Daming Yinghua

Chapter 443: Fortresses are conquered from within (Part )

Huang Bingshi still maintained a sense of distance and said calmly: "How can Huang deserve this ridiculous praise? How can Huang, a mere official in the palace, become a minister of the country?"

Wei Zhongxian, on the other hand, showed a hint of boastfulness: "Speaking of which, our family also played a part in letting Lord Long live and Mrs. Zheng know about Mr. Huang's character. Two years ago, although our family only raised money from Prince Fu, I returned to Beijing with 50,000 to 60,000 taels of silver, but most of what I said when I met the Holy Spirit was that I was lucky that there was a wise minister like Huang Gong beside Prince Fu to advise me. Otherwise, I am afraid that our family would have returned empty-handed from now on. , Long Live Lord and Mrs. Zheng, please remember Mr. Huang. "

Huang Bingshi was like scholars of all ages, he could keep a mental look down on women. How could he not be happy when he heard that the emperor was paying attention to him?

Generally speaking, among the ministers of the vassal, the highest ranking among the princes and vassals is just the juren, because being the chief of staff to the vassal prince means that his career in the Ming Empire has come to an abrupt end. How can he be a Jinshi?

Huang Bingshi was a special case. He was too old when he was selected as a Jinshi, and Prince Fu was Wanli's favored son. After his predecessor, Chang Shi, died of illness, Wanli asked the Ministry of Rites to consult with the Ministry of Personnel to select a Jinshi.

Huang Bingshi, who had just been promoted for a while and was not affiliated with any political party, was selected.

Therefore, unlike the minions of the servants or servants in Prince Fu's Mansion, Huang Bingshi has always been in the self-advancement of cherishing his wings. The so-called distant mind and self-preference, mentally shielding those rats who are doing evil and greedy for money around Prince Fu.

It seems that Huang Bingshi is still a respectable member of the imperial scholar class.

Now he felt even more refreshed. Everyone in the capital looked at him with admiration.

The wrinkles on Huang Bingshi's face unfurled, and he spoke warmly to Wei Zhongxian: "Then, Huang will be disrespectful and accept Dong Gong's "Winter Plums and Frost" painting."

Suddenly he remembered what King Fu told him during the day, and he took advantage of the harmonious atmosphere to ask.

"Eunuch Wei, Huang heard from the government office a few days ago that many of the beautiful girls sent from Nanyang, Kaifeng, and Runing have been screened out. Are the drafts here in Zhongzhou almost done? "

Wei Zhongxian did not answer immediately. He poured two cups of tea slowly before sighing, shaking his head and saying, "No time in sight."

"Father-in-law, what do you mean?"

Wei Zhongxian lit the tea cup in front of him, and then lit the tea cup in front of Huang Bingshi: "I invite you here today. I was about to talk about this second matter. The border is in a hurry. Hey, maybe it will continue to be in a hurry. Please ask King Fu to take it from his bowl. , divide the two hundred thousand taels of silver into the bowl of the household department."

Huang Bingshi's expression changed: "Two hundred thousand taels?"

Wei Zhongxian curled his lips and said, "Not too much, not too much. Everyone in the capital is telling you that every ten days Prince Fu holds a banquet imitating the Tang Dynasty, it will cost fifty thousand taels of silver. If you eat three banquets a month, it will cost you one hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver."

"What banquet? Imitate the banquet of the Tang Dynasty?" Huang Bingshi was stunned.

Although Zhu Changxun spent a lot of money, Huang Bingshi had never seen this "imitation Tang Dynasty banquet".

Wei Zhongxian secretly sneered, no matter whether you held a banquet in Prince Fu's Mansion or not, Mrs. Zheng's real money was given to various singing troupes and storytellers. How could they not make the entire capital, from the courtiers to the common people, believe her?

Wei Zhongxian then added exaggeratedly: "It was King Fu who prepared a big banquet with the famous palace dishes of Chang'an and Luoyang in the Tang Dynasty, cuanba zamba. Oh, originally, the vassal king couldn't eat anything good. What, there is no royal family in the Ming Dynasty that doesn’t have delicacies from the mountains and seas? But there are rumors in the capital that Prince Fu pretends to be Emperor Ming of Tang Dynasty every time he attends banquets. How can this vassal king pretend to be the emperor? "

Huang Bingshi was shocked, waved his hand and said: "Rumors, rumors, Eunuch Wei, Prince Fu does have ministers to advise him on a daily basis, but there is absolutely no imitation of the Tang Dynasty banquet with twelve crowns."

"Hey, I can't stand the civil and military officials and the common people. They don't believe it." Wei Zhongxian took a sip of tea. "We don't believe it either. Our family has been squatting in Luoyang City for several months. Our children go to restaurants and eat meat." I’ve asked around at the vegetable shop, and I know they are good at cooking here, but I really don’t know about it.”

Listening to the gongs and drums, Huang Bingshi became even more shocked.

