Chapter 62: Laying down the eyeliner
I don’t know when it started, but the concept of family, country and the world has been deeply rooted in people’s minds.
The family is the smallest unit of a country.
The country is the constituent unit of this planet.
The family is the cell of the country, and countless cells make up the country.
"Family is the foundation."
Zhu Zaigui sat upright. Just before, he asked the teacher a question, "Which is more important, family or country?"
The gentleman had a conflicted look on his face at the time, and Zhu Zaigui swore that he saw the gentleman struggling between lying and telling the truth.
Finally, the gentleman told the truth.
Zhu Zaigui asked: "Is it for the sake of the family that one reads the books of sages?"
The gentleman hesitated for a moment, looked around, and said, "Your Highness, if you don't do things for yourself..."
"I understand." Zhu Zaigui said he understood, but various ideas were still conflicting in his mind.
He thought of what Jiang Qingzhi had said earlier.
"Sir, wherever justice lies, I will go even if there are tens of thousands of people. Are there many such people?"
The gentleman laughed dryly and shook his head, "Is it a lot? Not much."
Zhu Zaigui was greatly disappointed.
The gentleman stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes sparkling with wisdom, and calmly changed his angle, "Your Highness, do you know the former Prime Minister Xia Yan?"
Zhu Zaiqi nodded, "Now he is in the Jinyiwei prison."
"At the beginning, Zeng Xin wanted to recover Hetao, and Xia Yan gave his full support. At the beginning, most of the ministers were against it. Your Highness, please think about it carefully..."
The gentleman slipped away.
Leaving behind a confused Zhu Zaigui.
"To my uncle's house."
Jiang Qingzhi was very dissatisfied with his frequent visits to the Jiang family for free meals, "Why are you here again?"
"Uncle." Zhu Zaigui saluted and reached out to touch Duoduo. Duoduo raised his paw with a look of disdain.
Hey!
Zhu Zaigui did not dare to touch him, and sat next to Jiang Qingzhi, saying, "Uncle, Zeng Xin tried his best to recover Hetao, and Xia Yan supported him, but most people in the court opposed it, including my father.
But the two insisted. Why? Can this be regarded as "I will go even if there are thousands of people against me?"
Jiang Qingzhi leaned back on the recliner, put Duoduo on his belly, frowned and asked, "Why do you want to ask this?"
Zhu Zaigui followed his example and lay down, feeling very comfortable. "The teacher has only finished talking."
"I don't want to teach you these things at your age, but... there are not many good children in the royal family." Jiang Qingzhi smiled.
Zhu Zaigui curled his lips.
“This involves the original intention of being a human being.”
"Original intention?"
"You can understand it as political ambition or as a desire for fame."
"I'd like to hear the details." Seeing Jiang Qingzhi take out the incense, Zhu Zaigui helped him light it.
Jiang Qingzhi took a deep breath of the medicinal smoke and exhaled slowly.
"To analyze something, we must first analyze the background at the time. The Hetao area is occupied by foreign tribes from the grasslands. Is that area important? It is important."
Zhu Zaigui nodded.
"Then, given the strength of the Ming army at that time, was it possible to recapture Hetao?"
This is unraveling the mystery!
Zhu Zai's eyes lit up, "Uncle, wait a minute."
He took out a pen and paper and began to take notes.
After he finished recording, Jiang Qingzhi continued, "In fact, judging from the battle record of the Nine Frontiers at that time...it is absolutely impossible to recapture Hetao."
"Why?"
Zhu Zaigui had done his homework before coming here, "Several generations of emperors have wanted to recover Hetao..."
"Thinking is one thing, doing is another." Jiang Qingzhi said: "Zeng Xian wanted to achieve his goal in one battle and win a quick victory, but he overestimated the strength of the Ming army."
"Uncle, what you mean is... the Ming army is not up to the task?"
"Do you know how many times the border troops have mutinied over the years?"
Zhu Zaiqi shook his head, "Mutiny?"
"Yes." Jiang Qingzhi narrowed his eyes and looked to the north, "The literati regard the warriors as slaves, and the military commanders regard ordinary soldiers as slaves."
This is a chain of contempt.
