From the beginning of the banquet, the atmosphere was very strange.
Except for Yu Chengxun and Zhu Hao, who seemed to be in the same group, the others all had their own agendas. Luo An seemed to have the highest status among these people, but he seemed to be restricted by the presence of the civil servants in front of him, and he couldn't let go.
"Envoy Luo Zhen, I wonder what your purpose is in coming to the south of the Yangtze River?"
After all, Zhu Hao was more direct and directly asked the question that almost everyone present wanted to ask.
Luo An said: "I came from the capital on an errand under the emperor's orders."
"Imperial order?"
This time Yu Chengxun took over, "The emperor ordered you to help us thoroughly investigate the Southeast Coast Defense accounts, or is it something else?"
Huo Tao said: "Since it is an imperial order, I'm afraid it may be difficult to explain to outsiders. It's better that we don't ask in detail."
Yu Chengxun glared at Huo Tao, as if to say, are you helping us or him? Previously, you directly questioned Luo An and Gong Yi, saying that they openly bribed and accepted bribes, and now you actually speak for Luo An?
Huo Tao did not look at Yu Chengxun.
This made Yu Chengxun even more annoyed, and at the same time he couldn't figure out what this guy with a Jinshi background was doing here.
"Let's put it this way, there is no contradiction or conflict between what I did and what the two Hanlin did in the south. There should be no intersection."
Luo An still didn't say the content of the emperor's order, only that they had no intersection.
Yu Chengxun forced a smile and said: "I don't think we all came from the capital to Nanjing, but never crossed paths. It seems that we were negligent. It would be better to go with us when we return to the capital, so that we can have a solid support... I don't know when Luo Zhen will leave to return.
Beijing?"
If I can't tell you what you're here for, then I'll ask you when you'll be back, so you can infer what you're doing.
Luo An's tone was very formal: "The emperor's order cannot be violated."
It means that when I leave depends entirely on whether the emperor's orders are fulfilled, I will definitely not be able to go with you.
Yu Chengxun thought that he would be able to suppress Yu Chengxun with his own mind when he came up, but he didn't know that after a few exchanges, he didn't get any advantage at all. He couldn't help but glance at Zhu Hao, but he saw that Zhu Hao was eating and drinking.
Starving ghost reincarnated?
You don't know how to drink, but you just eat vegetables and choose the good ones. You are really arrogant.
Zhu Wanhong said with a smile: "Shangguan Luo came to Nanjing, and the Nanjing Jinyi Guards had made complete preparations, but he said that there were indeed female evildoers left over from the late emperor's time in the Nanjing Jinyi Guards. They gained power by fawning over Jiang Bin, Qian Ning and other powerful men.
, we should seize the opportunity to eradicate them in one fell swoop.”
In fact, he indirectly reminded Yu Chengxun that the purpose of the governor of Fusi Town in Beizhen came to Jiangnan was to purge the Nanjinyi Guards.
Now that the emperor's throne is stable after he ascends the throne, it is time to resolve the issues left over from the Zhengde Dynasty. There are also many people in Nanjing who came to power through Qian Ning, Jiang Bin and others. I think this visit of Luo Zhen's envoy is aimed at these people.
people.
Zhu Hao was eating the food with his head down. Hearing this, he raised his head and smiled at Zhu Wanhong. His eyes stared at Zhu Wanhong until Zhu Wanhong felt his heart tremble.
What's the meaning?
So what if I come from Jiang Bin and Qian Ning’s faction?
I defected to Yang Tinghe early on, and I made great contributions in killing Jiang Bin and Qian Ning, as well as the remaining members of their party.
Yu Chengxun seemed to be thinking: "In the land south of the Yangtze River, Jin Yiwei has the responsibility of coordinating coastal defense and river defense. Could it be related to this matter?"
Nanjing Jinyiwei has a naval office, which is responsible for anti-theft and other matters on Nanjing's waterways. The southeast coast defense involves pirates and Japanese pirates. Strictly speaking, it is actually under the jurisdiction of Nanjing Jinyiwei, just because most of Nanjing Jinyiwei are idle workers.
It's a bit embarrassing for people to have them hunt for thieves.
But it is not difficult at all for this group of people to temporarily set up a card at the water gate to collect some additional taxes, such as bandit suppression and piracy taxes.
Luo An said: "Didn't you say that the southeast coastal defense matter has been found out, and both of you have reported it to the court? Why do you ask me to be related to it?"
Yu Chengxun was startled, and then said: "I'm just asking, and by the way, I want to know if Jin Yiwei has found anything."
"No."
Luo An decisively
He rejected it and then explained, "The responsibilities are different. Even if bandits are rampant in the southeast, at least around Nanjing, there is still peace and prosperity. I will not do such thankless things. Yu Hanlin, I want to ask you, when you go to Nanjing
Mr. Yang Ge didn’t ask you to do anything else before?”
"Um?"
Yu Chengxun didn't expect that the other party would speak so rudely.
Just when he was about to say a few tit-for-tat words, Zhu Hao pulled his sleeve and said with a smile: "Luo Zhenfu, today is just a daily reception banquet. During the dinner, we can talk about old times and romantic affairs.
But, why bother talking about official business? I haven’t seen you for a long time, so I’d like to propose a toast to you.”
With that said, Zhu Hao raised his wine glass.
Seeing Zhu Hao toasting, Luo An felt a little uncomfortable for a while.
He knew that Zhu Hao never liked socializing outside, and usually had tea instead of wine when having banquets with Zhu Si.
Zhu Hao actually made an exception to toast him today?
He quickly picked up the wine glass, but could not show how honored he was in front of Yu Chengxun, and calmly drank with Zhu Hao.
After Zhu Hao and Luo An sat down.
Yu Chengxun asked: "Jingdao, are you okay?"
