The Reborn Duke of Ming Dynasty

Two updates today, this is Chapter 2

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Zhang Yufang's life has been somewhat unsatisfactory recently.Since my ancestors came to Yangzhou during the Hongwu period to start a jade business, I know that during the orthodox period, the Zhang family has become the leader in the jade industry in Yangzhou City, with a large shop and many branches, and even Yingtianfu has its branch.In the early years of Longqing, the imperial court ordered the opening and closing, and the Zhang family's jade wares were sold overseas, and their reputation grew.Zhang Yufang even planned to go to the capital to open a shop.

But now the Zhang family is in big trouble.When Wu Guifang, the previous prefect of Yangzhou, was in office, he paid great attention to the development of Yangzhou.But Wu Guifang has now been promoted to the right servant of the Ministry of War because of her meritorious service against the Japanese.However, the current prefect Wang Dezhao exploited these merchants severely, and there were countless levies and miscellaneous taxes.Many big households in the city have no choice, after all, they still have to do their own business.Originally, with the financial resources of the Zhang family, it would be safe to give some money to Wang Dezhao.But Zhang Yufang has a bit of a temper, and he is quite famous for relying on his family's jade wares. Even the imperial court sent people here to purchase, but they didn't buy Wang Dezhao's account.

So Wang Dezhao didn't like the Zhang family very much, but because the Zhang family's things were also in demand in the imperial court, he didn't make trouble.But now that Gao Gong ordered Hai Rui to thoroughly investigate the land occupation by local tyrants, Wang Dezhao became concerned.

Originally, the Zhang family was just doing business, but they had some fields in the counties below Yangzhou, but they were not first-class tyrants who forcibly occupied the cultivated land.But Wang Dezhao forced a group of people to say that Zhang Yufang wanted to buy the land by force, and Ying Tianfu directly sent people to check.Several shops of the Zhang family in Yangzhou City were even ordered to close down by the court, which made him very uncomfortable.

Early in the morning, Zhang Yufang just woke up.I saw that my son was a little unhappy.

"Yan'er, why is this so, but did something happen?" Zhang Yufang looked at his son Zhang Yan and asked.

"Father." Zhang Yan greeted Zhang Yufang, and said, "Now that Wang Dezhao is in the name of thoroughly investigating the powerful, all five of our shops in Yangzhou City have been closed for a month, and we have not received a penny in the account for a month. This way..."

"Yan'er, you are not young anymore, your son is already two years old, why is he still so impetuous!" Zhang Yufang said reproachfully.

"Boy, you're being rude." Zhang Yan said hastily, "But if this goes on..."

"Don't worry about this matter so much." Zhang Yufang said, "My Zhang family conducts business in an upright manner, and has not violated the rules of the court. After Mr. Hai finds out, everything can go back to the past."

"Father, I heard that there are imperial envoys in the capital who have come here under the imperial order of the emperor to find out about officials' corruption. Maybe we can..." Zhang Yan said thoughtfully.

"Shall we bribe him?" Zhang Yufang asked back, "Your father and I don't know what kind of people you are. If I wanted to do this, I would have given Wang Dezhao some money. But my Zhang family has been in business since my ancestors started doing business. No one did this at that time. You have to remember it for me, and you will inherit the great cause of the Zhang family in the future, and you must not ruin the reputation of my Zhang family."

"What the father taught is that the child understands." Zhang Yan said.

"Is Ting'er up?" Zhang Yufang asked.

"Sister said she had an appointment with a few girls in the city today, and she went out early in the morning." Zhang Yan said, he was also quite helpless for his younger sister who hadn't left the cabinet yet.

"My daughter's family is so old that they haven't settled on a marriage. They only know how to go out and play all day long, and they are not reserved." Zhang Yufang also feels helpless about his daughter.

While the father and son were talking, the butler hurried in: "Master, Young Master, it's a big deal... a big deal!"

"Uncle Fu, slow down, you're not too young, what's causing you to panic?" Zhang Yufang asked.

"Master, just now the magistrate sent someone to inform us that we will open for business today." Uncle Fu said, "Although the magistrate Wang didn't come here in person, he still sent someone to deliver a letter."

Zhang Yufang and his son were greatly surprised by Uncle Fu's words. This Wang Dezhao had always been a snob, so why did he suddenly change his mind.Without saying a word, Zhang Yufang took the letter and read it. Zhang Yan also looked at his father nervously.

