Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 11

Compared with more than ten days ago, Hu Zongxian's face looked thinner and haggard. Sitting in front of the big case signed by the governor's office, he quietly watched his memorial without Zhu's criticism of "throwing back the original book", and The cabinet rebuttal written by Yan Shifan.

"I heard there was no imperial approval for the memorial?" Tan Lun asked loudly as he stepped into the door like a gust of wind.

Hu Zongxian only looked up at him and said, "Sit down." Then he closed his eyes.

Tan Lun was silent for a while, and instead of going to sit down, he approached the case and lowered his voice: "The higher-ups sent me a letter, and I know the whole story of this matter. It's so unpredictable, and the higher-ups asked me to tell you the details." , do you want to know?"

Hu Zongxian still closed his eyes: "I don't want to know."

Tan Lun was taken aback.

Hu Zongxian opened his eyes, but stopped looking at Tan Lun, and said in a low voice, "I think you should stop staying at the Governor's Office, and get ready to leave."

"Are you afraid that this matter will implicate me, or that I will implicate you if I stay here again?" Tan Lun stared closely at Hu Zongxian who was sitting there.

Hu Zongxian stared at the case, but did not answer, his face was very solemn, obviously displeased with Tan Lun's question.

Tan Lun realized that he had made a slip of the tongue: "I don't have any other intentions. I just think that when the day comes when the court will investigate, I, Tan Lun, will not be guilty of you, Hu Ruzhen, if I am here."

"Alas!" Hu Zongxian sighed, "Ten years have passed, and you, Tan Zili, still haven't made any progress. I don't know why Prince Yu values ​​you so much."

Tan Lun was taken aback for a moment, and then said, not without arrogance: "You mean I haven't learned the trick of 'thinking twice before being an official'?"

Hu Zongxian stared at him intently for a long time, and then slowly said: "You are talking about 'thinking about danger, thinking about retreat, thinking about change'?"

Tan Lun didn't answer, but looked at him fixedly.

Hu Zongxian still said slowly: "Then I will tell you, I, Hu Zongxian, have no way out, and there is nothing to change."

Then Tan Lun answered, "Then I shouldn't have come this time."

"I shouldn't have come." Hu Zongxian said these words almost word for word.

Tan Lun was stunned at first, and then a complex loss appeared on his face: "It seems that they still know people."

Hu Zongxian: "Are you talking about the people around King Yu? Then let me be blunt, they are just talking and talking, just scholars!"

Tan Lun got angry.

"Listen to me." Hu Zongxian continued, "This time you Tan Lun came, I did this, if you don't come, I will do the same, you Tan Lun leaves tomorrow, I Hu Zongxian will do the same! Therefore , there is no need for you Tan Lun to persuade me what to do, let alone ask you Tan Lun to take the blame for me afterwards!"

Tan Lun was stunned again, and looked at Hu Zongxian fixedly, with confusion in his eyes.

Hu Zongxian stopped looking at him, and said to himself: "The government and the public know that I am the person supported by the elder Yan Ge. After thousands of generations, I, Hu Zongxian, will still be the elder Yan Ge in the history books. But you Tan Lun, and those in the court Why does Qingliu still value me? It’s that I, Hu, have never wronged the country or the people when it comes to major events. My hometown erected three archways for me. After more than ten years, I will not let my old family demolish my archway!"

Tan Lun was shocked.

Hu Zongxian: "You all think you know the people and the situation! But how many people really know the people and the situation? Let's talk about the general trend caused by the current national policy of changing rice to mulberry. So many people want to take advantage of this opportunity to annex fields. Zhejiang Immediately, nearly half of the people will lose their land! So many people without land gather in this place where there are seven mountains, two rivers and one field. They will not rebel this year, they will not rebel next year, and they will rebel the next year and the year after that! There are Japanese pirates outside and anti-people inside. Hu Zongxian will be the first culprit, and I will be crucified in Zhejiang forever! On this point, whether you come or not, I will not let them do this. Whether you come here to persuade me or to help me, there is only one consequence, which is to mess up the overall situation!"

Tan Lun stood there in a daze, and asked after a long time, "Please explain clearly."

