Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 875 Disaster Relief in Nine Counties in Jiangnan
The residence of Mr. Zhuang, the governor of Jiangnan.
In the study,
Zhuang Shouzhi, who was standing behind the desk, snorted coldly. Now was not the time to implement the court's policies. The most important thing was disaster relief. There were nine counties in Jiangnan and Jiangbei, with so many people. Where would the silver and grain come from?

Zuo Sangui looked a little gloomy. He had been the grain station commander for only a few days. He checked the official warehouse accounts and thought there would be blank accounts hanging on them. Unexpectedly, they were all real numbers, which was obviously unexpected. He asked the person in charge on duty and found out that it was the Ministry of Revenue who sent people to check. If there was a stone of grain missing, the person in charge would be escorted back to Beijing. Therefore, it was rare for the official warehouse account books to be so clear. However, on the other hand, in Jiangnan, the least valuable thing is grain.
"Sir, disaster relief is the top priority. The money and grain will naturally come from the prefectural government. Lord Jing and the textile bureau have plenty of money, so we don't need to worry about it. But I wonder how to deal with the Xinbei dike?"

Zuo Sangui was still worried about the breach. If the rain got heavier, it would be impossible to stop it.

"Ahahaha, this matter is not your turn to think about."

"This"

"Quick, quick, the prefect has ordered that the city's troops must assemble and block the Xinbei dike port, quick!"

I don't know when,
Jia Yucun had a dark face, and he actually took the prefect's document and informed Shi Duyifu, the deputy commander of the Jinling Imperial City Division, and asked the Imperial City Division to inform Leng Dandong, the commander of the prefectural army.
The city attic,

Leng Dandong took the document with a dark face and stamped it with his seal. He also ordered the government troops to stop the breach. However, it was raining outside and the water level had not yet receded. How could they stop the breach? That would cost lives.

Look up and see,
The person who came was none other than You Guangfeng, the captain of the Imperial City Division. He was also an old acquaintance.

"Captain You, what does Commander Du mean? The Xinbei dike broke, and the people digging it out were from the prefectural government. In the end, the prefectural government did not go to help, but pushed it to our Jinling Prefecture Army. Even if they wanted to go, it would be General Xiang from Yangzhou. It is not my turn to go, right or wrong?"

Leng Dandong sat in a high seat, pressed the documents in his hand on the table, and asked in a cold voice.

This scene made Captain You stunned. Thinking about the movements of several government offices in the capital, General Leng had been staying away from them, but he was involved in the interests of the Zhen family. Could it be that the Zhen family had some intentions in this?

"General Leng, you are too serious. Disaster relief is to save the people of Jiangnan. In such a dangerous situation, how can the general stand idly by? It is important to send troops first."

You Guangfeng clasped his fists, putting justice first, but Leng Dandong's face turned cold and he was not moved at all.
"Captain You, you are too kind. My duty is to protect the city of Jinling. I have no right to take care of other things. The Yangzhou army came to Jinling and showed off their might. The Xinbei dike was breached and they are making a fuss everywhere. I am afraid I don't have the life to get involved. I will not go out with the troops. If I have to go out, I should go to the general. What do you think?"

Seeing that Leng Dandong was unmoved, You Guangfeng also became anxious.

"General Leng, if the imperial court blames you for watching the nine counties in the south and north of the Yangtze River suffer from disasters,

"Ahahaha, Captain You, don't use your tricks to pressure me. Let me put it this way. I have already written a memorial and taken a boat to the capital. Even if the court blames me and sends people to investigate, you see who will be the unlucky one."

General Leng laughed and leaned back. When they were trying to get the silver, they were all rushing to the front. When they made mistakes, they were smarter than each other and hid behind. How could there be such a good thing in the world? Besides, since they dared to do this, how could they not have thought of a way out? As for him, he would not get involved.

"you!"

You Guangfeng was stunned. He didn't expect Leng Dandong to have such an attitude. Thinking of the governor Zhuang and the inspector Jing, he hesitated for a moment. After all, his own masters didn't want to get involved. If it wasn't for the documents of the prefectural government, he wouldn't want to come here.

"Since General Leng is unwilling, I will not bother you any more. The document has been sent, General, please take care of it. Goodbye."

"Go slowly and don't send me away!"

