Volume 2: Eagle vs. Dragon Chapter 22: Take Refuge
After a pause, Zhou Yijin continued, "We really have no choice but to join Governor Zhu at the moment. I understand this very well. However, how did you know about 'Inner Zen'? If you hadn't pointed out these two words, my master's momentum would not have been interrupted by you."
Wu Chengjian said: "You...just treat it as my guess."
Zhou Yijin naturally didn't believe it, but he didn't ask any more questions. The two of them were silent for a long time before Wu Chengjian said, "Perhaps Beijing is really going to abdicate, and perhaps Grand Marquis Zhu is really going to become the emperor's teacher, but... I still think that Heshen will not fall."
Zhou Yijin said: "So you still want to continue to bet on Heshen? But you have to know that no matter how healthy and long-lived the current emperor is, he is already in his eighties. Sooner or later, the world will belong to the new emperor. If we bet on Heshen today, the day when the situation turns against us in the future will be the day we die!"
The so-called "day when the general trend turns against us" is the day when the two emperors hand over power. Maybe the old emperor hands over power himself, maybe the new emperor tries to seize power, or maybe the old emperor simply dies of old age - no matter which one, it will not be too far away.
Wu Chengjian's face was filled with helplessness. "If the Grand Prefect can tolerate my ambiguity, I will naturally choose to be tactful, but do you think it's possible? Your master has so many government affairs to attend to, but he specially ran to Huachahao. Is it just for my empty words to show loyalty? And also give me a big gift? This is to push me into the fire, to make me the knife to chop Heshen. Only by chopping this knife can I be considered to have paid my loyalty and be considered a member of Grand Prefect Zhu's side."
Just like the Wu family had to wait until Cai Shiqun had dealt a heavy blow to Cai Shiwen before they were willing to accept him, the threshold of the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi would naturally not be lower than that of the Wu family. On the contrary, it would only be higher.
Wu Chengjian said: "But with this strike... hehe, I'm afraid that before we can achieve Grand Marquis Zhu's goal, our own heads will be the first to be chopped off."
"You are just a mere security merchant, but you knew the secrets of the Imperial Palace earlier than I did!" Zhu Gui sat cross-legged on the Arhat bed and glanced at Cai Qinghua.
Cai Qinghua stormed out of the Huachai, but his anger was just a gesture and he was not really furious. Once he returned to the Governor's Mansion, he regained his calm demeanor.
"Hmph, this group of merchants has extended their hands so far. If they are not regulated, the disaster of Lu Buwei may be just around the corner." A rare look of worry and anger for the country appeared on Zhu Gui's face.
He had just received the news that Emperor Qianlong might abdicate the throne the day before yesterday. He thought that no one inside or outside Guangzhou would know the news earlier than him, except for the Guangzhou general who represented the Manchus in the south in Banner City. But he had no idea that a mere merchant actually knew the news in advance!
Cai Qinghua said: "The palace today is no longer what it was during the reign of Emperor Shizong (Yongzheng). In fact, many gossips can be bought with money. I already knew this when I was born in the capital."
Zhu Gui's eyelids fluttered: "Have you bought it?"
Cai Qinghua said quickly, "I saw it with my own eyes. It was just an ordinary piece of insignificant information, and the price was fifty taels." In fact, he really bought it, but he didn't dare to admit it directly in front of Zhu Gui, "But the fifty taels of information was just to buy the dishes that the emperor ate that day. If you want to spy on the great secrets of the inner Zen, I'm afraid it will cost a sky-high price - but these insurance merchants are not short of money."
"Ridiculous, ridiculous!" Zhu Gui said angrily, "If I have the chance to return to Beijing, I will definitely try to eliminate this abuse. Humph, the stick-sticking department has so many people, can't it plug these holes?"
The so-called "Nianganchu" was a secret agency established by Yongzheng. It was an organization of servants established when Yongzheng was still in the palace. This organization recruited many people with high martial arts skills. After training, they were used to spy on various information for the purpose of seizing the throne. However, it was announced to the outside world that these people were used to do things like "catching cicadas" and "fishing" in the summer, so it was called Nianganchu.
After Yongzheng ascended the throne , the Sticking Rod Office was still retained and continued to be used to monitor officials and political enemies, receive memorials every morning, and monitor officials and various suspicious people on a daily basis. After Qianlong ascended the throne, this institution was retained and became a custom.
Cai Qinghua whispered, "A lot of the information...I heard that it was sold by the sticky guards."
Zhu Gui was stunned for a moment, then he became furious and couldn't help but slam the table and stand up.
Originally, it was a powerful tool for the emperor to grasp the outside world's information. After more than 70 years, it was corrupted and degenerated into a tool for the outside world to infiltrate the inner court. Zhu Gui was a loyal minister who always considered the emperor, so he was furious. However, this loyal minister would of course not think about whether it was legal, reasonable, or even in line with the Confucian values advocated by Zhu Nanyue for an emperor to set up a sticking office to monitor his subjects.
"Calm down, Master Ya, calm down." Cai Qinghua said, "We are in Lingnan now, so let's talk about Beijing's affairs after we return to Beijing."
Zhu Gui was still able to listen to the words of his capable aide, and calmed down, saying: "So these merchants, who think they can see the secrets of heaven, don't take me seriously?"
Cai Qinghua pondered and said, "That's not the case. Although these guarantors are rich, they have no position. Even if they know all the secrets of the royal family, it will be useless when the truth is revealed. They buy this information just to find a good backer."
