activa-t Chapter 10 Only by getting infinitely close to death can one truly understand the meaning of life.
Chapter 10 Only by getting infinitely close to death can one truly understand the meaning of life.
The capital city.
Grand Secretary Chen Yan returned to his residence.
Passing through the screen wall, one immediately feels the warmth of spring inside.
Chen Yan took off his red cloak and veil and entered the inner courtyard. He could already hear the laughter and chatter of the women in the house. They were dressed in plain gauze dresses and playing around in the courtyard.
He shook his head and returned to his couch in the study, where he lay until two delicate bodies rolled into his arms.
"Why do you look so worried, my lord?"
A pair of slender hands smoothed away Chen Yan's furrowed brows, and her breath was as sweet as orchids in his ear.
Chen Yan touched the fine dragon scales at the corners of the two beauties' eyes.
If the dragon horns rise to the forehead, then the status will be completely different.
Even though he was a single-horned dragon, he was still a descendant of the Ming Dynasty imperial family.
"How did this celestial official suddenly become a dragon descendant?"
"That's truly enviable."
"Could it be that fate is truly favoring those who are from humble backgrounds?"
"First there was Li Zicheng, then Zhang Xianzhong, and now there is Si Chen."
"Those who achieve fame and fortune outside Donghua Gate are the true men. What's the point of fighting and killing? Our generations of family tradition of farming and studying cannot compare to the merit of a noble person who rises to power. Yet, our achievements are all earned through diligent study; how can they be said to be bestowed by the court?"
"Heaven is truly blind."
The world has become something he can no longer comprehend.
But when he saw the useless dragon descendant who had been raised to be an idiot since childhood, Chen Yan proudly puffed out his chest.
So what if they're descendants of the Ming imperial family? They can still have their way.
"You two lowly maids deserve to be punished."
"Lift your legs up!"
......
-------------------The dividing line of justice-------------------
"The entire court is full of beasts, those who eat meat are despicable, and they cannot plan for the future. This is indeed true." The Duke of Dingguo looked at this beautiful land, which was about to fall into the hands of others. It was truly a pity.
Against the backdrop of the snowy scenery, a small fire is lit in a red clay stove to roast Wuyi Mountain Wudao tea with snow water.
It has a unique charm, though.
Duke Zhang Shize of England raised his glass, saying, "Our ancestors were meritorious, and our lineage was virtuous, which is why we, their descendants, enjoy such blessings. Because of our service to the emperor, we are able to share in the prosperity of the nation. But in my generation, we will soon be able to give up everything."
What are your plans?
"Throughout history, when a country falls, its ministers who uphold the state are buried with it; when a country is at peace, its ministers are replaced by another ruler." The Duke of Ying drank it all in one gulp. "I am willing to die to uphold the name of loyalty and filial piety."
"If that's the case, what's the purpose of transporting the mithril to Ningwu Pass?"
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you."
"My family has been in charge of the Right Army Commandery for generations. Although we are not as powerful as the Duke of Ying, we still have some informants."
The Duke of Dingguo stared at the young man before him, who was single-mindedly pursuing personal gain.
His gaze seemed to reach straight into her heart.
"Naturally, we must fight Li Zicheng to see if he is truly a vanguard for the king, or if he is truly destined by heaven." After a moment's thought, Duke Zhang Shize of Yingguo offered another answer: "We have been blessed by the country for generations, and have been supported by the nation for 270 years. Surely we cannot lack even one loyal minister among our military achievements. What a divine and heroic figure Emperor Taizu was, to be able to die for his country. This is a first-rate way to die."
The Duke of Dingguo nodded, got up, and left.
He left only one sentence in the wind and snow.
"Zhou Yuji, the commander-in-chief of Ningwu Pass, was a real man."
"When the time comes, please see him off for me."
Zhang Shize offered tea instead of wine, saying, "That's fine."
The wind and snow intensified.
Zhang Shize returned to the vast British Duke's mansion.
With a simple gesture, one can see the golden plaque of "Great Loyalty to the Ming Dynasty" bestowed by Emperor Yongle.
Zhang Shize was somewhat dazed, his body swayed, and he steadied himself by leaning against the wall.
"My lord..."
"Nothing's wrong, let's go to the ancestral hall."
Zhang Shize gazed at the iron certificate with cinnabar inscription enshrined in the ancestral hall, as well as the portraits of his ancestors.
"Open it."
This place is not only where the ancestral tablets are located, but also where the government's silver is stored.
The ten members opened the secret chamber.
Before them stretched walls made of piled-up silver.
There was also a large amount of gold glittering on the other side.
The large quantity of silver watermelons weighed over a thousand kilograms, requiring several people to lift them together.
