Zhang Hui got drunk and opened up his chatterbox, not shying away from talking about family affairs.
"My maternal grandfather was the eldest son of the concubine of the Marquis of Huichang. The wife had no children for many years, and my grandfather was raised by the prince. However... the wife suddenly had a legitimate son later, and both my grandfather and his concubine brother got a royal guard. Commander, my great-grandfather will no longer mention the matter of naming the crown prince."
"The legitimate son was weak since he was young and died before he could attack." Zhang Hui opened his mouth and really wanted to laugh, but he couldn't. "Guess what, Shen Er, you can't think of that. The only legitimate son is a son, a concubine! But the wife cried and begged the old marquis, insisting that this concubine should inherit the title from another generation, and she refused to let my maternal grandfather, the eldest son of the concubine, inherit the title."
"In that year, my maternal grandfather had already made great achievements, and that concubine was only a seventeen-year-old boy. They were both concubines, but they were so different." Zhang Hui's mouth was full of sarcasm. "This concubine is a young boy. The eldest grandson is Sun Ming, the current Marquis of Huichang. This Marquis of Huichang has no martial arts skills and has received many orders and fines in military affairs, but he is very capable of making the right decisions. He was originally married to the sister of Queen Wang of Daimiao. Later, the first wife died at the right time, and his second wife was the daughter of the eldest princess of Jiashan."
The eldest princess of Jiashan is the daughter of Yingzong.
Sun Ming, the Marquis of Huichang, married the sister of Empress Daizong after the Tumubao Incident. After the Seizing of the Gate incident, Yingzong returned to the throne, and he quickly let his original wife "die at the right time" and married Yingzong's granddaughter.
The word "timely" makes people feel chilly.
Shen Rui sighed, these relatives and nobles were also very skilled at adapting to the changing circumstances. What was rare was that they were treated as mere weeds and were not dealt with.
"My grandfather didn't pay attention to Sun Ming's villainous behavior. His contribution is real. My grandfather died in infancy, and only my mother and uncle were left. My uncle has been practicing martial arts since he was a child, and he doesn't despise the villainous behavior. He also has the same attitude. The martial arts path followed by my grandfather." Zhang Hui's face showed a hint of pride, "My uncle Sun Luan was deeply trusted by the late emperor, and he was once in charge of the Jinyi Weinan Town Fusi."
However, his tone soon turned serious again, "The Marquis of Huichang, Sun Ming, only gave birth to one son, Sun Zhen, but he was born to his first wife, the Wang family. He was deeply afraid that my uncle's holy family would be solemn, and his family's close relations with the temple would be liquidated. When the title finally returned to my grandfather's line, he repeatedly resorted to tricks to frame my uncle."
"In the ninth year of Hongzhi, he accused my uncle of corruption. When my uncle was imprisoned, he jumped out and competed with the uncles of other house owners for the village houses under my grandfather's name that were given to the descendants of the Hou family by the Xuan Temple. The rear army The Governor's Office dealt with it impartially, my uncle was released from prison, his property and house were returned, and he was promoted to a higher level. Sun Ming was even more unwilling to give up, and his tactics became more and more vicious."
When Zhang Hui said this, his face was full of ferocity, and his voice was extremely sad: "After my grandfather passed away, Sun Ming actually instigated my grandfather's concubine brother Sun Gong to accuse my uncle and his son of having sex with his father and his concubines."
Shen Rui was so shocked that he opened his mouth wide and wondered that he only found out that Uncle Zhang Hui briefly took charge of Nanzhen Fusi, but died soon after. It turns out... this is actually the case...
Steaming, inducing sexual intercourse.
This is not a dirty man in the Tang Dynasty. It is a serious crime of unfilial piety, rebellion against heaven, and bad human relations. The punishment in the laws of the Ming Dynasty is quite severe. For example, outside the laws and regulations of Ju, the hereditary titles and status of the military attachés are completely cut off, and the descendants are not allowed to do so. Inherit again.
It has always been the hardest thing to tell the story of men and women, let alone an uncle's report... Even if there is no evidence, such an unfounded crime is enough to ruin the career of a promising Nanzhen Fusi Town Fu.
"My grandfather passed away, and my grandmother's words were deemed to be insufficient to protect her son. Sun Gong spoke empty words, but my uncle couldn't argue. After all, the late emperor still trusted my uncle, but because of the official's words, he was sentenced to a lower salary level.
Stay free."
Zhang Hui had already covered his face with his hands, trembling slightly, "How did my uncle endure such insults? He died of anger in less than a year. Unfortunately, after his death, my grandmother begged for him, and the Ministry of Rites thought that there was incest.
But it’s absolutely inappropriate! It’s still the late emperor’s special permission…”
Shen Rui also fell into silence. There was no news about this matter outside. It must have involved Jin Yiwei, and no one dared to discuss it. In addition, the late emperor was kind-hearted, so he probably suppressed the matter with his words.
When something like this happens...it's so hard to guard against, so hard to defend...
Alas, it’s no wonder that Zhang Huihui, who said he was careful at all times, reacted so strongly to Qiu Ju’s actions.
It's really a thief's bite that penetrates to the bone.
Shen Rui was suddenly speechless and didn't know what to say to comfort Zhang Hui. He just patted his shoulder, raised his water bag, and took a deep sip of wine.
The bustle in the world is all for benefit; the hustle and bustle in the world is all for benefit.
Don't say that the Tian family has no flesh and blood, and they fight to the death for the dragon chair; nor do you say that the Youjue family is experiencing fierce internal strife, and relatives are like enemies; let's talk about the small family assets, they can't be together as one piece of land, a few taels of silver and brothers.
Xiao Qiang.
I remember when I first came here, my biological mother, Sun, was newly deceased, and the three families and the nine families couldn't wait to jump out to divide the Sun family's property. In the face of money and silk, what did the clansmen mean?
What did Shen Yuan do to his biological son? Later, the marriage of Shen Yuan's most favored concubine's eldest son also had to be sold at a high price!
Why did Shen Ling, the third wife in the Tongwa case, die in vain? Her biological father, Shen Yong, had nothing to do with everything. Shen Yong was still able to force his widowed daughter-in-law and young grandson to fight for the pension money when his son's body was still cold!
Thinking again about why the second wife decided to come to Beijing in the first place...how cruel the Shaw Brothers were!
In front of money, what do relatives mean?
