Because the Shen family's ancestral house, the third, fourth, and ninth rooms were all holding funerals, at a glance, everything was white. Even if you were sitting at the Hongyun Inn, which was not too close, you could still hear those monks and Taoists using gold cymbals, copper cymbals, and reeds in the distance.
Control the sound of the bamboo sheng.
Shen Rui looked out the window. Although there were a few shops and houses with obvious signs of fire, and there were also houses with white walls, in general most shops were open for business, and people were coming and going on the streets. It was not much different from the past.
.
Compared with the devastated scene after the last "Japanese disaster", it was really much better.
Speaking of which, I have to thank the person in front of me, but...
Shen Rui looked away, sighed, and said: "Why are you so anxious? It's too risky. Now everyone is on guard."
Not long after he arrived in Songjiang, he was invited here by Lu Sanlang, which still attracted too much attention.
If we wait until things are almost settled on his side and go to the Lu family to say thank you before meeting again, there will be no trace left.
Sitting across from him was an old man with white beard and hair. His face was wrinkled and his body was stooped. Some people would believe him if he said he was a hundred years old.
When the man opened his mouth, his voice was loud and clear, without any trace of demeanor: "I wouldn't come to you now if there was no urgent matter. I'm just afraid that someone might look for you on the road and let others know the clues, so I delayed it until now."
He paused for a moment, then said seriously: "Ashan is so stubborn that his actions are not serious. I have already punished him. Please bear with me."
This person is none other than the head of the Nine-Headed Jiao, Shen Rui's biological uncle, Meng Cong.
Shen Rui couldn't help but rub his forehead and sighed: "Looking at the root of this matter, I really have to thank Master Kang Si. Although his actions... are always for the good of the Shen family."
It's just that the method was too bloody and frightened several elderly clan elders to death. Even a young person like Shen Qin had nightmares for many days in a row. She told Shen Rui in private that Lu Sanlang was really nimble in doing things.
Even if he is too cruel, he still needs to be careful when dealing with him in the future.
But Shen Rui couldn't tell him that Lu Sanlang didn't think so, it was the extremely vicious method of the Nine-Headed Jiao, and he was afraid that Lu Sanlang would also be scared to death.
Since the opening of the sea in Shandong, the Nine-Headed Jiao has secretly cooperated with the Lu family, both in overt maritime trade and covert smuggling.
The Lu family's contact person in Shandong is Lu Shiliu Lang, on the Songjiang side it's Lu Sanlang, and on the Nine Headed Jiao side, it's Meng Cong's confidant, Fourth Master Kang Ashan.
The Lu family did not know the relationship between Meng Cong and Shen Rui. They only knew that Shen Rui had reached an agreement with the Nine-Headed Dragon Meng Jiu when he was in Dengzhou, and used the imperial navy warship to help him gain the upper hand in the internal strife and become the leader and dominate.
The sea route from Ming Dynasty to Japan.
After that, the Ming Dynasty's ships going to the Japanese country were all protected by the nine-headed dragon, and one or two of them were taken out. The navy also turned a blind eye to the nine-headed dragon.
Since the imperial court was able to help Meng Dalongtou, and Shen Rui was the matchmaker, the Lu family had nothing to fear. So they continued to cooperate for so many years and made a lot of money.
This time the Lu family's merchant ship returned to Songjiang, and Kang Ashan also led the fleet among them, preparing to do some shopping in Songjiang.
Just then, Shen Qi's housekeeper came to ask for help.
They are all men who work hard at sea, and it goes without saying that they are ruthless. Especially Kang Ashan, who knows the severity of the court's punishment for banditry, not to mention that it may involve rebellion, so he mercilessly killed Shen Yuan who shouted the words of surrender.
, Brother Qiong and Brother Xiaoyu who were colluding with the gangsters were all killed, and none of the Poyang Lake water bandits in the ancestral hall were spared.
Afterwards, everything was blamed on the water bandits, and the three Shen family members turned from accomplices to victims.
The Shen family held the funeral with great fanfare this time, also to cover up one or two things.
It's just that there are too many people in Ning Fan who know about Brother Xiaodong and Brother Xiaohua, so it's impossible to hide it.
Fortunately, Brother Xiaohua killed Brother Xiaodong and rescued Shen Li and Shen Liu from the knife. Later, he led the nine-headed dragon pretending to be a Lu family sailor guard to assist the officers and soldiers in annihilating the Poyang Lake water bandits who were looting Songjiang outside. , it can be regarded as meritorious deeds.
There were also factors such as being kidnapped when he was young, and his mother and sister falling into the hands of rivals and being coerced. I thought that Brother Xiao Hua's life could be saved, and Wu Fang would not be implicated in the crime of conspiracy.
Although Brother Xiaodong's crime was unforgivable, Shen Xuan and Shen Jun did not disobey him. Instead, he made a great contribution by exposing him. Not only would the clan not be guilty, but he would also have a reputation for righteousness and annihilation of relatives.
Brother Xiaodong's body had been examined and recorded by the widow, and his family was allowed to take it away. After the clan clan took it, he buried it in a public cemetery and did not enter the Shen family's ancestral grave. This time, it was just a funeral for Shenhai.
Brother Xiao Hua was imprisoned in the government prison. Of course, with the Shen family here, he would not suffer.
"Ashan told me, Brother Xiaohua, this kid is really born to eat at sea," Meng Cong's eyes lit up and he said with a smile: "It's okay, if the court sentences him to death, I will replace him with someone. If you follow me later, I think you will be the head of the Nine-Headed Jiao in a few years! Hahahaha."
He smiled heartily, but Shen Rui's face darkened, "No need to talk! I won't let him do this, let alone sentence him to death!"
Meng Cong smacked his lips and shook his head: "What a good seedling! What a pity, what a pity!" He asked again, "I heard that he was involved in a murder case or an official killing. At least he was an exile, right? You just Are you willing to let him live in exile for three thousand miles?"
Shen Rui couldn't help but glare at him, "You old man, please save yourself!"
After a pause, he sighed: "I have met Brother Xiaohua and also talked with Brother Qi. What Brother Xiaohua means is that he will be exiled. He wants to go to the northwest or Liaodong. If there is a war and he is willing to fight, then he will be exiled. If you can get away with meritorious service one day, you may not have no future in the future."
Meng Cong couldn't help but cheered: "He is a good son with backbone and blood!" This made him feel even more regretful, and he looked at Shen Rui eagerly.
Shen Rui said: "The Shen family in Liaodong has property and a clan there, and it is connected to Dengzhou by sea, which is quite cheap. There is Zhao Hongpei and a horse market in the northwest, so it is not impossible to operate. Brother Qi said, no matter where Brother Xiaohua goes, Wherever he goes, he takes his wife and daughter with him."
Shen Qi firmly stated that the family would never be separated again.
In fact, he was also afraid that the Jiang family and his daughter had been abducted for many years, and there would be rumors in Songjiang when they returned. He didn't mind, but he didn't want his wife and daughter to be wronged.
