November 24, 17th year of Yongping.

A holy decree of the imperial court descended from Bianjing to all parts of Southern Chu, and after New Year's Day next year, taxes in various places will begin to increase, more than in previous years, and after New Year's Day, local governments will begin to pay taxes and collect grain from all over the country.

(New Year's Day is the meaning of the ancient (chūn) festival, there was no Gregorian calendar in ancient times, the count is the lunar calendar, and the New Year's Day of Southern Chu is the (chūn) festival)

When this holy decree spread all over Southern Chu, some people were happy and some were worried.

Although Nanchu is prosperous now, it is only the most prosperous generation in Jiangnan, Bianjing and other generations, and there are actually many people in other remote places who have problems with food and clothing, and even the famine in many places has not yet been solved.

For these places, although the imperial court will also lower the tax standards, but for the people of Li in these places, there is still a lot of pressure.

But what can be done?

This is the way of the world.

Compared to the people in these places, a wealthy city like Pingzhou is not much of a concern.

After all, even if the tax is doubled in this kind of city, more than seventy percent of the people are capable, and the happy heart (qíng) of the people in these cities is greater than the distress of increasing taxes, because the imperial court generally raises the tax and collects grain in this way, which means that there will be a big move.

The news of this holy decree was told to Zhang Xiang when the little slave sent him breakfast.

After listening to this news, Zhang Xiang knew in his heart.

This was a move on the eve of the war, and the imperial court was ready to increase the amount of war food and grass.

It's going to be chaos in the north again.

The little slave gently took a bite of the pastry and chewed it slowly: "Don Ma, this time the army of Southern Chu will definitely beat those Northern Liao people and drive them out of Southern Chu, I really hate those Northern Liao people to death." ”

"Little slave, have you ever seen a war?" Zhang Xiang looked at her and smiled.

The little slave shook his head.

Zhang Xiang said: "You experienced a famine when you were a child, and you should have seen the scene of fleeing from the famine!" ”

The little slave nodded: "The slave will never forget it in her life." ”

Zhang Xiang said softly: "War is much more terrible than famine. ”

The little slave lowered his little head and did not dare to speak.

Zhang Xiang didn't speak anymore, she is a little girl, what kind of war can she understand! The concept of indignation and youth cannot defeat the enemy.

Then Zhang Xiang picked up a letter on the table and opened it.

This letter was sent by the next person just now, sent by Yang Li, and asked him to meet in the Four Seasons Garden around the time of his application.

What should have come has come back......

In less than three moments, Zhang Xiang changed into a gorgeous dress.

This is the real silk and satin, and it is the costume worn by the real nobleman.

He has been in Nanchu for so long, he only wears this kind of clothes on important occasions, and usually, he is more casual, he goes out directly with a (tào) cloth, he is idle and dragged by those silk satins, which is very uncomfortable, and Zhao Hanyan has no choice but to let him.

When I got out of the Horse Mansion, out of the city gate, and came to the Four Seasons Garden, the hour was just about the same.

It was Yang Li's sister Yang Yue who greeted him outside the garden with a group of housekeepers.

After he entered the park, Yang Yue did not follow him in and continued to stay outside the park.

A family member took him to the Winter Pavilion.

At this time in winter, the clouds and mist between the mountains in the distance, the snow is white, it is indeed a beautiful scenery, and it really has the feeling of a fairyland on earth.

Yang Li was the only one sitting in the pavilion, gazing at the mountains in the distance, with a pot of wine and two wine glasses beside him (shēn).

Zhang Xiang came to sit down next to him, and poured up the wine: "Brother Yang appreciates this beautiful scenery and does not forget Ming Heng, it is Ming Heng who is late, so he will punish himself with a glass first." ”

Yang Li turned his head and looked dashing: "This country is picturesque, and it is a blessing in life to be appreciated by Brother Zhang and his confidants." ”

Zhang Xiang said with regret: "It's just a pity that there is no snow scene." ”

"Last time it snowed, I brought Miss Liu here." Yang Li said with a smile.