"The lives of the lower-class soldiers are miserable, like slaves. When you can no longer endure it, you don't have to endure it anymore. In recent years, there have been many mutinies caused by the harsh treatment of soldiers."
"This..." Zhu Zaigui was a little dumbfounded. Even though he didn't understand military affairs, he knew how difficult it would be for an army that kept mutinying to carry out the important task of recovering Hetao.
"In recent years, the border troops have had more defeats than victories."
This background analysis gradually dispelled Zhu Zaigui's doubts.
"Since Zeng Xin knows military skills, why did he insist on recovering Hetao?"
"This involves people's hearts." Jiang Qingzhi sighed, "The grassland tribes occupied the Hetao area and frequently invaded the Ming Dynasty. Zeng Xin wanted to sweep away the enemies, which was a good idea. But he should reorganize the border troops first."
"A craftsman must do his job well." Zhu Zaigui suddenly realized.
"But why is he in such a hurry?" Jiang Qingzhi guided him.
"He is... a little too eager for quick success. Just like what my uncle said, his motives are not pure."
"See, now you understand it, don't you?" Jiang Qingzhi felt that he had a talent for being a teacher.
Zhu Zaigui had a meal at Jiang's house and returned to the palace, where the teacher was.
"Your Highness, have you figured it out?" The gentleman felt that if he left his words unfinished, Zhu Zaigui would be distressed. But this distress was exactly what he needed.
Zhu Zaigui didn't understand, so he thought that the teacher was very knowledgeable. And keeping the secret was the teacher's method, which made Zhu Zaigui feel itchy.
"Motive!" Zhu Zaigui said, "Zeng Xin's motive is not pure!"
Hey! How did His Highness become so perceptive... The gentleman was startled, but he still had a trick up his sleeve. "So, Your Highness, do you know Zeng Xi's motive?"
"Aspirations for success."
"Your Highness is clever!" The teacher's plan failed, and he felt disappointed. Later, after Zhu Zaigui left, he pretended to be satisfied and said, "My ability to teach and educate people is really getting better and better."
The clerk smiled and flattered him a few words.
Outside the window, several guards passed by.
"...Long Wilbur taught His Highness... Don't judge things by appearances, but analyze the motives of the parties involved. Everything can deceive people, but motives cannot..." "Long Wilbur said... Zeng Xian... had impure motives..."
It turned out that it was Chang Wei Bo who cleared up His Highness's doubts... The clerk slowly looked at the gentleman.
The gentleman's face was colorful, as if by magic.
……
Early in the morning, Jia Qian went to the shop to take a look. The foreman in charge of the decoration had already arrived and smiled as soon as he saw him, he gave him a purse.
"Don't try that on me." Jia Qian said coldly.
The foreman chuckled and said, "Isn't this just a little token of my appreciation?"
"Doing your job well is better than any intention."
His boss is the current chieftain, William. If he does a good job in business, maybe his children and grandchildren can get some official positions. Compared with the future of his children and grandchildren, this little benefit is nothing.
Jia Qian checked it out and thought it was good.
"Clean up the surrounding area." Jia Qian instructed the foreman to clean up the mess, and went out to buy two oil cakes, eating them as he walked.
This was his first time to visit the Changwei Marquis's residence, and he said respectfully, "Please inform him that Jia Qian wishes to see the Marquis."
Neither of the two princes came today, so Jiang Qingzhi had half a day off and was preparing to go out for a walk.
"Let him come."
When he saw Jiang Qingzhi, Jia Qian bowed and said, "Greetings, Master."
"Is the store ready?" Jiang Qingzhi asked.
"Yes." Jia Qian looked up and found that Jiang Qingzhi looked much better even though they hadn't seen each other for a while.
"The shop is surrounded by streets in front and behind, and is close to the West Market. I think it would be better if it sells southern goods."
Jia Qian has been thinking about this matter since he took over the store decoration.
The capital has a large population, and there are even more powerful and wealthy people with strong spending power. Southern goods have no trouble selling in the capital.
"...My Lord has some connections in Suzhou Prefecture. All you need is to have people buy in Suzhou Prefecture and ship to the capital. If this business is not profitable, I am willing to jump off the city wall."
Jia Qian is full of confidence.
Jiang Qingzhi narrowed his eyes and suddenly asked, "Do you know about the beef business in Beijing?"
