Chapter 1109 Beauty Trap!
Just like Cui Shao likes calligraphy, Cui Zibo also has his own hobbies. He especially likes opera. When he was in Liaoyang, he went to all the Liyuan opera troupes in Dongning...
During his time as a clerk in Yijing, although he went to the Liyuan Theater less often due to work, he invested in Qingyin Tower, the largest theater in Yijing. He booked a private room in Qingyin Tower all year round and went there to enjoy opera and cultivate his sentiments whenever he had time.

At this moment, Cui Zibo couldn't help but be intoxicated by this melodious and moving song. Hu Ming, who was standing by, saw Cui Zibo's look, a fleeting look of disdain flashed in his eyes, then he picked up the wine glass and slowly sipped it.

After a cup of tea and a song, Cui Zibo opened his eyes and said with a smile:

"This piece of Peony Pavilion is truly full of lingering music and lingering emotions!"

"I never thought that there was such a wonderful person hidden in Brother Hu's house. Brother Hu, why don't you please come out and let Cui see her!"

Listening to Cui Zibo's words, Hu Ming smiled slightly and clapped his hands. The next second, a young woman holding a pipa came out from behind the screen. She was tall and pretty, with a hint of shyness between her eyebrows.

Coming in front of Cui Zibo and Hu Ming, the woman bowed slightly and Hu Ming introduced with a smile:
"This is my new concubine Mingqiu. What do you think, Brother Cui?"

Cui Zibo was a little absent-minded when he saw the woman in front of him. However, when he heard Hu Ming say that Mingqiu was her concubine, a hint of disappointment appeared in Cui Zibo's eyes, and he smiled and said to Hu Ming:
“With Miss Mingqiu by your side, Brother Hu, you are truly a blessed man…”

Hu Ming smiled complacently upon hearing this:
"Although our Jiangnan skinny horses are very famous, Brother Cui, don't think that Mingqiu is the same as those skinny horses just because he is proficient in music!"

"Mingqiu is the innocent daughter of an upright official family. It's just that their family committed some crimes and came to me for help. The matter was not serious and I handled it for them. So in order to thank me, their family sent Mingqiu to serve me!"

Having said this, Hu Ming looked at Ming Qiu with a frivolous look in his expression. At the same time, Ming Qiu lowered her head, and there seemed to be a hint of sadness in her expression, as if she was lamenting to the God about her bad fate, that a rich lady had fallen to being a concubine serving others!
Seeing Hu Ming's arrogance and Ming Qiu's sorrow, although Cui Zi Bo didn't say anything, he felt a little pity for this thin woman in his heart.

After showing off in front of Cui ZiBo, Hu Ming waved his hand and Ming Qiu bowed to the two of them again, then turned around and walked out of the warm room.

After Ming Qiu left, the two continued to drink and chat, but Cui Zibo seemed a little absent-minded at this time. Seeing this, Hu Ming was delighted, knowing that the fish had been hooked!
After giving Cui Zibo a few more glasses of wine, Hu Ming tentatively asked Cui Zibo:
"Brother Cui, I heard that our Marshal intends to tour the south next year?"

Although he had drunk two more cups, when Cui Zibo heard Hu Ming ask this, he became alert and said:

“Brother Hu, you’re asking even though you already know the answer. It’s no secret that the Marshal will be on his southern tour at the imperial court next year…”

Hu Ming smiled and said:
"Brother Cui, what do you think is the purpose of the Marshal's southern tour?"

Cui Zibo took a bite of fish and said while eating:
"Brother Hu, I'm not a prophet, so how can I know what the Marshal wants to do during his southern tour?"

Hu Ming heard this and said:

"I heard that your father wanted you, Brother Cui, to accompany the Marshal on his southern tour!"

Cui Zibo snorted and said:

"I am the Minister of Justice. What am I doing on the Southern Tour?"

"If anyone is going to go, it should be you, the Minister of Revenue, Brother Hu. Besides, my father's words are useless. It is up to the Marshal to decide whether to take me with him!"

Seeing that Cui Zibo was very alert and unable to get anything out of him, Hu Ming did not continue asking. Half an incense stick of time later, when the two of them had finished their work together, Cui Zibo made an excuse to leave, and Hu Ming personally sent him to the door.

