Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 100

On this day, Chen Tingjing inquired around and found Zhang Xiangfu's home.Liu Jing knocked on the door, and an old man poked his head out to look around. Chen Tingjing asked, "May I ask if this is Mr. Zhang Xiangfu's house?"

The old man replied: "Exactly, what's the matter?"

Chen Tingjing said: "I'm a foreigner, passing by here. Mr. Mu Xiangfu's name, I'm here to pay a visit."

The old man shook his head and said: "My son is very bored these few days and doesn't want to see guests."

Chen Tingjing said: "I won't bother you too much, I just want to meet and leave after a few words."

After hesitating for a moment, the old man invited them into the yard.Chen Tingjing asked those accompanying him to stay outside and went in alone.Upon entering the door, the small courtyard is extremely elegant and refreshing.Zhang Xiangfu heard that the guests came, and it took him a long time to greet them lazily, saying: "It's a small family, it's really shabby. Dare I ask what you can teach me?"

Chen Tingjing said: "The old man's surname is Chen Mingjing. He is a foreigner. He has traveled all over the world and has read a few books. He is arty and likes to make friends with famous people all over the world."

Zhang Xiangfu smiled listlessly and said, "What kind of a celebrity am I! Keeping some ancestral property, reading a few idle books, living in poverty!"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "I see you are living very comfortably!"

Zhang Xiangfu had no intention of keeping guests, but out of face, he invited them into the house for tea.Seeing that the wall of the living room was covered with ancient calligraphy and paintings, Chen Tingjing secretly exclaimed in his heart, and asked, "Mr. Xiangfu, can I feast my eyes?"

Zhang Xiangfu said: "Sir, please go ahead."

Chen Tingjing stepped forward to watch it carefully, and sighed: "Authentic works, so many authentic works by famous masters, it is really rare! Youdao is to collect antiques in prosperous times, and collect gold in troubled times!"

Hearing this, Zhang Xiangfu was not happy, and said, "This is something passed down from my ancestors, and it has nothing to do with the prosperous or troubled times. Hangzhou has been turned upside down recently, and the prosperous world is still alive!"

Chen Tingjing turned around and asked, "What happened to Hangzhou recently?"

Zhang Xiangfu said: "The Yuhang County Yamen has prepared hundreds of beauties, saying that they are ready to pick him up. The people heard that the emperor is going to be drafted in Hangzhou, and the daughters in the family have some looks, and they are all vying for someone to marry!"

Chen Tingjing deliberately asked: "Is there such a thing? No wonder there are sedan chairs coming and going on the street all the time!"

Zhang Xiangfu said again: "The yamen still forces me to write poems to praise holiness, and if I don't write, I will be punished! Think about it, what I have heard and witnessed is that the emperor's southern tour made the people's homes miserable, can I write it?"

Chen Tingjing shook his head and said, "I think things are all distorted by the people below!"

Zhang Xiangfu looked at Chen Tingjing, and said angrily: "Everyone in the world has this problem! It is always said that the emperor was good at first, but it was the corrupt officials below who did bad things. But these corrupt officials are appointed by the emperor! Could it be that the emperor really doesn’t know about their misbehavior below? If he really doesn’t know, he’s a fool, and what virtues are worthy of my poems to praise?”

Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "I've heard that the current emperor is really a saint."

Zhang Xiangfu sighed and shook his head constantly.

Chen Tingjing said: "Mr. Xiangfu, this old man thinks that if you don't want to write poems and don't write them, you won't be convicted for this."

Zhang Xiangfu sighed: "Writing or not writing the poem is up to me. What makes me sad is that there is a family heirloom that was snatched away by the Yuhang county government!"

It turned out that the yamen also said that for the reception, anyone who has treasures in their homes, no matter ancient calligraphy and paintings, rare mountains and rocks, pearls and emeralds, must present one to the emperor.Zhang Xiangfu's family had a piece of Mi Fu's "Spring Mountain Ruisong Picture", the ancestral treasure of the town, which was also taken away by the Yuhang County Government.

