In early January of the eighteenth year of Hongzhi, it was not dawn.

In the courtyard, the snowdrifts are silver and jade, and the cold air penetrates into the nostrils, and the ice makes the nose a little painful, making people not want to get up.

The housekeeper walked in and urged: "Master, it's time to enter the palace on duty." ”

Qin Hong lifted the quilt and quickly covered it back: "Why is this year colder than last year?" The old man slept another quarter of an hour. ”

Retracted into the quilt, and after a while, a heavy and long snoring sounded.

The butler stared anxiously at the hour.

A quarter of an hour later, he reminded again: "Sir, a quarter of an hour has come." ”

Qin Hong opened his eyes and felt that he hadn't slept for a quarter of an hour.

It was so cold that his waist bones couldn't help but shiver, and he retracted into the bed.

"What's wrong with the old man, he can't get up, so he sent someone to tell Sun Jing to help the old man take a day off."

The butler turned around and trotted out.

……

morning

Officials who took leave on the grounds of illness reported one after another.

Emperor Hongzhi patted the imperial case and snorted coldly: "If I can get up, they can't get up?" One by one, they fake their illnesses and ask me for leave. ”

Since the autumn season, the hundred officials have not rested.

Xiao Jing's face was embarrassed: "Your Majesty, old ministers like Liu Gong and Ma Gong can't stand the wind and cold, this year, it is indeed colder than in previous years." ”

Liangxiang has eiderdown clothes, but those clothes are worn on the body, and they are as fat as pigs, and they have to wear official clothes.

Baiguan would rather be cold than wear it.

Emperor Hongzhi turned his head to look at Xiao Jing, and was a little unhappy in his heart: "Who is here?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, Gong Li, Gong Xie, Han Wen, Zhang Sheng, Wei Shen, and Yan Chengjin are also here."

Emperor Hongzhi's cold face couldn't help but melt into a smile: "Yan Qing's family is diligent and never late." ”

Your Majesty, you are right, but under the value, he will not stay for a moment.

During this time, Xiao Jing did not do anything to arrange Yan Chengjin: "Now, Yan Chengjin is exercising in the house and is in good health. ”

Emperor Hongzhi said: "In the future, the ministers of the previous dynasty have all summoned the warm pavilion to discuss matters. ”

Metropolitan Inspectorate, the door soap has not had time to sweep away.

Yan Chengjin held the hot water bottle with both hands, on such a cold day, there was not much difference between the room and the outside.

I couldn't hold the pen, as if there was an invisible wind, and my fingers were stiff.

All the sparse music is ghostwritten by Fang Xue.

During the Xiaoice River period, it is getting colder and colder every year, and it seems that he has to advise His Majesty to install the earth dragon in the palace.

The little eunuch came in: "Lord Yan, Your Majesty asked you to go to the Dongnuan Pavilion to discuss matters." ”

Yan Chengjin took off his disguised mink wool and followed the little eunuch to Dongnuan Pavilion.

In the main hall, it is sparse and scattered, and there are many ministers missing.

But the strange thing is that Yin Liuqing, the governor of Shuntian Mansion, entered the palace and went to court.

Emperor Hongzhi wore a golden dragon robe, fat and majestic: "The fact that Qing and others can enter the palace shows their loyalty to the imperial court, and I am deeply grateful." ”

This morning, the heavy snow covered the shepherd's tent like a sandstorm, putting on a layer of snow clothing for the capital, which can freeze people to death.

At the beginning of the court discussion, Li Dongyang bowed down and reported: "The remaining matters of Jingcha have been prepared, and as for the inspection list, the minister will submit it later." ”

Emperor Hongzhi bowed his head and said that he was very relieved of Li Dongyang.

Immediately afterwards, Han Wen bowed: "The balance at the end of the year, after the matter is over, the minister will report to His Majesty." ”

It's cold, and everything slows down.

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Yin Liu Qing of the Shuntian Mansion: "Liu Qing's family has entered the palace, but there is something to report to me?" ”

"Twenty-eight of the people in the city froze to death yesterday." Liu Qing said bitterly.

Emperor Hongzhi's face moved slightly, and he froze to death, what a tragic situation.

Hundreds of officials are accustomed to it, can it still be called winter if people don't freeze to death?

Yan Chengjin's eyes flashed with a touch of unbearability: "The Metropolitan Procuratorate wants to beg, put the palace in the room, and install the earth dragon." ”

Now it's just an appetizer, it was colder during the Wanli years, and it also snowed heavily in Hainan, more than a foot thick!

Hundred officials looked at Emperor Hongzhi with blank eyes.

