Aspirations

Chapter 102
When Xia Xiang arrived at the county office, he didn't see Xu Heguang. After asking, he found out that Xu Xiancheng had gone to the government office again. He couldn't help but smile. Is Xu Xiancheng the county magistrate of Zhending County or the county magistrate of Zhending Mansion?

Let him go, Xia Xiang is too lazy to think about whether Xu Heguang went to the government office to make a small report or discuss something. He discussed with Lu Dongliang, Zhang Xuehua, and Qi He, and he was more concerned about the governance of the Hutuo River in his heart. Not to worry about it, but also know that governance needs to be considered long-term, and it will not be achieved overnight. It has to wait for a favorable time, place and people.

Ding Ke could place Dong Xian's body properly and conduct an autopsy to confirm that Dong Xian died of drowning and had slight signs of poisoning before his death.This proves that what Fu Ke said is true, that Dong Xian did fall into the water and died in a panic after taking aconite and ephedra.

Since Dong Xian's body can no longer provide more clues, who is the real culprit behind Fu Ke? Man Tuo needs to return from Shile to make new progress. Xia Xiang asked Ding Ke to send someone to escort Dong Xian's body back to the city. Shile, let's go to the ground as soon as possible.He also took out ten pennies to have Ma Xiaosan and his wife buried generously.

After everything was arranged properly, Xia Xiang relaxed. He made an appointment with Lu Zhiyue and Xiao Wu. Accompanied by Ding Ke, he rode around Zhending County and outside the city every day, and witnessed the life of the people in the city. It is not easy to live with the hardships of the people outside the city.

At the same time, Xia Xiang also visited many people who were displaced by the new law and could only live outside the city. He learned that most of the people had become impoverished because of the new law, and his heart was extremely heavy.Seeing the barren land and low thatched huts outside the city again, he remembered the days when his mother and himself were busy running around for a bite of food, and he felt empathy for the suffering of the people.

After getting along day and night for a few days, Xia Xiang and Lu Zhiyue chatted more and more speculatively.Although Lu Zhiyue has the arrogance and high-spirited eyes common to the children of aristocratic families, he also has a genuine temperament. He likes to make friends, advocates nature and respects Taoism, which is somewhat similar to Cao Shujun.

Thinking of Cao Shujun, I couldn't help thinking of Cao Shuli.For some reason, as soon as Xia Xiang thought of Cao Shuli, he thought of Lian Ruohan. In a blink of an eye, Lian Ruohan had left Zhending for nearly ten days, and she didn't know whether her affairs in the capital were going smoothly.

Lian Ruohan went north from Zhending to the capital, and at full speed, he arrived in the capital on the tenth day.After entering Beijing, she took a short rest for a day, then went to King Jing's Mansion to meet her father.

The capital city was as prosperous as before, standing in the crowd, Lian Ruohan suddenly felt a sense of loss.She often travels around, and rarely leaves home when she is young, and is at odds with her parents. She always feels like she doesn't know where her hometown is.For the capital, she is more in awe and longing, and has no sense of belonging.Now when I come to the capital again, I don't know why, but suddenly there is a feeling of desolation on the Anding River that makes people feel sad.

Is it because of Qiu Shen or is there another reason?Lian Ruohan didn't know, she was standing by the river, looking up at the majestic gate of King Jing's Mansion, she couldn't move forward for a while.

"Miss, why don't you leave?" Ling'er has followed Lian Ruohan for many years and knows Lian Ruohan best. Her own wife is strong by nature and likes to make her own decisions in everything. Why does she look soft-hearted today? She suddenly remembered something. "Madam, do you remember the first time I met Xia Xianzun in the capital?"

Not only was it the first time they met, but also the days in Guanxin Pavilion, and the ride from the south of the capital to Zhending in the same car, lingering in his mind, circling non-stop, Lian Ruohan suddenly became inexplicably upset, damn it Xia Xiang, why does Yuanzai Zhending still bother me?

After being dazed for a moment, she calmed down and smiled sweetly: "Who would miss him? I was just thinking about how to persuade my father not to force the marriage."

Ling'er covered her mouth and smiled: "Lady, Ling'er has a plan. I'm afraid that if I say it, my wife will beat me, so I dare not say it."

How could Lian Ruohan not know that Ling'er ghost has many ideas, but at this time, it's good to be a dead horse as a living horse doctor. Although she is rebellious, she still needs a good excuse to reject her father, so she said: "Say it, I don't know how to fight." You, at most, scold you a few words."

