The Red Mansions

Chapter 358

Chapter 358

Following Jia Heng's return from Daming Palace, the fact that Emperor Chongping rewarded Jia Heng was not only known to King Zhongshun, but also spread like a whirlwind to the ears of officials in Beijing and China who were concerned about Yushi's impeachment of Jia Heng.

Not only did Jia Heng not say anything about his guilt, but he also rewarded New Year's gifts as a consolation, which undoubtedly sent a strong signal-the holy family is prosperous, and the monarch and ministers have no doubts.

The capital, which was originally undercurrent, calmed down all of a sudden, and those who were eager to try also died down.

Nan'an County Palace

As the new year was approaching, the servants of the royal residence also began to get busy, with lanterns and festoons, and the bustle and bustle.

In the outer study room, several generals gathered together, crowded with people.

On the main seat are Wang Yanye of Nan'an County and Wang Shuirong of Beijing sitting side by side on a coffee table. On the chairs with the backs on the left, the former military governor Tongzhi Liu Fang, the rear military governor Chen Shi Hou Xiaokang, and the former military governor Qian Shi Shi Guang Zhu and the others sat in turn. On the other side, Chen Ruiwen, the third grandson of Duke Qi, and Ma Shang, the grandson of Duke Zhi, were there. The first-class boniu inherited the family.

Liu Fang said angrily: "My lord, you let this kid escape!"

Prince Nan'an didn't seem to be surprised by this result at all, he stroked the jade wrench finger on his hand: "The palace is using him a lot, this kind of impeachment, if it is useful, it will be hell."

It's such a straightforward truth, and it is being reused, not to mention this kind of impeachment, no matter how serious it is, it will not move a single hair.

Beijing Wang Shuirong took a deep breath and said, "My lord, I heard from the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate that the impeachment by the censor is quite strange, and I'm afraid it was the work of the Zhongshun Palace."

"There is no one else but him." Nan'an County King said with a chuckle, his old eyes showed playfulness, as if he didn't think much of King Zhongshun.

Hearing this, Niu Jizong's eyes lit up, and he said in a stern voice: "My lord, the Zhongshun Palace and Jia's family have long had a feud, and they are almost immortal. Why don't you join hands with him to control Jia Heng's son?"

The king of Nan'an County frowned, glanced at Niu Jizong, and said, "Nonsense! I wait for the honorable Zhongshun Prince's mansion to never come and go, and I avoid it for fear that it will be too late. When it comes to you, why don't you come closer?"

Just because he sent his granddaughter to the Ministry of Rites to be elected the day before yesterday, the emperor in the palace summoned him to show comfort and closeness, and now he is going to die with the loyal and obedient king. In the eyes of the emperor, what will he think?

In these years, not to mention that their four princes and eight princes did not make friends with King Zhongshun, even the Palace of Zhongshun tacitly did not interfere with the Palace of the Governor of the Five Armies.

He originally thought that King Zhongshun was already stupid enough, but there was someone even stupider beside him?

Niu Jizong's complexion changed, he suddenly felt lost in words, and asked: "Then what should the prince do now, do you want to let Jia Heng's child grow up?"

Since he was dismissed, he has been at home for many days. The town government's mansion, which was originally crowded with people, has long since seen its grand occasion, and all of this is thanks to Jia Heng's son!

Of course, compared to the situation in which he was resigned from the position of governor, except for Qiu Liang, the grandson of Jing Tianhou who served in Wucheng Bingmasi, it was even worse. use.

The king of Nan'an County thought for a moment and asked: "Jia Heng presided over the affairs of the army. I heard that his methods are radical and cruel, especially above Wang Ziteng. Has the general in the army complained recently?"

This refers to the matter that Jia Heng forced the general to pay back the corrupt soldier's salary.

