The Chuanzhen coalition army retreated, and Tang Yin's class returned to the capital.

After a war was fought, the wind force was sharply reduced, and the treasury was empty, which can be described as a nerve-wracking operation.

The lack of troops can be filled by recruiting new soldiers, and the shortage of money is the most difficult problem in the Wind Nation at the moment.

In the midst of the battle, more than a dozen large cities in the Wind Country, such as Baguan, Chongcheng, Jiancheng, Closed City, and Textile City, were seriously damaged, or even burned down, and needed to be rebuilt, and these had to be rebuilt, and these had to be done with money.

The country of wind is barren, the people are not rich, and it is basically impossible to collect such a huge amount of expenses from the people, Tang Yin naturally shifted his attention to the eight counties of Ningbei that had just been annexed, and wanted to collect money from the eight counties of Ningbei.

Just when Tang Yin was worried about the lack of gold and silver, Zhang Xin, the history of Zhisu, secretly reported to Tang Yin that the right minister, Shangguan Yuanji, had accepted bribes.

Now is an extraordinary period, what Tang Yin can't tolerate the most is that the officials under his command embezzle money, and Zhang Xin's report is fatal to Shangguan Yuanji.

Zhang Xin is really not lost, Shangguan Yuanji does have private money, Cai Song's money.

At present, the Cai family led by Cai Song is responsible for managing Ningdi in Fengguo, and Zhang Zhe, the imperial historian who was transferred to Ningdi by Tang Yin, is in charge of supervision.

Soon after Tang Yin returned to the capital, he sent a letter to Cai Song, asking him to raise 5 million taels of gold and 20 million taels of silver in Ningdi within half a month, and transport them to Fengdi to support the reconstruction of the damaged city. Cai Song was very efficient, and after receiving Tang Yin's royal order, he immediately executed it, and it didn't take half a month to gather all the gold and silver in just ten days, and entrusted the Eagle Army to send 50,000 troops to escort it.

Cai Song did things so smoothly, first, he was indeed capable, and secondly, it also showed the wealth of Ning Guo. On the night when the Sky Eagle Army escorted the gold and silver to Yancheng, Cai Song held a banquet in his mansion and invited guests. The first task given to him by Tang Yin was completed so smoothly and made a great achievement, of course he had a reason to celebrate.

What's more, other people's banquets cost money, but he makes money by holding banquets. Cai Song was appointed by Tang Yin as the chief inspector of the eight counties of Ningbei, and had administrative management power over the eight counties of Ningbei.

The people who came to the banquet were all dignitaries from Ningdi, of course, they could not come empty-handed, and they all brought generous gifts. After a banquet, Cai Song made a lot of money.

However, to Cai Song's surprise, Zhang Zhe also came to participate.

It's not that he didn't invite Zhang Zhe, but Zhang Zhe has always been estranged from him, and even he can feel that Zhang Zhe looks down on him in his heart. In normal times, the two of them may meet except for official business, and they do not move in private.

Today, Zhang Zhe suddenly came to attend the dinner party he held, and Cai Song was surprised at the same time, he also had an ominous premonition in his heart.

Zhang Zhe is a doctor of imperial history, a high-ranking official from Yipin, an important minister beside Tang Yin, Cai Song did not dare to neglect him in the slightest, and personally went out of the house to greet him, and followed him out of his two sons, Cai Peng and Cai Gui.

Seeing Zhang Zhe in an official uniform outside the gate of the mansion, Cai Song began to grin secretly, it seems that Zhang Zhe is not a good person! After meeting, Cai Song bowed to the ground and said flatteringly: "I don't know that Lord Zhang is coming, and the lower officials are not welcome, and I still look at Lord Zhang Haihan." ”

"Hmph!" Zhang Zhesheng's surname is straight, and he doesn't know how to pretend to people, he snorted coldly, stood in place and didn't move, just looked sideways at Cai's mansion, and said: "Lord Cai's house is so lively, I don't know what kind of good thing is today, let Lord Cai have such a big banquet?"

"This ......" Cai Song swallowed and foamed, rubbed his hands and said with a dry smile: "Today, Xia Guan completed the king's order and sent away the gold and silver designated by the king, so ......"

"So let's celebrate with a banquet!" Zhang Zhe finished the following words for him, and then said with a sinking face: "Just to complete the king's order once, Lord Cai is so extravagant, it seems that Lord Cai is really rich!"

Cai Song broke out in a cold sweat, and he didn't know what to say.

Zhang Zhe continued: "If people don't know, they can't do it unless they do. Lord Cai, you relied on your authority to take bribes, thinking that others don't know?"

Cai Song's frightened body trembled, his head shook like a rattle, and he said in a loud voice: "Lord Zhang, the lower officials are loyal to the king and the country of Feng, and they have no second intentions......"

"What a loyal, no second intention, now Baguan and many other cities are destroyed, and a lot of money, manpower, and material resources are needed to rebuild, and you, Lord Cai, are eating, drinking, and merrymaking at home, taking bribes, so uncomfortable, is this your loyalty?"

Cai Song was speechless by Zhang Zhe's words, dumbfounded, and speechless.

Zhang Zhe threw down the sleeves of his robe, turned around and walked back and said coldly: "Come here today, I will inform Lord Cai, I will truthfully report what Lord Cai has done to the king, and ask the king to decide!" After speaking, Zhang Zhe had already walked back to the carriage, and boarded the carriage with the support of the guards on the left and right.

