bankrupt, you should worship the sage, if it is not for the sage, what is your Zhen family!

Zhen Yingjia is only suitable to be a businessman, and he is also the kind of low-level businessman who only knows about profit, has short-sightedness, and has a high self-esteem. In the eyes of several elders, he is simply an idiot!

Zhen Yingjia joined the cabinet, thinking about winning this one, attacking that one, and shouting for her grandson, wishing to put Tu Minghao on the throne immediately. The old saint opened his eyes and closed his eyes, but where is the court.

Today's several combined punches have won many people's hearts. Many old ministers simply expressed their surrender to the saint. No matter how loud Tu Minghao yelled, but in the eyes of many people, he was almost like a clown.Although the old sage kept silent, he retreated to the Chuigong Hall. Even though the sage often went to greet the old sage and ask the old sage about government affairs, the old sage mostly kept silent. No matter what the sage said, he just nodded and promised. Clearly expressed the attitude of the old saint.

If Tu Minghao succumbed early, then, even for the sake of the old sage, even if the sage turned around and killed the Zhen family, he would be lenient towards Tu Minghao, and Tu Minghao would be an idle prince without losing his splendor and wealth.

However, Tu Minghao couldn't see the situation clearly at all, and was still jumping up and down like a monkey. In a place like the royal family, when it is peaceful, it is natural to be warm and affectionate. Everyone talks and laughs at Yan Yan, whitewashing the peace.But if it comes to a critical moment, what kind of blood relationship, father and son brothers, are not relatives at all, but enemies, and they can stab each other at any time.Just like the so-called eternal emperor Li Shimin who planted the future troubles for the change of emperors in the Tang Dynasty. He is also a good emperor, but he killed his brother directly and forced his father to abdicate. He was very reliable in doing things later, otherwise, he would be another Sui Yang Emperor Yang Guang.

The cabinet elders in the cabinet have gone through so many troubles. They are all old foxes. They can see many things clearly. If Tu Minghao had that ability and decision, he would directly mutiny that day and kill the current , Then, maybe he has already accomplished something, but he wants to use the pressure from the court and the so-called partiality of the old sage to achieve something, that is completely courting death.

Most of the people in the court are just fools on the wall. Whoever is above them will fall to whom they fall. It is called, in a euphemistic name, to support orthodoxy.Who is orthodox, today's saints are orthodox.Today's saint was the prince who visited the ancestral temple and lived in the East Palace. Before he ascended the throne, his biological mother was canonized as a queen. The old saint gave the throne to the saint himself. He is not orthodox, who is orthodox!Didn't you see that Prince Yizhong is still silent now?The abolished prince and the newly established prince are completely different.

As for the old saint's preference, there is nothing to say. The old saint is certainly partial to some disciple Minghao, but it is completely selfish. He is willing to spoil his youngest son, and no one can say anything wrong. , However, personal love is different from family and country love.In history, there are many emperors who don't want to establish a long-term wife and a virtuous man, but want to establish love. However, not many of them can really do what they want.As a minister, even if you want your boss to be a puppet, you don't want your boss to be a fool, because no one knows what kind of stupid things a fool will do, and everyone will be unlucky!

Tu Minghao looks smart, but in the eyes of many people, he is such a fool.

Now that Zhen Yingjia is looking at the scenery, in fact, no one in the cabinet really regards him as a person. If he wants to do something, or everyone will oppose it together and criticize his proposal as shit, making him look like a pig liver.Or, everyone simply waited to see his jokes and made trouble behind his back.

Regarding the matter in the south of the Yangtze River, although the old sage could not bear to deal with the Zhen family, he was not polite to the members of the Zhen family. , It's often the ups and downs, unlucky, and even because of being involved in those things that can't be explained clearly, the old sage is directly sent off.

Therefore, there are really not many members of the Zhen family in the important positions in the court. Zhen Yingjia is restricted everywhere in what he wants to do. After a few misses, his prestige is gone. Even Tu Minghao and Zhen Those party members of the family are also dissatisfied with Zhen Yingjia, who told him to do whatever he wants!

Even if he wanted to recommend an official, the words just fell away. Immediately, a group of censors just like him digging his own ancestral grave, picked them out from one side, and at the same time made a long speech about the official's bad deeds. , and said there that Zhen Yingjia didn't know people well, that she was a member of the Internet, and that she had bad intentions and so on.

Therefore, the elder Zhen Ge, the leader of the Zhen family, has already suffered a lot in the court in just a few months, and he can hardly hold his head up.

Even so for Zhen Yingjia, the Zhen family in the south of the Yangtze River is also in chaos. To be honest, the Zhen family really has no outstanding figures. Although Zhen Yingjia has a lot of brothers, there are even more cousins, uncles and brothers. I don’t even know how many grandchildren there are, but most of these people are the Gaoliang people who grew up in Fugui Township. They bully men and women and run rampant. That’s their old job, but if they really want to do something, they probably have to do it. bad thing.

One of Zhen Yingjia's cousins ​​was once recommended to be an official on the river course. The year this guy took office, he encountered a flood and the river embankment was washed away. Bad luck.

There are also a few officials in the Zhen family, but what they can do, political affairs, etc., if they don't have aides to advise and advise, they will all have to be caught blind, and they may not even know which official documents should be used and which seals.As for those staff members, they are not loyal to the Zhen family. They are all like the servants of the Zhen family. The good thing is that even if the incident happens, the Zhen family will still be there to support them. They are at most accomplices, and if they bite back later, they might be able to confess and be lenient!

