Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 158 Begins
The progress of the re-accounting was different for each department. Although Cao Yong and the others had checked the open accounts of the sea tax early, they kept deducting it without making a fuss.After the accounts lost by Fujian pirates were handed over to Cao Yong, Cao Yong called Fu Xiangong and Chade to check the accounts on both sides in private and studied them again. The sea tax seemed to have no loopholes. In the accounts, there was a total gap of 400 taels of silver.

Fu Xiangong's attitude is still "I believe in Master Li's character".However, Chade and others are humble, although they also expressed their belief in Li Qichang, they all made it clear: "Everything is at the disposal of Mr. Cao." The implication is that if Cao Yong helps Li Qichang, everyone is willing to hide it; If Yong wants to expose, everyone is willing to testify.

Before Cao Yong could make a decision, more news came out following Sheng Jia's return to Beijing. Please ban marine merchants on the grounds that pirates are rampant.

"Scholar's opinion! How can you give up eating because of choking?" After hearing Cao Yong's retelling, Zhuang Xi couldn't help retorting.

Cao Yong smiled and said: "Zhezi has been refuted. I heard that the imperial decree has been ordered. I asked, 'I don't know if the robbery in the ocean is the same as the robbery in the inland rivers and lakes. It should be in charge of the local civil and military officials. If you can pay more attention to inspections and search as much as possible, there will be no bandits. Tolerance. How can merchants be banned from trading because of occasional accidents in the ocean'. Even the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of War are also implicated, saying that they are unwilling to do their best and ignore the overall situation."

After hearing this, Zhuang Xi stroked his beard and said with a smile: "The emperor is wise. Although this Wang Yi is upright, he is too dull!"

Cao Yong was taken aback for a moment: "Is this Wang Yi upright?"

At the bottom of his heart, he was still wondering whether Wang Yi might be a certain elder brother's influence, and this time he took the opportunity to make trouble.There is a memorial to please ban the sea, and there is a problem with the sea tax account here. Such a coincidence is really hard to ignore.

Zhuang Xi said: "I know a thing or two about this man. He is really upright and dares to speak up. In the 27th year of Kangxi's Jinshi, he entered the Hanlin Academy, which was quite praised by the emperor. The teacher is very strict, and the prince violates the school rules and is punished accordingly. He has taught the third elder brother, the fourth elder brother, and the fifth elder brother. Later, the official came to..."

"Four elder brothers?" Cao Yong was so surprised that he couldn't help interrupting Mr. Zhuang's words.

Seeing that Zhuang Xi nodded in agreement, Cao Yong frowned slightly: "Although the emperor refuted Wang Yi, the fourth elder brother issued an official document to investigate the losses and taxes of the pirates. Don't you just collect evidence, do you really want to ban the sea?"

Cao Yong knew that the policy of "closing the country" was implemented in the middle of the Qing Dynasty until the Opium War, but he couldn't remember whether it started in the Yongzheng period or the Qianlong period. The political views of his staff.

Zhuang Xi was puzzled and said, "Searching for evidence? Why do you say that?"

Cao Yong pondered for a moment, and said: "Maybe I'm thinking too complicated! In fact, in the long run, overseas trade is absolutely beneficial, but in the short term, because the sea tax itself is not high, if someone above can't take care of the overall situation, I can see On the surface, there are not many sea taxes, and the pirates have lost a lot, so they think that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, so the sea is banned..."

Zhuang Xi said: "It's not impossible. After all, there are many people who are eager for quick success. If this is the case, there is no other way. Your business in Guangdong will be closed!"

Thinking of the negative impact of "closing the country" on the country, Cao Yong also began to hesitate about the fourth elder brother in his heart. If he really insisted on going his own way, how should he deal with it?Can't you just grab him and tell him the dangers of banning the sea, and tell him that if that happens, the country will only become more and more backward, and after more than a hundred years, foreigners will open the country with guns?

