It was raining heavily and there were few pedestrians on the street.
A carriage with the sign "Eight Immortals Traveling to the Sea" was speeding past on the street, splashing water from its wheels.
Since the opening of Xiyuan, the business of carriage shops has boomed, and the Eight Immortals Car Shop is the largest among them. The carriages of the "Eight Immortals Traveling across the Sea" can be seen almost everywhere in the streets and alleys of the capital.
The car in front of you is also an ordinary carriage with green curtains, which is unremarkable. But if a knowledgeable person takes a closer look at this time, he will find that the car is pulled by a good Liaodong horse, and the driver is in such a heavy rain.
, Sitting on the shaft of the car, he didn't move at all, and the car drove extremely smoothly. It was obvious that he was not an ordinary person.
The car turned into Renshou Square and stopped at the side entrance of Shen Mansion. The coachman in a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat went to knock on the door. The concierge responded in time. When he saw the face under the bamboo hat, he was extremely polite, but he said apologetically: "Our second master will accompany you."
Grandma went to Ge Lao's Mansion. She went there early in the morning, and it hadn't rained yet when she left. Looking at the day, I really don't know how long it will take for her to come back."
The coachman had no choice but to turn around and rush into the car through the curtain to report back. There was silence for a moment, as if hesitating, and finally sighed and said: "With our status, it is not appropriate to go to Mr. Ge's Mansion. Ask Changshou and
I didn’t go with Mr. Shen. If not, we’ll go back and look for him.”
Soon the carriage turned into the back street of Shen Mansion, where all the servants of Shen Mansion lived.
The coachman was familiar with the roads and found Changshou's gate. After a while, Changshou was wearing a raincoat and wearing wooden clogs and holding an umbrella. He followed the coachman to the carriage. He picked up the curtain and got into the carriage while laughing and cursing: "The boss of the gang is getting more and more arrogant."
Well, why, isn’t it that the government refuses to get off the bus?”
But soon, he stopped laughing, and saw a man with his mouth tied and gagged lying down at Du Laoba's feet.
Seeing Changshou stunned on the spot, Du Laoba smiled bitterly and said, "How dare you put on airs with Brother Changshou? I can't even get out of the car." He grabbed the man's hair, forced him to raise his head, and said to Changshou: "
Look at this guy, does he look familiar?"
The rain outside was pounding and the sky was dark. Changshou squinted his eyes and couldn't see clearly for a while, "Eighth Master, don't show off. Since Tian'er is like this, he even brought people to find our Second Master. When the Second Master is not here, he comes to see me again.
It's obviously an important matter."
Du Laoba said seriously: "Brother Changshou will not forget that the first time you came to my store, you ordered wine, meat and vegetables and went to the village outside the city to have fun. On the way, you met a group of Shanxi disaster victims. This person was one of the leaders in Naples at that time.
"
Changshou's expression immediately became solemn, and he took another look at the man, and saw that he was in his forties, with a dark complexion and the most ordinary face of a farm man. He had no features at all, and it would be difficult to find him in a crowd.
It had been too long, and that person was the first to admit everything. He was an insignificant person. Changshou could not remember it for a long time, but he knew the whereabouts of that group of people later. He first rested in Shenjiazhuangzi for a while, and then went to the west.
The garden provided relief work, and later the emperor issued an order to investigate the case of Nanhai Junjun and Yibin, and repatriated all the refugees who were affected by the case.
This person shouldn't be here anyway.
Du Laoba seemed to have noticed what he was thinking, and did not go around in circles, saying: "This man was found by my men in the village where Zhao Wencai pretended to be my boss. There are still a few good players in the village, so
He has a Nanbian accent, but his mouth is tight and difficult to pry open. I am not very familiar with Nanbian Green Forest, and Brother Tian Feng went to Shanxi again. I came here because I wanted to hand this man over to the second master, and later I wanted to
Please Shunzi go back with me and get to know each other."
This Shunzi's name is Tian Shun, and he is Tian Feng's younger brother. Like Tian Feng, he was an orphan picked up by Tian Peng and took the surname Tian.
Tian Shun originally lived in the green forests of eastern Fujian in southern Jiangxi. After Shi Tiantai wiped out Tian Peng's family and spread the word, his life was not easy.
After Tian Feng settled down, he wanted to recruit more people. Naturally, he would not fail to send messages to several fellow apprentices who were setting up their own businesses outside. Tian Shun was the one who had the closest relationship with Tian Feng among the younger brothers, and he was also the first to bring his family and family to join him.
.
After Tian Feng followed Zhao Hongpei to Shanxi, Tian Shun took over Tian Feng's business in Beijing.
Tian Shun and Tian Feng's livelihoods were similar, and "She Xinzi" did a lot of work, so he was quite familiar with them, so Du Laoba came up with the idea of asking him to get to know him.
Changshou nodded and said: "Tian Shun is in the mansion, so let him go with you. The second master has gone to the elder Ge's mansion and won't be able to come back for a while. Did the eighth master leave him here with me, or..."
"I'll leave you here for now. When the second master comes back, please send a message to the Eight Immortals Automobile Shop at the corner of the street. I'll come back later," Du Laoba said immediately.
After the two of them had reached a consensus, Changshou followed the carriage to the side door again and opened the door. The carriage went straight into the mansion and drove outside the courtyard of the outer study. Then he lifted a bulging sack from the carriage and brought it into the study.
*
The rain didn't stop until Youchu. Shen Rui and his wife had already had lunch and dinner at Yang's house before returning home.
Not long after the two entered the house, Changshou hurried over and whispered a few words to Shen Rui.
Shen Rui frowned and asked him to go to the study first, while he and his wife went to Xu's place to pay their respects as usual.
Xu's courtyard is always very lively in the evening. During the day, the children will study with their husband. After school, they will come to the main courtyard with their mother to greet Xu. Xu usually leaves them to eat and let them
Chasing and playing on the porch was a great time.
Shen Rui paid his respects and went to the study room first. Yang Tian was pulled by Mrs. Xu and sat down beside her. He conveyed Yang Tinghe and Mrs. Yu's greetings to Mrs. Xu in a low voice, and also talked about Yang Tinghe and Yang Shen's plans for this time.
Opinions on Shen Rui’s incident brought about by the turmoil of occupying private land and concealing local taxes.
"My father said that this matter has nothing to do with our family. The emperor personally experienced it, and Heng Yun's disciple also approved it. Even if someone deliberately leads Heng Yun to him, it will be useless." Yang Tian said, "Mother still
Please feel at ease."
Mrs. Xu held Yang Tian's hand, patted the back of her hand when she heard this, smiled gently, and said, "I'm sorry to bother you, I'm worried about you." She didn't seem worried. Then she talked to Mr. He, Zhang Qingbai and others.
Today's rain reminds me of Mr. Xie's letter after returning to Shandong.
"It has rained quite a few times since the beginning of summer. I'm afraid there will be waterlogging in North Zhili... Shandong Province is still suffering from drought..."
"It's just near Jinan Prefecture, other places are fine."
"The imperial court waived summer and autumn taxes in Shandong last year, and they will definitely waive them this year. Since Jiangsu is well-established, disaster relief will be cheaper."
Although Yang Tian often listens to her father and brother talking about political affairs, and has experienced frame-ups both inside and outside the palace, she is still young after all, and as a newlywed, her husband's family is involved in issues, which inevitably makes her a little anxious and angry.
.
However, the relaxed atmosphere of the Shen family, how calm Xu was, and listening to everyone's chatter made her feel more at ease than the Yang family's stepmother and sister-in-law consoling each other.
