"I can't tell you." Liu Xiu asked rhetorically: "You are in such a hurry to come to me, what's the matter?" ”

Cao Ying sensed the estrangement under Liu Xiu's enthusiasm, and said that he was suffering, after all, this matter was his own fault first, Liu Xiu trusted him so much and discussed with him, but he ran away under the pretext, Liu Xiu can still talk to him now It is already considered tolerant and generous.

He told him about the fact that he was almost cleaned up by Pei Xiang Wang Ji in his hometown, and vaguely mentioned that his father wanted to be reinstated, and then looked at Liu Xiu intently. If Liu Xiu still treats him as a friend, then he will talk to Liu Xiu about Queen Song, if Liu Xiu perfunctory him, then this matter cannot be mentioned even if he is killed, otherwise he will give Liu Xiu a handle for nothing.

"Xiahou Yuan?" Liu Xiu raised his eyebrows, this person has the impression that he is a fierce man.

"No, I'm still in prison." Cao Ying sighed. Xiahou Yuan took the blame for him, it is really unknown whether he can come out alive, Wang Jina is a famous murderer.

Liu Xiu waved his hand disapprenously: "This matter is easy, I can do it for you." As for the position of Dasi Nong, I don't think it matters, whoever does it will be unlucky. ”

Cao Ying was taken aback, and said in his heart that he hadn't seen him for the past two months, what adventure did Liu Xiu have, and he had such a big breath, and it was not a problem to get Wang Ji, why didn't he even put Dasi Nong in his eyes, it was Jiuqing, not a county order or a Lang official.

Liu Xiu saw that he was puzzled and explained. The reason is very simple, the Son of Heaven is short of money now, which big Si Nong can solve such a big problem for him? If you can't solve the problem of financial endowment, then this big Si Nong is an incompetent big Si Nong, and he may be impeached at any time, and it is not a loss if he is not improper. "There are so many positions in the DPRK and China, why do you have to find that thankless job and want to embezzle?"

Cao Ying was very embarrassed, of course he wanted to be a big farmer because he wanted to make oil and water, and the country's annual financial income of billions of dollars, a little oil was a lot of money. But this can't be said to Liu Xiu, maybe because he was born in the common people, Liu Xiu seems to have an unusual aversion to corruption.

"What can I do for you?" Cao Ying asked very frankly.

Liu Xiu smiled, and said in his heart I thought you weren't bold enough, it turned out to be just a temporary hesitation, but now I finally made up my mind. No, if I don't trap you, this thing is not reliable. He thought for a while: "I'm very unhappy with Taiwei Chen Tan. ”

Cao Ying understood in his heart that Taiwei Chen Tan stood on the side of the scholars and suppressed the exploits of Liu Xiu's brothers, and it was normal for Liu Xiu to have opinions about him. Liu Xiu didn't want to be said to be revenge, and it was inconvenient for him to come forward to impeach Chen Tan, so this wicked person was naturally made by him. What Cao Ying didn't understand was why Liu Xiu didn't choose Xu Xun, although Xu Xun was a member of the Xu family in Runan, his reputation was very stinky, and impeaching him would be easier to have an impact among the scholars.

"Xu Xun can't do it for long." Liu Xiu explained helplessly, "After the drought, there will be a big flood. But now that he has no money, Xu Xun hasn't even done basic prevention, and when the time comes, someone will naturally impeach him. As soon as he thought of this, he was very annoyed, knowing that there would be a great flood after the drought, and that the Sikong Mansion of the main water and soil affairs would do nothing, but he had nothing to think about. He had already written to the Son of Heaven through Jia Xu, suggesting that contingency measures should be taken in advance, but the Son of Heaven did not react. Later, I heard Liu Hong say that the Son of Heaven also knew that he should prepare early, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Sikong Mansion reached out to him to ask for money. Where did he get the money?

"Liu Hong?" Cao Ying was taken aback.

"It is a grand grand grandeur that is indispensable for a scholar, but it is not a grand grandiose." Liu Xiu explained Liu Hong's origin with a smile, and when he mentioned this Liu Hong, Lu Shen was also very surprised, because the Son of Heaven was called Liu Hong, and the pronunciation was different. He also felt a little strange, it is said that he has talked about avoidance now, why did this person not evade, is it because the principle of evasion is not as strict as that of later generations, and different words do not need to be avoided?

Cao Ying didn't care too much, he immediately mentioned Cao Luan's problem, he was not embarrassed to talk about Queen Song directly, but just asked Liu Xiu if the method he taught Cao Luan could also be taught to others.

