On the main road of Suzhou City, a group of officials were holding gongs, holding high signs of respect and avoidance, and were walking on the road of Gong Alley, surrounded by an eight-person sedan.
At this time, Peng Zhengsui, the prefect of Suzhou, was sitting in the sedan, with his brows furrowed and a worried look on his face. I don’t know how long it took, but the sedan stopped, and a messenger said outside the sedan: "Master Futai, I have arrived."
Peng Zhengsui woke up from his deep thoughts and said, "Have you handed in the post?"
The messenger said: "Return to your lord, I have handed it over in the form of a sutra, and the concierge has gone in to report it."
Peng Zhengsui nodded and said, "Okay! Get off the sedan."
The bearers put the sedan down. At this time, a group of people from the magistrate's Taoist team were standing at the door of a large and vast mansion. On the steps of more than ten steps, two red lacquered doors were tightly closed.
Only the pair of lions carved from white marble at the door were calm and majestic. Peng Zhengsui got out of the sedan, went up the steps, and waited at the door.
After a while, the door "clacked" and opened a crack, and a young eunuch came out and said to Peng Zhengsui: "Master Peng, please wait for a long time. Eunuch Zheng has invited me."
It turns out that the owner of this mansion, and the person Peng Zhengsui is coming to visit today, is Zheng Jinggao, the eunuch in charge of weaving in Suzhou.
Suzhou was the most developed area for the silk weaving industry in ancient China. Since the Yuan Dynasty, the imperial court had specially set up a weaving bureau in Suzhou and assigned a group of machine craftsmen to serve in the bureau for use by the palace and the internal affairs office. For this purpose, the imperial court specially sent people
Come to Suzhou to supervise the Weaving Bureau. First, hand over all the silk fabrics.
The second is to collect taxes and money. In the Ming Dynasty, all emperors of the Ming Dynasty sent internal officials, internal envoys, and eunuchs to Suzhou to supervise the Weaving Bureau, ranging from one or two people to as many as ten people. They were called in charge of the Suzhou Supervision and Weaving Bureau.
The eunuch also has an additional task, which is to manage the export business of silk fabrics.
Because silk fabrics are one of China's major exports, and overseas sales have always been in short supply, only part of the silk produced by the Suzhou Weaving Bureau was actually used in the palace, and the rest was exported and supplied overseas. Therefore, serving as a eunuch in the Suzhou Supervision and Weaving Bureau was also recognized as a lucrative position.
Of course, the eunuch in charge of the Suzhou Supervision and Weaving Bureau is not just in charge of a weaving bureau. He can take care of all local affairs in Suzhou. In fact, he is the most powerful person in Suzhou.
Peng Zhengsui followed the young eunuch and entered Zheng Jinggao's mansion. Although it was not the first time he visited Zheng Jinggao's mansion, Peng Zhengsui couldn't help but look around. He saw carved pillars, painted beams, flowers, trees, rocks, and well-furnished furnishings.
It is luxurious and luxurious, and there are several scenic spots that I have never seen before. They are obviously newly added. I can't help but curse in my heart. It is unreasonable for a useless waste to live more comfortably than myself.
After passing through several courtyards, we came to a very exquisite and quiet pavilion built near the water. Zheng Jinggao was lying on a soft couch, his eyes slightly closed to relax. On the side of the soft couch,
There was a dressed-up woman wearing a light gauze playing with the parrot.
The young eunuch came to Zheng Jinggao's bed and said: "Godfather, Peng Zhengfu is here." "Godfather" is the popular name for the young eunuch to the senior eunuch who is directly under him. It does not mean that he is actually worshiping his godfather.
Zheng Jinggao then opened his eyes, glanced at Peng Zhengsui, and said: "Master Peng is here, please sit down quickly!" He turned to the dressed-up woman who was playing with the parrot and said: "Yun Niang, quickly serve tea to Master Peng.
"
Peng Zhengsui hurriedly sat down. At this time, the woman named Yun Niang also brought tea and softly whispered: "Master Peng, please use tea."
Only then did Peng Zhengsui take a look at the woman's appearance. He saw that the woman's black hair was combed back and held high, tied with a jade hairpin. She had two pairs of green silk on both sides of her shoulders, and her skin was as frosty as snow.
, the fifth house is extremely delicate and beautiful, without a single flaw, a pair of scissors
The water eyes are as clear as a spring, and the eyes are flowing, making people lose their souls. The corners of the lips are slightly curved, and the smile is joyful, making people forget the world. I have never seen such a beautiful female child. And the snow-white delicate
There was a blush on her face, as if she had just experienced clouds and rain, and she was so beautiful.
Peng Zhengsui couldn't help but feel a little absent-minded. At this time, Zheng Jinggao coughed dryly and said: "Master Peng, use tea."
Only then did Peng Zhengsui wake up. He quickly took the tea cup and drank it all in one gulp. He continued to drink tea to cover up his rudeness. However, Yun Niang smiled brightly, took the empty cup and floated away. Only then did Peng Zhengsui remember,
It seems that I haven’t seen this woman when I came here last time.
My wife must be this dead loser's new favorite. Nine out of ten people come here by force. I can't help but curse secretly in my heart: Such a peerless beauty is taken over by this loser who can't do human things. Beauty with withered bones, damn it.
This damn piece of trash is such a waste of natural resources!
Zheng Jinggao then said: "Master Peng comes to our house, what do you want to do?"
