Puren Temple, outside the Buddha Hall.

The men tiptoed to the window. One of them gently reached out and pierced the window paper and peeked into the Buddhist hall.

Facing away from the door were the figures of two men, one of whom was wearing a three-rank official uniform.

Peeping at the man, he nodded to his partner on the side, took out a bamboo tube from his arms, and blew into the window paper that had been pierced.

After a while, I heard two "plops", and then I saw that the two people in the room had fallen to the ground.

One of them knocked down the candlestick, and although the candle was not extinguished, it made the light in the room dim all at once.

A few people outside the window saw it, glanced around a few times, and saw that there was nothing abnormal, so the leader took the two of them to the door, pushed the door in. The rest is one left, looking out at the wind.

Immediately, there was a sound of "huh".

The candles in the house went out, and the room suddenly became dark.

Then there was the movement of the sword unsheathed, followed by a few muffled sounds.

The man outside heard that the movement was wrong, took a step forward, and said, "Boss, boss......" Before the words fell, he had fallen straight down.

After a while, the lights came back to the house, and there were a few guys who looked like rice dumplings lying on the ground.

Standing on the side were Cao Song, Zhiran, Wei Hei and a few palace guards.

Seeing that there was no lack of blood stains on the monk's robes of the few guys who passed out on the ground, Zhiran couldn't help lowering his eyelids and whispered Amitabha.

The monk's hat had fallen to the ground, revealing his hair, and these were clearly not monks.

From this point of view, the real owners of these sets of monks' robes are afraid that they have gone to the West to find the Buddha.

How could Cao Song and those guards think of this, their faces were a little more excited. Looking at the few people on the ground, they became more and more excited, and they were already thinking about how to extract confessions to see if they had any accomplices.

Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, Zhiran went out of the house.

It was the middle of the month, and the full moon in the sky was like a silver platter.

Zhiran looked up, looked at the starry sky, and sighed inaudibly.

The room has already begun to be judged, and it is a mess. Although these people on the ground look extremely vicious, they are not clever people, otherwise they would not be easily caught.

I asked for a long time, but I didn't say anything useful. Those guards were also the first time they had encountered such people, with a bit of a playful heart.

Wei Hei had also mixed in the rivers and lakes earlier, and when he saw the farce in front of him, he felt a little noisy, and he also came out of the house.

Seeing that Zhiran was still standing in the courtyard, Wei Hei said: "Master Zhiran, it's been tossing for most of the night, let's go and rest, I have to guard it tomorrow night." ”

Zhiran nodded, and the two went out together.

Cao Song and the others also noticed the problem of monks' clothes, and began to look for those unlucky monks according to the explanations of these people, to see if any were spared.

Cao Hao didn't know anything about the hustle and bustle here.

He had a good dream, and his dreams were full of various dinner scenes. Even in my previous life, there was a scene of a dinner party in the office. In the self-service barbecue restaurant, there is tender and juicy beef, and there is a waitress with a round face...... On the other side, the sixteenth elder brother was on his side, and his sleeping appearance was much more regular than Cao Hao's.

On the roof, Cao Jia and Cao Yi did not sit.

On this full moon night, sitting on the roof is too conspicuous. That's not like protection, it's more like recruitment.

Both of them were lying along the ridge of the green tile roof, and they heard Cao Yi whisper: "Here, boss!" ”

Cao Jia stretched out his hand and took it, it was a few pieces of beef jerky the thickness of his thumb. He threw it in his mouth and chewed it.

Cao Yi's mouth was not idle, and while chewing, he whispered: "Boss, this eldest son hasn't eaten a few meals over there, so we don't need to throw a few pieces of beef jerky into it." ”

"Not much." The Cao family lowered his voice and replied.

In the wings, in the courtyard gate, under the corridor, and in the secret place, standing still were a few guards of the sixteenth elder brother.

* When Cao Hao woke up, it was still dark.

Because the candles lit in the room were as thick as a child's arm, they had not yet burned out.

Cao Hao woke up hungry, got up and rubbed his face, and looked at the Buddha statue in a daze. What flashed through my mind was a dream that I hadn't completely forgotten.

The barbecue on the long skewers, the marinated steak, his stomach couldn't help but gurgle at the thought of this.

Thinking that he would insist on not eating for two days, Cao Hao rubbed his stomach, really doubting his perseverance.