Liu Xiu smiled and asked playfully, "Has Cao Luan leveled Song Qi?" ”

Cao Ying nodded again and again, and said Cao Luan's matter with a smile, Liu Xiu joked: "Then I didn't see you come to thank the teacher, are your Cao family all so picky?" ”

"And, what are you talking about, when did my Cao family knock on the door." Cao Ying laughed, and said half-jokingly: "Don't bother the two masters, help me come up with ideas, if it can be solved this time, I will thank you too." ”

"Whose woman is it?" Liu Xiu raised his wine glass and motioned to Cao Ying to look around, meaning that I am busy, and I may not have time to talk about those useless things with you. Cao Ying knew that he was bold, but it was really difficult to say that he wanted to ask Liu Xiu to train Empress Song, so he changed his words: "You have recently been against the Yuan family, have you heard of Yuan Shu's sister Yuan Hui?" ”

Liu Xiu nodded, in addition to being busy with the opening of the Tai Chi Taoist Hall recently, he was collecting information about the magnates in Luoyang, and he was no stranger to Yuan Wei. In fact, most of the famous families of the Han are good-looking, because the first condition for becoming famous in the Han is to look good. The reason why Cao Ying's reputation is not good is related to his background on the one hand, and on the other hand, he has also suffered a lot in appearance. Although he is not ugly, he is not handsome in general, and he is also a little small, although he is very arrogant, but in the big man who pays attention to appearance, his conditions are not outstanding.

"I have a concubine sister, who was divorced because of Yuan Hui."

Liu Xiu was stunned for a moment, and understood at any time: "Huang Yun's former wife? ”

Cao Ying nodded. "Although Huang Yun coveted the power of the Yuan family, it also had something to do with my sister's temper, she was too strong, which made the trouble out of control. Although she still has the intention of remarrying, she is afraid that every man is a hypocrite like Huang Yun, and she is a little forward-looking. I brought her to Luoyang this time, and you can also help me guide her. ”

"It's not appropriate." Liu Xiu shook his head hurriedly, "It's just Cao Luan's business, why is it related to the Xiahou clan again." Alas, by the way, your father is really the successor of the Xiahou clan? ”

Cao Ying was a little embarrassed by Liu Xiu's sudden gossip, and his face was flushed. Liu Xiu knew that he was speechless, so he smiled and covered up the past. Cao Ying said: "You can't shirk this, I have recommended you to her." She also thinks you are a strange man, so she rushed all the way to Luoyang. If you don't help me with this, we won't be able to talk about anything in the future. ”

"Aren't you cheating?" Liu Xiu knew that Cao Ying was covering his face with anger, and he didn't break it, so the two decided on this matter between talking and laughing. Liu Xiu said that he was too busy in the past two days, and he would talk about it when he was done with the big pheasant. Although Cao Ying was a little anxious, he didn't want to rush too hard, and he estimated that Liu Xiu would wait for him to impeach Chen Tan before helping, so he swore that he would complete the task before leaving.

Cao Ying said that he would do it, and when he went home, he wrote a recital, impeaching the lieutenant Chen Tan for not knowing the military affairs, and the rewards and punishments were unfair, and last year more than ten realms in northern Xinjiang were attacked and harassed by Xianbei people, only Ningcheng won a great victory, but Chen Tan suppressed the military exploits of the relevant soldiers. He spoke much more ruthlessly than Liu Xiu, and directly planted the matter of the great drought on Chen Tan's head, saying that the soldiers are also watery, the military affairs are not smooth, and the yin qi is depressed, and it is not allowed to rise, so there is a great drought. This sounds bullshit to Liu Xiu, but it makes sense to others. Chen Tan did not have the background of the Yuan family, coupled with the special period of the great drought, he was embarrassed and had to write a letter to ask for self-exoneration.

Things went smoothly to Liu Xiu's surprise, and the dignified head of the Three Princes, the Tai Lieutenant, was actually dismissed like this, almost child's play. When Liu Xiu got the news, he wondered if Cao Ying's luck was too good, the Son of Heaven had planned to get rid of Chen Tan, but he happened to be picked up by him. Later, I inquired again and found out that the feelings of the three princes of the Han Dynasty were indeed not very stable, and they were replaced at two heads in three days, and the shortest was only a month.

On the day that Cao Ying wrote to impeach Chen Tan, Liu Xiu made practical actions, and he immediately found Wang Meng of Yongle Shaofu, Wang Meng is also Wang Fu's adopted son, and Wang Ji is a brother. He is now a celebrity in front of the Empress Dowager Yongle, and Wang Meng also wants to give him three points of face. Liu Xiu said, I know that your father and son want to engage in Cao Ying, not Xiahou Yuan, now that Cao Ying has returned to Luoyang, your brother Wang Ji is not interesting to catch Xiahou Yuan's poor ghost, give me a face, let Xiahou Yuan go, otherwise I will appeal in front of the Queen Mother.