Mrs. Xu is like the anchor of the Shen family. No matter how strong the storm is, as long as she is here, there will be no chaos in the Shen family. Yang Tian couldn't help but admire her more and more, and secretly wanted to imitate this kind of demeanor.
But over there, Shen Rui, who was in trouble, was not too worried.
Brother Shou met the refugees together with him at the beginning. Brother Shou knew the specific situation best. Although he later wrote a note to comfort him, only Brother Shou knew about it.
Regarding the resettlement of the refugees, the British government and other dignitaries came out to submit letters and loaned out Zhuangzi in the suburbs. Many aristocratic young men working as errands around the young emperor, headed by Zhang Hui, took care of the specific affairs.
At that time, all the discerning people in the court knew that it was the little emperor who had given the order, and the cabinet quickly passed the resolution. Later, facts proved that this method was very effective. Almost no refugees died of hunger and cold, and it also solved a lot of problems for the Xiyuan project.
Most of it is a matter of manpower.
Now when we come to settle old scores, no matter how hard we argue, we can't find fault with him, Shen Rui.
In particular, there are not many people who know about the existence of Zha Zi. Nine times out of ten, they are from the inner court.
As Yang Tinghe analyzed with him before, "On the surface, it looks like Liu Jin's person, but that's not necessarily true." When all the clues clearly point to Liu Jin, it is actually intriguing.
"Now that this matter has come out, if it was improperly handled at the beginning and caused the refugees to gather in the suburbs of Beijing and threaten the capital, that is also a matter of the cabinet. In any case, it cannot be blamed on you, a young Hanlin who has just entered the court." Today.
Yang Tinghe analyzed it like this with Shen Rui, "Since you said that Zha Zi's incident came from the inner court, then he came here for you, the holy family."
Yes, it makes no sense to put Shen Rui on this matter in the court.
Although Shenjiazhuang participated in the resettlement of the refugees at that time, he was inconspicuous among the nobles. At that time, Shen Rui was just a small scholar. At that time, Yang Tinghe and Wang Hua were not in high positions. Even if they are involved with Shen Rui now, it would be hurt.
Don't come with these two people.
And if it was the inner court's method, the purpose was very clear, which was to plant a seed of doubt in the little emperor's heart, making him suspicious of Shen Rui and alienating him.
"Pile up and destroy the bones." Yang Tinghe said.
Shen Rui also nodded silently. One or two things would certainly not shake the little emperor's trust in him, but if there were too many things, or if one of them changed from qualitative to quantitative, then it would be hard to say.
In the inner court, with Liu Jin's current power, there is really no need to deal with a "little person" like Shen Rui.
Although Wang Hua and Yang Tinghe rejected Liu Jin's solicitation, they did not offend Liu Jin. Unlike Li Dongyang, they did not strongly criticize Liu Jin.
Zhang Yong is still in the same boat as Liu Jin.
It can be said that Liu Jin had no quarrel with Shen Rui and had no reason to harm him.
As for the one who had a rift, a reason, and the energy to take action... Qiu Ju was the only one left.
Qiu Ju had just kicked Zhang Yong to Shanxi. I'm afraid it was just the moment when he was proud that he would take action boldly.
Since the Marquis of Huichang has not been able to win the vanguard of the government army recently, it is reasonable for Qiu Ju to frame Zhang Hui, frame Shen Rui, and even create obstacles for Liu Jin.
Yang Tinghe naturally agreed with Shen Rui's judgment, but also warned Shen Rui: "Dongchang is not a trivial matter, and Qiu Ju also has a holy heart. If you want to touch him, you must be extra cautious. Don't act rashly. If you have any plans, I must work with you."
Master will check with you."
"Don't worry, father-in-law," Shen Rui twitched the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with coldness, "Since he has also caused a stumbling block for Liu Jin, there is nothing wrong with the son-in-law here. Eunuch Liu will take care of him."
Yang Tinghe was silent for a moment, sighed, shook his head, and said: "Liu Jin is a treacherous person, and it is not easy for you to borrow his knife. Although he is domineering, if he could move Qiu Ju, he would have done so long ago."
Although Shen Rui nodded in recognition, he also thought in his heart that as long as the time came, Liu Jin would not allow Qiu Ju to jump up and down like this.
When Du Laoba hurriedly came to visit, Shen Rui also ordered the first thing: "The thing that harmed Brother Zhang and me this time is probably related to Qiu Ju. You guys keep an eye on Qiu Ju and Dong Dong.
The factory should be more careful and report any clues."
Du Laoba gritted his teeth and said: "It is indeed this eggless castrate! Second Master, don't worry, he will pry one of the eggs out even if there is no crack!"
He paused and then said fiercely: "Second Master, look, should we let those people with southern accents come to Qiu Ju?"
Conspiracy? Shen Rui laughed dumbly, shook his head and said: "Qiu Ju is the governor of the East Factory! He is in charge of the emperor's confidants. If he conspires to rebel, there will probably be no one trustworthy in the world. And what's the benefit of him compiring to rebel?"
This is clearly a frame-up, which allows him to take the opportunity to use frame-up to clear away all other crimes."
Those from the south agreed with Shen Rui's guess, "Those from the south must be kept alive, but they don't have to say anything. There are some things that we shouldn't ask."
Du Laoba was also an old man. After being stunned, he quickly understood and nodded in agreement.
"Those people were sent to Liu Zhong's private residence quietly. As for the leader of the refugees," Shen Rui looked at Du Laoba and said, "Since you sent it to me, you must have asked me something."
.”
Du Laoba said angrily: "Zhang Qinte is insidious. He let that bitch Zhao Wencai take the name of my boss to recruit that old black group. They were all favored by my boss, so they thought they were doing it for him."
Even though my boss was bullied by Zhao Wencai when he was doing things, he was so exhausted every day that he never had any doubts."
"After being interrogated like this, I naturally insisted that it was Brother Zhang." Shen Rui sneered, "But since Lao Hei was able to round up a group of people and flee all the way from Shanxi to the capital, how can he be someone who is at the mercy of others?"
Why do you endure being bullied just because you received some favors, but how can anyone believe you?"
Du Laoba chuckled and said: "Zhao Wencai's villagers are very secretive. They only recruit them as a group of refugees to farm. There are no local tenants, and they control them very strictly, as if they are afraid that they will escape. This group of people
Now, there are still people who stutter here, and their lives may be gone when they go back, so I have to endure it."
He paused and then said: "I and my brothers are a bit rough in their craftsmanship, but they don't dare to hurt people's lives. They asked a lot of untrue questions, so they sent them to the second master. First, they wanted to ask the second master to testify and return my employer's money."
Innocence, come again, ask them
They have quite a good way of farming. I heard Zhao Wencai drunkenly spilled the beans and said that they were using new methods that came out of the emperor's village. I had little knowledge and only heard that the second master once had a set of farming methods.
Prince Xia..."
If it was just the cultivation of the experimental field, it wouldn't be a big deal. But to get this from Emperor Xia's relatives, it seems that the Xia family's fence is not that solid.
Shen Rui nodded and said: "I will ask him later. It is my duty to ask Brother Zhang about this matter. I have already sent the message to the palace and asked to see the emperor. I am just waiting for the emperor's reply. Brother Zhang has been with the emperor all the time.
As an errand around you, no matter how hard you work, you have a lot of credit, and with so many years of friendship, the emperor will not disbelieve Brother Zhang."