"What time is it?" The sixteenth elder brother closed his eyes, and he didn't know whether he was awake or confused, and asked vaguely.

Cao Hao took out his pocket watch and glanced at it, it was only two o'clock in the morning (half past four in the morning).

"Let's sleep again, it's not yet time." Cao Hao said.

The sixteenth elder brother listened, but rubbed his eyes, turned over and sat up.

The ground of the bluestone slab was hard in the end, and the sixteenth elder brother rubbed his shoulders, elbows and waist.

"It's okay to continue fasting, so can someone send a mattress?" Cao Hao asked. In fact, he was still thinking in his heart, if he could get someone to send some dried meat or something. However, thinking that this was in the temple, and it was under the banner of praying for the emperor's longevity, he swallowed the words that followed.

"Forget it, let's boil it for two more days!" The sixteenth elder brother said: "Calculate the count, the emperor should also receive my fold." If you ask for details on a whim and know that we have been here for three days, wouldn't it be worth the loss? ”

Speaking of this, he couldn't help laughing, looked at Cao Hao and said: "I know that Fu Ruo is impatient to make trouble with these vanity, but sometimes, it is easier to show loyalty than to come to something real." ”

If there is no mattress, there will be no mattress, how to solve this washing problem?

Cao Hao stood up and stretched out, walked to the door, and wanted to push the door out, where could he push it open.

Cao Hao turned around, looked at the sixteenth elder brother, and said, "Sixteenth master, this washing won't be free, right?" ”

The sixteenth elder brother glared at Cao Hao and said, "Master is not so dirty, I have already ordered people yesterday to let them open the door, change the toilet and send hot towels." ”

It's really tormenting, Cao Hao sat down again, thinking about those foreign governors, saying that they were fasting for a week, and they were designated to steal food, otherwise how would they persevere?

I only felt that my body was stiff, but staying like this would only make my stomach more and more hungry, Cao Hao picked up the pen and continued to copy the "Diamond Sutra".

The sixteenth elder brother got up, walked around for a while, and like Cao Hao, continued to copy the scriptures.

After the hour, the washing was completed, and Cao Hao's "Diamond Sutra" was also copied.

The more difficult it is, the more difficult it is, and when I take out my pocket watch, I won't see how far the hands go.

There is still a day and a half, how to get up? Although it is broad daylight now, Cao Hao really feels a little hungry and cold.

The sixteenth elder brother also finished copying, and was lying on his side, his eyes open and he didn't know what he was thinking.

What is his life like, is it really as Yeshi said that he is a "confused prince", or is he wise and foolish, knows how to protect himself, and the three dynasties will not fall?

Cao Hao has been acquainted with Brother Sixteen for seven or eight years, and he has watched him transform from a teenager little by little.

"What is the Sixteenth Master thinking?" Cao Hao opened his mouth and sighed and said, "Fu Ruo, the Eight Banners are abolished." This is less than a hundred years since the Eight Banners entered the customs, what has it become, think back then, when the ancestors fought the world, hundreds of thousands of Eight Banners iron horses galloped across the Central Plains, occupying the world of flowers in the Ming Dynasty, where did the fear come from? Nowadays, the problem of ringworm in the frontier cannot be solved. The bear soldiers are weak, lack horses and food, and let the villain shout. ”

Although Cao Hao lived in peace and did not have any thoughts of "opposing the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty", he was still quite uncomfortable when he heard the sixteenth elder brother talk about the entry of the Eight Banners.

Yes, the Manchu Qing Dynasty has entered the customs for less than 100 years, and the "Yangzhou Ten Days" and "Jiading Three Massacres" are also less than 100 years.

Jiangnan accounts for two-thirds of the world's taxes.

The imperial court did not dare to ignore Jiangnan, and the Huairou policy has been used a lot over the years. Due to various floods, Jiangnan has various tax reductions and exemptions every year. Rao is like this, and the deep feud in the sea of blood cannot be resolved in a while.

There are few literati, as long as they can be officials, who cares whether it is the great tomorrow or the Qing Dynasty.

But there are also many great Confucians, who hide among the people and do not come out until they die, just like the father of Cao Haomeng's master Song Fuzi.

The "Kangxi Prosperous Age" praised by the Manchu Dynasty is like a papier-mâché lantern, looking at the light, but it can't pierce the layer of window paper.