You Guangfeng angrily went down the tower and returned with his men. In the attic, Leng Dandong's staff came up and advised;
"What the general did was absolutely right, but his words were too stiff. I'm afraid it's inappropriate to take away the face of the Imperial City Department."

"Hey, if I don't take their face, how can I refuse this matter? Is the Xinbei Dam so easy to block? Unless the water level recedes and then the dam is rebuilt, it will be safe. Now, it can't be blocked."

Leng Dandong knew the condition of the Xinbei levee. It had fallen into disrepair over the years. The annual repair fee from the imperial court was just a face-saving measure. Even if no one dug it up, it would not last for a few years. Therefore, the levee might be getting bigger and bigger. If the imperial court blamed him again, it would be another crime.
"Yes, General, I have said too much."

The master's face tightened. The things happening in Jinling were almost all public knowledge and could not be concealed.
Just as the officials in the city began to spy on the situation,
The judge Ma Guangcheng had already entered the Jiangnanchun Restaurant and was in a hurry to look for Eunuch Yang with his men. At this time, Eunuch Yang was sitting in the house, eating some tea and snacks. There were also a few women singing little songs inside. Shen Wanhe was sitting beside them, not daring to say a word. Such a big thing had happened.
"Now that it's done, it's done. We need to find a way to deal with the aftermath, especially the Jinling prefectural government. They need to take responsibility. What do you think?"

"What the eunuch said is very true. Since the disaster was caused by the prefectural government, we must remedy it. The weaving bureau can provide some grain for disaster relief, but the IOU must still be written."

This was also what Shen Wanhe thought of first. The Xinbei dike burst, and Lord Zhuang would not miss this opportunity. Naturally, someone would take the blame. Just look at the follow-up. If the job is done well, the court can still delay it. If it is not done well, it will naturally be lost.
"Well, just do it this way. When Ma Guangcheng comes here, go and say hello."

Eunuch Yang smiled, pinched his orchid fingers, took a cake and put it into his mouth. Shen Wanhe hesitated, nodded, and stood up to leave.

As soon as he left the house and went downstairs, he ran into Ma Tongpan, who was rushing over. He greeted him with a fist salute.

"Why are you in such a hurry, Master Ma? Is there something important?"

"Of course there is something wrong, Lord Shen. The Xinbei dike has burst. Nine counties in the south and north of the Yangtze River have been affected. We need to ask Eunuch Yang for instructions on disaster relief!"

Ma Guangcheng looked anxious and wanted to go upstairs, but Shen Wanhe stopped him.

"Master Ma, don't worry. Once the water level subsides, we will focus on disaster relief. We still have the promised grain. There are still 50,000 dan of grain in the grain shops in the city. Give it all to you for disaster relief. Together with the treasury of the prefectural government and the grain rescued from various counties, it should be enough. Don't bother you, Master."

This action obviously meant that he was not allowed to go up. Could it be that Eunuch Yang had changed his mind? Ma Guangcheng was shocked and thought of a phrase: "Kill the donkey after it has done its work".
"Sir Shen, I am also following the instructions of Eunuch Yang. At this moment, Sir Shen, do you want to stay out of this matter?"

"Ahaha, Lord Ma is joking. Natural disasters and man-made disasters are all destined by heaven. How can they involve you, Lord Ma? Is Lord Ma confused? Since this happened, Lord Ma still wants to remedy it. If it succeeds, Lord Ma will be a hero, and all problems will be solved. As for the rest, even Lord Jing will give the same reply. Aren't the 10,000 government troops of General Xiang under the command of Lord Ma? They should first deal with disaster relief."

Shen Wanhe was no longer polite and said everything he needed to say. At the critical moment, he couldn't back down. Seeing that no one could get up, Ma Guangcheng knew that it was impossible to do anything. However, the government needed money and food for disaster relief, and the government treasury was not enough to provide them.
"Since Lord Shen knows about it, I am not a coward. There is disaster relief. Money and grain are not enough. At least Lord Shen can prepare 100,000 dan of grain and 100,000 taels of silver to tide over the current difficulties. Taxes have not been paid yet, so the money for repairing the dam should be enough. Lord Shen will not refuse to give these, right?"

It wasn't that Ma Guangcheng was asking for too much, but disaster relief was a bottomless pit, so he could only ask for more. Shen Wanhe smiled slightly and nodded in agreement;

"Since Lord Ma has spoken, how can I ignore it? However, I need you to write an IOU. The things you want will be here within three days."

