Emperor Yongzheng

Chapter 123 A masterful hand drops a poem from the air and the news is shocking. Huang nobles inspect the porridge shed.
It was already the third day of April when Hongli received the order to return to Beijing.At this time, the edict to implement the New Deal was known to the whole world. Notices with the title of Governor of Liangjiang and Governor of Jiangsu were posted everywhere in the streets and alleys of Nanjing, explaining the New Deal.Li Wei was not very illiterate, so he begged a beggar to compile Yongzheng's decree into two copies: one original package was bound into a book and distributed to all counties and prefectures. The lectures were given every three days, and the scholars from all over the place listened and responded. The township will give another lecture.In addition to asking the scholars to understand the holy will every exam, the prefects and county magistrates also had to deal with the examination papers sent by Li Wei and Yin Jishan every fifth day.What was posted on the street was not the original text of the imperial edict and the imperial edict.Li Wei ordered his staff to compile the imperial edicts and documents sent by the court, and all related to the New Deal, into Gu'er Ci, Dao Qing, Lian Hua Luo, and Jia Guan Ci'er, and printed them in large quantities.Various theaters added official operas to their plays, teahouses and restaurants added "Ode to the Emperor's Grace" before the main text of storytellers and singers, and even Fengyue family on the Qinhuai River received a free copy for each guest.In Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, even the fishermen and woodcutters were well-known to Yongzheng's New Deal.Hongli lived in front of the posthouse in the east of Confucius Temple. Because it was the busiest place in Nanjing, the Governor's Office set up a lamp shed. The various lamps were decorated with Li Wei's slang works, attracting onlookers day and night to guess lantern riddles. There is no jackpot prize for winning, only a lottery ticket is given. With a lottery ticket, you can receive one liter of grain at the charity warehouse when you return to your hometown.Even the back of the lottery ticket has the slogan printed on it:

Dear elders, please listen, the emperor is very kind to you.The consumption limit is taken from the private sector, and any remaining silver should be returned to the public.Civil and military officials should be upheld with integrity, and honest officials should serve the people with integrity.Those who are gifted will be brought to justice, and those with gray hair and yellow will enjoy peace...

Nowadays, warehouses are set up in large mansions to save money during times of abundance and to tide over shortages.A rich family's benevolence accumulates yin, and a poor family's welfare is also in good health.Hairpins, wealth and honor should be admired for righteousness, even if one is a gentry, one should also receive food.You should know that my emperor is making plans from afar to plan for Pingyang for your future generations.

... All these things have provoked farmers from remote villages and towns into the city to trap the lamp shed with water and air all day long.Half a month ago, Hongli ordered people to collect these lottery tickets secretly and bring the samples directly to Yongzheng. He also wrote a secret book to praise highly:
The minister planned to give out 100 million lottery tickets for one liter of rice, and only paid [-] shi for the surplus grain in the south of the Yangtze River. The small people in the mountains and remote and poor villages could all be blessed by the emperor's grace, and all the stupid people in the capital of Guizhou could admire him. The purport of the Holy Edict.Therefore, it cannot be estimated based on the mere grain of ten thousand stones.

Today, after receiving the order to return to Beijing to report on his work and to visit Tian Wenjing to investigate several impeachments, Yuan Zhejia and Zhu Wholesale returned him.It’s still the very familiar regular script of my father, Emperor Yongzheng:
I have always known Li Weigong's loyal voice, but his clever nature is difficult for others to imitate.Your report has been copied and sent to all provinces for reference.It is difficult to summarize everything in the world. For example, in Shandong, it is difficult to provide disaster relief even if it is ten thousand stones of food.Li Wei is a good dancer with long sleeves and a wealthy man. However, he also pays attention to the government affairs office on weekdays.

Also, please read several copies of the Fadi newspaper.Because you are about to leave Ning for Henan, and there will be many inconveniences on the way, these Di newspapers have not yet been sent to Zhongzhou.When you get to Kaifeng, you can continue reading without any lag.

