What should the courtiers of the past dynasties be like?

They are insidious, vicious, cunning, and ferocious, they frame the loyal and good, they flatter the king, and they bring disaster to the country and the people...... All the bad adjectives in the world can be used on them, but one thing is certain, the life of the destroyer is definitely rich, arrogant, and desolate, and I have never heard of a minister who lives as if he had suffered a disaster, miserable and depressed.

Unfortunately, Xiao Fan Xiao Tongzhi of the Hongwu Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty took the lead in creating a precedent in the world of annihilation.

A warlord is so penniless that his family is surrounded by walls, which is really desolate enough, and no dynasty or generation has ever produced such a useless annihilator.

The culprit of this embarrassment is the old man who is more ruined than the fortune boy.

Xiao Fan now has a strong urge to deceive his teachers and destroy his ancestors...... Finally, the bribe of three thousand taels of silver sent by King Yan was deducted from the dead skin, and under the generosity of the old way, all flew away, and none of them were gone, and most of them became "too virtual" outside the city of Jingshi.

Xiao Fan has a question hidden in his heart for a long time.

"How did you come up with the idea of planting a cactus in the ground where the silver is buried?" Xiao Fan asked Xiao Thrush, a question he had been puzzled about.

"I ...... I'm just making a mark......" Xiao replied with a sob, wiping tears of sorrow.

Xiao Fan nodded, this answer is very logical, and there are people in fables who have done this, it seems that in all the stories of ancient and modern China and foreign countries, the people who buried the silver in the soil are not very smart, and what is even less smart is that there is a sign on it, which reads "There are no silver three hundred taels here", or plant a cactus in the peach forest.

Well, the thrush is still young, she is only twelve years old, and although she has been through the storm, it is certain that she has no previous experience in hiding silver.

Some things make perfect with practice, how can you see a rainbow without experiencing wind and rain? The same is true of Tibetan silver.

"The next time we bury the silver, let's put another trap on top of the silver, the kind that can clip your hand off." Xiao Fan had no choice but to comfort the sad Xiao Thrush who wiped his tears like this.

The thrush nodded strongly, and his little face bloomed with resolute brilliance: "To the Taoist grandfather, you have to guard against him like a thief!" ”

Xiao Fan praised: "Good! ”

One big and one small agreed on this point.

It was useless to reach a consensus, because the two of them were now simply poor.

Pulling out the money bag that was cleaner than his face, Xiao Fan looked at the thrush dejectedly: "Do you still have silver?" ”

Xiao Thrush shook his head more dejectedly than he did.

The little girl stayed at home, and there were once three thousand taels of silver buried in the backyard, and she didn't think about bringing silver with her at all.

Xiao Fan lamented: "It's over, our Xiao family is poor again, what should we do?" ”

Xiao Thrush smiled, his innocent little face was suddenly as evil as a demon, and with a "snap", two daggers with cold light appeared on the table, one large and one small.

Xiao Fan gasped: "Kill the master?" ”

Xiao Thrush shook his head: "Let's go rob." ”

Sure enough, they were a natural pair, and even their hobbies were the same.

Xiao Fan is cold, it seems that the education of children needs to be increased, he actually knows how to rob at a young age, and there is a tendency to develop in the direction of terrorists, it is very dangerous to go on like this...... "Robbery is not good, it is rude to others......" Xiao Fan shook his head and vetoed this irrational way to get money, and then he sighed, and said with a sad face: "I'll think of another way, heroes can't let a penny be forced to die." ”

The court has survived the winds and waves, if he is poor to death, how should future historians evaluate this extremely scumbag annihilator?

What can you think of to make money? This is a question that corrupt officials think about every night.

Xiao Fan also has to think about this question now.

Relying on the meager fortune of the imperial court? Forget it, when the Yulu is sent down, Xiao Fan will starve to death, and the Yulu of the Hongwu Dynasty is not ordinarily low, a Qipinzhi County's Yulu for a year is 90 stone of rice, and one tael of silver can buy two stones of rice, that is to say, a Qipinzhi County for a year, if you are not greedy, there is only an annual salary of forty-five taels of silver in total.

