Chapter 303 New Year's Eve: Yangzhou Army Arrives in Tokyo Palace Surprised!
Chapter 303 New Year’s Eve: The Yangzhou army arrives, and the Tokyo Palace is shocked!
Xu's Manor.
The moon and stars are sparse.
On this peaceful and peaceful New Year's Eve, although the perimeter of Xu's manor was heavily guarded and more than a thousand salt workers were waiting, the Xu family was still reunited in the inner house to watch the New Year's Eve.
"Guard the winter master for a long life, and the sui mother for a long life."
It means that if you stay up late on New Year's Eve, your parents will live a long life.
"Children stay awake and stay up all night making noisy noises. Don't sing the rooster in the morning. The drums are more frightening. When the lights fall after sitting for a long time, I watch the Big Dipper tilt."
The children of the Xu family enjoyed "honey cakes, clam cakes, market cakes, five-color kidney beans, and fried chestnuts" and cheered in the deep inner house, while the ladies of the inner house gathered together and talked.
As usual, prepare the New Year's money.
The servants and women at home are taking over the stove and offering sacrifices to the "bed god".
Hundreds of houses have lights on all night long.
Although he was wary, it was New Year's Eve after all. In the Shoukang Hall, the core men of each room in the Xu family, headed by the head of the family, Xu Lan, were drinking happily.
It's still tea time before midnight, and the sound of laughter and laughter fills the sky in Xu's manor.
Fireworks of various colors shot up into the starry night sky, but at this moment, it was faintly felt that the earth was shaking, and the muffled thunder-like sound came from far to near.
Xu Lan's expression suddenly changed, and the wine cup in his hand instantly fell to the ground and broke into two pieces.
He immediately turned to look at his eldest son Xu Ding: "Immediately bring someone with a letter from someone to ask Wang Ping, the prefect of Yangzhou, to immediately mobilize the Yangzhou Xiang army to protect my Xu family manor!"
Xu Ding looked stunned.
Xu Lan scolded angrily with a ferocious face: "Go quickly! Tell Wang Ping that if he dares to delay in rescuing him, I will make him spit out all the money he has eaten!!"
Xu Ding did not dare to neglect any more and ran away.
…
Xu Lan climbed onto the manor castle with a gloomy face, staring towards the northwest.
There, a fire dragon swept over like a torrent.
Xu Jiayan Ding felt anxious and uneasy.
It has long been an open secret that salt merchants raise large quantities of salt cubes as private soldiers.
This private armed force, which was outside the laws of the imperial court, was an important guarantee for the salt merchants to make profits.
In a fish and meat place, they bully and dominate the market, and even kill people and set fires, destroying people... This is a serious problem for the place.
But no matter how tough a private soldier is, he is still a private soldier. How can they feel at peace when they confront the regular army of the imperial court, especially the world-famous Fuhu Cavalry?
Others didn't know why Wang Lin led his army to attack Yangzhou, but Xu Lan knew it well.
He colluded with Lianning's navy to rob the merchant ships of Bohai merchants under the guise of river pirates. His intention was to prevent the Bohai merchants' snowflake salt from entering the Jiangnan market, and he also attempted to rob the formula and keep it for himself.
But how could he have imagined that Wang Lin would actually lead his army into Jiangnan.
I was ordered to inspect the two Zhejiang provinces, eliminate corruption, and investigate major cases. This is a matter of great justice.
If Wang Lin wanted to tamper with the Xu family, there was no need to stage a trap, he just had to follow the clues to find out the truth.
The commander of Ning Haijun, Zheng Kai, had been executed by Wang Lin in public, but the two commanders of Ning Haijun and the battalion who cooperated with the Xu family were all under Wang Lin's tight control at this moment. This was the witness.
The letters exchanged between the Xu family and Zheng Kai for many years, as well as the accounts of transfer of benefits, are all physical evidence.
In addition, thousands of kilograms of snowflake salt that the Xu family kidnapped from the canal are hidden in the Xu family's manor at this moment, which is also beneficial physical evidence.
Therefore, Xu Lan knew very well that the Xu family had no way out.
He could only coerce seven other salt merchants and Yangzhou local government troops to fight Wang Lin to the death.
He has also made adequate arrangements in Tokyo.
But he didn't expect Wang Lin to arrive so quickly, two days early.
In fact, he didn't know that Wang Lin never paid attention to the attacks and impeachments from civil servants and even officials in Beijing.