Sister Xing is now old, and it is time for her to talk to others. Although he is willing to raise his daughter for the rest of his life, he also hopes that his daughter will find a husband and have a good home.
He felt distressed and guilty for Brother Xiao Hua, and hoped that his father could do something for him.
That's why one family decided to follow Brother Xiaohua.
Meng Cong nodded and said, "Brother Qi is also a responsible man."
Shen Rui let out a long sigh. Over the years, Jiang, mother and son have suffered, and Shen Qi has suffered as well. This suffering family is finally reunited.
Then it's up to them, whether it's Liaodong or northwest, they can go wherever they want. What he can do is to provide them with a good environment as much as possible.
But Meng Cong suddenly said: "Have you ever thought of another place to be exiled? Qiongzhou."
Shen Rui was stunned, Qiongzhou? Hainan Island!
"Although Aunt Tu has not come to the north in recent years, she still occupies Ryukyu and goes to the South China Sea from time to time. Sooner or later, she will be a disaster."
Meng Cong said, "Nine-headed dragons are already operating in Wanzhou and Yazhou, and there are several water villages. This kid, Brother Xiao Hua, is really destined to eat this bowl of rice. If he goes to Qiongzhou, it will be like a dragon entering the sea..."
Seeing that Shen Rui was thoughtful, he added another bargaining chip, "Aren't you short of food? There are so many islands and countries in the south, how can we get food? Food is secondary, and the gems and spices... think about the time when Grandpa Zheng came down
Coming back from Nanyang, there are so many good things..."
Shen Rui is really tempted, the Ming Dynasty is short of food!
When he was in Dengzhou, he was wandering around, eating mountains and seas, and relying on Liaodong. He felt that he could still fill the bellies of the people, and he did not feel that a food crisis was imminent.
When I arrived in Henan this time, I really felt that I was so short of food!
When he attacked the vassals, he wanted to steal food from their hands.
Food is the most important thing for the people. No matter how many ideas he has, no matter how many capable people he recruits, as long as the "lack of food" is a stumbling block, the Ming Dynasty will not be able to gallop forward.
Hainan Island, Hainan Island, has three crops a year! It is also a good place for breeding!
Not to mention, there is the vast world of Nanyang!
Also, further routes, larger maritime trade market...
"Think about it, think about it again..." Meng Cong was persuading with frothing at the mouth.
Suddenly Shen Rui said: "Okay, I will think about it carefully."
"Uh, you agreed?" Meng Cong couldn't believe it and asked, "You really agreed?"
"What should I do! That's why he went after I told him to go?!" Shen Rui couldn't help but feel angry and funny, and said: "You must allow me to go back and think about it carefully, and then discuss it with my family, right?"
He had to go back and discuss it carefully with Shen Li and his staff, and he also had to ask Shen Qi and Brother Xiaohua for their opinions.
Meng Cong laughed and said: "Rong, why don't you tolerate it? Let's discuss it carefully, discuss it carefully!"
He became happy for a moment, drank two more glasses of wine, and said, "This is an unexpected surprise. I was originally going to tell you..."
As he spoke, he patted his thigh and said sadly: "Hey, I'm really old. I had forgotten all the important things."
Shen Rui was also puzzled, what urgent matter was this?
Meng Cong said solemnly: "This kid Kang Ashan is just stubborn and has no brains. He shouldn't have killed Shen Yuan."
Shen Rui couldn't help but rolled his eyes, "Uncle, this is not something you can say! Your wish that Shen Yuan would die early is written all over your face!"
Shen Rui really has no feelings for Shen Yuan at all.
Now that Shen Yuan is dead, there is no such thing as Shen Rui being sad or sad. It is impossible to say that he is happy.
It's like listening to an irrelevant person and saying "Oh, this person is dead", that's all.
Even though as the biological father, Shen Yuan's evil deeds may still be the reason for some people to criticize Shen Rui.
But Shen Rui has come this far and is really not afraid of these things anymore.
When it comes to throwing away the baggage, Shen Jin probably feels like she's throwing away the baggage.
Although, Shen Yuan's death deceived Shen Jin again this time.
This time Shen Xun was also worried, but at least he had made meritorious deeds before. Although the reward had not been issued yet, he would not stay still if he came back three years later.
As for Shen Jin, Hou Ninghou has been trying to find him the position of Chief Secretary. They were almost ready, but because of Ning Fan's rebellious slogans, the matter was shelved.
Later, the young emperor used the pretext of "easing the relationship between mother and son" to ask Shouning Hou for a large sum of money for his personal expedition.
After receiving the money, the little emperor rewarded Shen Jin with a sweet date, verbally promised Shen Jin's official position, and only said that he would issue an order after returning from the expedition in person -
As a result, Shen Jin was worried again.
Shouning Hou was so angry that after three years, who knew whether the emperor would still recognize him! Moreover, this happened several times! As soon as his son-in-law was offered an official position, he would be worried!
No matter how much Shouning Hou scolded him, Shen Jin finally got rid of Shen Yuan, a time bomb that could cause trouble at any time.
Now that Meng Cong mentioned it, Shen Rui couldn't say anything about Kang Ashan or whether Shen Yuan should die. He could only wave his hands and say, "If you say that, I don't even know what to say."
Meng Cong did not ask him to answer anything, but said: "It is not a pity for that man to die, but if he dies, he will be buried with your mother..."
Shen Rui sighed, the nephew and uncle really wanted to go together, but he was not happy either!
But now, even if he came up with a huge reason, it was impossible for the original couple not to be buried together.
In modern times, urns can be quietly moved to another location without anyone noticing.
But this was the Ming Dynasty, and when Sun was buried, it was a coffin and a body.
In the past, the Third Master was determined to break with his father and Songjiang, so that he could dig up his biological mother's grave and burn her body into ashes. But now Shen Rui has no reason to dig up her grave and burn her body.
"Let me think about this matter and think of a solution as soon as possible..." Shen Rui said.
Fortunately, Shen Jin hasn't come back yet, and Shen Yuan has to stay for a while and won't be buried for a while, so there is still time.
Meng Cong showed a satisfied smile: "Your mother did not hurt you in vain!"
"This is the urgent matter I want to tell you." He came closer and said, "Uncle will not make things difficult for you. I have already brought your mother out."
"Ah?!" Shen Rui was stunned and couldn't believe his ears. He couldn't help but ask, "What? What did you say?"
"It was during the chaos in Songjiang Mansion that day that I took someone to bring your mother out in a coffin. I was just in a hurry and didn't bother to clean up the mess."
"There wasn't much movement outside the Yin Mansion. You can't tell at a glance. I'm just afraid that the concubine will come back to prepare for his father's burial. If he sees through it again when he digs up the grave and unearths the bones, it's not good to start a fight."