Hongli picked up a few more newspapers sent from the palace in sealed boxes sent by the court. In fact, there was no important content.In addition to the news that the consumption limit of the eighteen provinces was returned to the public, and the implementation of official Yang Lian's absence was successful, the most eye-catching thing was that Hu Shili, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, personally escorted Yun to Baoding and handed over "Seth Black" to Li Fu for "strict supervision."Li Fu's excerpt of impeachment of Tian Wenjing's "Five Unforgivables" did not publish the original text, only a headline.Another thing is a military intelligence report from General Altai, saying that Luo Bu Zang Tenzin died of illness and that the remaining Luo troops had been taken in by Celing Alabutan.The power of the Jungolkha Mongolian army has been transferred to Celing, and now it is mobilized frequently.Another order has been given to Weiyuan General Yue Zhongqi, ordering him to be on guard.There are two other reports. One says that Yang Mingshi has been appointed as the Minister of Rites, and the other says that Sun Jiagan has returned from Yungui Guanfeng to serve as the censor of Zuodu and will set off back to Beijing today.

In his study, he read these newspapers against Zhu Phisen, and he felt relieved after being a little worried.Not long ago, the "Baye Party" made a big fuss in the Qianqing Palace. He received as many as five or six urgent reports a day, and he knew all the incidents from the capital.Li Wei, Yin Jishan, Fan Shijie and others came to pay their respects every day and went round and round to inquire about the news of the inner court. Although Hongli dealt with it calmly, he was not very confident in his heart.At first, he was worried that Prince Lian would disrupt the affairs of the court, and then he was worried about the rise of the Yunhu Party in prison.Everything was calm, but I felt that I had been in a foreign country for a long time, and I wondered if someone would stir up trouble in front of Yongzheng.It didn't matter how big or small the matters directed by this secret edict and the Di Bao were. What was important was that Yongzheng trusted himself more. In order to keep himself in constant control of the overall situation in the provinces and borders, he actually personally sent samples of the unsent Di Bao.Hongli couldn't help but admire his father's meticulousness, and he also vaguely realized that Hongshi's handling of government affairs in Beijing was not in line with the emperor's wishes.Therefore, after putting down the documents sent by the court, Hongli felt completely relieved.However, I saw four men in casual attire coming in from the second door outside the hall. They did not come into the house. Instead, they lined up in the courtyard in front of the steps. They shouted "hey" and said: "Four princes, slaves." Xing Jianye, Xing Jianmin, Xing Jianzhong, and Xing Jianyi are practicing tricks with the master!"

The four brothers of the Xing family were originally from Shandong. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, there was a family of seven generations of policemen. When his father Xing Lianzhu was old, Xiuzhi sent his four sons to work for Li Wei.In order to test the martial arts ability of the Xing family's children, Li Weite sent them to Nanjing Governor's Yamen to listen to them first. Qia Hongli appointed four of him as his sparring partners every time they practiced martial arts on a single day.When Hongli saw them arriving, he immediately took off his robe and coat. Inside, he only wore a rose purple Batulu waistcoat over the moon-white gown. He also put on a pair of corduroy soap boots, hid the corners of the robe in his belt, and put on a pair of corduroy soap boots. He walked out of the hall with an eyebrow-leveling stick in his hand and said with a smile: "Today is probably the last time I will practice the moves. I am going back to Beijing. I will meet with Nanjing officials separately in the next three days, so I won't have time to play... How are you going to practice today?"

"By my command!" Xing Jianye said, crossing his hands.

"You have already learned about your fists and kicks." Hongli said with a smile, "Let's change the pattern today. Today I will practice the stick, and you will do it one by one. Whoever can take the stick from my hand will be rewarded with 20 taels of silver!" Hongli said As he spoke, he took out a banknote from the boot leaf and placed it on the steps in front of the window, pressing it down with a stone.Come and set up a portal, swing the stick with one hand and spread the net all over the sky with one move, spin your body in more than ten circles, "raise the fire to the sky" with one hand, and hold the stick in the posture of Emperor Qin holding a sword with the other hand, and suddenly the whole courtyard is filled with wind.

The four brothers couldn't help but applaud when they saw him making such a cool and neat move, and shouted in unison: "Okay!"

