Chapter 864 Hairy Pig
The officials from the Ministry of Revenue will cause trouble. Just wait and see... This is what Lu Ping heard from the doorman before.
Even Menzi could see the trend, so Lu Ping didn't believe that his uncle couldn't see it.
But Lu Song insisted, and now the situation has become very bad.
"This is forcing the emperor to abdicate, uncle." Lu Ping smiled bitterly, "If you don't handle it properly, uncle will be in danger."
The officials outside were in an uproar. If they compromised, Lu Song would no longer have any prestige in the Ministry of Revenue and would be fired sooner or later.
If he were to take a tough approach, Lu Ping would know the consequences of being tough just by looking at the expressions of those officials.
"At worst, I'll just quit." Someone shouted, "In a word, I won't do anything that will get me killed!"
……
Zhilu, Xu Jie said gently: "Lü Song has great skills, but he has a problem, that is, he thinks too highly of himself."
Zhao Wenhua raised an eyebrow, "Lv Song thinks highly of himself, you mean arrogant!"
Xu Jie nodded, "Lu Song is a man of deep arrogance."
——You can’t perceive normality.
Zhao Wenhua blushed and felt a little embarrassed and angry.
But when he saw his godfather was startled, he immediately felt relieved and thought, so his godfather doesn't know either?
What about Yan Shifan?
Yan Shifan thought thoughtfully, "How did Lord Xu know this?"
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle. Only when you know your opponent's nature can you respond tit for tat.
Xu Jie said calmly: "Lü Song has been a close friend for many years."
He refused to say anything further, but Yan Song and his son understood what he meant.
It turned out to be a conflict within Confucianism!
Yan Song glanced at his son and thought that Xu Jie was the leader of the Confucianists who opposed the new policy, while Lu Song was a Confucian general. The two of them were not in harmony with each other... This was an interesting matter.
"Lü Song thinks highly of himself. He will not choose to bow his head when the officials of the Ministry of Revenue cause trouble." Xu Jie took a sip from the teacup. "I will not ask about the follow-up."
How you and your son plan to use this situation in the future is your business. I have no idea.
This is a token of allegiance!
Yan Shifan smiled and said, "Lord Xu, how about the tea?"
Xu Jie looked at the newly replaced tea and nodded, "Quite interesting."
"Lü Song is in the Ministry of Revenue, and he is actually Jiang Qingzhi's assistant." Zhao Wenhua's eyes were full of cruelty, "In this case, how about going with the flow?"
"Hmm?" Yan Song frowned, and Zhao Wenhua explained, "It's almost the end of the year, the Ministry of Revenue should have some idea of the general account settlement, right?"
Yan Song nodded, "There will be a war in the north this year, and the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue is inevitable."
"It's good that the Ministry of Revenue is in deficit!" Zhao Wenhua said with a smile, "If the news is leaked out, the Ministry of Revenue will be in deficit, and Lu Song will definitely have to make up for it. Where can he make up for it?"
"Take advantage of the scholars and dig into your own corner." Yan Song was very experienced and immediately understood what his adopted son meant. "Then, Lu Song's position is clear."
"Support the new policy and act impartially." Zhao Wenhua's eyes were full of pride. "How can those scholars tolerate him? The voice of traitor will be rampant. In addition, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue are making trouble this time, and Lu Song will definitely step down. If the Ministry of Revenue changes people, Jiang Qingzhi will lose a supporter..."
"That's a good idea." Yan Song nodded. Just as Zhao Wenhua was feeling proud and pretending to glance at Yan Shifan casually, Yan Shifan snorted, "Jiang Qingzhi!"
Yan Song nodded, "Jiang Qingzhi is the biggest variable in this matter. If he is determined to protect Lu Song, and with the support of Your Majesty, Lu Song's position will still be unbreakable."
"But how can a minister who has lost all his prestige rule the Ministry of Revenue?" After Zhao Wenhua put aside his selfish thoughts, his IQ soared, "In this case, he is just a human being in the Ministry of Revenue.