"Oh, then I don't know if it snows next time, will Ming Heng be lucky enough to bring the princess here?" Zhang Xiang laughed.

"There's going to be a chance." Yang Li smiled and poured a glass of wine in his hand: "Brother Zhang, do you remember the last time I told Brother Zhang about the origin of this Four Seasons Garden?" ”

Zhang Xiang said: "Brother Yang said that it was built by Ge Qingfu, a famous minister of the former Chu, after returning to the field, and later the former Chu was destroyed, and the imperial court sealed (jìn), and later the Pingzhou government took it for sale, and Brother Yang bought it." ”

Yang Li nodded: "Yes, didn't Brother Zhang say it!" Fate is sometimes very ingenious, and the former Queen Chu Ge is the daughter of Ge Qingfu. ”

"I haven't heard this Brother Yang say it." Zhang Xiang was amazed.

Yang Li glanced at him: "The former Empress Chu Ge also has an elder brother, named Ge Xiu, who is the former general of Chu Zhengxi, after the former Chu was destroyed by Gaozu, Queen Ge, the former Chu Emperor and a cadre of concubines are all ** in the Bianjing Palace, Ge Xiu led the troops back to Bianjing to rescue the driver It was already a step too late, and Queen Ge was not rescued, but it was the daughter of Queen Ge and the emperor, Princess An Huai, Princess An Huai is also the only blood left by the former Chu royal family. ”

"After Ge Xiu escaped from the palace with Princess An Huai, he was chased and killed by the army of Southern Chu, and finally escaped from Bianjing, but when he fled to Yangzhou, he met General Zhang, who intercepted him, that is, your father, General Zhang Jian killed Ge Xiu and handed over the head to Gaozu."

Zhang Xiang listened quietly, his face as flat as water.

Yang Li continued: "But Gaozu didn't know that there was such a princess An Huai left in the former Chu royal family. ”

Zhang Xiang took his words: "So, no one knows that this Princess An Huai is still alive except for my father and Ge Xiu, right!" And now that my father and Ge Xiu are dead, no one in the world knows about this Princess An Huai. ”

Yang Li nodded: "So I'm curious, how did Brother Zhang know?" ”

After speaking, Yang Li stared at him, trying to see something in his eyes.

But Zhang Xiang also looked at him, and after a while, Zhang Xiang said lightly: "Actually, Ge Xiu didn't die back then, my father failed to kill him, he still ran away with Princess An Huai, my father was afraid that the emperor would condemn him, so he found a person to replace Ge Xiu for the dead ghost, and Ge Xiu took Princess An Huai to hide incognito in Jingzhou Donghu Village, Princess An Huai also assumed the pseudonym Liu Qingyin, which is now the Oiran of Pingzhou Yanyu Pavilion." ”

The two spoke plainly, as if they were chatting about some family things.

It's just that if the words of the two get out, I don't know how much shock it will cause.

Yang Li sighed softly: "Brother Zhang really knows everything, but I underestimated Brother Zhang." ”

"Brother Yang is not bad, I only know about fate, but I don't know, it turns out that Brother Yang has always been worried about me." Zhang Xiang smiled.

Yang Li said: "When I first met Brother Zhang, I really regarded Brother Zhang as a confidant. ”

"It's hard to find a confidant in life, and so is Mingheng."

"It's just that the world is unpredictable."

Zhang Xiang snorted and laughed, and said, "I just want to know, what does Brother Yang want to plot against Ming Heng?" Ming Heng has no money, no shares (shēn), and one idle horse, so he really can't think of anything that can make Brother Yang's heart move. At least, let me understand! ”

Yang Li raised his head and turned his head to look at him: "Because you are the son of General Zhang." ”

"Oh?" Zhang Xiang was a little puzzled.

Yang Li said: "Although General Zhang died, but there were many old troops in the Beilu Army who followed him, and his death was dissatisfied with many people, but because of the imperial power, these people did not dare to mention it again. ”

"I see." Zhang Xiang finally understood why Yang Li's words were related to his father's death every time he tried him.

