By October, the autumn wind was sluggish, the green grass on the canal dam had dried up, a few fluffy sparrows stood on the bare branches, and the coolies at the wharf of Yangzhou City were shivering from the cold.

A tall official ship came from the north, the dragon flag hunted in the wind, and the civilian boats in the river avoided one after another. The ship slowly docked at the dock, which immediately attracted the attention of the merchants and coolies of the dock.

But I saw a man walking down from the official boat, tall, dignified, slightly obese face, the most striking thing was his thick beard, wearing a crimson three-grade official robe, and the whole person looked full of official authority.

"Cao Tengfei, the prefect of Yangzhou, visited the senior deputy envoy!"

Cao Tengfei, the prefect of Yangzhou, led the officials and squires of the two yas to wait here for a long time, and knelt down respectfully to the official who came down from the official ship.

The bearded official looked around at the officials and squires kneeling on the ground, his eyes flashed with dissatisfaction, and he asked directly with a calm face: "Where is Lord Lin?" ”

"Lord Hui Deputy Envoy, Lord Qincha should now be in the Yamen of the Lianghuai Salt Inspection Academy!" Cao Tengfei, who was kneeling on the ground, frowned slightly, but still replied honestly.

The bearded official snorted coldly, and immediately ordered with a straight face: "Everyone, get up!" Take this official to the yamen of the Lianghuai Salt Inspection Institute! ”

"The lower official has already prepared a place for the deputy envoy to stay in the palace, and has prepared a banquet for the deputy envoy to catch the wind!" Cao Tengfei stood up from the ground and invited with embarrassment.

"This official has never engaged in these false things, and now I will take this official to see Lord Lin!" The bearded official didn't appreciate it at all, and even loudly refused.

"The subordinate obeys!" Cao Tengfei naturally didn't dare to disobey the will of this Shangguan, so he had to respond.

Yu Changqing, the magistrate of Yangzhou, and Ma Chuyuan, the magistrate of Jiangdu, exchanged glances, but secretly shook his head, this Shangguan from the capital really didn't show them mercy at all, and he didn't hide his contempt for his own gang.

The bearded official from the capital got into the sedan chair, while Cao Tengfei and other officials followed behind, and they entered the new city of Yangzhou in a mighty way, heading towards the Lianghuai Patrol Salt Inspection Courtyard.

Now Yangzhou City is more vibrant, not only because it is in a good season for autumn grain to go north, but also because the tourism resources of Yangzhou City have been tapped, especially the recent salt introduction promissory note launched by the United Qian Zhuang makes the people in the city experience the fun of finance.

"Who is this man?"

Yangzhou City has a permanent population of hundreds of thousands, and watching this mighty team appear in the streets, even it has attracted widespread attention from the people in the city.

"Taichang Siqing, Guozi Priest Wine!"

Some scholars saw the honor guard's plaques, and even said the person's official position.

"Who is the current Guozi priest wine?"

It's just that there is no name on it, but someone asked suspiciously.

A scholar thought about it seriously, and said a name with uncertainty: "Shen Kun? ”

"Brother Tai, how many years have you not left the village? Before Shen Kun took office, he was impeached by Lin Run for murder, and he was already emaciated to death in prison! A middle-aged man immediately said sarcastically.

The scholar's face was suddenly ashamed, but he asked rhetorically: "You are well-informed, so what can you tell me about the sacredness of the current Guozi Priest Wine?" ”

The middle-aged man immediately stopped talking, like a deflated ball, and he didn't know who the current Guozi priest in the capital was, and what kind of great achievements he had made.

But not everyone can have such an earth-shattering reputation as Lin Haoran, and many people really don't know who the Guozi Priest Wine is, after all, these people are indeed too far away from them.

These voices were not small, and the competition was fierce enough to reach the ears of the bearded official sitting in the middle of the sedan chair.

"The old man is Gao Gong and Gao Suqing!"

Gao Gong listened to these discussions, and finally couldn't help but roar in his heart.

This is the Taichang Temple Qing and the Guozi Priest Wine Gao Gong who was ordered to go south to investigate the salt smuggling case, and finally came to Yangzhou City after this period of travel.

Gao Gong's ancestral home is in Hongdong, Shanxi, and his ancestors moved to Xinzheng, Henan Province from hiding from the war, and was born in a family of eunuchs. Grandpa is a person in the Chenghua period, the official to the Ministry of Industry Yu Heng Shilang, the father is Zhengde 12 years of Jinshi, the official to Guanglu Temple Shaoqing.

