serious man in the red chamber

Chapter 66
It was the end of May and the weather was getting hotter and hotter.

The backyard of Ning'an Hall.

Jia Hu was wearing a brand-new lotus-colored gauze shirt, lying on his back on a bamboo chair, and Hu Po sat on the bamboo stool beside him, fanning him gently.

A month passed in a flash, and after the Dragon Boat Festival, Jia Hu lived in the military camp outside the city, helping Liu Fang reorganize the soldiers and horses in Henan, Anhui, and Hubei provinces, and returned to the city with Liu Fang and others to attend the funeral.

Chen Yejun's funeral was held in a grand manner, with a grand scene. It was no longer a funeral, but an important political event. Not only the princes and nobles came to deliver the funeral in person, but also set up a sacrificial shed for road sacrifices. The funeral procession was mighty Dang, stretching for three or four miles, successfully demonstrated the status and influence of noble and wealthy families in the imperial court.

In contrast, the funeral of Pei's family was very shabby. His children and grandchildren had done too many evils, and many officials couldn't afford to go to the funeral. Along the way, some people set off firecrackers to celebrate, which made old man Pei vomit blood in anger.

There is also a reliable gossip that King Zhongshun suffered a great loss in Lianghuai. When he was investigating a case in a remote village in Baoying County, Yangzhou Prefecture, he was attacked by the remnants of the Salt Gang. Unprepared, he was blocked and beaten in the village.

After a short battle, more than half of the 200 cavalry were killed or injured, and the opponent had less than [-] people.

I heard that Qianqing Palace punished several court ladies and eunuchs that day, which shows how much stimulation it caused to the emperor.

This matter has also become a shadow in the hearts of Liu Fang and others. The Ministry of War has already begun to discuss whether to buy muskets from the Xiyi people.

After nearly a month of reorganization and training, the combat effectiveness of these soldiers has improved a lot, and they have learned how to deal with large-scale cavalry raids. The next step is to train step by step until the emperor orders to go north to fight.

Shi Guangzhu finally replied, he agreed to Liu Fang's suggestion, handed over the military power in his hand, and will submit a memorial to the emperor in a few days.

Liu Fang's place is already on the right track, and it's meaningless to stay any longer. Also, Li Mao is going to Beijing today.

It was very hard work in the military camp, and I didn't want to pay my respects to Jia Mu and Jia Amnesty. After taking a bath, I just lay down on the bamboo chair to rest, and it was still comfortable at home.

Amber was obviously in a good mood. She looked at Jia Hu with her eyes closed and rested, and smiled lightly. Suddenly, she sensed someone behind her and turned her head quickly.

Xichun shook his hand, slipped over lightly, covered Jia Hu's eyes with both hands, leaned into his ear and smiled, "Guess who I am?"

"You have spoken out, and let me guess?"

"Oh."

Xichun curled her lips, and sat down on the bamboo stool that Hu Po handed over, "Why did you come back, I'm so bored to death."

"Hey, it's been too busy for a while."

Jia Hu apologized, "After a few days, I will take you out of town."

"Ah."

Xichun nodded, "My son, Lian's second sister-in-law went to Qingxu Temple, how about we go there?"

Jia Hu thought for a while, "Go to Xuanzhen Temple, just the two of us."

Xichun's eyes lit up: "Well, don't forget."

After laughing, Jia Hu asked, "Why are you having conflicts again?"

"No."

Xichun lowered her head, Li Wan was indifferent and cowardly, although she had Wang Xifeng's help, she couldn't hold down the daughter-in-law in charge at all, even those women dared to obey others, especially the people in Mrs. Wang's courtyard, they said A few words.

These people didn't dare to provoke themselves, and actually made things difficult for the maid next to the second sister. Lianhuaer, the little maid, was beaten by Wu Xing's family early in the morning. This Wu Xing's family was Mrs. Wang's companion. Wan didn't dare to say anything more, she couldn't swallow this breath, so she came to find her sister-in-law You Shi, and just heard that her brother Jia Hu had returned.

"Push!"

Hu Po laughed, "Miss Four has been helping Grandma Zhu with housekeeping recently, so there's no time for bickering."

"Hey, our Xichun is getting more and more capable"

Jia Hu narrowed his eyes, seeing that something was wrong with this girl, he hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

She briefly explained the matter, Jia Hu thought for a while, and said: "You did the right thing, you don't need to worry about this matter."

"elder brother."

Jia Hu sat up and pinched her little face, "Okay! Alright! The big deal is that brother doesn't punish her severely."

Before the words were finished, Lin Zhixiao's family walked in: "Second Lord, someone is here."

Jia Hu smiled, stood up, and said to Xichun, "Go see sister-in-law quickly." Then she motioned for Lin Zhixiao's family to accompany her.

Lin Zhixiao's family said with a smile: "I just delivered the ice cream to the grandma's house, now the fruit and sour plum soup should be iced."

Xichun's eyes lit up, she said "Yes", and followed Lin Zhixiao's family to You's courtyard.

Jia Hu smiled: "This girl!" She turned around and went back to the house, changed her clothes, and strode towards the main hall.

