To be honest, Yang Fan was not surprised that Wu Meiniang took advantage of her, but the outrageous figure of more than one million yuan still made him unpredictable.
If all the money had not been donated to His Majesty Li Er in time, Yang Fan could almost imagine what a fierce storm he would face next.
After all, the money is too scary!
It can be foreseen that once one becomes greedy for money, the imperial censors and ministers from the Jiangnan gentry who are deeply hostile to him will inevitably attack him.
This time is completely different. If he is impeached for being greedy for money, Yang Fan will never be able to speak with his fists again.
That approach, which is almost like a rogue one, depends on the situation.
For ordinary people, using fists is simple and direct, making everyone frightened.
If it goes on forever, it will inevitably cause people who have nothing to do with it to feel bad and join the ranks of opponents.
If a person wants to stay in the officialdom for a long time, only using fists will not make people surrender.
What's more, if this method of attacking with fists becomes popular, the entire officialdom will be in chaos, which will be a disaster for the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty!
Throughout the ages, people who can go far in official circles have never spoken with their fists.
Once you become a public enemy, you will be rejected by the entire class and abandoned by the entire society.
As long as Yang Fan wants to survive in the Tang Dynasty, he must abide by some things of this era.
Fortunately, Wu Meiniang had planned this time and donated the money.
Not only did Yang Fan make a good impression in front of the emperor, but Yang Fan could also hide behind the emperor and sit back and relax. It was simply killing two birds with one stone.
Returning from the palace, Yang Fan happily thought about praising Wu Meiniang when he returned.
Although this girl is far away from the dark and dirty place of the palace where one can hone one's mind, her interpersonal and political talents are not bad at all.
With a simple move, he voluntarily turned it in. Not only did he get out of it, but he also received praise from the emperor. All he lost was money.
It's equivalent to using other people's money to benefit yourself.
Besides, does Yang Fan care about the money?
Well!
Although I feel a little distressed.
After all, this is more than one million yuan!
If you have this money, you can at least build a few more sea-going ships, and you can also add to your fiefdom.
Of course, if Yang Fan was greedy and took the money directly into the government, his life would not be in danger, but his future in the officialdom would definitely be affected...
After all, no emperor with ideals and ambitions can tolerate his ministers becoming slaves to money.
Although Yang Fan likes money, he will never be kidnapped by money.
Besides, if His Majesty Li Er had not given him the right to open a government office, and if he did not want to use Jiangnan as a granary for the Eastern Conquest of Goguryeo, he would never have been able to amass so much money.
More importantly, if it was just to meet his daily needs, Yang Fan would have run out of money.
Just a Junyangfang can guarantee that the descendants of the Yang family will live a dandy life, so why should we be greedy again?
What's the use of asking for so much money?
In a feudal society, having too much money will only make you a lamb to be slaughtered by those in power.
Deng Tong in the Han Dynasty, Shen Wansan in the Ming Dynasty, He Shen in the Qing Dynasty...
These are all extremely wealthy beings, and no one of them is worse than Yang Fan, but which one of them will have a happy ending?
The common man is not guilty, but he is guilty of carrying the jade.
With so many lessons learned from the past, Yang Fan clearly knew where he should be placed and what path he should take.
Therefore, whenever Yang Fan has money, he will use it to enhance his own wealth instead of hiding the money.
Although money is important, you have to have life to spend it...
Yang Fan hummed a little tune and returned to the Yang Mansion in a happy mood. Before he could go to the backyard, he was called over by Empress Xiao.
Naturally, I first understand the situation, then criticize and educate, and finally give some humbly advice...
After understanding what happened, she found that her godson's concubine was really a troublemaker.
Although Wu Meiniang often behaves cautiously and without much ambition, her calculations are often watertight.
Even though his daughter Xiao Shiyun is considered a leader among girls, there is still a certain gap between her and Wu Meiniang.
Empress Xiao didn't know that this was due to her talent, it was destined.
When she heard that Wu Meiniang had already planned where the money would go, Empress Xiao let out a long sigh.
I am pleased with Wu Meiniang's political sensitivity, but at the same time I am a little scared.
Throughout the ages, there have been countless talented and capable people, but almost all of them were men.
There are women like Wu Meiniang, but they are very few. Such women are almost all great achievers in the end.
But there are very few people as decisive as Wu Meiniang. After all, not everyone is willing to spend such a large amount of money?
A person's courage can predict a person's future and achievements. As long as he knows how to give up, his future achievements will not be too low...
Originally, Empress Xiao wanted to let her daughter help Yang Fan in Jiangnan to seek a higher position.
It seems that no woman who can enter Yang's house is a simple person.
At this time, Empress Xiao couldn't help but feel a little more worried about her daughter's future.
She now has some doubts. Once she tries her best to push Yang Fan to the highest position, can Xiao Shiyun really be able to surpass several other women?
After a few thoughtful words, Xiao finally let Yang Fan leave.
When he arrived in the backyard, Wu Meiniang came out to greet him and took out a letter in his hand and handed it to Yang Fan.
"Xue Rengui just sent someone to deliver a letter. When I saw that you were still not coming back, I accepted the letter. Xue Rengui said that you must marry me."
