It is already getting late, but the North Palace of Luoyang is probably one of the most well-illuminated places in the world at night.
However, just under a brazier on the west side of the Beigong, the former actual controller of the Beigong, the former Great Changqiu Cao Jie, encountered an almost humiliating treatment.
"Mr. Cao!" a junior Huangmen member replied cautiously. "Changshi Zhao said that His Majesty was going to Zhuolong Garden outside the west gate. I'm afraid he didn't have time to see you, so he asked you to please come back."
"Oh." Cao Jie rolled up his sleeves and nodded slightly, but he didn't seem angry at all. "I see, I'm a little too lazy to come here... But why is Your Majesty going to Zhuolong Garden at this time?"
"Report to Duke Cao." Xiao Huangmen didn't dare to take it seriously, so he quickly replied. "I'm a low-level person, so I don't know the details, but it's true that His Majesty has been fond of going to Zhuolong Garden recently. I just heard what people said.
, Zhao Changshi and others have recently often advised His Majesty to build new pavilions and pavilions in Zhuolong Garden and build a hot spring water pavilion."
Cao Jie nodded slightly, but he could understand. After all, pleasing the emperor was the basic skill of people like Zhao Zhong.
"More than that." The little Huangmen stepped forward slightly and whispered. "I heard that Zhao Changshi and others also suggested that Your Majesty build a money bank in Zhuolong Garden to store money..."
"Stay here." Cao Jie asked with a slight frown. "How can you come up with so much money that needs to be stored?"
"I'll tell you the truth, Mr. Cao." Xiao Huangmen's voice became lower and lower. "I also heard someone tell me that your Majesty is going to collect the official money and then have it transported directly to Zhuolong Garden for storage."
"What is official money?" Cao Jie also became more and more confused.
"It is said that following the precedent of this dynasty, the generals, officials and marquisships were sold together..."
"Isn't this just donating officials and titles? How can I get official money in return?" Cao Jie suddenly laughed. "I don't know how many times I have sold him. It's just that this official has always been valued by the scholars, so there will inevitably be some trouble."
"It's not just that." The little Huangmen shook his head repeatedly. Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be a well-informed person. "I heard that Changshi Xia first suggested this, but His Majesty thought it was too slow to pay according to the old method, and then
Zhao Changshi and others came together and said that the whole world is the emperor's property. After the imperial court appoints officials normally, they should hand over some money according to the official position, fatness and weight before taking office, so as to "donate" to the emperor to build Zhuolong.
Garden! I heard from people that the basic price has been agreed upon, it is two thousand stone and twenty million yuan, one thousand stone and ten million yuan, four hundred and four million yuan..."
Even though Cao Jie was well-informed, he couldn't help but be shocked at this moment: "The emperor agrees... So what if someone from a poor family is elected as an official?"
"It can be reduced or reduced." Xiao Huangmen continued to explain. "The emperor said that the method of the regular servants is good, but it should be adapted to local conditions and varies from person to person! If someone has a reputation of being honest and capable, he can be beaten.
A half discount, or even a half discount is not impossible. Moreover, if the family is really poor, you can still take office first, and then make up for it when you have money during your term!"
Cao Jie was speechless for a moment.
"In addition," Xiao Huangmen said more and more proudly. "The emperor also said that the prices in poor places can be lower, and the prices in rich places can be more expensive. Although the ministers are noble, their tenure is too short.
Therefore, tens of millions for the public and five million for the ministers are enough... In short, all matters must be comprehensive, and must be fair, just, and open to convince the world!"
Cao Jie nodded slightly, but couldn't help but sniffed: "I understand. In that case, you can go in and wait on me. I'll go first!"
"Cao Gong is looking at the way." Xiao Huangmen quickly replied, and then he couldn't help but add another sentence. "Cao Gong, don't worry, we have received your favor many times, and if we see the opportunity, we will definitely show up in front of the emperor."
I would like to give you some advice for you, the old man..."
Cao Jie turned around and smiled slightly, then turned around and left, but he went to Yeting in the dark to look for He Guiren. However, he still encountered a rejection at He Guiren's residence.
"Mr. Cao!" a young Huangmen man said timidly after running out. "He Guiren is chatting with Zhang Changshi. It is said that they are talking about some household matters..."
"Oh." Cao Jie suddenly understood again. "So, it's a bad time for me to come. However, I haven't been in the palace for a long time. I wonder if He Guiren is in good health now?"
Xiao Huangmen breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but laugh: "Look what you said, you are not ignorant of the noble's temperament. Everything comes first. Now that Empress Song has been deposed, she is naturally in high spirits all day long, thinking about making further progress.
, where is the thought of ‘not being in good health’?”
Cao Jie couldn't help but laugh too.
"However." The little Huangmen suddenly said again. "The noble lady has not been without some troubles recently. She has always wanted her eldest brother He Zhonglang to come back from Nanyang quickly to help her, but He Zhonglang repeatedly delayed it. Yesterday
After she came back, she didn't know who she listened to, and actually advised her to collect the body of the rapist and bury it first, in order to stabilize people's hearts, which quite dissatisfied the noble lady."
Cao Jie thought about He Guiren's eldest brother in his mind, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and then left again: "I understand, I'll leave now, you can go back and serve me!"
"Mr. Cao, go slowly." The little yellow gate of Ye Ting was still respectful. "If you have any orders, please don't shy away."
