The water on the small tandoor outside the pavilion boiled again, Zhang Yucheng got up and carried the pot, added new water, and the tea fragrance became stronger.

"Yucheng, you just said that you want me to speak for An Yi in the court, but in fact, you don't have to." Yu Zhijie played with the tea set in his hand, this set of bamboo tea sets was still made by Jiang Anyi when he returned to Beijing from Xinqi County, and it had been played with as smooth as topaz.

Zhang Yucheng said: "My father-in-law thinks that An Yi has the trust of the Son of Heaven and is invincible. ”

Yu Zhijie nodded with satisfaction and said: "Yes, the purpose of Anyi's establishment of the border city to collect commercial taxes is to collect wealth for the country, and the wealth collected comes from the powerful and wealthy families, not from the people, but it has a bit of a taste of robbing the rich and helping the poor." ”

Zhang Yucheng laughed, and his mood became much more relaxed, only to hear Yu Zhijie continue: "This time, the crowd is turbulent, the officials are jumping up and down, and the family is responding, and there is a great tendency to crush Anyi in one fell swoop. ”

"Anyi's temporary Lihua Prefecture is the order of the Son of Heaven, and there are secret discussions in the court that he is a minister of Xingjin, and the Son of Heaven hopes that Anyi will respond to these discussions with taxes and prove that he has ordered people. This year, the Son of Heaven exempted Huazhou from the field tax, but An Yi boasted when he asked for the establishment of the border city of Huazhou, and after the establishment of the border city, he would pay an extra 2 million in commercial taxes every year, and the treasury was empty, so the Son of Heaven naturally agreed. ”

"The wool comes out of the sheep, and the extra commercial tax will naturally be collected from the caravans in the Western Regions. Most of the powerful figures behind the merchants who trade with the Western Regions, it is difficult to give up good money, An Yi's move is to stab these people's lungs, no wonder these people jump over the wall in a hurry. Yu Zhijie sneered.

As a secretary of the household department, Yu Zhijie knows well the pain of the empty treasury and the difficulty of doing everything without money in his hands. But these powerful families live a life of poverty and luxury, with tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land at home, and gold and silver treasures piled up in the treasury, but they refuse to pay a field tax of more than ten cents per mu.

These people colluded with the local government to underpay commercial tax by underreporting goods and reducing dividends. Jiang Anyi forced the goods in the Western Regions to be traded and taxed in Huazhou, and collected them from the source, blocking the possibility of leakage, which Yu Zhijie was happy to see.

Zhang Yucheng stared at the curling tea smoke, and said in a low voice: "An Yi has the support of the Son of Heaven behind his actions, it is impossible for these people not to see it, they are still desperate to impeach, what is the meaning?" ”

In the Li Mansion of Taifu Temple, Li Mingxing was talking with his brother Li Mingyi in the study.

“…… The arrow is on the bow, and it has to be hairy. Li Mingxing let out a lamentation and said: "The Son of Heaven has a clear intention to suppress the family, except for the Shi family, the Wang family and the Wei family, the other seven families are deeply threatened. My Li family is the first to bear the brunt, and I am already a candle before the wind, and I may be removed from the family at any time. The Liu family, the Huang family, and the Liu family found me, and they wanted to advance and retreat together with the Li family, let Mingyi come forward to impeach Jiang Anyi, and promised to let the Li family get involved in the business of the Western Regions afterwards, this is an opportunity for the Li family to revitalize, and it must not be missed. ”

Li Mingxing gritted his teeth and said, his elegant face distorted and hideous in the candlelight.

Li Mingyi's impeachment of Qing Zhan Tian Mu was severely reprimanded by the Son of Heaven, although the Son of Heaven did not belittle him, but put him on hold. Li Mingyi's request for foreign appointment was rejected many times, and he became more and more aggrieved, accompanied by wine all day long, mixing days.