This son finally said a word, Your Majesty, you have a dragon in the warm pavilion, and the duty room of the ministers is cold.

Knowing that the weather was unusually cold, Emperor Hongzhi coughed embarrassedly: "Zhugong burns charcoal, and I will repay you." ”

Repairing a palace can cost 300,000 taels at every turn, let alone digging dragons for all palaces.

Xiao Jing couldn't help but remind: "Your Majesty, the price of charcoal has risen, and I am afraid that it will cost more than a thousand taels of silver in January." ”

The price of charcoal rubbed off the ground and rose to 50 yuan a catty.

Han Wen said: "It took a lot of money to borrow people from the vassal state, and there was no silver in the treasury. ”

Emperor Hongzhi's face stiffened: "Qing and others buy more clothes, I will repay the account, from today on, I will not burn the earth dragon." ”

Yan Chengjin thought for a while: "Can the minister dig the earth dragon in the Metropolitan Procuratorate at his own expense?" ”

The Xiaoice River period is not a matter of one or two days, but it is getting colder and colder, and it can be used next year.

"You can dig if you want, I won't dig for money." Emperor Hongzhi snorted coldly and glanced at this guy.

Liu Qing's face was full of sorrow: "Your Majesty, I have clothes to wear, but the price of charcoal has risen, and the people can't even afford firewood for cooking, how can we survive the winter?"

The minister wanted to beg and give 900,000 catties of coal. ”

Baiguan's face moved slightly, and the corners of Han Wen's mouth trembled violently.

There are about 300,000 people in the capital, and excluding the rich households, the charcoal that each person can receive is about four catties, and it can't be burned for a few days.

However, it added a huge financial burden to the imperial court.

Even if the imperial court came forward to procure, 900,000 catties would require 40,000 or 50,000 taels of silver.

Han Wen said: "Your Majesty can't, the silver reserves of the treasury need to protect the salaries of the Nine Sides and the overseas fleet, and not a single cent can be moved." ”

Emperor Hongji fell into deep thought.

Yan Chengjin's eyes moved slightly, it seemed that he had to use coal.

The Xiaoice period became colder, but historically, the real use of coal was a hundred years later.

He didn't plan to tell Emperor Hongzhi and the hundred officials yet.

In the capital of Hunhe, Dayu, Mentougou and Juyongguan and other places, there are a large number of coal mines.

There is also Wanping County, which is under the jurisdiction of Shuntianfu.

In these days, coal is not valuable, and everyone burns charcoal.

Back in the mansion, Yan Chengjin said to He Neng: "Prepare the sedan chair, the official is going to Wanping County and call Wang Busui." ”

He Neng looked embarrassed: "Young master, Wang Dongjia has gone to Jiangnan to do business." ”

"That's called Xie Yu."

Leaving the urban area of the capital, Wang Shouren must be called.

An hour later, Xie Yu appeared in front of Yan's mansion, got into a carriage with Yan Chengjin, and went to Wanping County.

……

Wanping County, two-foot-thick snow covers houses.

It's not a big family, and the people are too lazy to sweep the snow.

Huang Laohan said to his son: "In a while, you and I will go to the kiln to pick up coal." ”

"Dad, that thing is poisonous, and when it burns, people die, but it's terrible, let's not burn it, right?" Huang Sixteen was a little afraid of that thing.

Old man Huang snorted coldly: "If you don't cook, you won't starve to death!" ”

Wood was burned for cooking, but the nearby mountains and forests were bought by the gentry, and they were not allowed to go into the mountains to cut wood.

You can only burn corn stalks and hay, but you can't burn for long.

……

Wanping County, Yamen.

Wu Jian was furious, the master hugged his thigh, and hurriedly cried and shouted: "Master, what's the use of you going to Shuntianfu to complain?" ”

"Hand over a bullet stamp, and the court will just ignore it."

The door soap ran in and reported: "Master, someone is here outside." ”

Yan Chengjin walked into the yamen, and there were two official kilns and one private kiln in Wanping County.

But Wanping's coal mines are far more than that, there are more than 100 coals, dotted around.

Looking at the yellow books of these lands, Xie Yu can't do it, and he needs to come in person.

When Wu Jian saw Wang Shouren's official uniform and brocade guard, he knew that this person was not small: "The lower official has seen an adult, dare to ask which adult in the capital?" ”

"You don't have to know, just hand over Wanping's yellow book to the official."

Wu Jian looked at the person who was not wearing official clothes in front of him: "What do you want the yellow book for?" ”

"Chadi, you hand it over to this official." Yan Chengjin Road.