On the way from the Yamen of the Ministry of Industry to Zhiqiao Hutong, no matter how he asked the guards, he didn't say anything with a straight face, Wen Xiang was confused, until he was welcomed into the study by Yu Youfu and found that Han Xiufeng was wearing a filial piety suit, Wen Xiang realized that Han Xiufeng was going to return to his hometown.

I didn't know how to persuade him, and I regretted that I didn't have a few taels of silver on my body and couldn't even take out a copy of Cheng Yi, Han Xiufeng beckoned him to sit down, and said straight to the point: "Brother Jianchuan, Xiufeng invited you not only to say goodbye, but also to ask you to do me a favor, and I want to ask you to take over the helm of the 'Houyi Hall' for me." ”

Wen Xiang couldn't believe that this was true, thinking that he had heard it wrong: "Zhixing, you're not joking, are you?" ”

"Brother Jianchuan, do you think I'll be in the mood to joke at this time?"

"I, Wenxiang District, am a five-grade outsider, how dare I dare to take on this great responsibility!"

"I, Han Xiufeng, am just a small Zhengwupintong political secretary, or I don't even have a fame for donation, I can be such a big shopkeeper, why can't Brother Jianchuan be born as a scholar?"

"Zhixing, don't be kidding, I'm different from you, although I was born as a Jinshi, my qualifications are far worse than yours. You have investigated the smugglers, killed the long hair, acted as the superintendent of the Jiang Customs, trained the soldiers by order, and won the brave number with civilian duties, which was given by the emperor Segu Batulu, and also walked on the military aircraft Zhang Jing with the name Zhangjing, although it is only the fifth grade, but in fact it is not much worse than the left and right servants of the ministries and academies! Wen Xiang really didn't dare to make this joke, thinking about it and saying with a bitter face: "What have I done, I have never done anything, it is really an inch, how can He De take on this great responsibility." What's more, such a major event has to be decided by the emperor. ”

"Brother Jianchuan, I'm really not joking," Han Xiufeng stared at him closely, and said expectantly: "I don't have any friends in Beijing, except for Huang Zhongyin, Ji Yunfei and other fellow villagers, I know you." And Huang Zhongyin, they are not only from Hanlin, but also fellow villagers with me. Not to mention that I can't do this errand, even if I can do it, I can't guarantee that they will replace me as the big treasurer. ”

"You protected me?" Wen Xiang asked subconsciously.

"The excerpt has been handed over, let's wait for the emperor's will together."

"The folds have been handed over!"

"Eun Jun handed it over to me, and I guess there will be news soon."

Wen Xiang never thought that Han Xiufeng would guarantee him to take over as the chief treasurer of the "Houyi Hall", after all, although he had some friendship before, it was really a gentleman's friendship as light as water, and at the same time he knew very well that as long as he could be the big shopkeeper, it was tantamount to one step to the sky, and he suddenly had mixed feelings, and he didn't know how to thank him, and he didn't even know what to say.

Just when he was excited, grateful, and troubled, there was a rush of footsteps outside, and then Eunjun was heard shouting outside: "Tokuki-sama has arrived!" ”

Han Xiufeng relieved himself and immediately went out to greet him.

"Senator Han doesn't need to be polite." Demu Chukzabu, who had just walked into the inner courtyard accompanied by Eunjun, thought that there was no one else in the study, so he stood on the steps and said expressionlessly: "Han Xiufeng, the emperor ordered the official to ask you a few words. ”

Han Xiufeng reacted, hurriedly dressed and knelt down and said, "Minister Han Xiufeng respectfully invites Sheng'an!" ”

"St. Bow." Demu Chuk Zabu thought about the emperor's explanation, cleared his throat and said: "Han Xiufeng, the emperor asked about the request to return home to serve the funeral, why didn't you hand over the sign and ask to see you?" ”

"Your Majesty, the minister is a person who wears filial piety to mourn, and it is disloyal to hand over a sign to see him in a filial piety uniform, and it is unfilial piety to hand a sign to ask for a meeting in an official uniform, so he can only have a folded invitation, and he does not dare to hand over a sign and beg for an audience."

