I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 162 There is only one way, tame the fish ( words)
Xu Ying told Zou Yinglong to wait for the right time to act. The "right time" would come soon.

Outside the main hall of Yongshou Palace, Lu Fang and Lin Shisan were looking at a pile of dead fish in the fish tank with bewildered looks on their faces.

How could this water phoenix be a good omen? It was clearly a demon who took pleasure in killing its own kind.

Lin Shisan was overwhelmed. He was at a loss this time. He could only ask Lu Fang for help: "Uncle, what should I do?"

Lu Fang thought for a long time and said, "Go back to the palace and tell the emperor the truth."

Lin Shisan was stunned: "You want me to go to the emperor to admit my mistake?"

Lu Fang nodded: "I have been serving the emperor since the time of Prince Xing's Palace. It has been forty-six years. I understand the emperor's temperament."

"The emperor doesn't care if his subjects make mistakes. He hates it if they make mistakes but don't admit it."

"When serving the Emperor, the most important thing is to serve him with sincerity."

"The emperor feeds the goldfish in the fish tank every day. These foreign fish are so violent and erratic that it is impossible to hide it from them."

"The longer you conceal your crime, the greater the sin. It is better to admit your fault to the emperor in time and take the punishment of a heavy punishment."

Lin Shisan had no choice but to bite the bullet and go into Yongshou Palace to admit his mistake and ask for punishment.

Emperor Jiajing was greatly surprised after hearing Lin Shisan's story: "It is said that the tiger is the king of beasts, and all the birds and beasts in the forest are its food."

"I didn't expect this water phoenix to be the king of all fish. No, the nemesis killer of all fish."

"Let's go and take a look at the fish tank."

Lin Shisan didn't expect that Emperor Jiajing was not angry, but was more interested in the water phoenix.

Lu Fang helped Emperor Jiajing to the fish tank, ordered the eunuch to fish out the dead fish, and poured in ten goldfish.

The water phoenix rushed left and right in the water like a vicious dragon, tearing the gills with its sharp teeth. In just a few moments, all ten goldfish were dead, with their white bellies turned up.

Emperor Jiajing was amazed: "What a fish demon. It kills the goldfish in the same tank, but it doesn't seem to be for eating. It just kills for the sake of killing."

Lin Shisan knelt down and said, "I was confused. Before I presented the water phoenix to the palace, I did not try to raise it with other goldfish. Please punish me for my incompetence."

Emperor Jiajing waved his hand generously and said, "It's alright. This is really a rare creature. Let it stay alone in the fish tank from now on."

"It has a murderous aura and is a phoenix from the water. Who knows, it might be able to scare away those evil spirits that want to set fire to and kill the king."

Lin Shisan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he had passed this hurdle.

He didn't notice that one of the eunuchs who had been watching the fun around the fish tank was missing - Wang Xi, the fire master of Yongshou Palace.

At the north imperial city wall of Xiyuan, Wang Xi was talking to a dark figure in secret: "You should leave the palace immediately and tell the third son of Xu that the water phoenix is not a good omen at all. It is a vicious beast in the water."

The shadow asked, "How do you say that?"

Wang Xi said this and that to the black shadow.

There were 100,000 eunuchs in the palace, and it was impossible to bolt the iron gates and keep the fences strong. The Yan Party bribed many eunuchs in the palace to pass on information. Similarly, the Xu Party also bribed many eunuchs.

However, Xu Jie never personally came forward to contact the eunuchs. It was his third son Xu Ying who did it for him, asking the eunuchs for news in the palace.

Wang Xi told the black shadow: "This information is very valuable. Ask Master Xu for one thousand taels of silver."

The shadow was puzzled: "It's just a matter of a fish, and it doesn't involve any major court cases or the appointment and dismissal of important officials. Isn't it a bit shady for us to ask him for so much? Aren't we taking advantage of him?"

Although Wang Xi was a minor official, he had great vision: "You are confused. This barbarian fish is related to the trade with the Portuguese. One thousand taels is not too much. Go quickly!"

In the second half of the night, the Xu Mansion was brightly lit.

A group of Xu's party members were summoned to Xu's residence late at night. They were whispering to each other, wondering what had happened. Zou Yinglong was also among them.

Soon, the third young master Xu Ying came in front of everyone.

Xu Jie was a very cautious person. He instructed his students and old friends to do things, and never showed up in person, but asked Xu Ying to pass on the message.

Previously, Lin Shisan used Li Gao as a substitute to blackmail the wealthy families in Jiangnan, while Xu Jie used his youngest son Xu Ying as a substitute.

No matter what happens, he can always defend himself by saying: It was my poor parenting that caused my young son to act recklessly under my name.
He has three sons anyway. Even if the youngest son dies, it won't affect the Xu family's incense.

It has to be said that Emperor Jiajing's evaluation of Xu Jie was very appropriate: Xu Jie was a villain.

Xu Ying, this idiot, was tricked by his father but still felt smug. He always thought that this was because his father valued him.

Xu Ying said to the officials in a very proud manner: "Everyone, those corrupt officials in the court who are crazy about getting rich are bent on making our Ming Dynasty trade with the Western barbarians."

