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

Chapter 410: Killing Pigs

Governor Wang subconsciously used conspiracy theories to speculate about his own lord.

He nodded frequently and said, "This is a very good plan, Captain. Those northern ruffians finally won the emperor's favor with their merits. If the commanders of the southern garrisons also try to get a piece of the pie, they will definitely be hated and rejected by everyone."

"In this way, the emperor's plan to take this opportunity to win over the hearts of the warriors will be half-defeated."

"Looking at the emperor's intention, he has the idea of ​​doing something for the north. Those generals from the capital army and the border areas may be of great use. It is inevitable that the commanders of the southern garrisons will be excluded. When the time comes, they will definitely ask for the thousand households."

Pei Yuan laughed dryly after hearing this.

Governor Wang was surprised, "Isn't what I am thinking wrong?"

Pei Yuan said, "It's not that troublesome."

Captain Pei still has his own principles.

At least, Pei Yuan strongly supported Zhu Houzhao's integration of military forces.

For all matters related to this premise, Pei Yuan will make appropriate concessions even if he has his own interests.

For example, no matter how much Pei Yuan tried to steal from the Zhu family, he was always very clear about the need to keep Xuanfu.

When Wei Ne was stirring up trouble and bringing the "Li Fuda case" to the Tongzhengsi, Pei Yuan was more nervous than anyone else. He knew better than anyone what was going on with the power channel between the Tongzhengsi and Xuanfu.

Later, after the "Sanhe Posthouse Case" in which Liang Ciwu was killed broke out, Pei Yuan was worried that Zhu Houzhao would become suspicious of Xuanfu, so he planned to throw Luo Jiao out to take the blame for Xuanfu.

The reason is that Pei Yuan knew that he was not cut out for it.

The only one who could invigorate the corrupt border armed forces and rekindle the blood of those soldiers was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who was riding a horse and holding a sword and standing with them.

What Pei Yuan wanted was this prosperous era, not a mess.

Therefore, Pei Yuan was trying hard to place his own people in the position, while also carefully protecting pillars like Xuanfu and people like Wang Qiong who supported the table.

Wang Chang realized that he had failed to understand the emperor's mind, so he quickly asked, "What does the captain mean?"

Pei Yuan rubbed his fingers together and said, "Of course it's because..."

Halfway through his speech, he remembered that there was no such thing as counting money at this time, and he thought it would not be good to appear too materialistic in front of his younger brother.

So he changed his words and said, "Of course it is to make those southern guards invest more in us and get deeper into it."

Unexpectedly, after the initial confusion, the old fellow Wang Chang suddenly understood.

He instantly remembered the last time Pei Yuan asked those southern garrisons to pay money to settle the accounts.

Pei Yuan just mentioned this.

"The ten or so families last time paid 17,000 taels of silver. In addition to the 3,000 taels each given to Huai'an Guard and Dahe Guard, they took 74,000 taels of silver from me."

"I worked so hard to transport the money from Suzhou, not to let them divide it like this."

Wang Chang realized that Pei Yuan was going to ask for an account, so he quickly said tactfully, "The situation was special at the time, and I had no choice but to do it."

At that time, He Huan was eyeing them covetously nearby, and there was the imperial army ahead, so Captain Han also withdrew all of Pei Yuan's men.

and……

That's the tax silver from the imperial court. Captain Pei, why are you protecting it as if it's a matter of course?

Wang Chang was the person who organized those southern garrisons and was the leader in the final distribution of the money.

If this matter is investigated later, he will be in trouble.

But Pei Yuan didn't want to talk about that at all. Instead, he said, "But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With the 70,000 taels of silver, we have established our reputation."

"Not only did we settle a lot of accounts that needed to be settled, but we also gave them huge returns."

"They have tasted the sweetness, now it's time to kill the pig."

Wang Chang was shocked when he heard this and asked quickly, "Captain, what do you mean by this?"

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "We can't give them the title of the emperor's bastard for nothing. Otherwise, how would He Huan feel after suffering such a great loss?"

"You did a good job last time. They all trust you."

"You can have someone contact them secretly and offer them 10,000 taels directly to see if they are willing to acknowledge the emperor as their father."

Pei Yuan added, "Don't force it."

After hearing this, Wang Chang couldn't help but take a breath.

Each family offered 10,000 taels, which would be 170,000 taels. Captain Pei’s money...

If Wang Chang heard correctly, Captain Pei just said that as long as he acted at the critical time window, the title of the emperor's bastard would be "given away for free."

Is this guy just trying to pick up 170,000 taels for free?

Wang Chang felt a little suffocated.

He felt that it was a bit redundant for him to remind Pei Yuan that the 80,000 taels of tax silver was a bit redundant. The 80,000 taels of tax silver flowed into the hands of the 17 commanders, then doubled and flowed back fiercely.