And the official Zhao Ji, who was waiting for Wang Lin to come back from Jiangnan to transport money to solve the problem of the inner treasury, would never be able to recall Wang Lin to the capital easily.
On the waterway, the five thousand Ning navy commanded by Shi Jin and Yang Yuhe were still outside Yangzhou. After all, there was no wind in winter and the canal was slow to move.
But on the land route, a long-distance attack of four to five hundred miles, the Tiger Guard only took less than six days.
Finally arrived in Yangzhou before midnight on the first day of the new year in the second year of Xuanhe.
…
On New Year's Eve, Tokyo is ablaze with lights. This is the most majestic and prosperous city in this era, and the festive atmosphere fills the night sky.
Zhao Ji received an urgent message from Wang Lin at noon today.
It was learned that Wang Lin investigated the case of the transfer envoys on the Liangzhe Road and ransacked their homes, earning more than millions of money. He will soon be taken to the capital to be put into the inner treasury.
The emperor was very happy.
He has already tasted the sweetness of confiscating homes and making money.
The inner treasury was so empty that he didn't even dare to hold a decent royal banquet.
It's been a hard life these days.
Upon hearing the good news, Zhao Ji immediately ordered a New Year's Eve banquet to be held in the Linde Hall of Yanfu Palace, and summoned all the civil and military ministers of the fifth rank and above to the palace for a banquet.
The so-called monarch and his ministers enjoy themselves together and talk together to keep the year old.
It can also be regarded as a benefit for civil and military courtiers.
Magnificent fireworks were set off in the palace, operas were sung, and various delicacies were continuously brought into the palace.
Since King Yun and Zhao Kai rebelled, the atmosphere in the DPRK has been extremely dull.
The emperor also gradually changed his character. Zhao Ji, who seldom went to court, now basically maintained the rhythm of three days and one court, and five days and one court, and no longer stayed away from him for most of the month like in the past.
In this way, the role of the supervising prince Zhao Huan will be infinitely reduced.
And Zhao Huan also spent most of the time in the East Palace behind closed doors.
Although Li Gang, Wu Min and others felt that the emperor had become a bit strange, diligence was a good thing after all. But from the bottom of their hearts, they knew that this emperor would never become a wise emperor.
Temporary diligence is nothing more than monopolizing power.
And, a high degree of precaution against Prince Zhao Huan.
Zhao Ji was sitting on the dragon chair in the palace, smiling happily.
Two small yellow doors turn out from the inner hall, displaying a quatrain written by Zhao Ji himself, which is Wang Anshi's first day:
One year old is eliminated amidst the sound of firecrackers,
The spring breeze brings warmth into Tusu.
Thousands of households, every day,
Always replace old talismans with new ones.
Zhao Ji recited it loudly, and all the ministers praised it in unison, wishing each other a happy new year, and praying that the country of Song Dynasty would be stable for thousands of years.
Zhao Ji glanced at the empty side with the corner of his eye and said calmly: "Where is the prince?"
Huang Kun hurriedly bowed and said: "Back to the official house, His Royal Highness has been studying behind closed doors recently. He said that he would stay in the East Palace to watch the New Year, so he will not come to the banquet!"
Zhao Ji raised the corner of his mouth and said, "The prince is summoned and ordered to come to Linde Hall immediately to accompany me and all my dear friends to have a banquet to celebrate the New Year!"
Xiao Huangmen hurriedly went to summon him.
Zhao Huan arrived soon after.
"My son, I pay my respects to my father!" Zhao Huan bowed respectfully and went to pay homage.
When he raised his head, he suddenly saw Zhao Ji's kind and gentle face, with a smile in his eyes. Zhao Huan's heart skipped a beat, but he felt so strange.
"Prince, today, on New Year's Eve, I am hosting a banquet at Linde Palace to celebrate the New Year with all my dear friends. As the Crown Prince of the Supervisory State and the future Crown Prince of the Song Dynasty, how can you not come? Hurry up and sit down."
"Thank you, Father." Zhao Huan slowly sat down in his position as Crown Prince.
Li Gang, Wu Min and Zhongshi led the civil and military officials to come forward to pay homage.
Zhao Huan was calm in his heart, but he stood up and returned a half salute.
At this moment, there was suddenly a fierce drum sound that shook the night sky!
The sound of the drums is sudden and powerful!
Zhao Huan was startled, and the piece of pastry he had just picked up fell to the ground instantly. The expressions of the civil and military officials in the court suddenly changed, and they all turned to look outside the palace.