"Then Ling'er said it..." Ling'er blinked, stuck out her tongue again, and smiled, "My lady can tell the Patriarch that you have made a private appointment with Xia Xianzun for life, and you have a skin-to-skin relationship. After hearing this, the Patriarch will definitely not force you to marry Lu Langjun again."

"You!" Lian Ruohan blushed, ashamed, angry and anxious, "Ling'er, how could you come up with such a way to humiliate your reputation, you are so mad at me. I, I will settle accounts with you later, remember You hit ten times!"

"Miss!" Ling'er's face was aggrieved, and his eyes were red, "Ling'er is also thinking of his wife, although Xia Xianzun comes from an ordinary background, and the little seventh-rank magistrate is not worthy of a lady, but at least the lady is happy with him. As a woman, you have to marry someone you like, or marry someone you like. The lady and Lu Langjun don't like each other, so if you insist on marrying him, it would be too wronged for the lady. Instead of this, it's better to marry Xia Xianzun."

Lian Ruohan's heart warmed, knowing that Ling'er was really thinking of her wholeheartedly, seeing Ling'er's anxious look, he smiled again: "It's easy to say, your wife wants to marry, and the county magistrate Xia wants to marry."

"Hmph, if the lady is willing to marry him, it's too late for him to be happy. He has always married a woman from a high family and a woman from a low family, so he is the one who has won a lady." Ling'er complained to Xia Xiang, "What's more, he brought a A fool dragging the oil bottle."

"What fool drags the oil bottle?"

"Xiao Wu."

Lian Ruohan laughed again: "Don't say that about Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu is a good boy, but sometimes his brain is not very bright, but he is not a bad person."

"Miss Lian!" Suddenly a voice rang out, and a person came out from the gate of the palace, walked down the steps quickly, and smiled happily, "Miss Lian, madam Lian, last time this king fell in love with you at first sight, but you said that you and Xia Xiang have made a private decision for life. It makes this king very sad. Just now this king and your father talked about the matter of you and Xia Xiang's private life, and your father said that there is no such thing, haha, you deceived this king so hard."

When Lian Ruohan raised his head, there stood a handsome young prince in front of him, his face was like a jade man like a dragon, and he met Wang Xiacunxian.

Lian Ruohan didn't want to destroy her reputation at first, but said that she and Xia Xiang would make a private decision for life, and she didn't want to see Wang intervene again.

Seeing the king coming out to greet him in person, Lian Ruohan naturally couldn't be less polite, and hurriedly greeted the king.Seeing the king wave his hand, there is no need to be too polite, he led the way and entered the palace.Bypass the rockery pond, pass through the arch, and come to the inner house.

From a distance, King Jing's hearty laughter came from the study room. Among the laughter, there were one or two strange voices, but there was no father's voice alone. Now it is silent, afraid that it is angry with myself.Hmph, just give birth, anyway, since she was a child, she didn't let her parents worry about it.

Lifting the skirt and going up the steps, Lian Ruohan stopped, waiting to report to the king.Seeing the king, he shook his head and said, "You can just go in with the king. You don't need to see outsiders. Maybe we will be a family soon, haha."

"Who wants to become a family with you?" Ling'er was quite critical of Xia Xiang, and she was very dissatisfied with seeing the king. For some reason, she just didn't like seeing Wang's domineering manner, although speaking of it, she looked at the whole of Da Xia. , Jian Wang is definitely one of the very few people who are most qualified to be domineering.

"Ms. Lian wants to become a family with this king. By the way, there is also you." Seeing the king giggling, without the majesty and demeanor of a prince, he reached out to touch Ling'er's chin, "This king married Mrs. Lian, you I also want to come over as a dowry, and this king also accepted you as my concubine."

Ling'er smiled slightly, and his face turned cold: "Thank you for seeing Your Highness, Ling'er is not blessed, and I can't bear to see His Highness's love."

"If you can't afford it, it's up to you. It's up to you if the king says it, haha." Seeing that Wang Cai didn't care if Ling'er was polite or really didn't want to, he laughed, and pushed the door in. lady."

There are five people in the study, one in the middle, rich and peaceful, is King Jing.The first person below has a face like a crown jade, a long beard under the jaw, long eyebrows and fine eyes, a wide nose hanging over the door, and a long gown, elegant and elegant.

The one on the left has an easy-going face, a calm expression, piercing eyes, and a long gown.The person on the right has a square face with a straight nose, thick eyebrows, and slightly narrowed eyes, with a calm look that sees through the world.

