Chapter 19 To raise money to sell official titles

The Empress Dowager Cixi was heading west, getting farther and farther away from Beijing. Although there were some minor troubles on the road, at least there was no need to worry about it.They came all the way to Tongguan in Shaanxi. Tongguan is the main throat for the Central Plains to enter the land of the Three Qins. Shi Xiang, the prefect of Tongguan, has always wanted to rise up and become a Daoist, but unfortunately there is no suitable opportunity.Unexpectedly, a report came from the front, saying that Li Lianying, the chief executive, was going to pass through Tongguan with the Empress Dowager Cixi. This is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.He was determined to make full preparations and perform well in front of Li Lianying and the Empress Dowager Cixi. Let alone the stage, he might even go to Beijing to become a Beijing official.

When Cixi's team arrived at Tongguan, Shi Xiang ran forward and back to serve the Empress Dowager Cixi and Li Lianying in every way, but Li Lianying didn't pay attention to Shi Xiang at all.Seeing that the Empress Dowager Cixi drove westward to Xi'an the next day, Shi Xiang, who invested a huge amount of money in the reception work, was of course not reconciled.After learning that the Empress Dowager Cixi was stationed in Xi'an, he sent his powerful cronies to Xi'an, met Li Lianying through joints, and explained that he wanted to seek a Taoist position. After hearing this, Li Lianying felt that Daotai's position was not an official of the same prefecture and county, and she had to report to Empress Dowager Cixi before making a decision.The Empress Dowager Cixi heard that someone wanted to seek the position of Daotai, and said that although the dust is outside, the price can be lowered appropriately, but it should not be lower than 10,000 taels of silver, otherwise the official position of the state and county will be even less valuable.

Li Lianying took the order to go out, thinking that at least five thousand taels of silver should be given to herself, otherwise she would not be able to operate it.After Li Lianying went back, she truthfully told the visitor Cixi's meaning and her own thoughts. The visitor rushed back to Tongguan and reported it to Shi Xiang. When Shi Xiang made a total of 20,000 taels of silver, it would be enough, and a Daotai can get back its original capital in any two years, and it will be a net profit in the future. If you spend money to get a governor or a vassal during this period, you will earn even more.After thinking about it, it was a good idea, so I decided to spend the money.

Because the confidant last time handled things neatly, so this time Shi Xiang still sent him to Xi'an to contact the matter.This confidant of his was also overjoyed that Shi Xiang became a Taoist, maybe he could be a seventh-rank county magistrate himself. As the saying goes, extreme joy begets sorrow. In order to realize his desire to be an official as soon as possible, this person rushed to find Li Lianying when he arrived in Xi'an.Unfortunately, Li Lianying was not there.He knew that Li Lianying was often by Cixi's side, so he went to the palace to look for her by accident.It was a coincidence that the cotton thread fell into the eye of the needle.However, the guard at the gate was only interested in talking to people and did not pay attention to the gate of the palace. This cronies entered Cixi's palace with ease.Not only that, with so many rooms, he actually broke into Cixi's bedroom alone.Just as Cixi was about to get up, she suddenly saw a figure shaking outside the window, as if someone was peeping, and immediately asked the guards to arrest him.

The confidant was still immersed in his dream, and he had already been arrested without knowing what happened.Cixi ordered the case to be handed over to Cen Chunxuan for interrogation, and reported the truth.The case was originally very simple. After the trial, the facts became clear very quickly.But since this person confessed that he came to buy an official with money, Cen Chunxuan felt a little tricky.He had long heard that the Empress Dowager Cixi had colluded with Li Lianying to sell her official titles, and now he finally saw it.However, if he really told the truth, not only Li Lianying would hate him, but Empress Dowager Cixi's face would also be ugly.It's better to come to a minister as a taboo and hide this matter forever.Therefore, he was arbitrarily sentenced to the crime of impersonating the forbidden palace, and immediately punished him according to the law.

After Li Lianying heard about this incident, she hurried over. Unfortunately, Cen Chunxuan had finished the trial and was finishing the verdict.Li Lianying took a look at the statement, and confessed everything truthfully.Li Lianying thought about it, it's nothing if the matter is revealed, the queen mother may think that he is unreliable and ruin her reputation when she finds out.So he excused himself loudly, claiming that he never knew the man, let alone his name.Perhaps it was because of his great reputation that he was framed and framed.This is what Cen Chunxuan was waiting for. Now that Li Lianying does not admit the matter, the confession of this confidant is even more framed.In order to completely deceive the public, Li Lianying also suggested that Cixi dismiss Shi Xiang and send him back to his hometown, never to be hired again.

Cixi ordered Chen Piren to be an imperial envoy, and went to Tongguan to read the imperial edict to Shi Xiang.Shi Xiang was still in the dark at this time, when he heard that the imperial envoy had arrived, he was immediately overjoyed, thinking that the two thousand taels of silver really worked.He hurriedly ordered someone to hold a banquet, and prepared a feast for the imperial envoy.Unexpectedly, what he heard was far beyond his expectation. It turned out to be the news of dismissal and investigation, and that he would never be hired. Shi Xiang racked his brains and spent 20,000 taels of silver, but by mistake, he bought one and sent him back home. He was really anxious and angry, and finally died on the way home.