But he still has some questions: "And then?" Even if I wanted to redress my father's case, what would you get? ”

"I want to cooperate with Brother Zhang, the people in the court are unpredictable, Brother Zhang must also know the difficulty of this, if you want to overturn the case, I don't know how many powerful ministers will be offended, with Brother Zhang's strength, I'm afraid it is hopeless, but if I can help Brother Zhang, I also hope that Brother Zhang can help me."

"What can I help you?"

"Overthrow the Imperial Court." Yang Li's gaze suddenly became cold.

Zhang Xiang looked at his gaze for a while, then slowly took a sip of the wine glass, and his eyes gradually deepened: "It seems that Brother Yang asked me to come today (rì) because he wanted to confess everything to me, didn't Brother Yang know that I was a colt?" If you tell me this kind of Zhujiu clan, aren't you afraid that I will tell the princess? After all, I am now a relative of the emperor. ”

"If I had been afraid, I wouldn't have told you." Yang Li smiled: "You knew that Miss Liu was the (shēn) part of the former Chu princess, but you never told Zhao Hanyan, which means that you don't want her to know, because you don't have this court in your heart." ”

"Brother Yang knows me very well?" Zhang Xiang narrowed his eyes, usually when he was like this, he had already begun to think seriously.

"No..."Yang Li shook his head: "On the contrary, I can't understand you at all, I don't know what you want to do, but I can see that you don't have the court in your heart, and you have a strong self-confidence in your eyes, that's why I don't understand, even so, why don't you overturn the case for your father?" You know that your father was victimized by people (jiān), but you have been indifferent? ”

"How does Brother Yang know that my father was victimized by a (jiān) person?" Zhang Xiang asked rhetorically: "It is a fact that Liangzhou fell, the whole world knows that my father is the guard of Liangzhou, and he is responsible for the loss of Liangzhou, which is a fact for all to see." ”

"This..."Zhang Xiang asked, but he asked Yang Li, he said: "Your father has been sticking to Liangzhou for so many years, and there has never been any mishap, why did he suddenly lose Liangzhou?" Isn't that weird enough? There must have been a (jiān) person who harmed him, so he lost Liangzhou. ”

Zhang Xiang smiled: "Then all this is just your guess, weren't the Northern Liao people not strong at all before?" But why is it suddenly so powerful? Maybe it's because the Northern Liao people are strong, and my father can't keep it! ”

Zhang Xiang asked more questions step by step, but he also asked Yang Li so much that he couldn't speak.

Zhang Xiang sneered: "I always thought that Brother Yang was a smart person, but I didn't expect that he could even use a guess without evidence." ”

Yang Li snorted: "Who are those people in the court, I know better than you, fighting for power and power, unscrupulous means, in order to protect the stability of the imperial power, the emperor does not hesitate to let them form a party for personal gain, encircle his subordinates, and restrain each other, and he also turns a blind eye to this." Now these people are powerful in the court, unscrupulously scraping the people's fat and people's ointment, sooner or later, this court will definitely be rotten, and when the Northern Liao people are defeated, the lives will be ruined, and it is the people of the world who suffer. ”

"I was ashamed to be with these people before I left the capital." Yang Li said, feeling depressed in his heart, and drank a glass of wine fiercely.

Zhang Xiang said slowly: "Brother Yang is not ashamed to be with these people, why don't you change?" ”

"Heh..."Yang Li let out a wry smile: "I'm a small Wenzong Academy? What can change? In there, it's good to be able to save their lives, but if they do the slightest thing that is not conducive to their interests (qíng), the light one is thrown into the prison and tortured, and the serious one is charged with a crime and beheaded all over the house, what can I do to fight them? ”

"Ming Heng, in the capital for three years, I have seen so many innocent and wronged people."

"When I was admitted to the champion, I walked into the capital with high spirits and wanted to shine on the lintel, but it wasn't until I walked into it that I knew that all the beauty imagined before that was just a thought, and those who were not strong-minded, even if you were a god, would fall into it."

"Ming Heng, it's not that I don't want to display my talents, it's just that this court doesn't have a place where I can (shēn)......"

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