After receiving the letter, I saw Wu Meiniang's worried face, and knew that she was afraid of something going wrong in Jiangnan, so she must be worried and anxious.
Yang Fan came to the study room and opened the letter.
This is Xue Rengui's letter reporting on the shipbuilding situation in Jiangnan.
After reading it quickly, Yang Fan's face became increasingly gloomy.
Originally, the hull was nearly completed, and Yang Fan only needed to go down to the south of the Yangtze River, exchange the engine from the system, and then go to sea for a trial voyage.
But now something unexpected happened, because all the coal mines in the Jiangnan area were monopolized by the Jiangnan gentry.
You must know that these sea-going ships must be driven by coal. Once the coal in Jiangnan is monopolized, Yang Fan will not be able to transport it from Guanzhong!
These people were obviously trying to get rid of the problem and wanted Yang Fan to quit before he got into trouble.
The letter stated that all coal mines, large and small, would not sell coal to Yang Fan’s Jiangnan Shipyard.
Even if you can buy some, the price will be hundreds of times more expensive. Many local nobles even openly clamored that it would be difficult for Yang Fan to move in Jiangnan.
Even Jiangnan government officials were involved...
At the end of the letter, Xue Rengui reminded Yang Fan that once he leaves for Jiangnan, he must take precautions. Once the Jiangnan gentry jumps over the wall in a hurry, they may do something outrageous.
After reading the letter, Yang Fan squeezed out a sinister smile.
If you want to show off to yourself, you underestimate yourself!
These people in Jiangnan could not stop themselves from going south in Chang'an, so they wanted to use this dirty trick to interfere with and hinder their plans.
Even if you can't force yourself to give up going south, you still have to delay it indefinitely, making it difficult for you to move forward.
What a good plan!
Do you really think that I, Yang Fan, am made of clay?
After pondering for a moment, Yang Fan unfolded the rice paper, recalled the places where coal was produced in the Jiangnan area in later generations, and marked these places one by one.
As for coal, since you can't buy it, you can mine it yourself. Although you can't do it in one step, you can only do it step by step so that you won't be strangled by others.
Besides, Jiangnan Shipyard carries Yang Zhang’s ambitious goals. How can it allow a bunch of clowns to disrupt its plans?
He must come up with countermeasures before arriving in Jiangnan.
As soon as he arrived in the south of the Yangtze River, he immediately took control of the situation with thunderous force and shocked Chuan Xiao!
If you don't show them some color, these people won't know why the flowers are so red.
After writing and drawing for a while, Wu Meiniang came to the door of the study and walked in with a name card in her hand.
"Husband, have you finished your work? Prince Wu's Mansion just sent someone to deliver an invitation, saying that His Highness Prince Wu will hold a banquet at Xingjiao Temple in the evening to honor you."
Xingjiao Temple?
Xingjiao Temple, also known as "Protecting the Country and Xingjiao Temple", is the first of the eight major temples in the Tang Dynasty. It is located on the bank of Shaolingyuan in Fanchuan, about 20 kilometers away from Xi'an. It is a famous Buddhist temple.
This is one of the birthplaces of Buddhism in the Central Plains and is very famous.
His Highness King Wu personally practiced it for himself, so Yang Fan naturally had to go.
In the evening, Yang Fan changed his clothes and went to the banquet lightly.
During the Tang Dynasty, many Buddhist temples were built further out on the outskirts of Chang'an.
Especially the southern pagoda extends to the foot of Zhongnan Mountain, forming a group of Zhongnan Mountain temples overlooking Chang'an. The famous ones include Caotang Temple, Qingyuan Temple, etc.
But there are definitely many in the city!
Especially after Zhenguan, there were more and more temples.
In the culturally prosperous Tang Dynasty, the culture was extremely inclusive. It was a normal social activity for literati to pay homage to eminent monks and for lay people to worship Buddha and recite sutras.
Therefore, feeling the Zen wind and experiencing the relationship with Buddha often means praying for blessings.
Xingjiao Temple is a unique way away from the busy city. It is shaded by ancient trees, grows flowers and plants, and the scenery is elegant and extraordinary.
The combination of red and yellow temple Buddhas creates a peaceful and tranquil world in the Sanskrit music, which can calm people's mentality at any time and relieve the mental stress of many people.
This is why many people like to go to monasteries to see people off.
Arriving in front of the temple gate, there were only a few carriages, but the carriages bearing the ceremonial mark of Prince Wu's Mansion had already arrived.
As soon as he got off the bus, someone guided Yang Fan into the temple and headed towards the palace where the banquet was held.
The temple located in the mountains has a limited area, so special attention is paid to the structural distribution of the temple.
In particular, the original colors of mountains and forests are used to set off the scenery of the temple. Towering ancient trees and stacked mountains and strange rocks have become a wonder in the temple.
Walking on the tree-lined mountain paths, looking at the ancient pines and cypresses, and hearing the long-lasting Sanskrit chants from afar, it feels like you are in a paradise, uncontaminated by the worldly world.
The artistic conception, mood... all reach a subtle state.
