Meng and his entourage went out of Pingxiang, through Taiping Mansion, Nanning Mansion, Si'en Mansion, Liuzhou Mansion, Guilin Mansion, all the way to the north.

When passing through Guilin Mansion, the group changed to an official boat, drove along the river, and encountered several flat-headed boats one after another. There were no flags of the government or the flag army on the side of the ship, so it was a merchant ship.

When the official ship on which Meng Tong and Zhu Neng were riding passed, the boatmen on the big ship saw it and immediately avoided it.

The river is wide, and it doesn't have to be like this, but with the official flag and the border troops standing on the bow of the ship, even if it is a show, it has to get out of the way.

Looking at the banner waving in the wind, the businessmen were speculating that the people on the official ship must be not small.

"In my opinion, there is a ten-eight-nine is which general of the army of Annam was ordered to return to Beijing. The officials of Guilin Prefecture are not allowed to take such official ships. ”

"Look at the flag on the ship, at least it's an uncle."

"Some time ago, the official army captured the head of the Li thief, and the Liu Du Governor of the Boat Division entered Beijing to offer prisoners, but I saw it, the building ship is ten battles high, and the officers and soldiers on it are full of 1,000 people, and there are artillery, which is called a majesty!"

"What is the ship, my brother has not seen the treasure ship that was ordered by the Son of Heaven to send an envoy to the West, two years ago, I was in Taicang, just a glance, my heart and liver trembled......"

Merchants, you and I have said it word by word.

The official ship, which was one size smaller than the merchant ship, slowly crossed the river until the stern was gone, and the merchant ship continued on its way.

The destination of the merchants was mostly Pingxiang, since the good news of the conquest army came back one after another, a large number of timber and grain were transported out from the southwest, and it was rumored that the whole territory of Annam had been flattened, many merchants and local natives made a fortune, and more and more people began to be moved.

The news of the massive purchase of land by the Da'an Southern Army has not yet come out, but the movements of the vassal king and the clan cannot be concealed from others.

The people are the foundation of the country, and the people take food as the sky.

The climate of Annam is very suitable for growing rice, and the environment here is unique compared to the Central Plains, which came from floods and droughts. The rice planted can be harvested twice a year, and the rice can be harvested three times a year, even people who do not farm for a career will be red-eyed.

The action of exchanging copper money for grain was not secret, and Xia Yuanji's original intention was not to carry out this matter secretly at all.

Xia Shangshu thought very clearly, according to the meaning of the Son of Heaven, he must hope to classify Annan and other places as long-term grain producing areas. He sets the rules and conventions, and when he leaves the household one day, his successor will do the same. If you want to do it, you can't go too far.

There is a brocade guard staring at the side, the movement is too big, do you want to peel - skin - fill the grass?

Merchants had the most sensitive sense of profit, and the policies of the imperial court gave them greater confidence. One can imagine how the land of Annam will be eaten away by whales after more merchants pour into Guangxi.

Whether it is the clan, the scholars, or the military and Han cloth, the Chinese people's obsession with the land has been engraved in their bones for generations.

On Meng's way back to Beijing, half of Annan was stamped with a big stamp of the Ming Dynasty.

The king of Shu had a lot of money, bought a large number of fields and mountains and forests, and directly sent school captains to garrison and protect the fields with arms.

The king of Zhou and the king of Gu followed, and even the king of Ning in Jiangxi was not idle, and his tentacles still extended into Champa and Laos, and Siam was not spared. By the time the king and his ministers calmed down from the excitement of making money, they found that the situation was not right, and it was already difficult to take back the land.

If it's a businessman who buys land, he can still work hard.

Replaced by the clan vassal king, I'm sorry, I can't carry Zhu Laosi, and I can't deal with the small country of Fanbang? Daddy will be angry.

In contrast to these clan tyrants, the more than 200 acres of paddy fields in Mumbai are completely inadequate.

It is very difficult not to hate the rich.

In the afternoon of the boat, the wind rose on the river, and the boatman looked up at the sky, it was still sunny, but he told Liu Baihu, who was standing at the bow of the boat, "Baihu, I'm afraid it's going to rain, it's best to dock temporarily and wait for the rain to stop before leaving." ”

In the cabin, Meng and Zhu Neng were fighting on the chessboard.

Go is a novice game, but chess is fine.

Zhu Neng is a first-class fighter, and he plays chess with a murderous spirit. Meng is not to be outdone, he can't win on the battlefield, and he can't succeed on the chessboard, it's too unreasonable.