"However, please also help me bring a message to Brother Zhang. Since some people say that it is his village, I think the house and land deeds are all complete, but the accounts, confiscation means confiscation, this must be clearly stated. But there is no need to deny it.
Since it belongs to Zhuangzi, since it is said to be in his name, and since it is said to have occupied official and civilian lands, he can just donate it directly."
Seeing the embarrassment on Du Laoba's face, Shen Rui took a step closer and looked directly at Du Laoba, as if looking directly at Zhang Hui or even Zhang Lun behind him, "Let Shisun come out and take the lead. Please check the acres of land under your name."
, if there is any encroachment, double the amount will be returned. Does he dare to stand up?"
Only then did Du Laobao become really frightened, his eyes widened, "Isn't this...isn't this...a target for something like that?"
"The target of public criticism." Shen Rui lowered his eyelids, took a deep breath, and said: "You just ask him, this matter involves him and me, it is the revenge of the surname Qiu. It involves many clan members and nobles, is it really true?
Just to make enemies for Liu Jin?"
Du Laoba opened his mouth for a long time, but in the end no sound came out.
He is a local gangster in the capital, and he also works for the Duke's government. He knows best that he should stay away from any powerful family in the capital that he can offend. Even if King Rong is not allowed to be seen in the palace and keeps dragging his feet to become a vassal, even if Yongkang
The eldest princess is far less powerful than the eldest princess of Chun'an, but she is not something ordinary officials can afford to offend.
There is also Qingyun Marquis Zhou Shou. After the death of the Empress Dowager Zhou, the Zhou family showed signs of decline, but the Zhou family's arrogance has never been curbed. If an official dared to attack his family, the old Marquis would dare to break the official with his fist.
Of the brain.
The clan, relatives, and nobles can involve so many important people, even the powerful Liu Jin would not dare to do anything rashly.
Others want to frame Liu Jin, but they dare not create such a big battle. If anyone is not careful, they will be shattered to pieces.
Who dares?
Except...the Emperor, who dares?
But this cannot be said or even thought about.
Especially, this is not what a person like Du Laoba should think. He should keep his head and work hard for two more years.
Du Laoba waved his big furry head like a kiwi fruit, closed his mouth tightly, and saluted Shen Rui, saying that he would definitely bring the words to his employer.
After sending Du Laoba away, Shen Rui did not ask Changshou to bring the tied Lao Hei over. Instead, he sat quietly in the study alone, looking out the window at a few dripping bamboos in a daze.
The last question he asked Du Laoba was actually what Yang Tinghe asked him.
Du Laoba didn't dare to think about it, but Shen Rui had to think about it.
This incident has coerced so many people. What is the little emperor going to do?
Last year, the young emperor first cut redundant officials and redundant fees, and then suppressed favors and gifts. Not only temporary and auxiliary official positions in various places were cut off, but also a lot of official positions for relatives and children of nobles in the previous dynasty were cut off, including civil and military officials.
The entitlements of descendants, wives, and mothers were all restricted, and even the clan was sorted out to eliminate those who should not have received titles and those who were paid before they were old enough.
"After this, although the treasury is not full, it is no longer living beyond its means." In the Yang Mansion's study, Yang Tinghe and Shen Rui took stock of the little emperor's policies over the past year and sighed, "However,
These are still far from enough. This year there have been famines in various places and wars on all sides. Money is needed everywhere. How much can a small Xiyuan fill?"
We cannot just rely on cutting expenditures, but we must also increase revenue.
First, there was farming in Zhangbian Town in Qing Dynasty, starting from Liaodong.
Later, there were inspections of granaries and pastures in various places. This may not be a manifestation of the struggle between the imperial court and local governments for financial rights.
After beating the local officials with interrogations and heavy fines, the next step is to do...
"Zha Ge invaded, hidden fields." Shen Rui had a complicated expression on his face. How much he hoped that he and his father-in-law had guessed wrong.
But the current situation clearly told them that the little emperor wanted to investigate the occupation of official and private fields and defraud local taxes. This time, starting from the middle of the capital.
Even the clan, relatives, and nobles were checked to see who else dared to bare their teeth. This was probably the idea of the little emperor.
But would those local frontier officials and wealthy businessmen really spit out the fat in their mouths because they were afraid of the imperial power?
But looking through the history books, which dynasty, which generation and which person can really carry out the inventory smoothly and truly curb the land annexation?
Shen Rui had the history books of his previous life in his mind and knew that land annexation was the inevitable result of feudal economic development, but who could he tell?
He could tactfully tell Zhang Hui to spit out the land (not to mention that it was not Zhang Hui's land in the first place) and cooperate with Brother Shou's actions to win the emperor's heart and escape from this turmoil.
But what can he tell Brother Shou?
I don’t know how much time passed, the lights went off several times, the study door was lightly knocked, and Changshou whispered back outside.
Shen Rui finally came to his senses and called him in. He heard Liu Zhong's reply and said that the emperor would meet him in Xiyuan in the afternoon. Shen Rui breathed a long sigh of relief and felt a little confused again.
Changshou asked in a low voice whether he wanted to interrogate the homeless man.
Shen Rui waved his hand and said: "Let him dry out first. Just keep him in the woodshed, no need to tie him up. Give him water and food, but don't talk to him. I will go see my master and uncle tomorrow. Just look at him.
Day, please repay me when I come back."
*
Renshou Palace Side Hall
Prince Rong sat at the feet of the Empress Dowager Zhou, as if he were a child at the knees, calling his mother affectionately. However, in fact, he had always been raised in front of the Empress Dowager Zhou, and he had never had any interaction with her.
But at this moment, he did not come to entertain his mother in colorful clothes so that his mother could enjoy family happiness. Instead, he came to complain with runny nose and tears, saying that life was difficult.
King Rong was born in the last years of Chenghua, and was the youngest of Xianzong's surviving heirs. Because of his young age, he escaped the most arrogant period of Concubine Wan Gui, but he did not live a better life because of this. When he was one and a half years old,
, Xianzong passed away. After that, he followed his mother and concubine and grew up in the palace of Empress Dowager Zhou.
In the fourth year of Hongzhi, at the age of six, he and his other brothers were crowned kings.
From the eleventh year to the fifteenth year of Hongzhi, his brothers who were slightly older than him all became vassals one after another, but he, the honored king, did not even get married.
In the 17th and 18th years of Hongzhi's reign, the Empress Dowager Zhou and Emperor Hongzhi passed away one after another. Because of Prince Rong's filial piety, the marriage was completely delayed.
It was not until the young emperor's wedding in the first year of Zhengde that he chose a concubine to get married in a low-key manner.
Although Changde Mansion, the place where the vassal was established, was pointed out in the 16th year of Hongzhi, the matter of establishing the vassal state has been delayed until now.
Talking about joining a vassal state, I really shed tears of bitterness. Although I had decided to seal the country early, I was not allowed to join the vassal state. The royal palace of the vassal area was repaired and repaired, but it was not repaired. In the second year of Zhengde, it leaked and collapsed again.
How bad does this house have to be for it to leak and collapse?!
The repairs took another year, until February of this year, when the emperor relented and allowed him to go to the fiefdom. He also ordered the Qintian Supervisor to choose a date, and asked one of the ministers of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry to sort out the affairs of the country.
He had little savings and lived a tight life. At first he wanted to get a piece of pasture in Bazhou, but it was said to be a place for military preparation. He was criticized by the censor and was not allowed to do so, and was ordered by the emperor.