It seems that all worries are thrown out of my mind, all six roots are cut off, the world of mortals is far away, it is very relaxing and quiet.
I really want to stay here forever!
Yang Fan was startled by this unreasonable thought and quickly shook his head.
How can a man who is destined to be the king of the sea abandon his wife and become a monk?
If you have a beautiful wife and concubines at home, you have immense power, and you have countless gold and silver treasures and enjoy endless glory and wealth, only a fool would give up everything and take refuge in Buddhism.
After bypassing the Main Hall of Xingjiao Temple, you followed a path paved with bluestones and entered a lush and verdant bamboo forest.
Not long after walking, I saw a corner cornice exposed among the bamboo forest.
After walking a few steps, you will see a quaint wooden building.
There was a man sitting in the gate tower and pavilion, chatting happily with Li Ke, the king of Wu.
An old man who is more than seventy years old is wearing a green suit. He has white hair and a childish face.
He has a skinny figure with a certain air of immortality. He stands in front of the building with his hands behind his back.
Li Kezheng was immersed in listening to the teachings.
Yang Fan narrowed his eyes, walked into the attic, took two steps forward and saluted, "Young man, Yang Fan, pays homage to Mr. Yu."
This person was none other than Yu Shinan, and only a world-famous and experienced scholar like him could make the prince respect him and listen to his teachings.
Yu Shinan raised his head and said with a smile: "Nowadays, there is a saying among Chang'an people, which is that 'having a son should be like Yang Fan', and marrying a daughter should be from the Yang family. The county prince became the governor at a young age. It is gratifying and enviable to others.
!”
Yang Fan quickly said politely: "Sir, you are exaggerating. This sentence is not a good thing. Those people are mocking the younger generation, 'giving birth to a child is like Yang Fan'. The whole world knows that you are a stick..."
Yu Shinan was stunned for a moment, then laughed, his gray beard trembling as well. When the laughter stopped, he said warmly:
"As the saying goes, those who achieve great things do not stick to trivial details. Although you are open-minded and unrestrained, you will not lose the big principles. Everything you do is beneficial to the country and the people. What you think and do is the way to prosperity for thousands of years. You only need to stick to your principles.
Heart, one day I will be a famous minister and good prime minister who will shine brightly in history. Work hard, kid."
These complimentary words came from Yu Shinan's mouth, which immediately made Yang Fan a little scared.
This person's status in the court may not be very high, but his qualifications are too old, his reputation is too good, and his character is well-known.
It is no exaggeration to say that such a sentence doubled Yang Fan's worth!
Yang Fan immediately bowed and said: "The old gentleman praised so much, the younger generation is frightened..."
,
"Haha, modesty is not the same as hypocrisy. I dare to argue with those Jiangnan nobles in the lobby."
"You still dare to call him by his name or even dare to utter bad words and threats. How many people in the Tang Dynasty have such courage? I just praised you and you are scared. Who are you kidding?"
Yu Shinan smiled with a teasing look on his face.
Yang Fan was a little embarrassed.
I didn't expect that my fame would spread to everyone so quickly. It's true that good things don't go out, but bad things spread thousands of miles.
However, Yu Shinan accidentally helped him last time, and Yang Fan was really grateful!
Li Ke smiled at the side and said: "Since you are cultivating in the temple, sir, why don't you sit down together and let us listen to your teachings?"
Yu Shinan waved his hands helplessly: "Forget it, you are all young people in your prime. Who would like a rotten person to make noise?"
"I just saw His Highness King Wu and came over to say hello. You just have fun drinking and practice for Yang Fan. I won't get involved."
After saying this, he bowed his hands to Li Ke and walked away with the servants waiting on him.
Looking at Yu Shinan's back, Yang Fan joked: "Old Yu is nearly eighty years old, but his body is still so strong. I heard that this old gentleman originally lived in Jiangnan, and now he has been staying in Chang'an. He just had an old man in a brothel who wanted to...
…”
"Nonsense!" Li Ke kicked Yang Fan angrily, "Master Yu is an upright person, how could he do such a dirty thing? Stop slandering people!"
Yang Fan nonchalantly dusted the place where he was kicked, curled his lips and said, "Your Highness, are you okay? You are having a practice banquet for no reason."
"Weichen is not the kind of frivolous person who is greedy for vanity. If you make such a big show of it, it is better to let Weichen leave quietly. Once people know that you have practiced it for me, people will not die of envy."
As soon as he finished speaking, a laugh came from the distance: "Your trip south this time has already shaken the south of the Yangtze River, so how can you talk about leaving quietly?"
"Now that you have attracted the attention of the world, His Highness King Wu has practiced it for you. If you become a general and become prime minister in the future, and King Wu ascends to a high position, today's actions will also have a good story. You two are wise and good, and complement each other. Wouldn't it be beautiful?
"
"Who is this person? How dare he speak like this?" Yang Fan turned around and was shocked.
His Majesty Li Er is not dead yet!
How dare you say that Li Ke is the master of the Ming Dynasty? This is not the way to seek death.
What's more, no one will care if you want to die, but you can't drag me down!
Once other princes ascend to the throne in the future, who can show Yang Fan a good look?