Zhang Zhe threw down such a sentence and left, Cai Songke was dumbfounded. Zhang Zhe is a doctor of imperial history, and he has the right to supervise hundreds of civil and military officials, and he wants to report his bribery to the king, so he can pay it back? Not to mention that his career is coming to an end, and it is not even known whether the head on his shoulder can be saved!

After standing for a while, he came to his senses, screamed, and subconsciously chased Zhang Zhe's carriage, wanting to stop Zhang Zhe.

At this time, Cai Gui stretched out his hand to hold him, shook his head and said, "Father, don't chase anymore, with Zhang Zhe's surname, even if you catch up with him, it's useless." ”

"That'...... Then you can't really let him report to the king, right?" Cai Song, who was still red just now, turned white with fright at this time, and he stammered when he spoke.

Cai Peng, who was next to him, glared at him and said in a cruel voice: "Father, I think let's do one thing and two times, and ...... Zhang Zhe first" As he spoke, he drew it with his hand and made a killing gesture.

Cai Song rolled his eyes upward, almost fainted, is Zhang Zhe a person who can kill if he wants to? That is the Imperial Doctor, a high-ranking official from the first grade, Tang Yin's confidant and important minister, he wants to kill him, can he still be better? Without Tang Yin's order, the Heavenly Eagle Army left in Liangzhou can tear himself apart first.

Before Cai Song could speak, Cai Gui shook his head and said in a loud voice: "It's not appropriate, it's not appropriate! Big brother can't be impulsive, assassinating Zhang Zhe is a way to kill himself if he gets into trouble." ”

"Second brother, what do you say? Do you just watch Zhang Zhepifu go to report his father to the king?"

Cai Peng and Cai Gui are brothers, but their surnames and talents are diametrically opposed, Cai Peng is a typical gentleman, impulsive and arrogant, reckless, no one has an empty stomach in his eyes, while Cai Gui is resourceful, extremely smart, and the city government is also very deep.

He rolled his eyes and said to Cai Song: "Father can send someone to send a heavy gift to Yancheng." ”

"To whom?"

"Right Prime Minister Shangguan Yuanji. ”

"Oh?" Cai Song's heart moved, and he looked at Cai Gui in confusion.

Cai Gui explained: "Shangguan Yuanji is sleek, not as upright as Zhang Zhe, easy to speak, second, Shangguan Yuanji is a popular person in front of the king, but also the most able to speak, his words, the king will generally listen, third, Shangguan family has a big business, to support a lot of people, and at the beginning of the king's army, Shangguan Yuanji donated all his belongings, although now he has become the prime minister, but the son is not relaxed, he should accept his father's heavy gifts, as long as he is willing to speak well for his father in front of the king, the king will never blame his father." ”

Yo! Cai Song's eyes lit up, this is a good way. He asked, "What about ...... How much should I give for my father?"

Cai Gui smiled and stretched out five fingers.

Cai Peng asked, "Five thousand taels of silver?"

Cai Gui glanced at his brother, what does it mean that you are embarrassed to say this?

Cai Peng paused for a moment, and then said, "Fifty thousand taels?"

"En!" Cai Gui nodded and said, "Yes, fifty thousand taels, but not silver, but fifty thousand taels of gold." ”

When Cai Song and Cai Peng heard this, the father and son almost vomited blood together, 50,000 taels of gold, which is almost equivalent to 5 million taels of silver, and they want to give away so much gold at once, even Cai Song, who is wealthy, can't stand it. Cai Peng jumped even more violently, his head shook like a rattle, and he said urgently: "Second brother, are you crazy? 50,000 taels of gold!"

Cai Gui Zhengse said: "If you can buy Shangguan Yuanji, what is 50,000 taels of gold? If you want to give a gift, you have to send it to the other party's heart, and the other party has no courage to refuse. Father, you must not be stingy in this matter!"

Thinking carefully about the words of the second son, Cai Song nodded secretly, his son's words are not unreasonable, if he can really win Shangguan Yuanji to his side, then he can sit back and relax in the eight counties of Ningbei, not to mention 50,000 taels of gold, 500,000 taels or 5 million taels can be earned.

After a battle between heaven and man, Cai Song finally turned his heart sideways, gritted his teeth, listened to Cai Gui's advice, endured the pain, cut his love, took out 50,000 taels of gold, and sent his henchmen to Yancheng secretly overnight to buy Shangguan Yuanji.

Through this incident, it can also be seen that Cai Gui is a person, doing things quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly, and his mind and city government are beyond ordinary people.

Zhang Zhe's impeachment of Cai Song had not yet reached Yancheng, but Cai Song's heavy gift arrived in Yancheng first and was sent to Shangguan Yuanji's mansion.

Fifty thousand taels of gold, enough to fill ten carts, hundreds of boxes, so much gold, even Shangguan Yuanji saw it for the first time.

Perhaps, as Cai Gyu said, gifts should be delivered to people without the courage to refuse. For Cai Song's generous gift, Shangguan Yuanji did not shirk it, and accepted it in full, and then he took the letter written by Cai Song to him, opened it and read it carefully.

In Cai Song's letters, there are mostly nonsense about singing praises of virtue and flattery, but at the end, he asked Shangguan Yuanji what he had to do in Ningdi to gain the trust of the king and not be punished by the king.

His meaning is very vague, to put it bluntly, he is asking Shangguan Yuanji, how far can he Cai Song do evil in the eight counties of Ningbei, and where is the limit.

Shangguan Yuanji was so smart, he understood what Cai Song meant at a glance, and he immediately wrote a reply to Cai Song, the content was very simple, only 16 words: "Forming a party for personal gain, the taboo of the country, the heavy evil of the king, remember to remember!"