Shen Rui drank sip after sip of wine, feeling that the wine was mellow and lingering in his mouth, but when it fell into his stomach, it was like burning, and his head felt slightly bloated.
He squinted his eyes and looked into the distance. The wind was warm in June, and large tracts of farmland were rolling with green waves. The fertile fields seemed to be endless, and the sky was blue and clear. Large clouds moved with the wind, making the sky even more vast.
Waves of heroic feelings suddenly surged in my heart.
"The bird's horn originates from the South China Sea and flies over the North Sea," he chanted softly.
Zhang Hui's slightly trembling shoulders stopped, and he could hear him reciting all the way, his voice getting louder and louder, "If it is not the parasol tree, it will not stop, if it is not the practice, it will not be eaten, and if it is not the spring, it will not drink. So the owl catches the rotten rat, and the bird flies past it.
He looked up and said: Scared!..."
"Zhuangzi Qiu Shui..." Zhang Hui rubbed his drunken eyes, already seventy percent drunk from the wine, and followed the chant in a daze, gradually seeming to understand its meaning, "...you want to scare me with Liang Guo...
"
Shen Rui punched Zhang Hui on the shoulder and said loudly: "Are you willing to compete with those ostriches for that rotten rat, or should you jump out of that filthy circle and live in a parasol tree?"
Zhang Hui chewed these words over and over in his mouth, only to feel that the wine was getting stronger and his blood boiled all over his body, "How can I see him rotting like a rat if I don't eat until I practice hard!"
He stood up suddenly, punched the air fiercely, and shouted loudly: "I want to establish a career on the battlefield, I want military merit and a knighthood, how can I be trapped by this villain like a rotten rat!"
Shen Rui also stood up, clapped his hands and shouted: "Well said! A good man from a family of military generals. He doesn't want to make meritorious deeds on the battlefield and fight in all directions. He is loyal to the emperor and serves the country and even makes a wolf as a coroner. However, he is afraid of the villain's sinister schemes and panics about the wife's tricks in the house. Isn't it right?
joke!"
Zhang Huiben's blood was boiling. After hearing what Shen Rui said, he suddenly felt embarrassed. He had left the city in anger before, but now his head was full of anger and he revealed all the things he was dissatisfied with the family and grievances against his uncle. Although he was worried in his heart, he was just angry because of his family.
.
"I was overthinking it..." He scratched his head, and his heroic spirit faded away instantly.
But Shen Rui shook his head and said: "You have no idea, second brother, the reason why we have to be cautious is because we don't have the strength to despise everything yet."
Zhang Hui couldn't help but be stunned.
Shen Rui said sternly: "It is right to rely on military exploits to build a career, and it is also right to guard against villains. However, in this world, you can only guard against gentlemen, but how can you guard against villains? So what should we do? Rely on strength! In the face of absolute strength, what kind of conspiracy is there?
All tricks are false. As long as you are strong enough, no one can hurt you in the slightest!"
Zhang Hui felt that the hot blood was rushing back again. He nodded heavily and said, "That's right."
"What you did is right. Favor comes from above, so naturally we must obey the will of the superior. I won't go into detail, let's just talk about your in-laws' family. First, Marquis Wu Jing, and now Uncle Wu Jing, have been criticized repeatedly and have not fallen. It's not because
Jane is in the emperor's heart." Shen
Rui slowly said, "Friendship is the most important thing today, you and I both know it. You and I also know that today has ambitions. Today is fond of martial arts. If you have made achievements in martial arts, why worry about not being protected by today, and why are you afraid of evil spirits and monsters coveting the Duke?
Bit?"
"That's right! That's right!" Zhang Hui nodded repeatedly, that's what he thought!
only……
"I'm... asking for permission to go out now?" Zhang Hui asked with a frown. He had long wanted to go out and have some adventures, but he was not very old after all. Furthermore, he was afraid that if he was far away from the little emperor, someone in the capital would want to go out.
He framed his eldest brother, but he couldn't protect him enough.
"We may not go out right now." After this heart-to-heart talk, Shen Rui and Zhang Hui naturally became closer, and they sincerely regarded him as a brother and made plans for him.
To do what we can do first - in my opinion, the current situation in Shanxi and Shaanxi is
Even if you go, I'm afraid you won't be allowed to go out of the city to fight. Most of them are defending the city. It's very difficult to make a contribution. Yunguisheng is quite easy to fight. Regardless of whether he fights or not, it's easy enough to be repeated. This is usually a headache today.
If you do it, but you do it again the next day, even if you win again and again, you will inevitably be harshly criticized by the officials."
Zhang Hui grinned and said: "You, a scholar, see it so clearly. If you don't give up your pen and join the army, you and I can ride on the battlefield together!"
Shen Rui laughed and said: "Don't misunderstand me, I want to get fame first before I want to be called at the Golden Palace!"
He stopped joking and said seriously: "Now there is an opportunity. We are about to manage Liaodong and Shandong. Both of them have great potential. Although the Liaodong Tatars are quite fierce, they are still weaker than those in Shanxi and Shaanxi.
There are many, and there are many tribes, and some straight women are barbarians. If we can provoke them to fight against each other, we can get twice the result with half the effort.
"I heard that although the weather in Liaodong is freezing, the land is fertile and the grain production is large. Liaodong also produces horses, so it is not unthinkable to train cavalry! Moreover, the people in Liaodong are strong and the people can use them, so they are military households.
I'm too lazy to use it, so I just took the money and recruited soldiers locally! Which of your martial families doesn't have private soldiers, and which one doesn't have private soldiers?
The strongest combat force should be trained as a private soldier. With such food, grass, horses, and powerful soldiers, how can we not train a strong army?" Shen Rui lowered his voice, but said extremely solemnly: "In the future, I won't be able to win the title.
The Marquis and Earl are the commander-in-chief and the staff-general, with tens of thousands of troops guarding Liaodong. Do you think that villain in the court dares to touch you, Brother Shisun!"
Seeing Zhang Hui's eyes shining brightly, he just rubbed his hands with joy. He really wanted to rush to Liaodong to recruit troops and kill everyone. Shen Rui punched him again, "Don't think about going right now. Go right away, too."
It will take a few years for the business to be effective, and then you can start from our business in a down-to-earth manner, and gradually move towards what you want.
