On the second day of the second month of February, the dragon raised its head. A light rain drifted over Aino Prefecture, and there was still a chill in the air, but the warm rain brought the breath of spring. According to the custom, the government will organize the oxen to plough the land and pray for good weather and abundant crops.

In the southern suburbs, colorful flags fluttered, a black healthy cow with shiny coat, washed spotlessly, and stood quietly under the big tree wearing ribbons. Under the tree is an incense table, which is full of plates, and pieces of golden pancakes are stacked high on top of each other, which is called "dragon scales". On the second day of February in Huazhou, there is a custom of "eating dragon scales", and those who have eaten dragon scales can be blessed by God, and their families are healthy and their farming is satisfied.

Although it was raining lightly, it could not stop the enthusiasm of the people, and nearly 10,000 people waited by the official road with a smile and a smile, waiting for the government to send someone to preside over the sacrificial activities, and the government soldiers maintained order. "Coming, coming", the crowd stirred, and they all stood on tiptoe to look at the official road, a team of people and horses escorted several carriages to arrive, when Jiang Anyi got out of the carriage, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers, and the adults were finally cured.

Since the end of October last year, Jiang Anyi has not shown up for more than four months, even Emperor Su died and set up a sacrifice to Jiang Anyi, and the Jinglufu Mansion declared that Jiang Anyi was too sad and bedridden, and this illness was not short, and Huiye Mansion and even the entire Huazhou were secretly discussing.

There was rolling thunder in the sky, and he couldn't suppress the cheers of "Hello Jiang Daren" one after another, Fang Shishu stood beside Jiang Anyi, and pretended to be jealous and smiled: "Anyi, with you, there will be no place for the old man." ”

Jiang Anyi gestured to the people around him with emotion, and said: "How can Jiang be so virtuous, he is so loved by his father and fellow villagers, and he dares to serve the people with all his might." ”

"Anyi, you are too modest", Fang Shishu stroked his gray beard and said with a smile: "The people's hearts are like praise, and they know whether they are good or bad." The old man won't praise you, hurry up and drive the cattle to the ground, and pray for good weather this year. ”

Jiang Anyi drove the healthy oxen down to the field, the black land was turned up by the plowshare, and Fang Shishu symbolically sprinkled a few wheat seeds, and this set of rituals was over. The half-grown children who have been waiting for a long time are crowded in front of the offering table to coax and grab pancakes, the incense candles are crooked, the cups and plates are messy, but it is a group of joy, the "dragon scales" of the government are the most aura, and the children who grab them are all blessed people.

After arguing with his fathers and elders for a while, Jiang Anyi returned to Huiye Mansion, there were still a lot of things waiting for him to deal with in the mansion, leaving Huiye Mansion for so long, the official documents on the table were piled up, Jiang Anyi shook his head again and again and smiled bitterly. has been wandering outside for too long, it is a little difficult to calm down to deal with official business, Jiang Anyi looked at it patiently, when he was not there, Fang Shishu acted as his agent, and the big seal of the envoy was handed over to Liu Yixing for safekeeping, so he did not delay official business, but some official documents still need to be known to him, the envoy of the strategy.

The little official came into the lobby to light the lamp, Jiang Anyi found that it was late, and he had been working for two hours unconsciously, stood up and stretched, Jiang Anyi smiled: "Forget it, don't waste candles, Mrs. prepared dinner and told me to go back early." If you don't realize that it's come to this time, you have to complain when you go back. ”

When he returned home, he was sure to be defeated, Jiang Anyi understood that he had been gone for four months, leaving his wife at home and ignoring it, especially when he went to Shasu Country to see his son, in Xinfei's opinion, Jiang Anyi's old love was not over, and he wanted to go to see Luo Na by the way, and Xinfei was taking the opportunity to complain. Jiang Anyi had to tell the story of going to Xinyi City again, and explained in detail his strategy to split the countries of the Western Regions with a little pride, let's go to Shasu Country to do the right thing.

Xin Fei said worriedly: "Jiang Lang, Emperor Su has passed away, and the crown prince has ascended the throne, I am afraid that my trust in Jiang Lang is not as good as before, and it is difficult for you to get support for your intention to go west in the court." I have read the letter sent by Mr. Tian, and some people in the court are saying that you are like a separatist in Liuhua Prefecture, and there are rumors that you will be called back to Beijing. ”

In the past two nights, Jiang Anyi carefully read the letter from Beijing, although Shi Chongwei ascended the throne not long ago, he has already shown a different style of governance from the period of Emperor Su, and a big change in the court is inevitable.

Tian Shoulou's letter said that the Son of Heaven built a large number of buildings to repair the palace, and the ministers headed by Kong Xiang advised, Shi Chongwei angrily reprimanded the ministers for not repairing the palace for decades, and the Shou'an Palace leaked everywhere, and the Queen Mother had to go to Yanshan Villa to live temporarily.

The so-called inner treasury has three million of the silver donated by several states, and some of it has been confiscated by the secret guards. Emperor Su sent into the mountain mausoleum, the original secret guard governor Feng Zhong to serve in the mausoleum, the deputy governor of the secret guard Huang Xi received a report, confiscated Feng Zhong's property in the capital - Qianjinfang, more than 4 million taels of silver, plus Feng Zhong's other shops, land and property a total of nearly 7 million taels of silver dedicated to the palace treasury. Shi Qingguang, the king of Ningling County, took the initiative to pay two million taels of silver to congratulate Shi Chongwei on his accession to the throne, and many state assassins, princes and nobles, and family officials donated a total of more than 8 million taels in the name of the queen mother's birthday and Xiushou'an Palace, so the imperial city added three new warehouses to contain silver.