Chen Tingjing listened to Zhang Xiangfu's detailed explanation, and said, "Mr. Xiangfu, don't be sad, the emperor won't want your baby, play with it for a few days at most, and return it to you as it is."

Zhang Xiangfu couldn't believe it, he just shook his head.Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "I would like to make a bet with Mr. Fu from my hometown that I will keep your treasure and return it to Zhao."

Although Zhang Xiangfu didn't believe Chen Tingjing's words, he saw that the gentleman was not bad, so he wanted to let him have a few drinks.Chen Tingjing wanted to find out more about the affairs of the Yuhang County Yamen, so he followed his master's wishes with a few polite words.

Today Liu Xiangnian was also quietly found by Prince Cheng's people, and they sent him away without saying a few important words.Liu Xiangnian was not familiar with the rules in the palace, and he only kowtowed when he met Prince Cheng.When he left the inn, he only remembered that the three dogs were very scary, and he didn't see Prince Cheng's appearance clearly.He was a Jinshi at the beginning, and he stayed in the Imperial Academy for three years, and then he was released as a county magistrate when the hall was dismissed.He later became the magistrate, all recommended by Chen Tingjing.Recently, it has been rumored in Hangzhou that the emperor sent an imperial envoy to visit him secretly. Could it be that this is Prince Cheng?
At night, Liu Xiangnian was pondering over why Prince Cheng had called him, when a man with a northern accent entered the magistrate's yamen.This person refused to give his name and surname, he only said that he came from the capital and wanted to see the magistrate.The door was uploaded, and Liu Xiangnian was afraid that he was Prince Cheng's man again, so he let that man enter the back office.

When the man saw Liu Xiangnian, he didn't say who he was, but said: "Master Liu, your master of Taiwan, Ah Shan, has already joined you. The emperor read the secret performance and was very angry!"

Liu Xiangnian asked, "What is he doing to me?"

The man said: "Isn't it disrespectful?"

Liu Xiangnian smiled and said, "Ah-Shan is very aggressive in punishing people!"

The man said: "Master Liu, don't worry too much. Master Xu Qianxue asked me to send a message to you. First, let you have a bottom line in your heart and think about a countermeasure; second, Master Xu asked me to tell you that he will learn from it." Mediation, keep you safe and sound."

Xu Qianxue's name, Liu Xiangnian, is naturally known. He is the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment and a cabinet bachelor.Liu Xiangnian then said: "Thank you Mr. Xu. Please tell Mr. Xu when you go back. If there is something that Beifu can do its best in the future, I will definitely repay you!"

The man smiled and said: "Master Liu, Master Xu will go all out to help you resolve this difficulty, but he has to dredge up other colleagues to convince the emperor. You also know the integrity of Master Xu, he can't keep others Money!"

Liu Xiangnian looked at the visitor suspiciously, and asked, "What do you mean, the Beifu can still give you some money?"

The man drank his tea with his head down, and said, "I can't say that, you can figure it out yourself."

Liu Xiangnian asked: "Beifu doesn't understand the market, please give me the number."

The man still lowered his head and said, "10 taels of silver."

Liu Xiangnian laughed loudly, stood up and said, "Brother, even if I, Liu, sell this magistrate's office, it won't be worth 10 taels of silver!"

The man finally raised his head and said, "Master Liu, I'm just passing on a message. Master Xu really wants to help you, so you can decide for yourself!"

Liu Xiangnian laughed again, and said: "I've weighed it, my black hat is worth more than this prefect's yamen!"

The man asked coldly: "Master Liu, don't just laugh at me. In a word, do you want to give money or not?"

Liu Xiangnian smiled and said: "Please tell Mr. Xu that Mr. Liu thanked you! Mr. Liu's black hat is not worth so much money."

