allonlinenovel Chapter 465 The World Belongs to All
Chapter 465 The World Belongs to All
Chapter 465 The World Belongs to All
"Haha!" Wang Wenzhou laughed loudly, "Old Qian, you really have no shame!"
"You keep saying that the partisan struggles are only for national affairs and have no personal grudges. Aren't you ashamed to say that?" Wang Wenzhou mocked.
"Ahem..." Qian Qianyi coughed awkwardly a few times.
As a time traveler, Wang Wenzhou knew something about the factional struggles at the end of the Ming Dynasty. In some ways, the fall of the Ming Dynasty was closely related to these factional struggles.
The political landscape at the end of the Ming Dynasty was rife with clashes and executions. In essence, factional struggles were simply different vested interest groups vying for power. Initially, it was the Donglin Party fighting against the Qi, Chu, and Zhe parties, with the Donglin Party ultimately emerging victorious. Later, the so-called eunuch faction rose to power, defeating the Donglin Party, whose members, including Zuo Guangdou, Wei Dazhong, Zhou Shunchang, and Huang Zunsu, were arrested and executed. Then, the eunuch faction was defeated, resulting in another wave of deaths.
Wang Wenzhou said irritably, "Old Qian, according to you, all those people who died in the factional strife died of illness?"
Qian Qianyi said in a serious tone, "Boxin, those corrupt eunuchs should all be killed. It would be a disservice to the people of the Ming Dynasty not to kill them!"
"Pah!" Wang Wenzhou cursed, "Old Qian, don't be so shameless, always using the common people as an excuse! Putting aside everything else, are you Donglin Party members clean? Don't you Donglin Party members embezzle? Is that little bit of salary from the imperial court enough for your daily expenses?"
"The corrupt practices in officialdom didn't just happen overnight. The only thing to blame is that Emperor Taizu set the salary too low." Qian Qianyi said helplessly. What Wang Wenzhou said was true. Take the county magistrate for example. His annual salary was 45 taels of silver, which is 3.75 taels a month. It was less than what ordinary people earned.
The county magistrate also has to support his family. Moreover, he knows that he has to pay for his own staff and other staff members. With such a meager salary, he can't even support his wife, let alone keep a mistress or concubine.
Wang Wenzhou said irritably, "You admit that your Donglin Party isn't clean either. The eunuch faction is corrupt, but your Donglin Party is honest. Isn't that a contradiction?"
"Boxin, now that we've come to this point, I've also come to understand some things. Do you really believe that the Donglin Party was the mastermind behind your assassination attempt?" Qian Qianyi changed the subject, not wanting Wang Wenzhou to continue criticizing him.
“Old Qian, analyze this yourself. If it wasn’t done by your Donglin Party, then who else could it be?” Wang Wenzhou asked.
Qian Qianyi shook his head with a wry smile; the Donglin Party was truly being unfairly blamed. They had indeed plotted to assassinate Wang Wenzhou, all because Wang Wenzhou was solely focused on peace talks. This would only tarnish the court's reputation and bring eternal infamy upon all officials.
However, Zhu Youjian later changed his mind and no longer wanted to negotiate, so the Donglin Party canceled the plan and did not implement it.
Qian Qianyi thought for a moment and then said, "Boxin, I have a few words to say, but I don't know if I should."
"Heh!" Wang Wenzhou sneered, "Hurry up and tell me, who do you want to take the blame for?"
Qian Qianyi earnestly advised, "When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked. Throughout history, those who have achieved great merit and overshadowed their masters have mostly met with an unfortunate end."
"Haha!" Wang Wenzhou laughed loudly, "Old Qian, you keep talking about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. How could you say something like this! You mean the assassin was sent by the emperor?"
Qian Qianyi quickly said, "Boxin, I never said that! But I can swear to heaven that this matter has absolutely nothing to do with the Donglin Party."
"Tch!" Wang Wenzhou curled his lip and said disdainfully, "Everyone has a mouth, and they can say whatever they want. Why should I believe you?"
Qian Qianyi thought about it and realized that if he were Wang Wenzhou, he wouldn't believe it either. After all, the Donglin Party and Wang Wenzhou had practically broken off relations and gone to war over the peace talks.
