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

Chapter 69: Yang Bo, the most powerful man in the Jiajing Dynasty, a civil servant who knows how to kill people

The job of stealing monkeys turned into finding monkeys.

Lin Shisan carefully watched the method by which Sun Wukong escaped from the bamboo cage and could not help but sigh: "He did not become a spirit, but an immortal."

Chen Ju walked to the bamboo cage and saw two broken bamboos. Sun Wukong must have gotten out from the gap between the two broken bamboos.

There was a hemp rope on the two broken bamboos, and a short wooden stick was tied behind the rope. The hemp rope was almost twisted into a knot by the short wooden stick.

Chen Ju asked: "What is this?"

Lin Shisan said: "This is the 'robber's knot' that the bandits used to bend the iron railings of the warehouse when they robbed the bank."

"The thieves would tie a rope to two iron bars and then put a wooden stick behind them. They would twist the stick hard and twist the rope into a knot. The two iron bars would bend under the strain."

"This bandit's knot can even bend an iron railing. Breaking two bamboos is no problem for him."

Chen Ju was surprised: "This monkey has such magical powers?"

Lin Shisan said, "The macaques are best at imitating the behavior of the people around them. But those who can use the robber's twist knot are all big bandits. Could it be that there is a big bandit among the people around it?"

"Also, how did the hemp rope and short wooden stick get into the bamboo cage?"

Biyun seemed to have thought of something: "In the morning, Xiaochuan insisted on fishing for monkeys. She tied a carrot with a hemp rope and threw it into the bamboo cage. The monkey grabbed the rope, and Xiaochuan couldn't pull it. The rope was dragged into the bamboo cage by it."

"Then the monkey spat at Xiaochuan. In anger, Xiaochuan threw a short wooden stick at it, and it fell right into the bamboo cage."

Lin Shisan glanced at Wang Xiaochuan and said, "Xiaochuan, Xiaochuan, you are truly the living ancestor of your father."

It can escape from the cage with just a hemp rope and a short wooden stick. Wu Chengen's pet is worthy of the same name as the Monkey King in Journey to the West.

Chen Ju was very worried about Lin Shisan: "Now that Sun Wukong has escaped, how can the emperor report back? It is true that the emperor's order was spoken casually, but I am afraid that he will remember it in a few days and ask whether the monkey has been returned to Wu Chengen."

"If you don't find Sun Wukong and return him to Wu Cheng'en, you will be considered disobeying an imperial order. Disobeying an imperial order will cost you your head."

Lin Shisan sighed: "Alas, I used to seek favor for others. This time, I am seeking favor for my own head."

After a moment, Lin Shisan was puzzled again: "Could it be that there is a bandit around Wu Chengen? Otherwise, who did Sun Wukong learn the bandit twist knot from?"

Chen Ju said, "That's not important. What's important is to find Sun Wukong as soon as possible."

Lin Shisan looked miserable: "This New Year will not be peaceful."

There are secret methods to catch monkeys, but there are no secret methods to find them. You can only ask neighbors if they have seen any traces of monkeys.

Fortunately, Lin Shisan had just raised a small flag and had ten more brothers under him who could help in finding out.

It was almost evening. Lin Shisan gathered ten brothers in his courtyard.

Except for Sun Yue, the other nine people all looked listless, and it was obvious that they were dissatisfied with their new boss.

At the beginning of the new year, the elephant training center had already started its annual vacation. But the new boss summoned them to work. It would be strange if they didn't feel resentful.

Fortunately, Lin Shisan is well versed in the tricks of public affairs - serving those above and winning over those below.

Lin Shisan said: "I feel bad to gather the brothers together during the New Year holiday."

The nine lieutenants said nothing. Sun Yue said, "Master, please tell me what you want me to do."

Lin Shisan lifted the red cloth on a wooden tray beside him. Inside were ten silver ingots, each weighing ten taels.

Lin Shisan said, "Today, you guys are helping me with a private job, and I can't let you run errands for nothing. Ten taels per person, take it yourself."

Li Chunfang asked someone to give Lin Shisan a fifty-liang silver note. Lin Shisan also added fifty liang, making a total of one hundred liang.