Meng Cong said, "So let me tell you first. Songjiang Mansion has settled down in the past two days, and the Shen family has something to do. There are many people coming in and out of the Xishan Tomb. If my people can't go in and arrange it, you have to arrange it." People are sorting out the follow-up. And..."
He looked at the nephew who looked like a sister, sighed, and said: "I originally wanted to take her overseas. But after all, it's your mother, and I'm afraid she won't be able to let you go, so she asked her to stay with her adoptive father. Enjoy the incense offered by your son. I can take her to the capital, but it is up to you to think of a way to bury her next to her adoptive father."
I never expected Meng Cong to be so skillful.
Shen Rui was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and now he really couldn't answer the question.
After a long while, he murmured: "That's fine..."
*
On July 20th, King Ning Zhu Chenhao was captured alive.
From the day of June 14th, when the imperial officials were killed and the rebellion ended, to the day when they were captured alive, it only lasted thirty-six days.
After more than ten years of planning, the army was mobilized and nearly 100,000 bandits were captured. Jiujiang, Nankang and other cities were captured from the beginning, shaking the north and south of the country. The massive rebellion was declared bankrupt.
However, the proud Prince Ning met the Nanjing Navy led by Wang Shouren in Anqing, and suffered a disastrous defeat.
Then they were shocked to hear that Nanchang had been lost. Jiang Sheng, the governor of southern Jiangxi, led several commanders to join the bandit-suppressing army in western Zhejiang and northern Fujian, and captured the empty city of Nanchang in one fell swoop.
King Ning refused to listen to the dissuasion of the "National Adviser" Li Zhenren and immediately asked his troops to return to rescue Nanchang. He even wanted to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor immediately, change the Yuan Dynasty to Shunde, and separatize one side.
Wang Shouren was not willing to let him run away like this, so he led his army in hot pursuit.
And Ning Fan's army encountered Jiang He and Gao Wen's troops on the way back to the army.
Jiang He had been suppressing bandits in Huguang for many years and was also familiar with water warfare. The rebels were defeated again.
Later, Wang Shouren's pursuers arrived, and the two sides joined forces. The rebels had no way to retreat. In the end, Ning Fan was captured alive, and the rebellion ended.
Although King Ning was captured, the chaos he caused did not subside immediately.
Unlike King Anhua who seized the frontier army, King Ning raised private soldiers and bandits. Over the years, he used money to bribe many officials from various places to guard the internal officials.
These people brought a lot of trouble to the court.
For example, Bizhen, the eunuch who was guarding Zhejiang, was given money by King Ning to move him from Jiangxi to Zhejiang. As soon as he arrived in Zhejiang, he spent a lot of money and rewarded the officers and soldiers of the guard station generously to win over people's hearts.
He also used training as an excuse to build armor, buy grain and rice, and prepare military supplies for Ning Fan.
After King Ning rebelled, Bizhen responded actively, openly announcing that Prince Ning wanted to take over Zhejiang, and took the keys to all the doors in Hangzhou City. He also ordered the Zhejiang Dusi to dispatch officers and soldiers, causing the soldiers and civilians in the city to run in fear, and all officials committed suicide. In case of danger, the three divisions gathered troops to defend themselves.
There were also people in Nanjing who spread rumors and caused trouble, shouting something to welcome the Holy Lord. Fortunately, Wu Jingbo and Zhao Chengqing were guarding Nanjing and responded in time without causing too much chaos.
There are also many prefectures and counties along the river and coastal areas where rich places like Songjiang were plundered.
As Shen Jun reported earlier, Ning Fan raised many rich children like Xiao Dongge just to use the families behind them as money bags.
On June 15th, King Ning appointed Min 24th, Ling 11th, Wu Shisan and other Jiangyang thieves as commanders, and asked them to lead people to attack prefectures and counties and plunder ships and military supplies.
These people cannot determine the overall situation, but their destructive power to a place is huge.
Especially after hearing about King Ning's failure, these bandits broke up and fled, continuing to cause trouble to the place. The subsequent pursuit will also be a big project.
On the Songjiang side, Shen Xun and Shen Jin have both returned for funerals, but the nearest Shen Jun has not returned yet. This is because he is now with Jiang Sheng, relying on his many years of accumulation in Jiangxi to help clean up the counter-feudal clan. The remaining party annihilated the fleeing bandits.
The rebellion subsided and the news of King Ning's capture was sent to Brother Shou at the end of July.
At that time, Brother Shou was already in Xuzhou Prefecture, in the territory of Nanzhili. He really came here to fight in person. He was looking forward to a battle. He didn't play at all along the way. He was really rushing to march in a hurry.
The cabinet ministers accompanying him this time were Yang Tinghe, Liang Chu and Fei Hong. Li Dongyang and Wang Hua were old and were not suitable for traveling, so they were left in the capital to take charge of the overall situation.
When Yang, Liang and Fei heard the good news, they all urged Brother Shou to return to Luan.
Brother Shou finally came out, but he is not willing to go back!
Especially now that we are in Southern Zhili, Nanjing is right in front of us. He is a descendant of Taizu, how can he not go to Nanjing to see it?
This time no one dared to mention what made Wang Shouren let Prince Ning go so that the emperor could catch him.
Brother Shou had no intention of playing a cat-and-mouse game, so he immediately told the world to tell the truth, personally conquered a great victory, and suppressed the rebellion against the feudal lord.
Then Wang Shouren was ordered to escort King Ning to Nanjing. He wanted to enter Nanjing with troops and accept the sacrifice of prisoners.
Yang Tinghe and other ministers tried their best to dissuade him. They all said that although King Ni had been captured, the bandits he supported were still at large, so it would be safe for the emperor to return to the capital as soon as possible.
He also said that now that the autumn is high and the horses are fat, I am afraid that the Tatars will invade the border again.
He also said that after leaving Beijing for a long time, government affairs were in ruins.
Brother Shou retorted one by one, "Am I allowed to conquer the Northern captives myself again? Otherwise, why would the Tatar prisoners ask me to return to Beijing?"
"Ning Ni has been destroyed. Why are the assassins coming to kill me? To rob the execution ground? That should be in Nanjing, right?"
"Aren't the elders originally in charge of government affairs? Wang Yue is also in the capital, and the Supervisor of Ceremonies is acting as usual. Where is the waste?"
No matter what the minister said, he would always have some crooked reply. In short, nothing could make him come back.
Brother Shou walked in a hurry along the way, and he was eager to see the scenery on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
I originally wanted to have a good time when I defeated King Ning and returned, but I didn't want to have such a big deal so soon. It is the time of summer and autumn, which is the best time to visit. The prosperous Yangzhou is right in front of you, so you must have a good time.
Then the young emperor happily announced: The Southern Expedition was changed to the Southern Tour.
This has stirred up a hornet's nest. You want to worship the ancestors' mausoleums and accept the surrender of Nanjing. Although the courtiers are dissatisfied, they can only admit it by pinching their noses.
But now you are saying that you want to spend your money and money to go out and have fun! When several provinces have reported disasters and Tatars have been threatening the borders, that is the act of a coward!
