I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 39: Anxious Hu Zongxian
Lin Shisan was led by the young monk to the guest hall.

Hu Zongxian asked, "Is it Captain Lin Shisan from the Elephant Training Institute?"

Lin Shisan bowed and said, "Greetings to Censor Hu, it is none other than me."

Hu Zongxian was very polite to Lin Shisan: "I have heard of your great name for a long time. I have an urgent matter to ask of you."

After saying this, Hu Zongxian turned around and took out two silver ingots weighing ten taels from an iron box on the desk: "These twenty taels of silver are for my tea. Don't think it's too little."

At this time, Hu Zongxian was not yet an important official who would become famous in the southeast in the future. He was just a seventh-rank official.

This time when this minor official came to the capital, he was polite to the officials of the six ministries, the department heads, and even to the small Jinyiwei captains.

The waters of Beijing are too deep. Who knows what backgrounds and roots the little people have?
Hu Zongxian had been an official for seventeen years, but he did not save much.

Before entering Beijing, his aide Xu Wei told him: "Before you go to Beijing, you must prepare a large sum of money. As the sage said, don't touch someone who gives you money."

"The saints also said that courtesy is not a problem. When you arrive in the capital, use silver to clear the way for anyone you meet."

Hu Zongxian deeply realized that "you only regret not having enough money when you need it."

In order to gain a high position and realize his ambition to pacify the southeast and restore peace to the people, he could only borrow 10,000 taels of silver from his fellow Huizhou merchants.

The Huizhou merchants knew that Hu Zongxian's visit to Beijing would bring him great fortune, so they all opened their pockets and raised the full amount for him that day.

Hu Zongxian knew very well that it was not easy to get the money from the Huizhou merchants. If he lent them 10,000 taels today, he would definitely pay them back ten or a hundred times in the future.

After arriving in the capital, Hu Zongxian was very generous to everyone he met. He used big money to meet big ghosts and small money to meet small ghosts.

Lin Shisan thought: This Censor Hu is really an open-minded person. I just met him and I haven't done anything for him yet, so I reward him with twenty taels of silver.

Everyone likes money that is not too much. But before accepting the money, one still has to be stubborn and refuse: "I am so worthy of your kindness. It is my honor to do the work for you."

"Besides, this mission was assigned by our elephant training station's Captain Chang. I haven't even finished my mission yet, so how can I ask for money from Censor Hu?"

Hu Zongxian said, "Take it. If you don't take it, I won't ask for your help."

Lin Shisan said no, but his body was honest. He took the silver with his hand and pretended to be terrified: "How can I do this? I'd better obey your command."

After the silver was sent out, Hu Zongxian got down to business: "I brought a top-quality white-feathered bow-tailed pigeon with me when I entered Beijing. I keep it outside the firewood room of Xianliang Temple. Captain Lin, do you know the habits of this top-quality white-feathered bow-tailed pigeon?"

This was a question that was asked to Director Lin Shisan. He spoke eloquently: "Replying to Censor Hu, there are three types of pigeons. One is meat pigeons, which are used to satisfy the appetite; one is carrier pigeons, which are used to deliver messages; and the third is ornamental pigeons, which have a fresh and elegant body and are used for viewing."

"The white-feathered bow-tailed pigeon has the characteristics of a top-quality carrier pigeon and an ornamental pigeon. Not only is it pleasing to the eye, but it can also be used as a carrier pigeon to deliver messages. And it can deliver messages up to two thousand miles away."

Hu Zongxian gave a thumbs up and said, "Yes. Captain Lin is indeed an expert."

Lin Shisan said, "You are too kind, Censor Hu. White-feathered bow-tailed pigeons are not ordinary pigeons. Ordinary pigeons are kept in pigeon cages."

"If the white-feathered bow-tailed pigeon is put in a pigeon cage, it will hit its head against the cage bars and die. Therefore, it can only live in a pigeon nest made of dry grass."

"It is very active by nature. It will fly away from its nest during the day and will not return until night. And it will not fly at night."

Hu Zongxian looked worried: "But it didn't return to its nest last night! Oh, by the way, its old nest in Zhejiang was destroyed in front of it by the seller. It is impossible for it to fly back to Zhejiang."

Lin Shisan said, "Then it must have had an accident in Beijing if it didn't return overnight."

