Chapter 71 I am the master of my affairs (5,000-word chapter)
Shen Shuren's luck can't always be good, so he didn't know that on the same day that he rushed back to Nanjing, Zhou Yanru had also traveled north to Nanjing from his hometown in Changzhou.
Those civil servants around Nanjing who had no confidence in their own promotions and relied on trustworthy relationships with the port, rushed to Zhou Yanru's temporary apartment like flies, and immediately rushed to Zhou Yanru's temporary apartment. All kinds of demons were dancing around, sending gold and silver.
Zhou Yanru did not have a residence in Nanjing, so when he came this time, he stayed in the courtyard of his close friend Wu Changshi.
Wu Changshi is currently an important figure in Donglin, and he was once known as the leader of the Fushe together with Zhang Pu. Zhou Yanru's comeback this time mainly relies on the help of the Donglin Fushe group to help clear the joints.
Zhang Pu and Wu Changshi helped Zhou Yanru raise a total of 200,000 taels of gold. I don’t know how many people in the court who could speak with him were bribed to completely facilitate this matter. (After all, he came back as the first assistant and had 200,000 taels of gold. It’s not expensive, and Zhou Yanru is qualified enough. The two hundred thousand can only be regarded as a last-minute addition. For someone who is not qualified, one million gold can’t buy the first assistant.)
However, Zhang and Wu also had internal conflicts, and there were also factional struggles within the Fushe. Both wanted to exclusively enjoy the political resources after Zhou Yanru returned to the prime minister, and promote their own faction's ideas.
Therefore, after Zhou Yanru returned to Beijing regularly in September last year, the contradiction between Zhang and Wu gradually became clear. Later, after Zhang Pu celebrated Zhou Yanru's comeback at a banquet with Zhou Yanru and Wu Changshi, he suddenly vomited blood and died suddenly when he returned home. .
At that time, no one could tell the cause of Zhang Pu's death, but Zhang Pu's family in Fushe secretly spread the theory that it was caused by poisoning by Wuchang. Fushe also officially split into two factions, as can be seen from the fighting in Donglin.
Now, Zhang Pu has been dead for more than three months. When Zhou Yanru came to Nanjing, he could only rely on Wu Changshi for help.
He himself was considered to have "taken office with a mortgage". Before he became the first assistant, he owed a favor of two hundred thousand taels of gold. Of course, he needed to get his capital back as soon as possible, so he came to Nanjing to stay for a few more days to see if anyone could share the cost.
Zhou Yanru's luck was indeed good. It was only the first day, and he had already made profits worth twenty to thirty thousand taels of gold, all of which were contributed by those who came to "fight for the official position".
Zhou Yanru was also very happy. According to this efficiency, if he stayed until the Lantern Festival and then officially went north, he would be able to get back at least two-thirds of his capital!
He was so excited that he couldn't sleep until late at night. He took care of everyone in the house and could meet anyone who asked for a meeting no matter how late it was - how could he block the donor who sent the money just because it was too late?
At this moment, it was almost Haishi, and Zhou Yanru estimated that no one would be coming today, but his servants suddenly announced that Ruan Dacheng from Tongcheng was visiting.
(Note: Ruan Dacheng's birthplace is controversial. The "History of the Ming Dynasty" said he was from Huaining, Anhui, but Huaining local chronicles did not admit it. It said that Ruan Dacheng only lived in Huaining temporarily because the person who compiled the historical materials of the "History of the Ming Dynasty" was from Tongcheng, so Ruan Dacheng was said to be from Tongcheng. It was because he was ashamed of his fellow countrymen that he slandered Huaining.
Until modern times, the academic circles in Huaining and Tongcheng are still throwing away their burdens, claiming that the other is the hometown of Ruan Dacheng. The only thing that is certain is that Ruan Dacheng must be from Anqing Prefecture, because both Huaining and Tongcheng belong to Anqing Prefecture.)
When Zhou Yanru heard this name, as expected in history, he trembled for a moment and found it a bit difficult to handle.
When he came back this time, he relied on Zhang Pu and Wu Changshi, who were both leaders of Donglin Fushe. How could he meet a eunuch who had been chased by Fushe and beaten by everyone for more than ten years?
But I heard that Ruan Dacheng was carrying a lot of money, so he met him anyway.
The subsequent polite greetings and money insertion are nothing to elaborate on, because they are the same as in history.
Seeing Ruan Dacheng directly handing out 50,000 taels of gold, no matter how disgusted Zhou Yanru was, he had no choice but to promise to help him.
After all, this vote allocated a quarter of his first-aid cost.