The man's complexion changed, he stood up and said, "Master Liu, don't regret it!"

Liu Xiangnian also lowered his face, cupped his hands and said, "I'm sorry to see you off!"

The man came out of the magistrate's yamen, bumped into someone without thinking, almost fell, cursed in a low voice, got on his horse and left.The person who came was Zhang Xiangfu. He had a personal relationship with the magistrate, and he came in after saying hello to the concierge.It turned out that Zhang Xiangfu sent Chen Tingjing away, thinking about the recent incidents, he was really angry, so he came to the magistrate's yamen.Liu Xiangnian didn't expect Zhang Xiangfu to visit at night, so he hurriedly welcomed him into the study to talk.

Zhang Xiangfu got angry and asked, "Master Liu, is it you or Li Qilong who is the master of the Hangzhou mansion?"

Liu Xiangnian didn't know what happened, he just asked: "Xiangfu, you're asking this question outright, what's wrong with you?"

Zhang Xiangfu said: "Although I, Zhang Xiangfu, have no money and power in Hangzhou, I can still be considered a face-saving person. He, Li Qilong, also knows that I have friendship with Mr. Liu, but he just climbed on my head and dragged me." Here comes the shit!"

Liu Xiangnian asked: "Tell me, what did Li Qilong do to you?"

Zhang Xiangfu said: "He dragged me to the county government to learn to bow and kowtow for three whole days, and forced me to write poems praising holiness, and also took away my ancient paintings from my ancestors, saying that he would present them to the emperor!"

Liu Xiangnian couldn't help cursing: "Li Qilong is such a bastard!"

Zhang Xiangfu asked: "Can't you take care of him?"

Liu Xiangnian sighed: "The one standing behind him is Ah Shan!"

Zhang Xiangfu originally came here to seek justice, but seeing that Liu Xiangnian was doing the same thing, he said, "A Shan is standing behind Li Qilong, and the Emperor is standing behind Ah Shan. Now it's all right, we people don't want to live anymore."

Liu Xiangnian hurriedly shook his hands and said, "Xiangfu, you can't say that! The current emperor is indeed a wise man."

Zhang Xiangfu smiled and said, "Huh, it's that accent again! You all only know that talking about the emperor is good, but these corrupt officials are doing bad things! Today, an old gentleman said that he traveled all over the world and came to me. Talk at home with the same accent as you!"

Liu Xiangnian comforted him for a long time, then remembered what Zhang Xiangfu just said about the old man, so he asked: "Who did Xiangfu just say?"

Zhang Xiangfu said: "A foreigner, around sixty, who calls himself Chen Mingjing."

After Liu Xiangnian asked in detail for a while, his eyes lit up immediately, and he said, "Chen Jing? Chen Tingjing! It's him!"

Seeing Liu Xiangnian being so surprised, Zhang Xiangfu was really surprised, and asked, "Who is Chen Tingjing?"

Liu Xiangnian said: "He is a scholar of the Wenyuan Pavilion and a minister of the official department! Chen Zhongtang used to have a single name of respect, and when he was a Jinshi, Emperor Mengxian bestowed the word 'Ting'." Liu Xiangnian originally thought that the imperial envoy who was rumored might be Prince Cheng, now that Chen Zhongtang appears again, this matter is getting more and more confusing.

Zhang Xiangfu was also taken aback, and said: "So that old man is a prime minister?"

Liu Xiangnian nodded and said: "He is my benefactor! More than ten years ago, the emperor entrusted the ministers of the fourth rank and above to recommend honest officials. Chen Zhongtang did not know me before. He only knew that I was an honest and honest official, so he recommended me. So I became the magistrate from the county magistrate. I finally lived up to Mr. Chen’s trust. To be an official, I must at least keep the word "integrity". It is also because I recognize this dead truth that I, the magistrate, went from Suzhou to Yangzhou. Yangzhou is always suppressed by the superiors in Hangzhou! This time, even the magistrate will not be able to do it."

