Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 28

Shen Yishi: "Last night, the governor's yamen announced that I would accompany you to understand the situation of Zhejiang silk today. At that time, I didn't think of telling you about it. After talking about qin music, I knew that you are the high-ranking student in southern Jiangsu who is proficient in rhythm. My son, I just got this idea. I remember that when Su Dongpo was imprisoned for the Wutai poetry case, Renzong wanted to kill him, and the Empress Dowager Xuanren said a word, it is ominous to kill a master! Just this thought saved Su Dongpo’s life How many masterpieces have been left behind by our descendants. My lord, I am not flattering you, I don’t want a great talent like you to fall into such a vortex of officialdom and damage our gentleness in the south of the Yangtze River!”

Gao Hanwen couldn't help being excited when he saw that he spoke so high-mindedly and confidantly: "What does Mr. Shen want me to do?"

Shen Yishi: "There are Mr. Zheng and Mr. He in the Zhejiang government, and Mr. Yang at the Weaving Bureau. These words are not for me. The so-called whiteheads are as new as before, if the adults recognize me as a friend, I will enter a few Sincere words."

Gao Hanwen: "Please tell me."

Shen Yishi: "Hurry up and ask the victims of Chun'an and Jiande to sell the fields and plant the mulberry seedlings in June. If this happens, my lord will not stay in Zhejiang anymore. I ask Eunuch Yang to tell the palace , transfer the adults back to Beijing, or be transferred to other provinces."

Gao Hanwen immediately became serious: "Mr. Shen, you want me to agree to the proposal of the governor's yamen, and let the victims sell their fields for ten stones per mu and eight stones per mu?"

Shen Yishi: "The arrow is on the string. If this proposal is not followed, it will be difficult to implement the change of rice to mulberry this year. At that time, the first person to be questioned by the court will be the adults."

"If that's the case, the imperial court doesn't want me to come." Gao Hanwen's attitude immediately changed from agitated to passionate, "Gao put forward a memorial to the imperial court of 'reform and relief, the dilemma is self-solution', the intention is to solve the problem for the superior. The country is in crisis, and the people are in poverty. Thank you, sir, for taking the responsibility to tell me the inside story, but if I know the inside story, hundreds of thousands of disaster victims will lose their livelihood next year, then Gao will take his own future too seriously."

Shen Yishi: "Let me say a word, please forgive me first."

Gao Hanwen: "Please tell me."

Shen Yishi: "To put it lightly, my lord doesn't understand the truth. To put it more seriously, my lord is just a scholar's opinion."

Gao Hanwen's face was really ugly: "What is the opinion of a scholar?"

Shen Yishi: "My lord only knows that the common people will lose their livelihood next year if they sell their fields. Why don't you think about it. A big silk producer bought so many fields and needs to produce so much silk a year. Who will grow it? Who will weave it?"

Gao Hanwen looked at him.

Shen Yishi: "Like many people who have no land now, they all rely on the land rented by large households. Where will people starve to death? Similarly, when rice fields are changed to mulberry fields, people need to plant them, harvest them, and even more so. To raise silkworms and reel silk, many people have to weave silk in the end. Think about it, this year, the victims of the disaster have sold their self-cultivated rice fields, and next year they will be employed by large landowners to plant mulberry and raise silkworms. No one will die. , the food is constant. My Ming Dynasty will not just watch the people and the people starve to death one by one because they have no fields."

Gao Hanwen pondered for a while, then raised his head again: "According to what Mr. Shen said, next year those big silk households who bought fields will hire the victims who sold their fields this year?"

Shen Yishi: "The big family doesn't know how to farm. If they don't hire people, who will plant so many mulberry fields?"

Gao Hanwen: "Will you share with the farm laborers [-] or [-]% like renting rice fields?"

This question stopped Shen Yishi.

Gao Hanwen went on to say: "There are too many landless people, and they are vying to rent land for cultivation. If the landowner raises the rent, three seven, two eight, or even one nine, will the common people rent or not, and plant or not?"

Shen Yishi sighed: "My lord asks so carefully, I have nothing to answer. Since ancient times, I have been an official of the common people. If all the officials of the Ming Dynasty were as thoughtful as my lord, we would not have to say these words gone."

Gao Hanwen: "Anyway, I'm fortunate to have met Mr. Shen. In the future, there will be no business entanglements, so I would really like to discuss the theory of Qin with him. As for the things in the palace that Mr. told me just now, I will think about it carefully. Will tell anyone." At this point, he stood up.