Hu Zongxian: "When you Tan Lun didn't come, I could still give advice to Mr. Yan Ge, or I could explain the reasons to the emperor. I can do it slowly. For example, change half of this year's rice fields to plant mulberry seedlings, and change the plan to the composition. It will be finished in three years. Things can be done slowly, and there is still room for change in the general situation." At this point, he picked up the memorial book on the case without Zhu Zhu's approval, "Because you came, what I Hu Zongxian said is the result. , because I have become a partisan! Everyone regards me as a partisan from top to bottom. Can I continue to do what you want me to do? If so, I can continue to do so. At the beginning of the year, the imperial court discussed this national policy They would have stopped it long ago, and they would not have allowed this national policy to fall to Zhejiang!"

Tan Lun was silent, looking at the ground.

"Now not only the higher authorities won't listen to what I say, but I'm afraid I won't be allowed to do what I want to do in Zhejiang." At this time, Hu Zongxian picked up the cabinet rebuttal letter written by Yan Shifan from the big case, "This is the reply from the cabinet to refute my memorial. You should read it first."

Tan Lun glanced at Hu Zongxian, took the official document, sat down on a chair in front of the south window, and read it.

While Tan Lun was reading the rebuttal, Hu Zongxian went to the filing cabinet next to the wall, and took out a stack of official documents and letters from it.

The cabinet's rebuttal text was not long, and Tan Lun read ten lines at a glance, and he had already read it at this time.Hu Zongxian walked up to him, holding the stack of official documents and letters in his hand: "This is the official document that the cabinet has been urging to change rice into mulberry since the beginning of the year, as well as letters from Mr. Yan Ge and Mr. Xiao Ge. Do you want to read it?" ?”

Tan Lun looked at the stack of official documents and letters in his hand, but did not pick them up, but turned to Hu Zongxian deeply.

Hu Zongxian's eyes were also looking at him deeply.

Tan Lun: "I won't watch it."

Hu Zongxian: "Why?"

Tan Lun: "The more I know, the harder it will be for you."

Hu Zongxian stopped talking, and then slowly turned his back, tears flashed in his haggard and gloomy eyes at this moment: "It is said in "Zuo Zhuan" that 'a king will prosper with this, and he will die with it'. I am Yan People who are valued by Ge Lao will one day fall with Yan Ge Lao. When a big tree falls, there will be Tan Lun who will speak a few words of justice for me."

Tan Lun stood up abruptly, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I've said everything that needs to be said." Hu Zongxian continued, "You don't want to go back to Beijing either. They will be a little bit scrupulous if you are in Zhejiang at this time. Lord Yu recommended you here as a member of the army. You are here now." Qi Jiguang goes to the barracks. The government is in chaos, and the barracks can't be in chaos anymore!"

"I'm leaving now." Tan Lun wiped his face and walked out quickly.

This may be regarded as the largest silk weaving workshop in the Ming Dynasty.

At a glance, there are six looms that are one foot wide, and there is an aisle in the middle that can accommodate two people side by side; walking along the aisle to the end, there are twenty rows of looms row by row!
Each loom is weaving silk of different colors, and the sound of weaving is one after another.

Yang Jinshui, Zheng Michang and He Maocai who appeared here were obviously in a good mood, with smiles on their faces.

A businessman in a blue coarse cloth gown and flat black cloth shoes with a refined appearance was smiling and accompanying the three of them as they walked and watched in the aisle.

"Old Shen." Yang Jinshui looked at the businessman who was accompanying them, "If we weave like we are doing now, how many pieces can we produce every day." Because of the loud loom, his raised voice became even more shrill.

The old Shen was Shen Yishi, the richest businessman in Jiangnan who weaves and supplies silk for the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau.Hearing Yang Jinshui's question, he also raised his voice and replied, "Now we have two shifts at twelve o'clock. One machine can weave six feet a day."

"If we weave like this every day, a workshop like this will die with only [-] horses a year?" Yang Jinshui asked sharply again.

"Yes. I have 25 workshops, and we weave like this, and I can't reach 20 horses per year." Shen Yishi made gestures and led the three of them, "Adults, please go to the living room to talk."

A group of people walked into the hall, Shen Yishi clapped his hands, and immediately, countless servants carrying tea sets walked lightly from the small doors on both sides to each coffee table to set up tea sets.

This living room was probably one of the largest living rooms in Suzhou and Hangzhou at that time.On the north wall is a rosewood coffee table inlaid with marble, with a rosewood carved armchair on each side, and eight rosewood chairs with coffee tables in a row on the east and west sides.The most rare thing is the ground, the same color of marble, each piece is inlaid with broken marble stars!