As soon as Hongli danced, he used a stick in his hand to hook, pick, twist, pick up, pry, throw, collapse, stab... as light as a lamp grass, and sometimes the stick was like an axis, flying through the body and kicking continuously in the air; Sometimes he would make continuous leaps, his hands would dance backwards like a windmill, and he would jump and kick with his fists and feet. Even the flowers and plants by the patio would be moved by the wind of the stick.The four brothers did not take action for a while. They stood nearby and took a closer look. They already saw that Hongli's stick technique came from the inner court. Although he had been taught by the masters of the imperial guards, he suffered from "palace disease".Even though Zi Zi danced so airtight, it was just beautiful to look at. All four of them felt that it was not difficult to snatch the oak stick from his hand.But considering that he is the current "prince" and is willful and arrogant, what can he do if he loses face?Xing Jianye was thinking of a way, but the fourth brother Xing Jianyi had already entered the field and shouted: "Fourth Master, I'm offended!" He jumped around in the shadow of Hongli's stick and saw that Hongli's bottom plate was unstable and Fei Zu Kick Hongli's hind leg horizontally.Hongli hurriedly held up the stick and flew away, his body hanging in the air. Unexpectedly, Jianyi made a false move. He lunged with his left leg, closed his right foot and made a sharp hook. Hongli's lower head lost support and fell to the ground.Seeing that Xing Jianyi was about to throw him off his horse, Jianyi stopped him with his left hand and supported Hongli. Hongli was stunned, and the stick in his hand was knocked three feet high by Xing Jianyi's right hand.The stick fluttered into Xing Jianyi's hands.Hongli took a step back with a smile and said, "No need to compete anymore. I've even taken it from you, not to mention your brother? You're so good at movement. My stick can't even splash water when I dance. How did you get in?" ?Ouchi masters don’t have this ability either.”

"The inner bodyguard belongs to the prince." "This dragon's head silver note is so eye-catching, so I'm so presumptuous!" Hongli couldn't help laughing and said: "That's it! Are you jealous after losing money in a bet? OK, OK! You are so sincere, your master should help you." You fill it back!" As he said that, when he turned back to pick up the banknote, he couldn't help but be surprised: the gift that had been pressed under the stone on the steps had disappeared, and someone had replaced it with a Xue Tao note. There seems to be some writing on the dots and stains!Hongli took out the paper carefully as if he was afraid of being burned. With a frozen smile on his face, he opened it with trembling fingers. There was a poem written on the paper:

Respect is due to hard work and meritorious service, and I can bear to listen to the old song "Wagtail Plains".I would like to tell you that my master is empty-handed, so as not to wither on the way north!
When I looked closely, it was the paper I often used. The ink was moist and stained at the touch of my finger. It was obvious that I had just written on it.In broad daylight, in the heavily guarded imperial envoy's residence, in front of several martial arts masters, this thief calmly entered the study to write poems, and silently exchanged banknotes. He came and left without a trace. It’s also incredible.

The Xing brothers were stunned and immediately knew what had happened. Xing Jianye and Xing Jianmin took a few steps forward to protect Hongli. Jianzhong Jianyi flew up to the room with a roar, and the two of them set up a pergola on the back of the room. Looking out, I can see the green halls and tiled houses connected one after another, the winding alleys and small streets, and the chirping laughter of children from time to time. There is a scene of spring inside and outside the courtyard. In this peaceful world, where can I see a shadow of a thief?The four brothers searched Hongli's study again before inviting Hongli, who was still in shock, to go in.Seeing Hongli blankly feeling relieved, the four of them felt embarrassed.Xing Jianye lowered his head and said with a red face: "I'm so surprised, I'm so incompetent. I really don't think there are such spies in Nanjing!"

"Perhaps there is an undercover person in this station." Hongli saw that they were ashamed, so he smoothed things over for them: "Besides, you are all staring at Jianyi and me, not paying attention. Don't be so downcast. It’s like I am dead, this is 100 taels of silver, I will still reward you!” Then he handed over another silver note, how could the four of them dare to accept it?When he was not attending the meeting, someone came up to the gate and reported: "Li Wei, the governor of Liangjiang, and Fan Shijie, the chief envoy of Jiangnan, have come to pay their respects." Hongli thrust the banknote into Xing Jianye's hand, stood up and said, "Call in." "

After a moment, Li Wei was seen walking in slowly, wearing a large nine-python five-claw robe and a golden pheasant patchwork suit.He was recovering from a long illness and had been suffering from phlegm and asthma. He was as thin as a hemp stalk and carried empty clothes.Behind him, Fan Shijie was as stocky as a stone. His face was red from eating, and the flesh on his face trembled wildly as he took a step.Then two maids and an old woman followed silently. After passing the second door, they stopped along the wall with their hands hanging down.Li Wei waved his hand towards them and said, "You guys just obey my orders here." He turned around and went to Qian'er, who was coming out to meet Hongli, and said, "Minions Li Wei and Fan Shijie, please pay your respects to your master!" Then he kowtowed with Fan Shijie.