Shen Yishi smiled: "According to what my lord said, we will not be able to see each other again starting tomorrow. It's the hour of You, can my lord delay half an hour for my sake?"

Gao Hanwen seemed to understand what he was going to mention. After thinking for a while, he still asked, "What does Mr. Shen want me to do?"

Shen Yishi: "My lord, please point out the mistake in "Guangling San" for my niece."

Gao Hanwen looked at Shen Yishi, he had actually agreed in his heart, but he still hesitated.

Shen Yishi: "It's only half an hour, it's her fate whether she realizes it or not."

Gao Hanwen looked at the sky outside the window: "Great and elegant, Mr. Shen will really be embarrassing."

This is the promise, Shen Yishi hurriedly bowed deeply: "Thank you, my lord."

Shen Yishi led Gao Hanwen into the piano room again. Yun Niang was no longer on the "qin platform", but stood gracefully in the middle of the room, with an embroidered futon under her feet.

Shen Yishi: "I don't know if it's my face or your blessing, let's be a teacher."

Yun Niang slowly knelt down in front of the futon and bowed down.

Gao Hanwen was a little flustered: "Don't dare, please get up..."

Yunniang still bowed three times, then stood up lightly again, bowed her head and waited there.

Shen Yishi was also silent there at this time, and said after a while: "It's only half an hour, please play it once, sir, and then point out the mistakes for you, you have to understand it carefully. After Master Gao pointed out, my little piano art I can't teach you anymore."

The overtones of grace and righteousness are absolute!To Gao Hanwen, it means "qin art", but to Yunniang, it means "affection", but with Shen Yishi's lofty conceit, at this time, he actually brought in a talented person who would make any talented woman fall in love with him at first sight, so that he could help himself The family is ruined, how can an outsider understand this resentment?

"Understood." Yunniang replied softly, and her throat was a little silent.

Shen Yishi looked at her abruptly.

Yun Niang also looked at Shen Yishi with her eyes fixed.

Gao Hanwen seemed to sense something, and turned to look at Shen Yishi.

Shen Yishi's gaze immediately softened: "Hurry up. I'll listen outside the door." He said and walked out the door, closing the door behind him.

——The sound of the piano came from afar from the piano room.

Shen Yishi was sitting in the counting room, his eyes were wide open, but his eyes were obviously not in their sockets, as if following the sound of the piano, the sun, moon, stars and stars were wandering in the sky!
The sound of the zither was played to a very fine point, like a trace of heavenly sound coming from the depths of Haotian!
Shen Yishi held his breath and listened intently.Suddenly, he frowned.

There was a burst of fragmented footsteps outside the door.

The steward who watched the courtyard brought four eunuchs from the weaving bureau with light steps!
Seeing that the accountant's door was closed and the sound of the piano came from the piano room again, the steward seemed to understand something, put a finger on his mouth, and signaled the four eunuchs to keep silent.

The eunuchs were impatient, and one of them said: "Ask us to come again, and tell us to stand outside the door again, what's going on?"

"My father-in-law!" The steward tried his best to lower his voice, "Just bear with it for a while..."

As soon as he said this, the door opened gently, and Shen Yishi appeared at the door.

The four eunuchs still respected Shen Yishi very much when they saw Shen Yishi, and praised at the same time: "Master Shen..."

Shen Yishi was also polite to them, made a soft gesture, and then let the four eunuchs in.

The four eunuchs were well matched, some were tall, some were short, some were fat and some were thin, and they all sat down on the chairs.

Shen Yishi casually picked up four banknotes, and handed out one to each of them: "Let's have a cup of tea."

The four eunuchs didn't like to cheat very much, they picked up the bank note at the same time to look at the numbers on it.

——Every bank note reads, "One thousand taels of Kuping silver can be exchanged with the ticket."

The four eunuchs all laughed and tucked the bank notes into their bosoms.

The fat eunuch sitting in the first place looked at Shen Yishi: "Now..." At this point, he made an arresting gesture.

Shen Yishi smiled lightly: "No hurry." After speaking, he also sat down, closed his eyes and listened again.

The four eunuchs were still aware of things, so they were all quiet and sat there motionless.

The sound of the piano gradually became higher and higher, and it came over.