"Backer?" Zhu Gui sneered, "Don't even mention loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness. How can these merchants know loyalty and righteousness? As for backers, is there anyone in the world who can compare to the emperor? This Wu Chengjian doesn't know loyalty and righteousness, and he doesn't even know how to advance or retreat. It's really disappointing."
Cai Qinghua came out of the study in the Governor's Mansion and returned to his own room. His trusted servant came forward and presented a small box. Inside was an extremely exquisite dessert. The chef from Shunde used some precious ingredients and made the flavor of Shaoxing. This gift was sent by Zhou Yijin. It can be said that it is valuable, because it will be gone after eating. It can be said that it is not valuable, but the rarity of the ingredients, the fine workmanship, and the status of the Shunde chef mean that this small box of dessert is worth at least a hundred taels of silver.
In the past, Cai Qinghua would have gladly accepted it, but now he said coldly, "Throw it out."
Zhu Gui and Cai Qinghua, one the master and the other the scene, although they have already held high positions, they still retain some of the temperament of scholars. They are in charge of the south, and people who come to seek refuge every day are like crucian carp crossing the river, but they cannot refuse everyone. Wu Chengjian is someone they respect, not only because of the skills and abilities he showed on the night of the turnaround, but also because Wu Chengjian can speak those great truths, which made Zhu Gui feel that although this guy is in the business world, he is also well-educated, and with a little guidance he can become an extension of the clean stream, so he took the initiative to extend an olive branch, originally thinking that the other party would be grateful, but who expected to be rejected for the second time.
This trip to Huachahao failed to subdue Wu Chengjian, which certainly made Zhu Gui dissatisfied with Wu Chengjian, and Cai Qinghua, as the person in charge of this matter, returned empty-handed, which also made him lose face in front of Dong Weng. Wu Chengjian and Zhou Yijin refused to cooperate on key issues, but later tried to appease him with such soft means. Did they really think he was easy to fool?
The trusted book boy was very happy, and he went out the side door to chase Wu Xiaojiu away. When he came back, he said, "Another person has posted a letter, asking to see you, Master. I wonder if you will see him."
"Who?" Cai Qinghua asked.
The servant took out the post.
Cai Qinghua took it and looked at it, and was somewhat surprised - it turned out to be Cai Shiwen. But after thinking about it, he was not surprised anymore.
The Guangdong Customs Supervisory Office has undergone a major change, and Cai Shiwen's position in front of Jishan is probably unstable. It is not surprising for a businessman like this to turn to a backer at this time.
Cai Qinghua was very fond of Wu Chengjian, but on the contrary, he looked down on Cai Shiwen. However, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi naturally had his own arrogance. He thought to himself, "Wu Chengjian made a great comeback, but now he's in a bad mood. Does he really think he's ascended to heaven? Humph, the door is wide open today but you don't come in. When the situation is settled in the future, it won't be so easy to surrender again. Let's see what this black cabbage head has to say."
He then said a few words to his trusted servant.
Cai Shiwen's request to see Cai Qinghua this time was originally just a desperate attempt, but he didn't expect that Cai Qinghua was really willing to see him. He was overjoyed and quickly changed into gray clothes as requested by the other party. He quietly rushed to the back door of the Governor's Mansion and was taken in by the servant.
As soon as Cai Shiwen saw Cai Qinghua after entering the room, he knelt down immediately.
Cai Qinghua was stunned. He was the chief of staff of the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, and he had great power in his hands. However, he was a low-ranking advisor after all, and he had never received any great gifts on weekdays. He was surprised and asked, "General Merchant Cai, what are you doing?"
Cai Shiwen said with a sad face: "Cai Shiwen's life is at stake , please save me, Master Cai."
Cai Qinghua smiled and said, "Although Mr. Cai's situation has suffered a small setback, it is not completely ruined. How can you say that he is being saved?"
Cai Shiwen said, "We in the Thirteen Hongs are not ordinary merchants. We eat the food awarded by His Majesty and do the work allowed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Once we enter this threshold, we are no longer ordinary and there is no peace. We will either be as glorious as the ninth heaven or fall into the abyss. Now Wu Chengjian is on par with Master Jishan. He is just a security merchant, but he can even kill a second-rank general. Given time, the Cai family will surely die without a burial place! Now looking at Guangdong, the only one who can suppress this little beast is Master Cai."
He crawled over, hugged Cai Qinghua's shoes, and cried out in a sobbing voice: "Master Cai, please save me."
Cai Qinghua was still a scholar at heart, he just looked down on Cai Shiwen's appearance. He thought that if Wu Chengjian was in this situation, he would not be so uncultured. However, the pleasure of being asked for help by a general merchant and having his life and death in his hands was still something that everyone would feel a little comfortable about. It also made Cai Qinghua feel a little relieved from the anger he had suffered from Wu Chengjian. He smiled and said, "Then Yihe Haoguan is so powerful that he says he is on par with Jishan. This is too exaggerated."
Cai Shiwen asked, "Master Cai has been in the capital for a long time. Have you ever heard of Liu Quan?"
Cai Qinghua felt a chill in his heart - Zhu Gui and Heshen were political enemies, Liu Quan was a capable servant of the He family, and he himself was a trusted advisor. Zhu and He fought in the court, while Cai and Liu fought outside. The two had fought countless rounds in the capital - although just as Zhu Gui was always defeated by Heshen, Cai Qinghua was often at a disadvantage - but as old enemies, how could they not know each other?
"Why mention Liu Tuzi?" Cai Qinghua suddenly became alert: "He came to Guangzhou?"