King Bei Jing took the conversation, with a touch of emotion on his handsome face like a crown jade, and said: "Many generals have been eliminated, and people have been sent to recover vacancies over the years. How can there be no complaints? It's just Jia Yunhui who holds an important position. The power is overwhelming, controlling minions such as Jinyi Mansion, Wucheng Bingma Division, Guoyong Camp, etc., and has the full support of Li Dashi, the general dares to be angry and dare not speak out."

Hou Xiaokang's eyes flashed, and he pondered: "My lord, can you let those generals secretly follow the example of the prince?"

King Beijing shook his head and said: "No, this time is different from Wang Ziteng's time. The government and the public are paying attention to it, and the heavy troops are on guard. Jia Yunhui's confiscating army will spend nearly half of the corruption and arrange soldiers, relying on the army alone. General, they all have families and mouths, bought properties in the capital, paid half of the money from corruption, and were able to get away, how dare they mess around?"

To put it bluntly, the generals and soldiers were divided, and they were not forced too hastily. Due to the weakness of the bourgeoisie, they dared not cause chaos in the face of the five-city soldiers, horses, Jinyiwei, and Beijing camp.

The King of Nan'an County frowned, and said: "Now it's better to wait and see how it turns out. We shouldn't take action. We might as well see the reaction of the civil servants first, and then make any calculations. First discuss the matter of Niu Xiandi, away from Guoyongying's resignation at the beginning." There is also a lot of time, and it is necessary to appoint a messenger."

As soon as this remark came out, everyone looked at Niu Jizong.

King Bei Jing asked, "What's Shi Bo thinking?"

Niu Jizong said: "Your Majesty, I, Lao Niu, still want to lead soldiers to fight in the battlefield. I can't do it if I ask my Lao Niu to do the rest."

In the Chen-Han system, Wu Xun, who didn't lead the army, was almost a waste, and he didn't dare to speak loudly.

Beijing Wang Shui Rong thought for a while, and said to the Nan'an County King at the side: "The Ministry of War reported the day before yesterday that bandits and bandits in Henan were plentiful and gathered in the mountains and forests, causing disaster to the place. Qianshu went to Henan to investigate military affairs, and Niu Shibo first appointed Qianshu to go to Henan, first to praise the military aircraft, and then to make calculations."

Previously, Liu Fang actually went to the Ministry of War to ask for an official letter, but at that time the Ministry of War did not agree.

But at this moment, Beijing Jing Wang Shui Rong, who was leading the former military governor's mansion, obviously did not give up, and came up with a curvy strategy.

The king of Nan'an County pondered for a moment, and said: "This proposal is feasible. I will go to Henan after the new year, and after I have avoided the limelight, I will be transferred to the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies to wait for the opportunity to lead the army. In fact, the last time this king entered the palace to face the saint, I have already reflected on my repentance to the sages and ministers of my sage, my lord has given me grace, and I have the intention of forgiving, now I am going to Henan to show my loyalty and diligence."

In fact, this is the sweetness given by Emperor Chongping after Nan'an County King moved closer to Emperor Chongping, although in fact he did not want to use mediocre and incompetent people like Niu Jizong.

Niu Jizong couldn't help showing a bitter look on his face. Although he didn't want to send a foreign mission, he also knew that this was a necessary step for his comeback. He nodded and said, "I would like to listen to the lord's orders."

The king of Nan'an County looked at Niu Jizong and said: "Waiting for martial arts, I need to know that the army is the foundation of my life. No matter what, I must pay attention to the military affairs. After the spring, this king will also receive the emperor's mission and go out of Beijing." Patrol the northwest and guard against the thieves."

Since the death of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty, after the continuous conquests by Chen Han Taizu and Taizong, and the opening of the mutual market, the troubles in the northwest have gradually calmed down, and it has not returned to the old situation in the Jiajing period.

Wala also moved westward one after another, and gradually dispersed into various tribes. As a result, in the early days of Longzhi, there were no beacon police for thousands of miles in the northwest.