Is this Eunuch Wei here to select girls for the Crown Prince, or is he here to conduct an inspection for the Crown Prince?

However, Wei Zhongxian still did not put on airs and said in a consultative tone: "Let's do this. Mr. Huang will go back and talk to Prince Fu first about two hundred thousand taels to solve the court's urgent needs. Whenever the money arrives, our family will Leave Luoyang." He added meaningfully: "You might as well report the rumors about the Tang banquet to King Fu."

……

"What an imitation of Tang Dynasty Banquet! It's nonsense. It's nothing. Two hundred thousand taels of silver! Don't even think about it. I'd rather feed the dogs than give it to them."

In Prince Fu's Mansion, Zhu Changxun was furious.

On his face, the eyes that were usually squeezed into two slits by the fat were rarely visible because they were so wide.

Huang Bingshi glanced at Huang Qirui, who was sitting under Zhu Changxun.

After Wei Zhongxian's confession that day, Huang Bingshi thought about it and asked Huang Qirui, who was close to him and was a relative of Prince Fu, to discuss the matter.

At this moment, Huang Qirui caught Huang Bingshi's gaze and comforted Zhu Changxun with gentle words: "I have heard that in recent years, the Tatars have robbed the west and have already grabbed the outside of Xuan Dakou. It is true that the Liaodong frontier army is not the only one who resists the Tatars. The surge is very rare for the court. Your Highness, Shanxi is just to the north of us, so your Highness should be..."

"Okay, okay, it's my own official," Zhu Changxun's furious rage turned into sarcasm, "Your daughter became the orphan's daughter-in-law, and you were awarded a false title to direct everyone's affairs. Why don't you still Do you really think that you are an official of the imperial court? Did you get the imperial examination based on your ability like Huang Bingshi? You are so shameless."

Huang Qirui's face suddenly turned red.

Huang Qirui was originally a scholar, but he only became a scholar. According to the rules of the Ming Dynasty, royal wives were found from small families, and Huang Qirui's daughter was chosen.

But no matter how low his family background, Huang Qirui still had the pride and dignity of a scholar. Not to mention that Zhu Changxun was his equal in marriage, but between an ordinary prince and a scholar, how could the former speak so rudely when the latter was worried about the national crisis?

Unexpectedly, scolding Huang Qirui was not enough, and Zhu Changxun continued to target Huang Bingshi.

"Ah, yes, let me talk about you, a true Jinshi. You are quite capable, aren't you? You are far-sighted, aren't you? Three years ago, I was unwilling to pay the fifty thousand taels. You had to understand the truth. Okay, Gu took out the money. , and then look at today, people came to ask for help again, and the lion opened his mouth even more, did you steal the two hundred thousand taels? "

Huang Bingshi tried his best to restrain himself from breathing too heavily.

But a retort clearly ran through his mind: How come your Prince Fu's money wasn't stolen from you? Lianghuai Yanyin, should it belong to a vassal king? Should the merchant ships on the Heluo Waterway belong to a vassal? These were the Ming Dynasty's annual income that should be used as military pay. Didn't you and your unworthy mother and concubine steal it from the Ministry of Household Affairs?

"Why, Huang Changshi, who always talks about benevolence, justice and morality, has nothing to say, right?" Zhu Changxun's voice sounded again, "Huang Bingshi, go and tell the eunuch named Wei that the person sitting on the dragon throne is not alone. It's not Gu who is the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Gu can't control the military pay of the Ming Dynasty. But Gu's fiefdom is in Henan Prefecture, and Gu is the king here. He doesn't want to leave. In ten days, Gu will have a new man in the government. , but also looking for women for the music and dance troupe, specifically those between the ages of thirteen and sixteen. "

After saying that, Zhu Changxun moved his bear-like body, suddenly showed a majestic smile, and said to his in-law Huang Qirui: "Huang Du commanded, and I turned around. King Xuande Chang came and asked him to choose two from among the women. Take it back to the Prince's Mansion and give it to the Prince. You must tell your daughter not to be sour or jealous."

Huang Qirui was silent all the way out of Prince Fu's Mansion.

It wasn't until he left the palace and walked to the street that Huang Bingshi stood side by side with him and said softly: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought you here today, stupid brother."

Huang Qirui turned his head and stared at Huang Bingshi: "What do you think will happen to the court if nothing is done this time?"

Huang Bingshi sighed: "It's better not to eliminate the vassal, after all, it's not the year of King Ning."

Huang Qirui sneered softly: "Prince Ning really rebelled back then, and there were no rumors about Emperor Tang Ming and Twelve Crowns."

The two didn't dare to think too much about the real answer, so they simply stopped talking.

In today's current situation, the emperor is no longer Wanli. The Lu vassal vassal has cleared the land and returned it to the farmland. The vassals of Dai vassal have all the descendants of the clan to serve as frontier soldiers. King Fu thought that he was still the father's doting mother who loved everything. Aren't you afraid of the first prince of Ming Dynasty?