Gao Gong received an excellent education since he was a child, and he was promoted at the age of seventeen, which can be described as a genius-level figure. It's just that he repeatedly hit a wall in the examination, and it took 30 years to get a jinshi in the 20th year of Jiajing, and he entered the officialdom as a scholar of the Hanlin Academy.

Entering officialdom at the age of thirty, Gao Gong lost the aura of "genius", but his official career was very smooth.

During the period of Gao Gong in the Ji Shi, the performance was unusually outstanding, and at the end of the one-year assessment period, he was awarded the Zhengqipin Hanlin Editing. After that, the nine-year examination of Hanlin was completed, and he was promoted to the sixth grade of Hanlin attendant.

In the thirty-first year of Jiajing, Gao Gong ushered in a major turning point in his life.

King Yu and King Jing moved out of the palace to open the mansion to receive experience, Gao Gong was fortunate to be selected into the palace of King Yu to speak, in the future of King Yu is uncertain, Gao Gong became King Yu's most important teacher.

In the thirty-ninth year of Jiajing, Gao Gong was promoted to the post of Taichang Temple Secretary in charge of the country's sacrificial wine, becoming a high-ranking official of the court, and a future emperor, and the future is bright.

For most people, this is already a complete life, but Gao Gong is very dissatisfied, and he is always eager for a higher official position and stage.

It's just that three years have passed, and Yuan Wei, who was the same year as him, has entered the cabinet to worship the prime minister, and his friend Guo Pu, who is a fellow villager, has become an official to the Ministry of Officials.

Gao Gong's situation is actually quite embarrassing, he is branded as an official of King Yu's palace, but he has become one of the officials who most hope for the death of the current saint, so it is difficult to gain the favor of the emperor, and the position of the waiter of the Ministry of Rites seems so far away.

It's just that King Yu can wait, but he is fifty years old this year, but he can't wait, but he is eager to be reused by the saint today.

Now he is going south to Yangzhou to investigate the largest salt smuggling case in history, which makes him see a ray of light, and wants to take this opportunity to go one step further and even win the favor of the emperor.

But he didn't want to, he thought that the name of Gao Gong was already famous in the world, but when he arrived in this Yangzhou place, no one knew about his existence, which made him feel as if he had been poured a basin of cold water on his head.

"High arch! This person is amazing, what about the future emperor! ”

To his slight relief, there was finally a scholar who knew him as a person, and also knew that he was the identity of Teacher Yuwang.

Although King Yu has not yet been officially canonized as the crown prince, King Jing has been ordered by the emperor to Anlu two years earlier, and King Yu's son came to the world last year, which makes the dispute between the princes almost no longer suspenseful.

It is precisely because of this that now he can afford the title of "Future Emperor", and he has the qualifications to be arrogant in Lin Haoran.

"Lord Deputy Envoy, the Yamen of the Lianghuai Patrol Salt Inspection Institute has arrived!"

After a while, the team finally came to the main courtyard of the Liangzhun Salt Inspection Institute, and Cao Tengfei, the prefect of Yangzhou, did not dare to snub this high-ranking official who came down from the capital, and opened the sedan curtain respectfully.

Gao Gong got down from the sedan chair, looked around at the empty compound, and said loudly: "Where is Lord Lin?" ”

Lin Haoran is the main envoy, Gao Gong is the deputy envoy, it is said that Lin Haoran should be respected. But he is a Jinshi of Jiajing for 20 years, and as early as three years ago, he was already a third-grade Taichang Siqing, and his qualifications and grades were overwhelming the other party.

Even if the other party is likely to serve as the right attendant of the Criminal Department when he returns to Beijing this time, he is also an older Zhengsanpin Chang Siqing, not to mention that he is still the future emperor, which is enough to suppress Lin Haoran.

Cao Tengfei didn't expect this Dachang Siqing to put on such a show, and he didn't mean to regard Lin Haoran as a righteous envoy, but he couldn't help but look at his deputy Chen Fengming, the same governor of Yangzhou Mansion.

Chen Fengming immediately stepped forward and arched his hand at Gao Gong and said, "Lord Deputy Envoy, please wait for a while, and the lower official will give you a gift!" ”

This "deputy envoy" and "Tongyu" not only reminded Gao Gong of his identity, but also deliberately placed Gao Gong in a subordinate position. After speaking, he didn't wait for Gao Gong to find something, and hurriedly walked inside.

"Let him come out to see the official!" Gao Gong's face was slightly gloomy, and he looked arrogant and emphasized.

Chen Fengming didn't hear this, and hurriedly disappeared at the door without looking back.