"This is really strange." After reading the contents of the letter, Zhang Yufang frowned deeply.

"Father, what did the above say?" Zhang Yan asked hastily.

"Wang Dezhao's claim that my Zhang family forcibly occupied the land is purely slander by a villain." Zhang Yufang said, "He apologized to me in the letter, but his words were very sincere."

After Zhang Yan listened, he took the letter and read it.In the letter, Wang Dezhao's words were sincere, not like lying, so he couldn't help but frowned.

"It doesn't matter if he is sincere, or he wants to play some tricks. Yan'er, go and let the shopkeepers of each shop open the shop first." Zhang Yufang ordered.

"Yes, father." Zhang Yan responded, and then went out.

Zhang Yufang looked at the back of his son going out, but he was thinking about the reasons for all this, but he didn't have a clue.

The Zhang family's jade wares are very famous in Yangzhou, and many big families are famous here.Now, after more than a month, the Zhang family's shop reopened, and the front of each shop suddenly became lively.In just one morning, Zhang Yufang got the ledger, which stated that nearly ten thousand taels of goods were sold in the past half day, and the Zhang family's direct profit was close to half.

Just in the afternoon, the more Zhang Yufang thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, and he planned to ask Wang Dezhao for clarification.But before he went out, Wang Dezhao came to the door first.

"Zhang Yuanwai, how are you doing recently!" Wang Dezhao flattered his face.

"Thanks to the prefect, I'm doing very well." Zhang Yufang said a little angrily.

But Wang Dezhao didn't care, and said: "Mr. Zhang, don't blame me. I also listened to the false accusations of those villains. That's why I disturbed Mr. Zhang."

The more Zhang Yufang listened, the more he felt that something was wrong, and said, "Master Zhifu, just tell me what's going on here?"

"Presumably Zhang Yuanwai also knows that the imperial court's imperial envoy has come to Yangzhou." Wang Dezhao said bluntly, "At that time, I will ask Yuanwai to say something nice for me."

Zhang Yufang looked at him even more suspiciously: "Master Zhifu, I am just a jade businessman. Although I have been appreciated and made some tributes to the palace, I don't know this imperial envoy! I heard that this He is still the Taifu of the current crown prince, such an honorable person will never be able to see him."

"Mr. Zhang is being modest." Wang Dezhao said, he thought Zhang Yufang was trying to embarrass himself deliberately, and cold sweat came down his head.

After some good words, Wang Dezhao almost knelt down to Zhang Yufang.Zhang Yufang had no choice but to agree inexplicably.At this time, someone came to Wang Dezhao's side and whispered to him.After hearing this, Wang Dezhao quickly said to Zhang Yufang: "Besides Zhang, there are distinguished guests coming, please open the door quickly to welcome them."

"Guest?" Zhang Yufang was at a loss.

"When the adults arrive, the members will understand." Wang Dezhao said.

Zhang Yufang had no choice but to order his servants to open the gate. Although he was puzzled, he also wanted to see who was coming.

Daughter Zhang Ting has not come back yet, Zhang Yufang and son Zhang Yan are waiting at the door.

"Father, who is coming? Look at Wang Dezhao's excitement!" Zhang Yan asked.

"I don't know either, let's talk about it later." Zhang Yufang said.

When I was young, the street in front of Zhangjiamen became lively.A pair of people and horses came from the far east, two rows in front of them were tasteless, wearing gold flying fish suits, with beautiful spring knives hanging on their waists, more than twenty people strolled in two rows.One of the carriages was decorated with yellow silk cloth, which showed the identity of the imperial envoy.It's really Zhang Fan's car.

When he came to the gate of Zhang's mansion, Wang Meng shouted loudly to stop.The curtain on the car was lifted, but a young girl in her twenties and eight years old dressed in a maid-like attendant jumped out first, it was Yingyue.In the back, Zhang Fan got out of the car.He was dressed in ordinary clothes, embroidered with white color, and Zhang Fan's handsome face made him even more graceful.

Looking at the young man in front of him, Zhang Yufang always felt a little familiar, but he had no clue.

Zhang Fan brought Yingyue to Zhang Yu's side to pay respects, and said, "Little nephew, Zhang Fan, pay respects to uncle."

"What!" Zhang Yufang was overwhelmed with a huge wave in his heart.