Zhang Xiangfu said: "Since it is Mr. Chen, why don't you go to visit him quickly? He told me that he lives in Yanyu Building."

Liu Xiangnian shook his head and said, "Xiangfu, since Chen Zhongtang didn't reveal his true identity, he must have a reason, so don't tell anyone!"

That's what Liu Xiangnian said, he sent Zhang Xiangfu away, but he went to visit Chen Tingjing quietly.What day is he thinking to himself?First, he was summoned by Prince Cheng in a daze, and Xu Qianxue came at night, and now he heard that Chen Tingjing was here.Liu Xiangnian went into Yanyu Building to inquire, and Dashun came out to meet him.He said that it was Liu Xiangnian, the magistrate of Hangzhou, who wanted to meet Chen Zhongtang.Dashun usually heard about this person from the master, so he reported him in.Chen Tingjing also felt strange, and asked Dashun to invite Liu Xiangnian into the house.Chen Tingjing hurriedly stood up, but Liu Xiangnian saluted and said, "Hangzhou prefect Liu Xiangnian pays respects to benefactor Chen Zhongtang!"

Chen Tingjing fixed his eyes and said, "Oh, you are Liu Xiangnian? Please sit down quickly."

Liu Xiangnian sat down and said: "It is rumored in Hangzhou that the emperor sent imperial envoys down on his southern tour. So it is true!"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "Xiangnian, I let you run into me. The emperor asked me to come down to have a look first, and he didn't allow me to contact the local officials. The emperor didn't let me take the driver under the excuse of apportionment to the people, and didn't allow me to go too far. Extravagance. But I think your Hangzhou is a bit strange!"

Liu Xiangnian said: "Lord Zhongtang, I am against Ah Shan's apportionment to the common people, and against the construction of a palace. Ah Shan has already sent a secret memorial to the emperor to include me!"

Chen Tingjing was quite surprised in private, thinking how could Liu Xiangnian know about the secret performance?Liu Xiangnian understood what Chen Tingjing was thinking, and said, "It stands to reason that I wouldn't know about the secret concert. I didn't dare to say it. I think my head won't be able to carry it on my neck for a few days anyway, and I'm telling you again. Zhongtang, let’s talk about everything. Xu Qianxue sent someone to come to the door and tell me about the secret performance on Ashan, and asked me to pay 10 taels of silver to eliminate the disaster."

Chen Tingjing was even more shocked, because when it came to Xu Qianxue, it was inconvenient for him to speak casually.But I thought in my heart that Xu Qianxue liked to exercise power more and more, he was hypocritical and greedy, so he had to find an opportunity to join him.Chen Tingjing thought to himself, and heard Liu Xiangnian say: "I'll push it back, and I won't give you a tael of silver."

Chen Tingjing thought that Liu Xiangnian was indeed an upright official, but it was inconvenient for him to comment on Xu Qianxue, he just said: "Xiangnian, I will stop here, I know it well."

But Liu Xiangnian couldn't help but said again: "If you send people to ask for money so clearly, he won't be afraid of being denounced?"

Chen Tingjing said: "It has long been a common practice, it's commonplace, but you are honest and honest, and it sounds new. People will not report you if they know whether you give money or not. Don't talk about this again, Xiangnian, I just know."

Liu Xiangnian thanked him with his hand, and heard Chen Tingjing talk about his experience in Hangzhou.The two chatted for a while, and Chen Tingjing suddenly asked again: "Xiangnian, what I saw along the road, most of them didn't apportion money to the common people, but the people below are all doing the pick-up project with great fanfare. Where does the money come from?"

Liu Xiangnian said: "Not apportioning it now does not mean that it will not be apportioning it in the future. It will continue to be apportioned only after Sheng Jia leaves. At that time, as much as the apportionment will be used, it will be considered kind. Tour consumption, a lot of apportionment!"

(End of this chapter)