We need money to develop our goals. Whether it’s food, fodder, horses, or raising troops, we all need money! Let’s take it slow, run it first, and slowly build up the farm and racecourse business. When you plan to go out, everything will fall into place. Of course, you
You can't just learn fists and kicks, it's more serious to ask the old prince for advice and formation of troops!"
Zhang Hui hurriedly smiled and said: "I know, don't worry, when everything is ready, how can I let my incompetence in leading the army defeat the great situation!" Then he couldn't help but curiously asked: "What can Shandong do?"
"There are ships in Shandong." Shen Rui smiled faintly and narrowed his eyes slightly, "There are also Japanese pirates overseas, and there is a wider world."
Zhang Hui touched his nose and said: "I really don't know anything about naval warfare, that's all. You can't take all the good things in the world at once. It's better for me to plan for Liaodong first."
Shen Rui joked: "You know the choice."
Zhang Hui chuckled and said, "Isn't this the case of doing something and not doing something?"
At this moment, the depression in his chest was swept away. The sky was vast and the sky was vast in front of him, allowing him to do whatever he wanted. Zhang Hui stood on the high slope, raised his arms and let out a long roar, feeling extremely happy.
And the stamina of the half-full bag of wine that he drank also came up. He shook his head and said: "Shen Er, I'm not going back today. I'll go to your village and take a nap first, and wait for the wine to wake up."
, let’s talk more about Liaodong.”
Shen Rui drank a lot of wine, and his head felt a little heavy. He immediately said with a smile: "Go back quickly, I'm afraid I won't be able to ride the horse if it's too late!"
*
On June 20th, the second son of the British Duke married the sixth girl of Wu Jingbo. Although it was not as grand as the grandson's wedding, it was still a great scene.
Everyone knows that Wu Jingbo's house is very wealthy. Wu Jingbo in Nanjing was once impeached for his extravagant style. Because she was the youngest daughter, Miss Zhao Liu was particularly favored, and her dowry was even more generous. It is said that the wedding money given out by Wu Jingbo's house alone was
There were hundreds of baskets, and people from nearby villages came here to join in the fun and seek luck.
Wu Jingbo was favored by the late emperor. Now the prince is in the vanguard of the imperial army and is also a figure that the young emperor can count on. The second son of the British prince married to Miss Zhao Liu is also a close official of the emperor, so there are many people who come to the banquet to flatter him.
Everyone in the upper class in Beijing knew that there was a conflict between the sixth girl from Zhao and the girls from Shouninghoufu at the Shangsi Banquet. The second girl from Shouninghoufu and the hairpin ceremony were also absent from the Zhao family.
Now that Miss Zhao Liu is out of the cabinet, Shouning Hou Mansion will naturally not come, and the Queen Mother in the palace has not expressed the slightest.
However, the Empress Dowager was rewarded with a pair of rare red jade bracelets as a gift. The eldest princess Chun'an, the eldest princess Deqing, etc. all came to Wu Jingbo's house to congratulate him, and Wu Jingbo's house still gained great honor.
Not to mention that Shili Hongzhuang was very busy that day, but Brother Shou did not go to the British government residence where "acquaintances gathered" to join in the fun, but instead wandered to Xiang'an Village.
Shen Rui took Brother Shou into the village. He expected that Brother Shou was unhappy because he could not join in the fun, so he came to his place for a walk to relax.
Brother Shou, who didn't want to sit there, sent everyone away, not even Liu Zhong.
Shen Rui couldn't help but be surprised, secretly guessing that the little emperor had something important to say.
But I heard Brother Shou's voice saying with great interest: "I heard that my predecessor, Zhang Hui, came to you? What did they talk about?"
The voice was clear and translucent, like a curious child asking questions.
But Shen Rui suddenly felt a chill in his heart.
The first time he met Shou Ge was by chance, and in managing his relationship with Shou Ge, Shen Rui always wanted to win the favor of the emperor for the Shen family.
With the contact with Brother Shou, and as he becomes more and more involved in Brother Shou's decision-making, Shen Rui has unconsciously regarded himself as a member of Brother Shou's small team. The relationship with Brother Shou is that of a leader and a subordinate.
Also like friends.
In particular, Brother Shou is still a young boy who is much younger than him.
Of course, since Shou Ge came to the throne, he gradually showed his imperial skills. Shen Rui would always remind himself that the Sacred Heart is unpredictable and the emperor's majesty, but because of his closeness, the boundaries would inevitably be blurred sometimes.
At this time, when Brother Shou asked about this sentence, Shen Rui suddenly realized that the man in front of him was already a monarch, an out-and-out emperor.
The former Ridong Factory cut Zhang Ming's job and sent him back to the British government. All parties in Beijing and China will be watching the British government's movements.
The British duke reacted quickly and immediately apologized to Zhezi. Zhang Hui, on the other hand, ran out of the city in anger.
Zhang Hui had never covered up his story at all, so it was only natural for him to fall into the ears of the emperor.
But Zhang Huimen clearly found an open place in the wilderness to talk, and successfully got rid of the Jin Yiwei and the Dongchang spies...
Lord, Lord, Lord, the scariest thing is not that the spies heard what you said, but that the Emperor knew that you left the city in anger, but did not know what you said.
It is a taboo for a minister to harbor resentment and hope! How dare the emperor use it if he harbors resentment and hope.
Especially those who are close to you.
For a moment, many thoughts flashed through Shen Rui's mind, and he was secretly shocked that he had not thought of this before.
However, his reaction was quite quick, "Hey, Zhang Hui feels that he has lost face. Especially when Wen Hu just got married at the beginning of this month. Although they are from a small family, they did it lively and decently, among a group of brothers.
He's not inferior here, and he's about to get married. I can't help but feel embarrassed and a little frustrated when such a thing happens."
Brother Shou sneered, but his tone remained unchanged and he said, "Zhang Hui, this fellow is just a comparison. First I was competing with Zhou, and then I was competing with Hu Tou and you."
Shen Rui just smiled and said: "Although we have different backgrounds, we are all brothers in the end. He is also a top player. No wonder he is competitive. But I think this is also good, knowing how to compete.
Only those who are eager to win are motivated. If we just stay lazy, we will miss the Emperor's mission."
The expression on Brother Shou's face softened, he tapped the table and said with emotion: "Among the noble family's descendants, Zhang Hui is considered a progressive one." But he turned around and asked, "What's the matter? He thought about it with you.
Something about being released outside?"
