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

Chapter 424: Sincere Young Master

Zhu Houzhao was a little disappointed. He was depressed for a while and thought about the purpose of his visit.

However, after what happened just now, the things that he found interesting before now seem a little boring.

He casually asked about something else, "Are you familiar with Gu Dayong?"

There is no need to hide this kind of thing.

Pei Yuan said truthfully, "Because my family is poor, I have no connections to fill the vacancy. It was with the help of Eunuch Gu that I got the opportunity to serve Your Majesty."

Zhu Houzhao was not a man who was out of touch with the world and knew all the ways to fill vacancies.

The Ming Dynasty only had so many positions for military officers, and they were arranged in rows and inherited according to bloodline.

What should the emperor do if he wants to reward people in the future? What should he do if he wants to place his own noble relatives in the family?
It can only be squeezed out from the existing position.

What if the newly appointed meritorious officials and noble relatives want to place their own people in the position?
The only thing I can do is to continue to squeeze out from the position of the people below.

With so much squeezing around, simply relying on bloodline to succeed is not enough.

For many people who have hereditary positions, it is not easy to get a real job.

Zhu Houzhao just sighed, "A wise man like you has to rely on bribery to get an official position. How difficult it is for me to recruit all the talents in the world."

If Zhu Houzhao said so, Captain Pei would feel wronged.

Damn Gu Dayong, if he was really willing to use his connections to help me get into the Jinyiwei, wouldn't there be all these troubles later?

This bastard just wanted to get a free spot from Jinyiwei to get himself out of trouble.

Pei Yuan didn't want to leave a stain on his career, so he said to Zhu Houzhao, "Eunuch Gu was fair and just gave me the opportunity to show myself. I entered the Jinyiwei with the title of the first place in the military examination."

"This matter..., the Vice Governor of the Imperial Household Bai Yu, the Earl of Fuqiang Mao Rui, and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War Lu Wan can all testify to this."

Before going on the expedition, Gu Dayong presided over the military examination in his capacity as the seal holder of the Imperial Stables, the eunuch in charge of the Western Factory, and the eunuch in charge of military affairs.

At that time, those people were all working under Gu Dayong, so it was naturally difficult for them to offend him. Now they were all pulled out by Pei Yuan to testify.

Even though Mao Rui is not doing well now, Bai Yu and Lu Wan’s reputation is still very strong.

Zhu Houzhao was also a little surprised, "You actually inherited the position through the military examination?"

He carefully looked at Pei Yuan for a few times, and seeing that he was broad-shouldered and strong, he could not help but admire him and said, "You are indeed a brave man. You are brave and resourceful. You should go to Xuanfu to be a general."

If one could become a general, he would at least be promoted to the second rank.

Unfortunately, it’s just a trial card.

After a few years, when Zhu Houzhao was overthrown, he would inevitably face a major purge.

There are many factions in Xuanfu, and its relationship with Datong Town is complicated. In addition, there is a Shanxi faction that has been very powerful since the Yingzong era, and Pei Yuan has no control over it.

What's more, it will be the second center and the eye of the storm of power in the future.

How could Pei Yuan's going to Xuanfu to be the general-in-chief bring him any benefit by invading Shandong and then relying on Shandong's special status to exercise long-arm jurisdiction over Tianjin and Liaodong?

Shandong has a population, plains, canals, coal and iron, and the benefits of fishing and salt.

The three guards of Tianjin, with their long-arm jurisdiction, are eyeing Beijing's neck covetously.

The Liaodong Regional Military Commission, with its long-arm jurisdiction, could bring in abundant products and trade income, and could also serve as a springboard for economic plunder of Korea and Japan.

If it weren't for the need to shape the post-war order of the rebellion in Bazhou and make some personnel arrangements for the "Seven Great Ministers", Pei Yuan would definitely not be willing to leave Shandong at this time.

