The midsummer sun is like a big ball of fire, shining hotly on the earth, as if it wants to emit all its heat. The leaves on the trees by the roadside were all sunburned, and the few sparrows standing on the trees were listless.

Yurong shook the fan and said, "This weather is really life-threatening!"

Honghua said, "Madam, don't add a pot of ice again!" The weather was too hot, and Yurong, who was starting to be thrifty, also put a basin of ice in the house.

Yurong shook his head and said, "This ice is so expensive, I still don't want it." You ask someone to fetch two buckets of well water, and I'll wash my face. "The weather is getting hotter and hotter, the price of ice has tripled, and it is going to continue to rise.

There are two wells in this house, one in the front yard and one in the backyard. The well in the front yard is for the people in the house, and the well in the back yard is for Yurong, Yizheng and Mr. Gao's family.

After washing her face, wiping her body and changing her clothes, Yurong felt refreshed. Before the buttocks were hot, I heard the red voice say that Yizheng was back.

Yurong saw his son and asked, "Why do you have a holiday today?" Yizheng studied with Mr. in a private school, and Mr. had previously served as a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy and was very talented. There weren't many people in that private school, only nine people. It is not only because he can learn well because of his political ability, but also because this gentleman has received the favor of Jiang Wenrui.

Yizheng said: "The homeless people were making trouble on West Street, and one of my classmates happened to pass by there and was injured. The gentleman was afraid that something would happen again, so he gave us a holiday. ”

Yurong said: "I said before that if I let these homeless people enter the city, something will happen sooner or later." "The truth is just as she expected, something really happened.

Yizheng said: "Mother, I'm going to find Grandpa Gao." "He has to tell Grandpa Gao about this.

Half an hour later, Mr. Gao came over to see Yurong. Seeing Yurong, Mr. Gao said: "Madam, I'm afraid the capital will not be peaceful during this time. The people in the mansion, if you can't go out, try not to go out!"

Yurong asked with some surprise: "Is it so serious? There are so many officers and soldiers in the city who can't deal with these refugees?"

Mr. Gao shook his head and said, "It's not just the problem of refugees, but now food is so expensive that ordinary people can't afford it. In this situation, I am afraid that there will be chaos again. "Last year, there was a rush to the grain store, and this year's situation is much more serious than last year.

Yurong said, "Listen to Mr." After a pause, Yurong said with some emotion: "Sir, do you think we want to sell all the grain we have stored?" This year, the capital has also suffered from drought, but it is not serious, and the output has been reduced by about two to three percent. Yurong's 800 acres also received more than 200,000 catties of grain. New grain is replaced by old grain, and now the grain depot is filled with last year's grain stockpile.

As soon as Mr. Gao heard this, he knew that Yurong wanted to make a profit, and he didn't object, but said, "Madam, if this trend continues, the grain will definitely rise." Even if we want to sell grain, we have to sell it after a while. ”

Yurong smiled and said, "Then sell it after a while!" Not to mention the grain in the cellar, the grain stored in this house is enough for them to eat for three or five months.

Seeing this, Mr. Gao said, "Madam, if we want to sell grain, we can only sell it to those big grain shops, but we can't sell it ourselves." "The price of selling to grain stores is definitely lower, but it is safe.

Yurong just wanted to make a profit, but he didn't dare to take risks: "This is arranged by Mr. Gao." For Mr. Gao, she is still very relieved.

Smashing, cheating, and snatching, similar things emerge one after another, causing panic in the entire capital. This incident naturally alarmed Yan Wushuang.

Su Shan, the commander of the forbidden army, said: "Your Majesty, it is not appropriate to release the exiles into Beijing anymore. Otherwise, there will only be more similar incidents. "Even these displaced people who have been put in, he wants to drive them out. However, Yan Wushuang didn't speak, and he couldn't speak.

Yan Wushuang thought about it, agreed to Su Shan's suggestion, and set aside an area in the north for the homeless people to live in.

Lord Shang Shugan of the military department said that he could not let the displaced people enter the city, but he could not ignore them, and he must provide them with food, and then persuade them to return to their hometowns. Otherwise, if so many displaced people riot outside, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Yan Wushuang nodded and said, "You're right, the homeless people outside the city should indeed be settled. ”

Lord Geng, the head of the household department, complained in his heart that the treasury had no money, and it was a big expense to resettle the displaced people, so he didn't know where to find money.

After discussing this matter, Yan Wushuang ordered Tie Kui to lead his troops to build a shack outside the city for the victims to live temporarily. In addition, it is necessary to resettle these victims and maintain law and order.