For officials who have families, domestic servants, and entertainment, what role can this little bit of silver play?

Xiao Fan immediately vetoed the idea of being a clean official, the economic foundation determines the superstructure, and his stomach can't be filled, how can he have the energy to pretend to be a gentleman?

There is also a way to take bribes and ask for bribes, although the punishment of corrupt officials in the Hongwu Dynasty is very severe, but the officials' salaries are too low, and they can't support their families if they are not greedy, so corruption is repeatedly banned, and the more they are banned, the more they are banned, this is also the failure of Zhu Yuanzhang's governance, you set the ministers' salaries so low, what should we do if we are not greedy? People have to live, and they all admit to skinning and killing.

However, the rules of being greedy for money and greedy for money in officialdom, ministers know each other tacitly, it is okay to be greedy, but it is not too ugly to eat, and at the same time to be corrupt, it is necessary to pay more attention to the demeanor and decency of officials, and if you eat too ugly, you will be despised and even impeached.

The most annoying thing is that there is a set of rules for corruption in officialdom, Xiao Fan has not yet figured it out, this is really a very nerve-wracking thing, you have to understand the rules of the game before playing the game, otherwise people will kick him out, Xiao Fan is not strong enough to destroy the original rules, and then establish a new rule.

When Xiao Fan was still sitting at home and worrying about how to make money, there was news outside.

The case of Ding Chouke was closed, and the new list of tributes was announced at the gate of the Yamen of the Ministry of Rites, and there were still those who were not convinced by the northern Juzi, thinking that although the list had been changed, the imperial court did not severely punish the examiners who cheated for personal gain, and they felt that it was unfair.

Zhu Yuanzhang then ordered that all the examination papers of the 52 southern lifters of the original Zhongjinshi be posted and publicized for the whole world to see.

Now all the movers were silent.

Although the literati since ancient times are light, but in fact, every literati has an objective comparison in their hearts, after all, there are not many madmen who really think that "Lao Tzu's article is the first in the world", the original Nanbang Jinshi is indeed much better than the northern Juzi in the article, and the northern Juzi now knows that the new list of the imperial court is based on the method of "six in the south and four in the north", which is really very face-saving for the northerners.

This can also prove that the chief examiner did not show favoritism, and said with a good conscience that the articles of the southern juzi are indeed much stronger than those of the northerners.

Xiao Fan secretly admired Zhu Yuanzhang's cleverness.

There is no need for any explanation, as soon as the real talent is posted, everyone will have a number in their hearts. This is called great wisdom, in comparison, the tricks that Xiao Fan played were just clever.

There was also big news from the court.

Liu Sanwu was yin by Xiao Fan this time, his old man was locked at home for a few days and did not go out, and a few days later, the disheartened old man Liu gave Zhu Yuanzhang a transcript of his resignation.

According to the practice of officialdom, Zhu Yuanzhang of course did not allow it, so he graciously retained it.

Liu Sanwu resigned again, and Zhu Yuanzhang stayed.

After repeating this three times, after the appearance of the monarch and the sage and the sage was enough, Zhu Yuanzhang finally approved Liu Sanwu's request to tell the elderly.

Xiao Fan was stunned for a long time when he heard the news, and then let out a long sigh, and his expression became confused.

Liu Sanwu said goodbye to the old, it can be said that it was completely up to him, and think about it in turn, was it wrong for him to do that at that time?

Xiao Fan fell into a faint self-blame. Perhaps, he could have done something more perfect, at least in a softer way, trying not to break the old man's heart. But how can there be so many of the best of both worlds in the world? Someone benefits, someone will inevitably sacrifice, what can Xiao Fan do? At this point, I have done my best.