Then, as in history, he expressed his concerns, and Ruan Dacheng also took a step back because of the difficulty, taking the next best option and wanting to help Ma Shiying.
Zhou Yanru weighed it again and again, but did not dare to immediately promise specific positions.
As for fifty thousand taels of gold, there is definitely no problem in helping Ma Shiying to resume his old position as the censor of Qiandu. But whether the censor of Qiandu can be specifically released as governor and where he will be governor can only depend on the situation and where there is a suitable one. lack.
"Then this matter will be of great help to old Zhou Ge. After the matter is completed, there will still be a heart!" Ruan Dacheng left 50,000 taels of gold and simply left.
…
While Ruan Dacheng gave Zhou Yanru money, Shen Shuren was still busy going home to meet his parents.
There is no way, he is a powerful person, and he also has human nature. It is impossible for him to really focus on the leader, keeping an eye on him all the time, but not even caring about his own life.
What's more, this is Shen Shuren's confidence in his own merits. Even if he doesn't spend any money, he deserves the promotion.
Spending money is just to facilitate the official business of the higher-ups, and a bowl of water is smooth. There is no intention to rely on money to win things that are not worthy of morality.
In Shen Shuren's heart, Chongzhen only had two years to live, and Zhou Yanru would only die before Chongzhen unless something unexpected happened. If you ask Shen Shuren to flatter a tool man who has more than a year to live, this is not what he is doing. style of.
He wants to pay attention to his future image in the history books, how can he be like Ruan Dacheng and ignore his reputation.
When they heard that their son was coming back, Shen Tingyang and Mrs. Xu had long been eager to see him. However, due to etiquette, the father could not go out to greet his son in person, so he had to wait in the hall.
From the first moment of Shen Shi to the middle of Shen Tingyang, Shen Tingyang paced back and forth in the room hundreds of times. Seeing this made Mr. Xu feel dizzy, so he asked him to sit for a while.
"It's snowing too much and it's delayed, right? Or did it fall into the river when we got off the boat at the pier? It's impossible. The servant who fell into the river will definitely report back quickly!" Shen Tingyang murmured there.
"Please calm down. Ansheng has been sitting down for a long time. My son is so capable, how can he be in such trouble?"
"Of course you don't care if she wasn't born by you!" Shen Tingyang usually wouldn't dare to yell at his wife like this, but at this moment, he was too concerned to be confused. He said a very hurtful thing and regretted it as soon as he said it, and quickly tried to comfort her. For a long time.
Mrs. Xu is only Shen Shuren's stepmother. After Shen Shuren became successful, no one in the Shen family dared to mention this. It was a reversal. Now that it was detonated, Mrs. Xu had to go through another toss. Shen Tingyang swore and swore to coax her. past.
Finally, as Shen Shuren's carriage stopped at the door of the mansion, the people inside stopped.
After a while, Shen Shuren came in covered with dust. He had just hugged his fist, but before he had time to say goodbye, Shen Tingyang grabbed his arm and told him to sit down and rest.
"There's no one around, sit down quickly! Are you hungry? Wash your face first."
Shen Tingyang was rambling incoherently, and a maid had already come over with a gold basin. She sat down on Shen Shuren's seat and washed her face.
The chef also hurriedly brought up the banquet, which was served both water and land. Shen Tingyang sat in the upper seat, pouring the wine himself, while asking some questions about his daily life to see if his son was not suffering these days.
"...It's good if you don't have to endure hardship. In May, I heard that you were attacked by He Jin and He Yilong's combined forces, and Zuo Liangyu didn't rescue you. We didn't sleep well for half a month in the capital!
Later, you followed Liu Guoneng to rescue Luoyang and fought with Ma Shouying. Why did you get involved in this kind of thing? Can the local officials in Henan cooperate with you? How many officers and soldiers in the Ming Dynasty fought in other places, and the local governments did not cooperate and lacked food. Low pay and equipment wear and tear are the only reasons for failure!
Although our official position was not easy to come by, and we should indeed be loyal to the imperial court, we cannot place our future in the hands of other local officials in the future! We only guard our own land, and we should not rescue places where we cannot be the master. , only by preserving yourself can you serve the Ming Dynasty better!"
Shen Tingyang said a lot in one breath, and it was obvious that he was still loyal to the Ming Dynasty. But he could no longer stand the darkness of this officialdom and the way his colleagues held each other back, so he taught his son to learn to preserve his strength and take credit. Pushed through.
This kind of thing can only be said between father and son behind closed doors. If it is said in public, it must not be said. It would be too treasonous.
Shen Shuren had no choice but to ignore his father's concern, so he could only agree casually, saying that he was a coward and would not fight to the death for the Ming Dynasty, and then tried his best to change the subject.
