Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 42

"You guys go out first." Luo Longwen had no choice but to speak at this moment, and glanced at the steward kneeling there trembling.The steward stood up tremblingly, and retreated, and the steward at the door followed him.

Luo Longwen: "Don't be in a hurry, Mr. Ge and Mr. Xiaoge. The most important thing right now is to find out who is responsible for buying the fields under the brand name of the Weaving Bureau."

Yan Maoqing also said: "This is very important. It stands to reason that no matter how confused Zheng Michang and He Maocai are, they would not be so confused. Then there are two possibilities left. In order to prevent the conversion of rice into mulberry. Second, the people from the Weaving Bureau did it themselves. But why did they do this..."

Yan Shifan has a violent temper, but his courage to do things and his quick mind are far superior to others. At this time, he knelt there and listened to the two people's endless guesses, and he couldn't help getting annoyed: "Are your brains stuffed with too much money?" Already!"

The two were startled, and looked at Yan Shifan.

Yan Shifan: "Hu Zongxian obstructed the change of rice into mulberry because of his own notoriety. One left and one left and the right one was originally to tell the world that we did all the bad things, not him. At this time, making this bad is harmful to him. What's so good? I guessed that the Weaving Bureau did it by itself. If the Weaving Bureau dared to pour dirty water on the emperor's face like this, why didn't it wipe his own neck with a knife! You can't see such a clear thing at this pass, This matter was forced out by the group of people under King Yu! The father didn't understand, so he went to talk to Xu Jie, and believed that Xu Jie would ask Zhao Zhenji to allocate food to Zhejiang, and hoped that Xu Jie would pass on the position of chief assistant to Xu Jie. Xu Jie will keep you out of the wind and rain..." At this point, his throat choked up.

Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing suddenly understood, and were even more shocked. They looked at Mr. Ge, and then slowly at Mr. Ge.

Yan Song was also touched by his son's words, and his eyes, which had been looking up, slowly turned to look at Yan Shifan who was kneeling in front of him.

Yan Shifan wiped away his tears: "What you're always scolding is that your sons are just making trouble for you. But the wind and rain brought by your sons can't drench Xu Jie, Yu Wang and those people, but still drench on the son himself .” Having said this, he fell down and could no longer speak.

Yan Song sat up slowly with his wet body propped on the armrest of the chair, and looked at Yan Maoqing: "Write a letter to Nanjing to ask if Hu Zongxian went to find Zhao Zhenji, and whether Zhao Zhenji lent Hu Zongxian any food."

Yan Maoqing knelt there and raised her head slightly, first glanced at Yan Shifan beside her, and then answered in a calm voice: "Yes."

Yan Song let out another long sigh: "Yan Shifan feels wronged, and you feel wronged too. You don't feel wronged when you only have so much money to keep buying houses and land to support women. Do you all know what Zheng Michang and He Maocai did in Zhejiang? They They are digging our graves. Change me into dry clothes, I’m dead, Yan Shifan can’t even protect himself, let alone you.”

"Yes!" Yan Maoqing answered loudly, then immediately stood up and walked to the door, "Prepare hot water immediately, and serve Mr. Ge and Mr. Ge to take a bath and change clothes!"

Yan Shifan moved quickly, took a bath and changed clothes, and went to Yan Song's study, where he was waiting with Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing.After a while, Yan Song was also served by his servants, took a bath and changed his clothes, and was helped out by two maidservants, and sat down on the reclining chair.

With a wave of Yan Shifan's hand, the two maidservants backed out, and he stopped being angry with his father, and pulled the chair closer to Yan Song, with a desperate look on his face again.Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing also pulled the chairs closer to the father and son, and sat there with serious expressions.

"Brothers fighting tigers, father and son soldiers." At this moment, Yan Song's eyes flashed with a light that has been hidden all along, "You must first fight for your own strength. Yan Shifan, let me explain what you said about Hu Zongxian and the Weaving Bureau earlier. .”

"I'm not afraid of death!" Yan Shifan said desperately, "I'm afraid that I don't know where to die. Wenlong and Maoqing were confused, saying that Hu Zongxian was either responsible for the purchase of land by the Weaving Bureau, or someone from the Weaving Bureau To make it bad. I think neither of these two is possible. Hu Zongxian is self-confident and disobedient, but he will never do such a thing. Now that he is a big official, he is afraid of being hurt by us, so he looks forward and backward The land is just to keep a way out, so why would you go to burn the fire by yourself?"

