Chapter 162: Cannibalization Operation (Part 2)
It wasn't easy for Tian Hongyu to turn his gaze away from the pile of silver. Although his Tian family was extremely wealthy and had seen piles of silver before, he couldn't look away every time he saw Tian Hongyu. For some people, everything in this world is fake. Only money is real. And money is the only thing they trust the most.
Tian Hongyu looked at the two men who had brought the silver. One was about thirty years old, the other in his twenties. The older one was clearly a warrior, while the younger one was a scholar. This time, it was these two who were trying to buy the official position. Although they didn't say it, Tian Hongyu knew in his heart that these two were the subordinates of Prince Tang.
The young scholar saw Hongyu looking at him and smiled slightly. He bowed to Tian Hongyu and said, "I am Hou Fangyu, your father-in-law. This is Ling Li, President of the Jiangnan Chemical Industry Association. I'm sure you're familiar with this name, Tian Guozhang. I hope you will continue to support me in the future."
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Tian Yu was unaware of Hou Fangyu, the new talent of Jiangnan. But Ling Li of the Jiangnan Chemical Industry Association was. Although it was only a branch of Team Tang, it was a formidable force. Tian Hongyu, obsessed with making money, had long heard about this. It was said that this association had only been around for a few years, yet it had already amassed a fortune worth millions of taels of silver. Tian Hongyu was impressed by their ability to make money. However, Tian Hongyu was unaware that Jiangnan Chemical Industry was actually part of the Tang family caravan. He had no idea what the Tang family caravan's intentions were.
"Haha. So you're the Marquis. From now on, we're all family. You're welcome, Mr. Hou." For Tang Tong's sake, Tian Hongyu didn't put on airs in front of Hou Fangyu. Instead, he spoke warmly.
Hou Fangyu naturally knew Tian Hong's affection was due to the favor of Prince Tang, who was behind him. This time, he and Li were following Tang Tong's orders to contact Tian Hongyu. This was actually the first mission Tang Tong had given him. Having read the timeline, Hou Fangyu had fully grasped the immense power Tang Tong wielded. He also understood that the imminent fall of the Great Tang Dynasty was inevitable. Determined to rise to prominence, Hou Fangyu naturally took the mission Tang Tong had given him very seriously.
In reality, Ling Li was Tang Tong's trusted confidant, and only Ling Li knew the full plan. Tang Tong intended to use this method to slowly infiltrate southern Da'an. While it might seem expensive, compared to a war, this amount of money was a pittance. Remember, this was Da'an, and the people here were Han Chinese. If Tang Tong launched a war here, he would certainly not be able to resort to plundering like he did in other countries.
Without large-scale looting, war would simply be a waste of money. Furthermore, if they fought together, the place would be destroyed. This was something Tang Tong did not want to see. Although the transition from one regime to another was inseparable from war, Tang Tong still hoped to minimize losses. With the authority granted by Emperor Chongzhen, it would be easy for Tang Tong's men to infiltrate the power of the Da'an. Tian Hongyu glanced reluctantly at the pile of silver, feeling deeply regretful that most of it would end up in someone else's pocket. However, for the future of the Tian family, Tian Hongyu could only retract his greedy gaze. After seeing Hou Fangyu and Ling Li off, he began to prepare for his next move: to help Hou Fangyu and his men obtain the Da'an official positions they desired.
Just as Emperor Chongzhen was struggling to find money, he unexpectedly received donations from two individuals. One was Hou Fangyu, a renowned scholar from Jiangnan, and the other was Ling Li, a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan. A total of one hundred thousand silver coins provided some relief. He did some research on the origins of these two individuals. Although the capital was now isolated from Jiangnan, it wasn't completely without information. Even the thugs from the East and West Factories could get some information from the outside world.
Emperor Chongzhen was extremely surprised by the donations from these two people. He had asked people in the capital to donate before, but they were all so stingy. Even though they were worth millions of guan, they only gave a few dozen or even a hundred taels of silver as a way to please him. So, the large donations from these two people made Emperor Chongzhen sigh in admiration. There were still some loyal people to the court.
