First Prince of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 395 Sugar-coated Cannonballs
After listening to Zhu Biao, these are the corrupt officials handed over by the local government in recent months.

Before Zhu Biao entered Qingyang, he ordered the Chen family to investigate secretly. There will always be a few clean people when corrupt officials are rampant. Killing corrupt officials is part of purging officials, and keeping and promoting honest and honest officials is also part of it. Punish the evil and promote the good. Can reverse the unhealthy wind.

It is not difficult for Chen Bingxian to do business in Qingyang. It is not difficult to investigate this kind of thing. After all, the officials don't need to cover up the current situation.

In the morning, Zhu Biao took advantage of the pretense of inspecting the Chen family's shops, and took a good tour of Qingyang Fucheng. Regardless of what he saw and heard along the way, he would become numb to the cruel reality after seeing too much.

At noon, Chen Bingxian led Zhu Biao to the gate of Zhang's mansion. They also entered the compound four times, but the style of the gate was much stronger than the courtyard where Zhu Biao stayed. extraordinary.

Looking up at the eaves of the door, it is also very distinctive. There are two layers of brackets under the eaves, two on the forehead and four under the eaves. All of them have oblique arches, which look like flowers from a distance.Except for the brackets, there is no wood carving decoration on the gate tower, which looks simple and solemn.

Zhang Heng personally led his son out to greet him. This was considered a family banquet, and it was indeed a great way to save face. Zhu Biao smiled and cupped his hands: "How dare you bother uncle to greet him personally, this will make my nephew feel ashamed to enter the house."

"Hahaha, my nephew is too polite, why can't the old man welcome me personally when I come to the house for the first time, it will be convenient in the future, just come straight in as my own."

Zhu Biao clasped his hands and looked at the young man beside him. He looked like a man in his early 20s, with a bookish air all over his body: "I have seen my elder brother, and it is impolite to come to visit rashly. I hope my elder brother will not be offended."

The young man cupped his hands in return and said: "Brother Zhang Mingyuan has seen the virtuous brother, it is my fault that I didn't go to cleanse the virtuous brother yesterday, please come to the house and talk about it."

Zhu Biao nodded with a smile, the three of them walked in the front, Chen Rongyan and others followed, entered Zhang's mansion and saw the screen wall, depicting the pattern of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, it was a master's handwriting.

After passing through the courtyard of Yimen, they entered the main hall of the front yard. After they were seated, the servants served tea, and Zhu Biao also presented the gifts prepared by the Chen family.

Zhang Mingyuan was very curious about the Guozijian in the capital, and after drinking tea several times, it was not that Zhu Biao had never been there, so he naturally explained it to him.

Zhang Heng laughed beside him and said, "In the future, it will be regarded as an acquaintance. We should move around more, and coming and going are brothers."

Zhang Mingyuan really likes the appearance of Zhu Biao's cheap and virtuous younger brother. He was born in a noble family in the south of the Yangtze River and studied in the Imperial Academy in the capital. His appearance and temperament are also extraordinary, so he naturally has a friendly heart.

Chen Rongyan drank a cup of tea and said to Mr. Zhang's Xixi who was opposite him: "I waited to transport grain from Huaiqing just because the price of grain here has risen. I wonder if this business can still be done now?"

Zhu Biaozheng was talking with Zhang Mingyuan. Hearing this, he frowned and was about to reprimand him. Zhang Heng waved his hand to stop him and said: "Businessmen are cheap, and my nephew is a high-level talent in the Imperial College. It should not be involved more than this matter. Mr. Xun led Chen Shopkeeper, go down and talk about the current market."

Zhang Mingyuan also nodded and said: "Since there is a special person to deal with it, you don't need to pay attention to it, since my father has spoken, you will not suffer."

After Zhu Biao heard the words, he didn't say any more. After that Mr. Xun stood up and saluted, he led the two brothers of the Chen family down, but the elite guards of the government who followed Zhu Biao did not move at all. The servant tried a few words of persuasion, but there was no response at all.

After all, Zhang Heng is a magistrate of the same prefecture. He can be seen at a glance that he is an elite in the army, and he looks calm. He doesn't care that this is the magistrate's prefecture. His Highness is probably the guard specially arranged by the crown prince for Chen Yunze.

Thinking about it this way, Zhang Heng was even more determined to befriend Chen Yunze, a good nephew. Ordinary people are not qualified to let His Highness send personal guards to protect His Highness even if they help His Highness sell food.

After a while, it was time for lunch. Behind the screen in the main hall was a big Eight Immortals table, which was full of dishes. When Zhu Biao passed by, Zhang Heng's wife also came out to meet, even if it was just to say hello, But that means something else.

In this day and age, the women in the inner house of the rich and powerful families would not easily meet outsiders, at most they would meet the nephews of their husbands or natal families. Zhu Biao looked flattered on his face, which made Zhang Heng and his son laugh a few words.

The three of them were the only ones who could sit at the table to eat. The dishes were not as many as those at the banquet last night, but the exquisiteness was the same. Zhu Biao picked up a chopstick of fish, and the taste was similar to the ones he ate at the West Lake in Hangzhou.

After Zhu Biao ate it, he naturally sighed a few words, and Zhang Heng smiled and said: "My nephew has been away from home to study and do things for a long time. This is a Jiangnan chef invited by the magistrate. I just want to Let my nephew eat home-cooked food."

Zhu Biao smiled and toasted a glass of wine. To be honest, if he wasn't Zhu Biao, only Chen Yunze would really regard Zhang Heng as his own uncle. After all, there are not many people who can take care of you so attentively.

Human nature is like this, if someone treats you well, you can't help but defend him, even if you know that he is a villain to others, but you can always think of being nice to me.

Of course, Zhu Biao has lived for such a long time and stands tall and far-sighted. It is not an exaggeration to say that he has a clear understanding of the world. Zhang Heng takes care of him so much for the sake of Chen Youzong, the envoy of the General Administration, and the Crown Prince of the East Palace. Thinking of taking this opportunity to win over the relationship, after all, he doesn't want to stop at a mere fifth-rank acquaintance.

What's more, the things he promised to Zhu Biao were all obtained by searching for the people's fat and anointing. There is no king in the world, that is, he robbed Zhu Biao's things to please Zhu Biao, which is naturally wrong.

Having said that, Zhu Biao ate the food in his mouth, and then looked at Zhang Heng and his son opposite him, and suddenly had a strange feeling. Now he is enjoying his guests, but in the future, all the houses in this house will be copied by him with one order. cut……

Even though he still kept a smile on his face, the food was really unpalatable. Perhaps his heart was not cold enough, or hard enough. What kind of small favors are these? .

Zhu Biao took a few more mouthfuls of fish, and thought about it in his heart, and then the people in the city suddenly became sober. They acted so seriously just now that they really thought of themselves as Chen Yunze.

But it can also be seen how profound the skills of these corrupt officials are. This is not real gold or silver, and there is no coercion or temptation. If Zhu Biao hadn't come in person, the ordinary censor imperial envoys could really resist such sugar-coated shells ?
Don't be afraid of corrupt officials being vicious, just be afraid that corrupt officials have many routines, and it is really difficult to guard against.

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(End of this chapter)