Hu Zongxian asked: "Tell me the truth, how confident are you that you can find it?"

Lin Shisan told the truth: "30%."

Hu Zongxian frowned: "Why is it only 30%?"

Lin Shisan replied: "There are four possibilities for the pigeons in the capital not returning to their nests due to an accident. The first possibility is that they were caught and eaten by people in the south city when they landed to look for water."

"The people living in the south city are all poor people. Many people in the south city like to hang bird nets on trees and wells to catch birds for a snack." "No matter how good the pigeons are, they are just a piece of meat in the eyes of poor people."

Hu Zongxian took a breath and said, "Hiss. What's the second possibility?"

Lin Shisan replied, "Maybe when he landed on the roof to rest, he was caught and eaten by a fox, weasel or wild dog."

Hu Zongxian was confused for a moment: "Ah? In these two possibilities, nothing will be left of it!"

Lin Shisan said: "There is another possibility. He was taken away by the scoundrels who 'wrap pigeons' in the capital."

Hu Zongxian was puzzled: "What does it mean to wrap a pigeon?"

Lin Shisan patiently explained: "Pigeons like to live in groups. When they are alone, if a group of pigeons fly over to them, they will follow the group and abandon their original nest."

"There are some ruffians in the capital who raise dozens of pigeons and release them during the day. Other people's solitary pigeons will follow them into the flock. This is called 'wrapping pigeons'."

"Some experienced pigeon wrappers can turn dozens of pigeons into hundreds or even thousands of pigeons in a year."

"If it's wrapped, it'll be easy to find."

Hu Zongxian asked: "What about the fourth possibility?"

Lin Shisan asked back: "Is that a male pigeon or a female pigeon?"

Hu Zongxian replied: "It's a male pigeon."

Lin Shisan said, "The male pigeons in the south of the Ming Dynasty go into heat in March. The male pigeons in the north go into heat in May. The white bow-tailed pigeons are from the South Seas, and they are very strange. They go into heat in the twelfth month."

"If it meets a female pigeon it likes, it may run away with the female pigeon. When the female pigeon lays eggs, the young pigeons hatch, and their wings are fully grown and ready to fly, it will naturally return to the old nest."

Hu Zongxian took a deep breath and said, "How many days will that take?"

Lin Shisan replied: "Two days after the two pigeons have sex, the mother pigeon will lay eggs. After another seventeen days, the young pigeons will hatch. After another forty days, the young pigeons will be able to spread their wings."

Hu Zongxian calculated: "That means it will take fifty-nine days for it to return to its old nest in the firewood room of Xianliang Temple?"

Lin Shisan replied: "That's right. If it is the fourth possibility, it will definitely return to its nest after fifty-nine days."

Hu Zongxian blurted out in a hurry: "I will see Lord Yan in three days. How can I wait for fifty-nine days?"

Hu Zongxian borrowed 10,000 taels of silver from Huizhou merchants, plus the 2,000 taels of silver he had saved during his 17 years as an official. He prepared a total of 12,000 taels of silver for his trip to Beijing.

Three thousand taels of the money were used to buy a gift for Yan Song - a white-feathered bow-tailed pigeon.

It is easy to see the King of Hell, but difficult to deal with the little devils. He took care of all the other officials of the Yan Party. In the past few days, he had spent eight thousand taels of silver just on greetings and gifts.

The remaining 1,000 taels were only enough to reward people. It was definitely not enough to prepare a heavy gift for Yan Song.

Besides, Yan Song is good at raising pigeons. If you want to please him, you have to give him the best pigeons to please him.

If you don't have enough money, you can borrow from Huizhou merchants in Beijing. It's hard to find a good pigeon. Where can you buy one in just three days?
Lin Shisan suggested: "Censor Hu, if you want to give a gift to your superior, you'd better make preparations. Don't just rely on your subordinates to find the white-feathered bow-tailed pigeon."

"I just said that if a pigeon is lost, there is only a 30% chance of finding it."

"and"

Hu Zongxian asked: "And what?"

Lin Shisan replied, "The Emperor likes to hear pigeons singing. There are many pigeons raised in the palace. If it was carried away by a royal pigeon, or it went into the bridal chamber with a royal mother pigeon, I cannot go into the palace to look for it."

Lin Shisan's words made Hu Zongxian feel very disappointed.

(End of this chapter)