Duanzhou, Pingzhou, Louzhou and other prefectures mobilized the people to go into the mountains to mine trees and dig stones, and transported them all the way to Beijing to repair the palace for the Son of Heaven. When Jiang Anyi read this, he hit the table angrily and was sad.

"Jiang Lang, did Huazhou also donate some silver in the name of the Queen Mother's birthday, the news of the Queen Mother's birthday at the beginning of the year reached Huazhou, Fang Tingshi was very annoyed, and ordered that all counties were not allowed to donate silver. Anyi, there are only eight states that have not offered silver, will the Son of Heaven hold a grudge. ”

Jiang Anyi sighed: "Emperor Su's style of diligence and government is gone forever. When I see Fang Gong tomorrow, I will persuade him, Huazhou is not easy to come by today, it is still safe, and the birthday gift that should be offered is still to be issued. Fortunately, the gold mines in the Gobi began to produce, otherwise the treasury was empty after paying 4 million in taxes last year, and this money really came out of nowhere. ”

The couple gossiped a few words, Xin Fei left the study, leaving time for Jiang Anyi to reply to the letter, and there was no news for four months, which inevitably made people suspicious. The first was to reply to the family in Pingshan Town, Pingshan Town was presided over by Yan'er and his wife, and Siyu also came to Huazhou with his children after the New Year. The pen weighs a thousand pounds, thinking that the old lady is at home alone, Jiang Anyi is full of guilt, he intends to let Dong'er take his children back to Pingshan Town to fulfill his filial piety, but he doesn't know how to open his mouth to Dong'er, among the three wives and concubines, Dong'er has paid the most for him.

No matter how difficult it is to open his mouth, he has to write, Jiang Anyi described his feelings of longing in the letter, asked about the situation of his children, and said that he intended to let Dong'er return to Pingshan Town to serve his relatives, and the family letter was the most difficult to write, and it took half a day to write it.

Rao Si'an was left by him in Xinyi City, and he brought the gift he bought for his nephew, and this time he had to send someone to his sister-in-law's family, and there were two guards left, and he wanted to write to their family in person to tell them the truth. Jiang Anyi agreed with Rao Si'an and others that he would send someone to replace them in three years, but seeing Rao Ansi's appearance, he was a little unhappy, and this kid didn't want to go home at all.

There are many replies in Beijing, Yu Shi, Li Jia, fellow students of Zechang Academy, Tian Shoulou, Li Shicheng, Lin Yizhen, and even Wei Youcheng, Yan Building Materials and other relatives and friends have to be involved, whether he wants to or not, these relationships in officialdom must be taken care of, and he used to hate the intricacies of officialdom the most, but now he is in it, and it is difficult to break free.

After taking Master Yu's letter and reading it again, Jiang Anyi was able to taste the bitterness from the letter, and the Son of Heaven changed the style of the first emperor to be diligent and thrifty, and used money lavishly, which made Master Yu deeply distressed, and the letter revealed the intention of asking to go. Jiang Anyi remembered that he met Master Yu in Xinqi County as if it were yesterday, and in a blink of an eye, more than ten years had passed, and Master Yu had already passed the age of Huajia and became an old man, which was really impressive.

He comforted Master Yu with a pen, and finally Jiang Anyi said in the letter: "...... Don't be frightened, watch the flowers bloom and fall in front of the court; Go and stay unintentionally, looking at the clouds in the sky. The day before yesterday, Brother Qingshan came to visit, talking about the lush bamboo forest in Xinqi's house, how could Master Yu have no intention of returning? ”

To tell the truth, Jiang Anyi doesn't want Yu Shi to leave the court and return to his hometown, Shi Chongwei doesn't know his likes and dislikes when he ascends the throne, there are people in the court who are good officials, Yu Shi is a household Shangshu and he speaks for himself above the court, and his situation will be much better, but Yu Shi is old, and the letter reveals homesickness, and he can't just think about himself, and he should bear the burden he left behind. He relied on Yu Shi to make a fortune, and the responsibility of the Yu family's inheritance also fell on his shoulders, Yu Shi's nephews and nephews did not have outstanding people, and there were several materials that could be made among the grandchildren.

The letter to Master Yu was sealed, and the letters from Li Shicheng, fellow students of Zechang Academy and others were just contact feelings, and Jiang Anyiwen was written quickly without adding points. The letter to Tian Shoulou was also very simple, asking him not to pity the gold and silver, and the officials who should make friends with him let it go, although the perfume shop in Beijing was taken away by the Queen Mother, but the Jiang, Yu, and Guo families still have other industries in Beijing, and the expenditure of 20,000 or 30,000 taels a year is not a problem.

After the third watch of the reply was written, Jiang Anyi got up and came to the courtyard, the night breeze was cool and his spirit was refreshing. After moving his hands and feet in the courtyard, Jiang Anyi suddenly remembered the situation on the top of the Xinyi City Palace, when the soldiers and horses of the City Defense Division threatened the life and death of Luo Na and Long Gai, he was extremely calm, and even a little cold-blooded, this change in mentality made him feel strange, what made him feel indifferent to the life and death of his relatives, and the sea of Huan floated away from his own humanity?

Hurry back to the house Jiang Anyi picked up the pen and wrote a letter to Master Fan and Master Hongxin, in which he told about his confusion, and when he was free tomorrow, Jiang Anyi was ready to have a good talk with Mr. Zhang, this change made Jiang Anyi feel afraid, he was afraid of becoming the kind of person he hated.

(My father is sick, and I have to take him to the hospital for a check-up these days, so I can only take the time to write in a hurry, forgive me!) ）