The officials below pretended to obey but secretly disobeyed, so the Ministry of Revenue delayed its work or made frequent mistakes. It wouldn't be long before he himself was too ashamed to stay in the Ministry of Revenue.
Your Majesty and Jiang Qingzhi cannot sit idly by and watch the Ministry of Revenue in chaos... You must know that when Your Majesty launches a new policy, the first thing he does is to deal with money and grain. If the Ministry of Revenue is unstable, it will be a joke to plan for money and grain."
Xu Jie looked at Zhao Wenhua with some surprise. He always felt that Yan Song was making a mistake and being stupid by employing this adopted son.
But the skills displayed by Zhao Wenhua at this moment surprised him greatly.
Yan Song glanced at Xu Jie, who said, "Very good."
If the Confucian leader speaks and nods, then this matter will be a natural thing to do.
As for the internal affairs of Confucianism, they have nothing to do with Yan's father and son, and Xu Jie will be in charge of coordinating and handling them.
"This is a great success." Yan Shifan said, "The Ministry of Revenue is the core of the new policy. After Lu Song left, there are only a handful of officials who can manage finances. We..."
As he spoke, Yan Shifan glanced at Xu Jie and said, "Let's prepare for a rainy day and start now."
Yan Song nodded and said, "If we can control the Ministry of Revenue, we will be able to move forward and backward freely from now on."
Jiang Qingzhi also had to adopt a low profile and cooperate strictly with the party.
Xu Jie knew all of this, but his position was too awkward at the moment, so he had to cooperate with Yan's father and son.
The original structure of the Political Affairs Hall was that Yan Song and his son were the only ones in power, and Xu Jie was a troublemaker arranged by Daoye to restrain Yan Song and his son. However, Yan Song and his son firmly suppressed Xu Jie, preventing him from interfering in political affairs.
If a staff officer is not a leader, he will not fart loudly.
A cabinet minister who cannot participate in the drafting of the bill cannot even be heard by the guards in the Western Garden when he farts.
After Jiang Qingzhi entered the cabinet, Xu Jie's position became increasingly embarrassing.
Yan Song was powerful, and Jiang Qingzhi was a new powerful official. With the two standing side by side, Xu Jie became a stepmother, no, he became an invisible person.
Xu Jie, who was good at forbearance, could no longer sit still, so he came to find Yan Song and his son and took the initiative to surrender.
But both parties know that this kind of cooperation is short-lived, and they have to be careful not to stab them in the back during the cooperation.
So although the atmosphere in the duty room seemed harmonious, in fact both parties were calculating each other's thoughts and trying to gain benefits for themselves.
"Motosuke!"
Shen Jun came in and looked unhappy.
"What's the matter?" Yan Song asked.
"Jiang Qingzhi went to the Ministry of Revenue!"
Bah!
Zhao Wenhua slammed the cup down on the table and sneered, "That's a trap, and also a trap. How can Jiang Qingzhi get into this trap? Those officials in the Ministry of Revenue regard checking the land as a way to death. Can Jiang Qingzhi force them? If he offends the Ministry of Revenue, money and grain will become the new policy and Jiang Qingzhi's biggest weakness from now on."
Xu Jie nodded. In the eyes of everyone in the duty room, Jiang Qingzhi's best option in this matter was to sit back and watch.
"Go and keep an eye on it, and report back if there's any news." Yan Song ordered, then smiled and said, "It's cold now, so drinking a cup of tea and watching the excitement is also fun, isn't it?"
Everyone smiled. Xu Jie coughed dryly, and his followers outside the door immediately understood what he meant, "I will go to the Ministry of Revenue now."
Xu Jie picked up the teacup and glanced at everyone in the room.
Yan Song smiled, his emotion unrecognizable.
Without such cunning, how could Yan Song be in charge of the government?
Yan Shifan's expression was calm but with a hint of sarcasm. Xu Jie didn't know who he was mocking, but he thought it was either Jiang Qingzhi or himself.