Yan Song looked at his son slowly, with an expression of encouragement for him to continue talking. It was in these places that he admired his son's excellence from time to time.

Yan Shifan was encouraged by his father's eyes, and he spoke more calmly: "It's even more unreasonable for the people in the Weaving Bureau to do this. You know, in my Ming Dynasty, all officials have a way out. The worst thing is to resign and go home Watching their wives and children live. The eunuchs have no retreat, they only have one home, and that is the palace. If they do this, they don’t even want their home. There is no way to do it.”

Inspired by him, Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing thought sharply there.

Yan Maoqing suddenly said in surprise: "Did the emperor instruct them to do this?"

Luo Longwen was also shocked.Yan Song was still lying there peacefully, looking at his son.

Yan Shifan waved his hand: "No. If the emperor ordered it, I would not call my father and son today, and be so angry. This fake is impossible."

Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing both turned to look at Yan Song, who finally nodded.

Yan Shifan: "Father blamed us just now, and blamed us. We didn't take care of the people below. Now the knot is all on the two beasts Zheng Michang and He Maocai! I received their report yesterday, saying that Chun'an has thugs. Wo, I didn’t mention the purchase of fields by the Weaving Bureau. The date of reporting was the seventh day of June, when the boat for the Weaving Bureau’s purchase of fields had already left, so they didn’t know about it, but they didn’t report it if they knew it!”

Luo Longwen immediately affirmed: "These two people are playing tricks!"

"Why are they playing with such minds?" Yan Maoqing couldn't keep up with his mind, and couldn't keep up with the words, so he rolled his eyes and thought wildly there.

Yan Shifan stood up and paced up and down habitually: "There is nothing I can't figure out. These two beasts must have been involved in the purchase of fields by those big households, and I wanted to take advantage of the rice for mulberry. They sent another Gao Hanwen there, but they didn't like it. If it didn't work out, they encouraged those big households to use the name of the Weaving Bureau to suppress people. They thought that as long as they changed rice into mulberry, they would cover up all the ugliness. They don't need to bear the burden when something goes wrong."

Luo Longwen: "The old whip of the small pavilion broke into it!"

Yan Song: "As I said at the time, let Hu Ruzhen do it in a down-to-earth way. You guys are getting angry, and you want to let these two people do it."

Yan Shifan: "My father, the key is Hu Zongxian's resignation! If you want to do it in three years as he said, can the deficit in the national treasury last for three years?"

"I don't want to talk about the past!" Yan Song made a decisive decision, "Immediately hand over the mail to Hu Zongxian, or ask him to investigate and deal with it. If someone really wants to buy fields under the brand of the Weaving Bureau, one will catch one. Also, buy disaster victims It is not possible to buy up all the land, and the counties that have not been affected by the disaster must also be bought. The price of land should not be too low, if it is too low, it will stir up civil uprisings."

Yan Shifan: "What if those big households refuse to pay a high price for the land?"

Yan Song: "Then let the government come forward to pressure them to buy. Rebels have always been farmers, and I have never seen businessmen turn the world upside down. Life and death are at stake, and only Hu Zongxian can do this!"

Yan Shifan, Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing looked at each other, but were silent.

Yan Song looked at them sternly: "Do you also have shares in Zheng Michang and He Maocai?"

"No!" The two argued at the same time.

Luo Longwen continued: "Mr. Ge, don't worry, if we want to make money, we won't make money for beheading."

Yan Song: "Then do as I said immediately!"

Yan Shifan: "Listen to Dad, we will do it right away."

The torrential rain never stops, and the wind picks up again.Feng Bao held an oiled paper umbrella, and just walked into the inner courtyard of the bedroom through the second door against the wind, when a gust of draft blew his umbrella over.He simply let go of it, and the umbrella flew away in the wind.The rain was heavy and rainy, so Feng Bao simply walked slowly in the heavy rain, and walked under the eaves outside the bedroom. His body was already soaked, he wiped the rainwater from his face, and whispered: "Master, slave! came back."