The courtiers were like enraged wasps, and they began to surround the emperor and attack him, just like when they returned to the early years of Zhengde and found that the little emperor did not like to study and was only interested in playing.
The people around me didn't just give advice, but even in the capital city, the pile of notes sent by the Nanjing Censor Yanguan could be as high as one person.
As for Brother Shou, he rolled his eyes and ignored it at all. If you like handing over coupons, just hand them over. The Ge who followed him was always doing something, so let them slowly take notice.
Zhang Yong, the Chief of Ceremony, also came out. If there is any political matter, the three cabinet elders and Zhang Yong can discuss it and resolve it together.
When he should have fun, he should still have fun.
Do you think it's too extravagant for a chariot to travel with too many attendants? Well, let's have a private visit incognito! Just take a few people with you, no ceremony, just go out for a stroll.
Do you think it might be dangerous for Bailongyu to mix in the market? Okay, you don’t have to go to the market, just visit the minister’s house. If you find anything delicious and fun, ask them to prepare it!
Brother Shou just enjoyed traveling around the mountains and rivers all the way, slowly heading south.
Not only were the courtiers dissatisfied, but Zhang Hui was also a little overwhelmed.
When he was young, he often traveled around the capital with Brother Shou. At that time, he was only responsible for playing and entertaining Brother Shou in various ways. It was extremely relaxing and comfortable.
Now, he has to be responsible for the safety of the emperor, planning the route every day, arranging secret protection personnel, making Brother Shou happy, and paying full attention to whether there is any danger. It is really exhausting.
Zhang Hui wrote to Shen Rui more than once, telling him to stop hiding at home and come back quickly to help him share the burden.
How can Shen Rui be free now?
The war in the south had not yet ended when he received the letter from home. Although he knew that he would definitely win and would not need a pioneer officer like himself, he could not just run away with the military orders in hand.
After adopting and dividing the family, even if the biological father dies, there is no need for him to keep filial piety to Dingyou.
Therefore, when writing a letter to Brother Shou, Shen Rui told the truth about what happened in Songjiang Mansion, expressing that he was afraid that the rebels would cause harm to the place, and since he was the vanguard, he should go first to clear the obstacles for His Majesty.
Thinking about how much gold and silver Ning Fan stole during the "Japanese Rebellion" in Songjiang Prefecture, Brother Shou certainly did not want to let Ning Fan pick peaches in these wealthy coastal counties.
Then he ordered the pioneer officer Shen Rui to detach a team of troops to go to Songjiang and other state capitals to suppress the bandits. He also asked Shen Rui to do things easily, which also gave him a holiday to take care of the family's affairs.
Shen Rui was ordered to return to Songjiang on official business.
The reason why he came back in a hurry was to clean up the house, because he was afraid that the Nine-Headed Jiao might not be well hidden and the Shen family would become a bandit instead of a vassal.
After Songjiang had settled down, something happened again in Hangzhou Mansion that disturbed people's hearts. Shen Rui led his troops to Hangzhou Mansion and captured Bizhen and his accomplices.
After that, things similar to the Shen family happened in Jiaxing, Huzhou, Zhenjiang, and Changzhou. Although it was not a large-scale robbery, the impact was not small. At the same time, local bandits and water bandits came out to take advantage of the situation. Shen Rui and Zhao Hongze acted separately.
, the chaos was settled one by one.
It was not until late August that the bandits in this area were completely eliminated.
So following Zhang Hui's letter, Shen Rui also expressed his helplessness. The funeral here was not full yet, so he had to wait until the elders were buried and everything was settled before he could go back. At that time, the emperor was supposed to be in Nanjing.
I can only use my command to carry it myself.
Zhang Hui's side is easy to deal with, but his uncle Yang Shen's side is difficult to deal with.
Yang Shen did not accompany him this time. After Yang Tinghe learned that something happened to the Shen family, he sent people back to Beijing to ask Yang Shen to take leave and go south to express condolences. He also went to Shandong to pick up Yang Tian and escort her mother and son back to Songjiang.
Although Shen Rui became a successor and the clan was divided, Shen Yuan was the biological father after all, and as an in-law, the Yang family could not skip this etiquette.
When Yang Shen heard on the road that Ning Ni had been captured, he was extremely happy. He thought that the emperor was about to return to Luan, but he didn't expect that the emperor would change the southern expedition to a southern tour and have fun all the way. This made Yang Shen, who had always been a strict man, very unhappy.
He wrote letters to his father and his teacher Li Dongyang, and also gave several exhortations, saying bluntly, "If you act rashly and act without doing anything, you will regret it unexpectedly."
However, these excerpts, like other excerpts with similar content, were thrown aside by Shou Ge and ignored.
When Yang Shen talked to Shen Rui, he was still very angry. He also said that the emperor would not listen to what these people said. Shen Rui was a close minister of the emperor and his majesty's adviser. His advice would definitely be effective, so he asked Shen Rui to write more letters to advise him.
Shen Rui thought to himself, it's nothing to stay in Yangzhou and not visit. Historically, Zhengde's southern tour lasted for a year and a half! This is just the beginning.
But facing his upright uncle, Shen Rui had nothing to say. He could only follow him and then guide him to think about other things, such as how to minimize the negative impact of the emperor's southern tour - even though it was a waste of time and money.
, but what the emperor has eaten and played will definitely be popular. Expanding the industry in this way can also allow some people to make a living.
He also brought the Henan plan to trouble Yang Shen to help with the details.
Although Yang Shen said: "I'm afraid I won't let you go back to Henan because of the errands that the emperor personally sent you this time." But he still agreed and helped plan some good ideas.
Shen Rui also couldn't figure out how Brother Shou wanted to arrange himself. In his heart, he still wanted to go back to Henan and run a good business. This was not only to avoid the turmoil between the DPRK and China, but also to open up some situations in Henan and he didn't want to give up.
However, plans never change quickly.
Yang Shen had a good chat with Shen Li and Shen Jin in Songjiang, and he was also interested in the Shen family's university. He originally wanted to stay longer.
Suddenly, news came from Yangzhou that Yang Ting and his father Yang Chun had died of illness. Yang Tinghe, Yang Shen and his son both wanted Ding You.
Yang Shen immediately set off to Yangzhou to join Yang Tinghe and return to his hometown in central Sichuan. Wang Yan's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of the Yu family in Beijing will return to Shu from the capital with Yang Tinghe's younger brother Yang Tingyi and his family.
Although Yang Tian was a married woman whose filial piety was short, she should go back to attend the funeral, but was stopped by Yang Shen.
It is said that the journey is too long. Jiangxi has just been pacified, and the road may not be as peaceful as before.
Yang Tian's body was already weak, and he was injured after giving birth to a child. The journey from Shandong to Songjiang was quite tiring, and he had not recovered yet, so it was not suitable to travel further.