However, following the defeat of Liaodong in the last years of Longzhi, the situation in the northwest changed suddenly, and the Oala tribes made a comeback eastward, and together with the native tribes in the Xihai area, they constituted an invasion of the northwest frontier.

And the king of Xining County in Qinghai, Shizhen, led the Northwest Frontier Army to preside over the overall situation in the Northwest.

The king of Nan'an went to the northwest to help Emperor Chongping appease the king of Xining, the former comrade-in-arms of the king of Zhou.

Not mentioning the plan at the Prince's Mansion in Nan'an County, but saying that Jia Heng returned from Daming Palace. On the way, he sent people to Jinyi Mansion first, and called Qianhu Qulang, intending to ask Jinyi Mansion to investigate the murderer behind King Zhongshun's assassination.

Then returned to Ningguo Mansion, entered the Flower Hall, just after taking a seat, Jiao Da approached respectfully and said: "Master Heng, Wu Jinxiao has been waiting in the wing room for a long time."

Jia Heng nodded and said, "Bring him in."

At the same time, he took out a stack of gift lists from the drawer, put them on the small table next to his hand, and sipped the tea leisurely.

Not long after, a servant led a middle-aged man in a fur coat and a felt hat into the flower hall.

"Wu Jinxiao, head of the village under the door, has met the master." When Wu Jinxiao saw the young military officer sitting on the chair, calm and calm, not angry and arrogant, he couldn't help but tremble, stepped forward, bowed, and bowed his hands in salute.

Jia Heng put down the teacup and looked at Wu Jinxiao. In front of him was a middle-aged man with a burly figure, high cheekbones and deep eyes, and said, "Wu Zhuangtou, get up quickly."

"Thank you, Master." Wu Jinxiao stood up while speaking, and stood with hands down, respectful.

Jia Heng said pleasantly: "Wuzhuangtou came all the way, the journey was hard."

"It's just my duty, I don't dare to say hard work." Wu Jinxiao clasped his hands and said, taking a peek at the young man opposite, seeing that his face was not happy or angry, his demeanor couldn't help becoming more respectful, and he dealt with it carefully.

Jia Heng didn't speak any more, and remained silent for a while, then picked up a stack of gift slips in his hand, frowned and said, "Wuzhuangtou, why is this year's gift slip much less than the previous two years, and every year it decreases sharply?"

Wu Jinxiao hurriedly replied: "My master told me that in the past two years, there have been ten disasters and nine disasters in various provinces. He said that this year, it rained from March to August, and there were no sunny days for a few days. In September, there was a bowl-sized hailstorm." , even people, houses, and livestock were injured a lot, and this year Zhuangzi's output is only so much."

Jia Heng listened to the almost identical excuses in the original book, and coldness surged in his eyes: "Wuzhuangtou, even if it is a natural disaster, it shouldn't be just so many, and I see that the list of gifts has decreased sharply in the past five years. At the beginning of the year, two Zhuangzi were discounted and sold, how do you explain this?"

Wu Jinxiao said anxiously: "Boss, when Uncle Zhen was here, these two Zhuangzi were thinking about making ends meet, so they sold them off to big local merchants, and all the money went into the public account of the Ning Mansion."

Jia Heng said indifferently: "The details of the transaction at the beginning of the year, I will send someone to verify it. It's just that I took over the Ningguo Mansion. Seeing that Zhuangzi has gradually declined over the years, and the foundation of the ancestors is declining day by day, it hurts my heart. It is urgent to sort out the order and investigate the facts. , you lead the farmer to talk to the people in Jinyi Mansion to check the situation first."

In this era, it is not popular to punish people without teaching, even if it is to investigate the details of Wu Jinxiao, it is necessary to clarify the intention of this proposition.

The foundation of the Ningguo Mansion is declining day by day, and there is an urgent need to sort things out and investigate the facts, which is a high-sounding excuse.

Of course, Wu Jinxiao and other dealers who came here must assist in the investigation.

