Red Mansion Beijingwang

Jinling Pier.

At this moment, many people gathered on the pier. The leader was Jia Yucun, who was wearing a crimson official robe. Next to him was a man in a cyan official robe. He looked to be in his early forties, with a fair face and a hair under his nose. Bearded, exuding the majesty of a long-standing authority, even the leader Jia Yucun was suppressed.

In addition, all the officials with official positions in Jinling are here, and they are all looking forward to it at this moment.

After a long time, a large boat appeared on the river, with a large flag hanging high on the bow, which read: "Imperial envoy, Prince Shuirong of Beijing County."

"Here we come!" the people on the shore shouted, and everyone kept arranging their clothes to let the people on the side see if there was anything wrong.

The big ship slowly docked, and the first person to disembark was Feng Ziying, who was dressed in armor. She led more than a hundred royal guards to stand on both sides of the pier, holding their hands on the hilts of their swords, staring at everyone expressionlessly.

Later, Shui Rongcai walked out of the cabin calmly, wearing a snow-white satin robe, a jade belt around his waist, and holding an ivory folding fan. He looked like a noble prince who had been banished to an immortal, which attracted the girls in the boudoir who were looking at the attic and carriage into a trance. , a pair of beautiful eyes with rippling water shining with a strange light, and for a moment, she couldn't close her legs.

Seeing the water melting down the deck, everyone knelt down. Jia Yucun took the lead and shouted: "Jinling Prefecture Yin Jia Yucun welcomes the imperial envoy!"

If it were the Prince of Beijing County, they wouldn't have to work so hard, but in addition to being a prince, the young man in front of them is also an imperial envoy, acting on behalf of heaven. It would be disrespectful to disrespect the imperial envoy.

Shui Rong stepped onto the dock and looked around at the scene of people kneeling in front of him. His heart was calm and he said in a clear voice: "Everyone, get up!"

Everyone stood up after hearing the words, and Jia Yucun led the officials to come forward and salute. Previously, it was because of his status as an imperial envoy, but now he is the king of Beijing County, which has a different meaning.

"Zhen Yingjia, the president of the imperial envoy Tirenyuan, met with the prince."

At this time, the man in blue official robe looked at Shui Rong and respectfully introduced himself.

Hearing Zhen Yingjia's name, Shui Rong stared at it carefully. The so-called president of Imperial College Tiren Pavilion refers to the weaving supervisor. All presidents are temporary dispatched posts, which is different from the permanent position of Tiren Pavilion.

To put it bluntly, it was the Satin Treasury of the Qian Dynasty, which specialized in providing silk fabrics to the palace. It was equivalent to the Weaving Bureau of the Qing Dynasty and ranked fifth.

In terms of rank, Jia Yucun is slightly better, but rank in the officialdom is not the only criterion for status. The president of Tirenyuan is mostly appointed by the emperor, which is a bit like an imperial envoy. He can also provide special advice to the emperor, but his actual status is far away. With an official rank higher than the fifth rank, even the governor of Liangjiang wanted to speak kindly to him.

And not only that, the Zhen family where Zhen Yingjia belongs has inherited the Tirenyuan for decades, has "hereditary" duties, has also been in charge of "salt inspection", and has undertaken important economic tasks such as copper jins. After three generations, it has formed a stronghold. A wealthy group with political, economic and cultural privileges.

How should I put it? On the surface, Jinling is headed by the four major families. In fact, the Zhen family is the largest family, which is somewhat of a hidden family.

After groaning, Shui Rong said in a gentle tone: "Master Zhen, you are welcome. This is not the first time that I and you have met."

The Emperor's several tours to the south were mostly hosted by the Zhen family. When he was young, Shui Rong also accompanied the Emperor on his southern tours. He had met Zhen Yingjia and was regarded as a "familiar" person.

Besides, Zhen Yingjia is Zhen Hua's father. Logically speaking, the person in front of him is also Shuixun's cheap father-in-law. He does not look at the monk's face but the Buddha's face. He only relies on his cousin's warm fragrance and body warmth to accommodate Shuixun's good temper. He should be polite at least. two.

Zhen Yingjia was overjoyed when she heard this, and said with a smile: "I never thought that the prince would still remember me. It is really an honor for me. I wonder if the Supreme Emperor is in good health?"

For the Zhen family, the Supreme Emperor is their foundation. After Emperor Yongkang ascended the throne, the Zhen family was gradually ostracized. The "salt patrol" was taken over by Lin Ruhai, the censor of the salt patrol, and economic affairs such as copper and gold were taken over by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There is only one Tirenyuan left in the Zhen family.

Shui Rong nodded and responded: "The Supreme Emperor cultivates his moral character in the Daming Palace, ignores secular affairs, and enjoys leisurely life every day. The dragon body is very healthy."