"The emperor asked, the foreman military aircraft Zhang Jing Cao Yuying has been involved in the investigation of Yiqing for a long time, why did you not only protect Cao Yuying, but also protect Wenxiang, a member of the Ministry of Engineering who strayed into the bookstore, and even strongly recommend Wenxiang as the main and Cao Yuying as the auxiliary?"

The emperor must be able to read the folds of Yiqing, but the emperor will not know where the twists and turns will go after the imperial review and even after the royal approval, and it is possible that the punishment will be sent to the Military Aircraft Department, and the Minister of Military Aircraft will store it in the Strategy Pavilion after reading it, or it may be transferred to another place.

Because of this, not only will the words "Houyitang" not appear on Han Xiufeng's recital, but even many things can only be said cryptically, so as not to leak out more people who handle it.

The emperor had this question, Han Xiufeng was not surprised, and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the reason why the minister promoted Wenxiang, a member of the Ministry of Labor, to replace the minister as the treasurer of the 'Houyi Hall', is not because Wenxiang is a Manchurian, nor because Wenxiang was born as a Jinshi, but because Wenxiang is as well aware of the wolf ambitions of the British, Buddha, and Mi as well as the ministers, not only is he worried about this, but he also stays up all night studying Xiyi's palace newspaper books, and even lists the key points that should be investigated by the ministers; Although the foreman of the military aircraft, Zhang Jing and Cao Yuying, had been involved in investigating the situation for a long time, he had no time to take care of it because of the many official affairs of the Military Aircraft Department, so he only asked if there was any situation after work every day, so that he could report to several ministers of military aircraft in a timely manner. ”

Han Xiufeng said very tactfully, but the implication was very clear: Wen Xiang can do anything, while Cao Yuying only wants to be an official!

As the former minister of the palace, Demu Chuk Zabu enters the palace on duty almost every day, and often sees Cao Yuying, and knows what kind of person Cao Yuying is, and secretly praised Han Xiufeng still has some vision in looking at people, and asked expressionlessly: "No matter who will replace you, how many days can you explain the matter of finding out about the situation?" ”

"Your Majesty, the 'Houyi Hall' has been open for more than two months, and everything has a charter, and the minister thinks that it will not take a few days to explain the official business, and it will take two or three hours to explain it clearly."

"After asking, Senator Han invites you to get up."

"Master Xie."

"The official will return to the palace first, and it is estimated that the emperor will soon have an edict."

"Your Excellency."

When Demu Chukzabu came in, he saw that the yard was full of boxes, knowing that Han Xiufeng was about to leave for the funeral in his hometown in Sichuan, and knowing that Han Xiufeng had a lot of things to do, he turned around and said, "Stay, don't send it." ”

Han Xiufeng was about to speak, but Demu Chukzabu turned around and said, "Eunjun, go and send the foreman Zhang Jing Cao Yuying and the Ministry of Industry Wailang to wait for the order with Senator Han." ”

"Huh!"

Said Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrived.

As soon as Demu Chukzabu and a few guards got on their horses and were about to return to the palace to resume their lives, Cao Yuying arrived in a hurry.

The words that the imperial minister asked for the emperor just now, what happened to Han Xiufeng just now, Wen Xiang hid in the study and heard it clearly, not to mention how excited he was, not to mention how grateful he was to Han Xiufeng, he really felt like a confidant was dying. But in the face of Cao Yuying, who followed, she was a little nervous and embarrassed.

Cao Yuying didn't think that Wen Xiang could succeed Han Xiufeng in charge of the "Houyi Hall", and directly thought that Wen Xiang just happened to encounter this incident, and as soon as he walked into the study, he persuaded Han Xiufeng to mourn, and then took out the fire card of the Ministry of War and the official document from the Military Aircraft Department to Ding Wei, and said with a sympathetic face: "Zhixing, thousands of miles from the capital to Ba County, you must resist it, if you are sad and sad, what should you do with your younger siblings and children?" ”

"I know, I can withstand it, Lord Xie Cao."

