Chapter 525 Kill Those Dwarfs
Not many people knew about the gunpowder workshop, so when the emperor's wrath descended, nine officials were executed without trial, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the censors, and they submitted petitions to protest.
All the memorials were suppressed by Zhao Wenhua.
"I am also a wall!" Zhao Wenhua smiled as he looked at the memorials.
Yan Song sent someone to the Censorate to reprimand the censors, which triggered a backlash. It was said that an censor in the Censorate publicly scolded Yan Song as a flatterer and an old dog.
Afterwards, the censor went to serve as an official in the local area. It was heard that the mountain people there were fierce and fierce. His predecessor died in the government office and even his head was lost.
Jiang Qingzhi felt that there was a reason why Yan Song was trusted by the Taoist priest. With his courage to take the blame, Lu Bing would have no chance to catch up.
Jiang Qingzhi did not participate in this matter.
It was a rare sunny autumn day, so he took his family out to relax.
Outside the city, the perimeter wall of the Mohist base has been completed, blocking out the outside world's probing eyes.
Traveling in autumn makes you feel refreshed.
In the carriage, Li Tian opened the curtains and looked at the autumn scenery outside. He couldn't help but smile and said, "The sky is getting clearer and brighter."
Jiang Qingzhi's mood also became brighter.
"Stone."
"Hey!"
Sun Chonglou finally returned to his side, and both the master and the servant were very happy.
"Last time your master asked about your marriage, and Madam recommended several girls to you..."
"I'm not in a hurry." Sun Chonglou shook his head like a rattle.
"Your master is anxious."
The emperor is not in a hurry, but the eunuch is.
Jiang Qingzhi smiled unkindly, "Be careful about getting punished later."
Fucheng’s method of forcing marriage is extraordinary, it can be summed up in two words: nagging.
"Long Wilbur!"
Waiting at the road ahead was Du He.
"Old Du!" Jiang Qingzhi waved.
Du He rode over and said with a wink, "Yesterday, Duke Cheng was bullied by a group of military heroes, who said he was a traitor."
"What do you mean?" Jiang Qingzhi asked calmly.
"Anyone with a discerning eye can see the purpose of rebuilding the martial arts, which is to make it so that military heroes and generals have no place to stay. Those military heroes were full of anger, and they just happened to vent their anger at Duke Cheng yesterday."
When Du He thought of his current situation, he couldn't help but secretly praise his virtuous wife. He thought that if his wife had not been decisive and asked him to surrender to Xin'an Lane, he would probably be one of them now, full of anger and confusion, not knowing what the future would be like.
"What does Mr. Zhu say?" Jiang Qingzhi asked.
"Duke Cheng slammed the table and said that if his children and grandchildren have a promising future, the martial arts department said that they would give priority to the children of military honors and generals. Is that enough? No, do you think that when your incompetent children and grandchildren go to the battlefield, they have to be accompanied by a few famous generals and veterans as their think tanks? What a big face!"
It seems that Lao Zhu's talent for sharp tongue is no less than Xu Wei's!
Jiang Qingzhi smiled.
"Those people started to complain about how difficult their families were. Duke Cheng ridiculed them, saying that the so-called grace of a gentleman will be cut off after five generations. The merits accumulated by your ancestors have almost been exhausted. If this wealth and honor continues, it will not be a blessing, but a disaster!"
What the old dandy said is true.
Du He sighed and said, "Some people have argued that why the Master's descendants can continue to be rich and noble?"
Jiang Qingzhi chuckled, knowing that Old Zhu must be in trouble.
Du He said: "Duke Cheng suddenly laughed and said..." He lowered his voice, "There are countless dirty things in the mansion, let's not talk about this for now.
This emperor bowed, that emperor bowed. Once a dynasty changed, no matter who came to rule the Central Plains, that family would be terrified and only know how to shout "Long live the emperor". They were like fence-sitters, swayed by the wind.
