Episode 10 Chapter 1

The Sichuan and Zhen allied forces retreated, and Tang Yin's division returned to the capital. Read the full text.

After a war, the wind power dropped sharply and the national treasury was empty.

The shortage of troops can be filled by recruiting new soldiers. The shortage of money is the most thorny problem of Feng Kingdom at present.

During the fighting, more than a dozen major cities in the Feng Kingdom, including Baguan, Chongcheng, Jiancheng, Fengcheng, and Fangcheng, were seriously damaged or even burned down and needed to be rebuilt, and all of these had to be downloaded with money.

Fengguo was poor and the people were not rich. It was basically impossible to collect such huge expenses from the people. Tang Yin naturally turned his attention to the eight counties in Ningbei that had just been annexed, and wanted to collect money from the eight counties in Ningbei.

Just when Tang Yin was worried about the shortage of gold and silver, Zhang Xin, the governor of Suzhou, secretly reported to Tang Yin that Shangguan Yuanji, the right minister, had accepted bribes.

These are extraordinary times, and what Tang Yin cannot tolerate most is embezzlement of money by his officials. Zhang Xin's report is fatal to Shangguan Yuanji.

Zhang Xin really didn't let things go for nothing. Shangguan Yuanji did have private money, Cai Song's money.

Currently, the Cai family headed by Cai Song is responsible for managing Ningdi in Fengguo, while Zhang Zhe, the imperial censor who was dispatched to Ningdi by Tang Yin, is in charge of supervision.

Not long after Tang Yin returned to the capital, he sent a message to Cai Song, asking him to raise 5 million taels of gold and 20 million taels of silver in Ningdi within half a month and transport them to Fengdi to support the reconstruction of the damaged city. Cai Song was very efficient in his work. After receiving Tang Yin's royal order, he immediately carried it out. It didn't take him half a month to collect the gold and silver in just ten days, and he entrusted the Sky Eagle Army to send 50,000 troops to escort him.

Cai Song managed things so smoothly. Firstly, he was indeed capable. Secondly, it also showed that Ning Guo was wealthy. On the night when the Tianying Army escorted the gold and silver to Yancheng, Cai Song held a banquet in his mansion and invited many guests. The first task assigned to him by Tang Yin was completed so smoothly. It was such a great achievement that he certainly had reason to celebrate.

What's more, others spend money hosting banquets, but he hosts banquets to make money. Cai Song was appointed by Tang Yin as the chief inspector of the eight counties in northern Ningbo. He had administrative power over the eight counties in northern Ningbo. The appointment of officials at all levels depended on his word. If someone wanted to get an official position, he would inevitably have to send him to Cai Song. Do him a favor.

Those who came to attend the banquet were all high-ranking officials and dignitaries from Ningdi. Of course, they could not come empty-handed. They all brought generous gifts. After a banquet, Cai Song made a lot of money.

But what surprised Cai Song was that Zhang Zhe also came to participate.

It's not that he didn't invite Zhang Zhe, but Zhang Zhe has always been alienated from him. He can even feel that Zhang Zhe looks down on him from the bottom of his heart. On weekdays, except for official business or meeting, the two of them did not interact in private.

Today, Zhang Zhe suddenly came to attend the dinner party he held. Cai Song was surprised and had an ominous premonition in his heart.

Zhang Zhe was the imperial censor, a high-ranking official of the first rank and an important minister around Tang Yin. Cai Song did not dare to show any slights to him and went out to greet him personally. Following him were his two sons, Cai Peng and Cai Gui.

Seeing Zhang Zhe in official uniform outside the house, Cai Song began to grin secretly. It seemed that Zhang Zhe had come with bad intentions! After the meeting, Cai Song bowed to the ground and said flatteringly: "I don't know that Mr. Zhang is coming here. I'm sorry to welcome you from afar, but I still hope that Mr. Zhang will show your kindness."

"Hmph!" Zhang Zhe was a straight-laced person by nature and didn't know how to treat people with pretense. He snorted coldly and stood still. He just looked sideways into the Cai Mansion and said, "Master Cai's house is so lively. I don't know. What kind of good day is it that Mr. Cai arranges such a banquet? "

"This..." Cai Song swallowed, rubbed his hands and laughed dryly: "Today, the official has fulfilled the king's order and sent away the gold and silver designated by the king, so..."

"So we have a banquet to celebrate!" Zhang Zhe finished the following words for him, and then said with a sinking face: "Just to complete the king's order, Lord Cai is so extravagant. It seems that Lord Cai is really rich! "

Cai Song broke out in cold sweat and didn't know what to say.

Zhang Zhe continued: "If you want others to know, you have to do nothing yourself. Mr. Cai, you rely on your authority to collect bribes, do you think others don't know?"

Cai Song's body trembled with fright, his head shook like a rattle, and he said repeatedly: "Master Zhang, I am loyal to the king and to the Feng Kingdom, and I have no second thoughts..."

"What a loyal person with no second thoughts. Now Baguan and many other cities have been destroyed, and a lot of money, manpower, and material resources are needed to rebuild them. But you, Mr. Cai, are eating, drinking, having fun, and collecting bribes at home. It's so uncomfortable. Is this your loyalty?"

Cai Song was speechless, dumbfounded and speechless by Zhang Zhe.

Zhang Zhe threw off the sleeves of his robe, turned around and walked back and said coldly: "I came here today to inform Mr. Cai. I will truthfully report what Mr. Cai has done to the king, and ask the king to make a decision!" , Zhang Zhe had walked back to the carriage, and with the help of the guards on the left and right, boarded the carriage.

