The eunuch is young, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with triangular eyes, a white face and no beard. He wears a gauze hat and a soap coat. When he looks at people, he bends his waist and smiles.
"Ministry of Industry and Commerce, our family has come to convey the order to you in accordance with the order of the inner court."
Kou Ji paused and stood at the door, slightly surprised and said: "The decree of the inner court?"
The eunuch nodded with a smile and said: "The Ministry of Industry, which is under the control of the Kou Ministry of Industry, has presented auspicious signs today, and the court has given rewards. Officials from the Ministry of Industry to all levels have been promoted to one level and given millions of dollars."
While talking, the eunuch took out a yellow scroll from his sleeve and held it above his head with both hands.
Kou Ji's face straightened, he bowed to the yellow scroll and took it from the eunuch's hand.
Kou Jida was not surprised by such an informal way of conveying the order.
This is usually the case when courtiers are promoted to empty titles and are unwilling to make any public announcements.
Kou Ji took the yellow scroll in his hand and suddenly remembered what Li Di had warned him outside the city before. He muttered in a low voice, "Although the old man has a dark heart, he can clearly understand the nature of the officials in the court."
…”
The Ministry of Works presented two kinds of plows, but the imperial court not only did not give any big-ticket rewards, but also gave some false titles and a little salary, which was perfunctory. Most of them were related to the courtiers who were jealous of the merits of the Ministry of Works.
It must have been the courtiers who followed Zhao Zhen, Kou Zhun and others back to the palace and said something on the way back to the palace.
Kou Ji opened the yellow scroll and took a look. It was indeed what he thought.
His virtual title was increased by one level, and he received a reward of millions of dollars. Other than that, there was no other content.
Kou Ji put away the yellow scroll, curled his lips, and laughed mockingly in his heart.
"There are times when false titles are added to the head. I just don't know what kind of reward the imperial court will get if the Ministry of Works offers auspicious auspiciousness..."
Kou Ji has countless skills that benefit the country and the people. Even if the court rewards him in this perfunctory way, he can still reach the highest level in a very short period of time...
Of course, even if Kou Ji offered a lot of auspiciousness in the future, the court would not allow him to stack his virtual title to the highest level.
Maybe you will get a promotion in the beginning, but in the end it is very likely that only a simple monetary reward will be left.
But whether it was a false title or money, Kou Ji didn't care much.
Kou Ji put away the yellow scroll and saw that the eunuch was still standing aside with a smile, so he asked, "What else is important, father-in-law?"
The eunuch stared at Kou Ji and said with a smile: "Kou Ministry of Industry, our family has worked so hard for the official family, it can't be in vain, right?"
Kou Ji raised his eyebrows and stared at the eunuch meaningfully.
A little eunuch, asking for a bribe from him?
Do you think you have a long life?
Or do you have ulterior motives?
It was also the first time that the eunuch asked for a bribe. After seeing Kou Ji's meaningful look, he felt a little panicked. The smile on his face was slightly stiff and he said: "Kou Ministry of Industry, even if our family went to Privy Council Cao's Mansion to pass the decree, Privy Council Cao
I won’t let our family run away in vain.”
The eunuch felt that Cao Cao's official rank and status were much higher than Kou Ji's.
Cao Li had to take the initiative to give him money to bribe him, but it was nothing if he asked Kou Ji for some bribes.
When Kou Ji heard the eunuch's words, he was slightly startled. He thought thoughtfully for a while, then turned around and ordered the servant at the door of the house to go back to the house, get some money, and hand it to the eunuch.
Kou Ji was very generous with his moves, and every time he made a move, he got five gold leaves.
The eunuch held the gold leaf and almost jumped up with excitement.
"The Kou Ministry of Industry is really a very good person, and the response to his actions is different... Guo Dou knows that even if he goes to the Cao Mansion now, he won't get such a generous reward."
After the eunuch received a heavy reward, his mouth naturally became much sweeter. Some of the secrets that were circulated among the eunuchs in the palace were revealed without hesitation.
The speaker has no intention.
The listener is interested.
Kou Ji remembered the eunuch's words verbatim in his heart.
After sending the eunuch away, Kou Ji was thinking about the eunuch's words secretly.
After the eunuch left, the doorman stared at the place where the eunuch left with some displeasure and spat.
"Young master, a person without eggs dares to openly ask for a bribe from you. He doesn't take you seriously at all... If it were the master, someone would definitely throw him out, but you actually gave him money..."
Kou Ji was thinking about the eunuch's words when he was suddenly interrupted by Menzi's shout. He looked at Menzi slightly unhappily and asked, "What do you think I shouldn't do?"
Menzi was stunned and quickly apologized: "How dare you, villain..."