After sending Cui Zibo away, Hu Ming returned to the warm room, and at this time Ming Qiu also returned to the warm room.

Feeling Mingqiu's doubtful gaze, Hu Ming said calmly:
"I changed my mind!"

Mingqiu hesitated for a moment and said:
"Sir, aren't you going to give me to Minister Cui?"

Hu Ming shook his head and said:

“I still have to send you off, but I’m just going to use a different method. I can’t just give you to Cui Zibo like this…”

After saying that, Hu Ming lifted Mingqiu's chin, looked at Mingqiu's delicate face and said with some emotion:
"Mingqiu, you are indeed a natural actor. Your sad expression just now was just perfect. Cui Zibo must be full of pity for you!"

Mingqiu's expression remained expressionless while listening to Hu Ming's words. At this time, Hu Ming put down his teasing hand and said excitedly:
"Compared to the old fox Cui Shao, Cui Zibo is not stupid, but he is still too naive!"

"In the next few months, whenever I have the chance, I will invite Cui Zibo to my home. Mingqiu, you have to continue to perform songs for him, and I will continue to humiliate you in front of him. Cui Zibo is not as hard-hearted as his father Cui Shao, who is unyielding. Mingqiu, you have to find a way to arouse his desire to protect you!"

"When the time is right, I will drug him and send you to his bed. Mingqiu, don't get entangled with him any more, or he will feel even more guilty towards you. Then I will pretend to have discovered your affair with him and beat you to death!"

"I believe Cui Zibo will not remain indifferent by then. Then Mingqiu, you can go to him naturally!"

“Before Cui Shao retires, he will definitely promote Cui Zibo to the position. By then, with your help, Mingqiu, the Yijing court will no longer have any secrets for us…”

At the end of the conversation, Hu Ming's eyes showed a touch of longing. In recent years, their Hu family seemed to be a wealthy family, making a fortune every day, which was enviable! But who knew their suffering? In the Great Zhou Dynasty, these merchants seemed to have money, but in fact, they only had a chamber pot!
When others want something, they just pee on it; when they don’t want it anymore, they just throw it aside. On the surface, they make a lot of money, but in fact, most of the money they earn is given as tribute to various visible and invisible masters. Not only that, they also have to take the blame and endure all kinds of shit pots!
The grievances and sufferings involved cannot be told to outsiders!

Decades ago, Hu Ming's grandfather Hu Guang was asked for bribes by Zhao Lin, the then governor of Jiangnan in Da Zhou. Because the amount was huge, Hu Guang did not fully agree and only gave part of it. Zhao Lin did not say anything when he did not get what he wanted. He just found a reason and put Hu Guang in jail.

Hu Guang was a man who valued money more than his life. Although he was tortured in prison, he still refused to give in. However, his sons could not sit still and they scraped together the money that Zhao Lin asked for, thus saving Hu Guang's life.

But even so, Hu Guang, who developed a chronic illness in prison, died of depression a year later. Before his death, he instructed his sons that the Hu family should not only make a lot of money but also become high-ranking officials!

Only by holding power can you truly control your own destiny·························

Having money but no power is like a big fat pig. People can slaughter you however they want. It was under the teachings of his grandfather that Hu Ming studied hard, passed the imperial examination, entered the officialdom, and successfully married into the Wang family of Guanzhong, and step by step reached his current position!
Although he has already risen to the position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, third grade, and it seems that he is only one step away from entering the cabinet and becoming a prime minister in the future, but Hu Ming is a family man who knows his own business!
Although he was nominally the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the third in command of the important department in charge of the finances and administration of the Yijing court, in fact he had never entered the core layer of the Yijing court. Most of the power of the Ministry of Revenue was concentrated in the hands of Shangshu Cui Shao and Left Vice Minister Zhang Juning. He, as the Right Vice Minister, was only in charge of trivial matters!

For this reason, some senior officials and Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Revenue, although they respected him on the surface, did not respect him at all behind his back, and even mentioned him with ridicule and contempt in their words!

