The Prosperous Era of Longwan

In a luxuriously decorated mansion in Nanjing, Xu Jue held a gift list in his hand with a happy expression on his face.

At this time, a fan came in and bowed in front of Xu Jue, waiting for orders.

"You can arrange it. In the evening at Heming Tower, since the person named Hu is so enthusiastic, it's worth communicating."

Xu Jue gave instructions and arranged his schedule for the evening.

"Yes, sir, I'll be at Eunuch Sun's place this afternoon."

After Na Fanzi agreed, he carefully reminded Xu Juedao.

The Eunuch Sun he was talking about was naturally Sun Dayong, the current eunuch guarding Nanjing City. He used to be the imperial eunuch, and when he got old, he asked to live in Nanjing City.

In the 18th year of Yongle reign, after Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, moved his capital to Beijing, Nanjing became the remaining capital. The rulers of the Ming Dynasty regarded Nanjing as the fundamental place of their ancestors and left behind a complete set of central government agencies, among which Nanjing garrison officials played a core role.

This includes the internal garrison held by the internal ministers, the external garrison served by the honorable ministers, and the counselor and aircraft maintenance served by the civil ministers, who are jointly responsible for the security of Nanjing.

However, the functions and powers of this internal garrison were different from those of the Nanjing garrison eunuchs or guard eunuchs who appeared later.

At this time, the internal garrison duty was still to guard the remaining capital, "as a relative of the emperor three thousand miles away". He also had jurisdiction over the Imperial City of Nanjing, the twenty-four yamen and the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and was also responsible for paying tribute to Nanjing's specialties to the emperor in Beijing.

The real appearance of Nanjing garrison eunuchs should be during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Ming Dynasty.

Emperor Renzong of the Ming Dynasty wanted to move the capital back to Nanjing, so he temporarily appointed eunuch Wang Guitong to lead his army south to guard Nanjing in preparation for his return to Luan.

Emperor Renzong of the Ming Dynasty gave Wang Guitong great authority. After arriving in Nanjing, Nanjing eunuchs needed to discuss matters within the palace with Wang Guitong; Nanjing bureaucrats also needed to discuss matters outside the palace with Wang Guitong. Any resolution could only be implemented with Wang Guitong's nod.

During the Xuanzong period, Xuanzong gave Zheng He the title of Inner Guard, allowing Zheng He to share military power with the generals guarding Nanjing. This was the beginning of Nanjing's Inner Guard's military power.

Nanjing garrison eunuchs and Nanjing garrison internal officers initially had one chief eunuch and one deputy eunuch. Later, the number increased slightly, and the number of members was uncertain. Especially in the Zhengde and Jiajing years, there were as many as four garrison eunuchs, and the rights and responsibilities between each other were also different. Division can also be regarded as a means of mutual checks and balances.

After all, if there are only two eunuchs in the garrison, the chief and the deputy, it is easy for them to become the local emperors in Nanjing City, especially if they are the chief eunuchs. Under the strife, the deputy eunuchs are likely to be sidelined, reducing the entire city of Nanjing to the one-word palace of the garrison eunuchs.

You know, this is a garrison eunuch who is so powerful that he even surpasses the garrison of Nanjing City.

Since the north and south Beijing are thousands of miles apart, Beijing may not be able to know the situation in Nanjing in time, and there is a risk of losing control.

Emperor Zhengde also saw this and directly arranged a few guard eunuchs, regardless of whether they were chief or deputy, just to check each other.

Besides, there were many eunuchs in the palace who needed to be taken care of in their old age, so sending them to Nanjing could be considered as a show of compassion for them.

"Nothing. I met Eunuch Sun in the afternoon and just went to the banquet with him."

Xu Jue said disapprovingly.

This time going south, preparing gifts is naturally the first priority. With the help of the old man Sun Dayong, we should be able to purchase the gifts that Queen Mother Li likes.

In this way, Eunuch Feng's position with the Queen Mother can also be consolidated.