Wang Meng was so angry that he couldn't do it, but he didn't dare to provoke Liu Xiu, Yongle Shaofu was in charge of the wealth of Yongle Palace, and he was a fat shortage, but he knew that his ability to make money was not as big as Liu Xiu, Liu Xiu really wanted to sue in front of the Queen Mother, and his beauty in Yongle Shaofu would be over. What's more, what Liu Xiu said is also the truth, what they want to do is Cao Ying, not Xiahou Yuan. Since the main master ran away, it would be no good to hold Xiahou Yuan except to annoy Liu Xiu.

Wang Meng wrote a letter to Wang Ji, and Xiahou Yuan was soon released, he didn't stop doing anything, anyway, his family was so poor that he simply went to Luoyang to find Cao Ying to beg for a living. Cao Ying was overjoyed when he saw it, and hurriedly introduced him to Liu Xiu. Liu Xiu saw Xiahou Yuan and smiled from ear to ear, this famous general is really pitiful now, it is not an exaggeration to say that he has a dish on his face, and the clothes on his body are estimated to have been given by Cao Yinggang, which does not look very suitable.

"Let Miaocai help me for a few days." Liu Xiu smiled and said to Cao Ying, "My Tai Chi gym is about to open, and there is a shortage of manpower. ”

Cao Ying knew that Liu Xiu was digging into his corner, but now he had a request from Liu Xiu, and it was difficult to refuse, so he had to respond. Liu Xiu immediately appointed Xiahou Yuan as the guardian of the Tai Chi Dao Pavilion, and his subordinates were in charge of five or six men, responsible for the safety of the Tai Chi Dao Pavilion. Xiahou Yuan was overjoyed, this price is much higher than the market of two or three thousand yuan per month on the market, Liu Xiu is really generous. He immediately took office and worked diligently as a bodyguard.

Cao Ying looked at Xiahou Yuan, who was full of energy, pulled Liu Xiu aside, and said with some dissatisfaction: "Are you too much, this is my brother." ”

"You have many brothers, so why not lend me one." Liu Xiu grinned and said: "Look at my brothers, they only know how to accompany the Queen Mother to gamble, and they don't know how to help me." Of course, they are still young and can't do anything, so Miaocai is different, and this age is a good time to do things. Alas, by the way, what about your Cao Hong? Didn't you say that he was interested in doing business, why didn't he call, I was going to transfer the shopkeeper Luo to this side, there is still a lack of shopkeeper over there, is he interested? ”

"Are you finished?" Cao Ying said half-truthfully: "Do you want me to be your bartender too?" ”

"That's not going to work." Liu Xiu also joked half-truthfully: "The commission is low, you don't do it, if you give it high, you are not worth it." ”

"you." Cao Ying pushed him angrily, laughed a few words, and then said, "What should I do next?" ”

"How about running a young mansion for your father?" Liu Xiu squeezed his eyes.

Cao Ying hesitated, Shaofu is also in charge of money like Dasi Nong, but Dasi Nong is in charge of the world's wealth, and Shaofu is in charge of the royal family's wealth. For example, although poor today, the expenses of the royal family can barely be guaranteed, and the oil and water of Shaofu is indeed a little more than that of Dasi Nong. The problem is the emperor's private money, in case of a basket, it is much more troublesome than the corruption of Dasi Nong, who doesn't know that today's Son of Heaven and the Queen Mother are the masters of money.

Liu Xiu was not in a hurry. Cao Song's big farmer was taken away, and he must be in a hurry to become an official, otherwise he would have to send money from his hometown to Luoyang to meet the expenses.

Cao Ying hesitated for a long time before he asked uncertainly, "Can this Shaofu do it?" ”

"What is the most worrying thing about the Son of Heaven now?" Liu Xiu asked rhetorically.

"I'm worried about money." Cao Ying blurted out.

"Then it's over." Liu Xiu spread his hands: "The Son of Heaven is short of money, and the person who can find him money is a talent." Do you know why I was able to open up the outer walls of the altar to do business? Isn't it because I can make money, although I don't make much, but at least I can solve part of the funds of the Lingtai, which can be regarded as sharing the worries of the Son of Heaven. If you can make money for the Son of Heaven, why don't you worry about not being holy in the future? ”

"But...... How does this make money? ”

"You're stupid." Liu Xiu glanced at him: "You control the mountains and rivers of the world, if you can't find the money, then what are you still alive for, is it a waste of food?" ”

Cao Yingzhen was confused by him, it is good that Shaofu controls the world's mountains and taxes, but if he can generate money to solve the crisis of the Son of Heaven, how can the Son of Heaven be so poor?