Shen Yishi leaned slightly, and stretched out his hand: "Master Zheng, please accompany Eunuch Yang to the seat."

Zheng Michang: "You can talk with Eunuch Yang, you can sit on it." He said that he had already sat down on the upper chair on the left.

He Maocai sat down on the upper chair on the right.

Yang Jinshui sat down on the chair on the left of the center, and then waved his hands: "It's better to obey than to respect. You are the master, just sit here."

Shen Yishi smiled and bowed again: "Okay, I want to talk to you adults." After speaking, he sat down on the chair on the right in the middle.

At the same time, four capable male servants came out, carrying four shiny copper pots, walked lightly to the coffee table behind each of them, lifted the lid bowls, tilted the copper pots, and several steaming water lines poured in at the same time. Everyone's tureen.

The green bud tips slowly floated up to the surface of the gaiwan water, and they all floated there vertically.

Yang Jinshui took a deep breath of the tea fragrance floating in the tea bowl with his nose: "This tea is not bad!"

Shen Yishi smiled: "The first crop of Shifeng Longjing this year was picked at night when the buds appeared."

Yang Jinshui, Zheng Michang, and He Maocai all took a sip from their tea bowls.

"Good." Zheng Bichang praised.

"It's the top grade." He Maocai followed suit.

Shen Yishi smiled apologetically: "The birth was small, and I have prepared two catties for Eunuch Lu, Mr. Ge, and Mr. Xiao Ge. Please be a little bit aggrieved, and prepare one catty for each of you."

Yang Jinshui went to fetch the tea bowl, but found that Shen Yishi's tea bowl contained a bowl of white water: "What about you?"

Shen Yishi smiled and said: "I'm used to it, I like to drink plain water."

"Do you think so? They are all people who can't live with themselves." Yang Jinshui put the tea bowl on the coffee table again, and looked at Shen Yishi with a smile, "25 workshops, 10,000 looms, [-]+ acres of mulberry fields, and hundreds more The silk shop, tea shop, and porcelain shop at home, drink white water all day long, eat fast, and wear coarse clothes. Who will you show your poor clothes?"

Shen Yishi: "The lady who sells oil doesn't comb her hair. All my looms and silk shops are for the weaving bureau. One day, Eunuch Yang didn't like me, so he kicked me, and I can still live."

"No price!" Yang Jinshui raised his voice, "I dare to kick you. Why don't Mr. Yan Ge and Eunuch Lu kill me?"

Shen Yishi's solemn face: "Severe words, serious words."

Yang Jinshui also straightened his face, but his voice was full of excitement: "Let's get to the point. We will produce 30 more horses a year. The higher-ups said hello, 20 horses will be made by the workshop in Yingtian, and [-] horses in Zhejiang will be produced. Of course you will do the horses. According to this calculation, you will have to add at least three thousand looms. To build a workshop, the looms will have to live, how is your plan?"

Shen Yishi nodded, and then looked at Zheng Michang and He Maocai: "I dare not delay the tasks entrusted by the court even if I am exhausted. The pass is mulberry fields. Without mulberry fields, we can't supply so much silk, and we can't increase the number of looms." silk."

Yang Jinshui looked at Zheng Michang and He Maocai, motioning for them to speak.

Zheng Michang coughed dryly, and said, "Sangtian can be given to you in a month at most. The key is to buy the grain for the field. Have you prepared all the food?"

Shen Yishi: "How much land can the adults give me?"

Zheng Michang: "If you want to produce 20 more horses this year, how many fields will you need?"

Shen Yishi: "If it is an adult mulberry tree, 20 mu is enough. But wait until a month later and replant it. In the second half of the year, it will still be mulberry seedlings. Besides, silkworms in mid-autumn and late autumn silkworms also produce less silk, which cannot be compared with spring silkworms. Therefore, at least 50 mu of mulberry fields."

"Okay, you're a heavy-hearted abacus!" He Maocai answered loudly, "The extra 30 mu will become adult mulberry trees in the next year at most. The spring silkworms and autumn silkworms will not only produce 20 more silkworms?"

Shen Yishi smiled: "As I said just now, no matter how many looms, no matter how many silk shops are opened for the Weaving Bureau and the adults. I just want to swallow it, I don't have such a big mouth, and I don't have that much courage. "

Zheng Michang and He Maocai looked at him with a smile, and then looked at Yang Jinshui with a smile.

Yang Jinshui stared at them and asked, "Where's Ma Ningyuan? When will you be there?"

