Ghost Story of Liaozhai

A certain deputy general entered the capital with a huge sum of money, and wanted to buy, get promoted, and had no way out.On this day, a certain knight came to visit, dressed in sable fur and horse, luxuriously dressed.When they met each other, the man claimed that "the surname is Zhang, his wife and brother are the emperor's close servants, and there is a vacancy for a general position somewhere. If there is a need, as long as you are willing to spend money, you can try to intercede in front of the emperor, and you will not worry about it."

The deputy general hesitated when he heard the words, and Zhang said: "There is no need to consider this matter. If we are afraid of being fooled, we can sign a document and pay the officer first, and then pay the money. Is the money in your possession, can I take it by force?" Seeing that what he said was reasonable, the general thought for a while and nodded in agreement.

The next day, Zhang came again and said, "My brother-in-law, please come with me." The two rode to the meeting, and they went to a mansion, which was magnificent and more expensive than a prince.

Entering the hall, the host Tian hosted a banquet in hospitality.During the dinner, Tian had a haughty attitude, squinted at the general, and asked, "You want to buy an official? This matter must be settled in ten thousand taels of gold. Are you willing to spend your money? If you are willing, I have an agreement, and the signature will be postponed. shall take effect."

The deputy general said: "I have plenty of money, and the agreement can also be signed, but there is one thing, we have to do things first and pay later."

Tian said: "It's natural. It's easy for me to appoint an official. It's just that people are unpredictable. I just met the general for the first time. How can I trust you?"

The deputy general said: "Let's limit it to three days, as long as within three days, you can let me see the emperor, ask for an official position, and give me gold immediately."

Tian said: "Okay, that's it."

The two sides negotiated a bargaining chip, and the deputy general got his wish and got up to leave.Tian ordered Zhang to see the guests off, and the host and guest came outside the door. Zhang said, "General, I have something to say: my brother-in-law, Tian, ​​is a celebrity in the court, and ministers of civil and military affairs are eager to make friends. I hope that after you are promoted, say And you have faith, prepare silver and gold, and don’t regret it. If not, we can support you, but we can also trample you down, and we can take back the official position at any time."

The deputy general smiled and said: "I have been in the army for many years, and I promised a lot of money. The agreed silver tael will not lose you, so there is no need to scare me with harsh words."

Two days later at dusk, the deputy general was sitting idle at home when several people barged in, shouting, "Your Majesty is welcome."

When I came to the palace, I saw the emperor sitting on the hall, surrounded by warriors, and the sky was majestic.The deputy general knelt down and saluted, shouting long live.The emperor gave him a seat, expressed his condolences, and said: "The general is very powerful and famous. I have heard about it for a long time. When I saw it today, I really deserved to be a great talent. Somewhere is dangerous and there is a lack of a general. I will grant you the first-rank official title today. Immediately take office. Work hard, make meritorious service to the country, and you will be named Marquis for a certain period of time."

The deputy general thanked Shengen, took his leave and left.When he returned to his residence, he immediately sent his subordinates to the Tianfu to present him with ten thousand taels of gold to fulfill his promise.Since then, I have been able to sit back and relax, and secretly think that the appointment of an official is just a matter of time.Drink with relatives and friends every day, talk boastfully, and be in high spirits.

In the past few days, the imperial edict was delayed, the deputy general went to the court to inquire, and the position was replaced by others, resentful.In a fit of anger, he went to the Ministry of War to argue, and shouted: "Your Majesty personally appointed your position, and Mr. Tian helped you with it. How dare you grant it to someone else?"

The Sima of the Ministry of War looked stunned, and said with a sneer, "You are sick. Where can you find Mr. Tian in the court? If you dare to talk nonsense and roar in court, the law will serve you."

The deputy general was shocked when he heard the words, his heart was so cold, he thought for a while, and suddenly realized: the time is not good, you have met a liar.