A hundred years from now, China will be even weaker.

Cao Hao looked at the sixteenth elder brother and said, "Sixteenth master, do you know the East India Company?" ”

"The East India Company?" The sixteenth elder brother pondered for a moment and said, "I know, in the past fifty years, they have established a foreign company in Guangdong to specialize in purchasing tea. Although I was not in charge of the Internal Affairs Office at that time, now those people in the Internal Affairs Department mention this and say that the money of foreign devils is easy to earn. By the way, most of the spices and indigo from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in recent years have been bought from them, and some silk has also been sold to them. ”

"Do you know that the East India Company was authorized by the British Emperor to occupy territory, mint coins, build its own fortresses, and organize its own army?" Cao Hao asked.

"What?" The sixteenth elder brother was surprised when he heard this: "Then the 'Eagle Ocean' was cast by the East India Company itself?" Didn't you say what was Mexican? ”

"It is true that the 'Eagle Ocean' is from Mexico, but the other silver and gold ingots are estimated to have been minted by the East India Company itself." Cao Hao said: "Anyway, there are gold mines in India, and it won't take much trouble for them to occupy them!" ”

The sixteenth elder brother frowned when he heard this, and said, "Didn't you hear that they only build factories in India, how can they even occupy mines?" In this way, it is not no different from a robber. ”

Cao Hao said with a smile: "People's hearts are greedy, whoever is powerful will speak." In the education of those foreign devils, there is no set of false etiquette in our Confucianism, and people pay attention to affordability! ”

"In the end, it is a small country in Fanbang, and it is not educated." The sixteenth elder brother shook his head, glanced at Cao Hao, and said, "What did Fu Ruo say to me about this?" Could it be that they still want to rely on the dozens of people in Guangdong to go to our Daqing Dynasty to grab land? Isn't that a fool's dream? ”

Cao Hao continued: "Nowadays, they are doing business in Guangdong, buying our tea and silk and selling them in Europe. The only things that can be sold to us are clocks and spices. Buy more, sell less, and as we come and go, more and more silver flows into us. ”

The sixteenth elder brother raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "It's best to let these robbers work in vain." Moving the gold and silver mountains in other places to our Daqing Dynasty is also their credit. ”

"The Sixteenth Master forgot what a robber is? Robbers just want to take something from others for nothing, not to take advantage of others. If they go on like this, then what kind of robbers are they, and then they are not legitimate merchants. Cao Hao said.

"What do Fu Ruo mean, I'm afraid that they will be unfavorable to the Qing Dynasty?" The sixteenth elder brother pondered for a while and said, "A few clowns who jump off beams, what kind of wind and waves can they set off?" ”

In fact, Cao Hao did not know when the East India Company dumped opium in China.

I just know that Lin Zexu's ban on smoking was in the Daoguang period, more than 130 years later, and opium was already rampant at that time.

At present, however, the East India Company had a trade deficit with China, and Cao Hao knew it. Although the amount is not large, the proportion is also very obvious.

It's just that today's Britain has not yet carried out the industrial revolution, and overseas colonization is still in its infancy, and it has not shown the domineering face of the unruly empire.

Seeing the disdain of the Sixteenth Elder Brother for the East India Company, Cao Hao took a blank piece of paper, picked up the pen, and drew a large circle on it, and then drew a small circle the size of a thumb cap outside the upper circle.

"This is India, this is England." Cao Hao pointed to the big circle, and then to the small circle, and said, "As a result, the footprints of English merchants are all over most of India. The Indian emperor began to think that he had brought in a big businessman, and when he saw the dazzling array of clocks and jewelry, he couldn't welcome it. As a result, it is easy to please God and difficult to send God, and it will inevitably be lost to the hands of these merchants in the future. ”

The sixteenth elder brother's expression slowly became solemn, looked at Cao Hao, and said, "What does Fu Ruo want to say?" ”

Cao Hao didn't know what he was trying to say, explaining the disaster that the Opium War had brought to the Chinese? Or is it that China is getting old, but other countries are growing up, so they will be bullied in the future.

"Speaking of the suggestions mentioned a few days ago, the one that will be named in the history, is the sixteenth master interested?" Cao Hao thought for a moment and replied.