——Gao Hanwen's left hand pressing the strings is moving rapidly, as if several hands have appeared on the strings, but the shape of the hands can still be seen; the five fingers of the right hand that are swung rapidly are already invisible like raindrops !
Gao Hanwen sat there like a jade mountain, the silk shirt on his body was fluttering with the rhythm of his figure, just like clouds surrounding the jade mountain!

Yun Niang was sitting and kneeling on the left side in front of the piano table, her eyes were dazed, neither looking at the piano nor Gao Hanwen.

At this time, Gao Hanwen seemed to have forgotten the existence of the woman beside him. After a quick swing, both hands were suspended above the strings about an inch high, and stopped there.

At this moment, Yunniang's gaze slowly shifted to his two hands.

Sure enough, the left hand that was tying the string slowly pressed towards the corner string, and then the finger of the right hand hooked lightly, making a sound that seemed to be calling, but also seemed to be saying goodbye.Then, a piece of music with fascination and sadness sounded.

——This is the piece of music that Gao Hanwen said that Ji Kang yearned for his soul to return to Mangshan before his execution!
The road is long and long!Gao Hanwen's eyes gradually became moist, and then tears came out!
Yunniang's tears were already streaming down her cheeks!

——The four eunuchs were a little astonished, and they all looked at Shen Yishi strangely.

Shen Yishi sat there, his eyes filled with tears!Both hands are lifted in the air, the left hand is like pressing the strings, and the right hand is like plucking!

The four eunuchs looked at each other.

Suddenly, the sound of the piano stopped!
Shen Yishi regained his composure all of a sudden, and stood up abruptly.

The four eunuchs followed suit and stood up.

The fat eunuch at the head: "Is it okay to arrest?"

Shen Yishi stopped there, and sat down again after a while: "Wait a little longer."

The four eunuchs had no choice but to sit back again.

——After coming out of the music, Gao Hanwen came back to his senses, looked at Yunniang, and couldn't help but feel his heart thump!

Yun Niang sat there on her knees, looking deeply at Gao Hanwen, tears streaming down her face.

The so-called high mountains and flowing water, Gao Hanwen looked at her now and no longer avoided his eyes: "You play."

Yun Niang still knelt there, looked deeply at Gao Hanwen, and said suddenly: "My lord, it's almost half an hour, you can go."

Gao Hanwen was stunned, feeling a little unhappy in his heart, but when he looked at Yunniang again, he saw that her eyes were full of sincerity, and she didn't seem to have any other intentions, so he smiled back: "If there is something to do, don't delay this moment. I promised your uncle , to teach you to correct that passage. Come and play it." Then, she moved to the side, leaving the seat in front of the piano table free.

At the beginning, Yunniang still knelt and sat there without moving, and for a moment, her eyes flashed a resolute look, as if she had made a lifelong choice suddenly, she looked deeply at Gao Hanwen and asked, "My lord, what is the end of a hundred years?" Once you die, are you willing to return to Mangshan with your soul?"

Gao Hanwen was taken aback by her question, seeing her resolute and solemn expression, his expression also became solemn, and solemnly replied: "I follow Ji Kang!"

Yunniang: "Then I'll follow Ji Kang too!" After saying this, she moved to sit in front of the piano table, pressed one finger on the corner string, and hooked the string with the other finger, making the same sound as Gao Hanwen just played!
——The fascination and desolation are exactly like the charm of Ji Kang's pre-execution played by Gao Hanwen; but there is also a sound of going forward and never turning back.It seems that Ji Kang's state of mind that he would rather die than agree with the dignitaries of Wei State was spread!

Gao Hanwen was startled.

——Shen Yishi also seemed to hear something from the sound of the piano, his face turned blue all of a sudden, and two words came out of his mouth: "Catch it."

He had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and the four eunuchs jumped up, like bees coming out of the nest, rushing towards the door.

"Wait!" Shen Yishi stopped them again.

The four eunuchs stopped in a daze.

Shen Yishi: "Tell him to write down the evidence, so don't hurt him."

The leading fat eunuch: "I know. Take it (sound: ke)!"

The four eunuchs rushed to the door of the piano room, knocked open the door of the piano room, and rushed out.

Gao Hanwen looked at the four eunuchs rushing in in astonishment.

The fat eunuch Gao Hanwen glanced at him: "Master Gao is really a gifted and passionate man!"

The skinny eunuch immediately took over: "Not only sentimental, but also bold. He actually seduced Eunuch Yang's 'pair food'."

Eunuch Gao: "What should we do? We can't do business in front of Eunuch Yang."

