I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 17 Lin Shisan, a skilled actor

Lin Shisan prepared to take Sun Yue back to Gao’s house in Dawangba Hutong to find Chen Ju.

There was one thing he could never figure out: Everyone in the Jinyiwei knew that the chief treasurer Lu Bing and Yan Song were allies. The two had once teamed up to overthrow the former Prime Minister Xia Yan.

Gao Zhong and Yan Song were political enemies. So Lu Bing was also Gao Zhong's enemy.

Why would the Lu family's young master issue a strict order, ordering me, Lin Shisan, to help Gao Zhong? Isn't this not distinguishing between friend and foe?
When the two passed by Zhijin Street, they saw several Persian merchants bargaining in a cloth shop on the street.

The Persian merchant spoke fluent Chinese: "Pong oil, cheaper. Dusi is like holding oil."

The cloth shop owner said, "This is genuine Songjiang cotton cloth. Two taels of silver is not a lower price."

The Persian merchant waved his hands repeatedly: "Too expensive, too expensive, I won't buy it."

It wasn't just the Gaoli Street that was selling dog meat under the guise of selling mutton. The imperial court was the same.

Emperor Jiajing of Xiyuan tried many times to relax the maritime ban.

However, the upright civil servants in the court knelt down and protested like crazy, even dying to make such protests, saying that "the ancestral system cannot be violated and the maritime ban cannot be lifted."

The Qingliu civil servants opposed the lifting of the maritime ban and gave many high-sounding reasons.

The real reason is: as long as there is a maritime ban, there will be smuggling trade. This group of clean officials are engaged in smuggling trade in secret, and they can make huge profits from it.

If His Majesty the Emperor were to lift the ban on sea trade, wouldn't that cut off the civil servants' financial resources? The civil servants would certainly threaten to "die" in response to his remonstrance.

The person who made the most money from smuggling trade in the court was not Yan Song, who was notorious for his crimes, but the leader of the Qingliu and a well-known wise minister - the deputy prime minister Xu Jie.

There are many silk and cloth shops in Zhijin Street, all of which are owned by upright civil servants.

The Persians entered Beijing openly, looked at samples in the brocade market, negotiated prices with the bosses behind the scenes in Beijing, and then went to Jiangnan, the home of civil servants, to deliver the goods.

Sun Yue cursed: "Damn it, these Persians are really lawless. They are violating the law and doing business with Ming merchants in the street in broad daylight."

Lin Shisan sighed: "Alas, the real lawless ones are not these businessmen. They are the ones who keep saying 'respect heaven and follow ancestors' all day long."

At this moment, Lin Shisan did not know that the trouble he was involved in was closely related to maritime trade.

Dawangba Street, Gaozhong’s courtyard.

The upset Chen Ju was grilling lamb kebabs in the empty yard.

The mutton was sizzling with oil on the fire. Chen Ju first sprinkled a handful of salt on it, and when it was almost cooked, he sprinkled a handful of pepper on it.

The yard was filled with the aroma of mutton.

How much sorrow can you have? A handful of mutton skewers can relieve all your sorrows.

Everyone has flaws and hobbies. The wise man Chen Ju would indulge in delicious food whenever he was sad, happy, or idle.

To put it bluntly, he is a foodie.

Chen Ju had just finished eating two skewers when Lin Shisan and Sun Yue walked into the courtyard.

Chen Ju was surprised: "Aren't you unwilling to help anymore?"

Lin Shisan is a smooth person who can turn black into white with his clever words and can make fish in the river jump out of the shore: "Shame on you."

Chen Ju asked: "Oh? What are you ashamed of?"

Lin Shisan said: "The people in the southeast are suffering from the Japanese pirates. But I only care about my own safety. I am wrong."

Chen Ju looked at Lin Shisan suspiciously: "You realized you were wrong so quickly?"

Lin Shisan used his eloquence to his advantage. He pointed at Sun Yue and said, "He was the one who woke me up with a slap."

Chen Ju frowned: "Your apprentice slapped you? What a sin, what a sin. Isn't this considered as betraying the master and destroying the ancestors?"