"Didn't you ask the master to come forward and destroy the foreign devils of the East India Company and put an end to future troubles?" The sixteenth elder brother was a little curious and asked.

"Destroy the East India Company, or the West India Company, or some North India Company, and treat the symptoms but not the root cause." Cao Hao said: "It's just that our side should also be vigilant to prevent them from playing tricks." Even if it is an ordinary person, if he suffers a loss in trade, he will think about finding it back in trade, not to mention the surname of a robber, only if he makes others suffer, where will he suffer a loss. ”

"Fu Ruo thought of it? What will they do to earn back the money they have sent? The sixteenth elder brother's eyes lit up, and he praised: "I have long known that Fu Ruo has two things in the economy, but I didn't expect to think about it so long-term, okay, and I didn't fool around." ”

"Big smoke!" Cao Hao replied: "Maybe they can't use their hands to calculate us now, but it won't be long before they use big cigarettes to earn back the silver, or twenty or thirty or thirty or fifty years." ”

Although there are big cigarettes in the world today, most of them are sold in pharmacies, and they are expensive and used for pain relief for patients.

Hearing Cao Hao say this, the sixteenth elder brother was quite puzzled: "That is medicine, even if you sell it hard, how much silver can it be sold?" ”

"Haven't you heard that the sixteenth master smokes big cigarettes?" Cao Hao asked.

"I've heard of it,......" said the sixteenth elder brother, remembering a clan general, he loved to suck this, making him skinny and dying.

"Sixteenth Master, what would happen if the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty and the soldiers of the Eight Banners smoked a lot?" Cao Hao followed.

When the sixteenth elder brother thought of that plot, he couldn't help but be stunned, and muttered: "The country will not ...... the country."

Next, the sixteenth elder brother followed the curiosity of the doll and began to ask various questions about the big smoke. At the same time, he is also looking for various ways to try to overturn Cao Hao's argument.

Cao Hao has a clear understanding of the dangers of opium, but after all, he has not been exposed to it, and there is no good reference for its allure.

Finally, he thought of snuff. He also smoked snuff, which is not addictive, but it is indeed refreshing. He doesn't smoke very often, and those who have a smoking addiction take it out and sniff it twice under his nose when he has nothing to do.

"Snuff is already refreshing and addictive. When the big smoke is smoked, it is fluttering, and I can't put it down anymore. Sixteenth Master, you said, how many good people are left in this ten, ten and hundred? Cao Hao took snuff as an example.

When the sixteenth elder brother heard this, his eyes rolled, and he did not respond.

When Cao Hao saw it, he hurriedly said: "Sixteenth Master, don't think it's just talking, you can't try this thing." Not to mention that it is very addictive, but it is not easy to quit, and if you smoke it, you will be wasted. ”

Brother Sixteen smiled and waved his hand, "Am I a fool, I know that it is poisonous, and I still want to try this?" ”

Before they knew it, the two had been debating for half a day, and it was evening again.

Cao Hao finally told people about the afterlife, and he was a little excited. In fact, he didn't know if he was looking forward to the sixteenth elder brother being suspicious and asked him, "How do you know what will happen decades later".

Who would have thought that the sixteenth elder brother had no suspicions, only when he had unique views on the economy, he was so worried about the country and the people.

I didn't say I didn't know, I was shocked when I said it, I didn't expect the prelude to the Opium War to be so close.

Cao Hao is also calculating the time in his heart, when opium began to be dumped in China, will he still be alive decades later, or a hundred years later?

Thinking of a way to curb this can be regarded as doing something for the country and future generations.

Cao Hao didn't know how he became patriotic, maybe he just didn't want his grandson to become a big smoker...... It was peaceful in the temple that night, and it was also on the third night.

In the blink of an eye, it was March 18, the Long Birthday Festival.

Cao Hao and the sixteenth elder brother got up early, bathed and changed clothes, put incense in front of the Buddha, and bowed in the direction of the capital, which was regarded as the completion of this fast.

When the food was delivered, smelling the fragrance of rice, Cao Hao touched his chapped lips, and realized that it was also a happy thing to eat and drink.

Although Brother Sixteen said that he was hungry more often when he was a child, it was also many years ago, and he couldn't survive without eating or drinking like this.

It was only the topic of the big smoke that made him more energetic.

Now that he saw the food, he couldn't stand it, and raised his chopsticks, like a whirlwind.

