In the Ming Dynasty, most of the officials who could go to high positions were not bad in appearance, especially Zhang Siwei. He came from a wealthy family in Shanxi, and his family was engaged in business, and his family was wealthy, and he was the richest man at the top level in Shanxi. Jumig's body nourishes and moves qi, his face is ruddy, he is full of energy, and his black hair is shiny, and he looks very stylish.

He has been studying since he was a child, and he can be called full of economy, coupled with the cultivation of his family since childhood, he does have outstanding points in dealing with people and getting along with others. Even if he and Fan Jin are only new acquaintances, they can still make Fan Jin feel like a spring breeze when talking, which is one of the skills of the Shangjia Family.

Shanxi is a bitter place, in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, it is known that the luck is low, and it is said that there are three wests, one of which is Shanxi. The land there is barren, and it is not easy to feed yourself from farming. It is too close to the Mongols and belongs to the border area. For those Hu Qi who rushed back and forth and the people in the rich land of the southeast, it could be used as a pastime and conversation after tea and dinner, but for the people of Shanxi, it was a real threat to their lives.

Don't look at the Ming Dynasty has been established for nearly two hundred years, for the people of Shanxi, the real meaning of the peaceful days is actually not long. Bloodshed and death, like hunger and poverty, have long accompanied the majority of the people in Shanxi. It is in such a place that both benevolence, righteousness, morality, and public order and good customs have to give way to urgent needs for survival. And the merchants who grew up on this soil were also different from the merchants in other places, they did not believe in the teachings of the Three Principles and the Five Constants, but in the philosophy of survival tempered under the real threat of death.

After these merchant families gained great wealth, they began to let the children of the clan study, and if they excelled in their studies, they would become officials, and those who were suitable for business would do business. In addition, they relied on hometown, marriage, study, being an official, and being a soldier to form a huge network of relationships. For his family and the entire class, seek as much shelter as possible, so that he can obtain more benefits under the premise of ensuring his survival.

Taking Zhang Siwei as an example, Wang Chonggu, the current secretary of the military department, who single-handedly promoted my return to the tribute, is his maternal uncle. Ma Ziqiang, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, is his son and daughter. And his brother Zhang Sijiao, Ma Ziqiang's younger brother Ma Zixiu, etc., are all in business at home, and the money earned in business is constantly sent to Beijing.

After all, at present, businessmen have money but no status, and it is understandable to use this way to obtain the promotion of social status. Although the current business community is known as the emblem of the Drill Sky Cave Pavilion, and the momentum is greater than that of the Jin merchants, in fact, when it comes to the foundation of the court, the relationship background between the government and the government, and even the importance of the business field, it is the Jin Shang family represented by Zhang Siwei who is in the front.

This kind of child who comes out to be an official has a huge amount of money behind him, and he is not guilty of corruption and bribery, so he can maintain his reputation as a clean official and not be like Hai Rui. The friends you should make will be made, the gifts you should give will be given, and you will not fall into the handle. As long as my ability to do things is not too bad, it is easy to improve in officialdom.

Zhang Siwei has such a background, it is difficult to impress him with anything valuable, and the gifts given by the master are basically impossible to get into his eyes.

Fan Jin has Zhang Shunqing and Mrs. Li in this regard, and it is much easier than ordinary people to do what they like. The gifts he gave were all very thoughtful, and Zhang Siwei's face became more and more beautiful. There are people in the court who are good officials, and ordinary candidates have to bother thinking about what gifts to give, and when the degree of abundance and thrift is, Fan Jin can grasp the preferences of the master in advance and give gifts in a targeted manner, which is his advantageous condition. Of course, if it reaches Zhang Sixiu's level, no matter what he sends, Zhang Siwei will be happy.

Zhang Siwei didn't treat Fan Jin like he did with ordinary people, only a few perfunctory words to send off guests, on the contrary, he first looked at him, and then began to gossip and put on a long talk posture. After asking about the situation at home, it is natural to talk about learning.

