Nanyuan is very large, from the north of Yongding Gate south of 20 miles of pomegranate village, south to Laojiao Village, west to Gaojiadian, Huangcun, east to Mashiqiao, Yangsudian, a radius of dozens of miles, covers an area of thousands of hectares.

Because there is the old road of the Yongding River passing through the garden, forming a large lake and swamp, the grass and trees are luxuriant, and the birds, beasts, and elk gather, also known as "Nanhaizi", is the largest royal garden in Gyeonggi. However, it is different from the Changchun Garden and the Old Summer Palace, which are "avoiding noise and listening to politics", and also different from the West Garden, which is close to the Forbidden City, but the place where the emperor patrols south, travels around, and parades, and places where hunting, martial arts, practice, and bow and horse drills. Therefore, according to the ancestral system, it is strictly forbidden to cut indiscriminately for private desires, and it is strictly forbidden for the people to cultivate seeds.

Although there are many errand workers in Nanyuan, there is one Langzhong, two Wailang, one director, four Yuancheng, six deputy Yuan, three deputy Yuan, and six deputy Yuan. In addition, there are also military attachés such as Zhang Jing, the general commander of the Eight Banners, Zhang Jing of the defense, and the Xiao Cavalry School, but now there are no trees in sight, and if the emperor comes to hunt, he will not see a few birds and beasts.

Large areas of woodland and swamps were privately leased or even sold to the people for cultivation by the head of the village in the garden, and some bold people even slipped in to steal the land.

It is said that more than 20 years ago, Daoguang Ye ordered a thorough investigation, and the fields reclaimed at that time were more than 600 hectares, and now there are thousands of hectares, to say the least. There are only a few palaces and temples that have fallen into disrepair, and there are still a few trees around them, and more than 2,000 Chahar horses and more than 1,600 eight-banner horses are stationed here.

These more than 3,000 soldiers can be called the "Dinghai Divine Needle" of the imperial court, and it is precisely because of these more than 3,000 soldiers that the emperor and the princes and ministers of the court can sit back and relax.

Han Xiufeng originally thought that this was an elite army that was brave and good at fighting, but after watching a few drills with Monk Greenqin, he was very disappointed. Because those Mongolian soldiers were actually a group of herdsmen, who grew up on horseback, and the horses rode well, but the work of horses on horses was another matter.

Neither can use a strong bow, nor is he good at wielding a knife to fight, and his weapons are mainly shotguns. Rushing and galloping away, attacking and harassing Long Hair is okay, and it is obviously impossible to expect them to deal with foreigners; The Eight Banners Horse Team is even inferior to the Mongolian Horse Team, speaking of which riding and archery is fundamental, and almost all of the available bows are "special" bows, and the arrows shot out are floating, neither far, nor accurate.

The only consolation is that Monk Lingqin knows very well that these Qiu Ba are really not elite, and every time he comes, he leads them to practice by example, and he does not return home until he is exhausted from training.

Just when Han Xiufeng was thinking about how many times a month he could come, even if he came every day, he suddenly saw two familiar figures, with five or six infantry soldiers leading the yamen, following the head of Fengchenyuan of the Internal Affairs Mansion out of a large hall.

"Xiao Shandong, is that a pillar and an iron lock?" Han Xiufeng was afraid of seeing it wrong, so he subconsciously turned around and asked.

Xiao Shandong, who was sitting in the grass resting, hurriedly got up, looked in the direction of Han Xiufeng's finger, and couldn't help laughing: "It's really, Fourth Master, why did they come here, did they come to you?" ”

"It doesn't look like it."

"Why don't I ask."

"Go ahead, go ask what's going on."

After waiting for a while, the pillars and iron locks rushed over.

Zhu Zi didn't expect Han Xiufeng to be in Nanyuan, and said happily: "Fourth brother, don't you have to go to the Yamen to order Mao, why did you come here?" ”

"I'm here with the monk, what are you doing here?"