"Okay, I've written it."

Shen Wanhe clapped his hands, and servants came over with pens, ink, paper and inkstone to serve him. Ma Guangcheng knew that disaster relief was the most important thing at the moment, and only by petitioning the government could he save himself. Another thing was that the capital might not be clear about what was happening in Nanjing, and there was no evidence for what he had done. He would just be dismissed from office, but whoever would implement the court's policies would, as long as they did a good job, their merits and demerits would offset each other!

He wrote down the IOU, looked back at the music in the attic, and knew that he would not see Eunuch Yang again. He bowed and said goodbye, turned around and left. After returning, he would have to discuss it with Lord Jia.
"Farewell,"

"Sir, walk slowly!"

Beijing,

Inside Yanchun Tower, not to mention the excitement on the faces of the people upstairs, even the students downstairs who heard this, as well as the guests who came to watch the excitement, all became interested and talked a lot. Many people gathered together and discussed repeatedly to see if they could think of a good answer.

Unfortunately, everyone was scratching their heads anxiously, but they just couldn't come up with an answer. Combined with the statement of the West Palace's heir, everyone who heard it became interested. This was a godsend opportunity. If they could get it right, it would be a matter of fame and fortune.

Zhang Jinyu sat opposite him, looking at the demeanor of the Western Prince, and simply flattered him again.
"Everyone, it seems that our West Palace's prince is fully prepared. Let alone other things, this absolute is really rare in the world. The one stick of incense time your Highness gave is a bit short. So, I will make the decision and ask your Highness to extend the time. After all, you need time to think."

When everyone present heard that the Marquis wanted to add time, they all hoped that His Highness would agree. They turned their eyes to the main seat. The eldest princess smiled. She hadn't thought of this couplet, or rather, she couldn't think of one in a short time. So, a little more, a little less, the result was still the same, so she opened her mouth.

"In that case, listen to the Marquis, Yue'er, light another stick of incense, and when it's burned out, declare it a draw."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Liu Yue bowed, took another stick of incense and walked over, lit it and placed it in the copper furnace. Seeing the time passing, Xu Rentao frowned. This pair was obviously a trap, and he didn't know how to answer it. What should he do?
Looking behind me, many of my fellow apprentices were very discouraged.
Coincidentally,

Yang Mingan, who was sitting next to him, suddenly asked in a low voice;
"My two brothers, why do you have to be so neat? Why don't you try another way?"

Luan Yiqing and Sun Boyan looked at each other. Could it be that Brother Yang had already confronted them? It seemed that it was not impossible.
"Brother Yang, have you come up with a couplet? As a couplet writer, I am not well educated, so I cannot comment on it."

Luan Yiqing's face turned red. These were not what he was good at. Sun Boyan was the same. He wanted to say something else. Yang Mingan, who didn't know if he was hot-headed at this time, stood up first. He didn't give the two of them time to react. He walked out in a white brocade dress and holding a folding fan. He stood in the middle of the hall, bowed and shouted;
"Your Highness, students can give it a try!"

With this movement, almost everyone in the hall turned their eyes to that figure. His handsome appearance and hearty smile all showed the demeanor of a young master from a noble family in the capital. What attracted people's attention was the jade pendant on Yang Ming'an's waist. Others wore one, but he wore two, one on the left and one on the right, which were extremely symmetrical.

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On the main position,
The eldest princess looked strange, and looked over. She had never seen this person before. But the eldest son Li Chaosheng on the other side looked suspicious. Isn't this the son of Yang Shixiong's family? Why did Yang Mingan come out? After hesitating, he explained;

"Your Highness, this man is my senior brother, the eldest son of Master Yang, who is very talented in literature."

"Oh, so he is Mr. Li's man. After seeing him today, he is indeed extraordinary."

After hearing his explanation, the princess gave the Li family face and praised them. Some people who knew him were also whispering.

However, Zhang Jinyu was drinking tea and chuckled, looking at Yang Mingan who had regained his spirits. He sighed in his heart, it is true that the more you fight, the braver you become. It has only been a few days since he recovered and he is out again. Will Xue Pan come too? His mind was turning, and his eyes fell down. After a look around, he did not see Xue Pan, which was a bit strange.

"Okay, since Young Master Yang has the second line, we can give it a try."