Looking at Li Hao standing outside the main hall door from a distance, Jia Hu nodded with a satisfied smile and walked over quickly.

"See Uncle for a humble position!"

Li Mao had already seen Jia Hu approaching, and immediately smiled all over his face, and ran over quickly, and when he came to Jia Hu, he was about to kneel down.

Jia Hu supported him firmly with both hands: "It doesn't have to be like this!"

Li Mao stood up straight, and then bowed deeply to Jia Hu.

"Come on, let's go inside." Jia Hu patted him on the shoulder.

Jia Hu sat at the top, Li Mao sat on the chair on the left, and a servant came in with a tea tray.

Li Mao stood up and offered Jia Hu the tea with his own hands.

Jia Hu took the tea and took a sip: "Sit down, sit down and talk."

Li Mao smiled: "Yes." After answering, he turned and sat back.

"Have you had a good journey?"

"Thanks to the uncle, everything is going well." Li Mao briefly talked about what he had seen and heard on the road, and then hurriedly said: "Uncle and his family went to Rongguo Mansion."

Jia Hu nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

Li Mao stood up quickly: "I dare not say it is hard work for a humble job."

Jia Hu waved his hand: "Sit down, sit down. By the way, what's the situation in Suzhou now?"

Li Mao thought for a while and replied: "Since the news of being promoted to the right deputy capital censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate reached Suzhou, the local gentry knew that the situation was over, and they no longer secretly opposed the governor's yamen, and began to cooperate with Wang Hetang to review and register the number of acres. .

However, Wang Hetang got caught in the dust at the temples. Those temples were all under the name of top-grade fields, and offered a price of 28 taels, while the Ministry of Internal Affairs was only willing to pay 12 taels, which was more than double the difference. "

Having said that, he glanced at Jia Hu, and then said: "12 taels is the market price, 15 taels is the real price, and 28 taels." He shook his head.

Jia Hu remained silent, and then asked, "What's Wang Hetang's plan?"

Li Hao stood up again, and replied: "I don't dare to hide my uncle, Wang Hetang has found a humble official, and he wants to ask my uncle to help him at a critical moment."

Jia Hu smiled: "Let's talk."

Li Mao: "There are many famous ancient temples in Jiangsu, and more than [-]% of the land has become temple property. If calculated according to the price they set, it will be a huge sum. The summer grain in Suzhou has already started, and Wang Hetang will pay for it. All the food for the temple, and then buy those lands at real prices, if there is no agreement, suppress it by force!"

Jia Hu was secretly startled, this Wang Hetang was really daring.

Li Mao's eyes showed admiration, and he continued: "Because of the fact that the treasury was short-lived, I am very dissatisfied with him, but in this case, it is just a pity that I admire him sincerely."

Jia Hu: "Do you think we should help him?"

Li Hao squinted his eyes and thought for a while, then replied: "If the other party is a gentry, his humble position will never approve of his recklessness. But the temple is different. Once Suzhou compromises, other places will follow suit, and even more fields will become Temple property, the imperial court will not receive a penny of money.

Although Suzhou may be in chaos for a while, overall the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.Now the imperial court is going to fight a big battle, but the money and food are not in the hands of the imperial court, how can this be done?

Keeping Wang Hetang means keeping the army's food and pay, and this is the most important thing! "

Jia Hu nodded and said with a smile, "Since you opened your mouth, you can give him a hand at critical moments."

Li Mao was overjoyed: "Yes."

Jia Hu: "You should know about the Pei family. Tell me, what should you do?"

Li Hao deliberately hesitated for a moment before answering: "Yes. In the later period of Honghua, the civil officials suppressed noble generals very seriously, especially after the abolition of the prince, serious civil and military opposition formed in the court.

Civil officials suppress military generals, and the army also excludes civil officials.

However, the real power is still above the court, and the civil officials have a very serious grip on the power of the court. Except for the Ministry of War, it is almost the civil official group that has the final say.It is unrealistic for honorable military generals to use the army to check and balance the civilian group. This will arouse the suspicion of the royal family. Unless it is required by the court's political struggle, it will be self-destruction. "

After a pause, "The most important thing in Dazhou right now is the foreign war, and this war will not end in a short time, ranging from three to five years to more than ten years.

During this period, the royal family will absolutely not allow the noble army to fall, otherwise who will lead the army to fight?Since he is already invincible, why not let him give way.

As the saying goes, "Heaven wants them to die, they must first make them mad." Without the military's action, His Majesty will naturally strip them clean!Perhaps, the opportunity lies in Wang Hetang. "

Jia Hu stood up, paced slowly, and said: "You have considered everything comprehensively, which shows that you can look at the overall situation. After you arrive at the Metropolitan Procuratorate, work hard and make some political achievements. I will think of a way." I recommend you to be the censor of the right capital."

Li Hao's eyes were wide open, and he knelt down with a thud: "Thank you, my lord, the students will tie the grass and tie the ring, and life and death will be repaid." As he said, he knocked his head on the ground with a loud bang.

(End of this chapter)