If it is said that King Jing is rich and powerful, then the person next to him is calm and unhurried.The person on the left is concealed but not exposed. Although he is wearing common clothes, he cannot conceal his righteousness and ambition.The person on the right has the peace and tranquility of the past. Compared with the deliberate out-of-the-world heart of the person on the bottom, his calmness is more casual and natural.

There is another person standing on the side, with his hands behind his back, admiring the painting on the screen, which is A Little Red of Anonymous.The mountains and rivers are picturesque, green and verdant for thousands of miles. In the large blank area, there is only a little red in the upper right corner, which looks like plum blossoms and non-plum blossoms, with a profound artistic conception.

Lian Ruohan knows countless people, and she certainly recognizes the person at the bottom, it is her father Cui He.Although the person on the left has never met, he is dressed in common clothes, but it can be seen that he is an official of the court.Even if you are not a senior member, you will definitely accomplish a lot in the future.The person on the right should be a capable person who wanders in the court and among the people.As for the person who turned his back on her, she also recognized that it was Cao Yongguo, the former Shaoqing of Honglu Temple and the current minister of rites.

When King Jing saw Lian Ruohan coming in, he nodded slightly: "Han'er is here? You have worked hard all the way, come and sit down." He is kind and kind like an elder, without the attitude of a prince.

"The little girl has met the prince." Lian Ruohan bowed to King Jingfu, and then bowed to her father Cui He, "My daughter has met my father."

Cui He nodded and smiled: "Daughter has worked hard all the way."

King Jing chuckled: "Han'er doesn't need to be polite, get up, get up quickly. Come on, this king will introduce you, this is Song Chaodu, the servant of the Ministry of Industry."

The person on the left stood up and bowed to Lian Ruohan: "I've heard about Lady Lian's name for a long time, but seeing her today, she really deserves her reputation."

It turned out that he was Song Chaodu who had been suppressed by Mr. Hou several times and was rumored to be exiled from the capital for several times, and even once rumored that he was about to be beheaded, but escaped safely every time. Not interested, Dudu is not only curious about Song Chaodu, but also admires him very much. Song Chaodu's strength lies in that although he is bound by the government jointly controlled by the third prince and Hou Xianggong, he has never been completely defeated. Like other officials, they were either dismissed and returned home, or relegated from Beijing to Lingnan or Hainan.

Song Chaodu was almost the only remaining person in the court who opposed the new law. Although he was changed from the Minister of the Ministry of Officials to the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, he was still an official in Beijing and was not relegated from Beijing.Whether in court or on other occasions, Song Chaodu unequivocally opposed the new law, claiming that the new law would bring disaster to the country and the people.It is a rare miracle that such a person who is always against the new law can stand upright under the eyes of the third prince and Hou Xianggong.

Lian Ruohan smiled, and said earnestly: "It turns out to be the famous Minister Song. The little girl has been famous for a long time. Today, I am lucky to see the demeanor of Minister Song."

"Haha, I don't have any name for this old man, but he is just a copper bowl that can't be smashed." Song Chaodu waved his hands and smiled, "Scholars serving the country are nothing more than integrity and loyalty to the king and the heart of the country. Merchants serving the country can build houses for the people. Can dispense medicine for the people, can make clothes for the people, compared with scholars, businessmen can do more things.”

"This is my teacher, Mr. Li Dingshan." King Jing introduced the person on the right to Lian Ruohan, "Mr. is talented and knowledgeable, and he has been full of peaches and plums all his life."

Lian Ruohan gave a blessing: "The little girl has met Mr. Li."

"I have taught countless people in my life, and I have known countless people. The biggest regret in my life is that I have taught many people to read and understand, but I have not taught them to be a man or an official." Li Dingshan crossed his hands at Lian Ruohan, "There is only one person. The achievement I am most proud of, even though he is only a mere magistrate, I believe that in time, he will definitely soar to the sky. This person... even knows my wife."

"Who?" Although Li Dingshan met Li Dingshan for the first time, she had a good impression of Li Dingshan. It was not because King Jing respected Li Dingshan as Mr. Xixi, but Li Dingshan's calmer demeanor than his father convinced her. She also knew Li Dingshan's students, so she was immediately curious.

Li Dingshan smiled slightly: "His surname is Xia Dan and his name is Xiang, and he is currently the magistrate of Zhending County..."