"This time, in order to do business with the Western barbarians in Tianjin, they actually made up some auspicious lie about the water phoenix!"

"Yan Shifan, Yang Bo, Jia Yingchun, Li Chunfang, and Huang Jin all signed the memorial announcing the auspicious omen."

"Oh, they are deceiving the king! The water phoenix is not a good omen at all, but a vicious beast in the water."

Xu Ying told everyone that the water phoenix had bitten twenty or thirty goldfish to death tonight.

After hearing this, everyone showed excitement on their faces.

Compared to the water phoenix, these clean-minded censors are the real ferocious beasts and mad dogs.

As long as they smell even the slightest scent of blood, they will rush forward and bite their prey tightly and won't let go.

Zou Yinglong smiled and said, "I will contact my old colleagues in the Censorate and jointly impeach Lin Shisan for his vicious behavior."

"Since the autumn of the 34th year of the Jiajing reign, this sycophantic, greedy, and jester has been jumping around in the court for more than two years."

"This time, we will definitely separate his head from his body!"

A group of censors echoed: "That's right. Who is Lin Shisan? He only knows some tricks to keep pets. Is he qualified to show off in the court?"

"I don't know how much benefit he got from the Yan family father and son, and he deliberately said good things for opening the customs and opening the sea, which violated the ancestral system. This time he will have to pay the price."

"If I don't kill Lin Shisan this time, I won't be worthy of being a department official! I will resign and go home to take care of my child."

Xu Ying pressed his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

Xu Ying said: "Everyone, my father always taught me that before doing anything, you must first clarify the purpose."

"This time, our goal is not to destroy Lin Shisan. He is just a small jester in the Western Garden. Is it worth it for all the honest and upright officials in the court to join forces to destroy him?"

"Our goal is to prevent the opening of the customs and the sea. We want to stop the traitors from trading with the Western Yi fleet in Tianjin."

"We should be careful about opening the door and setting a precedent. If the Western barbarians in Tianjin complete a deal with the imperial court, we will not be able to stop them in the future!"

"In order to uphold the ancestral system and the moral code, I ask you to write a petition together."

A censor from the Censorate said, "The Third Young Master, please tell us how to write the memorial."

Xu Ying took a sip of tea and said, "Doesn't the emperor advocate the Taoist philosophy of Huang Lao, saying that governing a large country is like cooking a small fish? Small fish means fish!"

"The Chinese and the Western Barbarians are like the Han goldfish and the water phoenix. They must never come into contact, and must never live in the same tank together." "The Western Barbarians are bloodthirsty and barbaric, and are all uncivilized savages. When they come into contact with the Chinese, they will definitely pretend to be submissive first, and then reveal their bloodthirsty nature."

"You can suggest to the emperor that the foreign fish water phoenix and our Han goldfish live in the same tank. Let the ministers watch."

"If we can coexist in the tank, then this trade is feasible. If we can't coexist, then this trade goes against God's will!"

"I'm not good at talking. You are all successful candidates in the imperial examinations, so writing articles and memorials is your specialty. Please discuss how to write this memorial and how to choose the right words and sentences."

"In short, this memorial must be written with reason and evidence."

The Ming Dynasty was truly a magical dynasty. The imperial court event of opening up the sea and customs was actually related to a foreign fish.

Within three days, joint memorials and individual memorials from officials of the Ban Hai faction flew into the main hall of the Yongshou Palace like snowflakes.

Inside the main hall of Yongshou Palace.

Lu Fang and Lin Shisan knelt down in front of Emperor Jiajing.

Lin Shisan kowtowed like crazy: "Your Majesty, I was too clever and caused such a big incident. I deserve to die!"

Emperor Jiajing was quite generous: "Those people are afraid that if the official trade with the Portuguese is established, it will ruin their jobs. Even if there is no Water Phoenix incident, they will use other things to stir up trouble."

"These people are all troublemakers. They will be happy if they can stir up trouble and bring the Ming Dynasty to its end!"

Emperor Jiajing felt a little regretful after saying this. If the upright officials were just stirring up trouble, wouldn't the Ming Dynasty court become a cesspool? Wouldn't he, the emperor, become the king of maggots?

Emperor Jiajing suddenly let out a dragon roar: "Deceiving the Heaven!"

After saying this, the bronze chime was thrown out of the green gauze curtain.

Emperor Jiajing angrily said, "Lü Fang, how can you be the head of the Imperial Household Department and the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Ming Dynasty? The fact that the Water Phoenix is bloodthirsty is a secret in the palace, and how come it has reached the ears of the outsiders so quickly?"

"Otherwise, why would they force me and my ministers to reward them with something like 'barbarian fish and Han fish in the same tank'?"

"Collusion between insiders and outsiders! Lu Fang, you are to blame! Investigate for me! Find out which eunuch leaked the information to the outsiders."

Lu Fang knelt down and kowtowed heavily: "Your Majesty, since the upright officials began to submit memorials two days ago, this old servant has been alarmed that there are foreign officials spying on the palace."

