Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 651 The Ministry of Household Affairs complained
"Grandma, we're here!"

Rongguo Mansion,
Li Wan’s small courtyard in the west,
Wang Xifeng led the people to stand in front of the courtyard gate, looking around uneasy, but there was no one there.
With a little peace of mind, he turned around and motioned for Ping'er to open the door.
"Go over and open the door. Let's go in quietly."

Although Ping'er was panting from exhaustion, there were people from your Hou family here, so he had to step forward and push the door open. Everything in the courtyard was as usual, quiet.

Seeing that nothing happened inside,

Wang Xifeng turned back to look at Grandma Wang and others beside her and said;

"This is Grandma's courtyard. Mrs. You from Dongfu also lives here. Grandma's son, Langeer, is also studying upstairs, preparing for Enke. There are only a few maids in charge. , but there are no outsiders here.”

"Second Mistress, don't worry. The slaves are here to serve the master. They don't ask about anything else, and they won't stand idly by if they should ask."

Grandma Wang had already said something with a wink. It was not appropriate to make public what the old lady told her, and Grandma Li was heading to Mrs. You of Dongfu. This arrangement is self-evident.

Seeing this,
Wang Xifeng knew what was going on, so she was not afraid. She led the people into the yard and then went straight to the attic.

Inside the building,

Suyun nodded, finally having more helpers.

"Grandma, madam, the second grandma is leading people in."

As the door opened, a woman in red led people in, entered the room, walked to the bed and sat down next to it.

Before I saw him, I heard his voice first. Wang Xifeng's crisp voice made the room light up.

"Yes, ma'am."

Only Wang Xifeng was joking, but her eyes were wandering on the two of them.

Grandma Li Wan is still resting in bed in the west wing room. She has been struggling for many days and looks a little haggard. Mrs. You is accompanying her in the room with a complicated expression on her face. She is focusing more on Li Wan. belly, with surprise in her eyes, thinking that in the future, the mother will be the wife of the Ningguo Mansion because of the value of her son.

"Oh, what are you talking about, sister-in-law? Your affairs were arranged last night, but you didn't come late at night. You see, you were complained about early in the morning."

"Look at you, why are you still up? Lie down and rest more."

Madam You wanted to comfort her, but she heard Feng Lazi's voice coming from outside.

"Oh, can we not be happy? My aunt has agreed for the time being, but sister-in-law, please be careful with the children. In addition, these people behind me are all arranged by my aunt. From now on, everything to eat and drink will be provided by Grandma Wang and the others. Responsible, just be careful, Sister-in-law You, Grandma Li and the others are waiting on you."

"Slave, please see your master."

His tone was quite worried,

Wang Xifeng had already noticed Li Wan's little move, so he simply introduced the person over first. Grandma Wang and others behind him bowed and saluted.

Looking at Nanny Li and others, as well as several capable maids, Mrs. You is not stupid. After all, she is the wife of a mansion. How could she not see this kind of thing? Knowing that it is the old lady of the Hou mansion who has been sent to monitor her. Yes, that's good. If anything happens, there will naturally be someone to support him. With the Marquis' Mansion covering him, he will definitely be much safer.

With Suyun's report, the quiet situation was broken. Li Wan opened his eyes, let Biyue help him up, and sat on the bed.
"I guess I believe it. I wonder what Feng Yatou said?"

"I've been sleeping all day, and it feels uncomfortable to lie down. You're wearing such bright clothes so early in the morning. Could it be that there's some happy event?"

Mrs. You sat there with a stunned expression. These people who came to serve were not simple people. After thinking about it,
"Yeah, I didn't expect that the old lady was thinking of me too,"

Li Wan shook his head, and as he spoke, he looked at the person leading behind Feng Yatou, who seemed a bit unfamiliar.

"Please get up quickly. I'd like to bother you, Madam. Suyun, please just take the trouble to talk to them about the matters in the hospital."

But the solemn expression on his face never diminished. Li Wan felt something strange and asked;

"Girl Feng, is there anything wrong?"