This Zhang Hui! Why did he ever show that he wanted to expose it?
"No wiser than your Majesty." Shen Rui complained in his heart that Zhang Hui couldn't keep his temper, and could only respond with a bitter smile.
Zhang Hui stayed at Xiang'an Village for one night, and even if he went out to race horses, he would have some time to talk. He couldn't just talk about things like losing face all the time.
When it comes to outsourcing, let's just say outsourcing. It's just that the purpose of running Liaodong is to run it for the emperor and to seek a future for the family. It's just tacitly stated. It can't be said on the table.
Then Shen Rui added and subtracted: "To tell you the truth, you also know the situation of his family. Zhang Hui is highly motivated. Naturally, he wants to have a chance to make meritorious deeds when he acquires literary and martial arts. He also said,
Now that you are getting married, you are also establishing a family. You cannot just rely on the merits of your ancestors to get the bottom of the family. He is also
I wanted to share the emperor's worries and serve the court. I thought it was good for him to make progress, but he was still young and lacked experience, so I advised him to learn more from his father-in-law, read more military books, exercise more, and gain more experience.
With experience, Jiubian may be able to use him in the future, which is why we are so enthusiastic about it."
Brother Shou gave a high-five and said: "That makes sense! He is impatient. Aren't I impatient? I hope you can all be of great use as soon as possible. But how old is he? What can I do if I let him out now?"
This is true.
Shen Rui quickly leaned over and thanked the emperor for his heavy letter.
Before he could bow down, Brother Shou had already grabbed his arm and pulled him up, complaining: "Get up, don't be like that old master. Isn't it a good story that our king and his ministers get along with each other?"
Shen Rui stood up with a smile and couldn't stop thanking him.
The atmosphere in the room became relaxed. Brother Shou took a few sips of tea and tasted a piece of snacks. He curled his lips and said: "British men are good at civil and military affairs, but they are not good enough at raising sons. But the children are old enough to be martial.
Honorable people, unruly and domineering
Yes, I walked through these places outside the palace and didn’t know their virtues! It’s super unnecessary for Zhang Hui to be angry about this matter. Who would underestimate the British Duke and the people around me because of such a person?
?!"
These words sounded like complaints, but in fact they were meant to appease. Through Shen Rui's mouth, he was trying to appease Zhang Hui and also appease the British government.
Shen Rui repeatedly said yes and felt relieved, saying that he would also persuade Zhang Hui not to get into trouble.
Brother Shou nodded and said: "There is no need for him to be in a hurry to clear up the relationship. I still hope that he will become a talented person so that he can take on big responsibilities."
Just as Shen Rui was about to reply, Brother Shou said again: "As long as he is careful, things like his uncle will not happen to him, and he doesn't have to be suspicious."
Shen Rui couldn't continue with these words. His body was slightly stiff. In fact, it was inevitable that Zhang Hui would have a factory guard sitting around to investigate. I just didn't know that this picture would be about his uncle's family... Did Brother Shou think of it himself, or was his voice louder yesterday?
A few words fell into Zuo Tan's ears.
How could the emperor and his ministers not be on guard? This is normal, but these people are still creepy.
And Brother Shou's words are hard to accept, but even more difficult not to accept.
Shen Rui calmed down his expression, responded solemnly, and then sighed: "Your Majesty also knows the saying, every family has its own scriptures that are difficult to recite. Zhang Hui and I are also troubled, and we each have our own difficulties. It is inevitable to talk about it.
It’s a shame. What the emperor taught you is that we two are just angry..."
It's hard to talk about British government affairs, so it's better to explain things by talking about your own family.
He was just talking about his family, but he unexpectedly thought of Brother Shou's future.
The throne of the Zhu family was already full of twists and turns, including the battle of Jingnan in the distance and the seizure of the throne in the near future. However, just sixteen years later, Wu Zong, a notoriously lecherous and mischievous emperor in history, did not leave him behind.
Heirs, eventually, a branch of King Xingxian was left beside the throne.
After the great ceremony, there was no heir after the succession, and Emperor Wuzong was deemed as extinct. Empress Dowager Zhang and the empress were not treated well, and the Zhang family relatives were soon imprisoned.
And what abyss Jiajing and his descendants led Ming Dynasty into!
If Emperor Wuzong had a biological son, where would Jiajing be?
Facing such a bleak future that is not very far away, how can he pretend not to know and be calm?
An inexplicable emotion suddenly arose in his heart, and he wanted to grab Brother Shou and say, you must have a son! For yourself and for Daming, you must have a son!
But it's ridiculous to think about it. With his current status, what position does he have to say such a thing to the emperor, and how dare he talk about the future in front of the fifteen-year-old emperor.
Shen Rui smiled bitterly and said in a low voice: "I feel the same way. I talked more about family matters with Brother Zhang. Speaking of which, my family's... ancestors were burdened by the original direct descendants and came to Beijing, and my father and uncle also had many descendants.
There are twists and turns, and... the Shen family is not all harmonious."
He seemed to be mocking himself and murmured: "Your Majesty has never seen that in this urban family, those who have heirs, legitimate concubines, and original successors have a chance to fight. Those who have no heirs, I'm afraid they will be more distressed. Everyone in the world likes to choose that year.
The younger ones are adopted because they are afraid that the older ones will only recognize their biological parents and make wedding clothes for others in the future..."
Historically, the future of Emperor Wuzong could not be stated directly, so it had to be told through the mouth of his heir, so that it seemed true and would not make the smart and sensitive Brother Shou suspicious to the point of resentment.
He only hopes that one day Brother Shou will remember something and have an heir, so that today's risk of "reminding" him will not be in vain.
Brother Shou stared at Shen Rui attentively. After listening to his words, he felt that he was feeling something because he knew everything about his family. He sighed, relaxed his expression, and said comfortingly: "The Shen family is a scholarly family.
As a rule, even if a tree is big, it will inevitably have dead branches. Since you can see clearly, why bother yourself."
Shen Rui bowed and said: "I am the one who got caught, please forgive me..."
Brother Shou waved his hand and said: "Excuse me, there are so many sins. That's all. Let's not talk about these spoilers. Now that we are out, let's go to your garden. I want to eat something special at noon!" He walked over there.
, and complained: "You said the racecourse has not been repaired yet..."
Shen Rui couldn't help but laugh. Brother Shou was still a half-grown child after all, and he was also impatient.