After a pause, Menzi added in a low voice, "I just think that with your identity and status as a master, you don't have to bow your head in front of a thing without eggs."
Kou Ji snorted, "Who said I bowed my head? I just thought he could provide me with some useful information, so I followed his wishes.
Facts have proved that the money I spent was well worth it, and the information he provided me far exceeded the money I rewarded him with."
Menzi lowered his head and whispered: "But if this matter gets spread, others will think you are easy to bully..."
Kou Ji rolled his eyes and said, "Do you think I need to argue with a dead man?"
Menzi raised his head in shock and stared at Kou Ji, "Dead...dead person..."
"Otherwise? The money given to him is just enough for him to buy a good coffin."
Kou Ji said this angrily, without further explanation, he entered the house with his hands behind his back.
After Menzi waited for Kou Ji to enter the house, it took a long time before he came back to his senses. Then he stamped his feet with excitement and said, "I knew... the young master is definitely not someone who takes offense."
Immediately.
Menzi stared at the place where the eunuch left and hummed: "The money of my Kou family is not so easy to blackmail. If you take the money of my Kou family, you have to pay it back with your life."
Kou Ji was too lazy to guess what Menzi was thinking.
On the way back home, Kou Ji analyzed a lot of useful information through the eunuch's words.
Queen Mother Liu E seemed to be restless after being imprisoned.
It seems that Guo Huai was sent to Cao Li's house more than once.
Kou Ji couldn't figure out what Empress Dowager Liu E was planning through Cao Liang, relying only on the little information from the eunuch.
But Guo Huai seemed to be restless when helping Queen Mother Liu E run errands.
He should have asked Cao Li for bribes many times.
As a confidant of the Queen Mother Liu E, Cao Li was asked for a bribe by another confidant of the Queen Mother Liu E, so he had to have his teeth knocked out and swallowed.
He had no way to punish Guo Huai, nor could he ask Zhao Zhen and Kou Zhun to help him make the decision.
It has almost become a well-known thing that he is the Queen Mother Liu E's son.
If the Queen Mother Liu E's people bully the Queen Mother Liu E's people, in the eyes of Zhao Zhen, Kou Zhun and others, it is a quarrel among themselves.
Kou Zhun and others wanted to see Liu E's people fighting to the death, so how could they help the Queen Mother Liu E's people to uphold justice?
No wonder when Kou Ji saw Cao Liang in recent days, Cao Lili was always frowning and depressed.
Unfortunately, in recent days, Cao Lili has been in a state of being exploited by Guo Huai.
"I just don't know how long Cao Li can last under Guo Huai's pressure before he resists..."
Kou Ji sighed casually and no longer took this matter to heart. On the contrary, the Queen Mother Liu E's small tricks behind her back deserved his attention even more.
Kou Ji arrived at the gate of Sijun Garden and was in no hurry to enter.
Instead, he sent the steward of the inner palace to find Uncle Fu who poured the swill.
Uncle Fu hunched over and wandered to the gate of Sijunyuan. He bowed to Kou Ji and said bluntly: "The Kou Ministry of Industry plans to find a villain to pass the message?"
Kou Ji knew Fu Bo's identity clearly, so Fu Bo didn't need to hide it in front of Kou Ji.
In the past.
When Kou Ji needed to send a message to the palace privately, he would go to Uncle Fu.
Now that Kou Ji came to Uncle Fu again, Uncle Fu naturally knew that Kou Ji was looking for him to send a message.
Kou Ji nodded thoughtfully and said, "Send a message to Chen Lin for me..."
"Mr. Chen?"
Fu Bo was slightly stunned.
Kou Ji raised his eyebrows and said, "Is there a problem?"
An ugly smile appeared on Uncle Fu's old face, and he whispered: "The villain was just surprised. You rarely communicate with Mr. Chen..."
Kou Ji rolled his eyes and said, "Go back and tell Chen Lin that the person who came to Kou's house today to deliver the order asked for a bribe from me, and I gave it to him."
Kou Ji stretched out his hand and said slightly exaggeratedly: "Five gold leaves are not a small sum..."
Uncle Fu's cloudy eyes cleared up slightly, and he said with a smile on his face: "Someone actually dares to ask for bribes from people in the Grand Master's Mansion. I have gained some experience..."
Uncle Fu used to be a member of the palace, and he knew that the eunuchs in the palace were extremely greedy when they went out on business, relying on the support of the Tian family.
It's just that the eunuchs are greedy, but they know what's appropriate.
Everyone knows who can be greedy for money and who cannot be greedy for money.
In a family like Kou's Mansion, like Kou Zhun, the authority of Kou Ji's ancestors and grandson, as well as the importance of them in the hearts of the officials, their money must not be greedy.