"Sister-in-law, I've already told you everything. The old lady didn't stop me. It's just that neither Mr. Marquis nor County Master Qin knew about it. Only Qingwen, who was serving Miss Lin, knew about it. It's hard to say what other variables there are. !”

Although Wang Xifeng dared to say it, she really didn't know what the regulations of Dongfu were. She could only take one step at a time in the future, for fear that her enemy would get into trouble and do something wrong.

Li Wan also knew the Marquis's temperament and considered Lang Geer's favor.

"Girl Feng, the Marquis is also busy, so it's not convenient to say more about this matter. We can discuss it after Lange's enco."

"Sister-in-law, everything is fine here, but the Marquis' place is fine."

Wang Xifeng did not dare to agree, and was also afraid that the Hou Mansion would reveal the letter.
"As long as you don't say anything, it will be fine. With Sister-in-law You here, I will always be able to deal with it,"

"This, well, just don't say it,"

Wang Xifeng responded with a grimace, then patted her thigh,
"Oops! I'm just talking about this. Lange'er hasn't gone to change the test visa yet. So, take the ticket and ask Lai Wang from my yard to go over and change the test visa for Langeer."

"Suyun, go upstairs quickly and bring Lan Ge'er's entrance examination stamp to Ping'er. I almost forgot about this."

When Li Wan heard about this, he shouted anxiously. It was related to Lange's exam and he couldn't be negligent.

Suyun nodded, went out and went up to the attic, where Brother Lan went to take the visa test.

As soon as people leave,
Wang Xifeng lowered her head and muttered,

"Sister-in-law, according to Enke's new regulations, Lange'er came to Hanyuan Hall for the exam with a red ticket. Lord Marquis is the examiner of Hanyuan Hall. Do you think this can directly facilitate Lange'er?"

Li Wan stared at Feng Yatou's forgetful face and said,
"Historically, Enke has had a name-blinding system. How to tell the difference? Besides, there are so many people, and the Marquis is not the only one to review the papers. You don't even think about where to find the article. This is a big deal, who dares."

"Why don't you dare? Isn't it just a paper? There was a lot of trouble last year, but it doesn't matter."

How could Wang Xifeng know this? She thought it was just asking someone to arrange seats. The Jia family had done this all the time before.
Li Wan rolled his eyes and said nothing. When Su Yun entered the house after looking for the examination papers, he started to chase people away.
"Here you have some snacks. Bring them over when your exam visa is changed. Don't throw them away."

"Oh, I know, my sister-in-law started to chase people away as soon as she finished doing things. How can there be such a thing? Ping'er, let's go." Wang Xifeng pretended to complain, pulled Ping'er and walked out, making everyone in the room want to laugh. Mrs. You muttered,
"Girl Feng is really, eh"

royal palace,

Each hall of the household department.

As soon as Zhang Jinyu entered the door of the Ministry of Household Affairs, she heard the sound of abacus coming from inside the Ministry of Household Affairs. Looking for the sound, she looked inside and saw more than 20 people doing calculations with abacuses. There were also 20 people on the opposite side responsible for recording. ,

Good guy, this scene is rare.

Zhang Jinyu didn't bother and walked to the inner hall. Inside, Shen Zhongxin, the minister of household affairs, was holding an account book and a red pen in his right hand. He was sketching there, and he didn't know what he was busy with!
Looking around, Mr. Gu Ge couldn't even see a shadow. The household department now should be in Shen Zhongxin's hands. He was still concentrating on drawing, and Zhang Jinyu didn't bother him.
Come closer, stretch your head and look over, that account book, huh? What he wrote turned out to be the allocation of materials needed for the army going south from the capital, as well as a year's salary.

Remember, these salaries were not prepared by the Ministry of Finance for three months. Why do they still need to be prepared by the Ministry of Finance? However, if we proceed slowly and slowly, if it is delayed for too long, the number of variables will increase, and it is difficult to guarantee that the court will change.
Zhang Jinyu was thinking a lot as she stood there. Shen Zhongxin felt that someone was around him. He suddenly looked up and saw that the Marquis was here. He quickly put down the account books and ink pens in his hands, stood up and bowed his hands in greeting.