At this moment, Jiangnan is in chaos, and the Zhen family can't do anything about it. They only know how to yell and curse. Many people want to jump their feet against the pillars. They are also at a loss, okay?Because selling salt makes money, everyone just took out some private money at the beginning, and then they will get a hundred times or more in return, and they don't need them to be able to do business at all.

It's so easy to get money for this kind of thing. Many members of the Zhen family who are not well-to-do naturally get involved in it, and invest more and more each time. As a result, it's like the stock market crashing now. The guys who dropped money from the sky were all unlucky, their original savings turned into some money that was about to be invalidated, and some even owed a lot of money outside.

The members of the Zhen family have been living very comfortably these years, what to do for excitement, what to enjoy, no matter if it is a brothel or a casino, they have never spent a lot of money, and usually pay directly in the store, and then write off the account when the bonus arrives. Yes, simply borrow usury loans directly from those people of the third class and the highest rank.

As a result, now that such a market is encountered, it is considered impossible to get along.Their money has been turned into waste paper, and those salt merchants are still jumping their feet. They can't wait to rush to the capital to settle accounts with Zhen Yingjia. They are in the capital, but they are so uninformed. Things have reached this point, and they haven't reacted yet. .Therefore, when the people from the Zhen family came to make trouble, they would not pay any attention to it.

Those who can open those brothel casinos in places like Jinling and those who dare to do usury business, there are not many powerful people behind them to support them. Besides, no one has any hatred for money. Refreshing, therefore, each family gave them a very high amount. Looking at it now, the people of the Zhen family owed them a lot of debts. After consulting their own backstage, they all came to ask for it The accounts were gone, and some even ran directly to the Zhen family mansion.

Who is the person who is professionally asking for the account, and it is the Zhen family, so they come to the door one after another to collect the account with the account book and IOU, and they speak beautifully, but the Zhen family will not give up no matter what they say. .

When did the Zhen family ever suffer from such anger? They are like emperors in the south of the Yangtze River. If they are willing to borrow money from people like them, it is because they look up to them. With a ferocious face, he directly called the servants, brandishing sticks one by one, and drove these people who came to pay for the account out, beating them until they cried.

Then, problems arose.

The next day, in the yamen of the prefect of Jinling, several sufferers brought their dead bodies to the door to cry for grievances, saying that the Zhen family did not pay back the money they owed, and in order to repay the debt, they directly ordered their slaves to beat the person who owed them to death.

There was a life lawsuit, and the prefect of Jinling couldn't sit still.

The prefect of Jinling is also depressed at the moment, he is really a member of the Zhen family, but he has only been here for more than a year, and he has more than 2 taels of cash in his hand, not to mention all kinds of treasures Antiques, with nearly a hundred hectares of fertile land under his name, these naturally have something to do with the Zhen family.In the backyard, a concubine from a salt merchant was newly accepted, and the dowry he brought was [-] taels, not to mention all kinds of head and face jewelry.

It's just that this person is not a fool. He also smells uneasiness now. Since Zhen Yingjia received the order to enter Beijing, the Zhen family seems to have fallen into a huge whirlpool. He also knows the plan of the Zhen family. If the Zhen family can succeed , he is naturally happy to see the success, but looking at it now, the Zhen family used to look so magnificent that it seemed to be omnipotent. It is because the foundation of the Zhen family has been shaken, and the Zhen family is in chaos.

Although the magistrate of Jinling loves money, he loves his future even more. If he has a future, how much money can't get him!Now that the Zhen family is like this, the things they collected before are really too hot to handle.At this moment, someone happened to sue the Zhen family. Immediately, the prefect of Jinling felt his heart skip a beat. He gritted his teeth and decided to fight!

Therefore, the magistrate was also very straightforward, directly accepting the case, and after hearing the complaints of those sufferers, he directly issued an order and ordered people to go to the Zhen family to pick up the people.

The Zhen family was almost dumbfounded. They originally called the prefect of Jinling brothers, and the prefect of Jinling shyly pretended to be a younger brother in front of his family. Now, this younger brother has turned his face. However, the Zhen family is not easy to provoke. The master didn't even show up, he handed over a few house slaves casually, and then said that those people just ran to the door and disturbed the tranquility of his ancestors, so he threw them out.As for the killing of people, it is purely false, purely false accusation, who knows how those people died, whether they beat the people to death in order to falsely accuse the Zhen family, not to mention, whether the dead person entered People who have left the Zhen family don't know yet!Therefore, the Zhen family only admitted that a few slaves had injured someone, and those people deserved to be beaten when they attacked the Zhen residence.

If the Zhen family's response is under normal circumstances, then there is indeed no problem. The problem is that the prefect of Jinling intends to use this case as a petition to draw a clear line with the Zhen family. The old sage canonized as the ancestor of Mrs. Fengsheng, anyway, it is just a sentence, killing people to pay their lives, and paying debts to pay money.

The Zhen family didn't pay back the money they owed, and even beat the creditor. It was lawless, and people and gods were all angry. Therefore, it was considered to be with the Zhen family.

Of course, the prefect of Jinling didn’t dare to rush to Zhen’s mansion to get someone. The Zhen’s family still has a plaque inscribed by the old sage himself, and the crutch Ruyi bestowed on Mrs. Fengsheng. There is only reason to bow your head.

This guy was also shrewd, he directly wrote a memorial, saying that the Zhen family ran rampant in the village, oppressed goodness, refused to repay their debts, beat the creditor to death, despised the government, and refused to take the blame.

The Zhezi was handed over to Jingzhong, and the group of people in the court, no matter whether they were the censors or not, all swarmed up like flies that smelled the smell, and the Zhezi impeaching the Zhen family flew into the hands of the saint like snowflakes.