"In the afternoon, I took two thieves and seized a batch of stolen goods. I don't know if I don't check, I was shocked when I checked it, and several of them were actually Jing Qingzhai! Lord Ruichang has already reported to the emperor that we have returned the things to their original owners. ”

Jing Qingzhai is a royal palace, and thieves dare to steal royal things, which is definitely a big case. Thinking of this, Han Xiufeng couldn't help but ask: "You have handled another big case and made a great contribution, so you don't plan to go to the yamen on an errand and don't plan to be a official?" ”

The pillar hurriedly said: "I have to go if I should go, but there will be no shortage over there for a while and a half, and we will go over when there is a vacancy." ”

"Did Master Wu say that he would have to wait for more time?"

"Master Wu said that it will take three or five months to be fast, and a year to be slow, let's not worry, let's do it first in the Yamen, the commander of the infantry army."

Thinking that it was not so easy to fill the vacancy, not to mention that what they had to do was still a hot Beijing official, Han Xiufeng smiled and nodded. Yu Tiesuo remembered one thing and said eagerly: "Fourth brother, do you know who we met on the way here?" ”

"Who?"

"We met Wang Gui, the family member of the master of the same knowledge on the north bank of the Yongding River, he didn't recognize me, I recognized him at a glance, and asked him, only to know that he was ordered by the king to send a man surnamed Yu into Beijing to find you."

"Yu Qinghuai?" Han Xiufeng asked subconsciously.

"Yes, yes, that Master Yu seems to be called Yu Qinghuai, from Taizhou, he said that he not only recognizes you, Datou, but also my father!"

"What about others?"

"We're on an errand, we can't take him here, and we don't know you're here, so let Wang Gui send that Master Yu to find my father."

"Got it, you guys go and get busy with yours first."

……

I haven't seen Yu Qinghuai for a few years, Han Xiufeng didn't want to make the family wait for a long time, so he sent away the pillar and Yu Tiesuo and turned over on the horse, first went to take a leave of absence with the monk Greenqin who was leading the Eight Banners to practice, and then rushed back with Xiaoshan Huohuo.

Rushed to Zhiqiao Hutong to see, Yu Qinghuai was really sitting in the flower hall, Datou and Yu Qinghuai were drinking tea with him, and even Cuihua ran out, standing on the side with the baby and asking about Hai'an's hometown.

Seeing that the main master was back, everyone hurriedly got up to greet him.

"Fourth master, I can be regarded as seeing you, this is the letter that Master Guo and Dean Gu entrusted me to bring to you, and this is the letter entrusted to me by Zhiyong......" After a long absence, Yu Qinghuai was excited, and hurriedly turned out the letter, and asked the accompanying family members to carry the souvenirs brought from Hai'an's hometown into the house.

Han Xiufeng was just as happy, beckoned him to sit down and say hello, waited for Cuihua to run in to prepare wine and food, and waited for Datou and Yu Youfu to also walk out of the flower hall, and then got down to business.

"As soon as Han Bo left, he went to Wuchang and went to serve under Hu Linyi, the governor of Hubei. Jiangxi's errand, thinking about it, is the most suitable for you to do it, so I wrote a letter to Mr. Guo a few years ago, but I didn't expect you to come so quickly. ”

"Fourth master, as soon as I received Lord Guo's letter, I packed my luggage and left."

"Did you go to see Master Guo before you came?"

"I have been there, and Lord Guo also wrote a letter and asked me to bring it to Lord Zeng."

"I'm relieved." Han Xiufeng smiled, and then said: "Don't worry about the surrender, I will ask someone to help you do it early tomorrow morning, you have done five or six years of regimental training, and you have helped the Tongguan and Military Association to suppress the long hair for five or six years, even if you have no merit, you have hard work, so an alternate magistrate can't run away." ”

"Everything is up to the fourth master," Yu Qinghuai hurriedly took out a stack of silver tickets from his sleeve.