If the fourth elder brother is really influenced by the teacher and has the plan to ban the sea, can he just watch helplessly?Although he has no big ambitions and no thoughts of worrying about the country and the people, how can Cao Yong, who is familiar with the history of humiliation in later generations of China, stand by indifferently?
"If the higher authorities really think about the Forbidden Sea, it will be so bad that future generations will suffer from it. Sir, is there any way to resolve it?" Cao Yong asked.

Restricted by the times, in fact, Zhuang Xi only thought that open sea trade would benefit the circulation of private goods and the coastal provinces, and that it was a policy that benefited the people, but he did not have a particularly deep understanding.Therefore, he certainly supports the implementation of this policy, but if it is not implemented, he will not think of any great harm that will affect future generations.

Zhuang Xi was puzzled because of Cao Yong's attitude towards political affairs. At first, he was just calm and calm, and he was casual about everything except his family; What does this portend?
Cao Yong's eyes are as clear as before, and he has no ambition influenced by the desire for power, and he looks no different from the past.

Zhuang Xi shook his head inwardly, it seemed that he had been tossing hard in Xiqiu's room for the past two days, and he was a little out of energy and started to think wildly.Perhaps Cao Yong couldn't let go of the income from Guangdong, so he was particularly concerned about the ban on the sea.Therefore, he smiled and comforted him and said: "No matter what the fourth elder brother means, with the emperor on top, it's all in vain to get a lot of papers about banning the sea all these years. Of course, falsifying the accounts may reduce the sea tax that is not much at all. It became more and more obvious that the losses of the pirates were greater than the revenues from the sea tax, so as to prove that they should be banned by the sea. But Wang Yi is indeed upright, and he was only a fifth-rank official in the matter. Investigating these two items may be to investigate corruption!"

"Greedy ink?" Cao Yong said: "In September last year, a large number of people from the account department of the Caodou case were just dismissed. How dare these people stand up to the wind?" He thought of the ten thousand taels of silver on the sea tax book, and shook his head. Shaking his head: "This account cannot be changed by one or two people, but is it worth the trouble?"

Zhuang Xi said with a smile: "Yong'er was born rich and honored, and doesn't know poverty. The annual salary of a fifth-rank is only 80 taels, and a thousand taels of silver needs to be saved for many years!"

Cao Yong nodded, it is true that his vision has become higher.The families I usually interact with, except Jueluo's family, are either rich or noble. Like those royal residences, one thousand and eight hundred taels of silver may be used for a ceremony; Tens of thousands or millions of accounts, so I have no concept of money, and I don’t think it’s too much, and I don’t take the more than ten thousand taels of silver seriously.

If he is greedy, then naturally he has nothing to do with him. Because of his marriage a few years ago, he only worked together for a month.Cao Yong didn't bother to think about it anymore, he didn't like these corrupt officials and moths at all, and he wished that the fourth elder brother could find out more.

As for the doctor Li Qichang, he is not worried.Li Zhong was promoted to doctor in September last year, how could he be greedy for a year's worth of money in three months?Let's find out his innocence.

As a matter of fact, Cao Yong has no interest in investigating the case by himself.During Prince Yong's routine inspection of the household department, Cao Yong carefully worded his words and reported suspicious accounts.

For the rest, let the caring people worry about it.

*
Now that the weather is warmer, Cao Yong decided to transplant two sycamores here as he thought before when Chuyu finished staying in the palace.Because the gardener boy was coming, after Cao Yong went to the household department, Zijing took Chuyu to the Sunflower Courtyard first, and left Nanny Ye with a few women to look after her.

Chu Yu was wearing a creamy white crepe silk jacket over a bright red river silk multicolored silk mandarin jacket, with two ruby ​​and rice bead head flowers on her hair. She didn't have any other jewelry, but she didn't look plain, making her look more refreshing.Zijing poured her tea, looked at her carefully again, and said with a smile: "The slave girl looks at the Princess, but she is plump compared to last month!"

"Isn't it!" Chu Yu touched her face and said with a helpless smile: "Several mothers took turns to make up for me, and they were either ducks or geese all day long. Although it was really boring, they didn't It's good to refute the good intentions of the elders!"

Zijing smiled and said: "The princess was a little thin before, but now it's just right, the uncle will be happy too!"

