Kou Ji walked briskly out of the palace.

And the news that he was the head of the Ministry of Labor also spread like a gust of wind.

Before Kou Ji returned to the house, Liu Heng and Cao Tong had already arrived at the gate of the mansion and waited.

When Kou Ji's figure appeared at the mouth of the alley where Kou's mansion was located, Liu Heng and Cao Tong eagerly greeted him.

As soon as Liu Heng arrived in front of Kou Ji, he said impatiently: "Fourth brother, I heard that you are going to the Ministry of Industry?" ”

Cao Tong stood to the side, also staring at Kou Ji with a questioning expression.

Kou Ji asked the sedan chair man to go back to the house first, and he accompanied Liu Heng and the others as they walked: "It's not that I'm going, but I've become the head of the Ministry of Works." ”

"Oops!"

Liu Hengwei screamed and said, "Fourth brother, the Ministry of Industry is not a good place, have you been deceived?"

The head of the Ministry of Industry sounds good, but the power in his hand is not as big as mine, an official from the sixth grade.

Didn't Gong Kou remind you? ”

Kou Ji was stunned and smiled: "Going to the Ministry of Industry is my own request, no one cheats me." ”

When Liu Heng and Cao Tong heard this, they were stunned.

"Are you crazy?"

Liu Heng stared at Kou Ji in disbelief and asked.

Kou Ji chuckled in a low voice, "I'm not crazy...... I went to the Ministry of Engineering and had my own ideas. ”

"The Ministry of Industry is just a Qingshui Yamen, if you want anything, even if you have a big idea, you can't use it in the Ministry of Industry."

Liu Heng said dejectedly.

Cao Tong nodded seriously and said: "Liu Heng is right, you can go anywhere, but you shouldn't go to the Ministry of Industry."

When my uncle returned to the house, he sighed and said, "Your career is over."

I talked to my uncle.

He told me that even if you apply for a release, it is better than going to the Ministry of Works.

He also said that Kou Gong's intention to let you go to the Ministry of Industry to hone your qualifications is a risky move.

Because no one can say what will happen in the future. ”

Cao Tong said this tactfully, but Kou Ji understood the deep meaning in it.

Cao Wei's meaning is very simple, Kou Ji went to the Ministry of Industry, if Kou Zhun has any accidents, then he is likely to stay in the Ministry of Industry and will not be able to come out for the rest of his life.

Kou Ji led the two into the mansion, and after sparing the shadow wall, he laughed in a low voice, "Don't worry." I have my own calculations, and I will never be idle in the Ministry of Works.

But you two have to work harder.

I have been promoted to the fourth grade, and the two of you are still small officials with sesame mung beans. ”

Liu Heng rolled his eyes and said, "Your fourth-grade official is not as powerful as our two junior officials with the size of sesame mung beans." ”

Cao Tong cried and laughed: "Do you think everyone is like you, and being promoted is like eating and drinking?"

You've been in the company for more than two years.

Someone else's term of office has not yet expired.

You have been promoted from a white body to a fourth-grade member

has already walked the road that others will not be able to finish in a lifetime.

If it weren't for the fact that the two of us have a close relationship with you and know that you have made a lot of contributions to the imperial court, eighty percent of them would have thought that you climbed up with the support of the Taishi. ”

"Huh?!"

Kou Ji glanced at the two of them.

Liu Heng and Cao Tong smiled dryly.

Liu Heng chased after Kou Ji and asked, "Listening to what you just said, Fourth Brother, it seems that you have another plan to go to the Ministry of Industry?" ”

When Kou Ji heard this, before he could speak, Cao Tong seemed to remember something, he glared and asked Kou Ji, "You...... You don't want to grab power from the young government supervisor and the general supervisor, right? ”

Kou Ji asked, "Why not?" ”

Cao Tong said nervously: "By all means, you go to fight for power with the young government supervisor and the general, it is purely to find death." ”

Although Kou Ji had already learned from Li Di and Wang Zeng that the water was very deep in the young palace and the general prisoner, but seeing that Cao Tong was so nervous, he still wanted to hear what Cao Tong could say differently.

So, he said with a questioning face: "The young eunuch and the general will be the eunuch, is it so terrible?" ”

Cao Tong said with a bitter face: "That's not terrible, that's not moving." One move is a big event. ”

Kou Ji groaned, "Who will you mess with?" ”

Cao Tong glanced at the servant of the Kou Mansion in front of the hall, but did not speak.

Kou Ji understood, and led the two to a side courtyard in Kou's mansion.

After sitting down, he asked the servants of the house to prepare some wine and food, and then ordered people to guard the door.

Cao Tong slowly spoke, "Once you move the Shaofu Supervisor and the General Eunuch, it is equivalent to being the enemy of eighty percent of the martial arts in Bianjing City, forty percent of the civil ministers, the whole clan, and everyone." ”

When Liu Heng heard this, he was shocked.