"I sent people to investigate the dozen eunuchs who were near the fish tank that night. I found out that it was a fire-maker named Wang Xi who tipped off the police."

Emperor Jiajing said: "Now that we have found the foreign officials and spies, why don't we quickly interrogate them and find out who is behind this?"

Lu Fang kowtowed: "I just sent someone to arrest him. He hanged himself in the firewood room in the West Garden."

Emperor Jiajing was stunned: "Those people are really powerful. They are so efficient in killing people and silencing them."

Lu Fang said, "It was because I didn't rule strictly that a traitor appeared in the palace and caused such a big mess for the emperor. I deserve to die."

Emperor Jiajing said, "It's not you who should die. It's those hypocritical people who have put their hands into the palace."

"Now that the incident has happened, we must find a solution. We can't let a fish ruin our plan to open the sea."

Emperor Jiajing looked at Lin Shisan and said, "Lin Shisan, you are good at taming pets. You can tame dogs, cats, insects, pigeons, and even the golden turtles in the Taiye Lake."

"Can you tame the fish? Can you tame the water phoenix from being violent and bloodthirsty to being docile and peaceful?"

Lin Shisan was stunned: "I dare not deceive the emperor. I am not sure, I can only try."

Emperor Jiajing said, "For now, the only solution is to tame the water phoenix. I will buy you seven days on the pretext of seclusion and cultivation."

"Within these seven days, you must make the water phoenix change its nature of killing its own kind."

"If you can accomplish this, those noisy crows will have no reason to oppose Tianjin's trade."

"If you fail to accomplish this, not only will Tianjin's trade be ruined, but the national policy of opening up the customs and the sea will also be criticized by them, and it will be difficult to move forward."

Lin Shisan gritted his teeth and said, "Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I will tame the water phoenix within seven days."

Emperor Jiajing waved his sleeves and said, "Go and do it quickly."

Lin Shisan left the main hall of Yongshou Palace, and Lu Fang and Huang Jin followed him.

Lu Fang said, "Thirteen, tell me the truth. Is there such a thing as taming fish in the pet business? Can you tame the water phoenix?"

Lin Shisan said, "There is a way to train fish. I heard from my master that 20 years ago, there was a Shanyuan Pond at Ciyun Temple in Xiangshan. A group of koi fish were raised in the pond for blessing."

"As long as there are good men and women who throw silver or copper coins into the Shanyuan Pond, the blessing koi will float to the surface from the bottom of the water, shaking its head and tail to please the good men and women."

"This is the way to tame fish. But my nephew doesn't know the trick."

"As for whether the water phoenix can be tamed, I have no idea."

Huang Jin was straightforward. He suggested: "If the water phoenix is not tamed after seven days, just kill it and say it is not acclimatized to the local climate."

Lu Fang waved his hands repeatedly: "No! According to Thirteen, the Little Elder, and Yang Butang, the water phoenix is a sign of good fortune from the heavens blessing the Ming-Yi trade."

"Xiangrui died in the palace, and the censors will start to make noises. This is a warning from the heavens that they are not happy with the trade between the Ming and the barbarians."

Huang Jin took a deep breath and said, "Alas! Whether it is the emperor of the Ming Dynasty or a wise minister, it is too difficult to do good things that benefit the country and the people. There are always noisy crows and buzzing flies that come out to hinder them."

Lu Fang warned Lin Shisan: "No matter what, you must complete the fish training! Tianjin Wei's trade must not be ruined by Qingliu."

"Hu Zongxian and Tan Lun in the southeast are eagerly waiting for this batch of fine firearms! Yang Bo is also waiting for the Ministry of Works and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to imitate this batch of firearms to enrich the nine frontier armaments."

Lin Shisan's face was filled with worry: "Don't worry, uncle. I will do my best."

Lin Shisan returned to the elephant training center and sent someone back to the new house to invite Zhang Bo over.

He told Zhang Bo, Sun Yue and Li Gao about the matter.

Zhang Bo frowned after hearing this: "Is fish taming related to the national policy of opening up the sea? This is really ridiculous."

Lin Shisan said: "It's very funny. But we are in such a ridiculous court. What can we do?"

"Well, let's discuss fish training. I know nothing about fish training. Master, do you know the trick?"

Zhang Bo shook his head and said, "I don't know the trick either. Fish training is a unique way of pet training. Among the pet masters I know, no one knows this."

Lin Shisan said: "Aren't you talking about the Shanyuan Pond at Ciyun Temple in Xiangshan 20 years ago?"

Uncle Zhang nodded. "Yes, there is something strange about the koi in Shanyuan Pond. There must have been someone who trained the fish back then. Without further ado, let's go to Ciyu Temple to worship Buddha."

Lin Shisan said, "No hurry. Let's go back to the new house first and get one thousand taels of silver."

Sun Yue asked: "Why do you go to the Buddha to get so much silver?"

Lin Shisan sighed, "Alas, have you ever read Mr. Wu Chengen's Journey to the West? Even the two venerables, Kasyapa and Ananda, beside the Buddha, love money. How much more so the monks in the secular world?"

(End of this chapter)