Hu Ming is very clear about this situation. He is unwilling to be in such a predicament. He wants to change this situation and become bigger and stronger in the Yijing court!
It is for this reason that Hu Ming wants to cling to Cui Shao’s thighs and flatter Cui Zibo. He wants to use Cui Shao’s relationship to squeeze into the core layer of power in Yijing court and become a core figure in the power system of Yijing court...

The currently planned southern tour was a rare and good opportunity. Hu Ming could more or less guess what kind of value the Marshal wanted him to demonstrate by appointing him as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue!
But because he did not squeeze into the core layer of the Yijing court, Hu Ming was unable to obtain some more specific information. Therefore, he felt that these current speculations were not enough. He needed to better understand the intentions of his superiors and seize the opportunity of Ye Mingsheng's southern tour to make Ye Mingsheng satisfied with his work and appreciate him!

It was because of this idea that Hu Ming carefully set up the current situation, hoping to place a nail next to Cui Zibo!
Then get more inside information through Cui Zibo. Although Cui Zibo has no special ability, his father Cui Shao is the real boss in the Yijing court!

Cui Shao had his reasons for asking Cui Zibo to accompany him on the southern tour, and he could also take advantage of this opportunity!
Just when Hu Ming was thinking about what kind of layout and plan to make himself climb to a higher position, he did not notice that there was a flash of hatred in Ming Qiu's eyes behind him!
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East Island, Hakata

In the mansion of the Hojo family, a young man was brought before the head of the Hojo family, the daimyo of Higashijima, Hojo Kawa.

"Uncle Hojo!"

When the young Watanabe Kenjiro saw Hojo Kawa, he bowed deeply. Hojo Kawa smiled and nodded, motioning Watanabe Kenjiro to sit down.

Watanabe Kenjiro sat down and took out a small box and said:

"Uncle Hojo, my father said that he lost the bet to you this time, so he is willing to admit defeat and give this thing to you!"

Hearing this, Hojo Kawa smiled even more, and then motioned to the maid beside him to bring the small box to him. After receiving this somewhat mysterious small box, Hojo Kawa also asked Watanabe Kenjiro:

"Kenjiro, how is your father doing?"

Watanabe Kenjiro seemed to have anticipated that Hojogawa would ask this question and immediately said:

"My father can eat a pound of beef and three bowls of rice in one meal. He is in very good health. Thank you for your concern, Uncle Hojo!"

Hearing what Watanabe Kenjiro said, Hojo Kawa nodded slightly and said with some regret:
“Your father and I have been friends for decades, but I haven’t seen him for many years. I heard some bad news recently, and I miss your father very much. Now that I hear what you said, Kenjiro, I can feel at ease...”

Watanabe Kenjiro said with some resentment after hearing this:
"It's those bastards from the Toyotomi shogunate who are spreading rumors. They wish my father would die right now!"

After hearing what Watanabe Kenjiro said, Hojo Kawa did not respond, but changed the subject and asked again:
"Your father asked you, Kenjiro, to come to me this time, but what's the matter?"

Watanabe Kenjiro nodded and said directly:
"The Zhou people promised my father that if we raised an army to honor the emperor and overthrow the Qing Dynasty, they would give us 3,000 cannons and 100,000 shi of grain!"

"Uncle Hojo, you know that the Toyotomi shogunate has been attacking us daimyo in recent years. The situation between us is becoming more and more tense, and the contradictions are becoming more and more irreconcilable. The risk of war in the next few years is very high, so my father is somewhat tempted by the conditions of the Zhou people!"

"But my father is a little worried about the Zhou people's intentions. He doesn't think that the Zhou people paid so much just to increase trade with Dongdao!"

Hearing what Watanabe Kenjiro said, Hojogawa smiled and said:

"The Zhou people's purpose is not just to increase trade with Dongdao. These Zhou people came to Dongdao for revenge!"

"Revenge?" Watanabe Kenjiro asked in confusion:

Under Watanabe Kenjiro's puzzled gaze, Baijokawa nodded seriously and said:
"That's right, revenge!"

After saying this, Beijo Chuan said with some emotion:

“This is the debt of love owed by Muto Mazaaki decades ago. The old man would never have thought that one of his abandoned children would turn into a raging flame and burn him…”

(End of this chapter)