Kou Ji frowned and said, "It's so terrifying as you say? ”

Cao Tong smiled bitterly and nodded, "Maybe it's even more terrifying than I said......"

After a pause, Cao Tong reminded: "You only need to think about it, after the annual tax burden of the imperial court is collected into the treasury, there are nearly 50 million yuan of money, and if you have to go through the hands of these two eunuchs, you will know how terrifying they are." ”

Kou Ji was just about to open his mouth, but Cao Tong followed up and said: "The young government supervisor alone has to mint as many as 30 million copper coins every year.

Where did the money come from?

It was minted after the old money recovered by the imperial court was melted down.

You are no stranger to casting, and you should know that casting will have some loss.

Every year, the loss reported by the young government supervisor is as high as one million.

But is there really such a big loss in casting the old into the new?

Apparently not.

So where do these over-reported losses go?

It was divided up and down by the clan.

In addition to minting money, the Shaofu Supervisor also had other functions, such as forging halberds and so on.

But most of them are ritual vessels, and the loss is very small.

Often a set of ritual utensils can be used for decades.

But the imperial court still casts ritual vessels every year.

But there are not many ceremonial utensils in the imperial court.

I don't need to say more about it, you know. ”

Kou Ji groaned, "You mean, all this money has been divided among the clan? ”

Cao Tong spread his hands and said, "Otherwise? The lineage of the clan within two generations also has generous gifts from the imperial court.

But those concubines who are two generations away, who cares if they live or die?

They can't be officials, they can't make money.

can only live on the money of the young eunuch. ”

Kou Ji said unexpectedly: "They have lost their power, how can they make money from the Shaofu Supervisor?" ”

Cao Yan said vaguely: "Naturally, someone will open up for it."

Although they are not grandchildren, they still have the blood of the Zhao family flowing in their bodies.

The Zhao clan relatives naturally won't watch them starve to death.

But they don't give their money to support them.

So they can only be allowed to suck blood from the imperial court. ”

The corners of Kou Ji's mouth twitched, not wanting to judge the matter.

Liu Heng listened and inhaled the cold air.

Who belongs to Jiangshan?

The Zhao family.

The people of the Zhao family are digging the corners of the Zhao family behind their backs, how can it not be surprising?

After all, the Liu family is not a big family that has been inherited for many years, so they don't understand the way the big family people do things at all.

Among the clansmen of the big family that has been inherited for many years, it is a very natural thing to have a side branch, lie on the body of the descendant branch to suck blood and take advantage.

In their opinion, the same ancestor, you are doing well, I am bad, I take something from you, it is as it should be.

I don't care at all, if he does this, will he pose any threat to his descendants.

So this kind of thing is not only the Zhao royal family, but also other wealthy families.

It's just that some descendants are tolerant, and some descendants are ruthless.

The tolerant descendants will teach a lesson or two after the side branch has taken something, or simply pretend not to see it.

For example, the Zhao royal family.

The ruthless descendants will pull them out to sell their lives after they have taken things from the side branches, or cut them down and expel them from the clan.

It's like a tree that grows crooked, and some owners will prune it, while others will ignore it.

The ruler of the Zhao royal family probably belongs to the latter.

Kou Ji silently kept this matter in his heart, because he felt that sooner or later he would have to confront the Zhao clansmen.

This may be a breakthrough for him to clean up the Zhao clan in the near future.

Kou Ji stared at Cao Tong and said, "What about the prisoner?" ”

When it came to being a prisoner, Cao Tong was a little unnatural, and he said in a hurry: "It's a bit complicated to be a prisoner......"

When Kou Ji saw his reaction, he knew that among the many forces that would be imprisoned to make benefits, there must be the Cao family.

He stared at Cao Tong and said, "Don't worry, say it boldly, Liu Heng and I will keep it secret for you." ”

Cao Tong said embarrassedly: "Actually, it's not a secret, it's just a little shameful to say it." ”

Cao Tong paused and said, "There are far more people in charge of the prison than the young government supervisor.

The Shaofu Eunuch was born from the Inner Palace, which was previously controlled by eunuchs, and after leaving the Inner Palace, it was controlled by the Wensi Academy.

Basically, it did not break away from Zhao's hands.

But it is a different matter if you will be a prisoner.

The reason for the casting of instruments and ordnance will be controlled by a few big families in Bianjing City.

Among them is our Cao family.

Every year, the imperial court will invest millions or even tens of millions in ordnance forging.

Half of them were swallowed up. ”

When Kou Ji heard this, the corners of his mouth twitched.

Seeing this, Cao Tong smiled dryly: "You have been to Baozhou and seen the ordnance of the Baozhou Baosai Army.

Most of the blades they held were forged during the Taizu period, or during the Taizong period.