For the Supreme Emperor, Shui Rong could feel family affection, so Shui Rong also thought of the Supreme Emperor in his heart and warned the Supreme Emperor not to take the golden elixir. Perhaps he was thinking about feelings when he was old, so he listened to Shui Rong's advice.

It’s just that everyone knows that the body of the elderly cannot be cured by water dissolution. It is false that the dragon body is very healthy, but it can last for several years.

In the face of "outsiders", Shui Rong will naturally not tell the truth.

When Zhen Yingjia heard this, her heart relaxed slightly and she said with a smile: "In that case, I am relieved. I hope that the prince will express his love to the Supreme Emperor. The people in Jiangnan have been waiting for the Supreme Emperor for a long time and are waiting for the Supreme Emperor's southern tour at any time."

After hearing this, Shui Rong couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, and looked at Zhen Yingjia with something strange in his eyes. Hey, good guy, do you know how much money a southern tour costs? This guy can't bring it up. If Emperor Yongkang knows about this, , don’t slap him in the face.

Don't forget, during the Emperor's several tours to the south, your Zhen family still owed a lot of money to the treasury. Before the old debt was settled, new debts came to mind. This meant that your house was in a hurry to be confiscated.

However, Shui Rong can also understand that the Zhen family is currently on the decline. If the Supreme Emperor's southern tour is hosted by the Zhen family again, it will undoubtedly add momentum to the Zhen family.

With a chuckle, Shui Rong said: "We will discuss this matter after I return to the capital. This time I am in Jinling on official business, and I would like to trouble Lord Zhen to help me a little bit more."

When Zhen Yingjia heard the words, she couldn't help but feel proud. On the ground of Jinling, it was indeed difficult to do things without the Zhen family's nod, but Zhen Yingjia was not stupid. The person in front of him was the Prince of Beijing County. He had a distinguished status and was not someone he could show off his prestige to. So, He said modestly: "As long as the prince has given instructions, the subordinates will do their best."

Shui Rong smiled and said nothing when he heard this, and looked at Zhen Yingjia with a bit of amusement in his eyes. He hoped that the Zhen family would do their best, but was this possible?

With the Zhen family's usual strong-willed attitude, it was never so easy to talk to someone.

At this time, Jia Yucun said respectfully: "Your Majesty, it's been a long journey, so let's go to the guest house to settle down first. I've already taken care of everything."

Zhen Yingjia frowned, feeling quite satisfied with Jia Yucun. He was reminiscing with the Prince of Beijing County, so he kept interjecting, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that Jia Yucun's words were reasonable, and he didn't say anything. .

Jia Yucun has always been a person who adapts to the wind, so he noticed Zhen Yingjia's peculiar characteristics, but he didn't care. He climbed up to the Prince's Palace in Beijing. By the end of the year, he would be transferred to the center of the imperial court. He still cared about Zhen Yingjia in Jiangnan. Home?

Moreover, Jia Yucun, the Prince of Beijing County, had a clear conscience about the purpose of his trip to Jinling. In the usual style of the wealthy Jinling family, he would even go to death to offend the Zhen family.

The water melted a little, the waves on the river, the bumps along the way, made people restless, and even their sleep was not stable. I was indeed a little tired, so it was a good thing to take a rest first.

Seeing this, Jia Yucun hurriedly led Shuirong to the guest house. As for the officials, they were also sent away and dispersed, even Zhen Yingjia was no exception.

Feng Ziying had taken over the Guest House, and the palace guards were surrounded inside and outside. They performed their duty as guards. Shui Rong stepped into the Guest House and sat at the front of the flower hall. He took a sip of tea and felt a little relieved.

After glancing at Jia Yucun down the hall, Shui Rong asked, "Jia Fuyin, how are the prices in Jinling?"

Jia Yucun made some arrangements and said in a clear voice: "Back to my lord, the victims of the disaster continue to pour into Jinling. There is not much food left in the granary. It can last for seven days at most. Prices have risen. The current price of food has reached one hundred and forty cents." Grain dealers are selling by measures, so that the supply exceeds demand. If things go on like this, the price of grain will only keep rising. By then, not only the victims of the disaster, but also the people of Jinling will have no food to eat. "

After Shui Rong heard this, it was clear that the victims who had lost their homes could only seek survival everywhere. At this moment, not only Jinling, but also the eight prefectures and continents in the south of the Yangtze River were constantly gathering victims. It was understandable that the number of people was too large, and it would affect the local people.

After groaning, Shui Rong said, "Tomorrow the king will host a banquet for the wealthy Jinling family. Please tell them about it. It's up to you to decide the location."

In Jinling's territory, it is naturally arranged by local snakes, and Shui Xun does not need to intervene.