In addition, Yang Yue in Shanxi Province was told when delivering the letter that she would not be allowed to travel back to Shu.
Only then did Yang Tian give up.
When Yang Shen set off, Shen Rui and his wife saw each other off at the ferry with their children.
At this time, Yang Shen did not forget to solemnly tell Shen Rui: "Heng Yun, as a minister, you should try your best to persuade."
"'Your Majesty now has the China given to you by heaven, your majesty the throne passed down by your ancestors, your majesty the filial support of the two palaces, and the protection of your subjects. How can you be careless and cautious?'" He said, "I am here to explain. This is what I write here, and I also think this way in my heart: How can we care about the country, the country, the country, and not be careful about it?"
"Heng Yun, I see that what you have done for Shandong and Henan is all for the benefit of the people and for the Ming Dynasty. You are not even afraid of offending the vassal dignitaries at all costs. However, I don't know why you are unwilling to submit a letter this time. Admonish."
"Isn't it appropriate to advise the emperor to be cautious about the thousands of people and the ten thousand years of the country?"
Shen Rui was speechless for a moment and could only smile bitterly.
Yang Shen did not force him to promise anything, but instead said: "Father, I don't know how the cabinet will change this time. Wangge is old and he has too much ambition..." But in the end, he concealed the sentence that he had too little ambition.
After all, Yang Shen was Li Dongyang's disciple, and he was very aggrieved by Wang Hua's various attempts to suppress Li Dongyang's disciples and the hero Yang Yiqing.
He just reminded Pan Dao: "Old Wangge may not always plan everything for your own good. My father is no longer in the court, and you are serving abroad. I'm afraid it won't be as easy as before."
Shen Rui sighed, knowing in his heart that, just like the border horse market, the master would not give up using the horse market to suppress Yang Yiqing because of Shen Rui.
Now that Yang Ting and Ding You have a vacant position in the cabinet, there are many heroes who have contributed to the Southern Expedition to be rewarded, and those who are suspected of being connected to the vassal have to be eliminated, the court can't tell what the changes will be.
Yang Shen seemed to notice his hesitation, patted him on the shoulder and said: "If the emperor calls you, you can go back to the capital. By the emperor's side, if the emperor trusts you, you will always have less control over what you do."
"When you are with the emperor, you still have to do your best to persuade him..." He said this and then came back to the topic.
Shen Rui bowed solemnly and said that he must keep his elder brother's warnings in mind.
The two sides said goodbye.
Shen Rui watched the boat go away gradually, and Yang Shen stood on the bow, firm and straight, like a pine or a cypress.
Thinking back to what Yang Shen had just said to him, and what Yang Shen had experienced in history, he felt filled with emotion.
The river was surging and the lone sail was in the distance. Shen Rui couldn't help but murmur Yang Shen's famous poem through the ages.
"the river is long and tempestuous, it was like a hero.
Right or wrong, success or failure turns to nothing.
Aoyama is still there, How Many Suns.
The white-haired fisherman on the Nagisa River is used to watching the autumn moon and spring breeze.
Happy reunion over a pot of wine.
Many things in ancient and modern times are all made fun of."
Yang Tian's beautiful eyes were filled with tears. She was feeling sad about leaving. Suddenly she heard this word and couldn't help but be startled. She knew that her husband's writing was quite good but his poetry was mediocre. She didn't expect that he could recite such a masterpiece today.
She recited it again and felt endless aftertaste. She couldn't help but recite and chew it over and over again.
However, Shen Rui came to his senses and couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He quickly said: "It wasn't me who did it, but my brother..."
Well, this poem was not written before by his uncle. In history, Yang Shen got this poem after he received the imperial staff due to the "Great Rites Discussion", seized his official position and was banished to Yunnan.
Looking at his wife's confused eyes, he didn't know how to explain it for a moment.
Fortunately, while she was talking, the wet nurse had already brought Little Brother Jie over. The child, who could not yet speak, pricked his hands and screamed for his parents to hold him, which suddenly attracted Yang Tian's full attention.
"Jie" is the name given by Brother Shou after he found out that Shen Rui had a son.
Although there was already a brother from the Qifang side branch in the clan who had already occupied this name, but the emperor gave him the name, and others had no choice but to give way and change his name. Although Shen Qi and Shen Qin had already done it for him before, Shen Rui also made a special trip back to Songjiang this time.
The family apologized.
Little Brother Jie was raised to be white, fat and strong. His appearance is more like his mother's, but his temperament is not the same at all. He is most lively and active.
Shen Rui was afraid that Yang Tian wouldn't be able to hold him, so he quickly took it over. The boy giggled, pulling his father's hair and ears, and never stopped for a moment.
However, Shen Chuanlu, who was full of wits, both civil and military, could only smile stupidly in front of his son, and he was so clumsy that he could not avoid those troublesome chubby hands.
Holding his son in one hand and holding his wife in the other, Shen Rui, who had been in a trance between history and reality, suddenly felt completely at peace in his heart at this moment.
*
On the first day of September, the Shen family opened its ancestral hall again.
The heads of each house, clan elders, and some clan members gathered in the ancestral hall in a crowded atmosphere.
Those who are officials outside, such as Shen Ying, Shen Li, Shen Quan, Shen Dai, etc., try their best to take leave and come back. Those who are engaged in business and study, such as Shen Lian, Shen Yu, Shen Yue, Shen Chen, Shen Bao, Shen Huan, Shen Chun, etc. also
Came back.
Although it was grand and solemn, the whole hall was filled with Shen family members and no outsiders were invited to watch the ceremony.
There are several things to do in opening the ancestral hall this time, mainly to elect a new clan leader - Shen Qi said that the whole family will accompany Brother Xiaohua, so he resigned from the position of clan leader.
In addition, Brother Xiaonan and Brother Xiaojie were added to the family tree, and Brother Xiaodong was expelled from the family tree.
Also, the third room decided to divide the house into clans again.
Shen Qi led everyone to offer three sacrifices to their ancestors, burn incense and bow before taking their seats in the public hall.
After bowing in a circle, Shen Qi went to stand in the middle hall. As usual, he first told the history of the Shen family, and then, with sobs in his voice, told about his family's decision to accompany his son.
Shen Qi, as the patriarch of the clan, has acted impartially over the years, and everyone in the clan is convinced of it. They know how difficult it is for his family, so they all express their understanding and send their blessings.
As for the candidate to succeed the clan leader, many people in the clan thought about Shen Li. However, with the fall of Nifan, the young master and his advisers were arrested in Henan, including Zhang Hao. The matter of stealing the seal was also exposed to the world, and Shen Li had not arrived yet.
Half a hundred, it is not difficult to recover, but I am afraid that the clan leader will not last long.
Although the clan leader Shen Jun has to observe mourning for three years for his meritorious service, he will definitely have a bright future after that and will not stay in Songjiang.
Therefore, the clan members had discussed it privately and unanimously elected the eighth-fang Chenliu, who had previously served as a supervisor in the clan and was strict in handling matters, as the clan leader. As for the person who manages the accounting books, the sixth-fang Shenqi was still selected.
