Bad news spread thousands of miles
Fan Li accompanied Gou Jian, the king of Yue, to sleep on the firewood and taste the courage. He also used the beauty trick to bewitch the king of Wu and finally destroyed the country of Wu. When the work was done, Fan Li knew that Gou Jian was not someone who could share wealth and wealth, so he placed the official seal on the beam and left without saying goodbye.
After several twists and turns, Fan Li arrived at Nantao Village in Qi State, where he led his family to cultivate wasteland and engage in farming and business. After more than ten years of hard work, Fan Li became a wealthy man, known as Tao Zhugong.
Tao and Zhu Gong governed the country. After leaving Yue, he also served as the prime minister of Qi. Only because he did not want to be a corrupt official to make dirty money, and did not want to be an upright official and live in poverty for the rest of his life, he resigned and started a business; Tao and Zhu Gong managed finance, and he stayed "Tao Zhugong's Business Classic" is a magic weapon for businessmen in later generations to get rich. Many people still regard Tao Zhugong as a god and burn incense and kowtow to him every day. Tao Zhugong is also a man of love. It is said that Xi Shi fell in love with him at that time. After marrying him, she was willing to be King Wu's plaything and fulfill Yue's beauty trap. Tao Zhugong, who seemed to be omnipotent, failed to discipline his son well. Tao Zhugong has three sons. The eldest son, Tao Fu, is his right-hand man in starting a business. He is quite kind. Although the second son, Tao Lu, and the youngest son, Tao Shou, are smart, they are inevitably frivolous and domineering from the second generation of rich people, which can cause him trouble from time to time. Little trouble.
Tao Zhugong was getting old and could not bear the fatigue of traveling and traveling. He could only let his son take care of business matters. On that day, the second son Tao Lu was going to Chu State to sell silk. This was the first time that he had done a big business on his own. Tao Zhugong walked Tao Lu to the entrance of the village on crutches, held his hand, talked a lot of nonsense, and asked him to recite "Tao Zhugong Business Sutra" again, and then let go of his son and let him go. Travel far.
Tao Lu's carriage disappeared, but Tao Zhugong still stood at the entrance of the village for a long time, looking into the incomprehensible distance. Tao Zhugong did not doubt his son's ability to do business since he was a child. He was worried about his son's ability to be a human being. Being a human being is much more difficult than doing business.
After Tao Lu left, Tao Zhugong often wandered around his farm, instructing the workers on how to water and fertilize. Only he himself knows that his advice may not be correct. At this time, what he was concerned about was not how the crops were growing, but whether his son could return safely. A month later, on the hillside behind the house, Tao Zhugong saw his family's carriage from a distance. He was overjoyed at first. His son was back! Then I was surprised again. The carriage was running too fast. It was obviously empty!
An ominous premonition flashed through Tao Zhugong's heart. The carriage came rapidly and stopped suddenly in front of Tao Zhugong.
There was no Tao Lu in the carriage.
The coachman jumped out of the car and shouted: "Master, it's not good!"
It was really bad, but Tao Zhugong calmed down and said: "Don't be anxious, go home first. Have a drink of water, take a rest, and talk slowly."
The coachman couldn't wait to go home and drink water, so he blurted out: "Master, the second young master killed someone in Chu State and was arrested!"
Tao Shou saw his brother's carriage coming back and ran towards him. He happened to hear the carriage driver's words and scolded him: "You slave, a member of the Tao family, it doesn't matter if you kill so many people! Are you yelling to scare my father?" ?I’ll slap you hard!”
Tao Zhugong raised his cane, intending to hit Tao Shou, and cursed: "Nie Zhan, do you want to piss your father off to death?"
Holding his cane high and pretending to hit him was a trick Tao Zhugong often used to teach his son. His son dodged away, so he stopped pursuing it. Today, Tao Shou did not evade, lowered his head and said, "Dad, if hitting me makes you feel better, then hit me hard."
Tao Zhugong shook his hand, and his cane fell on Tao Shou's shoulder.