When Liu Baihu entered the cabin to report, Uncle Meng shouted, the chessboard was smashed by the chess pieces, and Cheng Guogong's elephant was eaten.

Chess is to have this momentum.

"Humble to see the grandfather of the country, uncle."

"What?"

"The boatman said that there was fear of rain on the river, so he should temporarily dock."

Neither Zhu Neng nor Meng raised any objections.

The boatmen are all veterans who are used to the river, and if it is a light rain, they will not deliberately remind them. found Liu Baihu to prove that the rain was definitely not light, and it was also appropriate to hide from the shore.

This has happened more than once since boarding the ship.

Meng was very curious about the boatman's ability to observe the wind and rain in advance, and specially asked the oldest boatman for advice.

The old boatman didn't even dare to say, "Don't dare to hide it from your uncle, the old farmers who have accumulated years know how to watch the time." The ancestors of the little old man were all boatmen, and he had spent most of his life on the river, and he had no ability to look at the sky, and he did not dare to run a boat on the river in Guilin Mansion. ”

Meng still feels miraculous, compared to the hard-working and simple working people, some brick families in later generations should really buy a piece of tofu and bump into it.

Soon after the ship docked, heavy rain poured down.

After finishing the chess game, Meng walked in front of the cabin, looked at the rain curtain that was connected together, and took a deep breath.

The rain crashed into the river, causing ripples.

When you close your eyes, the sound of the rain is amplified in your ears, and the refreshing breath flows from your throat all the way to your lungs, which is a wonderful feeling.

Seeing that Meng seemed to be settled, Zhu Neng couldn't help but speak, "Brother Xian, has you come to your senses?" ”

Meng smiled and stretched his waist very unpleasantly, "I'm a layman, how can I come to enlightenment?" ”

Having a monk master does not mean that you must also be a master. With the actions of Monk Daoyan, there is no possibility of jumping out of the Six Realms of Red Dust at all.

What's more, what the great monk taught him was not Buddhism, but the I Ching.

Compared with becoming a monk, it is more wonderful to live the second half of his life with the second generation of Hou.

The rain was heavy, but it didn't last long.

After the sky cleared, the official ship set off again.

The sunlight shines through the window flutes and spreads indoors, and with the refreshment after the rain, even the mood seems to fly.

Out of Guangxi, into Huguang.

The group changed horses, did not enter the city unless necessary, and only rested at the post station.

After several days of hurrying, I finally arrived at Yingtianfu at the end of August.

When the team arrived in Nanjing, it was early autumn.

Outside the city gate of Nanjing, there were two long queues, and it was inferred from the dress that it should be the Tatar Jurchen tribal leaders from the north who entered Beijing to pay tribute.

When observing others, Meng also became the object of observation for others.

The tributary procession in front of the city gate suddenly burst into a commotion, and three strong men in leather robes turned their horses' heads and galloped towards Meng and his party.

Ten steps away, the strong men turned over and dismounted, saluted, and said to the strong men: "Taining Wei Qianhu should have seen the uncle!" ”

Meng was stunned for a moment, looking at the man who was as strong as a hill, and didn't remember who he was for a while.

just heard Tai Ningwei, but he couldn't help but make a sound.

As the guard of Daning, the three guards of Duoyan are all under his control. Although the three guards are one, collectively known as Uliangha, they are divided into different tribes internally, and it is not uncommon for them to show signs of parting with each other. If it weren't for the imperial court's pressure, it would not be impossible to swing a knife and cut each other one day.

"Get up first." Looking carefully at the beggar and the two strong men behind him, Meng frowned, he didn't have any impression, he really hadn't seen them, "Why did you enter Beijing?" ”

"Uncle Hui, last month, he succeeded his father as the leader of the tribe, and this time he entered Beijing to pay tribute to the Son of Heaven. There are other important matters that need to be reported to the court. ”

"Something important?"

"Yes. Message from the steppe. ”

Qi Liecai didn't say much, Meng Zhishou, knowing that this was not the time to speak, and the place was not right.

"Advanced City." Meng Dao, "After entering the city, you first take someone to see Honglu Siqing, go to the Huitong Pavilion to stay, and then come to Xingning Bofu to see me." ”

"Yes!"

The beggar was ordered to return to the ranks.

Meng turned around and returned to the carriage and told Zhu Neng about the situation.

"Since it is Taining Wei Qianhu, there is nothing wrong with Brother Xian's move."

As the guard of Daning, the important matter of Tainingwei, Meng has the right and should also know. Otherwise, when the Son of Heaven asked, he shook his head and didn't know, and the fun would be great.