In a hurry, Shen Shuren realized that the older generation must really like to talk about grandchildren, so he naturally talked about the daughter he had just met this afternoon.
Sure enough, when he mentioned his granddaughter, Shen Tingyang's expression immediately relaxed, and he stopped preaching and said kindly:
"Have we met on the road just now? I haven't given a name yet. I'll wait until you come back. By the way, Xiaowan has also made a great contribution to our old Shen family. Since you are back, let her come to the table and eat together. .Next time, if anyone lets us hold a grandson, I will be rewarded heavily."
Mrs. Xu poked her elbow at the side: "What kind of decency is this? If she is a serious daughter-in-law, that's all. She has no status at all..."
Shen Tingyang was not strict with his wife this time: "What's wrong with it? It's closed behind closed doors and there are no outsiders! I just say it's okay!"
Shen Shuren was also happy with this. After a while, Dong Xiaowan came in with his daughter who was only more than four months old and saluted Shen Tingyang and Xu.
Then I sat sideways to the lowest position, still only daring to sit half of my buttocks.
Seeing that Dong Xiaowan was at the table, Mrs. Xu didn't want to be a bad person anymore, but said kindly: "You've already sat down, so don't be shy. Just sit upright."
Dong Xiaowan then moved back to sit more comfortably.
Shen Tingyang took his granddaughter and teased her for a while, but did not bother to teach his son: "This child looks smart at first sight, and he will definitely be rich in the future."
There is no need for Shen Tingyang to say this. All the women his son has found are stunning in the world. Dong Xiaowan’s beauty is there, and it is impossible for the daughter he gave birth to to be ugly. She is only more than four months old now, and she looks already Very cute.
Shen Tingyang coaxed the child for a while, and then said with emotion: "Xiao Wan, this child is really good to you. When you get a wife in the future, you should be the first to give her the title of concubine.
Not to mention that she gave birth to your eldest daughter. Even during this year when she stayed in Suzhou, she was not idle. She concentrated on targeting female celebrities. This year, she at least made an extra five hundred thousand taels for our business! You can I want to find a relationship with Zhou Yanru and secure your position as governor. I'm afraid that's enough. I have a concubine at home who can help you earn money from running for office. You are already incredibly lucky."
Shen Shuren was also shocked. He couldn't help but hold his chopsticks firmly and fell to the table. Dong Xiaowan didn't tell him about this when he came back just now.
But Shen Shuren reacted quickly. After a brief recollection in his mind, he remembered what he had told Dong Xiaowan before he left last year, and he immediately came to his senses:
"Oh? It's Xiaowan who has figured out a new spinning machine, right? It's a big fortune. When I gave her the order, I said there's no need to rush. The flying shuttle loom has only been on the market for two years, and now there's no way to reel the cotton yarn. It has become too expensive.
Xiaowan, you are really trying your best, why are you working so hard, but luckily there is no fetal movement."
The last half of his sentence was turned to Dong Xiaowan.
Dong Xiaowan just lowered his head meekly: "I don't dare to take credit. It's all the master's orders, and it's also the master's idea. I'm just inconvenient, can't do other things, and can't be idle, so I'm just thinking about these things. thing."
Chen Shuren: "Even if you can implement the idea I inspired, it's amazing. Huang Daopo in the late Yuan Dynasty was just like that. You can improve people's livelihood and clothe the world. You will be recorded in history in the future."
Shen Tingyang and Mrs. Xu on the side couldn't bear to see their son and the maid spoiling each other. Shen Tingyang took the opportunity to cough lightly: "If the concubines you found were as sensible as Xiaowan, we would be relieved. .
I heard that the reason why you and Zuo Liangyu had a bad relationship last year was because you were flirting with flowers and jealousy. It was spread all over Huguang and everyone knew about it. How could you bring this kind of crazy bees and butterflies back home?
You are already twenty-two years old, and you must seriously discuss marriage this year. The matchmaker is marrying someone back! If you don’t marry, how can Xiaowan have the status of a serious concubine? Even for the people around you, you should have a serious wife. Already."
Chen Shuren rubbed his temples, knowing that his father was just hearing this and was dissatisfied with Li Xiangjun. Fortunately, he was ready to speak and immediately explained the cause and effect thoroughly.
Chen Shuren waved his hand and signaled all the maids in the room who were serving the master to leave.
Then he clapped his hands again, and immediately outside the hall, two stunning beauties in plain clothes came in with tea trays and napkins to serve Dong Xiaowan.
The two girls were none other than Chen Yuanyuan and Li Xiangjun. Before arriving home, Chen Yuanyuan and the others took the initiative to discuss this with Chen Shuren, assuming a low and weak posture to prevent the elders in the family from getting entangled in these issues.