As for Sun Dayong, it was Eunuch Feng who helped him get the job of Nanjing garrison eunuch, so he was willing to continue the good relationship.

After all, he was already in Nanjing. If he wanted to be stable, he had to have talented people around the emperor in the capital.

Feng Bao is undoubtedly the thickest thigh in the imperial city today.

"Have you found out Hu Zigao's family background?"

Xu Jue put down the gift list in his hand. The items on it were very rich, estimated to be worth about five or six hundred taels of silver.

Such a generous gift is rare.

Don't look at the TV shows and movies of later generations where thousands and thousands of taels of silver were often given away. In fact, in the Ming Dynasty, a few hundred taels of silver was already a huge sum of money, enough to buy dozens of acres of land and become a small landowner.

"Sir, we are still checking the details, but I estimate that there should be seven to eighty thousand taels of silver."

At this time, Na Fanzi came up to Xu Jue with a smile and said, "Hu Zigao served as the Cang Ambassador for one term, and also served as the judge of the Salt Transportation Department for two years, but they are all top-notch positions.

However, when he committed a crime and was impeached, he must have spent a lot of money to escape, otherwise he might not be able to wear this official uniform. "

"So, Hu Zigao can at least produce 30,000 to 50,000 taels of silver?"

Xu Jue sat up straight and guessed.

"Fifty thousand taels may not be possible, but 30,000 taels are definitely available."

Na Fanzi immediately replied.

"Hey, these civil servants are really greedy."

Xu Jue curled his lips disdainfully and muttered.

"Sir, do you want the brothers to check him out and copy them directly?"

Na Fanzi suggested again.

Xu Jue waved his hand. This man was generous, so he didn't have to worry about getting no money from him.

However, what Xu Jue is really concerned about is his experience in Yanyun Yamen.

Yanyun Yamen, this is a very fat Yamen.

Hu Zigao must have some purpose in giving himself such a generous gift.

It's worth spending money. I definitely want to go back and continue working in Yanyun Yamen.

If he goes back and begs Eunuch Feng to give him this opportunity, and he returns to Yanyun, he will not receive a large amount of money every year in the future.

Xu Jue is very clear about the principle of fishing when the water is exhausted. It is better to let the water flow slowly and slowly.

Waving his hand to let the conversation go down, Xu Jue stood up and walked to a shelf with a bunch of boxes already placed on it.

Reaching out and taking out a box, Xu Jue returned to the desk, put it down, and opened the box carefully.

As the lid of the box was opened, a string of Buddhist beads appeared in the box, lying quietly on the yellow silk base.

Xu Jue reached out and took out the string of Buddhist beads and looked at them carefully for a while. Gradually, a smile appeared on Xu Jue's face.

This time when he went south, Xu Jue actually received a batch of good things, among which the string of Buddhist beads in his hand was the most dazzling.

Now the Queen Mothers of the two palaces, all they have to do is eat and pray in the palace, so Buddhist utensils are treasures that both the Queen Mothers of the two palaces like.

It is also interesting to say that Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, believed in Buddhism during the Hongwu period because he was a novice monk, but his son Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, was a partial believer in Taoism.

As for Emperor Jiajing who later cultivated immortality, he also practiced Taoist scriptures.

It seems that the Ming Dynasty favors Taoism more, but in fact the Ming Dynasty clan does not taboo this. Aixin Taoism is Taoism, and Aixin Buddhism has no one to care about you.

Of course, when it comes to a clan at the emperor's level, there are still more people who favor Taoists.

Buddhist utensils are utensils used to practice Buddhism.

In addition to its extremely high value in Buddhist instrumental art, it is also a manifestation of the inner spirit of the practitioner.

In the spread of Buddhist culture, Buddhist utensils play an important role, the most common of which are rosary beads, aquariums, vajra pestles, etc.

Bracelets, originated from ancient Buddhist beads, originally called "rosary beads", refer to a set of beads with threads running through them, which are used to keep count when chanting Buddha or chanting mantras.