Even if Kou Zhun, Kou Ji's ancestors and grandson took the initiative to offer money as bribes, the eunuchs would have to think carefully to see if they could afford it, let alone ask for bribes.
When Kou Zhun was showing off his power in the palace, he killed as many as eighty eunuchs with rods.
There are still people who don't have a long memory and come to his mansion to ask for bribes. It's really stupid.
Kou Ji sighed: "I have gained some knowledge... This person should be under Chen Lin's supervision, but he knows some secrets of Guo Huai... zizizi..."
Kou Ji's words are enough.
Uncle Fu frowned when he heard this and bowed.
"If there are no other instructions from the Ministry of Labor and Industry, I will retire first."
There are so many eunuchs in the palace, and it is normal for one or two to be foolish and ignorant of life and death occasionally.
After all, ever since the eunuchs cut off the roots of their descendants, their character has become different from that of human beings. There are always some eunuchs with extreme characters who do things that are so stupid that they cannot be tolerated.
Fu Bo also understands and treats it calmly.
But if the people around Chen Lin were too close to Guo Huai, then Uncle Fu couldn't calm down.
Kou Ji saw that Uncle Fu was in a hurry to leave, but did not stop him.
He shook his head slightly.
Uncle Fu saluted again and hurriedly left the Kou Mansion.
Kou Ji looked at Uncle Fu's leaving figure and smiled knowingly.
If what he expected was true, the eunuch who asked him for a bribe just now at the gate of the mansion would definitely die miserably.
If that eunuch was just greedy for money, Chen Lin might not do anything to him.
But that eunuch was too close to Guo Huai.
Then Chen Lin can't tolerate him.
Kou Ji casually killed an ignorant creature and returned to Sijun Garden with satisfaction. He had a meal with Xiang Yan and chatted in the garden for a while.
At night, wait for Xiang Yan to go to sleep.
He got up again, went to the study, and sent someone to find Kou Zhong.
After Kou Zhong arrived at Kou Ji's study, he bowed and said, "The old servant has seen the young master. I wonder what important matter the young master summoned the old servant to come here late at night?"
Kou Ji said in a slightly serious tone: "How many people can be used in the house?"
Kou Zhong was slightly startled and asked, "The young master is talking about the person in charge of inquiring about information?"
Kou Ji summoned him to the study late at night, obviously ordering him to do some shameful things.
Doing shameful things naturally requires people who are shameful to do them.
Kou Ji nodded thoughtfully.
Kou Zhong cupped his hands and said: "There are not many people in the house who are responsible for inquiring about information. If the information that the young master needs to inquire about is not widely implicated, it can be used. If the implication is too large, the young master will have to borrow talents from the Zhu Mansion.
"
When Kou Ji heard this, he frowned slightly.
Seeing this, Kou Zhong hurriedly explained: "I have always been in a high position. I can access the information from the Imperial City Department at will, so I don't have many ears."
Kou Ji nodded thoughtfully, "The information I need to inquire about is not widely implicated, but the other party has a noble status and needs to be very secretive. Since the people in the house rarely go out to inquire about information, they should all be angry; but reluctantly
Can be used once.
Let the people in the house go and inquire first. If the people in the house can't do it, I will go to Zhu Neng to borrow someone."
Kou Zhong nodded, cupped his hands and said, "Please give me your instructions, young master."
Kou Ji said in a deep voice: "I need you to send someone to inquire closely about what the Queen Mother, Liu Mei, and Guo Huai have been doing these days, who they associate with, and where they have been. You must find out for me."
"Queen Mother?"
Kou Zhong stared in shock.
Kou Ji nodded solemnly.
Kou Zhong was secretly surprised and asked: "Is the Queen Mother planning to make a comeback?"
Kou Ji pondered: "It's not certain yet, but the Queen Mother's desire for recovery has never been extinguished. We must nip it in the bud."
Kou Zhong nodded heavily, "Old servant, I understand."
After a pause, Kou Zhong looked at Kou Ji and asked, "Do you want to tell the master about this?"
Kou Ji shook his head and said, "Don't tell my grandfather yet."
Kou Ji thought about it carefully.
feel.
It would be better for Kou Zhun not to know about this.
With Kou Zhun's status, if he deliberately pays attention to the Queen Mother Liu E, he will be regarded as having ulterior motives.
Not only will it arouse suspicion, but it will also alarm others, which is not beautiful.
It would be more appropriate for him to investigate secretly by himself.
Kou Zhong thought for a while and roughly understood Kou Ji's intention. He immediately raised his hands and said, "I understand. I will send someone to inquire about the news."
Kou Ji reminded: "Remember! We must hide it! Even if we can't find out the news, we can't let anyone find out that our family is trying to find out the information about the Queen Mother and others."