Then I didn’t ask too much, so Longyang County asked for two pieces of land near the river, but the public only gave me a hundred dollars. What can I do with this?
In the fifth month, he reported that his eldest son and his second son had not received the title and were short of money, so he begged for a grant.
The emperor kept saying that he wanted to be kind to family members, but he also said that Lumi had his own customs as taught by his ancestors, so how could he dare to violate it.
Prince Rong was really pissed off. This nephew really didn't let him obey him from the beginning.
Now, before I left, I made such a fuss again.
This farm in Fengrun County was given by the Xiaomiao Temple back then, and some were added by him himself. How come it occupies official land and private land?!
The more Prince Rong cried, the more sad he became. He almost vomited a mouthful of blood to show his "mother".
The Empress Dowager couldn't help turning the beads in her hand, with a pitiful face, but she said: "The Ai family also knows that it is not easy for you, but as a descendant of the Zhu family, you also know that it is not easy for the court."
Hey. King Rong is going to be very happy.
How much land did Emperor Xia’s family grant? More than 2,200 yuan! He just caught up with others at a fraction! He is still a descendant of the Zhu family! The emperor’s biological uncle is not as good as the emperor’s father-in-law, right?! Right?!
Of course, he couldn't say anything, he could only wail and continue to talk about his difficulties.
Otherwise, you can just let me go back to my fief immediately.
Look at those older brothers, which one didn't do whatever he wanted in the fiefdom, but he lived with his tail between his legs in the capital, and even though he was a noble son and grandson, he still suffered from the idleness of foreign ministers.
He cried endlessly, and it had been an hour since the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother had already shown signs of tiredness. However, it was hard to send him away even though he was like this.
Fortunately, I reported outside that the Queen, Concubine Xian, and Concubine De came from Xiyuan to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager.
Prince Rong had originally intended to stay at the Renshou Palace to have a good chat after eating, but now he could no longer stay there no matter how reluctant he was. He wiped his tears and kowtowed again before resigning.
At the end, the Empress Dowager, like the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva on the lotus platform, added a sentence with kindness and compassion for all living beings: "Everyone in the world is not a citizen of the Tian Family, and the descendants of the Tian Family should have the common people in mind."
King Rong's eyelids were swollen from crying, and he forced a smile and said yes. Well, with these words at the end, he didn't have to think about crying next time.
Qi Song, the chief eunuch of Renshou Palace, escorted Prince Rong out. Prince Rong, who was in the wrong body, handed over a purse and said with a smile, "My dear friend, you've worked hard. If you don't have anything, I'll keep it for you."
Qi Song did not refuse, thanked him generously and accepted it, but without saying a single word, he sent King Rong out directly to the chariot without saying a word.
The smile on Prince Rong's face remained frozen until the chariot came out of the sight of Renshou Palace.
These eunuchs! He fiercely stuffed the ginger-smeared handkerchief into his sleeve pocket, and scolded Renshou Palace a hundred and eighty thousand times in his heart. This guy has really been pretending to be a Bodhisattva since the harem of the Xian Temple.
Now it’s time! Let’s see if she can fake it until she dies!
After scolding Renshou Palace, he secretly cursed the emperor a few more words. He thought about the phoenix chariot parked at the door when he came out just now, and couldn't help but sneer again. He chose to marry early, but in the end he couldn't give birth to a son.
That kid, maybe he just followed his mother.
Thinking of old things, King Rong also felt very hateful.
How did he get to be so unpopular? It wasn't because he was raised in the palace when he was young!
During the reign of Emperor Hongzhi, Empress Zhang had only had one son for many years, and she did not allow the emperor to have concubines. The Empress Dowager Zhou was already very dissatisfied, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were incompatible with each other.
Somehow word got out that King Wei Yao had died young and the prince was not a man of longevity, so the little prince brother was kept in the palace of the great empress dowager just in case.
At that time, the young royal brothers who were raised by the Empress Dowager Zhou were King Ru, King Jing, King Rong, and King Shen.
King Jing and King Shen are full brothers from the same mother. King Ru is more beneficial to you, and King Heng is a direct brother to the vassal.
There was a rumor in the palace that his mother and concubine died, and Prince Rong, who was alone, was the best candidate for heir.
How could Queen Zhang, mother and son not hate King Rong like this? Even Emperor Hongzhi was quite unhappy when he saw him. That's why he refused to choose a concubine with him, pointed out the fiefdom and was detained and not allowed to join the vassal.
When Queen Zhang and her son ascended the throne of the Ninth Five-Year Plan, the situation for him would become even worse.
When he was choosing a concubine for the little emperor, he even announced that he would choose a lady for Prince Rong. Prince Rong was afraid that he was deceiving him with lies, so he even went to the wedding banquet of Princess Chun'an, thinking of taking practical actions.
Confirm this matter.
In the end, it wasn't all empty, there was not even half of a good lady like him.
After the young emperor got married, the palace sent a concubine selector to randomly select two fair-haired girls for him, and they welcomed him as the principal concubine and the side concubine.
King Rong was resentful, but also a little proud. Even if he got married late, so what if he chose someone at random? He had the ability, and now he has two sons, a legitimate son and a concubine! The little emperor chose the woman carefully, but when
Now, let alone a son, I can’t even give birth to a daughter!
Thinking of his son, he wanted to laugh three times.
It's a pity that now the Qintian Prison has set a date. He must leave the palace and go to the vassal. Otherwise, he really has the heart to endure it for a few years, waiting for the little emperor to follow the Queen Mother Zhang and become as weak as his son, or even cut off his bloodline.
Then he, the prince in the palace, would not hesitate to give away a son to inherit the throne for free.
The small chariot shuttled between the palace walls, and another group of people came face to face. The personal servant gathered beside the chariot and reported to King Rong, "This is the eldest princess of Yongkang."
King Rong then asked people to step aside.
The eldest princess of Yongkang has been in the palace for a while.
Of course she went to Renshou Palace to pay her respects as usual. Unexpectedly, Prince Rong was crying inside. With the doors and windows open in summer, the cry was so loud that it could be heard outside the courtyard. Princess Yongkang felt it was inconvenient to go in and disturb her, so she went to Xishou Palace.
Empress Dowager Zhang went there.
Originally, she just wanted to come and meet her. She had always been close to the Queen Mother Zhang, so she naturally went to ask the Queen Mother Zhang for help when she needed help.
Now that I am leaving the palace, I have to come to Renshou Palace to pay my respects.
When King Rong saw that his sister's eyes were swollen like peaches, he smacked his lips and smiled. He didn't know how many old ginger-soaked handkerchiefs he had used on her. She was really cruel to him.
"Ah Han, it's time to bring Da Lang to my sister." The eldest princess of Yongkang did not call Prince Rong as usual, but instead called him by his long-lost baby name affectionately, because she had cried before, and she still
With a nasal tone, he sounded extra sincere, "Dalang is the smartest and smartest person. I am so happy."
Such an invitation was sent out in the palace, and many eyes and ears were watching. This was to build an alliance and to show it to others. King Rong sneered in his heart, wondering where she could find his almost forgotten nickname.
I heard that today the British Duke Zhang Mao and his two sons were offered a confession.
The two brothers Zhang Lun and Zhang Hui, the descendants of the emperor, defended themselves and said that since someone maliciously recorded Zhuangzi in their name for frame-up purposes, they donated Zhuangzi to the court, either as official land or to supplement the people, so as to support the Ming Dynasty.
Do your best financially.
They even said that they should check the acres of land under their own names. If there is any encroachment, they will return double the amount.