Both Shen Tingyang and Xu had met Chen Yuanyuan, but not Li Xiangjun. But now that they saw Li Xiangjun and Chen Yuanyuan coming forward together, they could roughly guess their identities.
Chen Shuren struck while the iron was hot and pulled Li Xiangjun over and introduced:
"That matter has nothing to do with Miss Li. She was used by me, and everything was my plan. I had already colluded with Liu Guoneng in advance, knowing that he would definitely surround Wei to save Zhao, and attack Erhe from head to tail with me.
I was fully confident that Erhe could be eliminated without Zuo Liangyu's reinforcements. I deliberately wanted to frame Zuo Liangyu for refusing to save him, forcing him to be interrogated by the court and moved to Nanyang.
So, of course I want to make a fuss, hoping that everyone in Huguang will know that Zuo Liangyu has been robbed of his concubine by me, so that he will lose all face, be impulsive and reckless, and even disdain to rescue me."
Shen Tingyang was stunned when he heard this. Although half a year had passed, he had only seen his son again today. He had no idea that his son would be so cunning and calculating after not seeing him for nearly a year.
When he saw Li Xiangjun and others wearing plain clothes, looking at their noses and hearts in a submissive manner, he couldn't bear to blame them anymore.
Shen Tingyang sighed and stopped worrying about the details. He pointed out the key contradiction straightforwardly: "How you want to protect the people around you is your business. You are such an adult. As a father, you shouldn't care about you. But You must come up with a solution this year for your life-long event.
Governor Fang of Huguang has a good relationship with our family, and you and Fang Yizhi are of the same age. I heard the family manager say that Miss Fang's reputation as a prostitute was just because of your bad reputation. How do you solve this problem? "
Hearing this, Chen Shuren also said proudly: "I don't care at all, and I have never thought about marrying Miss Fang. Since she is troubled by this, I will find another good match.
However, between us and the Fang family, it’s best to pretend that nothing happened, so as not to ruin Miss Fang’s reputation. After all, she is brother Mi’s sister. I can guarantee that this year I will marry the right person! "
Shen Tingyang had nothing to do with his son, so he had no choice but to shake his head.
He paused, thought for a moment, and then added: "I'll listen to you on this matter. There's another thing. You should go visit Mr. Zhou Ge as soon as possible in the next few days. We just heard about it when we were waiting for you. Yes, Mr. Zhou Ge has arrived in Nanjing.
People will fawn over, and they are already lining up to come to your door. Although we are not flatterers, we can't lose our etiquette. I didn't prepare too much, so I exchanged the five hundred thousand taels that Xiaowan earned for you. There are 50,000 to 60,000 gold, so you have to look at the usage fee."
Chen Shuren thought for a while, then he stroked his beard and suggested:
"Father, since we didn't catch the first trip, it's better to wait for two or three days. Now Mr. Zhou Ge must be surrounded by many people, and we are caught in the middle. There are many people with many eyes and gossips.
Before the child came back, he had already contacted Shi Futai and Brother Mi. There will be news in the past few days about the forced landing in Linzhuang. When the time comes, the child will come to see him with his merits, and he will not be famous because of his teacher. It ruins the reputation of our Shen family and makes people think that we also spend money to buy official positions!
On the father's side, in the past few days, he has to find a way to seize the Jiangxi gentry's gangster case and recover the stolen goods. In a few days, he will find an excuse to ask Qiu Shangshu of the Nanjing Household Department to come forward and ask Mr. Zhou Ge. Attend a banquet.
On the same day, my father came to visit me on official business and talked to Qiu Shangshu about seizing the stolen goods and putting them into the treasury. In this way, whether Mr. Zhou Ge wanted to take advantage of the money or how to suggest that Qiu Shangshu should be dispossessed, it was all his dirty work and our family would not be involved. Notoriety.”
Shen Tingyang was right when he thought about it. His son actually thought about it so clearly. This was a typical move after making a decision.
It seems that I am really old and it is no longer my turn to worry about my officialdom experience.
He followed suit and said, "Since you have thought so clearly, just do everything according to your own plan. There is no need to ask for instructions. If you want me to help you with anything, just say hello."
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ps: Old book friends all know that I live in Hangzhou, near Sanliting in Zhanongkou... Someone in the community tested positive for the virus yesterday, and I have been having a hard time these past two days, queuing up every day, and doing other things.
The above is already a big chapter of 5,000 words, and it will be the same tomorrow. I will resume the normal update speed after going to work on Monday. In fact, the difference is only 1,000 words, but it will not be split.