Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 378 A Slight Rise in My Heart
Wang Qiong was a little confused about the ins and outs of this. As an experienced person, he was worried that there might be some twists and turns, so he asked carefully, "What is Captain Pei going to do?"

Pei Yuan said calmly, "The emperor today is not a foolish person, but most of the time, he can only get filtered information. As long as we can go directly to the emperor and explain the pros and cons, we will surely let the emperor make a wise decision and intervene in this matter."

Wang Qiong questioned after hearing this, "'Go straight to the emperor and explain the pros and cons' is easy to say, but it's not that easy to do."

Pei Yuan explained, "After the incident with the demon Li Zilong, in order to facilitate the Jinyiwei of the Suppressing Evils Unit to rush to the palace at any time, the emperor allowed the thousand households and deputy thousand households of the unit to hold ivory waist badges and not be restricted by the palace ban. Moreover, as a Jinyiwei, Pei is the emperor's personal guard, so it is not difficult for him to appear in the emperor's sight."

Pei Yuan continued, "I have the honor of communicating with the emperor several times, and I can barely say that we had a very pleasant conversation."

Wang Qiong thought to himself, what a guy.

I've been in the Ministry of Revenue for quite a few years, and I haven't had many opportunities to speak alone. How come you've been able to have such pleasant conversations with me several times?
Wang Qiong couldn't help but ask, "Then I wonder what Captain Pei and the emperor were talking about. Why were they so happy talking?"

After saying this, Wang Qiong felt a little regretful.

What I said is a bit taboo. Does it count as trying to probe your mind?

After hearing Wang Qiong's question, Pei Yuan thought quickly in his mind.

Wang Qiong is a rare shrewd man in this era. If you show too much concern about politics in front of such a person, he will inevitably dig deep into your intentions.

In that case, many of your own plans will be difficult to carry out if you have any intention or plan in mind.

Pei Yuan then sighed and replied, "It's a pity that the seat in front of me is empty at midnight. I don't ask about the common people, but about ghosts and gods."

Pei Yuan was a member of the Imperial Guard who was in charge of religious affairs. Talking to the emperor about ghosts and gods was not only reasonable, but also completely within the scope of his authority, and could not be considered as misleading the king.

Moreover, Pei Yuan compared himself to Jia Yi, inadvertently showing his concern for the people and his ambition to make progress.

This confirms his statement that "every man has his share of responsibility for the rise and fall of his country." Otherwise, it would have been very strange for a Jinyiwei in charge of religious affairs to come to see Wang Qiong and talk about military supplies at the front line.

After hearing this, Wang Qiong nodded secretly.

Thinking about what Pei Yuan had just said, I already had a rough idea of ​​Pei Yuan's image in my mind.

He is not afraid of power and is eager to serve the public. He cares about the world and the suffering of the people, but he feels that his talent is not appreciated and his ambition is difficult to realize.

So, after hearing what he had done, he thought he had met a like-minded person, and out of pity for the people's hard-earned money, he came to ask for help.

I didn't expect that I would first blame others for their own interests and then evade the responsibility.

Wang Qiong's face turned slightly red and she felt more and more ashamed.

No wonder this man claimed that if he understood him, he would not only treat him as a close friend regardless of age difference, but also ask someone to bring some fine wine and drink with him.

Wang Qiong was just daydreaming when Pei Yuan said, "Although Pei is not involved in government affairs, he has a good friend in the Censorate because of similar interests. Pei is confident that he can convince this person to stand up and expose Sun Jiao's stupidity and Yang Tan's incompetence, and let the matter be judged by the public."

Wang Qiong was cheered up after hearing this.

If he could impeach those two useless people, Sun Jiao and Yang Tan, and put himself in power, and make good use of the people's money, he would be able to better benefit the people and the country.

Wang Qiong subconsciously asked, "Who is Captain Pei's good friend in the Censorate?"

Pei Yuan had already weighed the pros and cons and answered directly, "It is Zhang Lian, the noble and upright man who impeached Zhang Heling, the Marquis of Shouning, and Liang Chu, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, without fear of power."

Although Li Shishi held a high official position, his reputation and ability... were very average.

Zhang Lian is different.

Although his rank is not high, his sense of justice and his unyielding determination to fight against power make him a white lotus in the Censorate.

Mentioning Zhang Lian is very convincing.

Sure enough, when Wang Qiong heard that Pei Yuan, a Jinyiwei, had similar interests to a person like Zhang Lian, he began to look at Pei Yuan with new eyes.

Zhang Lian’s certification is better than thousands of words from others.

Wang Qiong was even more ashamed of his previous behavior. He quickly stopped Pei Yuan from talking and ordered the servants in the hall, "Hurry up and prepare the banquet, and then go get the good wine I have hidden. I want to get drunk with little friend Pei."

Pei Yuan smiled when he heard this.