Seeing the happy and sighing expression on Emperor Chongzhen's face, Wang Chengen couldn't help but feel a hint of bitter relief for him. Wang Chengen knew a little about the donations from Hou Fangyu and Ling Li. Tian Hongyu had already sent him a sum of money with the intention of asking for his help. In the past, he would never have helped. But now, Wang Chengen agreed to Tian Hongyu's request. The Jiangnan region of the Great Wall was no longer under the control of the Great Wall. Who was appointed as the prefect or the general was no longer important to the court in the capital.
The practice of buying and selling official positions and titles could at least help the now-bankrupt Emperor Chongzhen solve his current difficulties. Therefore, Wang Chengen, loyal to the Emperor, felt a sense of relief at the Emperor's smile. Even if it was like drinking to quench thirst, he knew the dangers involved, but he couldn't help but drink.
Emperor Chongzhen was still very willing to discuss matters with Wang Chengen. A person he could trust. The person Emperor Chongzhen trusted most was Wang Chengen.
"Your Majesty, why not summon the ministers to discuss this? First, it will serve as a role model for them. Second, it will let them know how much Your Majesty values every loyal minister." Wang Chengen didn't specify the reward, but he made it clear to Emperor Chongzhen that these two men must not be given lightly.
Emperor Chongzhen thought Wang Chengen's words made sense. He said, "Chengen, you are right. Let those ministers see that I will never neglect those who are loyal to me."
In the past, one hundred thousand taels of silver would not be considered a big deal.
When Emperor Chongzhen was facing a desperate situation, the 100,000 taels of silver were like snow. Emperor Chongzhen was in a great mood and could not help but think of rewarding the two donors.
The next morning, the Great Hall, after a long absence of activity, was once again bustling. Ever since the capital was cut off from the south, every court meeting had become a mere routine. Almost everyone waited for the day when the Great Demonic Empire would be destroyed. Even a capable minister like Hong Chengchou despaired of the Great Demonic Empire, holding out for a glimmer of hope. Perhaps only Zhou Fenglin, the Shanhaiguan Commander under Hong Chengchou, was among those who still held out for it. While the other generals had given up hope, leaving their soldiers to their own devices and lacking in training, Zhou Fenglin continued to train his troops vigorously, aspiring to be a minister who would restore the Great Demonic Empire. His name would go down in history.
In the past, two people donating ten taels of silver would have caused no stir in the court, nor would they have attracted the attention of Emperor Chongzhen. But this time, Emperor Chongzhen brought such a trivial matter to the court for discussion. Dazhong, which hadn't been bustling for a long time, became like a market. Soon, opinions on what Emperor Chongzhen had said were divided into three parts.
One group was comprised of officials who prioritized the "Qingliu" faction. These individuals were prominent members of the Donglin Party. When Emperor Chongzhen inquired about the rewards for the two individuals who had made the donation, these Qingliu officials argued that the court simply needed to commend them. There was no need to make a fuss about it. Another group had no objections. Whatever Emperor Chongzhen wanted to do was none of their business. Yet another group consisted of Tian Hongyu and Zhou Kui. When Emperor Chongzhen raised the issue of rewards, these officials argued that high official positions should be granted to these two individuals, thereby encouraging more open-minded people and gentry to align themselves with the court.
Emperor Chongzhen was not satisfied with what the ministers in the hall said. He believed that these two men should be generously rewarded. However, he was reluctant to grant them official positions. Hong Chengchou had already known what was being discussed before he came to court. This was because among the military officers recruited by Hong Yu and his men, Hong Chengchou was the most important one. He did not speak at first, but instead looked at the person in front of him coldly. Seeing those big men arguing over such a trivial matter, he felt a sense of amusement in his heart. To say that Hong Chengchou had no loyalty in his heart would be an injustice to him. But Hong Chengchou was not someone who was loyal to the emperor to the end. He was a man of great insight. Perhaps no one in this hall knew the emperor's situation better than him, and no one was more clear-headed than him. It was precisely because of this. He looked at the ministers arguing endlessly, feeling both pity for them and laughter at their foolish behavior.
Inside the main hall, a heated debate erupted between the two sides. A Qingliu official, ignoring the presence of Emperor Chongzhen, tugged at his sleeve and pointed at an official from Tian Hongyu's group, shouting, "Minister Yang, what are you up to? If everyone in the world can rise to high office with a few bucks, what's the point of having these scholars? How will the Great Power sustain itself? Do you want to see the Great Power destroyed before you're happy?"
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