Without answering, Feng Bao stopped there, listening to the movement inside, and suddenly he heard King Yu's voice: "Small family, eyelids are so shallow?"

Feng Bao was startled, and slowly retreated towards the small door on the side of the veranda, not daring to go far, so he stood there, looking at the door of the bedroom.

There are only King Yu and Concubine Li in the bedroom.King Yu was still sitting on that chair, holding a volume of book in his hand, reading it carelessly.Concubine Li was sitting on the chair next to him, with a black Songjiang cotton robe spread out on her knees, on which the words from "Tao Te Ching" were being embroidered.

"The concubine's family is a small family, but it has nothing to do with shallow eyelids." Concubine Li was embroidering the character "Qu" in the middle of "Qu Zhe Zhi", "The emperor's reward is [-] pieces of silk. I can't wear it, and I dare not wear it." Selling, the house at home is small, and I am still worrying about having no place to put it. If I can really return it to the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau, I can return it tomorrow."

King Yu stared at the book: "Then retire."

Concubine Li: "It's a gift from your lord, but I dare not resign. When did the lord see someone return the things that the emperor rewarded? Think about it, the lord, the concubine's natal family really wants to return the things that the emperor rewarded, long live lord What will you think? What will the outside world think? The emperor is a villain, so let's sell it?"

King Yu: "Where does the evildoer sell it? Zhejiang has changed rice to mulberry. This year, 50 pieces of silk will be sold to Xiyang. Do you know how many people will die if the disturbance continues?"

Concubine Li: "No matter how many people die, this silk can't be returned."

King Yu put the book in his hand on the coffee table: "Didn't you say that day that you wanted to leave a world that won the hearts of the people for the eldest son? Why did you lose the hearts of the people when it involved your natal family?"

Concubine Li stood up, gently lifted the robe, and admired the words embroidered on it: "My lord, these are two different things. It will be the emperor's longevity in just twenty days, and the concubines are rushing to take this robe After embroidering, give him a birthday present. The emperor will definitely reward things, so we don’t want it.”

King Yu squinted at her, stopped talking, walked to the door, opened the door, and looked at the heavy rain outside: "Has Feng Bao come back?" With such heavy rain, no one answered, so he raised his voice : "Where are people? They're all dead!"

The two maids hurried out from the back room: "Young servant, let's go find it now."

At this time, Feng Bao approached like a ghost, and saluted dripping wetly: "Master, the slave has been back for a while."

King Yu stared at him: "Are you still hiding when you come back? Look at how much credit you have, and who will show you all wet?"

Feng Baoxian was stunned, and immediately smiled apologetically, while twisting the rainwater on the skirt of his clothes: "Return to the master, the servant was originally holding an umbrella, but the wind blows it away."

King Yu didn't ask him any more questions, and went back to his chair and sat down.

Concubine Li appeared at the door: "Come in quickly."

Seeing Concubine Li, Feng Bao bent down and saluted: "Princess, is your son asleep?"

Concubine Li also said in a low voice: "I haven't seen you in the middle of the morning, and I've been arguing for a while. I just fell asleep." Speaking of this, she looked at the two maids.

Maybe it has become a habit, but whenever Feng Bao comes back like this, the maid will immediately avoid it as soon as she sees the wink.At this time, the two maids bowed their heads and quickly backed out.

Feng Bao jumped at the door again, shaking off the rainwater as much as possible on his body, and then walked in.

King Yu looked at Feng Bao, and Concubine Li also looked at Feng Bao: "Hurry up and talk about the affairs in the palace."

Feng Bao said in a low voice, "My lord and my concubine, the slaves have already found out. One morning, Lord Long Live scolded the father and son of the Yan family so badly that old Yan Song shed tears."

Concubine Li immediately glanced at King Yu, then at Feng Bao: "Why are you scolding?"

Feng Bao: "Master, Eunuch Lu is still with the emperor, so I can't ask you the details. I only asked the servants who were on duty outside the palace at that time. They were far away and couldn't hear clearly. I only know that it is for Zhejiang Province. The matter of buying fields for disaster victims under the brand of the Weaving Bureau. The emperor seems to have said, just give up the seat to the Yan family and his son."