"What's so thankful for this, you and I are colleagues in the Military Aircraft Department, and we are colleagues in the 'Houyitang', and your business is mine." Cao Yuying thought about it and took out two silver tickets from her sleeve, and sighed: "The time is too tight, and I don't even have time to set up a mourning hall, otherwise I can burn incense to Lord Lingzun." ”

"Lord Cao, what are you doing here?" Han Xiufeng looked at the silver ticket and asked with a bitter face.

"A little heart."

"No, no, no, how can I take your money."

"Is it okay to be Cheng Yi?" Cao Yuying forced the silver ticket into Han Xiufeng's hand, and then changed her words: "Zhixing, is Lord Demu here to deliver the decree, did the emperor say anything?" ”

Han Xiufeng subconsciously glanced at Wen Xiang who was standing in the corner, and said in a low voice: "Lord Demu came to ask Xiufeng on the order of the emperor, and after asking, let Lord Enjunchuan and Brother Jianchuan come together to wait for the decree." You and Jianchuan happen to be here, so Eunjun doesn't have to run anymore. ”

actually asked Wen Xiang to wait for the decree together, Cao Yuying was surprised.

How could Han Xiufeng not know that he was not only helping to apply for the fire card of the Ministry of War but also sending silver, and he was staring at the big shopkeeper of the "Houyi Hall", which many Shangshu waiters didn't know, and in fact, it was easier to see the emperor's lack than ordinary Shangshu waiters, and while beckoning him to sit with Wen Xiang, he said in a low voice: "Lord Cao, you know that although the 'Houyitang' is a yamen that is not in the economic system, it is also a very important yamen. In the past, because it had just opened, many people and things were not very thorough, but in the future, it will be different from before, some should be available, and some should be set up. ”

Cao Yuying was confused, and couldn't help asking, "How do you say this?" ”

"The Military Aircraft Department has two classes of Manchu and Han, and the six departments are set up with Manchu Han Shangshu and Manchu Han Shilang, and the Manchu and Han political envoys are set up in the connecting political departments, and the 'Houyi Hall' is so urgent that it is naturally no exception, so Xiufeng asked the emperor to replace me as the chief treasurer of the 'Houyi Hall' by you and Brother Jianchuan."

Wen Xiang finally understood why Demu Chuk Zabu asked Han Xiufeng to promote both him and Cao Yuying just now, this was not only because he was worried that the emperor would not allow him, a member of the Ministry of Works, to take over the "Houyi Hall", but also because he was worried that Cao Yuying would have ideas after the emperor's approval.

And the two of them were promoted together, one served as the treasurer of Manda, and the other served as the treasurer of Handa, giving Cao Yuying enough face, Cao Yuying naturally couldn't say anything. As for the things about Cao Yuying that he said when he replied just now, the former minister of the Imperial Palace, Demu Chukzabu, would definitely not be stupid enough to spread the word.

Everything has been taken into account, and it is simply watertight.

Wen Xiang admired him so much that he threw himself to the ground, and he was also moved to tears.

Cao Yuying was dumbfounded, thinking that there were two big treasurers, who would be responsible for investigating and verifying the situation, and who would be responsible for reporting to the emperor? If there is the same division of labor as before, it is that Wen Xiang, who was killed halfway, really took over the "Houyi Hall", and he Cao Yuying is just a nominal shopkeeper, and in the final analysis, he is still an errand messenger.

"Lord Cao, the emperor has already mentioned to me about the establishment of the Manchu Han Grand Treasurer, but there are too many pedantic civil and military officials, and there is no suitable candidate for a while."

"Yes," Cao Yuying slowed down and subconsciously looked at Wen Xiang: "Brother Jianchuan, congratulations." ”

Wen Xiang secretly thought that people were in a hurry to mourn, you were actually in the mood to say what congratulations, just stood up and didn't know how to reply, Han Xiufeng continued: "Lord Cao, Xiufeng is just a guarantee, will the emperor be gracious or not." ”

"Yes, yes, everything is up to the emperor."