"Come on, take my name card to the house of the old man Liu Sanwu, and say that I will set up wine in the Huibin Building in the west of the city tonight, and make a meal for his old man, please be sure to appreciate the light."

The guest house is brightly lit, dotted with the night of the Beijing Division.

The lobby is full of people, full of guests, and the hustle and bustle is staggered. On the wooden platform next to the east wall, a group of young girls sang and danced, and Miaoman's posture amazed everyone.

In a private room on the second floor.

Xiao Fan looked helplessly at the dead skin and insisted on following the too void, sighing one after another, but it was too empty and deaf, so he had to follow Xiao Fan to the meeting, Xiao Fan knew very well that the old guy was greedy, and the money in the family was lost by him, and then he came out to make a tooth sacrifice.

The master and apprentice were born poor!

Xiao Fan straightened his face and said, "Master, what do you have to do with the meeting between the leaders of the imperial court?" ”

Tai Xuan bared his teeth and smiled: "You talk about yours, I don't make a sound, I only eat vegetables." ”

With such a master on the stall, what can Xiao Fan do?

"You go downstairs and find a table to eat slowly, whatever you want, it's all my ......" Xiao Fan gritted his teeth and charged a large amount.

"Do you have any silver?" Tai sneered, looking him up and down with a pair of small eyes.

The word "silver" is very sensitive now, Xiao Fan's face changed when he heard it, he became iron-blue, and his eyes were very unkind when he looked at Taixu.

Taixu knew that he was speechless, so he smiled weakly, coughed twice and began to go out.

"What you said, it's your ...... as much as you eat" disappeared with too much emptiness and interest.

Having lost all his apprentice's money, Taixu also felt ashamed, and in recent days he has behaved very well-behaved, and the master is not like the master, but like the grandson.

It didn't take long for the curtain of the private room to open, and Liu Sanwu walked in in in civilian clothes with a cold face.

Xiao Fan hurriedly got up and saluted: "Xiaguan has seen Master Liu. ”

"Humph! Excuse me! The old man can't afford it! Now that you are an official and the old man is a citizen, it is up to me to salute you. Liu Sanwu's tone was very unkind.

Xiao Fan didn't think it was angry at all, the old cadres who had just retired were all in this temper, and they had seen a lot in their previous lives.

"The boss has tormented the lower officials, you are the great Confucian of the world, the leader of the scholars, and you are willing to deign to go to the lower officials to have a thin banquet, and the lower officials are extremely honored."

Liu Sanwu sneered: "Do you think the old man is willing to come?" Xiao Fan, since ancient times, there is no good end to the power of the court, you are still young, the old man really doesn't want to see you make a mistake, it doesn't matter if you go the wrong way, the superior plays with power, but it is the entire Daming Jiangshan Sheji who is affected, the old man said that he is going to leave Beijing and return to his hometown, and he can't rest assured before leaving, so he specially came to warn you a few words. ”

Xiao Fan bowed down and said, "I wish to hear the teachings of the old man." ”

Liu Sanwu looked at Xiao Fan deeply, at this moment there was no anger on his face, but in a very calm tone, he said in a deep voice: "Xiao Fan, the old man has heard about the court dispute a few days ago, you have single-handedly gathered the ministers, resisted Qingliu's impeachment of you, and played a trick on the way to the old man's court, the old man has to admit that you did a good job!" You have dissolved the two dangers of being in a desperate situation for you invisibly, to tell the truth, this skill, those officialdom veterans who have been in the court for decades are not as good as you......"

