Different from the performance in later TV dramas, although the Ming Dynasty had a large inflow of silver due to the Age of Discovery, the price of silver was also extremely high. A border soldier works hard and only has nine dollars of silver per month, and after seven deductions and eight deductions by officers at all levels, it would be good to have five dollars in his hands in the end. According to the current price of rice at 2 taels and 1 stone, the monthly salary of a county order is about 15 taels. is Ma Cheng's cheap son Ma Shiying, as the governor of Zheng Erpin, a real elite, the monthly salary is only sixty-one stones, and the core silver is more than one hundred and twenty taels.

Of course, silver in the Ming Dynasty was extremely valuable, and it was recorded in the golden bottle that more than a dozen members of Ximenqing's family ate a meal of crabs, and only spent less than one or two taels of silver, so Ma Shiying's monthly income of more than 120 taels of silver is still very considerable. However, the Ming Dynasty was different from the later generations, the salary of the later generations was for your personal life, but the salary of the officials of the Ming Dynasty had to support the whole yamen. That is to say, in the yamen, from the master who advises you to the master who watches the gate, they all have to be paid by you, so that more than 100 taels of silver is really not enough.

However, chickens don't pee, each has its own way, how can a living person suffocate urine? Naturally, officials of all sizes across the country began to generate income, and they were ruthless and directly scraped the land in the name of ruthlessness, and kind-hearted people could only go with the flow in order for the yamen to continue to operate normally, after all, officials like Hai Rui were still too rare.

The four pro-soldiers heard that the second master was rewarded with ten taels of silver each, which was equivalent to half a year's salary, and you must know that the governor's pro-soldier was very high, which could reach nearly thirty taels per year, but the commanders at all levels deducted only seventeen or eighteen taels into their hands, which was several times higher than those big-headed soldiers. Now Ma Cheng has ten taels in one mouth, how can he not make these pro-soldiers happy?

The four pro-soldiers hurriedly knelt down on their knees and thanked: "The villain Xie Yanei's reward!" "The villain is a close name, and only Ma Cheng's long-term entourage can call himself a villain, which is similar to the slaves of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in later generations. Don't look at the slave as a bad sound, but the slave is the emperor's domestic slave, not something that ordinary people can do.

Ma Cheng was very happy, waved his hand and asked Gu San to take the silver, Gu San had no choice, so he took out forty taels of silver from his arms and distributed them to the four people.

When Ma Cheng was enjoying the flattery of the four pro-soldiers, a cold snort came from the door of the third hall: "Hmph! If the chief is not at home, will you slack off? ”

Ma Cheng looked up and saw that there was a middle-aged civil official standing at the door of Santang, wearing a cyan official uniform, with a complement on his chest, and a silly bird like a crane embroidered on it. Ma Cheng didn't know that this official was Zhengwupin, and the stupid bird he saw was a heron. The chest of the official uniform of the Ming Dynasty is embroidered with various animals, the civil official is a bird, and the military attache is an animal, so in the Ming Dynasty, the well-dressed animal is not a derogatory term, it is a real compliment, which means that you can be an official.

When the four pro-soldiers heard this voice, they looked back, and quickly knelt down on one knee and said in unison: "My subordinates have seen Lord Yue!" ”

The civil official said in a cold voice: "Why did you run inside without standing guard at the door?" After speaking, he looked at the silver in the hands of the four people, and then said: "I also accept bribes, and see how the chief lord comes back to clean you up!" Don't go out and stand guard yet! ”

The four pro-soldiers were punished, but they did not panic, turned around and arched their hands at Ma Cheng, and then went out to stand guard without mentioning it.

When Gu San saw this civil official, he hurriedly stepped forward and saluted: "Villain Gu San has seen my aunt!" ”

The middle-aged official didn't pay attention to Gu San, but frowned and looked at Ma Cheng: "Zhonghe, how did you become like this?" ”

Ma Cheng was injured yesterday, and now he is still wrapped in gauze on his head, and Ma Cheng is wearing a light cyan gown, how to look at it.

Gu San saw that Ma Cheng didn't speak, and knew that this master had forgotten who the civil official in front of him was, so he hurriedly reminded in a low voice on the side: "Second master, this is my aunt and master!" ”

Ma Cheng remembered after being reminded by Gu San, and the civil official in front of him was his own uncle, and he was also one of the staff of his father Ma Shiying. (There are many theories about Yue Qijie in history, some materials record that he is Yang Wencong's uncle, and there are materials that record that he is Ma Shiying's brother-in-law, but the history of the late Ming Dynasty is a bad debt, and no one knows the real relationship between Yue Qijie and Ma Shiying, but it is true that Yue Qijie is Ma Shiying's henchman, so this book arranges Yue Qijie as Ma Shiying's brother-in-law for the sake of the plot.) ）

When Ma Cheng heard Gu San talk about the situation at home just now, he knew that the two most important strategists who were now by Ma Shiying's side were Yue Qijie and Yang Wencong, both of whom were Ma Shiying's brother-in-law, Yue Qijie married Ma Shiying's sister, and Yang Wencong married Ma Shiying's cousin.

As the saying goes, aunts and uncles bring relatives, discounted bones and tendons, Ma Cheng knows that this Yue Qijie's identity and status are not ordinary, in addition to being his elders, he is also the henchman of his father Ma Shiying, this kind of person naturally wants to make friends vigorously.

Ma Cheng hurriedly cleaned up his knees and knelt down and said, "Little nephew Ma Cheng has seen my uncle!" ”

Ma Cheng didn't understand the etiquette of the Ming Dynasty, he only saw ancient people kowtow when they saw their elders on TV in later generations, so he did the same. In fact, it is not a formal occasion now, Ma Cheng just makes a bow, but there is no need to bow to worship. However, Yue Qijie's wife is Ma Shiying's own sister, and Ma Cheng's big gift is not too much.