Only then did Peng Zhengsui remember the business and hurriedly said: "Eunuch Zheng, I am here just for the sake of the Merchant Army."
Zheng Jinggao said: "What happened to the merchant army?"
Peng Zhengsui said: "After all, they came to rescue Suzhou. They came here for three days and defeated the leading rebels. Now they are still stationed outside the city. I'm afraid it's not good! In my opinion, let's let it go.
Let them come into the city."
Zheng Jinggao snorted and said: "What's wrong with this? Didn't Yi Jing live outside the city for three days? Besides, isn't our family doing this for Suzhou City? All the soldiers are now
It's not like you don't know what it's like. If you let these lawless people into the city, the whole world in Suzhou will be in chaos."
Peng Zhengsui said: "Please don't worry, father-in-law. I heard that this merchant army has good military discipline. I believe they will not mess around after entering Suzhou."
Zheng Jinggao snorted again and said disdainfully: "That's all nice to say. In these days, the army will not mess around. Our family can ignore other people, including our weaving bureau, but for the palace
If you suffer a little loss while running a business here, can you bear it?
Peng Zhengsui hurriedly said: "My father-in-law is right." But he was thinking in his heart, when did Shang Yi offend this damn good-for-nothing? He deliberately made things difficult. But the problem is that now is not the time for him to show his temper. Because Cheng Jin
He also sent someone to give him an ultimatum. If the merchant army is not allowed to enter the city today, the merchant army will leave Suzhou and return to Nanjing. And if the merchant army withdraws, can Suzhou be saved?
So after a pause, Peng Zhengsui said again: "Father, now that the rebels are approaching the city with troops and are approaching the trench, Suzhou City is in danger. If the merchant army is still not allowed to enter the city, what if they get angry and withdraw.
If we leave Suzhou, what should we do? Now we can only rely on the merchant army to help us defend the city! If the rebel army comes to attack Suzhou again, who can we rely on to defend the city?"
Zheng Jinggao became furious and sat up from the couch, saying: "He dares. If they dare to withdraw their troops, our family will go to the emperor in Beijing to complain to Shang Yi and let the emperor punish him. Besides, we don't Point to the merchant army and hang it on a tree! Don’t we still have thousands of officers and soldiers in Suzhou? Even without the merchant army, we can still defend the city! In a word, we cannot destroy the merchant army. Let it come to the city."
Peng Zhengsui said in his heart, when you go to Beijing to sue Shang Yi, I'm afraid Huang Hualai will be cold. The thousands of officers and soldiers in the city are of no use. They usually bully the people, but when a war breaks out, they will do nothing but run away. Yes. Moreover, if the city of Suzhou is destroyed, Zheng Jinggao can run to Beijing and nothing will happen. He can also be his eunuch. But as the prefect of Suzhou, he cannot escape from this relationship. He will either die in the city or abandon it. He fled the city, but his official career was cut off from then on, so he begged again: "Eunuch Zheng, if you think about it again, now is not the time to fight for your morale."
Zheng Jinggao became a little impatient, and said with a face, "We have already considered this based on experience, and that's all I have to say. Mr. Peng, you are the prefect of Suzhou, so you can handle it yourself." As he spoke, he twisted his face, swept his sleeves, stood up and left, saying only: "See you off."
Peng Zhengsui was about to say a few more words, but then four or five young eunuchs gathered around him, pulling Peng Zhengsui out and saying: "Master Peng, please come back, please come back!"
When Peng Zhengsui looked for Zheng Jinggao again, he found that he had already left the attic and was nowhere to be seen, so he had to follow the young eunuchs dejectedly and leave Zheng Jinggao's mansion.
After leaving Zheng Jinggao's mansion, Peng Zhengsui got on the sedan and said feebly: "Go back home." He greeted all eight generations of Zheng Jinggao's ancestors and all thirteen generations of descendants in his heart, but Peng Zhengsui was also confused for a moment and forgot. It is impossible for Zheng Jinggao to have descendants.
In fact, before Peng Zhengsui left, Zheng Jinggao walked into the inner room impatiently. At this time, Yun Niang was lying on the couch in the inner room to rest. Seeing Zheng Jinggao come in, he supported his body a little, and Man casually He said: "How about sending him away?"
Zheng Jinggao came to the bedside in a few steps, hugged Yun Niang, and said: "Beauty, don't worry, I sent him away with my scriptures and let me kiss you." After that, he kissed Yun Niang on the face. Suddenly, a pair of hands were groping around Yun Niang's body.
Yun Niang slapped his hand and said coquettishly: "Then what about the thing I asked you to do? Will Peng Zhengsui let the merchant army enter the city?"
The more coquettishly she spoke softly, the more impatient Zheng Jinggao became. He had already inserted one of his hands into Yun Niang's clothes and moved wildly while replying vaguely: "Don't worry, Peng Zhengsui is wearing this hat." Do you want to bring Wu Sha Mao with you again? Without me, even if I lend him some courage, he would not dare to let the merchant army enter the city. They will never bother you. Come on...come on and let me do it..."
After hearing this, Yun Niang felt relieved and no longer resisted. She smiled sweetly and said, "Didn't you do it every day? Isn't it enough? Why is the monkey so anxious? He doesn't look serious."
Zheng Jinggao threw himself on Yun Niang, tearing her clothes crazily while gasping: "Beauty, how can that be possible? I have had such a woman, and you are the best. I am not the best." I would rather die on you. I only managed half of it just now, and that man named Peng is here. Are you not anxious to kill me? Now I want to make up for it all."