"Master Marquis, why do you come here in your spare time? But you have something to do?"

"Haha, Master Shen, I can't come if I have nothing to do?"

Zhang Jinyu seemed to be joking, stretched out her hand and grabbed Shen Zhongxin's hand, preventing him from saluting.

Shen Zhongxin had no choice but to put down his hand and make a "please" gesture.
"Master Marquis, sit down and have a rest. I will serve you a bowl of tea. I wonder why the Marquis is here."

Seeing Shen Zhongxin asked again, Zhang Jinyu did not hide it.
"What else can I do? It's just Enke's business. I know that you, Mr. Shen, are very talented and knowledgeable. I can't compare with you, so I came here to learn from you. I want you to help me. No, Your Majesty, please have mercy on me." I want you to be transferred to Hanyuan Hall and serve as the chief judge, so that you can see how our Dawu students fare in the exams?"

Although he explained it playfully, Zhang Jinyu's eyes were always fixed on Shen Zhongxin. After all, he had intervened in the imperial examination matter, and it was impossible for the civil servants to complain.

Shen Zhongren paused for a moment, and the teapot in his hand overflowed with tea. When he regained consciousness, he quickly put the teapot down.

"The Marquis has given you too much praise. Does the Marquis really think so about Enke? Or is there another reason?"

As he said that, he pushed the tea bowl over.

Zhang Jinyu looked at the overflowing tea bowl. The water flowed out a little when it was moved. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, and she stretched out her hand to pinch the edge of the tea bowl and replied;
"Of course it is what I ask for. Just like the water in this tea bowl, it overflows. In the end, the imperial examination is still a matter for civil servants. As the examiner, I have my own profound meaning. Sir Shen, what do you think?"

"As expected of the Marquis, it is natural for him to be a low-ranking official."

"it is good!"

When Zhang Jinyu saw Shen Zhongxin agreeing, he also understood Mr. Gu Ge's attitude. The only remaining ones were Mr. Lu Ge's students who obeyed the official's words. The other minister of punishment, Chang Zuo, seemed to be an old member of the Li Party. These three people were all together. After arriving, I hope everything is safe and sound.

This arrangement is also the result of Zhang Jinyu's careful consideration. The three of them are the backbone of the imperial court. Since one has been invited, it is better to invite all three. After all, the people standing behind are not simple.

I think Shen Zhongxin understood it.

Pick up the tea bowl and drink it all in one gulp.

"Master Shen, I would like to ask you, what is the most important thing in the imperial examination and reviewing the papers?"

Zhang Jinyu put down the tea bowl, and then asked, as an examiner, there is a secret in how to mark papers and how to choose papers.

"Master Marquis, of course, you are well-versed. First, the candidates hand in their papers, and the first reviewers are the examiners. They follow the traditional rules and look at the candidates' paper, that is, whether the writing is regular and whether the handwriting is correct. If there is no intention of perfunctory, the next step will be to judge the paper. Good or bad can be divided. If there is a dispute, it will naturally be reviewed by the next person. Only those with further disputes will be in the hands of us, the chief judges. Of course, in the end, it will be up to the chief judge. The reviewer evaluates articles A and B."

So that's it, Zhang Jinyu murmured in his heart, no wonder so many papers were revised so quickly, with preconceptions and poor handwriting, there was almost no possibility of turning around.

"Thank you Master Shen for clearing up the confusion. I understand. In this case, Master Shen, please prepare more. The exam will start three days before the end of the month. Be sure to remember,"

"Don't worry, Lord Marquis. If you have a decree, your subordinates will not dare to neglect it."

"That's good."

Zhang Jinyu responded and prepared to go back. As soon as he stood up, he thought about the account book just before leaving, so he turned around and asked again,
"By the way, Mr. Shen just looked at the account books. Why does the Ministry of Accounts prepare a year's salary? But what's the explanation?"

