If a corrupt official was incompetent, that would be fine. But Heshen's greed was matched only by his talent. Otherwise, he would not have been able to rise to such a high position in the officialdom. If he had missed this opportunity, he would have missed out on a great talent. But if he had been accepted and recruited, he might have been a time bomb.
A single bad apple can spoil the whole barrel.
Don't bring the bad atmosphere of greed and corruption directly into Xuanhuang City, that would be extremely bad. No one knows what Heshen will do if he really comes to power.
If you want to make money, it's like throwing a mouse into a rice jar.
Thinking of that scene, Yi Tianxing's eyelids could not help but twitch violently. To recruit such a corrupt official, he felt a great deal of pressure. This was a double-edged sword. If used well, it would be very beneficial. If used poorly, it would hurt others and himself.
Even Yi Tianxing was standing in front of the store, feeling a bit caught in a dilemma.
"Has the lord heard of Heshen?" Jia Xu had already guessed something when he saw Yi Tianxing's expression, so he asked.
"Haha. Let's go in and meet He Shen and the boss first."
Yi Tianxing smiled and did not answer immediately. He looked in front of him. Now that he was here, there was no reason for him to just leave. Besides, he had to see what kind of person this legendary corrupt official was.
"Hey! Isn't this Mr. Jia? How did you find time to come here? This is... the city lord. It's really an honor for us to have the city lord come to our shop. Come! Come! Come, please come in quickly."
Just walked into the store.
Then, a fat man with a short stature and eyes the size of green beans looked over. When he saw Jia Xu, he greeted him warmly. When he saw Yi Tianxing, the smile on his face became even more intense. He actually called out Yi Tianxing's identity right away. Obviously, his appearance was not unfamiliar at all.
"And the boss, please forgive me for disturbing you."
Yi Tianxing nodded, but there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.
The Heshen in front of him looked very familiar, just like a certain star who played Heshen in the past, but he looked younger. From the gleam in his eyes from time to time, it can be seen that he is definitely not a simple person, but a shrewd man.
Heshen simply hung a sign outside saying that the business was temporarily closed.
After returning, he invited Yi Tianxing and Jia Xu to the side, poured hot water, brewed a pot of tea, and poured a cup for each.
"Tea, Pu'er tea, this is a treasured Pu'er tea, which I bought from an old gentleman with great difficulty. It cost me a lot of Eternal Coins, but I usually like this. This is an aged Pu'er tea. According to my calculations, it is almost two or three hundred years old. It is a rare and good thing. Pu'er tea is good for health. The older it is, the stronger the tea aroma. You are drinking tea, but you are tasting time."
Heshen said with a smile.
There was a calm look on his face. He poured tea while talking. He did not kowtow too much just because Yi Tianxing was the city lord.
"He Shen, He Zhongtang, I didn't expect to see you today. This world is really so incredible. I wonder if Mr. He is used to living in Xuanhuang City." Yi Tianxing smiled indifferently, picked up the Pu'er in front of him, smelled it, and the fragrance of tea filled his nose. After drinking it, a strong bitterness echoed on the tip of his tongue. Then there was a sweetness, and after the sweetness, it was as tasteless as water.
When you drink Pu'er tea, you are drinking the years and tasting the life.
Great tea!!
Even though Yi Tianxing was not very proficient in the tea ceremony, he couldn't help but secretly admire it in his heart.
"This is Pu'er tea that has been brewed for hundreds of years. It is the best quality. I remember that in my time, even tea was rare, let alone this kind of top quality. Good stuff, it is really good stuff. Boss, you really have a good thing in your hands."
Jia Xu said with a smile.
He also praised the Pu'er tea in front of him.
It is truly a rare treasure.
"Heshen, if I remember correctly, in history, you are a super corrupt official. You have a huge amount of money. I wonder what your plans are for the future." Yi Tianxing asked calmly.
"I don't deny that I was greedy. In the beginning, I was greedy. In fact, every time I saw the white silver and the golden gold, I told myself that I couldn't accept it and had to stop, otherwise, I would have a bad ending. But when I saw the gold and silver treasures again, I couldn't help but put them in my pocket. You can say that I am greedy, but I can't admit that I squeezed the people's fat and blood. I was greedy for other officials' filial piety and bribes. But I never took the initiative to ask the people for a penny. If I don't take this money, others will take it. It's better for this money to fall into my hands than to go into the pockets of incompetent people. At least when I was in office, the Ministry of Revenue never lacked silver."