Xiao Fan said with a smile: "The boss praised it falsely, the lower official was in danger at that time, so he had to make this decision, and I ask the boss to forgive me." ”

Liu Sanwu said coldly: "The old man doesn't praise you, the old man means that you Xiao Fan is a smart person, a person like you, if you are upright and use it for court affairs, it will be the blessing of my Ming Dynasty and the luck of the society." However, if you go astray and have evil thoughts, then I am in danger of the Ming Dynasty! You broke the deadlock with your cleverness and wit, but Huang Zicheng made you disgraced, and the old man was even more discredited by your cleverness, and had to return to his hometown, Xiao Fan, you succeeded, but your success was stepped on step by step with the reputation of the old man and Huang Zicheng, and to this day, are you ashamed of what you have done? ”

Xiao Fan shook his head slowly, his expression was resolute: "Boss, forgive the subordinate official for being rude, the subordinate official will never regret what he has done, let alone be ashamed, if God asks me to make another choice, I will still do it." ”

"You ......" Liu Sanwu's eyes widened, staring at Xiao Fan angrily, and said: "The old man has lived for nearly eighty years, and his reputation has been ruined by your tricks day and night, does the old man's reputation deserve to be trampled under your feet?" Xiao Fan, your heart is not right, you are really my Ming Dynasty's annihilation, and disaster is also! ”

Xiao Fan looked at Liu Sanwu, looking at his excited look, and a little sympathy gradually appeared in his heart.

"Boss, the reputation of one person is more important than the surname of hundreds of people?" Xiao Fan asked coldly.

"Of course, the reputation is heavier! Sacrificing one's life for righteousness is the right way that a gentleman should pursue! ”

"What the boss means is that for the sake of your reputation, it doesn't matter if hundreds of people die or thousands, they all deserve to die, because only their death can bring out your 'righteousness', right?"

Liu Sanwu's old face was suffocated, "This ...... Yes, it should be...... Right? ”

Xiao Fan sighed, looked at him with deep eyes, and said, "In the case of Ding Chouke, there are as many as 100 people who were arrested and imprisoned by Jinyi Wei, and there are parents, wives and children behind them, how many thousand of these people add up?" If the boss insists on not changing the list, you can die an impassioned death, but have you thought about those innocent people who are in prison? Have you thought about their parents, wives and children? The Son of Heaven is angry, and the blood flows for thousands of miles, and the lives of these thousands of people will not be justified, boss, do they all deserve to die? ”

Liu Sanwu lowered his head with a thoughtful expression.

"Boss, you can think that I am a minister, and I don't care about my personal reputation......"

Xiao Fan's smile had a hint of ridicule: "...... In the same way, I don't care about your reputation, saving a life is better than creating a seventh-level floating slaughter, I saved the lives of thousands of people with a little trick, the only price to pay, is your personal reputation, this is a very good deal, you ask me if I am ashamed of what I have done, I tell you, not only do I not feel ashamed, but I feel very honored, even if the world does not agree with me, they all spit on me, I don't care, because I know that what I have done is a good deed, and I am a bodhisattva with true compassion, The precepts of wisdom and silver anger are all Brahmanic practices, the land of all living beings, the same Dharma surname, and the Heavenly Palace of Hell are all pure lands. In the past, the Bodhisattva of the Tibetan King once made a grand wish: 'Hell is not empty, and you will not become a Buddha', my lord, if you want to correct the fruit, you do not have to be under the Bodhi tree, where you can save all sentient beings, to become a Buddha. ”

Xiao Fan picked up the wine jug on the table, poured Liu Sanwu full of wine, and said with a smile: "Xiaguan invited the old man to come over today, not to explain anything to you, to be honest, whether you are happy or not, whether you hate me or not, it doesn't mean anything to me at all." I invite you to come today, I respect your full of knowledge, and your upright person, and I also respect our common suffering, but I do not respect your sour temper, and I do not respect your stubborn and pedantic so-called 'integrity', the lower official slightly prepared this glass of thin wine, hoping that the old man will put aside his grievances and return to his hometown in a happy mood, and from then on he will tease his grandson at home and spend his old age in peace, and he will no longer have to worry about the height of the temple. ”

After Xiao Fan finished speaking, Liu Sanwu was finally a little moved, he raised his eyes to look at Xiao Fan with an indifferent face, and his cloudy old eyes shot out two fine lights, as if he wanted to see through this young man at a glance.