The two of them laughed and walked out of the upper room, and were greeted by Liu Zhong and his entourage who were waiting outside.
Brother Shou nodded and called Liu Zhong over. After giving a few instructions in a low voice, Fang strode towards the garden with his entourage.
Liu Zhong fell two steps behind and glanced at Shen Rui with a vague look.
Shen Rui understood and slowed down.
After closing the distance, Liu Zhong still respectfully lowered his hands and stepped forward, as if he was following his master, not squinting, but moving his lips slightly and speaking in a low voice, "Heng Yun, there have been recent reports about Xiao Shen, the number one scholar, who is not strict with his family, and the dignified number one scholar in the palace.
Let my concubine take charge of the house."
Shen Rui subconsciously raised his head to look at Brother Shou's back, because outside the palace, Brother Shou no longer paid attention to royal manners. He walked in a windy manner and still looked like a teenager.
Liu Zhong absolutely did not dare to pass on such news to himself privately. It must be Brother Shou's instruction.
Brother Shou didn't say it himself. I don't know if it was because Shen Rui just mentioned the words "concubine, heir, etc.", and what is the implication of Brother Shou's instructions...?
In particular, Shen Rui didn't even hear about the news of Shen Jin's impeachment.
In fact, Shen Rui already knew about Aunt Zheng's return from Baoding.
It's just that when the biological son wants to get married, it's only human nature for his biological mother to help with the cooking. She is just an aunt who has left the palace. Unless the head of the family comes forward to talk about this kind of thing, even the clan doesn't care about it, not to mention the second wife.
They were divided into sects across the room.
Regarding Shen Jin's marriage, Shen Rui and Xu had a normal attitude and did not want to interfere in the slightest. Regarding Aunt Zheng, his mother and son were even more lazy.
And Aunt Zheng over there is also quite self-aware, probably because of her son's reputation, she came back quietly this time and did not live in Zhuangyuan Mansion. She only rented a small courtyard near Zhuangyuan Mansion and entered the house through the back corner door every day. Take care of one or two.
I don’t know why I would be targeted by the censor like this.
Does this censor want to lose face to Shen Jin, or does he want to lose face to Shouning Houfu?!
The daughter of the Marquis of Shouning got married, and the Number One Scholar's Palace asked a concubine to handle the wedding. No matter how you looked at it, she was trying to sow discord between the in-laws.
And what does Brother Shou mean? Is he happy to see Shouning Houfu losing face, or...
Shen Rui replied rather cautiously: "Sir, after the marriage was decided among the brothers of the Jiajin clan, brother Li wrote a letter back to the clan, asking the Jin brothers and their mother to come to Beijing to arrange the wedding. He also received the reply not long ago, and Songjiang's I have already boarded the ship to go north, and I hope I can reach Beijing soon."
The implication is that the serious mistress will be here soon, and even if the concubine acts arrogantly, it won't be long.
Liu Zhong turned his head slightly, glanced at Shen Rui, let out a sigh, and said: "Heng Yun, the clan must restrain its children, so that it will be prosperous."
Shen Rui couldn't help but have a headache. He was asked to take care of Shen Jin's matter. It can be seen that the emperor still has a protective heart for the Zhang family. I'm afraid this means that he can say that his relatives are not good, but he cannot allow others to bully him. .
Shen Rui could only straighten his clothes and said solemnly: "Thank you, Sir, for reminding me that Shen must strictly restrain his children..."
Liu Zhong let out a snort of approval, and then said: "First of all, Shangshu Shen's family has a clean and upright family style. You should be the head of the Shen family."
Shen Rui couldn't help but be stunned.
Liu Zhong stopped looking at Shen Rui, and his voice became ethereal, but he said: "Hengyun, the children of the Shen family in Zhilan Yushu are full of talented people. You also know that the imperial court is thirsty for talents. His majesty has shown his kindness and trust, and you must live up to it." It’s the emperor’s grace that matters.”
The Shen family has Jinshi and dozens of people in the past century. Although the highest rank in the officialdom is still only the fourth rank, there are no less than twenty people with official status. In the past ten years, there have been two number one scholars. They are not comparable to the top hairpin families. But they are definitely a first-class scholarly family.
Little emperor, you may not need these low-level officials to do anything now, but if you just treat them as a casual move, they may not be needed in the future.
The prerequisite for its use is that these people are in their own hands.
However, these two champions, one is the son-in-law of Mr. Xie Ge, and the other is the son-in-law of Shouning Hou.
Brother Shou wants him, Shen Rui, to stand up and restrain the Shen family and prevent the Shen family from falling to other forces.
Shen Rui smiled bitterly, his voice was almost inaudible, "Uncle Master...but I'm overestimating Rui."
When Liu Zhong heard the word "Master-Uncle", he sighed slightly and shook his head. He lowered his voice and said, "Hengyun, just do things with your heart."
Shen Rui was silent for a while, then Fang nodded in agreement.
*
After Shen Rui sent Brother Shou away and returned to the Shen Mansion, he had to discuss Shen Jin's matter with the Xu family.
A housewife like Aunt Zheng can only be taken care of by Mrs. Xu.
The Xu family has had a lot of joy these days with the company of Zhang Qingbai and her daughter. The family affairs are entrusted to the He family. Her future daughter-in-law Yang Tian is gradually getting better. She is in a good mood and her spirits are much stronger than before.
When Shen Rui arrived at the upper room, Mrs. Xu was building a small flower stand with thin bamboo strips in the courtyard.
Shen Rui quickly rolled up his sleeves and came to help.
Mrs. Xu smiled and said: "No, no, I don't need them either." After saying that, she took the handkerchief from the smiling maids around her and wiped her hands. Shen Rui helped her walk in and asked softly: "What's the matter? Already?"
Although Shen Rui came in with a smile, after being mother and son for a long time, Mrs. Xu could still see a hint of displeasure in Shen Rui's brows.
The maids knew that Shen Rui was here for something, so they quietly left after serving tea.
Shen Ruifang told Mrs. Xu what Liu Zhong said after Shou Ge's visit. Of course, the previous topic of legitimate concubines and heirs with Shou Ge was not mentioned with Mr. Xu.
Mrs. Xu frowned and thought for a long time, then shook her head slightly and said: "Actually, we keep our filial piety, so it is not appropriate to show up. However, your third aunt is soft-tempered, and Brother Li's wife is a junior after all, and it is not easy to interfere with the affairs of the elders of the fourth room. I beg you. You, Aunt Wu, have done your hard work, and then ask Mrs. Zhou next to me to follow you."