Moreover, this money had already been transferred cleanly from the tax silver that was to be sent to the Neichengyunku with the help of the court's reward. When it flowed back, it went directly into Pei Qianhu's pocket!
I wonder what the old Governor Wang would think if he knew that the 80,000 taels of silver had been looted in Huai'an.

So would those commanders pay 10,000 taels to become the emperor's godson?
Only a fool wouldn’t pay!

What did a military officer rely on to inherit his position? Bloodline!

Their current wealth and status were all left to them by their father.

As long as I can become the emperor's illegitimate son, I will be like a phoenix, and my surname will be Zhu from now on!
This means that the ceiling above their heads is directly opened, making them eligible to covet higher positions.

What's the difference between this and a blood transfusion?
By that time, people like Li Wenzhong and Mu Ying would be their limit!

Moreover, even if we take a step back, he was told that he had to pay 10,000 taels of silver, but the last time he settled the accounts with Sima Wang, he was given several thousand taels extra.

If you convert it, it's equivalent to paying only half the price.

How can this not be enthusiastic?

Besides, his military achievements as Grand Marshal Wang are proven. He could even coordinate the rebels in Bazhou and buy a royal illegitimate son at half the price. What is there to worry about?

Thinking of this, even a seasoned man like Wang Chang was jealous and wanted to give Pei Yuan a beating.

But Pei Yuan was still talking without any awareness.

"With this capital, maybe I can get a chance to make a lot of money this year."

Old Governor Wang could no longer hold back.

In Captain Pei's eyes, 170,000 taels is just the capital. How does he plan to make a fortune?
Pei Yuan talked to Wang Chang about some other things, and only then did the old Governor Wang recover from his intense psychological discomfort.

Pei Yuan also thought of something and said, "Don't worry about Hangzhou Qianwei. He is my man now and may be of other use in the future."

Wang Chang immediately agreed to the matter.

After Captain Pei left, Wang Chang looked at Pei Yuan's back and couldn't help but sigh.

"This is the scenery you can see when you stand next to Captain Pei. This old man has made the right bet in his life."

Pei Yuan left Jinan with the joy of freeloading and rushed to Beijing with his personal soldiers. There were many things to do in Beijing this time.

In addition to making the Enke matter happen as soon as possible, he also had to support the helpless eunuch Lu.

The young empress dowager also needs to work hard to sow seeds. After the godson has sent them, the biological son cannot be absent.

If Zhu Houzhao made extraordinary progress with his help, those civil officials might not be able to hold back.

If Qingjiangpu is not needed, Baoying Lake can still accommodate people.

Pei Yuan had to quickly have a son as a preparation before this, as he might come in handy someday.

But these things were not urgent. Pei Yuan was a little exhausted from running around for days, so he led his men and traveled slowly.

After leaving Jinan, I went to Qihe, then to Yucheng, and then to Pingyuan.

When on the road, if he came across an inn, he would stay there. If he had enough time to get into the city, Pei Yuan would simply go into the city to rest.

After leaving Dezhou, Chen Xinjian asked the patrol soldiers he met to deliver a message.

Not long after, the loyal Tianjin Wei commander Cheng Leixiang came personally to escort Pei Qianhu to Beijing.

Just like that, as the atmosphere in the court became increasingly tense, Captain Pei slowly returned to the capital.

After Pei Yuan entered the city, Cheng Leixiang, who had been watching from afar, rode back with a few riders.

The guards kept an eye on their role models along the way, and when Cheng Leixiang left, they all whispered about him with envy.

Chen Xinjian stepped forward and asked Pei Yuan, "Should Qian Hu go to Zhihua Temple first, or go back to Dengshikou first?"

Pei Yuan thought, it would be bad to go back home and then run out to cheat again.

He said to Chen Xinjian righteously, "We are officials of the Ming Dynasty. How can we not have this awareness? We should put public interests before personal interests."

Chen Xinjian understood and asked, "Captain, we haven't been back to the capital for more than a month, and we don't know if there are any changes. Fortunately, we have spies from the Western Factory. Should we first invite General Song to inquire about the movements in the capital?"

Pei Yuan was secretly delighted and was about to agree.

He immediately became alert and warned himself not to let treacherous people like Chen Xinjian presumptuously guess the emperor's intentions.

So he said unhappily, "Eunuch Lu has helped me so much, and now is his most helpless time. I am going to go to see him with all this journey, so that he can know my feelings."

Pei Yuan carefully planned some of his arrangements for the inner court.

Although he and Gu Dayong have a close relationship now, when it comes to affection, how can they compare to Zhu Houzhao, who was raised by Gu Dayong since childhood?