"Okay! Get up!" Hongli held his hands on the steps, and while letting the two of them enter the house, he asked with a smile: "Where is Jishan? I thought he would definitely come too, why are you two the only ones?" Looking at Li Wei's face, he said: "You are still pale, but you are in much better spirits. I asked Yang Mingshi to get you two pounds of fine white fungus. He wrote back and said that he had returned to Beijing and asked Yunnan Chief Minister Jiang Yunzhou to handle it. It can be delivered. I asked Cui'er to boil that thing with rock sugar. It can be replenished at any time. It is the most beneficial to the body." "Thankfully, the master is thinking about it." Li Wei smiled and said, "Tremella fuciformis came from the post this morning. Jiang also attached a special letter saying that it was his master's grace. Yin Jishan can't come now. Last year, the Yellow River silted up the water at the mouth of Qingjiang River, blocking water transportation. This spring, [-] tons of grain will be transported to Zhili Shandong. The Yellow River cauliflower flood will come, no Cleaning things up early would miss important things. Jishan was convening people from the river yamen to discuss matters, and there was also the Jianshan Dam project, which was about vernalizing the soil and loosening it, and migrant workers had to be mobilized to build it - these were all fertile positions, requiring the most incorruptible people, and the governor had to worry about them. I told him, "You need to get someone like Huang Zhenguo, the mother-in-law of Henan, to regulate rivers and build dams. If there is a flaw in Jiangsu and Jiangxi this autumn, it may collapse, and I will not care about the decades of face and friendship." , I have to impeach you to death. Money, now that it has been spent and returned to the public, there is plenty. Those river workers and officials you sent dare to steal my new deal money, and I have to ask the king to order him to behead him! "Jishan, I will give you a hundred." You can rest assured, but the ugly words are ahead of you, so trying to achieve success is not: - I will give Fourth Master a glass of water and wine as a farewell party in the evening, and Jishan will definitely come."

Fan Shijie was restless. While listening to Li Wei's words, he looked around and said with a smile: "Jishan is also busy with this. Old husband Yin Tai sent a letter from Beijing. His eldest wife Jin gave him a imperial edict and asked him to write poems." It was his mother's fiftieth birthday, and he had to buy a birthday gift. He told me that he wanted to ask the fourth master to take her back to Beijing, but he also said that he could neither make it public nor chill his mother's heart. I said, "What is this about you?" The fourth master is in trouble. The fourth master is a being from heaven. How can he help you bury your mother behind the back of Mr. Yin’s back? You are not joking! Fortunately, you are still a college prodigy!'..." He clamped seven clips Baidu said that Hongli seemed to be in a fog. Li Wei hurriedly apologized and said: "Jishan Gong's mother is a young lady, so naturally he can't be married... Yin Tai's wife is very jealous, and Yin Tai is an old man." Old-fashioned, even though Jishan is such a high-ranking official, his mother is still in green clothes and Jingchai at home, standing waiting for the old man and his wife. Jishan has nothing to say about this, he is the only one suffering..."

Hongli couldn't help but nodded and sighed after hearing this.Li Wei changed the subject and asked: "Where are my servants? I am practicing kung fu with the Xing brothers here, and they are not waiting in front of me?" Hongli said with a smile: "You, Li Wei, are the best in dealing with thieves in the world. Officer, what else am I worried about? Since they will be leaving in the next two days, I sent them to the street to buy books. The emperor is still feeling internal fever. I have written to the Heilongjiang general and asked him to capture the bear alive and send it to Beijing for bile extraction. I'm going to bring some real bezoars back from here. My mother also needs to bring something, and the rest of the people are packing their luggage in the backyard. But it seems like you can't keep the door open at night here. It's broad daylight, under the noses of a few people. A thief actually stole my money!" After saying that, he handed the letter to Li Wei.

"Really?" Li Wei was startled. He took the paper with both hands and looked at it. He didn't recognize half of the words, so he handed it to Fan Shijie and said, "Old Fan, Niang Xipi is such a thief, so I don't know. When did you talk a lot and come to Fourth Master to make me look ugly? You are a literate person, read it to us!" Fan Shijie was surprised and amused. He read the poem and said, "This thief doesn't seem to have any malicious intentions. , remind Fourth Master to be careful on the road. It is unknown if he is showing off his abilities and intends to serve the imperial court." "It's from me!" Li Wei gritted his teeth and cursed with a smile, "This is all done by Gan Fengchi and his gang. The heroic post was posted in Nanjing. The banquet has provoked these unscrupulous thieves from other provinces to cause trouble! Aunt Hei went back with Duanmu Liangyong to get married. She originally planned to ask them to escort the fourth master, but now it seems that only the slave will send you back in person." He also pointed out. Looking at the servants standing in front of the second door, he said: "These are some relatives of Grandma Hei's family. She is old and asked her family to come and take care of Duanmu. Duanmu and the others returned to Shandong, and I kept these people. Every girl can play, play, and sing. It is better to serve the fourth master on the road than a man with rough hands and feet." Fan Shijie looked at the Xing brothers with a smile and said: "How about it, don't brag about being 'invincible in defeating all Shandong' ? This time you show up, wait for your old man to deal with your family law!" Li Wei waved the girls in.