"Ah!" Lian Ruohan took a step back in shock, straightened his face, and saluted Li Dingshan again, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it turns out that sir is actually Xia Xianzun's mentor. The little girl admires Xia Xianzun's talent, I hit it off with Xia Xianzun at first sight. Sir is not only Xia Xianzun's mentor, but also Mr. Little Girl."

Lian Ruohan's solemn salute was a disciple's salute.

Ling'er stood aside, snickering in her heart, the lady is really smart, and performing the disciple ceremony to Li Dingshan is tantamount to declaring that her relationship with Xia Xiang is extraordinary, and it can also pave the way for when the head of the family forces her to marry her later.

Seeing that Wang was taken aback, he figured out something, and quit: "No, no, how can Mrs. Lian and Xia Xiang perform the disciple ceremony to Mr. Li? You should respect Mr. Li as a lecturer together with this king."

Although Mr. Xixi is also a teacher, for the big family, there is an order of respect among the respect.Seeing that Wang Zun called Li Dingshan a lecturer and Xia Xiang called him a teacher, there is still a fundamental difference.

Li Dingshan returned a salute: "Don't dare, dare not be."

"Sir, don't mess around." King Jing scolded, and then said to Lian Ruohan, "This is Cao Yongguo, Minister of Rites."

"I met Cao Shilang." Lian Ruohan was very kind to see Cao Yongguo because of her acquaintance with Cao Shuli. "How is Miss Cao? I haven't seen her for a while, and I miss her very much."

"The little girl is all well, and Madam Lao Lian is thinking about it." Cao Yongguo didn't know who Lian Ruohan was until now, she was actually the daughter of Cui He, the patriarch of the Qinghe Cui family. He was shocked and couldn't help secretly admiring Lian Ruohan's apostasy, A woman, not only changed her surname, established her own business without relying on the protection of her family, but also created such a huge industry, it is really amazing.Thinking of her daughter Cao Shuli, although she is also rebellious, she is far behind Lian Ruohan.

After everyone saw each other one by one, even Ruohan sat in the last seat.Seeing that Wang wanted to sit with Lian Ruohan, but was stopped by King Jing, he had to sit obediently next to King Jing.

"We are here today, and I have something to discuss with you." King Jing looked around the crowd, his eyes were piercing, and the previous kindness and kindness were gone. Instead, he was awe-inspiring, with a trace of the king's demeanor of ruling the world, "The new law now It has been implemented for more than three years, and it has become more and more unpopular. According to my king, people on Hebei West Road and Hebei East Road have lost their homes because of the new law. Sixty-seven out of ten people live in poverty and are heavily indebted. Jiangnan West Road, because of the new law, lose their land, or engage in business or sell their bodies, three out of ten people. Fujian Road, because of the new law, people who abandon their farms and go to sea to become fishermen, nine out of ten people. "

Song Chaodu sighed, shook his head and said, "I heard that most of the land along Fujian Road is barren and no one is planting it. Fujian Road used to have many mountains and little land, and the land was barren. Most people made a living by fishing and firewood. Since then, after more than [-] years of reclaiming wasteland and reducing taxes, people began to be willing to plant land. After more than [-] years, the grain in Fujian Road was enough for the people of Fujian Road, and there was no need to transfer grain from other places. As a result Three years after the new law, the people abandoned the land one after another, and the achievements of a hundred years were destroyed in one day."

"The disaster of the new law will affect the century-old foundation of Daxia. If the new law is not eliminated, the country of Daxia will be unstable." King Jing stood up against the case, bursting with boundless momentum, "This king wanted to be just an idle prince, free and easy, and not come out to the world. I don’t want treacherous ministers to be in power, deceive the emperor, block the audience, use the name of promoting the new law, and practice the fact that the party is united and the difference is true, in an attempt to cover the sky with one hand and control the government.”

Lian Ruohan's heart skipped a beat. Everyone knows that King Jing is the kindest of the princes. He never strives for anything. It has reached the point where King Jing can no longer stay out of the matter.

Although Lian Ruohan is not a member of the officialdom, he has always cared about the affairs of the court. After all, it is related to the overall situation. Besides, his father Cui He intends to cultivate power in the court, so that the Cui family can return to the glory of the past.When she and Xia Xiang left the capital, although Xia Xiang took advantage of the imperial examination to bring down Wenchangju and disturbed the situation in the capital, it soon calmed down because Xia Xiang went to Zhending to take office.Not long after, what happened to make King Jing so angry.

King Jing is in charge of the Ministry of War, and is also the envoy of Xuanfu on Hebei and Hedong Roads. Among the several princes, his power is second only to the third prince.

(End of this chapter)