Cao Jie smiled slightly again, and then set off in the dark again, alone to seek an audience with Empress Dowager Dong. But this time, he actually met the 'rightful master'.
"Cheng... Chang Shi!" Cao Jie was the first to bow to Yang Qiu's 'father-in-law' Cheng Huang.
"Cao..." Cheng Huang, who had just come out of Empress Dowager Dong's place, was surprised at first when he saw Cao Jie, but then he covered his mouth and laughed. "Oh, Changshi Cao, why do you have time to return to the palace today?"
"Mr. Cheng!" Cao Jie immediately turned bitter. "Why do you think you were forced to do so by your son-in-law? Although I am not involved in the case, there is Wang Fu on the left and Chen Jiu on the right.
If Zhang Feng is gone and Yuan She is gone, how can I dare to stay at home? So I came to the palace to plead for mercy. Cheng Gong must also give me a nice word!"
Cheng Huang, also known as 'Master Cheng', became the servant of Cheng Chang. Hearing this, he smiled even more happily: "Look what Cao Changshi said, I have been in the palace for a long time, and I am the oldest and most senior among the chamberlains.
, so whenever someone in the palace asks for help, I have always been able to help... But then again, you, Changshi Cao, are not involved in the case, what are you afraid of? What are you asking for? "
Cao Jie couldn't help laughing, but he pointed to the palace where Empress Dowager Dong lived.
"Ah," 'Master Cheng' saw this and quickly covered his mouth again. "Changshi Cao had better not go to see the Queen Mother today. She has just rested."
"That's it." Cao Jie quickly lowered his head. "Then I won't go. Cheng Chang will go home later. I also want to go back to my room to rest."
"Servant Cao Chang, please go ahead." Cheng Huang didn't know why, but he suddenly became polite again.
Of course Cao Jie knew that the other party would not be relieved if he did not see him leaving... However, he really did not intend to see Empress Dowager Dong again, so he really left here and went far away.
Of course, Cao Jie did not actually go to his residence in the North Palace. In fact, shortly after he entered the darkness, he turned around and went to an extremely secluded place in the palace. But this time, there was no
If anyone tried to stop him, or even on the contrary, when the owner of the place heard that he was coming, he would immediately light a lamp and light a fire, and solemnly invite him in.
"Is the old concubine still in good health?" Cao Jie bowed to the ground as soon as he entered the place. "Old slave Cao Jie pays his respects to Mr. Yu."
"Mr. Cao is also a very old man." Under the candlelight that had just been lit, a silver-haired old woman put on her outer robe and came out with a smile. "Why do you need to do such a big gift? Get up quickly.
!”
Cao Jie thanked the man for his kindness, then sat up and faced the man.
"Mr. Cao," the noble Yu asked eagerly after the other party sat down. "Why do you come to me so late?"
Cao Jie looked at the noble man in front of him who was much older than him, but he hesitated to speak.
"You all get out!" Yu Guiren reacted immediately.
As soon as these words were spoken, the few elderly maids around naturally bowed and retreated.
"Actually," seeing that there was no one else in the room, Cao Jie's expression turned gloomy. "The old slave came here today to say goodbye to the noble... To be honest with the noble, from now on, you and I are afraid that we will have to fight against each other."
See you next time."
Hearing this, Guiren Yu was neither angry nor sad. He actually smiled and said, "Mr. Cao, after decades of life, at your and my age, are you still afraid of death?"
Cao Jie couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard the words: "As the noble man said, if he can die of old age on the bed, there is nothing to say. But to be honest, the old slave is now desperate. I am afraid that he will die unexpectedly and then die.
The clan was exterminated, so I came to the palace specifically to say goodbye to the noble... Now in the North Palace, among the old people who were there when I first shunned the emperor, except for Mr. Cheng, that old disgusting thing, the only ones left are the noble and me.
"
Mr. Yu couldn't help but shook his head: "Not to mention that old disgusting thing, Mr. Cao, you also know that there are three emperors between me and your majesty, so I have always been sitting in this palace without asking any unnecessary questions...
Come on, what's wrong with you now? The emperor has just grown up, so you haven't heard of any powerful relatives, right? Could it be that the case of Empress Song a few days ago involved you?"
"No." Cao Jie still looked gloomy. "It's the emperor who wants to kill me, and it has nothing to do with Empress Song."
Hearing this, the noble Yu, who was also the concubine of Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty and the biological mother of Emperor Chong of the Han Dynasty, first felt a slight movement in his heart, and then shook his head repeatedly: "Mr. Cao, why are you lying to me? You are not a person who doesn't know how to advance or retreat.
How can the emperor kill you for no reason? It must be that the eunuchs in the palace are fighting again, and the newcomers want to get rid of you!"
Cao Jie immediately laughed awkwardly and said: "It's a joke for the noble man."
"In that case." Yu Guiren also asked calmly. "With Cao Gong's wisdom and methods, isn't there a way to fight against one or two?"
Cao Jie was speechless for a moment.
PS: First, my mentality collapsed...my fault. Then when I was typing until about nine o'clock, I suddenly got up. Suddenly I found that my legs were sore and weak. I went to the hospital for a check-up. They said that I drank too much Coke and was a little low in the blood.
Potassium, I had a temporary infusion to replenish some potassium. I thought I could continue to code in the hospital, so I didn't ask for leave, but I found that it was impossible to do it there. Now that the infusion is back, I tried my best to continue coding. Don't wait, I will see you tomorrow morning.
There is also a book club group 684558115, you can add it.