Tie Kui took the order, his face as black as the bottom of a pot. Yan Wushuang, a bastard, actually asked him to settle the homeless people with a dignified second-rank general.

Seeing this, the eunuch who delivered the decree was a little worried, and left the barracks without even asking for the reward and returned to Beijing.

When the eunuch returned to the matter, Meng Nian happened to be present. After hearing this, Meng Nian frowned and said, "Tie Kui is too presumptuous, the emperor asked him to settle the exiles, but he was unwilling. In Meng Nian's eyes, the people below should be as loyal to Yan Wushuang as he is.

Yan Wushuang said: "I'm afraid it's because of the incident in Pingdingshan that he has worries." He didn't care if Tie Kui thought too much, as long as he got the errand done.

Meng Nian snorted and said, "The king wants the minister to die, and the minister has to die." It's just that he killed those people in Pingdingshan, and he dared to complain. No wonder the emperor was not at ease with him before. ”

Yan Wushuang said: "If everyone is like you, I don't have to work so hard. After a pause, Yan Wushuang said, "Don't talk about him, what's the situation in the northwest?"

Meng Nian said: "Two days after the news of Yunqing's extermination of the Northern Captivity came back to Ho City, Ho Cheng lifted martial law. Your Majesty, do we still have to implement our previous plan?"

Yan Wushuang said: "No need, now this situation is better not to provoke Han Yuxi again." "When the woman gets angry, she doesn't know what to do.

Meng Nian thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei and other places have also been affected. Your Majesty, their lives are no better than ours. ”

Yan Wushuang said: "You also missed the northwest and Jiangnan, these two places have a decent harvest this year." Compared to him, Han Yuxi is much more relaxed.

The two were talking, and Gonggong Min said outside: "Your Majesty, the concubine asks to see you." ”

It's okay, Yuchen won't come to the imperial study. Yan Wushuang said, "Please come in!"

Yuchen was actually wearing a plain blue palace dress, and she was draped in a soft veil of Qiluo Cui. On the head, there is a jasper hairpin, decorated with thin silver wire beaded tassels. Even if he is in his thirties, his skin is still like clotted fat, and his face is like a lotus. People can't take their eyes off it.

But no matter how beautiful people see too much, they won't feel too much. Yan Wushuang asked, "The concubine came to the imperial study, but what is the matter?"

Yuchen said: "I heard that the homeless people outside are hungry, and the concubines want to do their part. "Yuchen wants to gather the noble concubines in the capital to donate money for the victims outside.

Yan Wushuang nodded in agreement. The relief funds from this woman's donation must be limited, but she can take advantage of this wind to call on civil and military officials to donate together. Yan Wushuang said: "The noble concubine is very happy to have this heart, this matter can let Meng Nian help you!"

Yuchen said respectfully, "Yes!" This shows that Yan Wushuang agreed.

Out of the imperial study, Mama Gui lowered her voice and asked, "Niangniang, what does the emperor say?" If the emperor agrees, it is also an honor and merit for the concubine to take the lead in calling on those ladies and ladies to donate.

Yuchen nodded and said, "The emperor has agreed." ”

Back in Zhanghua Palace, Yuchen wrote a post inviting the wives and ladies of officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital to attend the banquet. She didn't hide it, and it was directly stated on the post that the main purpose of this banquet was to raise funds for disaster relief.

After the post persuaded them to be sent out, Yuchen asked people to take the account books of the treasury and then selected a lot of things from them.

Tie Kui's wife, Xiao Shi, also received an invitation. After taking the post, Xiao went to the front yard to find Tie Kui: "Master, do you think how much we should donate at that time?" This is a banquet to raise disaster silver, and she can't go if she doesn't go.

Tie Kui didn't want to give up a penny, but he also knew that it would not work if he didn't donate: "As much as others donate, we will also donate." ”

Xiao Shi was a little embarrassed: "This is not very appropriate, is it?" Who doesn't know that their Dasheng caravan is making money with the shops day by day, even now, the business is very prosperous. If you donate the same amount as others, you will not be called a miser?

Tie Kui was unhappy in his heart: "What's wrong? If others want to say it, let them say it." ”

Seeing that this was not quite right, Xiao asked, "Master, is something wrong?" As a wife, how can she not know who her husband is. My husband is not stingy, and he usually supports his subordinates who are poor in those days, but this time it is really a bit abnormal.

Tie Kui said: "It's nothing. ”

Xiao Shi thought for a moment and said, "Master, why don't we donate a thousand taels, what do you think?" Like others, this matter is not easy to grasp.