When Chu Yu heard Cao Yong was mentioned, she shook her head in embarrassment: "I look at him, but he is much clearer than before!" Thinking of the teachings of the Fujins in the palace, it is all about giving birth early and spreading branches and leaves , I was looking forward to and worrying in my heart.Thinking of Cao Yong's hot eyes when he picked her up in the morning and sent her back, he couldn't help being sweet again.

Zijing told Chuyu about pity and sympathy for autumn, which Cao Yong had already mentioned before when he visited the palace.Because Mr. Zhuang was old and Lianqiu was pregnant again, after Cao Yong discussed with Chuyu, he didn't wait for Chuyu to come back, so he bought wine and praised Lianqiu and Xiqiu according to Mr. Zhuang's wishes.When Zijing chose two more girls to come over, she also prepared a dowry for the two brides.Fortunately, the Banyan Courtyard is spacious, and there is no need to change the location. After tidying up the two new houses, I gave the two new ladies a face.

Chu Yu nodded as she listened. She had only met Lian Qiu and Xi Qiu once, and it was when all the servants in the mansion came to kowtow to her on the second day of their wedding after worshiping the gods and Buddha ancestors and recognizing relatives.

At that time, Nanny Ye who was beside her was still surprised. She thought that the maidservants around Cao Yong were outstanding, but she didn't expect that Rongyuan and Huaiyuan were not inferior.Later, I inquired privately, and learned that these four and the couple who married with the third girl were bought by Mrs. Li when she was in Beijing the year before last. She was supposed to ask them to serve in the Sunflower Garden, but for some reason none of them stayed there.

Because of this, Mammy Ye deliberately inquired about the intercourse between the princess and the forehead a few times, and she was also worried that Cao Yong was different from ordinary people or had some eccentricities, and she wronged the princess.

At that time, if the princess got married, there would always be court ladies acting as "trial marriage princesses", who would go to the forehead's house on the first day and share the bed with the forehead, and then return to the palace the next day to report to the queen mother in detail whether the forehead is healthy or not. Defects, whether the temperament is gentle, etc.After confirming again and again that there is no problem, the wedding will continue.But the princess doesn't allow this, so she can only marry blindly and resign herself to fate.

Chu Yu only blushed and said with a smile that Ye Momo was worrying too much, and Ye Momo was relieved.

After Zijing talked about some miscellaneous and trivial matters in the Yuefu, Chuyu asked Xiyun to hand over a small bag, and when she opened it, it was a pair of stone blue satin women's shoes.Chuyu took it with both hands, and handed it to Zijing: "I made this a few days ago. I wanted to embroider some flowers and plants, but I thought that my sister usually doesn't like those embroidered clothes, so that's it, Zijing Sister, don't think the handwork is rough!"

Zijing was stunned, then shook her head and said: "This is killing a servant!" She didn't reach out to take it.When I returned to my natal family this time, I made a few pairs of shoes by myself, and it was also a wedding custom to bring them to my in-laws' family after a month, but it was not suitable for Zijing's status.

Chuyu put it directly in Zijing's hands: "It's not looking at the forehead, even Chuyu herself feels that Zijing's sister is close!" As he said, he pointed his fingers and said, "Besides this, there is also the forehead, Second brother's, father-in-law's, mother-in-law's, and grandmother's in the south, a total of six pairs!"

The two were talking, when Huan'er came to report that the manager of Changping Zhuangzi had come to see the uncle, and now the uncle is not in the mansion, the housekeeper asked Zijing if she should ask the princess to go out for an idea.

Zijing asked Chuyu what she meant, Chuyu thought about it, whispered a few words to Xicai, then got up and followed Zijing to the front yard.

It was He Maocai, the steward of Changping Zhuangzi, who was talking to Cao Zhong, the chief steward, in the side hall. "It didn't snow all the time a year ago, and although there were two snowflakes in the next year, the ground was not covered. I expected it would be better after the beginning of spring, but there was still little rain..." He Maocai said worriedly.

Seeing Chuyu and Zijing come in, He Maocai hurriedly knelt down to pay his respects.Before Chu Yu returned to the palace, he had visited Ann twice, and this was not the first time they had met.

