Prodigal Son of the Ming Dynasty

  Chapter 1124 Heaven and Earth Flip

  Zhao Shiqian nodded hurriedly.

   "What the emperor said really makes sense."

  Emperor Hongzhi didn't say a word, and continued to settle the accounts. When the accounts were settled, he raised his head: "Zhao Dong's family, please take a look at this account."

  Zhao Shiqian wanted to wave his hand, but how dare he look over it.

   But thinking about it carefully, His Majesty has been calculating for so long, and it really can't be justified. He hurriedly took over the account book, and after reading it, he said cautiously: "Yes, Your Majesty is really versatile..."

"You are a small workshop, but the profit is not small. It is not easy to feed so many people." Emperor Hongzhi said with relief: "Here, seeing you here, living and working in peace and contentment, I feel relieved a lot. gone."

  Zhao Shiqian nodded again and again: "Yes, this is a great blessing from His Majesty."

  Emperor Hongzhi believed this sentence.

  Because that's what Zhao Shiqian told himself back then.

Emperor Hongzhi said: "This is not due to my great blessing, but because of Ouyang Zhi, because of many people who are not afraid of gossip in the temple and dare to do it. They are the result of their dedication. How can I have any credit? , but... I really have the heart to love the people, if I don't have this heart, I will be in debt to my ancestors."

  Zhao Shiqian choked up and wanted to cry. He was so happy that he was able to chat with the emperor. When Emperor Hongzhi talked about his ancestors, he thought of his ancestors. Eighteen generations of ancestors didn't have their own luck.

Emperor Hongzhi smiled: "I have met all kinds of people these days, and I finally understand a big truth, that is, the best people in this world to buy are the hearts of ordinary people. As long as I give a little favor, they will be happy." Thank you Dade, from the bottom of your heart, you are so devoted to me. Hey..."

  Emperor Hongzhi shook his head, what are common people? In fact, they are all the same as Zhao Shiqian. They want to live, so they have their own cunning side; but even though they have gone through hardships, they still have the simplicity in their bones.

  The imperial court hopes to reap the simplicity or cunning of the common people. The initiative is not on the common people, but on the emperor and the officials.

  The sky outside was already dark. Emperor Hongzhi glanced at Zhao Shiqian and patted him on the shoulder: "I... still have a lot of things to do. I have to leave. I stayed here for a few days and nagged you for so long..."

   "Don't dare, dare not." Zhao Shiqian said with red eyes, "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, and he is kind...I...I..."

  He actually started crying.

  Emperor Hongzhi's eyes were also red, and he smiled: "I will remember you."

   "The grass people also remember, remember His Majesty's favor."

Emperor Hongzhi turned his face away: "Your accounts are too messy. I have sorted them out for you in the past few days. If there is anything you don't understand, I will ask the accountant later. I left him a rough note. After reading the note, he knew the details of the account, and... In the future, if you hire an accountant, you have to be willing to spend money. The outside is seven taels of silver a month, but you are five taels. You said, this recruit, can it be Careful people? Accounting is a major matter, and if there is a slight mistake, the loss will not be a few taels of silver."

  Zhao Shiqian blushed and faltered.

Emperor Hongzhi laughed: "Okay, I'm talking nonsense again. From now on, you and I will be far apart. I'm afraid we won't see each other forever, but... one day, if I get old and my son grows up, what will I do?" , just be a hands-off shopkeeper, and let the children and grandchildren handle the trivial matters of the world for me, and when the time comes, I will come to meet you."

  Zhao Shiqian felt his knees go limp and wanted to kneel down.

  Emperor Hongzhi sullenly said, "Stand up straight and send me off."

   "Yes, yes." Zhao Shiqian barely stood firm.

  Emperor Hongzhi had already opened the door of the accounting room, with his hands behind his back, outside, there were already hundreds of officials and eunuchs waiting here.

  People automatically parted the way for Emperor Hongzhi, and then, surrounded by Emperor Hongzhi, they left the workshop.

  In the accounting room.

  Zhao Shiqian burst into tears, and he suddenly realized that he was a little bit reluctant.

  Mr. Zhu...No, Your Majesty...Although he has been with him for a few days, he never imagined that His Majesty is such an easy-going person.

  The knee that had barely stabilized just now became soft again. He knelt on the ground, sobbing and crying.

   Not long after, the door opened.

   But I saw Fang Jifan poking his head in.

  Seeing this, Zhao Shiqian hurriedly wiped away his tears: "Ah... Qi... Duke Qi..."

  In the past, I always felt that Xiao Fang was... ah... hard to describe.

But now, he felt that Xiao Fang had suddenly grown up. It turned out that Qi Guogong was such a down-to-earth person that he never put on airs. Thinking about the officials he met, no, he never had the opportunity to meet officials, even if it was just the one he met in the past. The Baochang and Jiachang who arrived were so imposing that their tails almost went up to the sky.

  But what about Duke Qi?

   "Hello." Fang Jifan said with a smile.

   "Duke Qi doesn't know what to order." Zhao Shiqian said in awe.

  Fang Jifan rubbed his hands together: "Well... the salary, can you settle it?"

   "..."

Fang Jifan hurriedly said: "It's like this. Seven or eight of us have worked here for so long. Of course, it's all small money, but... there are rules for everything. Your Majesty is thin-skinned. I am embarrassed to speak up, and I don't think much of it." A little money, but when I think about it carefully, I can't get used to your default of wages, Lao Zhao, you are the owner of the workshop, and you can't get used to this problem, so hurry up and settle it."