"Xiao Fan, all sentient beings are exhausted, Fang Zheng Bodhi, is this your ambition? So...... You are not actually a person who destroys people, you do it in order to go to hell and save sentient beings, right? Liu Sanwu looked at Xiao Fan deeply, at this moment, he seemed to understand him a little, and the resentment seemed to have disappeared.

Xiao Fan laughed: "Don't lift me up, my lord, I can't afford it, go to hell, save all sentient beings, my ideological realm is not so high, after your old man returns to his hometown, it is better to chant Buddha at night, pray that I will not be harmed, and try to harm others as little as possible, that is more practical." ”

Liu Sanwu finally smiled, at this moment, he was like hearing the sounds of heaven under the Bodhi tree, and he had an epiphany in an instant, so he let go.

"The old man believes that no one in this world dares to harm you, and you are a good person, and you will not take the initiative to harm others."

Xiao Fan smiled, blinked, and said, "That's not necessarily, the boss may be out of sight again." ”

An old man and a younger one smiled at each other in the private room, and their grievances were exhausted.

After the guests and hosts were happy, Xiao Fan Shili left first.

Liu Sanwu looked at Xiao Fan's tall back, stroked his long beard and smiled slightly.

is nearly eighty years old, but today he was taught a lesson by this weak-crowned boy, everyone can ignore his personal reputation, and is willing to be a minister who everyone spits on, but he is silently doing good deeds, and he is a decrepit old man, is it not comparable to the mind and bearing of a young man?

The great man of chivalry, who saves the public without regard to his private name, has no hesitation, this is the real Confucian hero.

Maybe...... It is not a bad thing that the Ming Dynasty has Xiao Fan in the Ming Dynasty.

Liu Sanwu's eyes have gradually turned into appreciation and admiration.

At this time, the shopkeeper downstairs walked into the private room with a smile on his face.

"This guest officer, are you still satisfied with the food and drink?" The shopkeeper nodded and smiled.

Liu Sanwu nodded: "It's so-so." ”

The shopkeeper smiled more attentively: "Thank you for your patronage, a total of four taels and three dollars of silver, thank you." ”

Liu Sanwu's hand holding his beard couldn't help but tremble, and he forcibly pulled out a strand of beard and grinned in pain.

Pointing to his nose, Liu Sanwu was stunned and said, "What do you mean?" Are you looking for money from the old man? ”

The shopkeeper smiled: "Look at what you always said, you eat wine and food, how can you do it without paying?" ”

Liu Sanwu's expression changed, and he said, "No...... Didn't Xiao Fan invite the old man? It's the young man who just went down......"

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "The young guest officer said that if you insist on paying the bill, he won't rob you, and he will accept the favor, a total of four taels and three dollars......"

Liu Sanwu was stunned for a long time, and finally became furious: "Xiao Fan, Xiao Fan!" The old man can see you clearly! You're really not a good thing! Bummer! Splash skin! Thief! ”

"The old man scolded really heartily, happy and enmity, and benefited him, a total of four taels and three dollars......"

"Why is it so expensive? How many dishes are there at this table? You can't deceive me in this restaurant? ”

"This old man, there is still a table downstairs, an old Taoist priest ate a whole table, and drank a jar of daughter red, all of which are counted on your head, by the way, and when the young guest officer left, he also packed and took away two sauce hooves......"

“…… It's the old man, right? Liu Sanwu trembled with anger.

"The old man is really smart and wise, and he sees through the world......

“…………”

"Tell me, you say, how can people be so shameless? Yes? Liu Sanwu was heartbroken.

The shopkeeper's smile gradually stiffened: "The old man is kind and upright, he will definitely not be as shameless as the young guest officer, right?" ”

"Of course! The old man is not such a young man! How much? ”

"Benefit, a total of four taels and three dollars......"

“…… The old man didn't bring any money. Liu Sanwu spoke with a crying voice.

“…………”

(To be continued)