Although Shen Yu's wife had no royal title and was a member of the clan, she was the only one of seniority in the capital.
Shen Rui responded and sighed to himself. It was really not possible because there were too few clansmen in Beijing. He had to write another letter to ask Shen Ying to persuade some clansmen to go north. After all, business in Shandong and Liaodong was in full swing, so someone had to take care of it.
Because Shen Chun is shrewd and capable, he has followed Lu Erqilang to Liaodong. The Beijing side is temporarily managed by Shen Yu and Shen Chen. Only Shandong is still short of people.
"Counting the days, the people from the fourth house will arrive in the next few days." Mrs. Xu signaled Shen Rui not to worry, and then said: "When the tribute is delivered, there will be no big deal. You don't care about the external matters." Leave it to your Uncle Yu Wu and Brother Chen to do it. If it doesn't work, ask the Fifth Fang to search for people in the clan. You should also focus on your homework."
Although she still had a gentle expression on her face, her tone was solemn, "Brother Rui, I am not the lucky one to join the Shen family. You have a romantic connection, which may help your career, but it is not the foundation for you to rely on. I know that you are concerned about the current situation of the family and are worried that there will be no pillars in the court to support the family. However, the reason why the Shen family has been able to survive for a hundred years is not because of one or two ministers, but because of the progress of the children and their reputation in the academic field!"
Shen Rui was filled with respect and hurriedly stood up with his hands down and said seriously: "What mother taught me is that my son is frivolous."
Mrs. Xu looked at him with satisfaction and pride on her face, "How can my son be frivolous? He is really too smart and too thoughtful. Brother Rui, although you are already the pillar of our family, you are not as good as the weakest one. Don’t always be in a hurry to do everything that will happen in a few decades!”
Shen Rui felt warm in his heart and murmured: "Mother..."
Mrs. Xu lovingly pulled Shen Rui over, patted him, and said sincerely: "It is our family's good fortune to have the Emperor's trust, but some things cannot be accomplished in a short while. You will be down-to-earth and will Do what you can do right now, get a ranking on the gold list, and lay a good foundation. If you don’t take small steps, you won’t reach a thousand miles... This road is still long!”
Shen Rui held his mother's thin, old and wrinkled hand, looked at her gray hair, nodded heavily, and said, "Don't worry, mother, my son will definitely not disappoint his mother!"
*
On June 26, Zhang Hui and Shen Rui originally made an appointment to bring Zhao Tong to visit the village, but they canceled it at the last minute.
The next day, Shen Rui found out that Zhang Hui had been promoted to an official position by decree of the emperor - he had been granted the title of Jinyiwei Baihu due to the favor of Wu Xun's disciples, and now he had been promoted to Deputy Qianhu.
Everyone in the court thought that the young emperor was trying to appease the British Duke. They all knew that the punishment for the British Duke's third son was not light, and the British Duke made a timely statement, which was highly praised by the cabinet and the emperor. This consolation was also as it should be, and It didn't matter whether Zhang Hui's imperial guards were in vain, and no one in the court said anything.
However, Wang Yue's very dissatisfied words came from the inner court.
Everyone thought that Wang Yue's nephew was also convicted, and the British government was appeased, but Wang Yue had nothing, so they "understood" this dissatisfaction.
Soon, this matter was overshadowed by another bigger and more important matter.
On the second day of the seventh lunar month, Xia Rujin, a member of the Jinyiwei 100 household, served as the commander and sought out the commander-in-chief of the Chinese Army's Governor's Mansion.
This Xia Ru was just a commoner before. Because his daughter Xia was selected into the palace, he was granted the title of Jinyiwei Baihu. At that time, there were two other Wus selected by the palace, and Shen's father Wu was also granted the title of Jinyiweibai. Let, Shen Chuan.
Because the Wu family was a relative of Mrs. Shouning Hou, and Empress Dowager Zhang took the initiative to move the palace, and the Shouning Marquis and Jianchang Hou Mansion spent money to repair the Kunning Palace, everyone in the world thought that the Wu family was going to take over the middle palace.
Now, it was Xia's father who was awarded the title first!
Although he did not directly enjoy the title of the Queen's mother's family like being granted the title of Bo or Marquis, the fact that he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Military Governor's Mansion was enough to make his identity clear!
The position of queen belongs to the Xia family in the Tian family!
This caused an uproar in the court.
There was no movement in the palace yet, but she immediately stopped the renovation project of Kunning Palace when she saw it was completed - how could Shouning Hou Mansion be willing to be taken advantage of!
The cabinet is happy to see this choice come to fruition. Who would want the Zhang family to have another queen!
Han Wen, the Minister of Household Affairs, also saw the opportunity and once again criticized the Zhang family and Zhou family for their "lost sacred heart" salt problem.
However, Han Wen made a miscalculation this time. Only three days later, the young emperor issued an edict, asking the Zhang and Zhou families to still pay for the compensation with Yin Ming in accordance with the late emperor's order.
Although there were many voices of protest in the court, the words "the late emperor's will" were suppressed and no one dared to refute it for a while.
Later, well-informed people came to know that the Empress Dowager Zhang in the palace "had been infected with wind and cold for a time and was bedridden." However, fortunately, she was treated in time and recovered quickly. After that, the date of the emperor's wedding was also set - Xiangqi On the 17th day of the lunar month, a memorial ceremony was made to the Tiandi Ancestral Temple, on the 20th day of the 7th month, the famous ceremony of acceptance and inquiry was performed, and on the 11th day of the 8th month, a book was issued to welcome the people.
If the Queen Mother is "sick", the wedding will be postponed.
It was probably a struggle between mother and son, but in the end the Queen Mother "recovered" from her illness, and the Emperor agreed to buy the salt from the Zhang family to bring in money, so that the Zhang family would not lose all their wealth.
The cabinet knew what was going on but remained silent. Only the Ministry of Household Affairs was dissatisfied.
When the palace issued an order to the Ministry of Revenue to dispose of 400,000 taels of silver and send it to the inner warehouse for wedding flowers, the Ministry of Revenue directly stated that there were only 430,000 taels of silver in Taicang, and the headquarters only had more than 80,000 taels. If the emperor wanted to send all the money at once, All the money will be diverted. If there is a disaster or the Beilu invaders, there will be no money available.