Seeing that the four people's faces were flushed with shame, Hongli hurriedly stopped Fan Shijie from speaking and said: "At that time, we were all concentrating on practicing kung fu. We were careless. Why should we blame them too much? When I return to Beijing, they will escort you. Li Wei, you Don't worry, this thief is definitely not here for my life. You don't want to send it in person. You make such a fuss over a small post. Aren't you afraid of people laughing at you, young master?" Seeing that the middle-aged woman with four girls has already When he entered the house, he stopped talking. When he looked carefully, he saw that the middle-aged woman was about 40 years old. She had an ivory hairpin in her bun. She had a long face and a high nose. It was obvious that she was also the child of a beauty.But the two women are described as still young, only fifteen or sixteen years old. They are both very relaxed. They are wearing colorful green trousers and goose-yellow embroidered shirts. They are not very handsome in appearance, but standing together, they seem to be the same. Two yellow flowers stand tall and graceful, giving them a unique charm.Hongli was young and elegant, but because he was an imperial envoy who was out to discuss things, it was not convenient for him to carry red and green around him. There were only a few men waiting on him all day long. When he saw them standing in the study with their elegant demeanor and shy faces, he suddenly felt refreshed. , playing with the folding fan in his hand and asked with a smile: "What are your names?"

The middle-aged woman gave a blessing before leaving and said: "The little woman's surname is Wen, Wen Liu. Master, just call me from the Wen family." Then she pointed to the two girls and said, "These two children are twins. The twins are both daughters of the little woman. The one with the cinnabar mole between the eyebrows is the elder sister, and the master named him Yanhong, and this one is the younger sister, named Yingying."

"Master?" "Oh, it's Aunt Black," the Wen family said, "Aunt's family name is Fang. It was defeated during the Jingnan period of Yongle, and our family was the servant of the Fang family at that time. The Duanmu family adopted Fang. The descendants of the family are kind, and the Fang family has recognized their kindness. They say that they are masters and servants to the outside world, but in fact they are not slaves. Our Wen family, on the other hand, is a down-to-earth family."

Before she finished speaking, Hong Li had already understood the connection. He never expected that Li Wei, who had been boasting all day long about the Duanmu and Black Aunty families in the martial arts world, had such a long history!He thought about it and said with a smile: "Both the Fang family and the one who was defeated during the Jingnan period must be Fang Xiaoru. After loyal ministers and martyrs, they have supported each other for more than three hundred years. This is a good story!" After saying this, he took the cup and asked for it. To have tea, the Wen family members hurriedly took off the pot from the tea basket without waiting for instructions, pinched Yanhong tea, carefully brewed three cups and brought them over on a plate. Yingying poured the hot water from the pot into the basin, and then added cold water. Soak three pieces in the towel on the rope and wring it out while it's hot. Just after the three of them took a few sips and savored the aroma, the hot towel was delivered.Hongli couldn't help but laugh and said: "The servants in the house still need women. The few male servants I have are very loyal, but they act like fools when it comes to these things." Seeing Li and Fan standing up with a smile When he was about to leave, Hongli said hurriedly: "Don't leave in a hurry, I have something else to do. It's getting better in the morning and evening, and I'm going to visit Li Weishe's porridge later. Aren't you going to invite me in the evening?" We just left together."

"Yes!"

