Chen Wenhui's family entered the capital surrounded by everyone, Chen Wenhui did not return directly to his county lord's mansion, but just let the Bai family take her children to Xiao Chen's house first, and she went to the palace with Zhao Chongyi.

As for the rest of the people, Chen Wenhui and his wife made an appointment with them, and when they came back from the palace, they invited everyone to the county lord's mansion for dinner. Chen Wenhui hasn't been back for a long time. However, the county lord's mansion is well organized under the care of the housekeeper, and banquets can be held at any time.

After Chen Wenhui and his wife entered, they met the emperor.

When the emperor saw the two of them, he began to ask about the situation in the northwest. Although in the middle of this, Zhao Chongyi often reported the situation in the northwest to the emperor, and the emperor also sent ministers to the northwest, it can be said that he knows a lot about the situation in the northwest, but the emperor still has a lot of questions.

Zhao Chongyi and his wife could only recount in detail under the bombardment of the emperor.

Zhao Chongyi said: "Tiebi Pass is already a link connecting Great Chu, the grasslands, the Far North, the countries of the Western Regions, and even the distant continent of Europa. The volume of trade there every day is staggering. Although it is not as good as Shanghai City, it is not worse than Suzhou City. Of course, the biggest deal is with the steppe. ”

"Five cities on the steppe have also been built. Among them, Shanhai City was the first to be established, and it is also the closest to Tiebi Pass. The city is mainly the center of several large tribes in its vicinity, with some scattered tribes. Transactions are all done there. Now this Shanhai City no longer needs the imperial court to post money there. It can also save hundreds of thousands of taels of silver in taxes every year. ”

"The remaining four cities, because they were established relatively late, although there is no need for the imperial court to put money into them now, however, the balance is not much, some are tens of thousands of taels a year, and some are simply breaking even."

"Whether it is a large surplus or a small surplus, the development prospects are very good. For example, Tiebiguan, now we are already a prosperous city. Right now. A year can be left with a surplus of more than two million taels of silver, of course, this silver should be escorted back to Beijing. Including the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver that the five cities of the grassland have a combined balance in a year, they can be escorted back to the capital. But. The Emperor Shengming. did not do this, but let the silver stay in the northwest and continue to build the northwest. This is a blessing for the people of the Northwest. It is the emperor's foresight and wisdom. ”

"The Northwest is a lot better than it used to be. The people were able to eat enough, the fields were more productive, and in addition to farming, the people would go out to work, and life was much better. The tribes on the grassland have very little trouble, and they are all working hard to graze, just to make more money, so as to buy all kinds of special products of the Central Plains, including grain, including silk and satin cloth, including all kinds of porcelain, salt, tea, utensils, etc. ”

"Now they don't like the nomadic life either, many of the wealthy tribes among them have bought houses in five cities, and when winter comes, they can't graze, so they sell most of their cattle and sheep, and then return to the city with a small part of them for next year's breeding, live in warm and comfortable houses, and live a warm winter."

"In the long run, the people in the northwest will live better and better, and the people on the grassland will live better and better. When life is better, their fighting spirit is worn out and there is a lot less fighting. Even if there are disputes, most of them are caused by the competition for pasture. ”

"Therefore, it is quite correct that the emperor left this silver in the northwest. With this silver, we can build more small cities and towns on the grassland, so that more nomads will be fixed, and the northwest of our Dachu will become more and more stable in the future. ”

When the emperor heard this, he was very happy and said, "This is all the credit of your husband and wife. I want to thank you. ”

Chen Wenhui and Zhao Chongyi were busy and humble.

The Emperor asked many other questions. There are also some questions about the people of the Northwest about the affairs of those tribes.

This saw him for the whole day, during which time the emperor left the couple to eat in the palace.

In the afternoon, the emperor didn't take a lunch break, and directly pulled the two of them to continue talking. Chen Wenhui was exhausted, with a tired look, the emperor looked at it and said, "Lord Wenhui is too tired, why don't you go to the queen to rest first?" ”

Chen Wenhui hurriedly said no, but the emperor was eager, and Zhao Chongyi also felt sorry for him, and after a while, the queen personally went to the Qinzheng Palace to pick up Chen Wenhui. Chen Wenhui was so tired that she wanted to sleep for a while, so she had to go back with the queen.

When she arrived at the queen's palace, Chen Wenhui was not polite to the queen, and went directly to the warm pavilion that the queen had asked someone to clean up.