Beef... Jia Qian was stunned. "Rich people mostly eat mutton. As for beef, although it is forbidden to slaughter, there are many people who buy and sell beef secretly."
However, Jia Qian didn't know much about this business.
Jiang Qingzhi went to look for Zhu Xizhong.
"Cattle dealer?" The old dandy was drinking, and he dragged Jiang Qingzhi to drink a few glasses before saying, "If you want to eat beef, just tell me. I have more than ten cows at home, and every once in a while one of them dies of illness."
"I'm not eating it, I want to sell it."
Zhu Xizhong was startled. "I forgot that you have a family to support. The earl's money and food are not enough. Someone come!"
A steward came in, "Duke."
Zhu Xizhong said, "Bring me five hundred strings of cash. I can use them."
Jiang Qingzhi sighed: "This is not a long-term solution."
Zhu Xizhong waved his hand, "What belongs to my brother is yours. If you need anything, just come to the Duke's Mansion to get it. I have told the steward that what you say is equivalent to what I say, my brother."
Jiang Qingzhi touched his nose and said, "We can help people in emergencies, but not in poverty."
Zhu Xizhong couldn't stand him, so he pulled him to sit down. The two drank for a while before Zhu Xizhong sighed, "Although the Nine Frontiers have enough military pay at the moment, the soldiers are a little stretched for food, clothing and other expenses after being deducted along the way..."
"It disappeared." Jiang Qingzhi said.
"Qingzhi really knows how serious this is." Zhu Xizhong smiled, "People! When they are poor, they will think of change. The Ming Dynasty does not allow trade with the grasslands, and the soldiers are starving and crying. When winter comes, they are freezing cold.
The generals above didn’t see a solution, and it just so happened that the smugglers on the grassland wanted to sell cattle and sheep to Ming Dynasty.”
He took a sip of wine and said quietly, "This is just like dry wood and raging fire, coming together."
"In other words, most of the beef in Beijing nowadays is smuggled in?"
"Yes." Zhu Xizhong sneered, "Those who oppose trade are the ones who eat beef the most."
"understood."
Jiang Qingzhi was half drunk. After returning home, he ordered Jia Qian to find some smugglers.
"Uncle, what's this..." Jia Qian was puzzled.
"Just go."
Jiang Qingzhi waved his hand, and the maid brought the hangover soup. Dou Jialan came over and said, "Master, I have something ready for this matter."
Jiang Qingzhi shook his head, "Lu Binggang suffered a great loss, I'm afraid he will keep an eye on you."
Jia Qian was very efficient and brought two smugglers on the third day.
"Have met...Uncle."
The two grassland people spoke the Ming dialect fluently.
"Do you want to do the beef business?" Jiang Qingzhi took out a medicinal cigarette and gently shook one end of it on the wooden box a few times.
Outside the door, Sun Chonglou asked, "Master, why didn't the young master let you handle this matter?"
It's a disgrace for a count to negotiate business with smugglers in person.
"My Lord, I'm afraid there are some plans."
Ever since Emperor Jiajing visited the Jiang family last time, Fucheng asked Jiang Qingzhi for permission and the whole family started calling him Uncle to avoid embarrassment.
Not long after, the two smugglers happily took their leave, and as they came out, they swore that from now on, the live cattle they smuggled would only be given to the uncle.
Fu Cheng went in immediately.
"Uncle, this is..."
"Although Zeng Xin's motives for recovering Hetao were not pure, he and Xia Yan were the only two people who had such ambition at the moment."
Jiang Qingzhi thought of Zeng Xin's confrontation with the civil and military officials at the beginning, but only Xia Yan supported him. "The whole Ming Dynasty was filled with the atmosphere of maintaining the status quo, and they did not investigate the movements of the foreign tribes on the grassland..."
When Altan Khan launched a massive attack two years later, the Ming was caught off guard.
"Merchants value profit over separation." Jiang Qingzhi smiled, "These two smugglers can become my spies if I give them some benefits."
Fu Cheng's heart trembled, "Why does the uncle need this spy?"
"I said, I want the Ming dragon flag to be planted on the grassland for five hundred years. Do you believe me, Lao Fu?"
……
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(End of this chapter)