Yue Qijie used to know that Ma Cheng, this kid was very stubborn, and the eagle lackeys roared in the township every day, but he didn't expect to change his temper today and give himself a big courtesy.

This kind of etiquette is mutual, Ma Cheng kneels and kowtows, and Yue Qijie, as an elder, also has to return the salute.

Yue Qijie tidied up his clothes and arched his hand, which was regarded as a return salute, and then stepped forward to help Ma Cheng and asked, "Zhonghe Xian nephew, please get up quickly!" It seems that Ma Chengxing's salute still has an effect, and Yue Qijie's title brings the word virtuous nephew.

Zhonghe is the word of Ma Cheng, Ma Shiying's three sons, the eldest son Ma Luan word Boyu, the second son Ma Cheng word Zhonghe, and the third son Ma Xizi Shuda.

Ma Cheng stood up with Yue Qijie's support, bowed down and asked, "Didn't my uncle go with my father to see Shi Kefa?" ”

Yue Qijie heard Ma Cheng ask, snorted and said, "Hmph! In order to leave a good impression on Shi Kefa, your father took your cousin and uncle there, after all, Long You and Shi Kefa have a good relationship. As for the old man, he definitely can't bring it! ”

Yue Qijie's uncle is Ma Shiying's other strategist Yang Wencong, Yang Wencong's character Longyou, is also a native of Guizhou, but he has been mixed in the Nanzhili area all the year round, and has a deep relationship with some literati in Nanzhili. This time, Ma Shiying went to Pukou to see Shi Kefa, Shi Kefa is a student of Donglin boss Zuo Guangdou, and Yang Wencong is very familiar with those people in the Donglin Party, this time Ma Shiying brought Yang Wencong in order to pull the relationship.

As for Yue Qijie, it is different, Yue Qijie is a native of Guiyang, raised people in the thirty-fourth year of Wanli, and served as the deputy envoy of the Bazhou military garrison in the early years of Chongzhen, in order to deal with the rogues in Henan, Shandong and other places, Yue Qijie and Lu Jiude, the eunuch of Zhongdu, have fought side by side many times, so Yue Qijie and Lu Jiude have a good relationship. However, this time Ma Shiying was going to see the Donglin Party, so naturally he couldn't bring Yue Qijie, who had a good relationship with the eunuchs.

Ma Cheng didn't know what was going on in Ma Shiying's staff, but he was worried about supporting the new monarch, and today he finally met someone who could speak, so he naturally wanted to ask clearly.

"Uncle, the little nephew heard that his father wants to support King Gui or King Lu, is there such a thing?"

Yue Qijie looked at Ma Cheng, he felt very strange that a waste second ancestor suddenly cared about national affairs, but Yue Qijie didn't think too much. Yue Qijie sighed and said: "Virtuous nephew, what you said is right, your father is instigated by Yang Longyou to support King Lu!" ”

Ma Cheng was anxious when he heard Yue Qijie say this, and hurriedly pulled Yue Qijie's sleeve and said: "Uncle, you have to persuade your father, don't support King Gui or King Lu, this is not good for our Ma family!" ”

Yue Qijie didn't expect Ma Cheng to say this, and asked curiously: "Virtuous nephew, why did you say this?" ”

Ma Cheng calmed down, sorted out the information on the Internet in the future, and then said eloquently: "Uncle, according to the national etiquette law, you should support King Fu, which is a great righteousness. But why do the guys in the Donglin Party have to support King Lu and King Gui, aren't they afraid that King Fu will come to power and settle accounts with them? There is another point, the support of Lu was first proposed by the Donglin Party, if King Lu ascended the throne, then the Donglin Party would become the first merit from the dragon, my father could only mix up at most, my father is now the governor of the second grade, and he will enter the cabinet after one step up, can those guys from the Donglin Party watch his father, an outsider, enter the cabinet? Therefore, my father wasted half a day to support King Lilu, and in the end, the bamboo basket must be empty! ”

Ma Cheng's words were all over the streets in later generations, and as long as Ma Shiying and the Donglin Party were entered on the Internet, millions of dirty messages would appear immediately. But Yue Qijie doesn't think so, Yue Qijie is a person in the bureau, so he can analyze the cause and effect of the matter thoroughly, but Ma Cheng is a well-known second ancestor of waste, and he is proficient in eating, drinking, prostituting and gambling, and he can't imagine this kind of court politics in any way.

Yue Qijie frowned and asked, "Nephew Zhonghe, who told you these words?" ”

Ma Cheng sighed and said: "Uncle, in the past, the little nephew just wanted to play the world, after all, there was a big brother in the family, and my Ma family couldn't sink no matter what he said, plus the imperial examination was too tired, and the little nephew was too lazy to be decadent." But now it's different, the country is at a critical juncture, and my Ma family has encountered this stall again, and the support is not sloppy at all, and it will be a big disaster if it is not done well. The little nephew really can't see his father going down the wrong road, so the little nephew has to speak out, hoping that the uncle can listen to the little nephew's advice and persuade his father to get back on track and support King Fu to ascend the throne! ”

Yue Qijie listened to Ma Cheng and looked Ma Cheng up and down several times, as if he knew Ma Cheng again, and then grabbed Ma Cheng's hand and said: "The ancients said that if you don't make a sound, it's a blockbuster, the old man is an eye-opener today, I didn't expect Ma Cheng You are a person who understands, and you can see the cause and effect of the matter, you are much better than your eldest brother!" ”