Not only them, but most of the Xiang troops of the entire Great Song Dynasty are like this.

In addition to the Fourth Army, the armaments of the other forbidden armies were actually from a few years ago.

But every year, some armaments that need to be forged are reported from all over the country...... So ......"

Kou Ji sighed and said: "You are really black-hearted, even if you drink the blood of the soldiers, you will also have to kill the soldiers." ”

Cao Tong smiled bitterly: "This is actually not a secret in Bianjing City.

And it's not something I have to be greedy for. ”

Kou Ji said angrily: "There are still people who force you to be corrupt? ”

Cao Tong nodded with a smile.

Kou Ji gave Cao Yan a look that you are teasing me.

Seeing that Kou Ji didn't believe it, Cao Tong helplessly explained: "This matter has to start with the release of military power from Taizu's cup of wine in person. ”

When Kou Ji and Liu Heng heard this, they made a posture of listening attentively.

Cao Tong said: "When Taizu released the military power with a cup of wine, several of us felt the danger.

After all, for the sake of the stability of the country, it is not uncommon to kill the founding heroes.

Without military power in his hands, he naturally panicked.

Just when everyone was panicking, Taizu Xu gave us a lot of money.

A few people from the big family saw that Taizu was taking money to appease everyone.

In order to be afraid that the knife in Taizu's hand would fall at any time, several people from the family could start making money.

Find ways to make money.

Let Taizu see that several of us are in love with wealth and nobility, and have no intention of authority, let alone chaos.

Facts have proved that the more greedy our people are, the more reassuring Taizu is about us.

Not only are the people who protect our family greedy for money, but they also occasionally send us money behind their backs. ”

Cao Tong looked at Kou Ji and said with a bitter face: "My grandfather told me that the father and son of the Shi family bullied men and women in Bianjing City during the day, and they took advantage of it, and pulled a cart of money to the house.

At night, the father and son guarded the money cart and cried bitterly.

People in Bianjing City say that the people of the Shi family are insatiable, and the people of the Shi family do all kinds of bad things for money.

But few people know that the father and son of the Shi family actually don't love money at all.

The money in their house was already too much to spend when they entered Bianjing City.

And with the merits of their father and son, the rewards and benefits given by the court every year are enough to feed a large family.

Money doesn't really play much role in them.

They did it to save their lives. ”

When Kou Ji heard this, he sighed and didn't say much.

Some of the things that Cao Tong said are recorded in the history books.

After Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin released the military power with a cup of wine, the founding generals who were safe in the past have all become insatiable people.

Among them, the most ferocious embezzlement is Shi Shouxin's father and son.

The latter things don't need to be explained by Cao Yan, and Kou Ji is also clear.

Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin made a start, and the martial artists couldn't stop.

After Zhao Guangyi, Taizong of the Song Dynasty, ascended the throne, in order to stabilize the dynasty as soon as possible, in order to whitewash some of his little secrets.

Not only did they not stop the martial artists from embezzling, but they acted as a driving force behind them and continued to add fuel to the fire.

After the first emperor Zhao Heng ascended the throne, corruption among the martial artists has become a habit.

What a peace-loving person Zhao Heng is?

Not only was he unwilling to start a war with Liao and Xia, but he was also unwilling to fight against the martial artists.

He didn't want to trouble anyone, and he didn't want anyone to trouble him.

As long as the problem can be solved with money, he likes to solve it with money.

He's rich anyway.

He just wants to be a serious immortal cultivator.

Therefore, he didn't care about the corruption of the martial artists.

Until now, it is difficult for the imperial court to prevent Wuxun from corruption.

Kou Ji didn't want to judge this matter, he stared at Cao Tong and asked, "How did the civil officials get involved?" ”

Cao Tong groaned: "I heard that it is related to the late Prime Minister Zhao Pu.

When Taizu was in power, Zhao Pu served as the prime minister, and he was caught by Taizu for corruption and bribery.

Taizu deposed him as prime minister.

After Taizong succeeded to the throne, he restored Zhao Pu's position as prime minister.

In order to borrow Zhao Pu's power and stabilize the situation, he acquiesced to Zhao Pu's corruption.

Zhao Pu's hand naturally inevitably wanted to reach into the prison.

It's just that at that time, I was in charge of the prison, and Zhao Pu couldn't intervene for a while.

Since the imperial court was in the imperial examination, the new branch of the first class jinshi would be awarded the title of general as a prisoner.

Zhao Pu took advantage of this to accept two first-class Jinshi protégés, breaking the situation that I was the dominant family in the general prison, and put his hand into the general prison.

After that, the prime minister and the successor of the governor will more or less extend their hands to the general supervisor.

Over time, the various forces that will be in prison will become complicated. ”

"I kind of get it...... The wind of corruption began with Taizu and prospered in Taizong......"

Liu Heng gritted his teeth and sighed.