Immediately after the affairs of various departments, the supervisory censors wrote reports one after another, criticizing Taicang silver for being empty due to rewards and borrowing. They also said that the cost of the 400,000 taels was too huge, and that the servants might be using it for weddings to make unrestrained demands. .
The DPRK and China immediately set off another huge wave of impeachment of internal officials.
But the little emperor remained silent. The Ministry of Household Affairs was crying for poverty, but he did not urge him. The imperial court impeached the internal officials, but he kept the news without making any announcement.
The Ministry of Household Affairs knew that the young emperor was rich due to the previous confiscation of his family's money, so when he saw him sitting firmly on the Diaoyutai, he killed him and refused to pay the 400,000 taels of silver.
At this time, although the tribute cotton cloth brought by the Shen family from Songjiang to the north was sent to the palace, it was not settled because the money was not appropriated.
Also sent to the palace at the same time were many novelties that Shen Rui bought for Brother Shou.
Brother Shou was so happy when he saw the mechanical men and horses, the clay boxing arhat and other items, as well as the autocratic festive patterns of cloth, that he also asked about the Gongfu matter. When Liu Zhong said that he had not settled the settlement, his face became red.
gloomy, cold
Said: "Why, now the money for the tribute has to be delayed? Shen Rui is thinking about me wholeheartedly, and I can't let him suffer. Go and talk to Liu Jin and Gu Dayong, and let them allocate the money from the inner treasury first.
, settled with Shen Rui."
Now Gu Dayong has taken charge of the internal prison.
Liu Zhong hurriedly approached and replied: "Your Majesty, this slave is not supposed to be a messenger, but when Shen Rui asked the slave to deliver these small things to the palace, he said that the title of Songjiang cotton imperial tribute given by the emperor has been given to Songjiang.
The people and the Shen family have benefited a lot, and the tribute coming to Beijing this time coincides with the emperor's wedding, so it is a good time to congratulate the emperor."
He lowered his voice and said: "Although he is loyal, he doesn't want to be regarded as a flatterer, so he asks the emperor to just remain ignorant. This batch of cloth will still be handed over to the inner court as tribute, and the settlement will take a little longer.
, if nothing happens, no one will pay attention.”
In Brother Shou's hand, he is holding a clay arhat using the White Crane Spreading Wings move. The clay figure frowns and opens its mouth, as if shouting. It stretches its arms and legs, and its movements are lifelike. Even the folds of its clothes are carefully carved, as if it is following the wind.
And moving, really lifelike.
He suddenly grinned and said: "This Shen Rui also knows that I am short of money in the ring with the Ministry of Revenue, so he wants to show his respect. That's all. He has his heart. Let's do this this time. You go and pass on my instructions.
Officials and supervisors, from now on the Shen family’s tributes will be settled on time, no deductions or arrears are allowed!”
Then he ordered: "Remember for me, in September we will issue flower money ingots to Liaodong again. This time, let the Shen Family Songjiang Weaving Factory handle the military uniforms."
Liu Zhong quickly kowtowed and thanked Shen Rui.
As soon as the title of royal tribute came out, the business of the Shenjia Weaving Factory in Songjiang immediately boomed several times. Now cloth merchants from the north and south come to place orders. The Shenjia Weaving Factory has expanded its factory and the supply is still in short supply. Other weaving factories belonging to the local wealthy families in Songjiang have also
I made a fortune by borrowing the light.
In addition, the cloth shop jointly established by the Zhao family in Beijing was making money from wealthy families without official titles, and the business in Shandong and Liaodong was finalized, and large orders were placed.
This cotton weaving factory became prosperous, and it also promoted the Great Leap Forward-like production in various industries such as handicrafts and planting. It is not an exaggeration to say that it stimulated the local economy.
The profits from the Shen family's various industries are probably worth hundreds of thousands!
Although this batch of tribute was worth 20,000 to 30,000 taels, which was an astronomical figure based on the per capita living standards at that time, it was nothing compared to the Shen family's income.
Shen Rui naturally knows that Brother Shou has a lot of private money in his hands, but the Ministry of Revenue is pressing for Brother Shou, and he always wants to show his support for Brother Shou. Moreover, Brother Shou does not know the specific figures of the Shen family's profits, nor does he know the gains of the Shen family.
Quite rich, it would be better for him to take the initiative and be more generous.
Don't you see, every year during the Halloween Festival and the Queen Mother's birthday alone, those officials spend tens of thousands of taels on birthday gifts. Now that it's Brother Shou's wedding, he, Shen Rui, should be filial.
Just because he didn't want to be blamed for being a flatterer, Caiyang Liu Zhong told Brother Shou privately and just smiled and accepted it quietly.
Unexpectedly, Brother Shou was not polite to him. He happily accepted it, but then rewarded him for participating in the purchase of Liaodong military uniforms. The benefits were far greater than the tributes! To his surprise,
Shen Rui didn't know what to say. To be fair, Brother Shou's loyalty was true.
As for Brother Shou, it seems that the Kampot business got off to a good start, and the days are getting smoother and smoother, and the money is coming like it has legs.
On July 16th, the former guarding eunuch Zhu Xiu was escorted back to Beijing together with his family property. The current guarding eunuch Cen Zhang also raided the two families that were in cahoots with Zhu Xiu and obtained a total of 174,600 silver. two.
All the money that the internal officials used to embezzle money became internal money.
Then on July 21, news came from Nanjing that Wang Shouren led the navy to suppress the Banyangsha pirates in Chongming County, Suzhou Prefecture. They captured the leader of the bandits, Shen Yue, and other fifty-three people, and killed two hundred thieves. The leader of the bandits, Shi Tianjie, and Niu Xishan and others were defeated and led more than 360 people to surrender.
Shi Tianjie, Niu Xishan and others are the most powerful group of pirates in Suzhou. Taking advantage of the dangers of the Yangtze River, they gathered more than a thousand people, made weapons, killed patrols, and looted wantonly. At the beginning of the first year of Zhengde, the local government petitioned the Ministry of War to send troops. In order to suppress the enemy, the Ministry of War ordered the governor and other officials there to pay attention to the arrests.
When Wang Shouren arrived at the Nanjing Military Department, his first task was to rectify the navy and suppress pirates.