Zhao Wencai is a member of the British government, and the British government cannot escape its crimes. It is reasonable for such a bachelor to donate his land and then pretend to ask for an inventory of his own land.
But why should their clan spit out the meat in their mouths?
King Rong also had red and swollen eyes, but he smiled exceptionally well: "Sister, I don't think he is stupid and noisy. I will ask Qianniang to take him to my sister's house someday."
They were affectionate like siblings of ordinary people, but they only asked the princess to take the children, without mentioning themselves at all, and without any hint.
The eldest princess of Yongkang's smile is still as refreshing as ever, and she can't help scolding the fox cub in her heart. This younger brother has really been polished and become smoother.
The two of them exchanged a few polite words and then passed each other.
King Rong knew very well that he was different from the princesses, aunts, and sisters. If they got into trouble together, his good nephew would definitely use him to scare the monkeys, and then forgive the other princesses to give the clan peace of mind. He would not be stupid.
I went over to get stabbed for my sister.
The palace gate was in sight, and he tucked up the ginger scarf again, as if he was afraid that it would be exposed when he left the palace gate.
Naturally, he will be very comfortable after being able to leave the palace, but if he is punished this time and is delayed to prevent him from going to the fiefdom, it is not bad...
*
In the afternoon of June 26th, Xiyuan Baofang Primary School
When Shen Rui arrived, the little emperor, dressed in fine attire, was drawing a bow and arrow, shooting at a target a hundred paces away.
Brother Shou is indeed talented in martial arts. These arrows were quite accurate. Although they did not hit the target, none of them missed the target.
"Didn't I ask you to wear shorts?" The little emperor shot out a pot of arrows and turned to look at Shen Rui. Seeing that he was wearing official uniform, he couldn't help but said with dissatisfaction.
Shen Rui smiled and said: "How dare I disobey the order, but I don't dare to disobey the emperor. I came here with clothes. The emperor wants to test the martial arts of the school officials, so I will go and change my clothes right away."
Only then did Brother Shou become happy and waved his hand: "Go quickly, go quickly!"
Yesterday, the British Duke Zhang Mao and his descendants filed petitions for apology. The young emperor said that Zhang Mao was a minister of the country but could not manage his family and disturbed the people's livelihood. The law should be investigated. However, in memory of his ancestors' meritorious service, he was particularly pardoned.
Zhang Mao immediately begged for his illness, and the emperor agreed.
In the evening, Du Laoba sent the news to Shen Mansion that Zhang Mao decided to separate the family.
After rewarding Zhang Ming and Zhang Qin with their family law, the old man said that he would separate all his sons and would not allow them to go out under the guise of British father-in-law again. If they continue to do anything that disturbs the people and is illegal, the old man will
He would personally tie them up and send them to Beizhen Fusi.
Shen Rui immediately felt more at ease. Seeing the little emperor's attitude today, he couldn't help but feel a little more at ease.
On the other hand, he felt that Yang Tinghe and his analysis might have been wrong, and he couldn't help but feel a little worried about the future direction of the court situation.
After a while, Shen Rui changed into a short bow and came over. Qian Ning, who was waiting beside the little emperor, smiled and brought several bows over for Shen Rui to choose from.
Shen Rui glanced at it and only chose Zhang Sanshi Bow, but he fired nine arrows in a row, neatly nailing the bullseye in a circle.
Brother Shou immediately cheered loudly.
This was the first time Qian Ning saw Shen Rui take action. He thought he was just a scholar who had learned some six arts, but he didn't expect that he was quite good at archery.
Seeing the young emperor's beaming expression, Qian Ning hurriedly stepped forward and said with a smile, "I'm also doing my part. Emperor Bo will smile."
He also chose the same three-stone bow with the same nine arrows, but he actually used both hands to shoot the bow, and the arrows hit the target.
This stabilized Shen Rui's head.
Brother Shou also spared no expense in applauding. Shen Rui, however, didn't take it seriously. He smiled politely and high-fived, "What a good archery skill."
Qian Ning paid special attention to Shen Rui's performance. When he saw him acting like this, he twitched his lips and said a few polite words with a smile.
Brother Shou suddenly smiled and said to Shen Rui: "Zhang Hui is keeping his filial piety, and the Jingwei Martial Arts School is also free. Shen Rui, do you think Qian would rather take on this job?"
Qian Ning couldn't help but be stunned when he heard this. Of course he was jealous of this job. He sent money to Liu Jin and competed for his performance in front of the emperor. He didn't expect that the emperor would ask Shen Rui for his opinion at this moment.
He was so upset for a moment that he shouldn't have been so angry that he showed his hand and tried to suppress Shen Rui.
This group of scholars is the most smiling and friendly, polite on the surface, but full of bad intentions behind their backs. What if they try to spoil his good deeds by laying maggots in front of the emperor?
Therefore, his eyes couldn't help but become a little anxious.
Shen Rui didn't even look at Qian Ning. He was actually very surprised and didn't know what song the little emperor was singing.
At that moment, he replied calmly: "The martial arts in Beijing and Wei is of great importance, and it should be judged by the emperor. I dare not comment on it." As he spoke, he secretly looked at Brother Shou's expression.
Liu Zhong had already sent someone to inform Shen Rui. Ning Fan's people had already contacted Qian Ning and sent him a large sum of money. Qian Ning had also spoken twice for Ning Fan in front of the emperor, intentionally or unintentionally. The emperor should have been in his heart.
Countless.
Since it has something to do with Ning Fan, the Jingwei martial arts certainly cannot fall into the hands of a guy like Qian Ning! No matter who brings it up, the little emperor will not accept it at all.
Why would the little emperor suddenly mention it to himself and ask him what he meant casually?
To test him?
Or should...he find a reason to refuse?
Is this a face-to-face refusal to make a feud between two favored ministers?
The emperor's art of balance?
"Hey, I just want to ask what you think. You are also familiar with Zhang Hui. Your bookshop has taken over the printing of military books, and you have some knowledge of Jingwei martial arts." Brother Shou seemed a little careless and turned his gaze again.
It fell on Qian Ning.
Qian Ning had already put on a face of shock, joy and tears. As soon as his eyes met the emperor, he lowered his head in panic, not daring to look again.
Brother Shou then looked at Shen Rui again.
Seeing Brother Shou's dark eyes, Shen Rui smiled again and said: "Since it is the emperor's inquiry, I will speak frankly. Your Majesty forgives me. I thought that Mr. Qian's kung fu, especially his left and right bow skills, taught Jingwei martial arts.
There are more than enough students.
"It's just that to manage the martial arts of the capital and defense, you need to know how to train troops, know how to arrange troops, know weapons and weapons, and know gunpowder and cannons... I have little knowledge, and that's all I can think of, because I am slightly familiar with Zhang Hui.
I know a lot about his family background and what he has learned is complicated. However, I am not very familiar with Mr. Qian, so I dare not vouch for Mr. Qian."
Qian Ning was a little proud when he heard Shen Rui praising his martial arts at first. After contacting Shen Rui's attitude before, he thought that he was afraid that he would lose face in front of the emperor, so he flattered himself and tried to be a favor or something like that.
Unexpectedly, when he heard the following words, his expression changed involuntarily.
Zhang Hui has a family background. Who is Qian Ning? He is the adopted son of a eunuch and has practiced martial arts. Where did he learn the art of war and weapons?!
He didn't care whether Shen Rui's words made sense or not, and when he looked at him again, his eyes were as if they were poisoned.