Once you enter the official office of the Jinyi Mansion, there is a saying that people's hearts are like iron, and the official law is like a furnace. Not everyone has a strong psychological quality, and there will always be some bankers who can't bear it and tell the truth.

In the past, Jia Zhen didn't have such convenient conditions for the government to do things, and she was worried that troubles would arise, the head of the village would make trouble for the guests, and the output of the farm would decrease. sit idly by.

When he heard that the Jinyi Mansion wanted to send someone to intervene, Wu Jinxiao's heart skipped a beat, and he realized that something was wrong, and said anxiously: "Master, the tribute list has never been wrong in these years. If Jin Yi Mansion intervenes, I can't believe it." Wait?"

Jia Heng said: "Wu Zhuangtou, this has nothing to do with belief or not, it's just checking the income and expenditure of several farms. After all these years, it's time to sort out this muddled account."

Wu Jinxiao's face was ugly, and he thought to himself, this young man is so aggressive, isn't he afraid that I will stop helping to manage the Zhuangtian?

But Jia Heng... is really not afraid!

The world is full of refugees, and there is never a shortage of people who are willing to farm well.

This is because the small arms can't twist the thighs, once Jia Heng doesn't have to worry about anything, he can send someone to check it out.

Because even if the Zhuangtou makes troubles and temporarily stops production, the Ningguo Mansion will not be affected too much, because there are other sources of income to support it.

Suddenly, a servant from outside came in and announced: "Master, Qu Qianhu from Jinyi Mansion is here."

As soon as the words fell, just when Wu Jinxiao was terrified, a young man in a flying fish suit, tall and straight, with sword eyebrows, led a few guards in brocade clothes to the eaves of the corridor, and ordered his followers to press the embroidered spring alone. Entering with a knife, he bowed his hands and said: "The humble job Qu Lang, I have seen you."

At this moment, Wu Jinxiao was completely panicked, especially when he saw the young man in the flying fish suit with a cold demeanor, his heart became more and more frightened.

This trip, is he going to be planted here?

Jia Heng ignored Wu Jinxiao, and asked: "Qu Qianhu, you came at a good time, let your people lead this Wu Zhuangtou and the guest who is temporarily staying at the Tongfu Inn to the Zhenfu Department to inquire about the details. "

Qu Lang heard the words, his expression was indifferent, he cupped his hands and said: "Follow your lord's order."

With that said, he ordered Captain Jinyi to enter the hall.

Jia Heng said filial piety to Wu Jin, who was already ashen-faced: "Go to Wuzhuangtou first, and if everything goes well, I will invite everyone who came from afar tonight."

If it doesn't go well, this year will be spent in the prison of the Zhenfu Division.

At this moment, Wu Jinxiao's hands and feet were cold, and his heart was already extremely anxious. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but under the urging of the captain of Jinyifu, he was frightened, so he had to follow Jinyiwei out of the flower hall, and went to the Zhenfusi go.

Jia Heng turned to look at Qu Lang, and asked, "Qu Qianhu, is there any clue?"

Qu Lang said in a low voice: "I've got some clues, and I'm going to report to your lord."

Seeing this, Jia Heng's heart moved slightly, he got up and said, "Go to the study to talk."

Qu Lang responded, and followed Jia Heng to the outer study to discuss matters.

When Jia Heng sat down, Qu Lang said in a low voice: "My lord, the group of villains who assassinated the loyal Prince in Da Ci'en Temple seem to be from the White Lotus Sect."

"Huh? White Lotus Sect?"

Jia Heng frowned, with surprise in his eyes.

Without him, the White Lotus Sect is a professional family of rebels, Chen Han actually has such a rebel force lurking?