Fan Shijie and Li Wei looked at each other and sat down again.Hongli took down a gold-plated wooden box from the bookshelf, pressed the mechanism with his hand, opened it with a snap, and took out a booklet with a yellow silk cover.The two of them saw at a glance that it was the greeting card that Yongzheng often approved and used, and they stood up hurriedly.Li Wei then asked: "Does the emperor have a secret edict?" Hongli nodded, handed the document to Fan Shijie and said, "Read it to Li Wei." Fan Shijie saw at a glance that it was the emperor's handwriting, bowed hurriedly, and read it respectfully. :

Learn more on the [-]th.I have been feeling uneasy both physically and mentally recently. My body feels hot all the time, and my head feels dizzy as if there are ghosts and spirits.You can pay attention to visit. There are good doctors in medicine and surgery, people who have profound knowledge of life cultivation, Taoist priests, Confucian scholars and lay people who preach.If you encounter a chance visit, you must endure the hardships and enlighten them, so that they can follow them happily and do not force them to do so.I will give him a generous gift to settle down his family, and I will send it to the capital while hearing about it and escorting him to the capital.Try your best to visit and ask for it on my behalf, and don't have any doubts about it.I don’t blame you for recommending non-human beings. I have my own way of trying it out.If there is news that someone from another province can reach him, please tell me the origin of his name secretly, and then I will send an order to the governor of that province to investigate.It cannot be regarded as a formal engagement.You can pay attention to Bo Wen Guang Guang Wang to help me understand.Be careful and careful.

Li Wei and Fan Shijie couldn't help but be shocked.Looking at the date, it was October 25th last year. Before that, they had received countless greeting cards, and they all said "I'm sorry, don't think about it." "It's better to do your job well than give me good medicine" and other words. I didn't expect that Hongli was given such a decree. It seemed that he couldn't wait to seek divination and seek medical advice!
"Let's talk while we walk." Hongli smiled and took back the note. Seeing an old man coming behind him, his body covered with dust, he called him in and said, "Old Liu, these three are the new ones who came in to serve the pen and ink in the study. We will make a room next to the study room for them to live in. The two girls are still young, so tell your family not to wrong them." Then he smiled at Yan Hong and Yingying and said, "Since you have come, you can live in peace. You don't have to see anything outside. What's missing? Take care of what Old Liu Tou wants. I'm going to go to Mr. Li's house and have the ink polished for me. I'll use it for writing when I come back. The books on the shelf are messy. I know it myself, so don't tidy it up." With that, he and Li Wei come out.The Xing brothers winked at each other and followed suit.

Fan Shijie said as he walked: "Fourth Master, you are in casual clothes. It is not suitable for us to follow you in our clothes. Can you please allow us to go back and change our clothes before serving?" Li Wei said with a smile: "I always have all kinds of clothes in my sedan. Brother-in-law Fan , If you want to be a beggar or the bastard in Fengyue Tower, I will immediately dress you up like a real beggar!" Fan Shijie was used to being scolded by Li Wei. He smiled and said: "If you want to be a little beggar, I will pretend to be an old beggar. . You want to pretend to be a little tortoise and lead the horse, and I will pretend to be an old tortoise!" The two bickered, causing Hongli to laugh uncontrollably.Suddenly the two of them came out of Li Wei's official sedan. Li Wei was wearing a black satin six-in-one unified melon skin hat, a black satin gown, a betel nut purse hanging from his waist, and a pair of sunglasses hanging on his thin face. He looked like a master.Fan Shijie wore a gray felt hat, a gray poplin robe and a green cloth gown - he looked like a butler.The three of them looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. After leaving the post house, they did not take the main road, but walked into an alley leading from the alley, winding to the northeast - Li Wei's porridge for the poor was located not far from the grain depot. The distant Xuanwu Lake.

In April, the flowers and trees in the south of the Yangtze River have faded. Going north from the inn, you are already in the suburbs of Nanjing. However, you can see the willows whistling on both sides of the loess sidewalk, the warm breeze is pleasant, and the endless cauliflowers are dancing gracefully in the setting sun in the west. There are vegetable fields, planted with eggplant seedlings, green pepper seedlings, spring onions, radish, cucumbers, beans, bamboo shoots and other vegetables, which are green and ready to flow.Children were beside the water channel where vegetables were watered. Some were flapping at butterflies, some were catching insects, and some were playing in the water. Occasionally, some slipped into the water and were thrown mud and sand by a group of gangsters on the shore, and had a water fight. , some were crying, some were laughing, some were making trouble, some were scolding, and some adults spanked their sons who looked like mud monkeys... It was a rural and pastoral scene.The three high-ranking officials, who had been busy competing for fame and fortune in official affairs all day long, all found it refreshing.While Hongli was walking, he asked Li Weidao: "Why did you think of setting up a charity warehouse and a porridge restaurant? The emperor praised me several times for this. He said that when all the governors in the world take up this kind deed, the peak of governance will be near. Generally speaking, if peace lasts for a long time, land will be easily annexed, and there will always be fewer rich and more poor. Even if there is peace, floods, droughts and locust plagues will inevitably occur. In revolutions, heroes and cunning heroes have always taken advantage of this 'opportunity'. In the long run, this is really a temple. It’s a good way for people to take care of both.”