He had received a lot of reward money since the beginning of autumn, so it didn't matter if he put in fifty taels. You know, whether the monkey could be found or not was related to whether he was disobeying the emperor's order.

Fifty taels of silver only bought a few insects, but disobeying the order would cost you your head. Indeed, money makes things easier.

Lin Shisan had just been promoted to a small flag, so he could only lead the Tangtie flag team. The ten people in front of him, except Sun Yue, were all Tangtie lieutenants who had no money to share, just like him before.

These people had limited money, and they were in a hurry to celebrate the New Year, so they had a lot of expenses. Naturally, everyone's eyes lit up when they got ten taels of silver.

One of the tall captains rubbed his hands and said, "It is our duty to do your work. How can we ask you for money?"

Lin Shisan picked up a silver ingot and put it into his hand: "We are from the same small flag team, we share the same pot and ladle, and we are brothers with different fathers and mothers. Brothers should not say strange words."

The captains took the silver and were all smiling.

Lin Shisan said, "A macaque is missing from my home. Let's start from Gouqibo Hutong and ask the neighbors around if anyone has seen a macaque. If anyone has, ask which direction it ran to."

The brothers took the order and left.

Sun Yue asked, "Master, shall we go out and ask around as well?"

Lin Shisan nodded: "More monkeys mean more strength. What's more, there are two living people? Let's go to the north of the alley to ask."

Sun Yue and a dozen of his brothers inquired from dusk until midnight, but for two whole hours, they still had no clues.

Lin Shisan had no choice but to let his brothers go home and gather at the courtyard early tomorrow morning.

Sun Yue said: "Master, this will ruin the dish."

Lin Shisan said, "The most important thing to find a favorite is patience. There is always a way out. I don't believe that Sun Wukong really has the somersault cloud and can fly to the sky."

"As long as he moves around Beijing on his own two feet, someone will have seen it."

Let's talk about Yong'an Temple in Xiangshan.

A forty-six-year-old man was feeding a group of wild monkeys in the temple courtyard.

This man is - the most powerful man in the Jiajing Dynasty; the light of the northwest; the pillar of Ji and Liao; the insurmountable human Great Wall of the Tatars; Sun's nightmare; the respected leader of the Jiangchen Party; one of the top five in the Ming Dynasty's major weightlifting competition; a civil servant who knows a little about killing; a kind-hearted man who likes to fetch water for widows - Minister of War, Yang Bo.

Yang Bo had a full beard and was unkempt. He did not look like a first-rank civil servant, but rather a bloodthirsty military commander.

He is not actually old. People call him "Old" Minister Yang, referring to his seniority, not his age.

Standing next to Yang Bo was his son-in-law and the newly appointed Ningxia Censor Wang Chonggu.

Kneeling in front of him was Yan Song's "military steward", Fang Xiang, a doctor from the Military Selection Department.

Fang Xiang kowtowed and said, "Minister Yang, I was wrong."

Even though Fang Xiang had Yan Song as his backer and controlled the promotion and demotion of military generals, he acted arrogantly and ostentatiously in front of the governors, generals, and commanders.

But in front of Yang Bo, he had no choice but to be respectful.

Yang Bo threw a handful of winter dates in his hand to the wild monkeys. He glanced at Fang Xiang and asked, "What's wrong?"

Fang Xiang replied: "I was wrong in not issuing transfer orders to Yu Dayou in East Zhejiang, Qi Jiguang in Shandong, and Tang Kekuan in Jinshan without informing you while you were recuperating in Yong'an Zen Temple."

Yang Bo said seriously: "These three transfer orders are correct. If you let me know, I will gladly agree."

"But you bypassed me, the head of the Ministry of War. This is a serious mistake of exceeding my authority. We must not tolerate this bad habit."

"But for the sake of your master, Elder Yan, I will forgive you for now."

A little macaque suddenly jumped towards Fang Xiang and knocked his official hat off.

Yang Bo couldn't help laughing: "Forget it, get up. If you don't get up, these wild monkeys will tear you alive."

(End of this chapter)