Qu Lang looked solemn, and said in a deep voice: "In recent years, Shandong and other places have been hit by natural disasters, and the people's livelihood is difficult to sustain. Most of them are thieves and thieves. ...During the period, Jinan prefecture was represented by Qianhu in Jingzhou County, but the local government paid no attention to it, and the investigation was ineffective, so that the White Lotus Sect gradually became popular, and now they dare to send people to Shenjing City to assassinate the national suzerain."

Jia Heng's face was gloomy and uncertain, and he asked: "Jin Yi Mansion's investigator, do you have control over Bai Lian's details?"

Qu Lang shook his head and said: "The internal order of the White Lotus Sect is strict. The Jinyi Mansion once tried to send spies into it, but most of them were seen through, and the gang of villains who assassinated Prince Zhongshun, Brother Wei Zhong is still investigating. hide in the lair."

Jia Heng thought for a while, and asked: "Qu Qianhu, who is in charge of investigating the traitors of the White Lotus Sect?"

Qu Lang said: "Zhou Chen Qianhu has been in charge of this matter."

There are [-] households in Jinyi Mansion, that is, [-] functional departments, and Zhou Chen is the full-time [-] households who investigate the White Lotus Sect and other adulterers.

Jia Heng pondered and said: "Later later, I will go to Jinyi Mansion to inquire about this matter."

Organizations such as the White Lotus Sect are undoubtedly the unsettling factors of the rule, and they are also the targets of the government's continuous attack. He needs to control and guard against them in advance.

On this point, he and King Zhongshun have the same position. If the White Lotus Sect dared to assassinate the national clan today, would it be possible to assassinate him tomorrow?

Jia Heng suppressed the White Lotus Sect, and asked: "The Beijing Army will investigate corruption, and it will be finished soon. The inspectors of the government guards will focus on arresting suspicious persons in Beijing, and there are still ten days before the Chinese New Year. If bad people cause trouble, the impact will be bad."

In fact, Jinyi Mansion was slow to respond to the White Lotus Sect's assassination of King Zhongshun because it devoted its energy and manpower to assisting Jia Heng in rectifying the Beijing camp.

Qu Lang said: "There are only two battalions of generals who are still in the process of platooning, and they have already been able to mobilize manpower."

Jia Heng nodded, and said: "Recently, you have also taken time to hand over affairs to colleagues in the Thousand Households Institute, and went to the experience department to check various files. It will be useful in the spring of next year."

Qu Lang understood clearly, he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you Yun Hui for my humble position."

Jia Heng said: "Okay, let's go and do some work."

After the new year, Qu Lang can be appointed as the governor.

The reason for this is that they are worried that the promotion will be too fast, which will cause criticism, but once the new year is over, it will be hung at both ends, giving people a psychological sense.

After Qu Lang left, Jia Heng sat alone in the study, thinking about his next plan.

The first month is approaching, and the whole army needs to prepare for the military parade.

It's not that the Beijing camp immediately formed a fighting force, because there was no running-in, it was impossible to be so fast, but it gave the emperor and the officials some confidence in terms of discipline and appearance.

"After that, you can send troops out of Shaanxi to Henan Province to suppress the bandits and sharpen the combat effectiveness of the soldiers."

As Jia Heng thought about it, he also felt that he was not waiting for me for a while.

At this moment, an outside servant came to report: "Master, the old lady of the Xifu sent Miss Yuanyang to invite Uncle Heng to discuss matters."

Jia Heng frowned, and asked the servant, "Did you say anything?"

"Reporting to my lord, I heard that the master of the Shi family has come." The servant said.

"The two masters of the historian?" Jia Heng paused, thinking.

Secretly, I don't know if it is Bowling Hou Shi Nai or Zhongjing Hou Shi Ding?

As for whether he came here for Xiangyun, it was probably impossible, because calling Xiangyun back and sending a daughter-in-law or even a nanny to come here, how could it be too much work for Zhongjinghou Shi Ding to come here?

"So, this is because of me."

Jia Heng already had some guesses, so without further delay, he went to the flower hall to meet the mandarin ducks.

(End of this chapter)