Yi Song

Chapter 118 The monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty who were addicted to mahjong

There was a numbing sound in Baozhuan Palace.

Not only the Baozhuan Palace, but also the harem of the imperial city and the mansions of dignitaries in the inner and outer cities were filled with numb sounds.

Mahjong invented by Liu Guozhang quickly sparked a trend in Kaifeng City.

Yuxianzhengdian Restaurant (Note 1) was the first to launch a mahjong room - when entertaining guests for dinner, the first few who come first will play a few rounds while waiting for the guests to arrive.

It quickly became popular, and it was even harder to find a room or a table in Yuxian Restaurant, which was already bustling with people. Well-known restaurants such as Fanlou, Panlou, Dailou, and Baxianlou also quickly followed suit and launched mahjong rooms.

There were also numbing sounds in the bars of restaurants in Kaifeng City.

But in Taishifang, which has always been trendy, not a single sound of mahjong was heard.

After "suddenly killing" two tables of eight May friends, the stewards, housekeepers, and servants were really addicted, and they all made excuses to go outside the workshop and find a place to touch it twice.

In the current Baozhuan Palace, a bunch of important officials from the imperial court gathered in the side hall on Tuomen Road, stuffing money with them, trying to find ways to get themselves to the official card table, even half a circle would do.

It's just that the official card game is very selective, and there are only a few fixed card players.

Gao Qiu is the most stable, he can fight seven or eight times out of ten.

He has superb card-feeding skills, and his official duties in front of the palace are not as busy as those in the Political Hall and the Privy Council, so he has plenty of time to spend with officials.

Wang Fu was accompanied by less, and he could play five or six times in ten rounds. Now the court is prosperous, the country is peaceful and the people are at peace, and the censors are also at ease.

Next came Yang Jian, Liang Shicheng, Tan Zhen, Huang Jingchen and other chief servants. They were busy guarding the harem for the officials, amassing money, keeping an eye on the three provinces of the Government Hall and the Privy Council, and spying on the intelligence of the officials and the people. They could make three or four rounds out of ten.

Next up are Bai Shizhong, Yu Shen, and Deng Xunwu. Even Zheng Juzhong, who is temporarily worried about his mother, will find time to play two or three laps.

Mahjong is a new thing, and it is not easy to classify it into sensual entertainment, so it is not illegal for the time being.

There is also a regular customer, Cai You.

This person's card feeding skills are second only to Liu Erlang, Gao Qiu and Liang Shicheng. But for some reason, he didn't seem to be as keen on playing mahjong with the officials as he was on making jokes and teasing in front of the emperor.

Make two or three rounds out of ten.

We only played two rounds today. With the cooperation of Gao Qiu and Liang Shicheng, the two generals on the left and right, Zhao Ji won seven games in a row, all of which were big beards. He was so happy that every eyebrow was dancing.

"Haha, it was the "Thirteen Mahjong Moves" that Erlang gave me that worked. After studying hard last night, I killed everyone today! It's so happy!"

Zhao Ji looked so happy that outsiders thought he had recovered the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun.

Upon hearing the name Erlang, everyone present looked at each other involuntarily.

Zheng Juzhong, who was sitting opposite, asked casually: "Guan, didn't Liu Erlang go to dredge the Bian River?"

"Yes, in such a heavy snowstorm, he is still running around outside, doing his job of loyalty to the king. It's really hard work."

"What secrets did he give to the officials?" Deng Xunwu, who was standing nearby, asked.

"Haha, I won't tell you. It's the essence of Liu Erlang's life-long mahjong learning! He rushed to deliver it last night and told me that he would leave Yongqiu today to go on an inspection tour for the exam. Chen Liu will leave it five days later The earthen dam is now complete, and the gates can be opened to divert water away from the Sui River, and the dredging of the Bianhe River can officially begin.

Then he also attached the mahjong secret book and explained every move in detail. I studied hard and got quite a lot of insights. Today I won consecutive battles. I feel so happy! "

Zhao Ji laughed loudly while stacking the cards.

Everyone's eyes were intertwined in the air.

This Liu Erlang is incredible!

He always tries his best to please the officials, and also reminds them that he is working tirelessly to relieve the king's worries.

If you know how to be a good person, you will know how to do things.

Doing things does not necessarily have to solve the problem. The key is to let the officials know the credit for your work. You have contributed three points, but the officials think that you have contributed ten points. This is called knowing how to do things.

It’s incredible, today’s young people are getting even more incredible!

Gao Qiu glanced at the people present, saw their expressions, and guessed what they were thinking in his heart.

The old foxes here did not regard Liu Guozhang as a strong opponent.

He is too young, only eighteen or nineteen years old.

Even if he is good at being a person and doing things, and the officials dote on him and support him enthusiastically, it will still take more than ten years for him to threaten the status of everyone here.

Who cares about what happens next? Let’s defeat the opponent in front of us first!

Furthermore, Liu Erlang was not a Jinshi, but he was also a relative. According to the ancestral law, he could not be a full-time civil and military officer, nor could he be an official in the Privy Council of the three provinces, nor could he be admitted to the political affairs hall. What was there to worry about?

It's just that Liu Guozhang wanted to get help from them, but it was impossible. When it is beneficial, they will take action. If it is not beneficial, they will not even look this way.

If Liu Guozhang makes meritorious service, he may be slandered; if he causes trouble, he may be punished. Although Liu Guozhang has nothing to do with them, he can arouse their jealousy.

This is their nature, to be jealous of those who do better than them and get more than them.

I'm a little jealous of Liu Erlang.

Gao Qiu thought while playing a card.