Looking at Cao Ying's dazed appearance, Liu Xiu was secretly proud. This Cao Ying is not unintelligent, and he is not a legalistic person, but he is limited by his own experience and cannot see the opportunities hidden in the crisis, so he will hesitate. It's not that he doesn't have enough IQ, it's a matter of habit. In fact, Sima Qian has long said that if you want to get rich, agriculture is not as good as work, industry is not as good as business, embroidery is not as good as leaning on the city, but after two hundred years of Confucian gentlemen do not speak for profit, people now dare not speak openly and honestly, they just occupy a large amount of land, but also only develop some manor business, satisfied with being a big landlord, the real sense of the big businessman compared to the early days of the Western Han Dynasty is much inferior.

And this is his chance, although he is not a business wizard, but his limited economic knowledge is enough to make him like a fish in water in this world, all he needs is to tear off the fig leaf of Confucianism's "gentleman's words are not profitable". This fig leaf was more important than anything else to Confucian scholars, but it was worthless to him, a man who used to make a living by counterfeiting, and could not cover anything at all, at best it was an earbud that covered his ears and stole bells.

Whether it is Cao Ying or Lu Min, the wise men of this era all think that the key to the problem lies in the government, but he thinks that the key to the problem lies in the economy, and the economy is the foundation of politics. It seems that the Han Dynasty has come to this point is a political problem, but in the final analysis, it is an economic problem, because the weak economic foundation of the small peasant economy is not enough to support such a large population, and the so-called corrupt officials and corrupt officials are just adding to the situation, far from being a fundamental problem.

The solution to this problem is war, through which the population is greatly reduced, the number of people is less, the land is more, the world is peaceful, the world is peaceful, the population is stable, the contradiction between population and land is intensified again, once that critical point is reached, the troubled times will come again, and this is the crux of the strange circle of Chinese history.

Liu Xiu didn't notice this, and he only began to think about this problem after he found out that the rich Son of Heaven couldn't pay Lang Guan's salary. It's just that after consulting some data and making simple calculations, he roughly understands the crux of the matter. He didn't know if this was the truth, but he believed that his conclusion was a little more reliable than those about the Confucian cycle of chaos or the destiny of heaven, which was the fundamental reason why he felt at ease to be a businessman.

Thinking about what others have never thought of and seeing what others have never seen, maybe this is where he has an advantage over others. Others feel that they are short of money, but he sees countless business opportunities, but he doesn't want to put all these opportunities out at this moment, and he doesn't want to be a noble wedding dress.

He admired the warriors who had already been human beings, and admired the selfless great men of the Grand Duke, but he did not want to be such a warrior, nor did he want to be such a great man. He seeks both public and private conveniences, and while saving millions of lives as much as possible, he does not wronged himself.

Cao Ying couldn't think of this, he was afraid of being lured into the pit by Liu Xiu, so he didn't dare to make a decision immediately, he had to go back and discuss with his father. Liu Xiu didn't urge him, and took Xiahou Yuan to familiarize himself with the situation. The Tai Chi Taoist Hall has been fully completed and renovated, just waiting to open. Xiahou Yuan's countrymen first entered the city, and were shocked by the gorgeous decoration of the Tai Chi Dao Pavilion, thinking that he would be the big man second only to Liu Xiu in the Tai Chi Dao Pavilion in the future, Xiahou Yuan was a little excited and couldn't help himself, he didn't know that Liu Xiu was just a small proprietor, and there were a few giants above him.

After everything was ready to stop, just when Liu Xiu was waiting for the opening of the big pheasant, he received a bad news, the five senses Zhonglang wrote that the drought was because of the mountain gods, and the Son of Heaven should go to worship the mountain gods, and should not hold the big pheasants on the spiritual platform, otherwise the gods will be angry and the rain will not fall. So the Son of Heaven issued an edict to change the lofty mountain to Songgao Mountain, and held a big goose in Songgao Mountain.

As soon as he heard the news, Liu Xiu was dumbfounded, if he didn't hold a big goose on the Lingtai, then how could he do it? Do you still want to distribute leaflets like last time and ask Cai Yong to be the spokesperson? It's not impossible, but it's not new, and it's hard to attract enough attention.

(To be continued)