After sleeping this night, she slept until she was about to eat dinner, and Chen Wenhui woke up dimly, and after waking up, she asked, "What time is it now?" Did the emperor and his grandfather finish talking? ”

It was Shui Lian who was waiting on the side, and several of them had already resigned from their positions at Tiebi Pass, and they also returned to the capital, this time she was still waiting for Chen Wenhui to enter the palace. She hurriedly said: "It's already dinner, just now the queen mother came to say, the emperor said, I want the county lord and the grandfather to eat in the queen's palace." The emperor and his grandfather are still talking, and they will come over together in a while. ”

Chen Wenhui then understood, and asked: "It's normal for me to eat here with the queen's mother." However, how can a foreign minister in Chongyi go to the mother's palace to eat? ”

The big palace maid who was waiting on the side said with a smile: "County Lord, Niangniang also said so. But the emperor said that the Duke of Northwest is no one else, it is common, and he is the brother-in-law of the queen's mother, they are all a family, what is there to eat together. Besides, during the meal, the emperor still had something to say to the grandfather and the county lord. The queen didn't say anything anymore and went straight to prepare. ”

Chen Wenhui was a little familiar when she heard this voice, so she looked at it, no matter how she looked at this big palace maid, she felt familiar, but it was not the red apricot and Lan Ping beside the queen's mother, Chen Wenhui was a little puzzled.

The water lotus on the side was already waiting for Chen Wenhui to get up, dress, and make up.

On the dresser, Chen Wenhui looked at the big palace maid standing respectfully behind her in the mirror and felt more and more familiar, so she frowned and asked, "Why do I think you are so familiar?" ”

The palace maid immediately knelt on the ground and choked up: "County master, the slave maid is Cui Dai, she is the person next to Concubine Wang Xian, after Concubine Wang Xian passed, the slave maid was on an errand here with the queen's mother." The slave maid has followed the virtuous concubine since she was a child, and she came to the capital together from Ancheng. In the past, when the county lord and our mother were playing together, we often saw slaves and maids. The lord of the county also rewarded the slaves and maids with many things. On one occasion, when the lord of the county came back from the city of Shanghai, he gave the slave a jasper hairpin, which was inlaid with jewels from the South Seas, and you see, this one. ”

The palace maid plucked a jade gemstone hairpin from her head, and the shape was somewhat peculiar, it was a arabesque pattern. It was designed by Chen Wenhui when she was in Shanghai before, when she was bored.

Chen Wenhui looked at it again, it was indeed Cuidai, the personal big girl next to Wang Yaozhen, so she sighed and said, "Get up and talk." You are a person close to Yaozhen, you grew up with Yaozhen since you were a child, Yaozhen treats you like a sister, I already remember. ”

A palace maid had already come over and moved a stool for Cui Dai to sit on.

Cui Dai sat down, still weeping.

Chen Wenhui sighed for a while and said, "Okay, tell me about Yaozhen's last situation." ”

Cui Dai said to the other palace maids and eunuchs in the palace, "You all go out, just have me and this sister to serve here." ”

Those palace maids and eunuchs hurriedly retreated.

Cui Dai waited for everyone to leave, and then told the story in detail. First of all, Concubine Wang De was still a concubine at that time, how could she attack Fan Guiren's dragon fetus, causing Fan Guiren to have a miscarriage, and she couldn't have children in the future. She herself went to stay with the county lord of Wen'an for a day.

After Fan Guiren had a miscarriage, she went to Fan Guiren to talk again, which stimulated Fan Guiren. Not to mention, Bai Guifei and Ma Shufei also sent people to Fan Guiren's palace, and the next day, Fan Guiren took advantage of people's inattention to go to the palace of Concubine Xian Niangniang, and poisoned the second prince.

Although Fan Guiren was later given to die. However, Concubine Wang Xian, who had lost her second prince, couldn't wait for someone to administer justice for her, and couldn't wait for the opportunity to take revenge, and their manpower had been investigated, and it was Bai Guifei's means to plan all this. Including Concubine Wang De, they were all bewitched by Bai Guifei.

However, Bai Guifei was powerful, and Concubine Wang Xian couldn't fight her, so when she was hopeless, she scattered all her family wealth, and finally gave most of her property to the queen mother, and entrusted her to the queen mother, just to be able to see the queen mother one day fight Bai Guifei.

After saying this, Cui Dai cried and said, "County Lord, at that time, if you were in the capital, you would definitely be able to persuade our mother not to take that road. Mrs. Mingzhu wanted to rush over, but the palace gate had already been spooned, and she couldn't get in, and the next day, when Mrs. Mingzhu came in, our mother had already gone. ”

Chen Wenhui couldn't help but shed tears.

It seems that Wang Yaozhen came to her house for the first time, wearing gorgeous clothes and red gold jewelry, looking small but a little nouveau riche, but very cute.

There was also the situation when they played together, appreciating peach blossoms together, appreciating chrysanthemums together, rowing together, listening to songs and dancing together, this scene was all dangling in front of Chen Wenhui's eyes, but now, it is separated by heaven and man, counting, Yaozhen is not yet thirty years old, she is too young, and she is really famous.

While feeling sorry for Wang Yaozhen, Chen Wenhui began to hate Bai Guifei for the first time in her heart. also hated the emperor who watched Wang Yaozhen die. (To be continued......)