"Boxin, my daughter is sixteen years old and still unmarried. I wonder if you would be willing to take her as a concubine?" Qian Qianyi suddenly said.
"Huh?" Qian Sunai was stunned. Father, you're not sick. Why are you talking like you're delirious from a fever?
"Haha..." Wang Wenzhou laughed for a while, then hugged Qi Siyan and kissed her, saying meaningfully, "Little Yan Yan, there are rumors going around that your husband is a lecher. Actually, you've really misunderstood me! It's just that some shameless people insist on marrying their daughters and granddaughters to me. I don't run a brothel, I don't take just any girl!"
“Yun is calling your sister over.” Qian Qianyi said with a smile, “Boxin, my daughter is a beautiful young lady from a modest family, you’ll see for yourself.”
"No!" Wang Wenzhou quickly stopped Qian Sunai.
Wang Wenzhou sneered, "Old Qian, you've really lost all shame! You'd even sell your daughter just to avoid paying for my dog's funeral?"
“Boxin!” Qian Qianyi said solemnly, “The reason I want to betroth my daughter to you is because I admire your talent.”
"Holy crap!" Wang Wenzhou sneered, "Old Qian, aren't you ashamed of how fake you are? Who's calling me a mad dog? Don't tell me you didn't say that!"
“Bo Xin, times have changed!” Qian Qianyi said seriously, “Party strife is mainly due to differences in political views. I truly admire Bo Xin’s talent.”
"Don't think you can fool me just by flattering me. I'm not that easy to fool." It wasn't that Wang Wenzhou didn't want to sleep with pretty girls, but the key was that Qian Qianyi had suddenly made a 180-degree turn. He always felt that Qian Qianyi had ulterior motives. Using his daughter as bait to lure a lecherous man—that was quite a investment.
Qian Qianyi asked, "Boxin, does this world truly belong to the emperor, or to all the people?"
Wang Wenzhou frowned and said sarcastically, "Lord Qian, aren't you supposed to be loyal to the emperor and love your country? How come I'm listening to you today? You don't seem like a loyal person at all!"
"The world does not belong to one person, but to all people. The ruler is the greatest scourge to the world! Throughout history, there have been countless incompetent and tyrannical rulers. We, the Donglin Party members, put the world's interests first and do not let our own selfish desires overshadow the world's interests. It is precisely because of this that the power of the ministers and the power of the emperor have clashed." Qian Qianyi said emphatically.
Wang Wenzhou frowned deeply because Qian Qianyi had a terrible reputation in history, and he had always looked down on him. He never expected that the old man could say something like this, which was almost like a constitutional monarchy.
Wang Wenzhou asked with a smile, "I think I understand now. Old Qian, you mean I should stop following the Emperor and join your Donglin Party?"
Qian Qianyi said solemnly, "The world belongs to all people, not just the emperor, nor to my Donglin Party. As long as Boxin puts the world first, what difference does it make whether he is a member of the Donglin Party or not?"
"We'll talk about this later! I came here today because I want you to attend my dog's funeral. If you can't do that, don't expect me to trust you! People have to keep their word. If you can't keep your word on this, how can I trust you on anything else?" Wang Wenzhou asked with a smile.
"Hmm..." Qian Qianyi said with a wry smile, "Boxin, could you please stop pressuring me and give me some face?"
"Heh!" Wang Wenzhou sneered, "Old Qian, you're really shameless. You keep talking about the world's interests, yet you can't even uphold the most basic integrity!"
Qian Qianyi earnestly advised, "Boxin! We are all important officials of the court. You ask us to wear mourning clothes for a dog. What will the people think if they see this? This will not only damage the dignity of the court, but also do more harm than good to the country and the nation!"
"Hmph!" Wang Wenzhou snorted coldly and said irritably, "Fine, I'll give you some face. If you don't want to go yourself, then send your son!"
"Very well! I'll do as you say. Our sons and nephews will take our place at the funeral." Qian Qianyi thought for a moment and realized that this was the only option. Since he wanted to recruit Wang Wenzhou, he needed to gain Wang Wenzhou's trust.