Wang Qiong seemed to be afraid of what he would say, so she quickly reached out to stop him, her old face slightly red as she said, "Pei, please save some face for me, and let's forget about what happened before."

Pei Yuan naturally would not embarrass Wang Qiong. Besides, Pei Yuan's opponents were other chess players.

No matter how fierce the fight between the chess players is, they should not target someone like Wang Qiong who is holding the table.

Pei Yuan really didn't mention Wang Qiong's previous neglect and continued the previous topic, "Then in your opinion, what should we do next?"

Wang Qiongle didn't mention the previous events. When he saw Pei Yuan asking the question, he also started to think seriously.

After a while, Wang Qiong said, "If the emperor were to ask about this, it would certainly make this matter more important and could be resolved quickly. But it's inevitable, it's inevitable..."

Pei Yuan added, "It's inevitable that people will misunderstand that the prince is a lucky person who has surrendered to the imperial power?"

Seeing Pei Yuan's frankness, Wang Qiong said nothing more and said, "That's true."

Pei Yuan said, "In that case, I will go see Mr. Zhang Lian later and talk to him about this matter. With his hatred of evil, he will definitely not tolerate those officials squandering the court's treasury."

Wang Qiong listened and recalled the waste on the front line described by Pei Yuan. He was also a little angry. "They took every penny and used it like dirt. People like Sun Jiao and Yang Tan, how could they care about the lives of ordinary people?"

Pei Yuan's mind moved, and it was just the right time to move on to the next topic.

He deliberately remained silent for a while.

Wang Qiong didn't get a response from Pei Yuan, so he couldn't help but look at Pei Yuan.

But Pei Yuan lowered his head with a solemn expression, and no one knew what he was thinking about.

Seeing this, Wang Qiong asked, "Little friend Pei?"

Pei Yuan sighed slightly and replied, "I just heard the prince talking about the lives of ordinary people. I was touched and lost my composure."

"Oh?" Wang Qiong's curiosity was aroused. "Tell me about it."

Pei Yuan shook his head and refused, "If I tell the prince about this, I will harm him. How can I feel at ease?"

Wang Qiong heard Pei Yuan say this, but did not ask as Pei Yuan expected. Instead, he thought for a while before saying, "Tell me. If it is within my ability, I will do it. If it is beyond my ability, I will not overestimate my ability."

Pei Yuan had no intention of putting Wang Qiong on a pedestal or forcibly blackmailing him. Seeing that Wang Qiong saw through everything, he said, "Since Lord Wang can say so, Pei dares to speak freely."

Pei Yuan then told the story about the imperial court's practice of suppressing rebellions by counting the number of heads they head, which resulted in more and more rebels, small bandits becoming big bandits, and big bandits becoming roving bandits; and how the government troops, in order to gain more merit, killed and looted civilians everywhere, and used their strong military force to force the imperial court to recognize their merits.

As Wang Qiong listened, his expression became serious.

Pei Yuan did not hide anything. After he finished speaking, he also expressed his hope to put an end to the practice of calculating merits by beheading people in suppressing rebellions. At the same time, he also explained the pros and cons of this matter to Wang Qiong.

The benefit is naturally that once this policy is passed, it will save the lives of many innocent people and preserve more vitality for the Ming Dynasty.

The downside is that Wang Qiong will be hated and attract countless hostile looks.

The benefits are for Ming Dynasty, and the disadvantages are for Wang Qiong.

Pei Yuan spoke frankly. Wang Qiong remained silent after listening to him, and Pei Yuan followed suit.

After an unknown amount of time, a steward came in to report that the banquet was ready.

Pei Yuan then noticed that it was already dark outside.

Wang Qiong let out a long sigh and said, "Let's go and have a few drinks."

Pei Yuan was also pleased with this.

Not to mention that Wang Qiong will become Yang Tinghe's strong rival and Pei Yuan will be a potential ally; nor to mention how fierce Wang Shouren, the number one thug under Wang Qiong, is and how worth winning over. The mere fact that he has such a simple affection for the people is something Pei Yuan admires very much.

When he was the Du Shui Langzhong, he reorganized the personnel, abolished local part-time jobs, and audited the funds to put an end to corruption, so that the people would not be in hardship and there would be no shortage of materials for renovating the canal.

He also personally surveyed the sluices of every step and mile of the river, calculated the cost of boats and water materials every foot and zhang, compiled a map of the origin and changes of the canal, the funds for repairing the river, and all the memorials and inscriptions related to the canal from past dynasties, so that the canal was managed in an orderly manner.

As the Minister of Revenue, he spent the people's money carefully and frugally, and was in charge of every expenditure of the court with due diligence and responsibility.

According to the History of Ming Dynasty, a general commander of the border defense army attempted to obtain grain and grass from the Ministry of Revenue. Wang Qiong personally inquired about the matter and invited the general commander to calculate the number of soldiers under his command, the amount of grain and grass he had received, the amount of grain and grass on hand, the amount of grain and grass supplied by local counties each year, and the amount of autumn grass collected by border soldiers each year. The result was so great that the general commander was dumbfounded.