Money makes sense
It is unfair to say that Tao Lu killed someone. When he saw an old lady falling on the bridge, he hurriedly stepped forward to help her up, but the old lady grabbed her and said that Tao Lu had knocked her down and had some problems. She might die one day and Tao Lu had to pay compensation. She made a coffin for a tael of gold. Tao Lu took out a ten-tael gold ingot, pointed at the people watching around him, and said to the old lady: "Old man , rich man, happy man , ask the people around here. If anyone says, I was the one who knocked him down." You, these ten taels of gold are yours."
Anyone who is new to the world believes that justice lies in the heart. Tao Lu didn't know that the so-called justice was actually just a joke. From ancient times to the present, there has never been any justice. As soon as he finished speaking, many people in the crowd shouted: "You were the one who hit her!" Some of the people shouting were the old lady's accomplices, and some were just making noise, just wanting to see how this ostentatious rich man would end up.
The old lady was so proud that she reached for the gold ingot and said, "Young man, I will help you make a fortune after I die." Tao Lu was angry and said, "Why are the people of Chu so unkind! I don't care about money, but I will never Don't give a penny to unkind people!" After Tao Lu finished speaking, he threw the gold ingot into the river under the bridge.
The waves were so rough that not a single splash of gold ingot was made. The old lady and her friends were shocked. After being stunned for a long time, the old lady suddenly became fierce and said: "It's fine if you knock me down and I won't pay you, but no matter how rich you are, you can't insult the Chu people. I want to seek justice for the Chu people today!" the old lady said. Then he bumped towards Tao Lu.
Tao Lu dodged. The old lady couldn't hold back her strength, hit her head on the stone guardrail, and died.
Tao Lu said unkind words about the people of Chu, which angered the people of Chu. Everyone unanimously agreed that Tao Lu pushed the old lady and hit her to death. As a result, Tao Lu was put on death row.
After listening to the coachman's story about Tao Lu's "murder", Tao Shou said: "Dad, don't worry, my second brother will be fine. People in Chu love money, so let's take a cart of gold and my second brother will come back alive and kicking." "
Tao Fu was worried and said: "Money should be spent on ideas. Only if we find witnesses to prove that the old lady was not pushed and hit to death by the second brother, can the second brother wash away the injustice and escape safely."
Tao Shou said: "Hey, brother, you are behind the times. By the time you find the witnesses, the second brother will be dead! There is no injustice. In today's world, if there is no reason, money will make sense. Problems that can be solved with money, We don’t need to make it so complicated. Let’s knock the Chu people unconscious with money first, and then fish out the second brother.”
Tao Fu was very unhappy when his younger brother contradicted him in person, and said: "Third brother, if you are unreasonable, you will suffer a loss…"
Tao Zhugong paused with his cane, interrupted Tao Fu, and said, "Stop arguing. Tao Shou, hurry up and prepare 20,000 taels of gold, and go to Chu State to find your Uncle Zhuang Sheng."
Tao Fu wanted to go to Chu to sell silk, so his father sent his second younger brother to go; Tao Fu wanted to go to Chu to save his second younger brother, but his father sent his third younger brother to go. Tao Fu was very hurt. He had worked hard with his father for many years and made great contributions to the Tao family. However, his father didn't seem to value him very much and only let him do trivial tasks like managing farm workers. Tao Fu cried to his mother: "Mom, am I really useless? Since my father doesn't take me as the eldest son seriously, I might as well die."
Tao's mother also felt that the old man didn't trust his eldest son very much, so she said to Tao Zhugong: "The third child may not be able to save the second child if he goes to Chu State. If the elder brother is depressed to death again, our Tao family will be too miserable." "Tao Zhugong pondered for a long time and sighed: "Then let the boss go."
Don’t be arrogant when it comes to getting rich
Tao Zhugong wrote a letter to Zhuang Sheng, telling Tao Fu that when he arrived in Chu State, he handed the letter and the gold to Zhuang Sheng, and said nothing, let alone whether Tao Lu was wronged or not, and turned back quickly.