Lin Shisan had a guilty look on his face: "Alas! My apprentice is from Ye County, Laizhou Prefecture, Shandong Province, and is from the same hometown as Ye Wulong. Ye County is close to the sea and produces gold, and has been invaded by Japanese pirates in recent years." Although Sun Yue is fat, he is not stupid. He is very good at cooperating with his master: "Ah, right, right."

Lin Shisan added: "My disciple's uncle died at the hands of the Japanese pirates."

Sun Yue thought to himself: Poof. Anyway, my father has no brothers. It doesn't matter what the master arranges.

Thinking of this, Sun Yueqiang squeezed out a few tears: "Wow. My uncle died such a tragic death! He was caught by the Japanese pirates and beaten up - hung up and beaten! Beaten to death!"

Lin Shisan said again: "I told my fat disciple the whole story, guess what happened?"

Chen Ju asked: "What's going on?"

Lin Shisan said: "He scolded me harshly, saying that I didn't contribute to the cause of resisting the Japanese invaders, that I didn't know the greater good, and that I was afraid of death."

Chen Ju only believed Lin Shisan's words to a point. As smart as he was, he knew that Lin Shisan was probably acting.

But the situation was urgent, so he could not care less. He held Lin Shisan's hand and said, "A prodigal who returns is worth more than gold. It is never too late to mend the fence after the sheep have been lost. My good brother Lin who understands the greater good!"

Lin Shisan and his entourage had tears in their eyes: "I have to thank Father Gao for giving me a chance to contribute to the cause of fighting against the Japanese invaders. My good and tolerant Brother Chen!"

Lin Shisan is acting, Sun Yue is acting, and Chen Ju is also acting.

Moreover, Chen Ju's acting skills are even better than Lin Shisan's: "I felt like I knew you from the moment I met you. It's like seeing a half-brother! Big brother!"

Lin Shisan gripped Chen Ju's hand with more strength: "Second brother."

The two of them simultaneously burst into hearty yet hypocritical laughter: "Hahaha!"

The innocent Fatty Sun thought these two guys were serious.

Fatty Sun interrupted, "Master, Eunuch Chen, I'm going to the incense shop to buy some candles, incense, and yellow paper. How about you two become sworn brothers here?"

Only then did Chen Ju and Lin Shisan both realize that they had overacted.

Lin Shisan let go of his hand: "The mission is urgent, let's get back to business."

Chen Ju nodded: "That's right."

Lin Shisan said, "I am willing to help Father Gao and Eunuch Chen, but there are a few things we need to discuss first."

Chen Ju said, "Just say it."

Lin Shisan said, "I only help Father Gao find the lost Ye Wulong. After finding it, I will not participate in using Ye Wulong to clear Master Lu Tan's grievances."

Lin Shisan paused, then added: "I never knew what the relationship was between Ye Wulong and Master Lu."

Chen Ju cursed in his heart: No wonder Master Hong said you are a little slippery. You are really as slippery as a loach.

But finding the dog was the most important thing. Chen Ju agreed immediately: "Just do your job well and find the lost dog, which is a great achievement. As for the rest, it is not something that a lieutenant like you can help with. You don't need to get involved."

Lin Shisan stretched out his hand.

Chen Ju was in perfect harmony with Lin Shisan and they high-fived and swore an oath.

Chen Ju said, "Brother Lin, tell me. The clues are gone. How can we find Ye Wulong?"

Lin Shisan said: "We have to start with the man sitting on the dog."

Chen Ju asked, "But the lame man in Xiangxi Lane said that he didn't know the name of the man sitting on the dog, nor did he know where he lived. The man's whereabouts are erratic, how can we find him in such a big city?"

Lin Shisan said, "We were just listening to Hu Dayan trying to trick us. He never does business with dog thieves whose background he doesn't know."

Chen Ju suddenly realized: "So that's it. The court has disappointed him. Doesn't he want to help us, a couple of officials?"

Lin Shisan gave a thumbs up and said, "Brother Chen, that's a good idea. The key right now is to get Hu Dayan to speak."

(End of this chapter)