Previously, the person in charge of the family property was Shen Lian. Now that the third family is going to be divided into clans again, Shen Lian, the first family, is planning to give up his Songjiang farmhouse and move his family to Shandong, so the general manager will also need to be replaced.
In the past few years, Shen Lian has helped Shen Rui with matters in Shandong and Henan. Shen Huai, a concubine of the clan who served as grain chief after Shen Yu, helped take care of the family property, and now it is fully entrusted to him.
There was also Shen Jia, a concubine from the fifth house, who had not yet completed his studies but had some talent for business, so he followed Shen Huai as an assistant.
The next step is to ask for the genealogy.
When Brother Xiaodong was fired, the faces of Shen Xuan who was sitting and Shen who was standing behind him showed no expression at all.
Shen Jun at the side had tears in his eyes, as if he was deeply sorry for not being able to save his nephew, but the truth was unknown to others.
There was a burst of sobs from the female family members in the side room, it was Grandma Xun.
After a while, Shen Rui went out to the side room and carried Xiao Jie into the public hall. Behind him was Xiao Nan, a young boy.
Shen Yong's eyes were fixed on Brother Xiaonan, and he subconsciously called out.
Ever since that day when Shen Yong saw Brother Qiong being killed with his own eyes, he fell ill. Every time he thought about the past on his sick bed, he couldn't help but regret it.
Hearing that He's mother and son had returned, he sent someone to invite him and wanted to see Brother Xiaonan, but He refused.
Therefore, Brother Xiaonan didn't recognize him. When he heard someone calling his name and knew that the people sitting in the hall were all elders, he bowed his head very politely.
Shen Yong's eyes turned red immediately, and he wanted to say something else, but was stopped by a light cough from Shen Lian next to him.
Thinking of all the things in the past, my family always wanted to find a balance so that both sons would be fine, but in the end, neither son was fine, and they both died miserably.
Such a well-educated and good grandson was pushed out by himself...I couldn't help but burst into tears for a while.
After writing the genealogy, the three families were divided into clans.
The eldest man of Sanfang Lake and his wife were of poor character and were disliked by the tribe. Shen Yong was also disliked by the tribe because of Shen Ling's affairs. Shen Zhu was at the head of the house first, and Shen Qiong was later. They harmed the tribe a lot. For They are divided into clans, and everyone in the clan agrees that they should not drag down the two good people, the third master Shen Hao and the fourth master Shen Lian.
Just like the last family separation, Shen Hao and Shen Lian both expressed their willingness to give up all their property in Songjiang Tianzhai as long as they could separate their families. This time Shen Hao was also planning to follow his fourth brother northward.
Shen Yong felt ashamed. He didn't want anything from his brothers. Besides, he also had a family business. He had been dragged down by Mr. Huda over the years. Now that his son was gone, he didn't want to stay in Songjiang anymore. Even if he was happy, It should be divided into clans.
Mr. Huda has indulged in drinking and debauchery in recent years, and suffered a stroke. Although he recovered a little, his arms and legs are still not very convenient, and his speech is also unclear.
This time when I was brought to the ancestral hall, I heard that my second brother actually refused to hand over the land and property to the third and fourth brothers. I was so angry that I almost had another stroke. I blew my beard and stared, but my speech was not good enough and I couldn't speak.
In the wing over there, Mrs. Hu rushed out with a roar, stood at the hall door and cursed, saying that the second, third and fourth son were sorry for his family and should give all the things they deserve to his family. The younger brothers must Just feed them and provide for them.
She still remembered Shen Zhu for some reason, and said with a shy face how great her son who was "a top scholar" was, insisting that Shen Zhu was harmed by his clan, and that the clan was sorry for his family.
If it weren't for Shen Zhulu's wealth that initially attracted the covetousness of Ning Fan's bandits, how could the Shen family have suffered such disasters one after another!
The clan members were all extremely angry and scolded and cursed her.
Mrs. Huda was frightened by the noise, and then she became a little scared and shut up.
Shen Liu's seniority was the reason why he didn't like the couple. He asked Mrs. Huda: "Brother Xiao Hua is also exiled for three thousand miles, and Brother Qi and his family are willing to accompany him. You are also parents, if you really love your children, Why don't I send you to accompany Brother Zhu!"
Mrs. Huda became weak at that time and started to make excuses incoherently.
Shen Liuduan shouted: "If you talk nonsense again and bring trouble to the clan, I will send you to the family temple to cultivate your oral ethics!" After saying that, he called on all the deacons and disciples to throw this shrew away, and they decided to divide the three houses into clans. , from then on the brothers had nothing to do with each other.
After everything was done, Shen Li stood up, bowed his head to the surroundings, and said loudly: "In the past ten years, the Shen family has experienced two catastrophes, both caused by the dishonesty of the children and grandchildren. The lessons have been painful."
Many people here have experienced these two catastrophes, and they can't help but feel lingering fears. After Mrs. Huda made a scene just now, they feel that this statement is more reasonable, so they all nodded in agreement.
Shen Li added: "In the past, the "Yan Family Instructions" said, 'The reason why I am doing this again is because I dare not follow the rules of the world, and my career is to order the family and tear down the descendants.'"
"Now, I, the Shen family, should also have such a family motto. According to the Yan family's articles and the laws of the Ming Dynasty, I, the Shen family, have written it in order to teach future generations. We do not seek to stand out or be famous in the world, but we seek to understand etiquette, justice and integrity. , abide by the laws of the country and the rules of the family, be loyal, filial, benevolent and righteous!"
The tribesmen all high-fived and agreed: "That's right!"
*
On this day, the seventh day of the mourning ceremony was completed, and a large funeral was held in the fourth room of the Shen family's clan house.
But I saw white flags in plain clothes, pouring out of Shenjiafang like mountains of silver pressing down on the ground.
Along the way, the Songjiang Prefecture magistrate, general magistrates, tongzhi, and push officials all set up road memorial tents, while other magistrates, county magistrates, and governors set up road memorial tables and tea tables.
Not to mention that everyone with names in Songjiang's officialdom was present, there were also people from Zhenjiang Prefecture, Hangzhou Prefecture and other places.
Nowadays, several high-ranking officials in the Shen family, who are usually hard to please, have all returned to Songjiang. Who wouldn't want to come and form a good relationship with them?
In addition, Shen Rui led troops to assist these governments in wiping out the remnants of the rebel faction. After all, it was Shen Rui's biological father who was buried. There were also many people who did not know the details of the relationship between Shen's father and son who came to express their gratitude.
In the past two days, news came from Beijing that Mr. Wang Hua and Wang Ge had resigned from office due to old illness.
This is clearly to make way for his son.
After Ning Ni was escorted to Nanjing to be presented as a prisoner, the imperial court rewarded him based on his merits. With Wang Shouren's great achievements in suppressing the rebellion and Wang Hua's foreshadowing, he would definitely be able to join the cabinet in one fell swoop.