"In addition to Shang Wenyi and Huang Shangbin, Wu Kuan, Qian Fu, and Lun Wenxu are the three people who have come to the champion from Huiyuan in this dynasty, among which Lun Wenxu and Huisi are still fellow villagers. In the past, Lunnanhai could first meet the yuan and then the champion, and you should also take the ancestors as a model, and strive to win the crown in the palace examination, and the champion will come back to glorify the ancestors. ”

"Thanks to the cultivation of the teacher, the disciple is only shallow in learning, and he does not dare to think about the champion. Just don't be too embarrassed in the temple exam. ”

"Your knowledge is recognized as a teacher, and you should not be presumptuous. You don't have to be nervous when you take the palace exam, as long as you are calm, you will win half of the first. Most of them are only powerful in their hometowns, but they have never seen a big scene, and when they arrive at the Imperial Palace, their legs are weak, and there are no three percent left in the cost, and the article is not good. You are under Brother Yangshan, you have seen the wind and waves, and you will not panic when you go to the Golden Palace, this is your advantage. Of course, my generation only studied to serve the country loyally, not to seek fame and wealth, as long as you work hard to write at that time, you don't have to worry about other things. If you want to read the papers, you will be able to weigh the text impartially, and you will not lose your talents. ”

"Disciple remember the teacher's instructions."

Zhang Siwei is well-known erudite, and if he wants to find a topic, he won't worry about it. The master and apprentice seemed to hit it off at first sight, and they opened the conversation box and chatted endlessly. If he hadn't known Zhang Siwei in advance, Fan Jin would definitely think that this person got along more than Zhang Ju and was more worthy of getting close.

Compared with the strong and domineering Zhang family, Zhang Siwei behaved very modestly and politely. Although he is also a dignified minister, he belongs to the figure at the top of the imperial pyramid, but he has no arrogance, and when he chats with his students, he is like an elder treating a junior, with a kind attitude and a peaceful tone. From time to time, three or two witty sentences make the atmosphere of the conversation relaxed and harmonious.

Talking to such people can be a pleasure and a way to relax your guard. Fan Jin also secretly admired in his heart, who was able to successfully paralyze Zhang Juzheng and become a cabinet boss, it really would not be a fuel-efficient lamp. I don't dare to take it lightly, and I don't really think that he is a harmless character because of the humility shown by the other party. From beginning to end, Fan Jin always maintained his humility and communicated with Zhang Siwei as a flattered disciple.

The conversation between the two had been going on for more than half an hour unconsciously, and Fan Jin was just about to say goodbye, but Zhang Siwei said: "It's getting late, you have dinner here for the teacher before leaving." Shanxi is not a rich place, there are no good cooks, and the old man's family is a Wuzhong chef. Su Wen retreats and is also good at food, and makes a living from restaurants in Guangdong, just to see how the means of the teacher's family are. ”

The first time I went to the teacher's house, I stayed for dinner, and most of the general people at this time were to be grateful, and I couldn't wait to be for the teacher. Of course, Fan Jin also showed this kind of flattered and ecstatic appearance, but his heart was like an ancient well, and there was no excitement in his emotions.

He didn't want to call Zhang Siwei a bad guy one-sidedly, and he was already past the age of using dualism to distinguish between good and evil. He does not deny that there may be such and such advantages in Zhang Siwei, but the interests of the two are not together after all, and it is a matter of time before he turns his face. This is not a matter of simply a way of thinking, but of where the actual interests lie.

The land in Shanxi was barren, and the degree of land annexation by the big landlords was more serious than that in the hinterland. In Shanxi, the rich have a lot of land, and the poor have no place to stand. The main forces that annexed the land, one was the vassal king, and the other was these Jin merchants. The two are mutually reinforcing, cooperating with each other to turn more and more people into tenant farmers and expand their wealth and land.