"What is this for, put it away quickly." Han Xiufeng's face was straight, and he stared at him very seriously and sincerely: "What kind of friendship do you and I have, not to mention that there is really no need to deal with this matter." ”

"Fourth master, this is an official, not for anything else, how can you not bother? I can't let you help me so much, I have to pay the money upside down! ”

"If you say no, you don't need to, I'll be angry if you do it again."

"No, no, no......"

"What's not to do," Han Xiufeng forced the silver ticket back to him, and then changed his words: "Later, I'll ask the big boss to take you to the backyard to meet someone, and he will explain to you what you want to do in the future." Then when I arrived in Jiangxi, after meeting Zeng Guofan Zeng, if Zeng asked what he said, don't hide anything. ”

"What did Master Zeng ask back?"

"Ask me what your relationship is with me, ask you about your previous experience. In short, here you are my Han Xiufeng's friend, but when you go out of this door, you are Lord Guo's person. ”

Yu Qinghuai nodded as if he didn't understand: "I understand, I wrote it down." ”

Han Xiufeng smiled, and then pointed to the letter he had just put down and asked, "Lord Guo asked me in the letter that if I had the opportunity, I would help Wen Shaoyuan say a few good words in front of the emperor, what happened to Wen Shaoyuan, did you get into any trouble?" ”

Wen Shaoyuan is the only local official in Jiangbei who can fight after Zhang Yiguo, Yu Qinghuai is here but he is also worried about the safety of his hometown, and hurriedly said: "Fourth master, this matter is a long story, when the official army in Jiangbei was defeated by Qin Rigang, the civil and military officials who commanded the army died and fled, so Wen Shaoyuan defended **, and later even led the brave and strong to fight, forcing Qin Rigang, who originally planned to cross the river from Pukou, to Guazhou.

When Dexing'a, Weng Tongshu and the general soldier Ye Changchun fled for their lives, they sent someone to order him to hold on, saying that the imperial court had an edict that as long as he could hold it, he would protect the meritorious soldiers. But Qin Rigang led his troops to attack the Jiangnan official army, and after Changmao, who was guarding Yangzhou City, also withdrew, Dexing'a seemed to have forgotten that there was such a thing. If he has merit or not, he will not be rewarded, so he will go to Yangzhou to find Dexing's theory. As a result, Dexing'a and Weng Tongshu became angry and angry, and impeached him for falsely claiming that he had seen the decree, intervened in the promotion, and asked the emperor to dismiss him from his post and investigate him. ”

"They are greedy for life and afraid of death, and they flee when they hear the wind, but they order others to hold on. As a result, they kept it, and instead of fulfilling their promises, they impeached them! ”

"So Guo Da was so angry that he wanted to be impeached, but fortunately, he was stopped by Mr. Yang and other friends."

"Why?"

"Lord Guo is just a Taoist, and Dexing'a is a minister of the Qincha, so he can't afford to offend. What's more, it's not just a Dexing, but also a Weng Tongshu who can't afford to offend. ”

"Yes," Han Xiufeng nodded slightly, then turned around and said: "Xiao Shandong, go to the back to find Ji Lu, and ask him to flip through the recent palace newspapers and palace gate copies to see if there is any involvement in Wen Shaoyuan, the alternate Dao of Jiangsu." ”

Xiao Shandong, who was guarding the outside, hurriedly responded: "Obey the order, the little one will go." ”

After chatting and waiting for about three incense sticks, Ji Lu walked in with Xiao Shandong with a copy of the "Palace Gate Copy", and when he saw that there were guests in the flower hall, he first bowed respectfully and saluted, and then held the "Palace Gate Copy" and said: "Fourth Master, the humble post only turned to an edict, which was six days ago." ”

"Read."