Don't worry about Shen Rui's father-in-law, Yang Ge Lao Ding, now that his master Wang Shouren has become a pavilion old man again, Shen Rui's backstage has never fallen, and he has also contributed to wiping out the remnants of the rebel faction. I'm afraid he can be promoted again.
Therefore, on this day, along the four-mile road from Shenjiafang to the west gate of the county town, there were endless sacrificial sheds and sacrificial tables for people in the officialdom, and even the sacrificial tables for relatives and in-laws of the Shen family could no longer be set up.
A huge funeral procession of hundreds of people passed by a brand-new stone bridge. Some people couldn't help but wonder: "Isn't it destroyed by the floods in summer? How old is the new bridge?"
Someone immediately said proudly: "It was built in the past two months. It was built by Auntie Yuan's weaving factory who donated this year's dividends!"
Therefore, this time the gift was given to the "Grand Master of the Fourth House", so some elderly people talked about the past, saying that the eldest wife's many righteous deeds in the past were recognized by the court, and she also gave her a gift of four nobles, a memorial arch, etc.
Everyone praised her, and a young descendant shouted: "This bridge should be called the 'Wise Woman Bridge', so that future generations will know the good deeds of Great Aunt Yuan, and also let more such good women be born in the family." yes!"
These words fell into the ears of a clerk at the roadside memorial table, and he immediately remembered them in his heart, thinking that he would report them to the magistrate later.
The prefect had just been promoted to Songjiang Prefecture, and it was a time when he wanted to get along well with the local wealthy families. Wouldn't it be a good opportunity to erect a monument to the "Wise Woman Bridge"!
Five miles away from the county seat, on the sunny slope of Xishan, is the tomb of the Shen family. The cemetery of the clan lineage is at the middle foot of Xishan. Radiating downwards are the inner three rooms and the outer five rooms at the foot of the mountain.
Mr. Yin and Yang had been invited long ago to dig a nine-foot-deep pit at the blessed site. When the auspicious time comes, Mr. Yin and Yang will direct the pole bearers to "climb into the pit and bury".
On Chen Hai's side, Mrs. He was still alive, so he was laid to rest first. On Shen Yuan's side, Sun's grave was raised and the couple's bones were buried side by side. Of course, only the coffin was buried together. In one place, the coffin will not be opened.
Shen Rui watched as Shen Jin and others spread the earth in mourning. Dozens of polemen took turns filling in the earth. The grave was buried in less than two quarters of an hour. No one noticed anything unusual. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After the ceremony, everyone returned and did not gather in one place. They returned in twos and threes. Cars and horses came to take the women back home.
Shen Rui, Shen Jin and other brothers walked side by side.
When Shen Jin talked about clan studies, he had taken over the clan studies last time when Ding You was there. This time, he was prepared as usual and had some new ideas. He talked about them one by one with Shen Rui and Shen listened carefully.
Then Shen Qin talked about Qingze Academy, and Shen Bao talked about Penglai Academy, and everyone started discussing together.
After a while, I walked to the stone bridge again.
During the funeral, Shen Jin, a filial son who resisted banners, walked at the front of the procession. There were gongs, drums, mourning, music, and crying, but the whispers behind him could not be heard.
But now I was walking quietly, and I heard some tribesmen or passers-by talking about the "Wise Woman Bridge" and the virtuous woman Sun from Shenmen.
When she saw Sun's coffin today, Shen Jin recalled all the good things his aunt's mother had done to him. She cried bitterly in front of the grave. It was not so much about Shen Yuan as she was crying about Sun.
Listening to these people now, he felt mixed emotions. He knew that this bridge was actually built by Yang Tian in the name of the Sun family.
A member of Yang Tian's family said that Shen Rui inherited the Sun family's heritage weaving shop and would allocate part of the dividends every year to continue doing good deeds to benefit the village in the name of the Sun family.
Yang Tian himself, together with his mother-in-law Xu, together with He and Qi's second grandmother Jiang, spent money to build several roads in Huating County.
Jishantang in Songjiang Prefecture was also learned from Dengzhou Prefecture in Shandong Province. It is said that it was founded by Yang Tian. This time Yang Tian also made a large donation when he came back.
As for his wife Zhang Yuxian, she was a proud daughter of a noble family, and she also opened a weaving factory, but she wanted to make money through tribute. As a result, her eldest sister Zhang Yujing was confiscated for pretending to be tribute, so she gave up on this idea.
When I came back this time, I heard that the Lu family had made a fortune through sea trade, so I wanted to take the sea trade route again and encouraged him to buy a merchant ship.
I come and go just to make money, and I have never thought about donating money to accumulate virtue and do good deeds.
But what can he say?
She said that once she asked him where he got the money for the restoration, he couldn't answer her at all.
Whether he wanted it or not, it was a fact that the Yue family spent a lot of money to find him an official position.
Holding on to the stone pillars of the bridge, Shen Jin suddenly sighed and said to Shen Rui: "It's my incompetence that didn't give my mother a higher order."
Back then, Mrs. Sun was invited by the prefect Jiang Sheng as a "virtuous woman" to be granted the title of fourth-rank honorary minister. However, Shen Jin's son was only of fifth rank now, so there was no reason to ask for a lower rank for his aunt.
Shen Rui also just heard the name of the "Wise Woman Bridge" and couldn't help being shocked.
He knew that Yang Tian was building bridges and paving roads. She often did good deeds in Shandong. What she wanted to do when she came back to Songjiang was all up to her, and Shen Rui didn't care.
Unexpectedly, this is the "Wise Woman Bridge" he has been looking for before.
He couldn't help but go up and touch the stone pillar, but he could no longer remember what the bridge looked like in his previous life.
All the things in the past life are like flowers in the mirror...
I was in a trance when I suddenly heard Shen Jin say this.
Shen Rui looked at Shen Jin, suddenly smiled, and said: "This is the title she earned by herself. She didn't rely on her husband or her son. It was her kindness that earned her the title for herself, shining the lintel of her family, and benefiting her descendants. .This is more glorious than anything else, isn’t it?”
He raised his head slightly, with endless pride in his tone.
Shen Jin was stunned. He seemed to have never seen his second brother holding his head high and speaking proudly for a long time.
In these years, the second brother has always been aloof and distant, with a reserved edge...
And that stubborn second brother, how many years ago was that?
Is it...when the aunt is still alive?
Even if I couldn't memorize the book well and was scolded by my teacher, I would not bow my head and admit my mistake. Even if I pressed my lips in aggrieved manner, I would always straighten my back and hold my head high.
That, the pride in my bones.
In a daze, he seemed to hear his second brother say, "Brother, you are in trouble. Today in front of my mother's grave, I remembered many old things. My mother once said, don't talk about harvest without hard work. To say that brother, you can go to school after ten years of cold and heat." , Keep your hands on the book every day, respectable but not jealous..."