"I don't think as deeply as the emperor." Li Wei held a piece of grass in his hand and chewed it bit by bit in his mouth. "I only know what it feels like to be hungry - when I see food, I She wants to rob, and she wants to hit a rich person when she sees one! My aunt’s husband has been dead for ten years and she has not married. After a locust plague, the crops were eaten as if they had been cut. So she sells flowers? - She still wants to Feed your son!" He was silent and said no more words.Fan Shijie nodded and sighed: "It's true. I saw Liu Er's hungry people rioting in Wuhu Salt Road because he didn't give enough food for a pound of grain. Liu Er was selling firewood when he passed by and beat the rice shop owner with a pole. They were on their backs. Hundreds of hungry people took the opportunity to rob rice, burn shops, and rob bank accounts. Even people who were not hungry were involved. They smashed the doors of wealthy families, robbed food, killed people, and raped women... It took a lot of efforts to suppress it. Killings. I was the prisoner and executioner of Liu Er, and dozens of tables of wine were set up outside to commemorate him. I just opened my eyes and closed my eyes, not daring to offend the public. I even went over and offered him a bowl of wine before executing him. Fourth Master, what are you doing? You will know if you have been there, it is really about to break out, and it will be out of control!" Hongli looked quietly into the distance, maybe the rapeseed fields under the sun were too dazzling, the pupils of his slightly squinted eyelids were shining, and he licked Licking his lips, he swallowed what he wanted to say.Li Wei saw a dark cluster of tall buildings in front of him, with sentries standing on the surrounding walls. He pointed with his hand and said: "This is the Jiangnan Grain Depot. Beyond the grain depot is Xuanwu Lake, and the soup kitchen is located by the lake." Hong Hong. Li asked: "Why is it located here?"

"There is a dilapidated Wutong Temple over there, which can protect you from the wind and rain." Li Wei said, "There is water near the lake. If you wash it clean, you will have fewer diseases. It is close to the grain depot, so it is convenient to get food. ——I don’t allow beggars in the city, and we need to make careful arrangements outside so that it won’t cause trouble easily.”

The three people walked while talking, and as expected, they turned around the grain warehouse and saw the clear waves of the vast Xuanwu Lake.There is a large temple on the west side of the south bank of the lake. It is very majestic, but it is in disrepair and looks gray.The east side of the temple is empty, and it seems to be the venue for temple fairs in the past. On the east side of the empty place, a row of reed mats is built into a shed, with firewood stacked next to it. The smoke from six chimneys behind the shed is rising straight up with the sound of sparks and crackling sounds. Boom.Because it was almost dinner time, thousands of hungry people had gathered in the empty square. They stood in six directions, either in queue or scattered. They were all in rags and disheveled, knocking the bowls in their hands, and impatiently waiting for the opening of the sheds. meal.From time to time there were quarrels and rude curses from the crowd, the sound of women nurturing their children and humming songs, and the sound of children being beaten, screaming and crying. From time to time there were also inexplicable laughter, making it extremely noisy.At a glance, Fan Shijie saw a clerk in the grain depot's accounting room who was busy instructing people to unload rice from the cart, but he didn't know his name. He shouted "Hey--" and said, "Hey, what are you doing to your mother? What's your name?" Come here, I have something to ask you!"

"It's Mr. Fan!" The official stared at him for a long time before he recognized it. He ran over to Fan Shijie and said, "Little Yingui, please pay your respects to Mr. Fang!" He stood up and looked at him with doubts. Looking at Hongli and Li Wei, he said with a smile on his face: "Why do you have time to come here? It's so dirty, there's not even a place to sit..." Fan Shijie ignored them and asked: " How many people are taking advantage of the food here?"

"Don't wait, sometimes there are three or four thousand people. There are few people today, maybe one thousand, five hundred people."

"Distributed on a per-capita basis. How much food is distributed per person?"

"Three or two."

"Where's the woman with the child?"

"Sir, it's calculated on a head-to-head basis." Yin Gui said with a smile, "It's the same for children. Give out bamboo sticks before meals, one for each, which saves quarrels."