"Huh!" Ji Lu cleared his throat and read in a frustrated voice: "Tell the cabinet, the Dexing Azao counselor intervenes in the promotion, and asks for a dismissal and a summary of the crime." Wen Shaoyuan, the alternate of Jiangsu Stay Defense, did not play with the chief soldier Ye Changchun and others, and did not show praise and other words. Please also reward the Pukou Navy and the ** defense army, and vainly claim to have seen the decree. It is ridiculous that it does not match the inspection of Dexing. should have been treated with the crime he deserved, and he remembered that the officer supervised and led the troops to prevent and suppress the Jiangbei area, and he worked hard. He was dismissed from his post leniently and dismissed from his crime, and he still stayed in the first place, and ordered to lead the courage to prevent blockage, so as to observe the after-effects. Fu no longer knew how to be ashamed, and wrote Dexing Ah and Weng Tongshu together with the governor to strictly participate in the punishment. ”

Han Xiufeng finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and said: "Emperor Shengming, I didn't listen to and believe it, otherwise it would never be as simple as being dismissed from my post and staying in office." ”

Confirming that Wen Shaoyuan didn't have much of a big deal, Yu Qinghuai also breathed a sigh of relief, but he couldn't help muttering after thinking about it: "But Lord Wen has suffered an injustice after all, he is innocent of being greedy for life and afraid of death, and he was dismissed from his post with Changmao, how can there be such a truth in the world!" ”

"The capital is thousands of miles away from Yangzhou, how can the emperor verify this kind of thing for a while, not to mention that one of the impeachments of Wen Shaoyuan is the minister of the Qincha, and the other is the son of Lord Weng, the emperor doesn't believe their words, who else can he believe?"

Han Xiufeng paused, and then said: "Qinghuai, I know that I can't be angry, but since I have become an official, it is normal to encounter this kind of thing." Although Wen Shaoyuan was a little wronged, at least Lord Guo knows, you know, the people of Jiangbei know that he is not only not greedy for life and afraid of death, but also a loyal minister. ”

"It seems that this is the only way to think." Yu Qinghuai smiled bitterly.

"It's not just about thinking about it, it's about remembering." Han Xiufeng patted him on the arm and said meaningfully: "If you want to talk about impeachment, I have been impeached as well, and more than once. When you receive the official certificate and serve in the army of Lord Zeng, this kind of thing may also happen. What should you do when the time comes, will it be true to ask Lord Zeng to help you uphold justice? ”

"Fourth master, you mean ......"

"Lord Zeng is in charge of Xiangyong, and almost all the battalion officers under his command are from Huguang, and no one obeys anyone, it can be called a mountain with a forest, and it is normal for outsiders like you to be excluded there. If you really get into trouble with them, even if Lord Zeng knows that you have been wronged, he can only face them, after all, compared to suppressing thieves and quelling the chaos, you have to take into account the overall situation, and right and wrong are no longer important. ”

Yu Qinghuai has been running a group training in his hometown before, and he has never really been an official, and he has never experienced those deceptions. Hearing Han Xiufeng say this, he suddenly regretted coming to the capital.

How could Han Xiufeng not know what he was thinking, and couldn't help laughing: "Qinghuai, Zhang Shiheng, who went to Hai'an with me to take office, you should remember that his father's name is Zhang Dejian, and he happened to work under Master Zeng. And the errand you have to do after you arrive in Jiangxi is similar to the errand he is doing, I will help you write a letter to Zhang Dejian before I go to work, he and you are also considered fellow villagers, plus my letter, I will definitely take care of you. ”

"Remember," mentioning Zhang Dejian's father and son, Yu Qinghuai suddenly remembered something: "Fourth master, if I remember correctly, Zhang Shiheng's father Zhang Dejian used to be Wu Wenxi's friend of Lord Wu. ”

"yes, I thought you didn't."

"I know, I not only know Zhang Dejian, but also met Wu Wenxi and Master Wu. Lord Wu has returned to his hometown, and now he lives in Taizhou, and is busy repairing the garden. When he went to Taizhou, he met Mr. Guo, and I met him at Mr. Guo's place. By the way, he knew that I was going to serve under Lord Zeng, and asked me to bring a letter to Lord Zeng. ”

"The Wu family has the same relationship as Lord Zeng, and since you have the letters of Lord Guo and Wu Wenxi in your hand, then I have nothing to worry about."