A large amount of dust covered the silver gourd.
"My lord, are you truly moving everything out?"
"The silver gourds hidden in the silver vault at home are almost blackened. What's the point of keeping them? Are we waiting for the country to fall and our homes to be used as wedding gowns for others? Take them all." Duke Zhang Shize of Yingguo suddenly remembered someone. "Wait, send a letter to Tianjin to ask if he wants the silver. If not, I'll throw it away."
The left and right comrades looked around at the silver mountain, saying, "Even if I had ten lifetimes, I couldn't spend it all."
What is a gold mine and a silver mine? This is a gold mine and a silver mine.
Zhang Shize laughed and said, "Take as much as you can."
Mismatched wealth will only lead to disaster.
Moreover, it wasn't that the British government wanted to take it; rather, wealth naturally gravitates towards those in power.
Don't say that the British government is exploiting soldiers; at most, they're just receiving salaries without working.
If it really comes down to drinking the blood of soldiers, then civil officials are the more powerful.
The next level up includes nobles, relatives of nobles, clans, wealthy merchants, and those who venture into the silk, porcelain, and cotton yarn industries.
Powerful families and hereditary nobles controlled salt, iron, tea, grain, land, and grain transport.
The exorbitant profits from monopolies are only the tip of the iceberg.
The powerful southern families who controlled maritime transport were truly extravagant spenders.
Nearly 70% of the world's silver flowed into the Ming Dynasty.
What is the Silver Empire? This is the Silver Empire.
You can say they're bad, but you can't say they're incompetent.
From the perspective of the South, the Emperor's collection of taxes was simply a way to fool the uncultured bumpkins of the North with some dirty money; the Southerners treated it like giving alms to beggars.
What is tribute?
You're practically begging me to let you make money.
What is a border trade?
It's like picking money directly from a silver mine, and even that, the Ming Dynasty isn't happy about it.
For the nobles of the Ming Dynasty, was there any need to rob money?
Shouldn't all that pure silver automatically jump into your arms?
Of course, none of the above are commercial.
Because there wasn't much legitimate business in the Ming Dynasty.
"What are you standing there for? Take it!" Zhang Shize slowly sat down.
The trusted followers then realized what was happening.
Even with his face flushed red, he carried the large silver melon out of the secret room.
Wealth is ultimately just inanimate objects; people are the foundation.
This land nurtures a people who create, cultivate, and weave, not barbarians who plunder wherever they go and turn the land into desert.
Zhang Shize coldly observed the ugly behavior of everyone on the field.
It's clear at a glance who is trustworthy and who is not.
Zhang Shize made a hand gesture in the shadows.
"There are a few with ulterior motives; let's send them on their way."
From the shadows, a military officer dressed in a flying fish robe emerged, carrying a goose-feather dagger. He bowed slightly to Zhang Shize and left the secret chamber.
"By law! No moving is permitted in this area!"
The path of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Wherever the territory of the Great Ming Dynasty was covered, the laws and regulations were almost always effective in dealing with bandits.
If the Ming Dynasty were to perish, this capability would be greatly diminished.
When Zhang Shize saw his men again, they were much more sober.
"Further words are useless. They will not take a single cent of their share. Send their families and money to Tianjin. There is a way to survive with the officials there. You cannot hold onto them."
"Thank you, Lord Xie!"
When he got up again, Zhang Shize was gone.
The group, having narrowly escaped death, were drenched in a cold sweat. "Who was that guy?"
"Shen Lian, Commander of the Northern Garrison."
"He's still alive?"
"The person the Duke wants to protect will not die."
"Let's go, let's go, I was almost blinded by wealth."
at the same time.
Dingguo Gongzheng walked on foot towards Tianshou Mountain.
He had walked this road many times.
An empire should not fall into ruin by drowning in conspiracies and intrigues.
Zhang Shize considered many things, but he didn't consider the emperor at all.
Whether Emperor Chongzhen will mount his carriage, draw his sword, and bravely fight the rebellious ministers, or kneel down and surrender, leaving the city to beg for mercy, remains to be seen.
"hiss."
The Duke of Dingguo stopped and suddenly turned to look in the direction of Tianjin.
"Could it be that they had planned this all along?"
Si Chen has blocked the emperor's route south!
If the emperor is not dignified, someone will help him to be dignified in due time.
The founding emperor of this dynasty was originally a commoner from Huaiyou, and his acquisition of the country was the most legitimate.
The conflict between humanity and nature has now become so deep-seated that it's difficult to reverse the situation.
The dynasty, which had lasted for over two hundred years, was about to perish.
But one should still leave cleanly and neatly.