Hongli interjected and asked, "Are they all from this province? Are there many people from other provinces?" Yin Gui glanced at Hongli, lowered his head and said, "My lord, out of ten stops in this province, we can't even account for one stop. Mr. Li has a constitution." We must give food to all the hungry people in this province and return to their hometowns. There is still food to survive the famine in various counties. Most of the hungry people in this province here have no land at home. You send him back, but he still comes."

Hongli couldn't help but smile and asked: "Which province has the most people coming here to beg for food?" Yin Gui replied without hesitation: "Henan. Not only are there many, but they are all in nests. Some families have three generations. Some come and go alone, and they call a group to come, and the last thing they do is - don't serve them less, they will yell and curse. They are like dogs in a nest, and they are sure to eat us in Jiangnan!" His face He glanced at the noisy people with disdain, and suddenly sighed: "No wonder them, they call it 'reclamation' over there. Some counties flatter Tanaka Cheng, and the more people report, the more they get promoted. They force people to open up wasteland and open up fields. If someone makes a mistake, they demolish their houses and drive people out. No crops can be planted in the wasteland, and the original land is wasted." Fan Shijie saw Hongli's face was gloomy and he just kept silent, so he smiled and said: "Let's take a look in the shed?" So Yin Gui guided the three of them and strolled to the shed.I saw six sheds with six large pig-killing pots lined up in the west and east, all full of porridge.There were stacks of rice bags in the shed, and beds were spread out for keeping watch. Several large spoons were placed on the edge of the pots. Several fire workers were stripped down to only a single shirt, their brows covered with oil and sweat, and they were stirring the rice with long-handled spoons.Hongli scooped up the big rolling porridge with a spoon. He saw that the color was gray and red, and he brought it up to his nose to smell it.With a slightly musty smell, I couldn't help but frown and asked Li Wei, "Are you full?"

"It's almost enough to eat. This thing can't keep up with hunger. He will be hungry after a few peeings." Li Wei couldn't help but smile, "I can't eat until he's full, and I won't let him starve to death. This is my purpose." Hongli sighed softly. He put down his spoon and walked out of the shed, walking westward along the sidelines.Li Wei said this when he was doing disaster relief in Shandong and heard it from the governor of Shandong.The purpose of giving up porridge is to save famine and save lives. We cannot let the victims eat better than farming at home, nor let them be so hungry that they smash the porridge shed. The sense of propriety here is difficult for the local officials.Li Wei and Fan Shijie had already caught up. Seeing him walking westward in a daze, Fan Shijie said hurriedly: "Master, that's the Wutong Temple over there. These people live in it. It's not worth seeing."

Hongli didn't seem to hear him and walked faster to the temple.As it was almost time for dinner, there were almost no people in the temple here. There were only a few old women in ragged clothes wearing shabby coats, nestling in the corner of the doorway to bask in the sun.When Hongli looked up, he saw a broken plaque in front of the temple, with four large gold characters of "Wutong Temple" written on it. Half of the word "Temple" had been peeled off.The couplet on the couplet is quite complete:
There are spirits and divine radiances that shine in all directions to bless the country and prosper the people. They respond to the sound of blood and bring disaster and good fortune to all people.

The title label below is unclear.Li Wei explained from the side: "This ancestral hall was very popular. In the early years of Kangxi, a pair of boys and girls were poured with mercury as living sacrifices every year! When Tang Bin was appointed as the magistrate of Nanjing, he tore up the statues and burned them, and drove away the abbot Taoist priest. He said that if there was any disaster, I would be responsible for it. Not only was Mr. Tang Wenzheng fine, but he was also promoted. Last year, two foreign monks, said to be from France, took a fancy to this piece of land and wanted to build a church. They quarreled with me several times. Pi. I said build a temple, yes! But if you want to build it, just build a Confucius temple or a Buddhist temple. I don’t know what kind of bird you are, Jesus, Sunsu, etc., they will just do it." Hongli nodded and said: "Whenever we meet like this in the future, This matter needs to be reported. We don’t know what these outsiders are up to, so be careful and they said——" When I was about to go on, I heard a "dang, dang, dang," bell ringing from the porridge shed, and people exploded. They cheered like a nest, "The shed is open, the shed is open!" There was a loud clang of pots, pans, people, and horses.As soon as Hongli turned around, a burst of heart-rending yelling came from the temple, but it was the voice of a Henan woman:
"You're a murderer! You're a six-foot-tall man who can't even support his wife and son! He eats food from the house, his pants are so rotten that they can't cover his balls, and you have to bet with others... Ah la... I'm going to sell myself to you. , if I send such a little girl out, will she still survive?..."

(End of this chapter)