Brother Shou was still smiling and had the same nonchalant attitude, and just said: "Well, it makes some sense. Okay, I will think about it."
Although everyone still had smiles on their faces, the atmosphere was different after all.
Brother Shou no longer shouted about archery, but asked someone to change the target. He smiled at Shen Rui and said, "I'll show you a fresh one."
While they were talking, a row of sturdy men came up over there, all holding Mongolian thin dogs in their hands.
This kind of thin dog has a tall body, smooth lines, and strong limbs. It hunts extremely fast and almost instantly. It specializes in biting the neck of its prey and kills it with one blow. It is extremely ferocious.
It is said that during the Liao Dynasty, the Khitan nobles sought this dog from the "Frontier of Mengguzi" (that is, the Mongolian tribe affiliated to the Khitan), just like the Dongqing from the Haihai tribe from the Jurchen tribe. They spared no effort in training and training, which shows how valuable it is.
The archery target over there was also replaced by a high pole, with iron hooks suspended by ropes and bloody meat hung on it.
As soon as the thin dog entered the scene and smelled the smell of blood, it became a little restless, but it could still be seen that it was well trained and stood beside the strong man and did not dare to move rashly.
Brother Shou glanced at the little chamberlain beside him. The little chamberlain hurriedly stepped forward, took out a bamboo whistle, and blew twice.
The strong man led the dogs forward, loosened the ropes in their hands, whistled twice, and the thin dogs instantly jumped out like arrows. When they saw they reached the high pole, they suddenly jumped up with the help of running force,
It's like grabbing fresh meat in your mouth, but you don't swallow it. Instead, you bring the fresh meat back to the strong man's feet like a prey.
Shen Rui couldn't help but praise: "They are indeed well-trained. If you take them with you when you go hunting, it will save a lot of effort."
Brother Shou said with a smile: "I got this dog a while ago, and after reading the Khitan history books, I found out that there is also a story about 'an eagle giving birth to a hound'. It is said that an eagle lays three eggs, one is a new eagle, one is a hound, and one is a snake."
.”
As he spoke, he couldn't help laughing, and added, "I think it's a fiction. However, the Khitan people often raise eagles and dogs together. When hunting, they let the eagles go out, and the dogs follow the eagles. The harvest is quite fruitful. Let's do it someday."
Try it."
Shen Rui also smiled and applauded.
Hear Brother Shou say again: "However, this thin dog is just a dog after all, not comparable to a leopard. Look at this again." Then he motioned to the little chamberlain to blow the whistle.
As soon as the whistle changed, the iron hook on the high pole went up another foot. This time the hound was released, but it was rare to find fresh meat. Even if it could be touched, it could not be picked up.
Then two more strong men in leather armor came leading two leopards.
However, it is normal to see one with gold stripes, but the other is completely black, which is very rare. Both leopards have shiny fur, fierce eyes, and they walk with a domineering look.
This was presented by Zhang Yanling, the Marquis of Jianchang, on the Longevity Festival of the year when the young emperor first ascended the throne.
As soon as the leopard appeared on the scene, the momentum of the fine dogs suddenly changed, and their leisurely demeanor disappeared. They all lowered their bodies slightly, whined in their mouths, and made an attack posture.
Shen Rui also became a little nervous, and immediately stood in front of Brother Shou, saying sternly: "Your Majesty should not let the cheetah out without protection. It is an animal after all. No matter how domesticated it is, it will still be wild. What should I do if it hurts the holy body!"
Qian Ning took advantage of the situation and said with some yin and yang: "Shen Chuanlu is overthinking, these beast tamers are all right. We are also loyal, how dare we put the emperor in danger."
Shen Rui did not look at him, and only said to Brother Shou seriously: "I have seen the emperor appreciating leopards in the past, but most of them were in iron cages. Now I know that the emperor likes leopards to be brave and strong, and wants to see them free and unrestrained, but in the end they are ferocious. Animals must be guarded against. I asked the emperor to build a large iron cage house, put a high pole in it, and then put the leopard in it. Or build a high platform, and the emperor could watch it from the platform, which could not only see clearly but also ensure safety. But if the leopard escapes, lest it injure the palace people again, it would be safer to set up an iron cage."
Brother Shou looked at Shen Rui with a smile, nodded and said: "You are indeed attentive, and all the instructions are very appropriate. Let's do this for today, and let them change it according to your instructions in the future. Come on, come on, don't be like this, it looks bad. Jing'er's interest."
Shen Rui had no choice but to thank Xie En and sit down, keeping his eyes from the two leopards for a moment, for fear that they would burst out and hurt someone.
But I saw the strong man holding the dog over there whistling and holding the thin dog firmly in his hand. The strong man in leather armor pulled out his whip and flicked it in the air, making a crackling sound. The leopard seemed to have got the signal and did the same. Get into a hunting posture.
The whip cracked again, and the leopard was as fast as lightning. The two raised and lowered to the pole, jumped up, and the fresh meat that the hounds could not pick up no matter how hard they tried, was already in the leopard's mouth.
Brother Shou immediately stood up and applauded, and Qian Ning also praised loudly.
However, the leopard did not send the meat back like a hound, but directly feasted on it.
The strong man in leather armor rushed over and swung his whip, but he didn't dare to grab the meat forcefully and hurriedly held the leopard in his hands.
Seeing that the leopard was firmly caught, Shen Rui exhaled and whispered to Brother Shou: "Your Majesty, you see, leopards are still wild animals after all, and they are wild and difficult to tame. Please take care of your dragon body."
Brother Shou glanced at Shen Rui and curled his lips and said: "Okay, I understand, you are almost like the elders. If you continue to be so boring, I won't take you hunting next time."
Shen Rui listened to this child's words and couldn't laugh or cry for a moment.
Brother Shou became beaming again and danced: "Look, leopards are still very powerful. They can pick off meat hanging so high. Don't say that thin dogs can't do it. I tried it and wolves can't do it either!"
Shen Rui had no choice but to support him and praise him again, and watched the leopard's tricks again.
There was a lot of fun here, and suddenly a little waiter came rolling in from the other side. When he was stopped by the guards, he shouted "Long live" loudly in desperation.
Although Brother Shou was interrupted from his fun, he was not angry and waved his hand to let people in.
Shen Rui looked around and saw that he didn't recognize the chamberlain. Liu Zhong was not here today and he didn't know where he was on duty. He didn't know if he was Liu Zhong's person.
However, because Qian Ning had been hanging out in Xiyuan these days, he was familiar with the person. He knew that this was Chen Kuan's godson, so he quietly took a step forward and whispered in Brother Shou's ear.
Shen Ruiyin was close and heard some sounds. His heart moved and he couldn't help but become nervous. Could it be that what he thought happened happened?
The little chamberlain was covered in dust and his head was covered with sweat. It was obvious that he had arrived on a fast horse. Before he could catch his breath, he knelt down and kowtowed, and said in a crying voice: "Long live my lord, there is someone left behind on the royal road this afternoon." A copy of the memorial was sent to the Supervisor of Ceremonies by the censor of the imperial court. For a while, Liu Jin and his father-in-law were furious, saying that the anonymous memorial was full of outrageous words. He said that he had ordered all the officials to kneel before the Heavenly Gate under the command of Long Live Lord. Eunuch Liu came to the door to question him. It was so hot right now that some of the elders almost fainted. Eunuch Li sent ice melons out, but Eunuch Liu scolded him back... Chen Kuan and Eunuch Chen went to Xiyuan. Come here, let me have the quick legs and feet to report the news first..."