The whole family is just like wooden statues in a temple, just a decoration. And they have to be trembling with fear, for fear of arousing the emperor's suspicion. Who wants such wealth and honor?"
These words are quite philosophical. Jiang Qingzhi did not expect that the seemingly playboy Zhu actually has such a profound side.
"Those military heroes had to settle for the next best thing, and asked Duke Cheng to come forward and persuade the Earl to give their children and grandchildren a way out."
Jiang Qingzhi smiled and said, "So you are here to be a lobbyist today?"
Du He shook his head and said seriously, "Now I, Old Du, follow Master Bo, only to seek fame and honor on the battlefield. As for my children and grandchildren, when Master Bo is born, they will naturally follow him. Why should I worry about wealth and honor?"
This scoundrel!
Jiang Qingzhi pointed at him and smiled, but acquiesced.
He must give some benefits to his followers, otherwise who would be willing to follow you?
"Go back and spread the word." Jiang Qingzhi thought for a moment, "All grace comes from above. Besides, there are two paths to wealth and honor, the first is civil, the other is military. In fact, there is a third path, it just depends on whether they are willing to take it."
"Which one?"
"Go to sea!"
……
After Jiang Qingzhi took action to rectify the martial arts and expelled more than ten students, the military heroes gathered every day.
Yesterday they argued with the old dandy for a long time and finally got a promise: Qingzhi would not kill them all, didn't he say that the sons of military meritorious service would be given priority in recruitment?
"This is useless!"
"My son always sleeps until noon. If I ask him to get up early for exercise every day, he will turn against me!"
Wei Rong, the Earl of Chengyang, became furious when he thought of his 19-year-old son Wei Fang.
Someone advised: "Old Wei, your son is too much of a jerk. Where's the big stick that was passed down from your ancestors? It's time to use it."
"Yes! A good son is born under the stick. If he doesn't obey, he will be beaten."
Wei Rong sneered, "Your old Wang's two sons, one is a whoremonger and the other is a gambler. Your Chen family's only son is not much better. He is addicted to cricket fighting all day long. It is said that he once lost three thousand strings of cash? What a big sum." The two military heroes who were killed fought back, and the quarrel between the three soon escalated into a fight.
Suddenly the room was in chaos, with the military heroes either watching the fun or practicing Tai Ping Boxing.
Not long after, Wei Rong won a great victory in the one-on-two battle. He wiped the blood from his nose proudly and said, "I'm not bragging. My son is just a little lazy, but he is very strong. If we really fight, even if your sons join forces, they are no match for him."
A military hero said sinisterly: "The most important thing right now is to leave a way out for our children and grandchildren. Your Majesty will probably not care about this matter..."
"Your Majesty? In your Majesty's eyes, we are just parasites."
"Your Majesty is only a figurehead in martial arts. Jiang Qingzhi is still in charge. This matter still falls on him."
"This person has no good feelings towards our generation. If he were still here, we would never have a chance to make a name for ourselves. Otherwise..." A military hero had a fierce look in his eyes.
Wei Rong cursed, "Fuck! Although I am dissatisfied with Jiang Qingzhi, I also know that he is a rare general in the army. I am not as good as him, and I am jealous of him in private, but I can't do anything to him."
He looked at everyone, "I, Wei Rong, cannot devote myself to the country, but I admire this warrior who is willing to offend the world for the sake of Ming. Whoever wants to attack him, I will kill him!"
Everyone was silent.
After a long while, someone smiled bitterly, "What should we do then? When those martial arts students finish their studies and return home, the army will gradually become theirs. Our children and disciples will never be able to make a name for themselves again. The family will naturally decline."
Knock knock knock!
Someone knocked on the door, and then the door opened, and an attendant said softly, "Marquis Xianzhang is here."
Du He walked in and saw the mess on the ground and everyone looked disappointed, so he asked, "Did they have a falling out?"