Neither of them was a child, and they knew that they couldn't eat too much if they were hungry for too long, so after drinking a few side dishes and half a plate of porridge, they put away their chopsticks.

Out of the house, looking at the bright spring light, Cao Hao felt quite reborn.

It seems that it's good to be hungry if you have nothing to do, but I only felt tired before, but now I feel that there is nothing to worry about. Being able to eat and sleep, and having a healthy family is happiness.

On the sixteenth elder brother's side, he asked Cao Song what he had obtained in the past few days, and he was disappointed that he only caught four. It was only then that Cao Hao realized that they had set a trap in other Buddhist halls.

Because of the death of monks in the temple, when Cao Hao and the sixteenth elder brother met with the presiding lama, they added a lot of sesame oil money.

Zhiran did not follow back to the house, but stayed in the temple.

There are a few monks in the temple who can speak Chinese, and they have discussed Buddhism with Zhiran and have some friendships. Zhiran saw that the sixteenth elder brother was there, and there was nothing to do with Cao Hao, so he stayed here to study Buddhism.

These words, Zhiran is a little like a monk, and has more ties with the world.

Cao Hao knew that it was all because of himself. He looked at it in his heart and wondered if he could pick a suitable opportunity to persuade Zhiran to return to the vulgar.

Zhiran seemed to see through Cao Hao's thoughts, and said: "The people inside and outside the door are all small monks, why should Master Cao be stubborn." ”

Even if you are a friend, you have a life of reading.

Seeing that Zhiran was like this, Cao Hao would no longer be verbose, but when he looked at him occasionally, he felt quite strange in his heart.

Zhiran is the same age as him, and his birth is older than him.

If there is really a blood relationship, isn't it his sibling brother?

I always felt that there was a kind of realization in Zhiran's eyes, and there was an indescribable heaviness, and there were several times when Cao Hao wanted to ask the doubts in his heart, but he couldn't say it.

Because it is the Wanshou Festival, the officials of each yamen are dressed up according to their grades, go to the chief official's yamen, and kowtow together in the direction of the capital.

On the side of the Yamen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it is naturally not exempt from vulgarity.

The sixteenth elder brother said that he was tired and impatient. After Cao Hao changed his official uniform, he went to the palace.

On the side of the yamen, after kowtowing with everyone, Cao Hao went to visit his wife and daughter.

Chu Yu's side, but there are distinguished guests, Baoya and a Mongolian Gege.

The last time I saw Bao Ya was when she was injured the year before. Two years have passed in a blink of an eye, and Baoya is still the same.

She sat on the kang with Tianhui in her arms, and all kinds of food were placed in front of her. She eats a piece of dumpling by herself and feeds Tianhui a piece.

Except for her family, Tianhui doesn't like to be close to people. But he obediently sat in front of Baoya and let her hold and feed.

The Mongolian Gege was sitting on the side, smiling and listening to Chu Yu and Baoya talking.

Bao Ya is an in-law, there is nothing to avoid, I heard that Cao Hao was coming, and I got up with a smile to see it. That Mongolian Gege, eighteen or nine years old, looked generous and hearty, and had no intention of evading it.

Speaking of which, this Mongolian Gege is not an outsider, he is a Gege of the Darkhan Palace, and in terms of seniority, he is Sukhbaru's cousin.

While speaking, Cao Hao learned that not only Baoya had come to Rehe, but also Sukhbaru had come.

"Sukhbaru is here too?" Cao Hao was overjoyed when he heard this: "Where did you hear about it, why didn't you give me a letter first?" ”

"I heard that you are fasting with Uncle Sixteen, who dares to disturb?" Bao Ya said: "But you can't touch him today, he has something to do and is out of the city, saying that he will come back tomorrow." ”

*Chunwangfu Garden, East Courtyard Upper Room.

The sixteenth elder brother sat on the bed, looking at the black paste wrapped in the paper in his hand, and frowned in disgust.

A palace maid came over with a candlestick, looked at the sixteenth elder brother in confusion, and asked softly, "Master, do you want to do it?" ”

Seeing that the sixteenth elder brother nodded, the palace maid picked up the fire sickle and lit the candle.

The sixteenth elder brother waved his hand and said, "Go out, no one is allowed to enter the ...... without the master's orders."

(To be continued)