The short eunuch: "There is a way, please trouble Mr. Gao to write down a document to prove that this matter has nothing to do with us. Mr. Gao is very kind and virtuous, and will not make things difficult for us."

"What's Eunuch Yang? What's 'opposite food'?" Gao Hanwen seemed to understand that he had fallen into a well-planned situation at this time, but he still couldn't believe it, so he didn't look at the four eunuchs, but looked at Yunniang.

At this time, Yun Niang was still sitting in front of the piano table, very calm, looking at Gao Hanwen: "Eunuch Yang is the supervisor of the Weaving Bureau, and I am the one who serves him. The palace calls people like us 'counter food'."

Gao Hanwen's face immediately turned pale, and his voice trembled with anger: "Where is that Mr. Shen, isn't your uncle?"

Yun Niang: "He is the largest silk merchant in the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau. He spent money to buy me from Suzhou and gave it to Eunuch Yang."

Gao Hanwen's chest seemed to be slammed by a heavy object, and his eyes were fixed on Yunniang.

Yun Niang also looked at him deeply, her eyes did not conceal that there were still many unspeakable things in her heart.

Gao Hanwen: "Tell you the masters behind you, I, Gao, can't write anything down!" Then he turned around and stopped again: "Also, don't play "Guangling San" again, Ji Gong will have a spirit in the sky. kill you!"

Yun Niang trembled, and tears flashed in her eyes again.

Only then did Gao Hanwen stride towards the door.

"Hey!" The four eunuchs stood in a row to block him.

Fat eunuch: "You are gone, what shall we do?"

"Are you asking me?" Gao Hanwen looked at the eunuchs with contempt.

Fat eunuch: "Yes."

Gao Hanwen: "Then let me give you an idea."

The four eunuchs were a little surprised and met their eyes:
"Say!"

"Say it!"

Gao Hanwen: "Take out the knife and kill me here."

The four eunuchs were stunned for a moment, and immediately became bored again:
"He still blackmailed us?"

"We're so scared."

"He is the magistrate, killing people is not a common thing."

"Okay." The fat eunuch stopped them and said to Gao Hanwen, "It's not up to us to kill you or not. It's up to Eunuch Yang to kill us! The four of us were ordered by Eunuch Yang to serve Yunniang, and now she's running out Stealing a man, the four of us are dead when Eunuch Yang comes back! Mr. Gao, your life is precious, our life is cheap, both sides are dead, if you want to leave, kill us first."

Speaking of this, the fat eunuch tore off his clothes quickly, revealing the pile of fat white meat in front of him, and knelt down in front of Gao Hanwen.

The other three eunuchs also tore off their clothes and knelt in front of Gao Hanwen with their upper body exposed.

Gao Hanwen was so angry that his face turned pale, but he was blocked by them and couldn't leave, so he froze there for a while...

It was getting dark, Hai Rui and Wang Yongji were still sitting quietly in the magistrate's yamen, Wang Yongji couldn't sit still, he stood up and walked to the entrance of the hall, looking at the sky.

An attendant came in, wiped the tinder, and lit a candle beside the desk.

Wang Yongji turned back again and asked the attendant, "Please ask again, where did Master Gao go this afternoon?"

The follower: "I went to the Weaving Bureau workshop in the morning. When I came out of the Weaving Bureau workshop after noon, I called back all the people who went with me. It was said that the Weaving Bureau had a carriage to send our adults back. So where did we go?" I don't know either. How about, the two adults go back to the post house first. Once our adults come back, I will report to him?"

Wang Yongji looked at Hai Rui.

Hai Rui looked at the follower, "We'll wait here."

The follower: "The villain will get you something to eat for the two adults?"

Wang Yongji: "Thank you."

The entourage walked out.

Wang Yongji looked at Hai Rui again: "Brother Gangfeng, the proposal will be discussed tomorrow morning. Do you think they will..."

Hai Rui: "Wait a little longer. If we don't come back after Xushi, we will go to the governor's office."

At this moment, a follower led Gao Hanwen in with a lantern.

Hai Rui and Wang Yongji stood up at the same time.

"Go down." Gao Hanwen's voice was hoarse.

The follower retreated immediately.

Gao Hanwen still stood there.

Hai Rui looked at him.

Wang Yongji also looked at him.

Gao Hanwen immediately felt that he had lost his composure, and forced a smile: "You two are still waiting for me here so late?"

(End of this chapter)