He Shen said with a faint smile.
There was no sense in his words that he was talking about himself. He looked like an outsider. It was very strange. It seemed that he didn't care about the past at all.
In fact, just as he said, when he was in power, the operation of the court, all kinds of money and materials were well managed. At least he knew where to be greedy and where not to be greedy. This was also the reason why he was deeply valued by the emperor and even indispensable. He was really talented. Ability is not something that can be boasted.
It's real.
"What the superior likes, the subordinates will follow. Your greed has allowed the officials below to see an opportunity for advancement. They can get what they want through you, and the bridge between them is money. Although you did not personally extort the money, it allowed the officials below to desperately exploit the people and squeeze their fat and blood. The people of the world are suffering, and corrupt officials are rampant. This is not unrelated to you. In officialdom, greed is the root of all sins." Yi Tianxing said disapprovingly.
"Yes, how many people can see clearly the word greed?" Heshen said with a sigh when he heard it.
No matter how much money you have, in the end, all you can take away is a pile of dirt. Nothing else. What is the point of having money
He seemed to have a kind of indifference that came from seeing through the world.
"It seems that the boss and I have now seen through fame and fortune." Yi Tianxing said with a faint smile.
"This is the Eternal Continent. All the countries and families in the past no longer exist. Even ethnicity has no meaning. Being here represents a new life. What I want now is to run this shop well and earn some money, enough for my own cultivation. I have finally figured it out. Money is enough for daily use."
Heshen said calmly.
If it were to be made known to others, it would undoubtedly be a huge joke if a corrupt official said he would no longer be greedy for money.
However, no one can laugh now.
As he said, in the Eternal Continent, no matter who you are, it is almost equivalent to welcoming a new life, a new life that you can choose to start over, and the opportunity to change your own destiny.
Jia Xu did not interrupt.
But from his words, it can be seen that Yi Tianxing knew He Shen's affairs very well, and He Shen was not surprised at all that he was not recognized. In fact, He Shen was actually an incredible corrupt official. This also caused a ripple in Jia Xu's heart.
"Sure enough, few of these talented people are simple. They all have extraordinary experiences and pasts."
Jia Xu sighed to himself.
"Boss, are you willing to serve in my Xuanhuang City? If you are willing, your status and position will not disappoint you."
After thinking about it, Yi Tianxing decided to extend the invitation.
Even though this invitation contains some powerful hidden dangers, it cannot be denied that this is a talented person. Moreover, as he said, coming to the Eternal Continent is a new life, and everything in the past can be thrown aside.
He even accepted a famous eunuch like Cao Zhengchun, so he was not afraid of another corrupt official coming along.
As long as they have talent, he dares to use them. As long as they don't relapse into old habits, everything else can be put aside.
"No, I still think it's easier to run my own grocery store. I have seen too much intrigue in the officialdom. With my ability, if you invite me over and really give me the power to manage Wanbao Hall, I'm afraid you will be the first to be worried. Besides, Hall Master Xue Jin is doing a very good job. I can't take someone else's position. It's better to do some small business."
Heshen said with a smile.
The words already revealed a polite refusal.
... ... ... ... ... ... .
Stayed in the grocery store for a while.
Yi Tianxing and Jia Xu left together and walked on the street.
Jia Xu smiled faintly and said, "My lord, you really dare to employ such a corrupt person. If this leads to a bad atmosphere, the consequences will be extremely serious."
"A corrupt official must have great talent, especially one who is so corrupt that even the emperor is unwilling to kill him. There is only one person like Heshen in the world. If he dares to follow me, I will accept him. This is a new world, and it may be a new beginning. People can choose their lives. Now, we are standing at a new starting line. Why can't we give him a chance?"
Yi Tianxing said calmly.
To be honest, before, I never thought that there was such a corrupt official in the city. It seems that there are still too many powerful people and people with special instincts hidden among the people.
"Based on He Shen's words, Xu believes that he is not without the idea of becoming an official, but he just wants to gain status. This is similar to the boss, who must have a strong obsession with officialdom. Moreover, his words did not completely block the possibility of him becoming an official. He should still be waiting and watching."
Jia Xu did not speak before, but he was always observing He Shen's various expressions and actions. Then he speculated on his inner thoughts. Mobile users please browse m..Read for a better reading experience.