Jinyi Town Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 64

Huichun Building in Yangzhou City.

Huichun Tower is the most famous restaurant in Yangzhou.The second floor has been booked by Zheng Bichang, governor of Zhejiang Province, and six tables of banquets have been opened.On the top table sat He Liu, Hu Zongxian, Zhao Zhenji, Zheng Bichang, Yu Dayou, and Qi Jiguang, and on the other five tables were officials at all levels from Zhejiang and Nanzhili.

The food and wine are served.Zheng Bichang said: "Master He, is this the first time you have come to Jiangnan?"

He Liu nodded: "Well, yes."

Zheng Bichang said: "There is food in this area. Huaiyang cuisine is the most famous in Jiangnan. This dish is Pingqiao tofu soup. Don't underestimate this bowl of tofu, it is worth 50 taels of silver!"

He Liu wondered, "A bowl of tofu is worth five taels of silver?"

Zheng Bichang nodded: "This bowl of tofu is not ordinary! The brine for making tofu is mixed with the life juice of three hundred carps!"

He Liu asked: "What is life juice?"

Zheng Bichang talked eloquently: "It is to hang the fresh canal carp upside down for a day and a night, and the carp will spit out saliva, which is called 'life juice'. Only three hundred carps can spit out such a small bowl. Carp life juice and brine The tofu is delicious."

He Liudao: "I see."

Zheng Bichang said again: "This is squirrel salmon, this is boiled dried shredded fish, this is Yangzhou lion head, this is long fish with soft pocket..."

He Liu felt very uncomfortable, the people in Northern Zhili were suffering from cold and starvation, while he was eating extravagant food in this prosperous place in the south of the Yangtze River. . . .

Among the six banquet tables, there was one person who had the same idea as He Liu.

At the bottom of the banquet, a petty official in his 40s and wearing a seventh-rank official uniform suddenly stood up and snorted coldly: "This county still has some business, Mr. He, I will not accompany you!"

It was really appalling that a junior official of the seventh rank dared to leave angrily at the reception banquet of the imperial envoy.

Zheng Bichang patted the table: "Hai Rui, are you protesting against the superiors? Mr. He is an imperial envoy, representing the imperial court..."

That seventh-rank official is none other than the famous Hai Rui Hai Gang Peak in the Qingliu of the Ming Dynasty!

Hu Zongxian waved his hand and interrupted Zheng Bichang.He turned to Hai Rui and said, "Gang Feng, since you have something to do, you should go first."

Hai Rui cupped his hands towards Hu Zongxian: "Farewell!"

Hai Rui walked away.Hu Zongxian said to Zheng Bichang: "Governor Zheng, in the year of the catastrophe, such an extravagant banquet is a bit too much."

Hu Zongxian said to He Liu again: "The man just now was Hai Ruihai Pen Holder. He has that temperament. Don't be offended, Lao Liu."

He Liu asked, "Hai pen holder? The pen holder is his writing? This is interesting."

Hu Zongxian shook his head: "No. Hai Rui's name is Gangfeng, and the pen holder is his nickname. His nickname has a lot of origins! A few years ago, he was an instructor of the county government in Nanping, Fujian. The prefect of the higher level came to the county government to inspect , the magistrate and magistrate knelt down on both sides of Hai Rui and bowed down. Hai Rui said: "There are rules in the imperial court, and school officials don't kneel to magistrates of the next level." The magistrate and magistrate knelt on both sides of Hai Rui, but he Standing, it looks like a pen holder. So, he got the nickname of 'Sea Pen Holder'."

Zheng Bichang said: "This Hai Rui always despises Shangguan! He really deserves to be damned! If it wasn't for the fact that he was recommended by King Yu, I would have dismissed him long ago!"