Pei Yuan politely declined, saying, "Since I started, I have only had a hundred soldiers around me, and I am not good at military strategy. I don't dare to dream of going to such an important place as Xuanfu."

Zhu Houzhao laughed and said, "No more than a hundred soldiers? Weren't you very impressive when you were confronting the Northern Pacification Division and the Five Cities Military Division outside the Da Ci'en Temple?"

Pei Yuan was stunned. He almost forgot about this.

He quickly explained, "The two centurions from Daxing and Wanping came to support us urgently. In addition, some Taoist priests stationed in nearby temples also came to join in the fun."

"I didn't expect that a great scholar would collude with the Northern Pacification Office to deceive the emperor, so I was a little impulsive at the time."

Zhu Houzhao had already investigated the whole matter, and he laughed and exposed Pei Yuan, "You are doing this to protect yourself, don't say it so nicely."

Pei Yuan didn't want to continue the topic, and said, "But they did go too far."

The smile on Zhu Houzhao's face slowly disappeared.

Two or three months passed.

Liang Chu was still the Grand Secretary, and Zhang Yong was still the Seal Holder of the Imperial Household Department.

In order to better balance the interests, he, the emperor, can only continue to pretend to be ignorant.

Zhu Houzhao thought for a while, and suddenly said to Pei Yuan, "I think you are right."

Pei Yuan listened respectfully.

Zhu Houzhao said, "I mean in the past."

Pei Yuan was again at a loss as to what to do with Zhu Houzhao's unconventional thinking.

Zhu Houzhao said, "You told me before that the reason why the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty likes the Jinyi Guards is because they don't follow the rules."

"He also said that if we want to obtain things outside the rules, we can only use Jinyiwei like you who don't follow the rules."

"Those methods within the rules cannot be done."

Zhu Houzhao said to Pei Yuan frankly, "I think what you said is very right. I really like these now."

"You should continue to stay in Jinyiwei."

Pei Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly flattered him, "No one is wiser than the emperor."

Zhu Houzhao had a good memory and added, "I remember you also said that if I want to hear correct opinions, there are censors to check for deficiencies and fill in the gaps. But if I want to do something that everyone thinks is wrong, I have to use people like you."

"Is that right?"

Pei Yuan was very clear about his position and immediately said in a deep voice, "As the emperor's personal army, the Jinyiwei are the eyes and ears of His Majesty. Their only principle is to cater to His Majesty's wishes."

Zhu Houzhao looked around and looked at Qian Ning with a stern look.

Qian Ning made a gesture and the Jinyiwei around him left quietly.

Zhu Houzhao turned around and said to Pei Yuan, "Do you still remember the incident with Zhang Yong?"

Pei Yuan didn't know Zhu Houzhao's intention, so he just nodded and didn't say anything extra.

Zhu Houzhao said to Pei Yuan, "You have a good brain. What do you think Yang Yiqing's reaction will be if I remove Zhang Yong now?"

Pei Yuan said cautiously, "The fact that Zhang Yong and Yang Yiqing are close friends is well known to the court. If Your Majesty removes Zhang Yong now, it will be equivalent to weakening Yang Yiqing. This may not be a good thing for the court."

Weakening Yang Yiqing will inevitably make Yang Tinghe's faction stronger.

This can be seen by anyone with eyesight.

Zhu Houzhao was a little upset, and it was for this reason that he was unwilling to touch Liang Chu and Zhang Yong.

At this moment, Pei Yuan suddenly said, "Can I recommend a talent to Your Majesty?"

Zhu Houzhao was a little surprised when he heard this, but he immediately laughed and said, "Of course. I am the emperor, and all the knowledgeable people in the Ming Dynasty can be used by me. Who do you want to recommend?"

Pei Yuan said seriously, "The person I recommend to the emperor is Wang Qiong, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."

Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but widen his eyes after hearing this, "Who are you talking about?"

Good guy.