Tie Kui snorted and said, "One thousand taels is one thousand taels, no more." ”

Xiao nodded in response, "Okay." ”

At this time, Zhong Shantong had something to do. Xiao didn't interfere in the outside affairs, and immediately went back to the backyard.

Zhong Shantong looked at Tie Kui's expression becoming more and more ugly, and said, "Master, things are already like this, and it's useless to be angry again." ”

Tie Kui snorted coldly and said, "Yan Wushuang has now come up with a new trick and called on everyone to donate money for the victims. I'm afraid I'm going to bleed a lot this time. Han Yuchen's call for everyone to donate is just a pretense, how much can this lady donate. Yan Wushuang's target is probably the civil and military officials in the court and the wealthy merchants in the capital. And his reputation is outstanding, and it will definitely not work if he doesn't donate three or five thousand taels.

It's not that Tie Kui is cold-blooded and unwilling to help these displaced people, it's just that instead of donating this money to Yan Wushuang, it is better to exchange it for food and send it outside the city. But he just thought about it in his heart, but he didn't have the courage to do it. Otherwise, Yan Wushuang would definitely not be able to spare him. didn't wait for Yun Qing to lead his troops into the capital, he was afraid that he had already been killed by Yan Wushuang.

Zhong Shantong said: "Master, you will definitely be very unhappy if you let the emperor know with this attitude." ”

Tie Kui said: "Last time I killed those refugees in Pingdingshan, I was assassinated by a falcon. This time, I asked me to settle the displaced people, if I am happy to Xing Yan Wushuang, I will be suspicious!" He also knew Yan Wushuang's nature too well, so he deliberately acted very dissatisfied. Of course, this time Tie Kui only needs to vent his psychological grievances, and he doesn't need to act.

Zhong Shantong nodded and said, "Master, if Yan Wushuang really wants you to donate, how much are you going to donate?" The property under their name is very profitable every year. If you donate less, you will definitely not be able to pass the test. But if he donates too much, not to mention Tie Kui, even he is distressed.

Tie Kui said: "It depends. "He didn't want to donate too much, but people had to bow their heads under the eaves. Since Yan Wushuang made this idea, they couldn't donate it.

In addition to Xiao getting the post, Lu Yao and Yurong also received the post. Seeing that the post said donations, Lu Yao didn't think much about going. Although Han Jiancheng is not lustful, he also has two concubines, and each of these two concubines gave birth to a daughter. Lu Yao gave birth to three sons and one daughter by herself, and the cost of this family of eight is not a small amount. In addition, Lu Yao has to secretly help her mother's family, and her money is not loose.

Lu Yao said to Han Jiancheng: "Master, if you donate less, the concubine will not be able to get by." If we donate too much, we won't be able to come up with that much money. Master, I'd better call it sick and won't go!"

Han Jiancheng said: "The errand I can get now is all the grace of the concubine. Now that the concubine is holding a fundraising banquet, wouldn't you be slapping the concubine in the face if you don't go?" Han Jiancheng is in the ministry of Ren Zheng Wupin's affairs, this position is not low. It is also for this reason that Han Jiancheng thought about going to Liaodong to buy property. After buying a property and having an errand with him, life will definitely not be bad.

Lu Yao also understands the reason, but she is shy in her pocket: "Then how much should we donate?" Three or five hundred taels gritted her teeth and donated it, but if it was three or five thousand taels, she really couldn't take it.

Han Jiancheng thought for a while and said, "The situation of our family, the concubine is also clear. You ask the concubine about this, see what she means?"

Lu Yao nodded.

Yurong didn't have Lu Yao's entanglement, and she threw it aside after taking the post. Orphans and widows have a hard time, so how can they donate money.

After Yizheng learned about this, he persuaded Yurong to donate: "Mother, these homeless people are too pitiful, we can help if we can!"

Yurong said: "Ah Zheng, now the prices outside are so expensive, the grain has risen to forty wen a catty, and the oil and salt have also risen several times. Although my mother still has some money in her hand, she has to feed more than 20 people in the house, and she doesn't know how long she can last. "Yurong is still talking about the price of coarse grains, and polished rice and white noodles are more expensive.

After a pause, Yurong said: "If the situation is not good, my mother will also reduce the personnel in the house." "Except for the people who must be kept, such as the guards in the house, those rough mothers-in-law and little maids are ready to be released. The world is not good, just do the work of sprinkling, sweeping and laundry.

Yizheng was stunned for a moment, and then said: "Mother, it hasn't come to this point!"

Yurong said: "You have to prepare for the worst in everything, if it comes, it will be too late." Besides, you are still young, and there are still many places to use money in the future. "It is a big expense to study and marry a wife in politics, so Yurong can't wait to break a penny in half now!