"Marquis Xianzhang has come at the right time." Wei Rong said, "You are the direct descendant of Lord Changwei. Now we are in a dilemma. What does he think? If you stand aside and watch, or even add insult to injury, you must know that once our families join forces, the Confucianists will have to weigh their views."
Everyone stared at Du He with eager eyes.
But someone whispered, "Damn! Du He married a good woman!"
Du He lost miserably in the bet with Jiang Qingzhi because Ma forced him to surrender in Xin'an Lane. This incident became a laughing stock in the military circle at the time.
At this point, these military heroes looked at the confidant of the Mohist leader with envy and jealousy.
If you ask yourself, if they were in their place, they would probably also be gloating and feeling happy at this moment.
Du He smiled and said, "I just went to see Chang Wei Bo, and Chang Wei Bo said there are three paths: civil and military."
Most people shook their heads.
Wei Rong said, "After several generations, our descendants have long lost their courage. Going to the battlefield is like sending yourself to death, harming others and yourself, and even harming the country. As for literature, it's even more nonsense. How many of our descendants have studied and have a promising future? They are all addicted to fun, and are good at eating, drinking, whoring and gambling."
"Chang Wei Bo said that the Mohist School had been dormant for a thousand years, and many of its disciples had gone out to sea. When they came back, they said there were countless islands of all sizes overseas, some of which had fertile land, some were covered with gold and silver, and some had herds of cattle and sheep... Most of these islands were uninhabited, and even if there were people, they were ignorant natives."
Looking at the military heroes with shining eyes, Du He thought that Chang Wei Bo was right, these people were indeed tempted.
"In addition, there are many countries overseas, such as India. The people there are stupid and rich. You only need to sail there and use silk, tea, porcelain and other things to exchange for more than ten times the profit."
"More than ten times?"
"How much money do you have if you are stupid?"
"There's gold and silver everywhere...why not take it?"
Du He pressed his hand and said, "Chang Wei Bo said that you should have seen the current situation of the Ming Dynasty. There are many internal troubles, but in the end, there are only two problems: lack of money and lack of food, while overseas there is no shortage of these."
He picked up the wine jug on the table, drank it all up, and put it down. "What to do next? You decide for yourself."
Du He left.
The room was quiet for a long time.
"But isn't there a maritime ban now?" someone broke the silence.
Wei Rong gritted his teeth, "Damn it! Why is there a maritime ban? What's the reason?"
"Japanese pirates are rampant, so we have to ban sea trade in the southeast."
Wei Rong looked at everyone, "Japanese pirates, is that a problem?"
"Kill those dwarfs!"
……
The back door of Bo’s house.
Hu Zongxian and Xu Wei did not follow them out of the city today, but stayed at home enjoying the leisurely autumn weather.
The wind blew in from the entrance of the alley. The two men raised their glasses, clinked them lightly, and drank them all in one gulp.
"Good wine!" Xu Wei put down his wine glass, took a piece of egg and meat roll, and took a bite carefully.
"My Lord asked Du He to negotiate with those military heroes. I think they will be tempted when they hear such benefits!" Xu Wei said with a smile.
Hu Zongxian, however, liked pickled broad beans and ate them with gusto. "Those military heroes must have developed a fondness for you, Lord."
"My Lord has always wanted to abolish the maritime ban and build a large fleet. But if he opens his mouth, the ministers will surely oppose it. Without the cooperation of the various ministries, this will be impossible to achieve."
"After today, these military heroes will certainly become supporters of abolishing the maritime ban and rebuilding the navy. Lord Earl has gained a group of allies without spending a penny or saying a word."
"Those allies are probably still feeling proud, saying that the Lord was afraid of the military merit and had no choice but to bow his head."
"Honestly, Old Hu." Hu Zongxian put down his glass and clapped his hands. "If Lord Bo really wants to deal with someone, the means he uses are truly terrifying."
"This is the great Mohist master that I, Xu Wei, should follow."
"This cup..."
"For my uncle!"
"No, it's for the giant!"
"Yes, for the giant!"
(End of this chapter)