Although they started as merchants, they also had a strong desire for land. The more land and the more tenants, the more stable their hearts become. After all, land is the wealth that can be passed on compared to floating wealth. In addition, a large amount of land and a large number of tenants means that the power in hand is strong, and building fortresses to store money and grain, coupled with enough Ding Zhuang, can allow these rich families to have more capital to bargain in the face of military disasters.

In the face of this objective survival need, as a member of the family, no matter what Zhang Siwei's character is, it is his responsibility to safeguard the interests of the family and ensure that the family can own so much land. Even if he is a clean official who loves the people like a son, there is no room for compromise in this matter.

Zhang Juzheng's new policy is mainly to focus on the land, clear the acres of land, and set taxes according to the mu. Although the conflict between the two sides has not yet reached a fever pitch, with the implementation of the new policy, sooner or later there will be a conflict of interest.

At that time, it is impossible for me to be left and right, and there is actually only one way to leave me. It is impossible to turn his back on his father-in-law for the sake of the master, and it is a matter of time before he betrays the master. is that no matter whether there is speculation between the two today, he will not treat Zhang Siwei as a relative.

But Zhang Siwei's view is different from Fan Jin's. In his opinion, Fan Jin is indeed a promising young man, he is knowledgeable, and he has a background behind him that he is not fully aware of for a while. But what is certain is that even the emperor has noticed this person, and his future will not be bad. If such a disciple can be his own wing, he will definitely be of great use in the future.

Judging from the contact between the two, Fan Jin's performance is also in line with his own analysis: young, smart enough and driven, but he has no foundation, no background and no backing in his family, he is a poor boy who was born in Tian Shelang and wants to ascend to Tianzitang. Such a person is ambitious, bolder, and dares to do anything in order to succeed, and has no worries. belongs to the kind of broken household in the officialdom, left and right, and dares to work hard at any time in order to succeed. He dared to seduce Zhang Juzheng's daughter, hoping to take advantage of the momentum of the first assistant, which is a manifestation of this character.

Based on his understanding of Zhang Juzheng, this scholar made a mistake in his calculations, his strategy was doomed to fail, and this marriage could not be completed. He himself should understand this now, so he must find a new backer, as long as he shows favor at the right time, are you afraid that he will not obediently vote? According to his observation of Fan Jin, the meaning of this scholar is also obvious, after all, his own teacher is willing to support him, and he can show his strength in the officialdom.

Zhang Siwei labeled Fan Jin in his heart: This is an ambitious scholar.

In fact, he doesn't dislike people who are ambitious, if they have no desire, they are strong, ambitious people are easy to deal with, and those who really don't want anything are not suitable for being subordinates. Thinking back to the gifts given by Fan Jin, the value of those things may not be very high, but they are very thoughtful about themselves. This is likely to be a suggestion from Miss Zhang, but it is also possible that it came from another woman's advice.

He remembered a rumor he had heard recently, and although it was not believable, there was always a vagueness. If Fan Jin really caught that line, he would have more emphasis on it. Perhaps in the future, the new court situation will rely on this disciple to pull the strings.

Two thoughtful people cooperated to complete a master-apprentice acquaintance at first sight with a heart-to-heart attitude, and agreed to work together to assist Daming's performance. In addition to expressing his loyal and patriotic attitude, there are also some little secrets that belong to the master and apprentice.

Although Zhang Siwei didn't say a lot of things explicitly, he also showed his own meaning, since you have worshiped me as a teacher, I, the teacher, will definitely take care of my disciples, and no one will bully you in Beijing. As for marriage, the teacher also thinks about you, as long as you are famous, why worry about not having a beauty as a companion?

When the banquet was over, Zhang Siwei personally sent Fan in and out. Students apprentice to teachers, all soft in and hard out. Enter through the side door and exit through the front door. No matter how Fan Jin thanked his teacher and asked him to stay, Zhang Siwei still insisted that the etiquette should not be abolished, sent Fan Jin all the way to the gate, and advised:

"Think back, the young man must be cautious, the more this time, the more he must cherish himself, not once he has the will, he will act wantonly, once the Son of Heaven knows what is wrong, it is a mistake."

"Disciple understands."