Jia Yucun understood clearly after hearing this. It was not that there was no food in Jinling, but that the wealthy families controlled the price. The prince of Beijing County came to Jinling for the food in the hands of the wealthy families. Only with food in hand can the plan be implemented. It was reasonable to invite them to a banquet for discussion. As it should be.

After thinking for a moment, Jia Yucun said softly: "Your Majesty, Yilan Garden is a famous elegant place in Jinling. If not having a banquet there, I can also allow Your Majesty to appreciate the characteristics of Jiangnan."

Shui Rong glanced at Jia Yucun, and he knew in his heart that going to Yilanyuan to appreciate the Jiangnan characteristics was nothing more than the world-famous "skinny horse".

When it comes to flattery, Jia Yucun is also well-educated. The so-called men understand men, this is generally the case, and one sentence hits the nail on the head. However, Shui Rong didn't have much interest at the moment and said casually: "It's just arranged by Jia Fuyin."

It's nothing more than a place, the key is disaster relief.

Jia Yucun smiled knowingly when he heard this, and responded: "I understand, I will submit a letter to the Zhen family and other Jinling wealthy families."

As a local official, everyone has a private list, which contains the names of the most powerful, extremely wealthy and noble squires in the province. This is the same in all provinces. If you don't know it, and you offend such a family for a while, not only the official title, but also the Even his life could not be saved, so he was nicknamed "Guan Guan Talisman".

When Jia Yucun wrongly convicted the Hulu case, it was not because the Xue family could not afford to offend.

Shui Rong nodded and said, "I am a little tired. Jia Fuyin should go and work on disaster relief."

Jia Yucun heard the words and responded, then respectfully left.

Shui Rong sat on the chair and rubbed his forehead. He was a little tired, but not weak yet. At this moment, he was a little worried about Tanchun and Daiyu. When Shui Rong decided to go to Jinling, Daiyu was also preparing to set off to support Lin Ruhai. The journey back to Suzhou for the coffin was difficult, and even though sergeants were specially arranged to protect it, it still made people feel uneasy.

It's probably because you care so much that you worry about gains and losses, just like a child who goes out to explore and can't stop worrying even though he knows there will be no accidents. This is the so-called "worrying".

Jinling, Zhen family.

After Zhen Yingjia greeted the imperial envoy from the dock, she intended to go to the guest house, but was sent back by the Prince of Beijing County. Zhen Yingjia, who had nothing to do, returned to the mansion.

Walking along the Chaoshou corridor, I met a man in brocade clothes, with a beard under his chin and a somewhat wealthy look. This man was Zhen Yingjia's eldest brother Zhen Tiren.

When Zhen Tiren saw the person coming, he turned his eyes slightly, stepped forward with a smile and said, "You didn't go to the dock to meet the imperial envoy, why are you back now?"

The imperial envoy went to Jinling. The rich families like him had already known about it. Logically speaking, the imperial envoy had just arrived in Jinling, and his second brother should have accompanied him. How could he have returned home now?

Zhen Yingjia looked slightly unnatural, and explained casually: "Your Majesty is a little tired from the bumpy journey. He is resting in the Guest House right now, so I don't want to disturb him."

Zhen Tiren didn't pay much attention when he heard this. After all, the person who came was not only an imperial envoy, but also a county king. Even if the Zhen family was accustomed to being the dominant one in Jinling, they would not be arrogant.

Compared with status, the Beijing County Prince is more noble than them. If you really want to care about it, even if the dragon crosses the river, the local snake will not be able to deal with it.

Thinking of this, Zhen Tiren's eyes flashed with a strange color, and there was a hint of regret in his voice as he said: "Speaking of which, Hua'er was expected to become the Princess of Beijing, but I never expected that something would go wrong."

When Zhen Yingjia heard this, she couldn't help but feel startled. She looked at Zhen Tiren with a dark look in her eyes. This elder brother's words were a bit heartbreaking.

Originally, according to the old concubine's intention, she planned to marry the Zhen family to the Prince of Beijing. Everyone in the Zhen family thought that it was a sure thing. Who would have thought that the Prince of Beijing would not treat her as a princess and would only allow her to marry her? The name of a concubine,

In the Zhen family, or most people's view, Shui Rong's status was a little embarrassing at that time. After he was adopted by the Beijing Prince's Palace, his status plummeted. If he was not suppressed by Emperor Yongkang, he would have burned incense. With the status of their Zhen family The status is enough to match, so from the perspective of the Zhen family, it is equivalent to a humiliation. For the sake of the Zhen family's dignity, they did not agree.

Nowadays, Shui Rong is highly regarded by Emperor Yongkang, and even praised by Emperor Yongkang himself. The gap between the idle prince and the powerful prince is not even a little bit.