The eldest princess smiled slightly and turned back charmingly, but her eyes looked towards Marquis Luo Yun's seat. She had heard the laughter just now.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Yang Mingan bowed again, and after he stood up, he smiled and opened his folding fan. It is said that all the young masters of noble families like this trick, which made many Confucian scholars dress in the same way.
Zhang Jinyu actually knew the second line, but she didn't want to be the first one to come forward. As the saying goes, only when someone takes the lead can the road be paved.
Yang Mingan cleared his throat, turned south, and said the second line:
"All students are well versed in poetry, books and classics."

Just finished reading,
Zhao Xuelun, the head of Yunshan Academy, suddenly smiled and advised;

"Mr. Yang, if you don't understand the meaning of this couplet, it's better not to humiliate yourself."

"What do you mean, you mean, this young master is not right!"

Yang Mingan turned around with an unhappy look on his face. You all kept silent just now, but now it's my turn to speak up, but you are blaming me. What's the logic?
"Ahem, Young Master Yang, think about it yourself. There are two characters for qin, se, and pipa above each character, so there are eight characters for four characters. These four characters are basically the same, they are all musical instruments. Take a look and see if you are right."

There was no bad words, and the courage was commendable, but these were really not worthy of being accepted in a formal meeting. Yang Mingan looked unhappy, and it seemed that it was the reason. No wonder so many people were silent just now, with so many emotions.

Perhaps seeing the Yang family's young master's distress, the eldest son Li Chaosheng offered help;

"Young Master Yang, don't worry. This is absolutely true. It was something that the headmaster of Qinglian Academy came up with by chance when he was listening to an opera. It just took him a long time to think about it before he came up with the second line."

"Yes. Sir."

Yang Mingan blushed, covered his face and ran away, but everyone present looked at the judges' seats. No wonder this person was definitely not seen before, it turned out to be the headmaster of Qinglian Academy. Seeing everyone looking over, Ling Yunfu just touched his beard and did not speak. In this way, as the head of Qinglian Academy, Gong Huaiyu spoke on his behalf;
"Everyone, as the eldest master said, the characters must be similar and the couplets must rhyme, so it is a little difficult, but,"

Gong Huaiyu turned his head to the eldest son in the first seat and asked;
"Since you know so much, could you enlighten me?"

He clasped his hands together, with a hint of amusement in his eyes. This scene was a bit weird. There must be a feud between the Prime Minister and the Western Palace!
Zhang Jinyu watched with great interest. Needless to say, he liked this provocative attitude.

"Ahahaha, Your Excellency, you are too polite. I dare not teach you anything, but I do have some ideas. However, I know that Marquis Luo Yun's poems are rare in the world. I wonder if you, My Lord, can use a piece of paper to write the second couplet together?"

To divert the trouble to someone else, no, to bring someone down.

Instantly, two idioms popped up in Zhang Jinyu's mind, and the cake in her hand froze. Looking at the young master sitting on the floor opposite her with a slight smile on his face, she was afraid that she would not be able to get away from the poetry gathering tonight.
"Ah, look at it all, the eldest son is still very open-minded. This couple, I paid 200,000 taels of silver as a bet, but the eldest son didn't even give a penny. When this couple came out, not only did he get the silver, but he also got fame and fortune. It's not fair! Isn't it, Your Highness!"

Since you want to bring me down, we have to talk it out. Don't even think about it if you don't give me money.

"That's right. In that case, does the eldest master have any bets?"

Li Chaosheng was helpless. As expected of Luo Yunhou, he was unwilling to suffer a loss. He took out a yellow jade seal from the package behind him and took out a silver note of 100,000 taels and placed them on the table.

"Your Highness has spoken, so I have no choice but to follow the bet. I will give you a hundred thousand taels of silver and an unengraved topaz seal from my father's collection. If you can match the seal, I will give it to you. How do you think?"

Wow, this is a huge investment, a topaz seal, he even dared to take out this thing, but when I think about it, many adults have the habit of carrying seals with them, I can understand it.
"Tsk tsk, the eldest master is really generous. He even took out such a good thing. In that case, let's write it down."

"Pen and ink are at your service."

Liu Yue called out, and the maid came up with a tray. Zhang Jinyu dipped the pen in ink and started writing.

"The four little ghosts, each of them has their own thoughts!"

The eldest son Li Chaosheng opposite had a smile on his face all the time. He looked over as soon as he put down his pen!

(End of this chapter)