Xu Jie, this old rival, actually came to bow his head. This Confucian giant has recently been praised by the literati as a model of enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens, sleeping on straw and tasting gall.
Xu Jie is Gou Jian, and King Fuchai of Wu is naturally Yan Song and his son.
If those people knew that Xu Jie took the initiative to bow his head...
Xu Jie lowered his eyes slightly, feeling humiliated.
The feeling spread throughout his body like a tide, making him feel hot and he wanted to throw the teacup in his hand at Yan Song and his son.
But he took a deep breath and smiled gently.
He was not a gentleman, nor was he a virtuous minister devoted to the country. He did not have the determination to devote himself to the Ming Dynasty without hesitation. He even thought that such an idea was absurd.
When you live, you must first live for yourself.
Xu Jie thought of a recent letter from home, which mentioned that the family had recently harvested a lot of land and was very proud of it.
Once the land inventory begins, what will happen to the reputation of this cabinet minister who is revered as the second Goujian and praised as an upright gentleman by the literati?
It turns out that you, Lord Xu, are the pioneer in annexing land!
Damn, just with this one sentence, Xu Jie’s reputation was ruined.
Therefore, for the public good, Xu Jie must seek benefits for the group of people he represents.
Personally, Xu Jie also had to seek benefits for his children, grandchildren and family.
The group represented by Xu Jie, their greatest benefit is privilege: no taxes, no military service. They use this to annex land and take in people...
Xu Jie narrowed his eyes and the image of Jiang Qingzhi appeared in his mind.
Young man, you are making an enemy of the world!
That's a wall!
An extremely strong and high wall!
……
Household Department.
The atmosphere was getting more and more wrong. Someone instigated in the crowd, "This matter was instigated by Jiang Qingzhi. He is a great enemy of our orthodox religion, but the Minister took the initiative to help him. What does this mean? Does the Minister also want to learn from that traitor Wang Yiqi?"
Wang Yiqi defected to the Mohist school and was condemned by everyone, and even his children and grandchildren were not welcomed by the literati. Whenever the literati in the capital held any activities, Wang Yiqi's children and grandchildren were excluded.
Lu Ping's face turned pale and he shouted, "Who is talking nonsense?"
"Why, you can do it but not say it? Take you, Lu Ping, for example. The last time I saw you talking to Jiang Qingzhi, you looked extremely respectful."
"You, Lu Ping, are usually so arrogant, why are you so humble to Jiang Qingzhi?"
"Cough cough!"
Someone is coughing.
"It's almost done!"
"This is Jiang Qingzhi's plan. He wants to cause internal strife in my Confucianism! Everyone..."
The clamor grew louder.
"I said, it's almost done!"
"Who's talking?" The man who was making the noise turned around.
It got quiet.
The man tried hard to squeeze into the crowd.
"Don't crowd! Don't crowd!"
"What the hell are you squeezing for?"
Everyone looked back and saw an official lowering his head and moving forward, as if a tiger was chasing him from behind.
Everyone slowly looked up.
Jiang Qingzhi was smoking a medicinal cigarette, with several guards behind him, and beside him...wasn't that Zhang Juzheng from the Hanlin Academy?
"Jiang Qingzhi is here."
Someone shouted, and instantly all the noise disappeared.
But it immediately gushed out with even greater force.
"Checking the land is a death sentence. If you have the ability, Long Wilbur should send his own people to do it. Don't let us get involved."
"Exactly."
In the duty room, Lu Song, who thought Jiang Qingzhi would choose to watch, couldn't help but be moved, and then smiled bitterly, "You shouldn't have come."
Outside, Jiang Qingzhi's voice was still lazy.
"Don't want to go?"
"Exactly!"
"Do you think that without Zhang the butcher, we will have to eat hairy pigs under the new policy?"
Jiang Qingzhi pointed at everyone with his cigarette, "A bunch of idiots, uncle."
"Here!" Zhang Juzheng stepped forward.
Jiang Qingzhi said calmly: "Tell me what His Majesty ordered just now."
"Yes."
(End of this chapter)