Buddhism believes that Buddhist beads are "a tool that leads to the universal foundation and leads to lessons in practice."

Holding the beads in your hand, you will be solemn and majestic, and you will receive immeasurable blessings.

The number of hanging beads, holding beads and prayer beads recorded in the scriptures is roughly divided into 108, which means that each of the ten dharma realms has 108 kinds of troubles, which are combined into 108 kinds of troubles.

Among the treasures Xu Jue collected this time when he went south, Buddhist beads and jade bottles accounted for a large amount.

Of course, these things may not all be sent to the palace in the end, most of them will still fall into the hands of Feng Bao and him.

The Buddhist beads in Xu Jue's hand are composed of sixteen crystal-clear jade beads. The sculptures of the Sixteen Good Gods on them are also lifelike, which matches the Prajna Sutra of Protection that Empress Dowager Li often recited.

The sixteen beads represent the sixteen kinds of wisdom, also known as the sixteen hearts. These talents correspond to the six emotions of the human being.

Xu Jue didn't chant sutras, so he took out the Buddhist beads at this moment, so he naturally had his own plan.

After all, this was Nanjing, a place he was unfamiliar with, and with the help of Sun Dayong, the guard eunuch, he believed that if he took out this string of beads and twirled them around, they would turn them into silver.

Well, Xu Jue has actually found enough treasures to take them back to the capital and send him on a business trip to Mr. Feng.

However, he continued to linger in Nanjing City, and his purpose was self-evident.

In the afternoon, when he saw Sun Dayong, Xu Jue saluted him and then sat down to drink tea and chat.

"You want to find a store?"

Hearing Xu Jue's inquiry, Sun Dayong was just slightly stunned, and then smiled and said: "Easy to say, the Za family has opened a jade shop in the inner city called Ling Yufang. I wonder what you want?"

"Haha, that's what I planned."

Xu Jue chuckled and whispered in Sun Dayong's ear. A smile like an old fox soon appeared on Sun Dayong's face.

In fact, people like them open stores not for the little money they make from buying and selling goods, but just to launder some money.

Hearing Xu Jue's words, he immediately smiled and said: "No problem, I will call the shopkeeper of Lingyufang over right away. You hand the things to him, and we will go meet this Hu Zigao in the evening."

In Xu Jue's calculation, this mission has been completed, so naturally he still has to earn more yellow and white things. After all, this is Eunuch Feng's favorite thing.

Of course, Eunuch Feng also likes some good treasures.

Relatively speaking, yellow and white things are more vulgar, but vulgarity also has its benefits. Eunuch Feng prefers vulgar things.

Heming Tower, located west of Nanjing's Sanshan Gate and north of Guanzhong Street, is one of the famous sixteenth buildings in Nanjing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

The sixteenth floor is the collective name of the fourteen pavilions where official prostitutes lived in Nanjing in the early Ming Dynasty and the two floors of Nanshi and Beishi. The official prostitutes on the sixteenth floor were dressed in new makeup and robes to attract tourists from all over.

During the Hongwu period, sixteen large restaurants were built on the transportation thoroughfares inside and outside Nanjing, namely: Qingjiang Building, Heming Building, Zuixian Building, Jixian Building, Lemin Building, Nanshi Building, Beishi Building, Qingyan Building, Cuiliu Tower, Meiyan Tower, Danfen Tower, Acura Tower, Gufu Tower, Laibin Tower, Chongyi Tower and Mingfo Tower.

As a place for public rest and entertainment for foreign guests and domestic people, the second floor of the guest and re-interpretation floors is dedicated to entertaining foreign envoys.

According to records, at that time, the 16th floor of Nanjing was all spacious and gorgeous with high foundations and double eaves. Famous calligraphers inscribed plaques, and literati and bachelors inscribed poems to create a spectacular sight.

Especially during the Yongle period, distinguished guests from all over the world who came with Zheng He's fleet gathered in Nanjing, so these restaurants were even more packed and the event was unprecedented.