The governor of Nanzhili, Zhao Zhenji, confronted Zheng Bichang tit-for-tat: "Governor Zheng, don't blame King Yu for everything! Although Hai Rui is aloof, he is a rare honest and good official! His mother celebrated her birthday, and he I can’t even afford to buy a catty of beef. I can’t find one or two such honest officials in all the officialdoms of Ming Dynasty!”

Hu Zongxian interrupted the bickering between the two subordinates: "Okay, let's not talk about him. Let's toast Lao Liu with a glass of wine together."

Hu Zongxian raised his glass and everyone drank it down.

Hu Zongxian said: "Lao Liu, you are ordered by the emperor to search Wu Liangyong's house. If you need help from the governor's yamen, please feel free to say hello to me."

He Liudao: "Then I will trouble Hu Butang at that time."

He Liu changed the subject and cut to the point: "Hu Butang, this Wu Liangyong is really greedy. As a salt transport envoy, he lost 300 million taels of silver to the salt transport office within three years of his tenure."

There is something in He Liu's speech, which means: Hu Butang, as the governor of Zhejiang Province, you are the highest official stationed in the southeast by the imperial court. Didn't you find out about Wu Liangyong's corruption?

Zhao Zhenji is a smart person, and he euphemistically defended Hu Zongxian: "Master He, you don't know. These two Huai salt transport yamen are different from other yamen in the south of the Yangtze River. They are places where needles can't be inserted and water can't be splashed! It is directly under the jurisdiction of the cabinet. Even if we, Hu Butang, find any clues of Wu Liangyong's corruption, we have no right to investigate and deal with it."

The cabinet is Yan Song, and Yan Song represents the cabinet.Zhao Zhenji's words obviously imply that Yan Song is protecting Wu Liangyong.

Zheng Bichang fought with Zhao Zhenji again: "Didn't Governor Zhao just tell me not to blame King Yu for everything? I also advise you, don't blame the cabinet for everything!"

He Liu, as the [-]th Taibao of Jinyiwei, naturally knew the incompatible relationship between the two.He smoothed things over and changed the subject: "General Qi, General Yu, you have worked hard to defend the southeast half of the country for the emperor. Finally, I will toast you."

Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou raised their glasses and drank it down.

Yu Dayou said: "Master He, you belong to Jinyiwei and are close to the emperor. If you have a chance, you can talk to the emperor and allocate more military pay to us in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In fact, it is military pay that we fight. If the military pay is sufficient, I, Lao Yu, don't I dare not say it, the enemy I hit will definitely not be able to get ashore!"

Qi Jiguang also complained about suffering: "What General Yu said is very true! The world says that the [-] Taizhou soldiers under my command are the 'Qi Family Army', and the [-] Fujian soldiers under General Yu's command are the 'Yu Family Army'. In fact, not all of them belong to the imperial court. Soldiers and horses! The imperial court has already owed us two months of payment! The brothers are rolling in blood, but they can’t afford to support their parents, wives and children. They are bleeding and crying.”

Hu Zongxian heard the complaints of the two generals, and hurriedly said: "Yuan Jing (Jiguang) and Zhifu (Dayou), the treasury is empty now, and it is true that they can't afford the money to pay the military. Your military salary will be paid by the governor of Zhejiang Province. I will raise funds for you on the spot. Don’t worry, it may take half a month or three to five days, and I will definitely send the payment to your barracks!”

The welcome banquet in Huichun Building lasted for an entire hour.

He Liu clasped his hands and said, "Hu Butang, my lords. You are busy with work, I think today will be the end of it."

Hu Zongxian nodded: "The imperial envoy is located in the back office of my governor's office. Please Lao Liu will accompany me to the governor's office."

He Liu nodded: "Okay, I'll rest overnight, and tomorrow I'll search Wu Liangyong's house!"

He Liu and Lao Hu came to the back office of the governor's office.

Hu Zongxian suddenly asked the subordinates to step back, and said to He Liu meaningfully: "Lao Liu, I am a child of Jin Yiwei. We are also half brothers. I have a few words to tell you."

(End of this chapter)