This was appalling news, King Yu was startled, and Concubine Li's eyes sparkled.

King Yu was about to continue asking questions, but Concubine Li took the conversation away: "What else did you hear?"

King Yu frowned, but Concubine Li didn't realize it, and still stared at Feng Bao.

Feng Bao: "Then I have to wait until the evening before I enter the palace again, and I will know when I see Eunuch Lu."

"Either call Xu Jie, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng here now..." King Yu pondered.

"We can't ask them to come." Concubine Li interrupted King Yu again, "One is that the situation is still unclear, and the more it is at this time, the better it is to pretend not to know."

How important this matter was to King Yu, but the news he heard was so inconclusive, he was already very disturbed, his thoughts had not been cleared up, and his questions were always interrupted by Concubine Li.Now I was just thinking about whether to call Xu, Gao, and Zhang to discuss it, but Concubine Li refuted him before he finished speaking.King Yu's face was very difficult to look at, he resisted it and looked at Feng Bao: "What do you think?"

How alert Feng Bao was, he immediately knelt down: "Master, this is not something a slave can say, it should be said."

King Yu sneered: "It's good to understand. Go back to the house and change this wet skin."

Feng Bao kowtowed: "Thank you, master." Then he half stood up, bowed and backed out.

Watching Feng Bao's figure disappear, King Yu sat down alone, thinking ecstatically, while picking up the tea bowl on the tea table, uncovering the bowl lid, drinking it but it was gone, feeling anxious, and putting the tea bowl on the tea table .

Concubine Li was the only one left in the room, and she hurriedly took out a Ru Kiln teapot from a hollowed-out tea basket made of ivory on the desk, and refilled the water for King Yu.

Concubine Li: "My lord, it's not my concubine who is talking about you. I can't be in a hurry at this time. Yan Song and Yan Shifan have been in control of the cabinet for 20 years, and there are not a few of them in the two capitals and thirteen provinces. It is not so easy for the emperor to move them. We just Wait and see, it won't be too late to call Xu Jie and the others to discuss it when we really have a will."

King Yu suddenly stood up and shouted, "Come on!"

Concubine Li was startled.

After a while, two court ladies hurried in from the door again.

King Yu said loudly, "Go ahead and tell Wang Zhan about the matter, and tell him to call Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng immediately!"

A court lady responded and hurried out.

Concubine Li was stunned.

King Yu picked up the tea bowl to drink, his hands trembling slightly, he threw the tea bowl to the ground after taking a sip: "Don't you even have a mouthful of hot water!"

The rest of the maid hurriedly said in fright: "Slaves, you should die. You will go and get it now." She also hurried out.

Concubine Li's face turned pale, and she stared at King Yu in a daze.

King Yu walked to the door, looked at the heavy rain outside the house, and almost shouted: "If you have a nose, you will put your face on your face! Don't forget, your family was born to build a house!"

After a series of ignorant flames, Concubine Li already felt that King Yu was angry with herself.But it was the first time to say such heartless and contemptuous words.Concubine Li was stunned at first, and then tears could not help rolling in her eyes, but maybe she had been spoiled for a long time, maybe she had a strong personality, at this time she stood there biting her lower lip tightly, refusing to cry .

The prince was woken up and cried in the back room, Concubine Li turned around and walked towards the back room.

"Stand!" King Yu shouted, "Did I tell you to go?"

Concubine Li stopped again: "My lord, the prince is awake..."

King Yu looked out of the house again: "Don't look at the great credit for giving birth to a son. If you continue to behave like this, I will adopt the son under the name of Concubine Chen tomorrow. If you forget, Ben The king reminds you now that there is still a main room in Yu Wang's mansion, and you are just a concubine."

Concubine Li's tearful eyes flashed panic and grievance.

King Yu didn't look at her, and pointed his finger outside the door: "Did you see Feng Bao? Even a slave is more polite than you!"

She actually connected herself with the servant, Li Concubine was like a bucket of ice water being poured over her head!But the rules of the royal family also reminded her at this time, she bit her lips and knelt down, but her voice was still dissatisfied: "Thousands of mistakes are the fault of the concubine, the prince should not be angry."

(End of this chapter)