Although the Ming Dynasty has moved its capital to Beijing, the Sixteenth Floor is still a well-known time-honored brand in Nanjing. It is packed with guests every day and business is booming.

When Hu Zigao invited Xu Jue this time, he unexpectedly brought Sun Dayong, the garrison eunuch of Nanjing City, with him. This big shot was not something he, the head of the Ministry of Industry, could easily make friends with, and he was naturally even more attentive.

Heminglou's best food and wine were served free of charge, but he almost refused to take a seat and just kept trying to flatter them.

While he was drinking heavily, Sun Dayong asked casually, "Brother Xu, haven't you completed your mission to go south today?" ’

"Well, I was dissatisfied with Eunuch Sun, so the palace gave me 20,000 taels of silver and asked me to come to Nanjing to buy gifts from the Queen Mother.

I have also seen the prosperity of Nanjing City, there are so many good things, but it is a pity."

Xu Jue pretended to be sorry.

"how?"

Sun Dayong asked in surprise.

"Two days ago, I fell in love with a string of Buddhist beads at Lingyu Square in the inner city. As you know, today's biological mother, Queen Mother Li, likes to chant sutras in the harem. These beads are a perfect match and of high quality, but the shopkeeper charges a very high price.

I tried to make peace with him in every possible way, but he refused to give up the price. He also said that he would sell it to others for 50,000 taels of silver, so he only agreed to deal with 30,000 taels of silver if he came to me.

You tell me, how can I have the money to buy this thing? If I go back this time, I will be scolded by Eunuch Feng. "

Xu Jue sighed, and Hu Zigao, who was holding a jug and pouring wine diligently, listened.

I spent 30,000 yuan to buy a bracelet, okay, it's Buddhist beads.

hiss.

A bit expensive.

However, I heard from Xu Jue that the Buddhist beads he bought were given to his biological mother, Queen Mother Li, so they seemed to be not expensive.

At the same time, Hu Zigao had not been an official for so many years. After looking at the drunken and dazed two people, he could actually guess something.

"Master Xu, are these Buddhist beads really good?"

Zhigui knew that now he just wanted to curry favor with the big shots from the capital, and he was reluctant to let his children catch the wolf. Hu Zigao was also willing to risk it, and planned to take a gamble.

"The Queen Mother likes this thing, it's just a pity."

Xu Jue said pretending to be sorry.

"In that case, I will go to Lingyufang tomorrow to see if I can buy this Buddhist bead and give it to Queen Mother Li as a tribute."

Hu Zigao said.

He will say nice things. As for what will happen in the end when he gets to the capital, I don't know.

But even so, Hu Zigao still planned to work hard to see if he could take the opportunity to climb up to Xu Jue and Eunuch Feng behind him.

As long as the money he spent can reach Eunuch Feng's ears, it will be a great help to his career.

And the very next day, Xu Jue saw Hu Zigao in his house. At this time, he was holding a box in both hands with a flattering smile on his face.

Xu Jue opened the box, and a string of crystal clear Buddhist beads appeared in his eyes.

"Oh, Mr. Hu, you are so generous."

Xu Jue exclaimed.

"Alas, I don't have Mr. Xu's face. Hu spent 35,000 taels of silver to buy this string of Buddhist beads, so he hurriedly sent it to you, hoping that you would accept it and send it to the palace. It would also be regarded as a courtesy to your subordinates. The Queen Mother’s filial piety.”

Hu Zigao said hurriedly.

"Master Hu has spent a lot of money. Let's do this. I will come from the capital with the money appropriated from the palace."

"No, no, no, Master Xu, you are slapping me in the face. Those are Eunuch Feng and your Excellency's hard work, how can you give them to me."

Xu Jue opened his mouth to test again, wanting to see Hu Zigao's reaction, but he didn't want him to shake his head immediately.

After looking at Hu Zigao, he saw that everyone was sensible and took his money. Xu Jue smiled and said, "In this case, I will definitely report it to Eunuch Feng when I return to the capital." (End of Chapter)