Cai Songke was dumbfounded when Zhang Zhe left with these words. Zhang Zhe is the imperial censor and has the power to supervise all civil and military officials. He wants to report his bribery to the king. Is that okay? Not to mention that his official career is coming to an end, it is not even clear whether he can keep his head on his shoulders!

He stood there for a while before he woke up, screamed, and subconsciously chased Zhang Zhe's carriage, trying to stop Zhang Zhe.

At this time, Cai Gui reached out to hold him, shook his head and said, "Father, there is no need to chase him anymore. With Zhang Zhe's personality, it is useless even if you catch him."

"Then...then we can't really let him report to the king, can we?" Cai Song, who had been glowing just now, turned pale with fright and stammered when he spoke.

Cai Peng, who was standing next to him, glared and said in a ferocious voice: "Father, I think we are going to do one thing and the other, and let Zhang Zhe be the first..." As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, making a killing gesture. .

Cai Song rolled his eyes upward and almost fainted. Is Zhang Zhe someone he can kill if he wants to? That was the imperial censor, a high-ranking official of the first rank and a close confidant of Tang Yin. If he wanted to kill him, could he still be okay? Without Tang Yin's order, the Sky Eagle Army staying in Liangzhou could tear themselves apart first.

Before Cai Song could speak, Cai Gui had already shaken his head and said repeatedly: "Inappropriate, inappropriate! Brother, please don't be impulsive. Assassinating Zhang Zhe is a recipe for disaster."

"Second brother, what do you think we should do? Are we just going to watch Zhang Zhepifu report his father to the king?"

Cai Peng and Cai Gui are brothers, but their personalities and talents are completely opposite. Cai Peng is a typical playboy, impulsive and arrogant, reckless in doing things, and arrogant, while Cai Gui is resourceful and extremely smart. , the city is also extremely deep.

He rolled his eyes and said to Cai Song, "Father can send someone to deliver a heavy gift to Yancheng."

"To whom?"

"Right Prime Minister Shangguan Yuanji."

"Oh?" Cai Song's heart moved and he looked at Cai Gui in confusion.

Cai Gui explained: "Shangguan Yuanji is a smooth man. He is not as straightforward as Zhang Zhe and is easy to talk to. Secondly, Shangguan Yuanji is the popular person in front of the king and the most eloquent person. His advice will usually be heard by the king. Listen, thirdly, Shangguan's family has a big business and has to support many people. At the beginning of the king's war, Shangguan Yuanji donated all his property. Although he is now the prime minister, his life is not easy. His father's importance He should accept the gift. As long as he is willing to speak kindly for his father in front of the king, the king will never blame his father. "

Yo! Cai Song's eyes lit up, this was a good idea. He asked: "Then...how much should I give to my father?"

Cai Gui smiled and held out five fingers.

Cai Peng asked: "Five thousand taels of silver?"

Cai Gui rolled his eyes at his brother, meaning how could you have the nerve to say this?

Cai Peng paused and then said: "Fifty thousand taels?"

"Yes!" Cai Gui nodded and said, "Yes, fifty thousand taels, but it's not silver, but fifty thousand taels of gold."

flutter! When Cai Song and Cai Peng heard this, the father and son almost vomited blood together. Fifty thousand taels of gold, which is almost equivalent to five million taels of silver, were to be given away so much gold at once. Even Cai Song, who was wealthy, could not bear it. Cai Peng was furious, shaking his head like a rattle, and said urgently: "Boy, are you crazy? Fifty thousand taels of gold!"

Cai Gui said seriously: "If we can bribe Shangguan Yuanji, what does fifty thousand taels of gold mean? If we have the right minister as our backer in the future, our Cai family can earn back no matter how much gold and silver we have. If you want to give a gift, you must give it to him. Even if the other party is tempted, he doesn’t have the courage to refuse. Father, you must not be stingy in this matter!”

After carefully considering the words of his second son, Cai Song nodded secretly. His son's words were not unreasonable. If he could really win Shangguan Yuanji to his side, he would be able to sit back and relax in the eight counties of Ningbei. Not to mention fifty thousand taels of gold, fifty thousand taels of gold, etc. You can earn back ten thousand taels or five million taels.

After a series of battles between heaven and man, Cai Song finally gave up and listened to Cai Gui's advice. He reluctantly gave up his love and took out 50,000 taels of gold. He secretly sent his confidants to Yancheng overnight to bribe Shangguan Yuanji.

Through this incident, we can also see that Cai Gui is fast, accurate and ruthless in doing things, and his mind and city are beyond ordinary people.

Zhang Zhe's impeachment of Cai Song had not yet reached Yancheng, but Cai Song's generous gift arrived in Yancheng first and was delivered to Shangguan Yuanji's house.

Fifty thousand taels of gold were packed into ten carts and hundreds of boxes. Even Shangguan Yuanji had seen so much gold for the first time.

Perhaps as Cai Gyu said, gifts should be given to people who do not have the courage to refuse. Shangguan Yuanji did not shirk Cai Song's generous gift and accepted it all. Then he took the letter written by Cai Song to him and opened it to read carefully.

Most of Cai Song's letters are filled with praise and flattery. At the end, he only asked Shangguan Yuanji what he should do in Ningdi to gain the king's trust and not be punished by the king.

His meaning was very cryptic. To put it bluntly, he was asking Shangguan Yuanji how far he, Cai Song, could go to the eight counties of Ningbei to do evil and what his limit was.

Shangguan Yuanji was so smart that he understood what Cai Song meant at a glance. He immediately wrote a reply to Cai Song. The content was very simple, with only sixteen words: "Party for personal gain is a taboo for the country and a grave evil for the king. Remember, remember!”