How should I put it, the Zhen family now feels a little regretful, but there is nothing they can do about it. If they had known this earlier, even if Hua'er was a concubine, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Pursing her lips, Zhen Yingjia sighed and said, "I guess I don't have such a fate, but Hua'er is now the grandson-in-law of Ning Guo Gongfu, which is not bad at all."

Although the concubine has a jade certificate, she is still not as good as the mistress in the one-third acre of land in the back house, and the effect of the in-laws is greatly reduced.

Zhen Tiren raised his eyes and glanced at Zhen Yingjia, and nodded lightly. She was the grandson-in-law of Duke Ning's mansion, and her status was already high. He had just expressed emotion before.

At this time, the housekeeper came over in a hurry. After bowing, he held a post in his hands and said: "Master, this is a greeting post sent by Yin of Jinling Prefecture. It says that the imperial envoy is inviting the Zhen family to visit." We will have a banquet at Yilan Garden tomorrow.”

Zhen Yingjia took the greeting card and started to read it. She frowned at the content of the greeting card and said, "The greeting card did mention that the prince invited me, but why did the prince not mention it before and instead posted it?"

This post is a formal invitation and does not represent an individual.

Seeing this, the butler respectfully added: "Sir, I heard that the governor of Jinling has given orders to the Jia family, Wang family and other wealthy families."

Zhen Tiren was stunned when he heard this, smiled and said: "Your Majesty is not raising money for the purpose of raising money. I think it is for fundraising matters."

Jinling's wealthy families have already received the news about the water dissolution of Jinling, and they have discussed it privately. Most of them believe that the purpose of the water dissolution is to raise funds for disaster relief.

Zhen Yingjia nodded after hearing this, obviously agreeing with this statement.

After pondering for a while, Zhen Yingjia said softly: "Yangzhou salt merchants donated 500,000 taels, and Jiayu Village also raised 500,000 taels in Jinling. Excluding other prefectures and counties, the remaining difference is only a few hundred thousand taels at most. If the prince has something, Please, maybe we can make friends through this.”

The Zhen family is gradually declining, and the old concubine is getting old. She may not be able to protect the Zhen family for too long. At this time, it is necessary to choose a strong political ally, and the high-profile Beijing Palace is obviously an excellent choice.

I missed the mistake before, but I can still make up for it, especially since the Prince of Beijing is now the son-in-law of the Jia family, and the Zhen family and the Jia family have always been on good terms, so they are still related when they are involved.

Zhen Tiren frowned when he heard this, and there was a feeling of dissatisfaction in his heart. Among the 500,000 taels raised by Jinling, there were merchants of the Zhen family, and they had already donated money. Now they have to fill this hole, which makes people I felt a little unhappy.

However, he also understood Zhen Yingjia's words and did not refute. He thought about it for a moment and nodded: "It's OK to donate, but we can't donate for free. The prince must at least give us some convenience so that we can get back some of our capital. ”

It's okay to donate, but if you catch someone to pick it up, it can't be justified no matter what.

Zhen Yingjia stared at Zhen Tiren, who was full of smiles, and suddenly had a bad feeling in her heart, and asked, "What kind of convenience does brother want?"

Zhen Tiren smiled "haha" and said, "It's nothing. I have sent letters to Duke Ningguo and I plan to jointly sell food in the disaster area. I hope the prince can provide some convenience."

Zhen Yingjia was startled when she heard this, and looked at Zhen Tiren with a look of astonishment. Originally, the Zhen family and the Jia family had been very close to each other, and they were married to the Duke of Ningguo, so the connection became even closer.

I just didn't expect that my eldest brother would quietly start doing business with Ning Guo Gongfu. He probably borrowed the Ning Guo Gong's connections to open up the channels.

After pondering for a while, Zhen Yingjia said: "Brother, please restrain yourself on the food issue and don't cause any trouble."

Zhen Yingjia couldn't stand Zhen Tiren's behavior. After all, the current price of food in Jinling has reached a sky-high price of 140 yuan, let alone the disaster area. I am afraid that rice is as precious as gold, and the people who cannot afford food may It's dangerous to go and cause big trouble.

Zhen Tiren said indifferently: "Eat it if you can afford it. Who can blame those who can't afford it? They are just some untouchables. What do they deserve?"

After saying that, Zhen Tiren saw what Zhen Yingjia wanted to say and said impatiently: "Okay, I know what's going on. Don't worry about it. I'll just do it in private."

Zhen Yingjia looked at Zhen Tiren's resolute attitude and couldn't help but sigh. He knew his eldest brother's temper, and it was difficult to change what he had decided.

That's all, that's all, I'll make plans when I meet the prince tomorrow. (End of chapter)