The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is a third-rank civil servant of the imperial court, and is in charge of the imperial court's purse, only below the "Three Cabinets" and the "Seven Ministers". Do you still need to recommend such a person?
How can you be so confident as a fifth-rank Jinyiwei?

Pei Yuan said sternly, "I recommended Wang Qiong not to seek fame and fortune for him. I discovered that he has talents that Your Majesty is not aware of, so that the pearl will not be able to display its talents."

Zhu Houzhao laughed when he heard this, "Do you have a third-grade pearl that's covered in dust?"

Pei Yuan did not say much, and handed the manuscript he had taken from Wang Qiong to Zhu Houzhao. "Your Majesty, please read this. It is well known that Minister Wang is very capable in managing the Ministry of Revenue. But your Majesty may not know that this person is also a natural genius in military strategy."

It's a bit of an exaggeration to praise Wang Qiong as a natural genius in military strategy, but it's about right to praise Wang Shouren.

But what a coincidence.

In order to leave the Ministry of Revenue and avoid Sun Jiao's revenge, Wang Qiong, in accordance with Pei Yuan's request, deliberately intensified the analysis of the military strategy to suppress the rebellion.

In order to write something meaningful and impress the emperor, Wang Qiong, at Pei Yuan's suggestion, summoned his unemployed top henchman Wang Shouren to help with the discussion.

Who can compete with Saint Wang when he appears? He directly wrote a long chapter of ten thousand words in a very eloquent manner.

When he got it, even Pei Yuan, who was deeply involved in the suppression of the rebellion in Bazhou, was stunned.

Finally, Pei Yuan tactfully suggested that the text had too many words and would be difficult for the emperor to read, so he helped Wang Qiong reduce it to 4,200 words.

The redundant parts that were deleted were used by Pei Yuan to enrich Gu Dayong's inventory article.

Therefore, when the emperor saw Wang Qiong's manuscript, it was as if he had seen nectar and dew, and he felt intoxicated.

Pei Yuan waited patiently for the emperor to finish reading.

Zhu Houzhao turned the last page and was about to read it again, but Pei Yuan interrupted him softly, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

"Oh?" Zhu Houzhao glanced at the manuscripts reluctantly for a few more times before looking up at Pei Yuan.

He praised, "Wang Qiong is so talented, he is more than qualified to be the Minister of War. Letting him be the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is really a pearl in the dust!"

Pei Yuan had another purpose, and immediately said, "Your Majesty, could you please let me have a look at the manuscript?"

Zhu Houzhao was puzzled, but handed it over anyway.

Pei Yuan took the stack of manuscripts and flipped through them quickly, and soon found the things about Wang Qionghei and You Du Yushi Peng Ze.

Pei Yuan placed the page of manuscript on the front page, put it on the table and handed it back.

Zhu Houzhao looked down in confusion.

He had seen these things before, and with Zhu Houzhao's memory, he could remember all the relevant content with just a quick glance.

Pei Yuan traced the name of Right Censor-in-Chief Peng Ze with his finger and said, "This person is a student of Cabinet Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe."

Zhu Houzhao heard something different and asked, "So?"

Pei Yuan said respectfully, "If the emperor feels that Yang Yiqing is unfit for the job, perhaps he can show this manuscript to the Prime Minister."

"Wang Qiong's boss, Sun Jiao, is the same age as Yang Tinghe's father, Yang Chun, and they have a good relationship. Wang Qiong's accusation that Sun Jiao was a figurehead and doing nothing has already displeased the Prime Minister."

"If the Prime Minister learns that Wang Qiong has attacked Pengze again, I'm afraid he will be even more resentful."

"In this way, with the Prime Minister helping Your Majesty to polish Wang Qiong, if he can be of great use in the future, he may be able to help Yang Yiqing share some of the pressure and fight against Yang Tinghe together."

"In this case, Zhang Yong will be dispensable."

Zhu Houzhao was a very smart man and immediately understood Pei Yuan's evil plan.