Hearing that the eldest brother wanted to take the lead in impeaching Jiang Anyi in the court with the help of his identity as the middle prince of the imperial history, Li Mingyi smiled bitterly: "Big brother, now I am disgusted with people in the imperial history platform, and even the imperial history does not take me seriously. I am a disgusting thing in the eyes of the Son of Heaven, and it would not be like I came forward to impeach Jiang Anyi. ”

Li Mingxing sighed: "I have wronged you, sixth brother." My Li family was vigorously suppressed by the Son of Heaven because of the Qing Dynasty, you were reprimanded, I was transferred from Sinong Temple to Taifu Temple, and the Li family was already powerful in the court. I didn't know that those families were using the Li family as swordsmen, but the situation was pressing, and I couldn't help it. However, I have discussed with them, and whether it works out or not, they will help you find a foreign job. ”

Li Mingyi's eyes lit up, he was like sitting on pins and needles in Beijing, living like a year, and he was able to let go of foreign affairs, but he was free to let go of fish and return to the sea.

Li Mingxing continued to persuade: "I have a system in the court, and the imperial history can be heard, and the Son of Heaven will not punish you even if he is angry." You and my brother said something from the bottom of your heart, you have been disliked by the Son of Heaven anyway, how can you be disliked by him and let him hate you, wouldn't it be in line with your heart, even if you are degraded to a remote place, I will not let you suffer. ”

Li Mingyi was moved, nodded and said, "What the eldest brother said is that for the sake of the Li family, Mingyi is willing to take this risk." ”

"Good brothers, brothers are of the same heart, their profits are broken, this time you and I are willing to go out for the survival of the Li family. Mingyi, the eldest brother toasted with tea, thank you on behalf of the whole family. ”

Sending Li Mingyi away, Li Mingxing could not hide his despair, the Li family currently respects him, and his official residence is from the third grade, but he is seventy out of fifty this year, and he can't stay in the court for a few years. I thought that after a few years of grinding, Ming Yi would be able to rise from the position of the sixth squire in the imperial history, and there would be a replacement for the Li family in the court when he was in office. But now that Mingyi has been abolished, if he goes, who will support the wind and rain for the family, and come to the wind to serve as a assassin in Shaozhou, the official reputation is mediocre, and it is even more difficult to make a difference, and the rest of the clansmen are just petty officials below the fifth grade, and they will not be able to grow up within ten years.

The children are not angry, Li Mingxing slapped the table with hatred, and the tea cup on the table trembled. Jiang Anyi, who is going to deal with this time, admires Li Mingxing very much from selfishness, the champion of Sanyuan and the first, the word immortal who is famous in the north and south of the river, and sits in Huazhou at a young age, such a character can be described as a genius at all.

If Tong'er had achieved good things with him back then, and with such a strong helping hand, my Li family would eventually rise again even if it was bleak for a few years. Li Mingxing leaned back in his chair in frustration, he valued the reputation of the Li family at the beginning, and he was unwilling to marry Tong'er to Jiang Anyi as Teng, but he missed this in-law. Tong'er, this girl has a good eye and is decisive, but unfortunately she was born a woman, if she were a man, she would definitely break the public opinion and vigorously support her.

I heard that after she returned home, she discussed family affairs with the Xu family, and became a widow before she passed the door, and later followed Mingxing to do business, and found a unique way to do the sea business, and made a lot of profits. But the clansmen were short-sighted and couldn't tolerate her, so they snatched the business from her. This group of guys who have not succeeded enough and lost more than anything, after taking over, they had accidents one after another, and they lost a lot of money, and Tong'er went home in anger, and then disappeared.

Li Mingxing watched Tong'er grow up, and loved this pretty and lively niece very much, remembering the heartbroken picture when she left Beijing, he couldn't help but close his eyes in pain, hoping that she could turn evil into good fortune and become auspicious in death. Alas, heaven and earth are like furnaces, everyone is tormented in them, which one can escape.

After taking a sip of cold tea, Li Mingxing's mouth was full of bitterness.

Before the time came, Shi Fangzhen appeared in Kun'an Palace, Princess Anshou took her daughter into the palace, Shi Fangzhen finished the recital early and came back to hug her granddaughter. This little man who was named the county lord of Ninghe was not afraid of life at all, he smiled in Shi Fangzhen's hands, and reached out to grab his grandfather's beard, in her eyes, there was no respect for the ninety-five.