It didn't take long for Meng and Zhu Neng's team to arrive at the city gate.

The guards who checked the waist card and the guide quickly handed back the waist card and saluted, "I've seen the grandfather of the country, uncle!" ”

Passing through the city gate, Meng unexpectedly found that the soldiers were conscientious and did not dare to be sloppy at all, but the small flag of Pei Mu Pai was standing aside, with words in his mouth, and he was not concerned about his own work at all.

Meng frowned, he didn't want to meddle in his affairs, but according to the military order, this Xiaoqi should be beaten with twenty military sticks. Let Liu Baihu come forward to ask about the situation, and he can't wronged a good person.

Liu Baihu received the order, stepped forward to ask, and after learning the truth, his face was incredible.

"Uncle Hui, this person is chanting scriptures."

"Say it again?"

"He's reciting sutras. I heard from the people next to him that since he was withered to guard the city gate, he has always been like this, chanting scriptures all day long, and not asking about foreign affairs. "Liu Baihu is also incomprehensible, such a person will be Xiaoqi? It's just a smear for the military man!

Meng was speechless.

It's okay to recite the scriptures, go home on duty, and recite whatever you want. But when you are on duty, you are derelict in your duties. It's not good to hear, take the money and don't do anything, I'm sorry for the military salary issued by the court at all! In the future, it is impossible to say.

Moreover, the city gate is the face of the capital, and when you come to Nanjing, the first thing you see is not the palace, nor the inner city, but the city gate!

Such a person appeared here, so that the people in the country, what would they think when they saw it in the Fanbang season?

Meng twisted his eyebrows, he didn't believe that the officials in Nanjing didn't know about this matter, and the imperial historian stared at his colleagues in the DPRK and China all day long, so he didn't find this one-third of an acre of land under the city gate?

Or is there a scruple?

Meng frowned even tighter, and he had the heart to put it down first to check what the background of this person was, but he looked like an old monk in his jacket, and he was really holding his breath.

Think of the frontier army that was born and died, the guards who extinguished the Japanese pirates, and the conquest army that fought for their lives between the jungle and the water net.

Which Ming army's jacket was not dyed red by the blood of the enemy?

This person is in the land of Jinling, and he doesn't need him to go into battle to kill the enemy, but he can't even do the thing of guarding the city gate?

Whether it's nosy or not, in short, this general flag must be dealt with!

"Brother Xian." Zhu Neng stopped Meng, "Just returned to Beijing, it's better to be cautious." ”

Meng shook his head and said, "Thank you Grandpa Guo for reminding me, this person must be dealt with." ”

Since the opening of the National Dynasty, the border guards from all over the country have been rotated and transferred, and they have jointly defended the capital with the Yingtian Guard. In the fifth year of Yongle, it coincided with the entry of the official army of Shuntianfu into Beijing. Now it is Wei Guogong who is training in Shuntian, but Beijing is still guarding Shen Xuan!

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that it was wrong.

Looking at Xiao Qi, who was still chanting the scriptures and seemed to have no fear, Meng's eyes became gloomy. He won't take the initiative to find trouble with others, but if someone comes to the door, he is not afraid!

If the target is Dingguo Gong, you have to shoot it to death!

Shen Xuan led the conquest army to pacify Annan and made great contributions. It's hard to guarantee that no one will want to take advantage of the opportunity.

Emperor Yongle believed that Shen Xuan, the words of several people, would definitely not let him waver. But what if there are too many people talking about it?

Meng didn't dare to take any chances.

Maybe he thought too much, but he would rather think more than let go of any person or thing that might affect Shen Xuan.

It is far safer to prevent the slightest problem than to make up for the dead.

Therefore, this small flag cannot be left alone.

"Liu Baihu, you go and tell him that as a guard, you don't care, you don't take responsibility, you should chant the scriptures, and you should ask about the crime of dereliction of duty! If you are dedicated to cultivating goodness, I will make the imperial civil and military edicts of Emperor Tai-Zu-Gao, which are recorded in them, for the purpose of seeking good fortune and avoiding evil, protecting the lives of one's family and the way of wealth and nobility, and it is beneficial to read. is not an outsider, or reading the Great Edict is more loyal and filial, and does not break the law, and is naturally blessed. ”

Liu Baihu went to pass the word, Meng didn't expect a few words to make this person change, the reason why he did this was just to show his attitude.

As a soldier, instead of reciting Buddhist scriptures all day long, it is better to recite the great edict to cultivate sentiment.

He did want to pull people down and knock sticks before, but he also knew that it was inappropriate.