Wang Qiong was not only capable of managing internal affairs, but also very good at commanding the army, making him a perfect rival to Yang Tinghe.

What Pei Yuan just said was clearly intended to deliberately intensify the conflict between Wang Qiong and Yang Tinghe and create a strong opponent for Yang Tinghe.

These Jinyiwei really don't follow the rules, but they are really effective.

Zhu Houzhao was in a very good mood for a while.

He laughed and patted Pei Yuan's shoulder hard.

The commotion here attracted many other customers in the shop to watch.

Zhu Houzhao didn't say much. After a while, he asked Pei Yuan, "What reward do you want?"

What Pei Yuan wanted were things Zhu Houzhao could not give him. As for the rest, Pei Yuan could get them himself.

So he said respectfully, "I am just fulfilling the duties of a Jinyiwei."

Zhu Houzhao had heard this kind of false politeness from his subordinates many times and didn't take it seriously.

He was thinking about what reward he should give Pei Yuan.

Suddenly, I remembered the idea of ​​arranged marriage last time.

However, the Thousand Households Office for Suppressing Evil has a special significance in the ruling order of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Houzhao himself attached great importance to the influence of religion on social structure.

It is indeed difficult to judge this matter arbitrarily.

Well..., when we return to the palace, we can issue an imperial decree to ask Captain Han’s opinion.

Zhu Houzhao figured out a plan, then put the matter aside and asked Pei Yuan with great interest, "How did you, a Jinyiwei, make friends with such a high-ranking official as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue?"

"I remember that the civil officials had deep grudges against the Jinyiwei."

Pei Yuan certainly didn't want to give Zhu Houzhao the impression that he was jumping around.

Therefore, a reasonable explanation has been prepared long ago.

So he said, "I am in charge of religious affairs. I heard that the monks and soldiers on the front line of Huguang were causing trouble in the area, so I went to investigate in person. It was also at the front line that I discovered a lot of corruption and waste."

"I was born in the market, and lived in poverty when I was young. I can't bear to see these people's money being squandered."

"Later, I heard at the front that Minister Wang cherished the people's money and saved their labor, so after returning to Beijing, I went to ask for help from Minister Wang."

"Although Minister Wang was somewhat uneasy about my position as a Jinyiwei, he was also filled with indignation at what I described."

Zhu Houzhao interrupted, "Why do I remember that it was Zhang Lian, the Shanxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, who exposed this matter?"

"that is because……"

When Pei Yuan said this, he suddenly had an idea. He felt that Wang Qiong had his recommendation and was doing better than in his previous life, which might be detrimental to his growth.

You can't do something bad with good intentions.

So he said, "Although Minister Wang is filled with righteous indignation, he does not want to offend his colleagues and is afraid of being suppressed by his superiors. So he wants me to step forward and expose this matter."

"I am a lowly official with little influence, but luckily I have some friendship with the Imperial Censor Zhang Lian, so I told him about this matter. Although Zhang Lian knew that this matter involved a high-ranking official, he showed no fear and wrote a letter in anger."

The relationship between Pei Yuan and Zhang Lian had been made clear to Zhu Houzhao before.

In order to deal with the Liang Ci case, Zhang Lian had cooperated with the emperor with the help of Pei Yuan.

Zhang Lian was a man who did not avoid the powerful and was upright and outspoken. He even impeached Zhu Houzhao's uncle, Zhang Heling, Marquis of Shouning, whom Zhu Houzhao disliked very much.

Zhu Houzhao had a very good impression of him.

Hearing Pei Yuan's words, Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but feel a little disappointed and said, "It seems that although Wang Qiong is very talented, he lacks responsibility. He is not as loyal as Zhang Lian."

After that, he praised Pei Yuan again, "You are sincere and did not cover up anything for Wang Qiong."

The sincere young man puffed out his chest with pride when he received the emperor's praise.

(End of this chapter)