There is nothing wrong with everyone poaching people happily, after all, the Ming Dynasty cannot be destroyed. But if Pei Yuan is planning to force his son on Zhu Houzhao, I am afraid Gu Dayong's position will be unreliable.

It can even be said that all the Seven Tigers of Zhengde may be unreliable.

However, such a big thing can only be accomplished with the help of an insider.

Pei Yuan doesn't have many choices, and the person most likely to take a risk with him is only Lu Ting.

Lu Ting was an old acquaintance of Hongzhi. He had been stationed in other places in his early years and had no personal relationship with the emperor.

When Zhu Houzhao is killed, these eunuchs who have lost their master will become neutral in a short period of time.

People like Lu Ting who have little affection for the emperor will consider their next buyer at the first opportunity.

At that time, as long as he had a careful plan and relied on his reputation with proven achievements, he would have a great chance of winning Lu Ting's defection.

Chen Xinjian said, "I wonder if the emperor has granted Eunuch Lu a residence after he returned to the capital. If not, it is probably still in the palace. Qian Hu should go back to Zhihua Temple to rest first. I will ask someone to find out."

Pei Yuan didn't say much and let Chen Xinjian arrange people to do the work.

When they arrived at Zhihua Temple, Tan Tai Fangtu, who was on duty inside, hurried out to greet them.

Pei Yuan recalled the first time he went to Nanjing. At that time, Captain Han was out on business, and it was Tan Tai Fangtu who was on duty at the Jinyiwei Yamen.

Pei Yuan, Chen Toutie and Cheng Leixiang were all turned away.

Pei Yuan subconsciously wanted to make a few jokes, but when he thought of the old man's bad temper, if he got beaten, it would be a loss of face even if he dealt with him later.

He immediately said to him in a very friendly manner, "You are an old man in the Qianhu Office, just do your job well, there is no need to be so polite."

Tan Tai Fang Tu felt relieved after hearing this, and said with a smile, "If it weren't for Captain Pei's tricks, the capital would still be in chaos, and our Captain's Office would still be an empty shell. Now that everything has been sorted out, I, Tan Tai, am just sitting there eating idle meals."

After a while, Kong Xu also came out with people to meet them.

Pei Yuan remembered the arrangement for him, and asked Kong Xu, "Do you have any other official business today?"

Kong Xu said quickly, "There are some small things that can be done at any time. If you have anything to do, just let me know."

Pei Yuan nodded and led everyone into Zhihua Temple.

Kong Xu hurriedly made arrangements and had people fetch water for Pei Yuan to bathe, and also arranged a banquet to welcome him.

Pei Yuan said, "Don't worry. I have to meet someone later. It doesn't matter if I look a little embarrassed."

Everyone knew that Pei Qianhu had done a lot of outrageous things, so no one tried to persuade him anymore.

Pei Yuanxian exchanged pleasantries with Tan Tai Fangtu for a while and asked about the affairs of the Qianhu Suo.

When Tan Tai Fang Tu saw Pei Yuan specifically asking about Kong Xu, she knew that the two had something to say. She simply answered them a few words and then said goodbye and went back to work.

As soon as Tan Tai Fang Tu left, Kong Xu's expression became serious.

Chen Xinjian waved his hand, and the personal soldiers serving beside him all retreated.

Pei Yuan then said to Kong Xu, "The reason why I asked you to come here is because I saw your ability to deal with all kinds of people. I asked you to work hard on paperwork only because I saw your character. It's not that I don't know how to employ people."

Kong Xu nodded seriously, without hurting Captain Pei's face at all.

Then Captain Pei said to him with satisfaction, "Fortunately, after a period of understanding, I have a preliminary understanding of you. Now is the time to make great use of you. If you do well, you will have a promising future with a wife and children."

Kong Xu was cheered up after hearing this.

Is it finally here?
He knew that the Jinyiwei had gone to such great lengths to get him here, and it wasn't that simple.

Moreover, Captain Pei's promise is well-known.

Kong Xu quickly expressed his opinion, "I will do my best, please give me your instructions."

Pei Yuan was very satisfied with Kong Xu's attitude, and reminded him, "This matter is very secretive, and it needs someone you can trust to do it. It's not too late for you to regret it now. If you listen to it, it will be out of your control."

Kong Xu heard this and said, "I will obey your orders."

Pei Yuan nodded in satisfaction, and then said seriously, "I plan to set up several oil pressing and sauce making workshops in Huai'an and Yangzhou, and I want to leave this matter to you."

After hearing this, Kong Xu thought he had heard it wrong.

Set up a few oil pressing and sauce making workshops?

That's it?

Is this the so-called secret mission?

Is this enough to ennoble your wife and children?
(End of this chapter)