Under the current social situation, it is rare for a Jinshi who passes the imperial examination based on literature to be so diligent in his duties, well-versed in the affairs under his charge, and fulfill his responsibilities conscientiously.

When Wang Qiong was transferred to the position of Minister of War, his performance was no less impressive.

Not only did he see through the ambitions of Prince Ning and the undercurrents in the court early on, he also responded calmly by sending Wang Shouren to live in seclusion in southern Jiangxi for several years. As a result, when Prince Ning rebelled and the whole country was in chaos, Wang Qiong, while chatting and laughing, used the knife he had cut a few years ago to kill Prince Ning with one blow.

He was the only official who did not hand over the "red book" to Liu Jin despite his might; he was the only official who did not indulge in wealth and power, and he was one of the few people in the court who was not bribed by King Ning with a large sum of money; he was the only official who could not be moved by adversity, and was exiled by the court in his sixties, but he could still write "The world changes from ancient times to the present, and the world is just a matter of smiling."

How could such a person be erased from history by Yang Tinghe? Or even portrayed as a treacherous minister?
What is making the two of them silent and embarrassed now is that Wang Qiong resolutely faced pressure and submitted the "Memorial on the Abolition of the First Merit for Inland Expeditions" in history.

The time and space background is different now, and Pei Yuan doesn’t know what choice Wang Qiong will make.

But no matter what choice Wang Qiong makes, Pei Yuan will not change his opinion of Wang Qiong.

Pei Yuan himself is not a good person, and he never demands that others be good.

Wang Qiong and Pei Yuan both filled their glasses, then raised them to signal that they would drink them all in one gulp.

After putting down the wine glass, Wang Qiong said decisively, "I did it!"

Pei Yuan was stunned.

But Wang Qiong smiled and said, "I was hesitant at first, but I was afraid that I would have too much to drink later, so I agreed to it."

"If this is the case, wouldn't the world laugh at me, Wang Qiong, for being cowardly and needing to be drunk to do it?"

"Just do it."

"I have nothing to be ashamed of in this matter, so why are you hesitating?"

Pei Yuan was greatly impressed after hearing this, so he filled a glass and toasted Wang Qiong.

The two no longer discussed those troublesome things, but only talked about their life experiences and their aspirations.

Wang Qiong talked happily and soon drank too much, falling drunk on the table.

Pei Yuan was evasive in his words. Although he drank a lot of wine, he felt very depressed.

After asking the servant to help Wang Qiong down, Pei Yuan walked out of Wang Qiong's residence, slightly drunk.

Looking outside, Cheng Zhihu and Chen Xinjian, along with a team of Jinyiwei, were waiting outside in a solemn manner.

Pei Yuan turned around and watched the gate of Wang Qiong's house slowly close. Some words could only turn into a long sigh.

Pei Yuan walked back slowly under the protection of the Jinyiwei.

The moonlight tonight is not very good, shining on the houses on both sides of the street with only a slight silver light.

The blocked road was dark and gloomy.

With Chen Xinjian leading the way, Pei Yuan was not worried about the potholes on the road. However, as he walked, Pei Yuan suddenly had some insights.

He looked at the dark road and thought silently in his heart.

The reason why I exist in this world is probably because the original path is really no longer viable.

Maybe I, Pei Yuan, should also do something more proactive.

When they arrived at Zhihua Temple and Pei Yuan was about to go back to the courtyard to rest, he suddenly remembered something and said it to Chen Xinjian.

"Find some people to check what kind of person Zhang Song, the judge of the Dali Temple, is."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xinjian immediately confirmed with Pei Yuan, "Is he the one who led the thousand households to Wang Qiong's mansion today?"

Pei Yuan did not tell Chen Xinjian about his visit to Wang Qiong's house.

At that time, only Song Chunniang was present, and she was also sent away by Pei Yuan.

Unexpectedly, Chen Xinjian not only led his troops to find Pei Yuan in time, but also found out who went to Wang Qiong's house with Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan couldn't help but look at Chen Xinjian twice more and praised him, "Not bad, you are smarter than your brother. Just go check this person out."

Chen Xinjian immediately said, "Don't worry, Captain. Tomorrow morning, I will have someone find out about Zhang Song's background and report back to you as soon as possible."

Pei Yuan was afraid that Chen Xinjian had done something wrong, so he gave him one more reminder.

"I want to use this person. Don't scare him. You may all work for me in the future."

Chen Xinjian replied respectfully, "I know my limits."

"Yeah." Pei Yuan responded drunkenly, but his mind was like a tiger with its eyes opened.

If someone's "temporary temper" can suppress Zhang Song for life, then my "temporary temper" can also lift Zhang Song to the clouds.

(End of this chapter)