"It's good to understand, I don't have to go to those useless literary meetings these days, so as not to cause trouble. When I have nothing to do, I read more at home and practice more calligraphy, and our fame is taken on the text and ink. Don't worry about anything else. ”

Until he got into the carriage, Fan Zhigao said to Fan Jin while driving the car:

"Uncle Jiu, you are a very good teacher, and you also take good care of me as a servant. A big pot of stew was prepared for me in the porter, and if Guan Qing came, he would be happy, and he would definitely eat it until he was satisfied. His family is also very kind, there is no frame at all, in my opinion, he is much stronger than that Huguang guy. When I had dinner with the Zhang family, I heard that their family was also a businessman, the family was big, and there were many girls in the family who were not married. Since the marriage is not agreed to over there, we simply treat it as if nothing has happened, anyway, Uncle Nine has played and played, and now there is no loss by patting his ass and leaving. I happened to marry a woman from this family, and I got both people and money! ”

Fan Jin kicked Fan Zhigao's ass angrily, "Catch your car well, and if you talk more, you will be driven back to Guangzhou to swing your hoe!" ”

Fan Zhigao said with a smile: "Actually, the little nephew has also blown it when he returns to the village now, and I have seen so much along the way, and the village will treat me like a fairy." Also, I want to say what kind of majesty you are, Uncle Nine. Even the Prime Minister's Mansion and the Minister's Mansion are all sent out of the middle door, the little nephew returns to his hometown, and the county order has to be polite when he sees me, otherwise I will say, are you better than the door of the Shoufu family? ”

Fan Jin kicked over for the second time, and only then did he stop Fan Zhigao's words. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall of the car, recalling the bits and pieces of contact he had just made with Zhang Siwei. Some words are not suitable for Fan Zhigao, but he must know in his heart, and during the seemingly cordial conversation between the banquets, Zhang Siwei was probing his bottom. Although the probe is very clever, Fan Jin can still feel it. After all, he has made friends with Sa Shizhong, has some understanding of Jinyiwei's things, and is also a wise person, Zhang Siwei's words can't deceive him.

Fan Jin replied very cleverly, he seemed to know everything, but in fact he didn't say anything, he didn't plan to announce this relationship, let alone give Zhang Siwei this path. He wants to borrow a way from himself, which shows that his ambitions are not small, and under the wing of Zhang Juzheng, he wants to pave the way for his future. This old fox ......

The carriage returned to the residence, and Zheng Guotai had already returned, and beside him was the little boy who was scolded by the little girl of the Zheng family during the day. Fan Jin smiled, "Why did you kid run to Zheng Dashao's side?" Could it be that if you are scolded by your sister, you have to be scolded by your brother to be comfortable? ”

Zheng Guotai smiled, and just said hello to say something, the little girl of the Zheng family suddenly ran out of the backyard and said, "Brother, hurry back to the room, Dad called you." Also ask this little thing to go over together, Dad has something to ask. ”

After speaking, he smiled at Fan Jin again, "Master Fan, my eldest brother is like this, I can't tell the difference, don't be like him." At present, the champion in the palace examination is the most important, no one dares to disturb the eldest master's studies, and other trivial things can't bother you at this time. ”

"Stinky girl, it's not interesting for you to say that. It doesn't affect what to talk to, Zheng Dashao, if you have any difficulties, just say, I'll see if I can do it. ”

Zheng Guotai smiled embarrassedly, "No...... It's nothing. ”

The little girl immediately said: "The affairs of the poor have nothing to do with the eldest master, you don't care." Seeing that she was resolute, Fan Jin didn't want to ask, so he went back to the room to rest. The little girl led her brother to the inner house, and the little boy followed. Zheng Guotai lowered his voice and said, "He really saw ......"

"You can't see it...... He hasn't seen it before, how can he recognize it? Besides, people don't owe anything to our family, how can they always ask others for help for our family's affairs, and we are not relatives with others. Dad is right, the palace test is important, and everything else will be put back. ”