Shen Jin stared blankly at his second brother, then at the stone bridge, looking through the bustling crowd on the bridge, through the noisy waves, and towards the lush green Western Mountains in the distance.
Slowly, he also smiled, nodded and said: "Yes, only what you earn is the glory."
While he was talking, several fast horses galloped over there, and pedestrians shouted to get out of the way.
It wasn't until here that the crowd became denser, and a group of riders got off their horses. Two of them threw the reins to the people behind them and came here panting.
One of them is Changshou, and the other is Liu Zhong's godson, Liu Xiangyun.
Changshou's face was extremely ugly, and he was obviously very dissatisfied with Liu Xiangyun and other internal officials' behavior of riding horses in the street, but he could not do anything to them.
Liu Xiangyun, on the other hand, bowed to Shen Rui with his fists clasped and saluted from afar. When he arrived, he apologized profusely. He opened his mouth and kept silent. He was originally here to pay homage and send a funeral. Unexpectedly, there was something wrong on the road and he was delayed. He quickly abandoned the boat and landed, speeding all the way. Unexpectedly, it was still too late. Yes, it is really a big sin.
How can you blame someone for saying this? Not only can’t you blame someone, you have to appreciate it!
I don’t know if he came here specifically to complete the scene of “I regret not being able to attend the funeral”.
Shen Rui often interacted with these internal officials. He was a top-notch person with a brilliant tongue and was good at singing, reading, doing and fighting. He was used to it.
He hurriedly supported Liu Xiangyun, thanked him solemnly, and introduced him to several people around him.
Shen Li, Shen Jin, and Liu Xiangyun all knew each other, and they greeted each other with a smile. However, Liu Xiangyun did not put on any airs and was quite polite to the low-ranking Shen family members.
Now that he has come here, he has no intention of letting anyone avoid him.
In front of the Shen family, Liu Xiangyun said: "The younger one is also here to report the news. So that adults know that Long Live Master will be in Nanjing soon and wants to recruit Lord Shen. The godfather asked the younger one to come and tell Lord Shen, 'Let's go on our journey once things are settled at home'. The younger ones don't dare to stay too long. They have to rush back after delivering the message..."
This is also for the Shen family to listen to, right? Shen Rui cursed in his heart. He was also afraid that he would not go back.
However, Liu Zhong would not send Liu Xiangyun to tell him for no reason. He must have something going on, and he really had to leave as soon as possible.
Because it was not the emperor's oral instruction, but Liu Zhong's "paraphrase", everyone did not need to salute, they just held their hands in thanks.
Shen Rui was out for a funeral, and he didn't have anything to reward him. Liu Xiangyun's status was not something he could just throw away with a jade pendant. He immediately went to see Changshou.
However, Liu Xiangyun came closer and said with a smile: "Sir, don't be in a hurry to reward me. When I finish speaking, I will give you a double reward!"
Although he was close, his voice was not too quiet, and he glanced at Shen Jin intentionally or unintentionally.
"Congratulations to Mr. Shen, he will be the general envoy soon! The imperial edict has been drafted, and it will be promulgated when Mr. Shen arrives in Nanjing. I am afraid that it will not be my turn to deliver the edict, so I will come first today. He Xi likes to ask for a reward."
Shen Rui was stunned. If Liu Xiangyun dared to say this out loud, it must be accurate.
He is now also the minister of the Ministry of Rites, a third-rank official, and the general secretary is also a third-rank official, so he has not been promoted in terms of rank.
However, how important the general envoy is, Da Jiuqing is far more than a minister of the Ministry of Rites!
Brother Shou once said that he wanted to transfer him back to the General Affairs Department, but he never thought that he would be the General Affairs Secretary when he returned.
His first reaction was: Is there something big going on in the court? Wang Hua becomes official, Yang Ting and Ding You, if Wang Shouren joins the cabinet, who is the other one? He needs to be transferred back to Beijing to balance...?
However, Yang Shen's words when parting that day echoed in his ears again, and the history of his previous life also lingered in his mind.
He sighed in his heart, no matter what, he would do his best to protect Brother Shou and safeguard the great enlightenment in this life, and he would be worthy of his true intention.
Suddenly, Shen Li from the other side was overjoyed and said, "Now I have inherited the mantle of the Third Master!"
Shen Rui came to his senses and hurriedly thanked Liu Xiangyun again.
But I was a little annoyed in my heart that this guy came here to play tricks.
The Shouning Hou Mansion wanted its son-in-law to have a position of influence in the general affairs. If Shen Rui became the general affairs envoy and Shen Jin wanted to avoid suspicion, the official would be in trouble again.
Liu Xiangyun clearly said this deliberately in front of Shen Jin. He was not provoking but deliberately irritating Shen Jin.
Since Liu Zhong and his group are the confidants of the young emperor, they will most likely have conflicts with the Queen Mother and the Zhang family.
This matter, huh, he will talk to Liu Zhong about it when he returns to Nanjing.
Over there, Shen Jin also looked happy, without any embarrassment.
When Shen Li was a few steps behind Shen Rui and Liu Xiangyun and turned to look at him, Shen Jin laughed softly and said, "Brother Li Liu, don't worry, I'm really happy for Rui Di."
He stroked the stone pillars with his hands, seeming to explain or murmur to himself: "Only when you earn it can you be practical and glorious. I studied hard in the cold window for many years to get where I am today, and Ruidi also struggled step by step. It's not easy to come here. He deserves this, he earned it himself. His glory is something that should be respected but not envied..."
Shen Li smiled happily, patted him and walked side by side with him.
Suddenly, someone was yelling over there. When I got closer, I realized that it was someone from the seventh room of the Shen family. That person saw Shen Rui and the others from a distance, so he shouted anxiously: "Second Master! Second Master Qin! Second Grandma" It’s activated!”
Shen Qin, who was being followed slowly from behind, immediately changed his expression, said "Ouch", and shouted, "Didn't I say there is still half a month left, why did it start now?!" He didn't bother to tell Shen Rui, Shen Li and others. If you are guilty, you will run away.
Shen Qi shouted from behind: "What are you in a hurry for? Change into your plain clothes first when you go back, burn your clothes to cleanse your hands to remove any bad luck, and then go to the child's hospital! Don't conflict!"
Shen Qin responded in a distant voice, and had already squeezed through the crowd and disappeared.
Shen Rui shook his head with a smile and said to Liu Xiangyun: "I'm sorry, Mr. Liu, don't blame me."
Liu Xiangyun said with a smile: "Hey, this is a great event! Mr. Shen, you are so polite. The Shen family has many happy events. Today, I will have to get a cup of wedding wine to soak up the joy."
While they were talking, everyone unconsciously quickened their pace and rushed back under the stone bridge.
The "Wise Woman Bridge" stands quietly under the bright autumn sun, with its brand-new stones shining warmly.
Not far away, there is the Shen Family Ancestral Hall, with endless smoke curling up.