Because Yu Chengxun also knew that Zhu Hao didn't usually drink, he seemed to understand why Zhu Hao ate so hard before, maybe to fill his stomach first.
He is young and has no experience at the wine table, but he seems to know a lot about what goes on at the wine table.
"Except Mr. Gong, why haven't you seen Dongzhu Su? I was familiar with him in the past, but how has he been recently?" After Zhu Hao drank a glass of wine, he immediately turned his target to Gong Yi.
Gong Yi said: "Mr. Su just returned to Nanjing recently. I heard that he is doing something and it is difficult to meet him. He is a noble man."
Yu Chengxun said: "He is just a businessman, how can he be considered a noble person?"
Zhu Hao smiled and said: "Brother Maogong, you can't say that. Dongzhu Su is a merchant, but he has a strong background. I heard that when he was in Anlu, he often did some business with Prince Xing's Mansion... Luo Zhen's envoy, with this
Something?"
The atmosphere at the table was a little tense.
It’s really a matter of which pot should not be opened.
If the current emperor were not Zhu Si, Zhu Hao's words would bring trouble to Prince Xing's Mansion and Huang Zan, who was behind Su Xigui.
Now that I have said it...
That's nothing. Su Xigui's investment was political, and he made the right bet.
"Brother Maogong, you may not know something. When I was in Anlu, I knew Huang Butang, who was the Huguang vassal at that time, but I never had the opportunity to meet him in person. But at that time, Dongzhu Su often traveled between Anlu and Anlu.
Between Wuchang and Wuchang, Huang Butang later went to Xuanfu and took charge of the northwest finance as the right minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs."
Zhu Hao smiled and seemed to start talking drunkenly.
"Uh-huh."
Luo An cleared his throat, as if to remind Zhu Hao that talking too much will lead to mistakes.
But they were all made for Yu Chengxun to see.
When Yu Chengxun heard this, he felt excited and almost wanted to find a small notebook to write down all this.
No wonder my father-in-law always looked down upon Huang Gongxian. It turned out that this man was a two-faced man. On the one hand, he defected to Jiang Bin and other female cadres and had a fierce fight with the late emperor, but on the other hand, he engaged in investment activities in Qianlong in Anlu.
?Now we have caught this person...
Oops, that's not right.
Why did Zhu Hao say this?
If Zhu Hao had known this for a long time, hadn't he told Yong Xiu before?
Why haven’t I heard Yongxiu mention it?
"My dear nephew, you drank too much. Let's talk about something else."
Zhu Wanhong was about to go over and grab Zhu Hao who continued to pull him apart.
Zhu Hao said: "I just had one drink, how could I get drunk?"
Zhu Wanhong said: "Nephew, although you have achieved great success at a young age, you are not good at socializing after all. You still have little experience in this kind of scene. If you don't know how to drink, you will get drunk easily. Everyone, don't take what he said to heart.
"
Everyone?
Yu Chengxun looked around. Except for Zhu Hao, no one was familiar with him. Huo Tao might be recruited into the Yang Tinghe faction, but at present, it seems that such a person cannot help.
Why are you so busy? Why do you want to recruit him? Winning over Yan Song, the bachelor of the Nanjing Hanlin Academy, is not better than recruiting someone like Huo Tao?
Again.
If I hadn't had the shamelessness to attend this banquet today, I wouldn't have known that you, Huo Tao, were secretly meeting with Luo An from the emperor's faction, and that he was the second-in-command in the Jinyiwei intelligence system around him!
Huh, what do you mean?
Who will trust you again in the future?
A small person, not worth mentioning.
"Uncle, maybe I am really unsociable and make you laugh, but I speak in a measured way. I am very happy to be able to come to Nanjing. I want to stay in Nanjing forever and never return to the capital. Nanjing is a good place.
This place is rich in humanities and has a pleasant climate. Once you stay there, you won’t want to leave."
Zhu Hao changed his previous speaking style, as if he suddenly started talking because he drank two glasses of wine.
Yu Chengxun pulled Zhu Hao to sit down and said with a smile: "Don't be offended, Ambassador Luo Zhen. This is how Jingdao is. In the past, when I was in the Hanlin Academy, I rarely went to banquets."
While he advised Zhu Hao to speak less, he also wanted to use Zhu Hao's random words to get some useful information from Luo An.
"Envoy Luo Zhen, I would like to ask you, the main purpose of your going south is not to meet someone, right? I heard that you went south very early, but you only arrived in Nanjing recently. Did you go south during the trip?
...went somewhere else?”
Zhu Hao asked with a smile.
Yu Chengxun couldn't help but look tense.
Who else does Luo An want to meet?
Who to meet?
Could he be someone who could help the emperor?
Hey, this guy Jingdao is quite capable. He can analyze such confidential information, but he can still talk nonsense like this and say it without any restraint?
He was talking through Jiu Jin, and because he and Luo An were old acquaintances, he asked him directly...
Then you kid didn't pretend to be drunk from the beginning and waited to ask this question on purpose to trick Luo An, right?
Luo An said coldly: "Zhu Hanlin, you are drunk."
"I'm not drunk. Let me guess. Jiangnan is a good place to raise people. There are many talented people living here in the Ming Dynasty. I don't know who you are going to visit...Although there are many capable people in Jiangbei, Jiangnan
There are many capable people...Uncle, do you think so?"
Zhu Hao's face was red, his eyes were slightly dull, and he said with a smile without any restraint.
Zhu Wanhong said: "There are indeed many capable people in Jiangnan, but I don't know which one you are talking about, nephew."
When Luo An heard this, he stood up angrily: "Zhu Hanlin, you are very drunk...Zhu Ganhu, is this the distinguished guest you invited to drink with you? Huh!"