"south wind!"

"Bump!" Zhao Ji shouted in surprise, "Big three yuan, one word, two bars! How many times, you figure it out! Haha!"

"The official family is so blessed!"    "The official family is invincible and has no opponent in cards!"

There was a buzz of compliments and flattery in the hall.

After another round of playing, Zhao Ji made three more tricks, and his eyebrows almost flew up with joy.

"Officials, there is still something to do with the Imperial City Department. I will deal with it first and apologize." Liang Shicheng stood up and said.

"go Go!"

Just after Liang Shicheng left, after a fierce secret fight, Bai Shizhong finally got what he wanted to fill the vacancy.

After leaving the Huixian Palace, he walked quickly along the alleyway and entered a side hall. Zhao Huan sat inside, with Liang Fangping accompanying him.

"Master Liang, you are here." Zhao Huan said impatiently.

"His Royal Highness has paid greetings to the official family and you haven't left yet?" Liang Shicheng asked curiously after the salute.

According to Liu Guozhang's suggestion, Zhao Huan came to pay his respects to his father every morning. Even if Zhao Ji was having fun at night and did not get up, he still had to salute respectfully outside the palace gate.

Although Zhao Huan is cowardly and incompetent, he has a "foolish spirit" and does a good job in this regard.

After the Wanshou Festival, it was raining or raining. Zhao Ji saw it and was happy in his heart. He asked Zhao Heng several times not to work so hard, but he "resisted" and persisted every day.

Zhao Ji was so moved that in the past few days, he often praised the prince's pure filial piety to those close to him and his ministers.

"No, Master Liang, is there any news from Liu Erlang?" Zhao Huan asked eagerly.

After Liu Erlang became Zhao Huan's "dog-headed strategist", he offered several clever tricks.

Zhao Huan took the initiative to petition, taking advantage of the official Longevity Festival, which was celebrated by the whole world, and requested that Empress Zheng's late father, Zheng Shen, be granted the posthumous title of Grand Tutor, a royal title, and a brother-in-law according to the example of the late Emperor Shenzong's Emperor Xiansu. Zheng Fan was the military envoy and duke of the country.

Zhao Ji is right.

Empress Zheng also happily accepted this favor.

One was childless, the other was motherless, and an alliance was quickly formed.

Empress Zheng helped suppress Wang Guifei in the palace. The support Zhao Kai received suddenly decreased a lot, and the pressure on Zhao Heng was also reduced.

Then he held a family dinner in Ruishengyuan, insisted on saying good morning, and convened scribes to compile "Zhenghe Shengyu Baolu" and "New Filial Piety Book". A series of measures made Zhao Huan's position more stable.

He had never lived so comfortably, and naturally he also took Liu Guozhang, the great hero, into his heart.

But this boy accepted the recommendation of the Grand Master and ran to dredge the Bianhe River.

Is that what you should do?

You should stay in Kaifeng City, keep up your efforts, and continue to make suggestions for consolidating Gu's position and successfully ascending the throne.

Liang Shicheng glanced at Zhao Huan and comforted him in a gentle voice: "Your Highness, don't worry. We will see Liu Erlang's methods.

There are old slaves in Kaifeng City who are watching. If there is any trouble with the Grand Master, the old slaves will immediately notify Liu Erlang and let him make preparations in advance. "

"That's good." Zhao Heng breathed a long sigh of relief, "Master Liang, Erlang was recommended by you and has been of great help to Gu. Now, like you, he has become Gu's inseparable right-hand man. You have to keep an eye on Gu. , there can be no mistakes.

This old fox, the Grand Master, is cruel and treacherous, so you must be careful. "

"Don't worry, Your Highness, I will definitely watch this properly."

Zhao Heng finally left Baozhuan Palace peacefully.

Liang Shicheng thought for a while and called a confidant over, "Remove all the detectives who are staring at the inside and outside of Taishifang!"

The confidant was shocked, "Grandpa, don't you keep an eye on the Grand Master?"

"With such a tight gaze, how can the Grand Master display his eighteen martial arts skills easily?"

"Where is Liu Erlang?"

"Haha, he's running so fast, and he's going to get in front of me if he's not careful."

The confidant quickly lowered his head and replied: "Grandpa, I will go make arrangements immediately."

In the warm study room of Zhileju in Taishifang, Cai Ji was reporting Liu Guozhang's recent movements to his father Cai Jing.

"Liu Erlang asked Zhang Zeduan, Zhang Jun, Li Gang and others to recruit more than 860 people from the Imperial College. They were all miscellaneous students in arithmetic, library, painting, medicine and other fields with little career prospects. They also recruited from the tribute examinations of various states. Seventy or eighty people were recruited, all of whom are poor students who love to read miscellaneous books and have no hope of success."

Cai Jing's eyelids moved but he said nothing.

"Liu Erlang selected more than 400 people from among them to be scribes and historians, and then assigned 800 flower boys to cooperate with them. By the way, daddy, those flower boys have now changed their decorations, wearing a bunch of red tassels on their hats or around their waists. Call themselves Hongying Party members."

Cai Jing still didn't open his eyes, he just snorted and said coldly: "A dog won't eat shit. It's hard to live in a temple and still be a gangster.

What about the 200,000 victims? How to deal with Liu Erlang? This is a big haystack. A spark will set it on fire. "

Note 1: Restaurants with the word Zhengdian are licensed by the government and are allowed to sell alcohol legally. In the Song Dynasty, alcohol was a regulated commodity. It's just that management is getting looser. Especially in local areas, there are many shops selling liquor openly or covertly without a license.

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(End of this chapter)