Shen Rui's heart beat violently, and it turned out that it was today. This was the famous incident of anonymous submission of letters from imperial officials in previous lives. He only vaguely remembered that it was June, but he did not know the specific date.
According to the history books of the previous life, the anonymous memorial listed many crimes against Liu Jin, which made Liu Jin furious. He actually ordered all the officials to kneel down at Fengtian Gate and interrogated the person who submitted the letter. At sunset, no one had confessed.
Three hundred below the fifth grade
All the remaining officials were taken into Jinyi Guard Prison. Li Dongyang carried out the rescue the next day, and Emperor Zhengde agreed to release them. Liu Jin also heard that the anonymous letter was written by an internal official, so he let go. However, three civil officials had already died of thirst due to exposure to the sun.
According to historical records, this was one of the typical incidents in which Liu Jin exercised power and intimidated all officials.
Shen Rui had imagined many times how he would deal with the protests if he knelt at the foot of the steps, but he never expected that when this day came, he would be in Xiyuan, in front of the little emperor.
He immediately knelt on the ground and said sincerely to Brother Shou: "Your Majesty, since the letter was sent anonymously, it is obviously a trick and he wants to hide it among the crowd. Asking the officials at this time may not have any results. Since it is anonymous, it is so
Means, it can be seen that the person who submitted the letter has an evil intention.
His words may not be true, so just ignore them. Your Majesty, the weather is very hot today. If the elders and gentlemen suffer from heat stroke, wouldn’t it be because of one or two tricks that the villain has made the imperial court lose its pillars? Please forgive me, Your Majesty, ministers.
After that, we will make a detailed investigation and severely punish the villain!"
While they were talking, Chen Kuan also arrived over there.
He was already old, and he came here at a high speed, as if his whole body was in disarray. At this time, his legs were weak, and he was carried here by two strong chamberlains.
Chen Kuan knelt down in front of the young emperor and said with tears: "Your Majesty, when the servants came over, the old man couldn't bear it anymore. Huang Wei was admonishing everyone beside him, 'If what is said in the book is for the country and the people, stand up for yourself.
"Although he is a good man even if he dies, it will be a waste to others.' But no one came out to recognize him. Liu Jin was so angry that he refused to listen to the old gentlemen in the cabinet no matter what they said, fearing that someone would really die! Long live my Lord!!"
Qian Ning glanced at the three people kneeling on the ground, and made a mental note. He thought that he would get a good talk from Eunuch Liu later, especially this Shen Rui, who only harmed his good deeds, and dared to harm Eunuch Liu's important affairs.
!This makes him look good!
Qian Ning quietly looked at the little emperor's face again and secretly considered whether he should add a few words to Eunuch Liu.
The emperor was always by his side in Xiyuan, but Eunuch Liu did not ask anyone to ask for orders...
Hey, then falsely conveying the imperial edict is also a serious crime of beheading. It depends on... whether Eunuch Liu is deeply loved by the saints and whether the emperor is willing to let him get through this.
So Qian Ning finally decided to speak slowly and wait and see the emperor's attitude.
The little emperor did not give Qian Ning this chance, but sent him down with the rest of the crowd, including the kneeling chamberlain. Only he, Shen Rui, and Chen Kuan were left in the huge campus.
Qian Ning couldn't help but feel a little jealous, but in the end he resigned and was brewing a complaint to Liu Jin in his heart.
The little emperor was not in a hurry. He sat down in a chair and asked Chen Kuandao slowly: "What is written on the booklet?"
Chen Kuan was also a member of the Supervisor of Ceremonies. He kowtowed and replied: "Your Majesty, forgive me. I have not seen the memorial... The memorial was directly handed over to Liu Jin. He looked at it twice and said that it was all rebellious and crazy."
He said that the person who submitted the letter should be cut into pieces with thousands of swords, and the nine tribes would be exterminated. He would not let the rest of us look at it anymore, and he also said that he would send someone to ask the Lord Long Live..."
He paused, his head lowered, and his voice lowered, "But Liu Jin seemed...not to send anyone out. Then he said that when such a thing happened, the emperor must have the person caught out, how could he leave the traitor behind?
The thief was in the court, so he went out to spread the message...and spread the message."
Liu Jin corrected the edict and made it a sure thing.
But the little emperor didn't seem to be angry, and he didn't even take the issue at all. Instead, he asked: "Li Rong went to deliver the ice melon? Huang Wei went to help? Still no one confessed? Look, is there anyone suspicious?"
Chen Kuan choked. He didn't expect that the little emperor seemed to want to let Liu Jin go easily. For a moment, his mind was filled with complicated thoughts.
He is known as a good old man who never offends anyone even if he doesn't take sides. No matter if it's Xiao Jing, Wang Yue or Liu Jin, he always immerses himself in doing his own thing.
If it weren't for a special situation today, and if Li Dongyang hadn't given him a hint, he wouldn't have jumped out rashly.
He cautiously said: "Li Ge's old saying, 'The anonymous writing was written by one person. His conspiracy and conspiracy were just to hide his whereabouts in the crowd of people, and he followed his deception. How could it be that all the officials hurriedly bowed to each other?
"You can know and see." Several other elders also said the same thing, slaves... slaves also thought it was true. Only Liu Jin refused to listen, and said that if there was no result, he would detain everyone and go to the north to suppress the prison."
The little emperor hummed and said, "You go down and rest first. I will call you later."
Chen Kuan glanced at Shen Rui subconsciously, thanked him in the end, and stood up reluctantly, almost crumbling. Unfortunately, there were no servants around him, and no one could help him. He had no choice but to hold on, and walked further step by step.
Shen Rui was suspicious and didn't know what the little emperor was going to do if he left him here.
I heard Brother Shou say: "Get up. What you just said is very similar to what Mr. Li Ge said."
Shen Rui thanked him, stood up and sighed: "The emperor was just angry. We are bystanders, so we can probably come to this conclusion. As wise as you are, I think we will see the same thing."
Brother Shou chuckled lightly, nodded and said, "It makes sense."
But suddenly he asked Shen Rui: "Do you know how much fertile land the Shen family in Songjiang has?"
Shen Rui's heart skipped a beat. Is this... the beginning of an inventory of the fields?! He answered cautiously: "In the 18th year of Hongzhi, due to the Japanese disaster, the clan was divided into clans, and a hundred and twenty people were offered sacrifices to the fields.
The private property of the nine clansmen put together in one place would amount to nearly three hundred
Afterwards, the He family was convicted and their fertile land was sold. According to the brothers, the family bought less than a hundred qings as family property for their children to study. The second house where I lived had no property in Songjiang, but my biological mother left it behind.
I don’t have many acres of land, and the weaving factory was returned by the grace of the Holy Spirit.”
Brother Shou nodded and said, "Young Master Tian from Jiangnan, with these acres of land, you are already a wealthy family."
Shen Rui lowered his head and said yes.
Brother Shou suddenly said with emotion: "Shen Rui, you don't have much land under your name, tell me how much land I have." When Shen Rui was about to speak, he interrupted again and said coolly: "Don't say anything in the world.
Could it be the royal land, you also know how much of this royal land is still in my hands to pay me food and taxes!"
Shen Rui fell silent again.
"In the one hundred and forty years since Taizu to the late Emperor, the land in the world has been reduced by half. If it is not allocated to the royal family and relatives, it is bullied and hidden by the cunning people." Brother Shou said coldly, "Tianshun, Chenghua, Hongzhi, etc.