He Maocai: "I wrote a letter the day before yesterday. I came from Chun'an, and I should be here soon. I have ordered the old horse to come here directly."

"What are you so anxious about, my lord He?" Said Cao Cao Cao Cao arrived, before these people finished speaking, Ma Ningyuan's loud voice rang out from the door of the living room, and then he stepped into the living room.

Several people laughed.He Maocai immediately stood up, greeted him, pulled Ma Ningyuan to the corner of the living room, spoke in a low voice for a while, and walked back with Ma Ningyuan.

When Ma Ningyuan walked to the chair and sat down, he already had a look of surprise on his face, thinking in a daze.

He Maocai secretly gave Zheng Michang and Yang Jinshui a look to let them continue to put pressure on Ma Ningyuan.

Several people immediately stared at Ma Ningyuan in unison, waiting for him to make a statement.

"I can't figure it out, why should such a big matter be kept from the Ministry!" Ma Ningyuan said in a low voice.

He Maocai: "It's not that we want to hide it from the Ministry, it's the elder Ge and the elder Ge who greeted us."

Ma Ningyuan said in surprise: "Elder Ge and Elder Xiao Ge don't trust Butang anymore..."

Zheng Michang: "It can't be said that I don't trust it. That Tan Lun is beside the Butang, and he hides the truth from the Butang to hide the people above him."

Ma Ningyuan: "That still doesn't trust Mr. Butang..."

He Maocai became impatient: "If you admit death, you can figure out what to say!"

Yang Jinshui immediately stopped He Maocai with his eyes, and looked at Ma Ningyuan with a smile: "Let me ask you, you listen to Hu Butang, who does Hu Butang listen to?"

Ma Ningyuan hesitated for a moment: "Of course I have to listen to Mr. Ge and Mr. Ge."

"It's over?" Yang Jinshui turned to Ma Ningyuan again, "Willing to do things and recognizing your boss are all your strengths. But you can't just point at the boss and worship. You recognize Hu Butang, and Hu Butang recognizes him." Ge Lao, will you be wrong if you follow Ge Lao's wishes?"

"Also." Zheng Michang continued, "Ge Laojiao hid Hu Butang from the truth, and his intention was to protect Hu Butang. In case Tan Lun and the others found out and stabbed King Yu, Hu Butang would be the first one to question him." Ministry hall."

Ma Ningyuan was thinking sharply there.

Several people looked at him.

"I'll do it!" Ma Ningyuan finally responded, with the look of going all out, "The pass is that after so many counties are flooded, people can't starve to death. I can't let the minister not come down."

Yang Jinshui smiled, and He Maocai also smiled, looking at Zheng Michang.

Zheng Michang: "Of course you don't have enough food in the official warehouses in the province. Boss Shen, you have to prepare enough food for buying fields."

Shen Yishi: "Don't worry. I won't miss a grain of grain when I buy fields."

Yang Jinshui stood up at this time: "It is less than half a month before the Dragon Boat Festival. During this half month, soldiers must be sent to guard every weir along the Xin'an River. Before the flood comes, no one is allowed to approach the weir. If the news of the destruction of the weir gets out, no one can protect anyone!"

Zheng Michang and He Maocai's faces became serious, and they looked at Ma Ningyuan together.

Ma Ningyuan looked at Shen Yishi at this time, and asked suddenly: "Boss Shen, do you still have century-old wild ginseng here?"

Several other people were startled.

Shen Yishi: "Not many, there are two more."

"Give it to me." When Ma Ningyuan said this, there was a taste of "the wind is rustling and the water is cold"!

Several people were a little surprised, and seemed to understand, they all looked at each other.

Zheng Bichang: "Why, my mother is sick?"

Ma Ningyuan turned his eyes to the door: "No. I want to send it to the Lord Ministry."

He Maocai: "Don't be stunned and reveal the matter to Hu Butang again."

Ma Ningyuan was stunned immediately, and glared at He Maocai: "If you don't believe me, let someone else do this, okay?"

He Maocai was taken aback by him.

Ma Ningyuan: "Everything is done without telling him, and he will bear the burden at that time! You are so tired, you are also suspicious if I send two ginseng!"

"Okay!" Yang Jinshui immediately came out to smooth things over, "Loyalty and righteousness are the ones who do great things. Boss Shen, give the wild ginseng to Mr. Ma right now."

(End of this chapter)