During the previous Taihu Bandit Suppression Campaign, all the gangs seeking a living on the waterway knew Wang Shouren's reputation. This time Wang Shouren led his troops again, and the thieves were all timid. As soon as the battle began, the navy captured Shi Tianjie's boss Shen Yue and others, and killed them. After killing nearly two hundred gangsters, Shi Tianjie and others were greatly shocked.
During this period, Ai Pu, the censor of the governor's capital, bribed spies to create a divorce plan, which caused several leaders within the gang to fight against each other. First, Shi Tianjie's second brother Tian Chang brought his wife and led the crowd to surrender. Then Shi Tianjie became even more suspicious and panicked. Come down.
However, Shi Tianjie's younger brother Tiantai, Niu Xishan's elder brother Niu Dongshan, and his subordinate Cai Tingmao had previously been at odds with Tianchang, but they took advantage of the chaos and led their subordinates to defect to the sea and disappeared without a trace.
Wang Shouren did not pursue blindly. He first raided several bandit nests and set up defenses to prevent the pirates from returning and causing chaos.
With this move, the banditry was suppressed and nearly 80,000 taels of stolen silver were seized.
When the news came back to the court, the ministers who had previously criticized Wang Shouren for being the Minister of War in Nanjing all shut up.
Brother Shou couldn't help but feel very happy. Shen Ruizhi was grateful. Cen Zhang, Zhang Yong's subordinate, worked neatly and Wang Shouren lived up to his high expectations. Brother Shou was happy and proud at the same time. He felt that he had extraordinary vision and the people he liked were really capable.
I don’t know whether it was because the wedding was about to take place and the young emperor was getting closer to taking over the throne, or because this victory gave the young emperor more confidence. When the emperor used this victory to issue a decree to reward Wang Shouren and the soldiers of the Nanjing Navy, he kept crying. The Ministry of Finance did not dare to jump out and say that there was no money to pay the reward.
And because he had just made a sacrifice to the Heaven and Earth Ancestral Temple and performed the Nacai ceremony, news of the victory in suppressing the bandits was received. I don’t know when it came to the palace, but word spread that the future Queen Xia was a blessed person.
The censors were most dissatisfied with such remarks, and worked hard to find trouble with the Xia family.
It's a pity that Xia Ru was a timid person by nature. After his daughter got the title of empress, instead of being arrogant, she became more cautious and careful, almost staying behind closed doors, so that the censors didn't find a place to talk.
Brother Shou laughed in the hall after hearing the factory guard's report.
Everyone in the palace was waiting and watching. It was inevitable that the Xia family would not like the Queen Mother because she had usurped the Wu family's position. If the emperor was disgusted by the rumors about this blessed person, it would be useless even to be the queen.
However, the emperor did not seem to be angry about the rumors, and many maids quietly adjusted their attitudes towards the empress.
On August 11, the emperor's wedding was celebrated by everyone.
After the ceremony after ceremony, Brother Shou had long been impatient. Finally, he was sent to the bridal chamber. The maids in the palace helped the emperor change her clothes, but Brother Shou kicked them all out.
Brother Shou laid down on the dragon bed, breathed a sigh of relief, and then raised his arms to look at his queen.
The bride has a round face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and she looks even younger than in the painting.
She seemed to be particularly frightened, her whole body was trembling slightly, but she seemed to be trying her best to control it, adopting a dignified posture, but she didn't even dare to look at Brother Shou.
Brother Shou felt bored and asked casually: "What's your name?"
The hall was so quiet that only the slight sound of candles bursting was left. Xia was already very nervous, but suddenly she heard the sound and her body trembled.
Brother Shou was pleased by this bunny-like behavior and burst into laughter.
Xia was even more embarrassed and almost cried, but she did not forget to reply, but her voice was almost inaudible, "Daughter of the people...slave...concubine..."
For a moment, she couldn't even remember any of the rules her mother-in-law had taught her.
Tears were hanging on her eyelashes. This Xiaojiabiyu had never been through any big events before. Even if the nanny from the palace had been teaching her for several months, it would be impossible for her to be completely trained into a qualified queen. She was extremely scared at the moment.
As soon as I feel tired, I slide out of bed and kneel on the ground.
Brother Shou had quick eyesight and quick hands. He subconsciously grabbed her little hand to prevent her from falling. He originally wanted to complain, but the little hand was so fleshy that when he held it, it was as soft as boneless and unusually soft.
He lowered his head and took a look. This hand was much different from the green and slender hands of the young beauties he had seen. However, it was particularly white and tender, and like a doll. There was a small pit on the back of the hand, which made him want to
A person takes a bite.
Suddenly those boredoms were gone. Brother Shou looked at Xia's big eyes full of tears with a smile and said softly: "Whatever you are afraid of, just say it."
Xia's hand was held by the emperor, and she suddenly remembered what happened in the room where she was taught by her mother-in-law. Her face turned into a bright red cloth, her heart was beating non-stop, and the water in her eyes became even brighter. She straightened up in a panic.
body
The son, not daring not to reply, just murmured: "I am a concubine... I was born on the full night of June 15th... My grandfather named me Yue Ying... My father and mother called me... I am a concubine.
Reunion."
Brother Shou looked at her fleshy cheeks and face like a full moon, and laughed heartily, "Okay, okay, this is a great name."
Seeing him smile, Mrs. Xia put down most of her worries and forced a smile. She didn't know if it was because of her fatness, but the dimples on her cheeks were actually deeper than others, which made her look extra special.
gratifying.
Brother Shou pulled her close to him, unconsciously reached out to poke her face, and looked at her slightly plump body.
The Empress Dowager said that this was a girl with good looks for a man, and the Empress Dowager said that the heir was the foundation of the country.
The brothers around him, except Gao Wenhu, are Zhang Hui, Cai Liang, You Xuan, Shen Rui... which family doesn't have some troubles for the legitimate children?
He himself had also experienced what happened with Zheng Jinlian, and it was not that he had never doubted his life experience.
Among his concubines, there was also a relative of the Zhang family, a woman who was too smart.
Direct concubine. Heir. The foundation of the country.
Looking at the fat girl in front of him who was a little stunned, a little honest, but full of awe, Brother Shou narrowed his eyes, chuckled, poked her deep dimples with his fingers, and said with a smile: "Tuanyuan'er is really a wonderful person.
From now on, in private, I will call you Tuan Yuan'er."