Tao Fu arrived in Chu State and handed the letter and twenty thousand taels of gold to Zhuang Sheng. Zhuang Sheng glanced at Tao Zhugong's letter and said to Tao Fu: "Go home quickly. If your brother is released, don't ask how he was released."
Less than ten minutes before and after. Tao Fu gave away 20,000 taels of gold without even taking a sip of water. Just go back like this? Tao Fu was worried and unwilling. He came to save his younger brother. How could he explain to his parents that he didn't bring his younger brother back?
Tao Fu did not go home. In addition to the 20,000 taels of gold given to Zhuang Sheng, Tao Fu also brought some gold, silver and jewelry. After leaving Zhuang Sheng's house, he visited several important officials of the Chu State. He wanted to ensure that his second brother was safe. At the same time, Tao Fu began to quietly search for witnesses and investigate the truth behind his second brother's "murder".
Zhuang Sheng was a good friend of Tao Zhugong, so he was naturally very concerned about Tao Lu's murder. Even if Tao Zhugong didn't write a letter or send gold, he would try his best to save him. The reason why Zhuang Sheng accepted the gold was just to reassure Tao Zhugong that he would return the gold when Tao Lu came out safely.
Zhuang Sheng thought about it for a few days and came up with a way. He said to the King of Chu: "I look at the sky at night, and there seems to be an ominous sign. I'm afraid it will be bad for Chu." The King of Chu was superstitious about the sky, and he suddenly became panicked and said: " What should we do?" Zhuang Sheng said: "Moral government can move the world and appease the people. The quickest measure of moral government is to amnesty the world."
Zhuang Sheng was the most trusted and upright minister of the King of Chu. The King of Chu could not imagine that Zhuang Sheng would use this method to save his friend's son, so he said: "Then let's grant amnesty." He immediately ordered his secretary to write an edict of amnesty.
The secretary who wrote the amnesty edict was managed by Tao Fu. He told Tao Fu the good news overnight: Don't worry, your brother is saved, and the King of Chu will grant amnesty to the world. Tao Fu was overjoyed and felt sorry for the twenty thousand taels of gold given to Zhuang Sheng, so he came to Zhuang Sheng's house again.
When Zhuang Sheng saw Tao Fu, he frowned and said, "Why haven't you gone back yet?"
Tao Fu said: "Uncle Zhuang, I came to Chu to save my younger brother. If my younger brother is not rescued, naturally I can't go back. Last night I heard that the King of Chu is going to grant amnesty to the world. If my younger brother is fine, I can go home." I came here to say goodbye to Uncle Zhuang."
Zhuang Sheng said "Oh" and said, "I haven't touched your gold. You can take it back."
Tao Fu was not polite, moved the gold back to the carriage, and left happily.
Zhuang was very angry. He had no intention of asking for the 20,000 taels of gold, but returning it by himself was so different from being asked to take it back. Zhuang Sheng felt that he had been spit on by someone in front of him. He went into the palace and said to the King of Chu: "The two young masters of Tao Tuhao killed the old lady and slandered the people of Chu. The impact was extremely bad. There are rumors outside that the Tao family wanted to save Tao Er. Young Master, I bribed many important ministers of Chu State. There are even more outrageous rumors that I accepted 20,000 taels of gold from the Tao rich man before instigating the king to grant amnesty to the world. Your Majesty, Mingjian, I did not take a penny from the Tao family."
The King of Chu said: "Then kill the Second Young Master Tao first, and then grant amnesty to the world."
So what Tao Fu brought home from Chu was Tao Lu's body.
Tao Zhugong gave a wry smile. When the eldest brother went to Chu State, Tao Zhugong knew that the second brother would definitely die. Because the eldest son has gone through hardships with his father and knows that every penny is hard-earned and is reluctant to part with it. When the third child was born, the Tao family was already a wealthy family. He had been spending a lot of money since he was a child. Only in this way could he save the second child. Tao Zhugong finally agreed that Tao Fu should go to Chu State, which could be regarded as using Tao Lu's life to add to "Tao Zhugong's Business Book": If you get rich, don't let your children be too arrogant.