  Zhao Shiqian nodded hurriedly: "Oh, yes, yes."

  Zhao Shiqian hurriedly returned to the desk, counting on the abacus, the wages of the eight people, one by one, one by one, two by one...

   "Three taels of silver." Zhao Shiqian said.

  Fang Jifan said: "Round up to an integer, twenty taels."

Zhao Shiqian felt that Qi Guogong was not very good at calculating, but when he thought about it carefully, he hurriedly took out a silver ticket of twenty taels of silver, and Fang Jifan took it. He couldn't help feeling: "This is hard-earned money. In order to earn this Money, no one knows how hard I work.”

   "Okay, Mr. Zhao, we will meet later."

   "Duke Qi, please go slowly."

  Fang Jifan waved at him.

  Zhao Shiqian hurriedly chased him out, bowing and bowing, and said, "Duke Qi, thank you."

"Need not!"

   Fang Jifan has gone far.

   Shengjia was already some distance away, and Fang Jifan rode his horse to catch up.

  A moment later, Emperor Hongzhi arrived at the county government of Rongcheng County.

  The faces of all the ministers were ashen, because...they had already seen that Wu Kuan's head was hanging in front of the county government office.

  His Majesty's resolute action this time is really too strict.

  Yang Yiqing and the others were anxious and waiting for punishment.

  Ouyang Zhi accompanied him. At the beginning, he accompanied him in the palace, and he had a tacit understanding with His Majesty.

  Although Zhang Sheng, Ma Wensheng and others stayed out of the matter, it's just that... His Majesty's actions today are enough to make them think deeply.

  Emperor Hongzhi sat down and just stepped into the government hall. Emperor Hongzhi said: "Jifan, where have you been?"

  Fang Jifan said: "Your Majesty, I bid them farewell."

  Emperor Hongzhi took a deep look at Fang Jifan, and said, "Have you paid?"

  Fang Jifan was taken aback for a moment, and then said: "Your Majesty is really perceptive..."

  Emperor Hongzhi smiled: "What about my salary?"

  Fang Jifan was speechless, this is a bit shameless, do you still have morals?

  He took out the silver ticket from his sleeve with a smile, and said, "Your Majesty's wages are four silver coins..."

   "It's always good to have the zero and the whole, bring this bank note to me to have a look."

  Fang Jifan: "..."

  He had no choice but to hand over the twenty taels of silver note, and Emperor Hongzhi accepted it without changing his face: "The officials of Tongzhou... are you here?"

  Yang Yiqing and others, their faces were ashen, stepped forward, and bowed down: "Your servant... guilty!"

  They dare not say that Wan is dead.

  Because... I will really die.

Emperor Hongzhi said indifferently: "Wu Kuan used to be my teacher and friend. Today, I am very reluctant to obey the law. But this is his own fault. He harmed the people and turned black and white. The crime is unforgivable. I can't tolerate him. It was he who killed himself!"

   As he spoke, Emperor Hongzhi took a sip of tea lightly.

  Yang Yiqing and others bowed to the ground, nodding in fear.

  Emperor Hongzhi closed his eyes: "But what about you... The Tongzhou New Deal is in a mess, so why aren't you the ones who started it? Say it yourself, how should I deal with it?"

Yang Yiqing's face was ashen, he knew that he had made a big mistake, and said: "Your Majesty, I only believe the one-sided words of the people around me, I can't be careful about the details, and I only act in politics, all of which I take for granted. I boast that I once had horse politics. The experience of being arrogant, and now, causing harm to the people, this is... an unforgivable crime, my minister..." He has old tears in his eyes, and at this point today, he is both ashamed and desolate.

  After decades of being in the officialdom, to this end... really...

   "Your servant, please follow in Wu Kuan's footsteps!"

  The county magistrates behind were all frightened.

  Mr. Yang, you are cheating, you want to follow in his footsteps and want to die, but we don’t want to die.

  Emperor Hongzhi nodded and glanced sideways at Fang Jifan: "Jifan, I'm here to ask you again, what do you think should be done?"

Fang Jifan said with a sad face: "Your Majesty, if you kill too much, you may hurt the peace of heaven. My son is most afraid of blood. When I see blood, I can't help being dizzy. Today, Wu Kuan has already been punished. If he kills again , I'm afraid it's inappropriate."

  Ma Wensheng and the others nodded one after another. Fang finally said something human, which...it makes sense.

  Emperor Hongzhi was thoughtful.

   "So, the minister thought, it might as well...remove their official positions..."

  The county magistrates were all relieved and dismissed from office... That's good, they can be regarded as a rich man, at least, better than Wu Kuan's ending.

  Fang Jifan said with a smile: "Then, depose him as an official!"

   "..."

  Everyone was dumbfounded.

   Be an official?

  Is this an insult?

  Yang Yiqing's face was even more earthy.

  Thinking back then, he was furious because of Ouyang Zhi's promotion of small officials to officials, and chose to go to Tongzhou to implement the New Deal. How could he have imagined that these small officials really became officials, and Yang Yiqing himself, who is dignified, actually...became an official...

   In a blink of an eye, the world is turned upside down!

  …

  Go to bed, adjust your schedule today, so that you can update in the morning and go to bed early at night.

  (end of this chapter)