When it was lively for a while, An Shou returned home with his daughter in his arms, and Kun'an Palace returned to tranquility. Shi Fangzhen reclined on the couch, listening to the prince Shi Chongwei report what he had learned during this time, and Queen Wang sat at the end of the couch, holding a piece of embroidery in her hand, and looked at the father and son with a smile and answers.

After the prince lived in the East Palace, the Son of Heaven always took two or three days a month to ask the prince about his studies, and after two quarters of an hour, Shi Fangzhen praised the prince a few words, Shi Chongwei saw that it was not early, and wanted to retire.

Shi Fangzhen said: "Emperor, what are you talking about in Beijing recently?" ”

Shi Chongwei was stunned for a moment, his father has two eyes and ears, the secret guard and the dragon guard, and he should know all about the big and small affairs in Beijing, how can he ask me? Then he understood, and said with a smile: "What the father is referring to is that the hundred officials want to impeach Jiang Shi for blocking the trade route?" ”

Shi Fangzhen nodded and asked, "What do you think about this matter?" ”

Shi Chongwei discussed this matter with the straight scholar of Chongwenguan in the Prince's Mansion, Zhang Yucheng and He Ziying supported Jiang Anyi, Zhou Chucun and Cui Yuanhu advocated severe punishment of Jiang Anyi, and others were unclear. Brother-in-law Wei Youcheng had a deep talk with him, thinking that Jiang Anyi's actions were out of public intentions and for the country, implying that if his father asked, he must speak for Jiang Anyi.

"Father, Master Jiang has always acted above board, and the establishment of a border city to collect commercial taxes is to obtain wealth for the country, and those who want to impeach him are unwilling to lose their interests and are selfish. Erchen thought that he should vigorously praise Jiang Shi, so that the ministers would follow his example and be loyal to the country regardless of gains and losses. ”

Shi Fangzhen nodded and said, "What the emperor said makes sense. However, I ask you, you know this truth, why don't those courtiers who want to impeach Jiang Anyi understand, aren't they afraid of angering me? ”

"This?"

Queen Wang smiled and said: "Long live, the concubines saw that they were dizzy, and they were anxious when they saw that there was less silver." ”

"Yes, Li Lingzhi is dizzy", Shi Fangzhen said coldly: "There is also the fact that they want to unite and use this matter to threaten me." ”

When it came to the monarch's power, Queen Wang immediately raised her eyebrows and said, "These people are so bold, long live, they must not be spared." ”

Shi Chongwei knows a little more about the situation than Queen Wang, and knows that half of the top ten families are involved, and the relationship between the families is close, and the roots are mixed, and the family of the Son of Heaven is also related to the family, so it is difficult to deal with it if you want to hold it responsible.

Shi Fangzhen snorted coldly: "As the lord of the world, of course I will not be afraid of them, prince, you are the prince, tell me, what will you do with them?" ”

Shi Chongwei scratched his head a little, thought for a moment, and said: "This matter involves too many people, and Erchen can't think of a way for a while, but he feels that he should be cautious." Although Master Jiang is reasonable, he can't hurt the face of the ministers. ”

Queen Wang was anxious and said: "Wei'er, how can you be so weak when you are the crown prince, for those who oppose your father and the emperor, degrade and arrest, and no one will dare to jump out if you kill him." ”

Shi Fangzhen smiled: "I think what Wei'er said is reasonable, I have been an emperor for more than ten years before I understand that even a king can't be happy with revenge, Wei'er is smarter than me." ”

Seeing that her son was praised, Queen Wang smiled and responded: "This is all a good teaching, the concubine is a woman, and she has no knowledge, so she is wrong to blame Wei'er." ”

Shi Fangzhen stood up and said solemnly: "I am a little disappointed in Jiang Anyi, with his intelligence, he didn't have to be so tense, is he forcing me to make a statement?" Hehe, have you learned to be scheming? I want to see what my civil and military officials have in mind. ”