The government has repeatedly banned petitions and seized the land of officials and people, but look at how many acres of land have been occupied by them first in Liaodong and then in Fengrun County. How can the treasury not be empty!"
"It was you who gave the two brothers Zhang Lun and Zhang Hui a trick. It can be seen that you have guessed my intention." Brother Shou waved his hand fiercely, "I am going to issue a decree to measure the official land in the world. If there is any hidden land,
Count those who invade the land of officials and people, and they will be severely punished without credit."
Shen Rui took a deep breath and said: "Your Majesty, this is good governance, but the people who do it..."
Brother Shou interrupted him and said: "I know what you are going to say. In addition to supervising the censor and patrolling the censor, I will also send Xichang to investigate. Or," there was a sneer on his face, "Liu Jin will report to you immediately."
As an expert in factories, I am sure that this is the first job for him to do when setting up a factory."
Shen Rui was shocked. He was afraid of this! He hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, you must not do this. I am worried that if the person executing the execution is blindly reckless, I am afraid that it will ruin the Emperor's original intention and cause local commotion..."
Brother Shou suddenly sneered and turned to look at the tall pole standing in the distance.
Shen Rui followed him with his eyes, and his pupils suddenly shrank.
Brother Shou's implication is that a thin dog is a dog after all, and the leopard must come to get the meat that it can't reach.
How can the censor compare with the wolves and tigers of the West Factory and the expert factory?
Even what happened today, is it true that Liu Jin is correcting the imperial edict, or is it... that the little emperor wants to sharpen the claws of Liu Jin, a leopard, and let him go out to bite the vicious dogs in those places?!
"Your Majesty!" Shen Rui couldn't help but raise his voice and said: "Small dogs know how to come back with meat in their mouths, but that leopard is wild and untamed. When Your Majesty saw it with his own eyes, he immediately ate the meat."
Brother Shou was stunned, touched his chin, and fell into deep thought again.
Shen Rui hurriedly struck while the iron was hot and urged: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I'd like to say it's unlucky. I'm afraid this matter will have to be dealt with slowly. Your Majesty is also aware of Xichang's methods. I'm afraid that under heavy pressure, I might push the situation too far."
, those ambitious people... will cause great disaster, Your Majesty! I, a good soldier, should drive away the Tartars and defend the territory, and should not pour blood on the rebellious people, Your Majesty knows this for sure!"
Brother Shou was silent for another long time, and finally sighed and said, "Zhang Yong and Zhang Daban also said the same thing." He laughed at himself, "Do heroes think the same thing?"
Shen Rui lowered his head and said piously: "I dare not compare myself to a hero, but I dare to say that both I and Eunuch Zhang are loyal to the Ming Dynasty and to the Emperor!"
Brother Shou stared at Shen Rui for a long time, then smiled and said warmly: "I know. I trust you."
"I originally wanted to..." He paused, shook his head again, and said, "That's all, you and Chen Kuan will go back in a while, convey my decree, let the officials disperse, and then tell Liu Jin to let his
Experts will investigate this matter carefully."
Shen Rui responded and asked again: "Does the emperor want to give ice melons to all officials to show the emperor's favor?"
Brother Shou sneered, but he still said: "Give me some melons, some ice, and then let the imperial doctor show it to the old gentlemen and give me some medicine..."
Shen Rui hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Your Majesty's grace is so great!"
Brother Shou waved his hand and said: "There was a fire in Gongyuan earlier, and your bookshop manuscripts saved the test papers. You played an important role and gained prestige among the new scholars. This time you saved all the officials from the scorching sun..."
He seemed to feel that these words were so sour as to be written in a storybook, and couldn't help laughing, and continued: "It also has prestige among officials..."
However, Shen Rui couldn't even smile. He was afraid of the four words "invitation to buy people's hearts". He kowtowed and said, "I am scared! Last time, the emperor cherished talents and couldn't bear to depose the tributes whose examination papers were destroyed. Today
This time, the emperor loves and protects all officials, and the wise king loves the people and cares for his subordinates. I am just running errands to share the emperor's worries, how can I dare to covet the merits of heaven!"
Brother Shou walked over with his hands behind his back, patted Shen Rui on the shoulder, and said: "You are too cautious. It's all your fault, I remember. Since your clan brother Shen Ying entered Zhan Shifu, you also entered Tongzheng Let Si Wei experience it, and you should also take care of the repair of books and periodicals first."
Shen Rui was stunned for a moment, then quickly kowtowed and thanked him.
However, Brother Shou only smiled and waved his hands, then raised his voice and called the young chamberlain who was waiting far away, and gave an oral instruction for Shen Rui and Chen Kuan to return to the palace to "rescue" the officials.
*
In front of Fengtian Gate
Contrary to what Shen Rui expected, the officials did not just kneel down and listen to Liu Jin's scolding.
In the past history, at this time in the cabinet, Li Dongyang was the only one who was not an eunuch, so it was difficult to support him alone. Now, with Wang Hua and Yang Tinghe in the cabinet, how could the eunuch be allowed to become arrogant?
When Shen Rui arrived, the elders Li Dongyang, Wang Hua, Yang Tinghe, Wang Hao, Liang Chu, the Minister of Personnel, and Liu Ji, the Minister of Rites, were all arguing with each other.
Liu Jin was extremely angry. Although Jiao Fang, Liu Yu and others secretly supported him, they could not compare with these great scholars.
It's just that Liu Jin bit the emperor to death and refused to let go. The officials had no choice but to kneel like this. No one dared to get up and turn around and ask questions. The crime of disobeying the emperor was not a joke.
When the little chamberlain ran in shouting the emperor's instructions, Liu Jin's face turned dark immediately.
When he saw Chen Kuan and Shen Rui who followed them, he couldn't help but narrowed his eyes.
Shen Rui first bowed to Liu Jin and said, "Xia Guan happened to be in Xiyuan, so the emperor asked Xi Guan and Lord Chen Kuan to come over with an oral message."
However, he refused to stand opposite the officials and accept their kneeling bows. Instead, he turned sideways and asked Chen Kuan to come and deliver the speech.
Chen Kuanyuan was a eunuch who was delivering edicts. He was familiar with the roads and ignored Liu Jin. He stood on the steps and loudly announced the emperor's decree, ordered all officials to withdraw from the court, gave ice melons and other items, and called in the imperial doctor to come and see.
All the officials had been tormented for a long time. After hearing these words, they couldn't help but express their gratitude. Some even had tears in their eyes and called the emperor a sage.
Liu Jin's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. He glared at Shen Rui and lowered his voice and asked coldly: "Is this really the emperor's decree?! Which emperor is it?"
Shen Rui's face was solemn and he stood up straight, as if he were a deputy envoy delivering an order. However, his lips moved slightly and he replied: "Master Liu, how dare a small person like Xiaguan dare to issue an edict."
The word "Jiao Zhao" made the tense muscles around Liu Jin's cheeks tremble. He suppressed his anger and snorted.
But Shen Rui said: "The emperor also said that this matter needs to be investigated by Mr. Liu's expert factory."
Liu Jin was immediately overjoyed, saying that the emperor has approved the establishment of an expert factory!
Seeing that his face was relaxed, Shen Rui added slowly, "Mr. Liu, this official is a layman, but it's quite strange to hear this. Thinking about these recent things, sir, Have you ever thought about whether it was someone from the inner court who did it..."
Liu Jin's face turned darker when he heard this, his eyes flickered, and he no longer knew where he was landing.