"Master Marquis, this is a special request from the pavilion. As the saying goes, it is better to be prepared than to think about it when the time comes. Besides, last year, relying on the emperor's heaven-like virtue and all the ministries working hard, the most difficult days were finally over. "

Shen Zhongxin sighed. After sitting down, he took out a few account books from the desk and pushed them in front of the Marquis.
"Last year, there were floods in two provinces, severe droughts in three places, as well as wars in the north and south, and this year's civil unrest in the south of Beijing. In addition to the Hanyuan Hall that was just repaired in the palace, to be honest, Hou Master, I don’t even know how the Ministry of Finance came here. The Emperor has no food and clothing, and the cabinet is planning carefully, so there is a chance to balance the accounts. "

"That's true. The situation last year was not good and various places were not stable. It was quite difficult for the Ministry of Household Affairs."

Zhang Jinyu sat there, sighing the same way, but disagreeing in his heart. The cabinet is so careful about budgeting that it should not seek money from nobles and officials to settle the accounts. Otherwise, the matter of settling the accounts can be completed in the Year of the Monkey and the Horse.
"The Marquis understands it. Outsiders don't know the inside story. They always feel that people from the Ministry of Revenue are greedy for money. Especially because of the granary incident, many people used it to slander the Ministry of Revenue of the imperial court. If the Marquis hadn't taken action to capture this person, then We and other members of the household department will have to plead guilty to the imperial court."

There was something in Shen Zhongxin's words that was so unclear that Zhang Jinyu couldn't figure it out for a moment. Civil servants like to sell things off. Do you want to protect Cui Dehai or have other intentions when you say this.

"Master Shen is serious. From the beginning of spring to now, His Majesty has fasted and worshiped Heaven many times. The good weather after the New Year is all due to the Emperor's respect for Heaven. As long as we ministers work sincerely, the imperial court can still be prosperous. I will stop here. I will Hou will be back soon."

Zhang Jinyu waved her hand, without saying another word, stood up and left, leaving the ministry hall.

Shen Zhongxin was left with a thoughtful expression on his face. As expected of the Marquis, he had thought thoroughly. It seemed that the Marquis no longer wanted to interfere with Cui Dehai's case. Unfortunately, how could the Ministry of Revenue protect him? Is there Mr. Lu Ge on the side of the Dali Temple Minister? People are watching, why is there no letter from Jingnan?
Shen Zhongxin was shocked. It seemed that there was no letter from Jingnan for a long time. He didn't know how the elder Ge sent people to check. The official warehouse of Linshan County was indeed full of food!
After leaving the door of the household department,

Zhang Jinyu looked around, and looked specifically to the east. She didn't see the Queen's concubine, and she didn't know if the incense was finished, so she hesitated for a while.

Seeing the Marquis standing there without making any movement, Ning Bian behind him asked;

"Master Marquis, do you still want to go to the Criminal Department?"

"I won't go. His Majesty has decreed that they will come when the time comes. This is the message from the Ministry of Exploitation. There is also an unexpected harvest. Is there any movement from the southward army at the Anhu camp outside the city?"

Zhang Jinyu yawned. There were many things to do and she was busy. She couldn't sleep well at night, but she was a little sleepy.

"Master Marquis, the secret guards have come to report that there has been no movement in the Jingying camp since the guest troops returned to the camp. Wang Jieshuai, the Jiedushi envoy of the Jingying camp, and none of the generals at all levels in the Jingying camp have left the camp. The Rongguo Mansion Jia Lian has never returned to Beijing, and I don’t know what happened there? "

"Oh, it's really difficult for Jia Lian. He can bear it. The day is not far for the army to go south. Wang Ziteng is eager to make contributions. Why don't those generals also do the same? If they don't leave, if something happens in the south, they will be in trouble."

Zhang Jinyu suddenly felt uneasy. A group of people who were eager to make contributions went to the battlefield. What kind of battle could they achieve?
(End of this chapter)