Calm down, simply move out of the Tai-Zu Great Edict, whether it is tempting or not, whether there is a conspiracy, Emperor Gao's imperial edict is pressed down, and all the ghosts and spirits retreat.

Today, carrying the banner of restoring the Tai-Zu Cheng Law, the imperial edict is a large number of golden characters, and it is naturally beneficial to read.

Who dares to spray Meng What he said is wrong, Zhu Di will not agree.

"Virtuous brother and talent." Zhu Neng swept away his worries and smiled, "In this way, even if it is the current history of the capital, I can't find the reason of the virtuous brother." ”

Meng Xiaoxiao, this is just the beginning, after returning home, you must immediately hand over a post to Yang Duo, it is not appropriate to hand over a post, and you must send someone to inform you. Anyway, it's already the "right of Jinyiwei", and you can't bear this reputation in vain.

In the palace, Emperor Yongle lost his temper.

Yu Shiji, the imperial historian of the Metropolitan Procuratorate who had just returned from inspecting the people in Zhejiang, knelt on the ground, his face pale.

"I ordered you to look at the people's suffering, and when you return, what is the people's situation, how is the valley, what is the flood, nothing is clear, ask you, let alone say a word! Only enter sycophants, words are auspicious, people don't know, where is auspicious? ! ”

After that, he threw Yu Shiji's song to the ground, and grabbed a letter from the Metropolitan Procuratorate to impeach and levy the land of the Annan army, plundered the people's property, and requisitioned the servants, and threw it directly into Yu Shiji's face.

"Chengguo Gong is corrupt and perverts the law, convicts the public of corruption and cruelty, Xincheng Hou Zong's subordinates loot, Xingning Bo is treacherous and evil, and the villain is a minister?"

Emperor Yongle's words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth word by word.

"Yes, that's great! The secretaries of the Metropolitan Procuratorate are really dedicated to the country and the pillars of the country! It's really good, damn it! ”

Every time Emperor Yongle said a word, Yu Shiji's face became whiter, cold sweat soaked through the official uniform, and he trembled and kowtowed to plead guilty.

"Your Majesty's anger, Your Majesty's anger!"

"You say, tell me, how can I not be angry?"

"Your Majesty......"

"Hou Xian."

"The slave is here."

"Call the brocade guards outside the hall in."

"The slave obeys."

Hearing this, Yu Shiji was no longer colorful, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty spares your life!" ”

"Spare your life?" Zhu Di sneered, "Tell me where the thousand taels of gold and silver in the Er Mansion came from, and I may let you leave a whole corpse." ”

Jin Yiwei entered the hall, and without saying a word, pulled the paralyzed Yu Shiji down.

There is no regret medicine in the world, if he can restrain his greed, if he is not moved, if he ...... Nowadays, it's too late.

Disposed of Yu Shiji, Zhu Di sent people to the outside of the palace, and ordered Jinyiwei to command Yang Duo to secretly investigate the impeachment of the people who conscripted the army of Annan.

"Let Yang Duo transfer a few fresh faces to Guangxi."

For the sake of perfection, and for the sake of silencing the mouths of the world, it must be done as well.

Hou Xian received the order to go down, and as soon as he left the palace gate, a lieutenant hurriedly came to report, "Father-in-law Hou, Kunning Palace sent someone to complain, Her Royal Highness the Queen is afraid that it will not be good." ”

The autumn wind suddenly rose, Hou Xian's face suddenly changed, and he immediately returned to the hall.

In less than a moment, Zhu Di, who was dressed in a bright-yellow panlong suit, walked out of the hall, and the people of the Inner Official Palace followed behind, almost unable to catch up with the footsteps of the Son of Heaven.

In the dormitory of the main palace of Kunning Palace, Queen Xu was lying on the couch, her face like gold paper.

Zhao Yuanju and the imperial doctors of Tai Hospital took turns to diagnose the queen's pulse, and they all looked solemn.

King Ping and Princess Heping were guarding outside the palace, and King Ping's son was guarding the same, but the eldest son of King Han and King Zhao who stayed in the capital were not there.

Zhu Di strode into the hall, and didn't look at King Ping's family, Zhu Gaochi, who bowed down, got up, his eyes were red, Princess Ping kept wiping her tears, but pushed Zhu Zhanji without a trace, as if hinting that he followed Emperor Yongle into the inner hall.

Zhu Zhanji did not obey Princess Ping's wishes, but stood in place and did not move.

Raising his head and looking at Princess Ping's gaze, it made people's hearts tremble.