Chu Yu sat down with a smile, and asked He Maocai and Cao Zhong to sit down and answer. Both of them dared not, and stood up and explained the reason for He Maocai's return to Beijing.Due to the lack of rain in winter and spring, and the abnormal weather as in previous years, He Maocai was worried about the situation this year, and wondered whether to drill more deep wells in several farms to prevent drought.But now it is the spring plowing season, and the various costs of drilling wells will be more expensive, so he came to the capital to ask for instructions.

Chu Yu didn't directly say whether he agreed to dig a well, but asked, "I don't know how much good land is now per mu. Compared with previous years, is it cheaper or more expensive?"

He Maosheng said: "Due to the rise in grain prices in the past two years, the price of land near Gyeonggi has also increased by half, and now the top-grade farmland is almost [-] mu."

Chu Yu nodded, and said again: "I have Zhuangzi, which is also in Changping. I will send someone to take you there tomorrow to have a look. There are fifty hectares. If you can find someone, let's do it!"

In a word, the other three in the hall were stunned.They all knew that the princess came to marry fifty hectares of land, but what was the reason for selling the land?
"What did you do?" Following the voice of the question, it was Cao Yong who came back from his errands. He heard that He Maocai was here, so he came to have a look at the side hall, and happened to hear the second part of Chu Yu's words.

Chu Yu got up to greet him, but He Maocai was about to kneel again, but was stopped by Cao Yong.Cao Yong smiled and said: "Why do you have time to come here? I said in the first month that some peach trees will be planted in the spring of this year, 'three peaches and four apricots'. The trees from the year before last should be able to bear peaches next year!" He Maocai sat down with Cao Zhong, and Cao Yongfang turned around and asked Chuyu, "Who are you looking for, and what are you doing?"

Chu Yu smiled and said, "It means that I have dozens of hectares of land. Our family has several Zhuangzi, and there is no shortage of that place. I just want to see if I can let Guanshi Zhangluo Zhangluo change hands!"

The fifty hectares of land was Chu Yu's dowry property, and according to current regulations, she could freely control it, and usually kept her own children.Therefore, everyone felt strange when they heard it, but Cao Yong shook his head and said with a smile: "Okay, where are you selling it? People think we can't make ends meet, and we have to rely on your dowry to sell it for money!" "As he said that, his heart moved, and he looked at Chuyu again.

After hearing Cao Yong's words, Chu Yu realized that she was still young and didn't think carefully. Although the sale of the land was well-intentioned, it hurt the face of her son-in-law, even the palace may not be able to forgive it.Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a little more ashamed on her face, and felt a little uneasy in her heart.

When Cao Yong saw it, he didn't say much. He Maocai told him about digging a deep well.Years ago, several villages collected over [-] taels of silver, and Wei Xin also sent someone to send it back. Although it cost a lot to marry a younger sister, the people who received it afterward made the accounts almost equal, and now they are very rich. very.

Cao Yong is a layman in farming, but he also knows that crops cannot survive without water. If there is little rain, production will be reduced or even no harvest, so he asked He Maocai to find someone to dig a well.

He Maocai also talked about planting peach trees on the mountain. He was afraid that he would have to wait and see. If it did not rain in the Qingming Festival, it would be difficult to survive even if he planted them.The top of the mountain is no better than the bottom of the mountain, even if it is watered, it will seep down.

Cao Yong thought of the tenants he had met in Changping in the past two years. If there was a drought this year, he would only lose a few thousand taels of silver in income, but for the hundreds of tenants in the village, it was a major issue related to their livelihood. .Thinking of this, Cao Yong ordered He Maocai to drill more wells without caring about money.

He Maocai responded one by one. Cao Yong saw that Chuyu was a little uncomfortable, so he smiled and said to her: "Uncle He has dealt with the land all his life, so it's easy. Since he said he was afraid of a severe drought, he would never leave her." It's ten, let's dig a few deep wells in your Zhuangzi! Even the palace, let's send someone to tell you tomorrow!"
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(End of this chapter)