Gao Gong watched Chen Fengming leave in a hurry, then turned his head to look at Cao Tengfei and ordered: "Cao Zhifu, you go inside and tell Lord Lin, just say that I Gao Gong is here!" ”

He knew that this was a wrestling, and it was also clear about the order of the two sides, and he couldn't compromise lightly at this moment. Lin Haoran didn't go to the city gate to greet him, but now he at least had to come out to greet him.

Cao Tengfei sighed secretly in his heart, and saluted Gao Gong, who was still arguing: "Lord Deputy Envoy, this mansion just remembered that there is still a murder case to be interrogated, and this mansion has retired first!" ”

"You ......" Gao Gong watched Cao Zhifu turn around and leave, and immediately couldn't help but change color slightly, but pointed to an official next to him and said, "You! Go in and give the old man a gift! ”

"Ma Zhuyuan, the governor of Xiaguan Jiangdu County, also remembered that there was still a murder case to be interrogated, and Xiaguan retired first!" Ma Zhuyuan saw that the other party didn't even know what his surname was, so he turned around and left after reporting his home.

Gao Gong watched the two palm seal officials leave, and saw these officials who were avoiding his gaze, and he was already secretly surprised in his heart. All the officials here did not hesitate to offend themselves, and they did not dare to go in to pass the ceremony, and they were unwilling to stand up and hug their thick thighs.

You must know that he is the most orthodox minister, when he is the court's grand Dachang Temple Secretary and the country's prince of the priest, and he is the future emperor, but his future is far above Lin Haoran, at least he will enter the cabinet earlier than Lin Haoran.

However, none of these officials are willing to stand up and make a bet on themselves.

Yu Changqing, the governor of Yangzhou, secretly observed his colleagues on the left and right, and deeply felt that everyone had unprecedented unity and strong support for that adult.

If their previous respect for that lord was because of the other party's status and power, but after seeing the changes in Yangzhou City and reorganizing the salt law, they respected that lord from the bottom of their hearts.

Throughout the entire court, no official has the ability of Lin Haoran, and no official can do such practical things for the local people, so that the people of Yangzhou City can benefit from it.

After a while, Lin Fu walked out of it and smiled at Gao Gong and said, "The little one has seen Lord Gao, my family is already waiting inside, please move inside!" ”

"Lead the way!"

Gao Gongben sighed secretly in his heart and said lightly.

He planned to suppress the other party in the form of a strong dragon, but looking at the current situation, he knew that this was a luxury, and the other party was not a simple character. A person who can climb to the position of the left deputy capital of the Imperial History of the Metropolitan Procuratorate in just five or six years is now more likely to win the title of the Sixth Minister, how can he be a mediocre person.

Yu Changqing and other officials looked at Gao Gong and walked inside, and found that this Taichang Siqing was not a simple character.

Gao Gong followed Lin Fu to the back house and came directly to the living room.

"Gao Siqing, this official has finally looked forward to you, please take a seat!" Lin Haoran was dressed in home clothes and looked enthusiastic to greet the front.

"Lord Lin, you're welcome!" Gao Gong listened to the other party's official position, felt slightly better, and responded lightly.

It's just that he looked at the young man in front of him, but he had a familiar and unfamiliar feeling. This person is no longer the hairy boy of the Hanlin Academy in the past, there are unpredictable things on his body, and his eyes are even more hidden with a resource.

"Gao Siqing, please use tea!" Lin Haoran asked people to serve tea, and looked enthusiastic and authentic to the high arch.

The high-arched Taichang Siqing is more like a false title, but this Beijing Guozi priest wine is not to be underestimated. This official position seems to be of low rank, but Beijing Guozijian is the highest university in the world, disturbing the world's talents, and forming a teacher-student friendship with many students who will enter the officialdom in the future.

Xu Jie served as the priest of the country back then, which gave him a good reputation in the officialdom, and he also had a lot of protégés, which was essentially a strong political resource.

The most important thing is that Gao Gong is Yuwang's most important teacher, which is Gao Gong's biggest political capital.

It is precisely because of this that he does not want to be an enemy of the other side, but wants to be a political ally.

Gao Gong took a sip of tea slowly, but looked at Lin Haoran and said: "This tea should be the Longjing before the Ming Dynasty, and the old man can't drink it a few times in Yuwang's Mansion!" ”

"This official doesn't understand tea, others gave a few taels of tea a few days ago, and now Gao Siqing likes this tea, so I'll give it all to you?" Lin Haoran pretended to be confused, and looked calm and light.

Gao Gong looked at the other party and didn't pick up, so he put down the teacup and asked, "Lord Lin, let's talk about some serious things!" How is the case going? ”

Gao Gong's southward trip this time was precisely for the unprecedented salt smuggling case, and it was also an opportunity for him to be promoted to the head of the Ministry of Rites.