The peach branches swayed, and a few small petals of light pink swept into Zhao Dangshi's cup, Zhao Dangshi didn't care, and drank as usual. Chen Hongfan frowned and said, "Brother Xian, why don't you remove the peach petals." ”

Zhao Dangshi smiled heartily: "Peach blossoms and wine are a good match, and the two are suitable and add to the taste." ”

Zhu Yiming, the king of Xiang, shook his sleeves lightly, and said with his head bowed: "What Lord Zhao said is reasonable. Peach blossoms can be used to make wine, and the ancients said in the "National Book of Materia Medica" that fresh peach blossoms are soaked in wine, and a drink is a daily drink, which is of great benefit to the appearance. The allusion of this dynasty "Puji Fang" also says: "Fresh peach blossoms are picked on the third day of March, soaked in the best liquor, and served in the future." If you take it for a long time, you can get rid of diseases and benefit your face'. There is no shortage of peach blossom wine in the cellar of my house, so I sent someone to carry a few jars to the two of us to taste it on the same day. ”

Zhu Yiming is over forty years old, but his eyes are bright, his cheeks are jade and clear, his body is strong and long, and his spirit looks like a teenager in his twenties. Moreover, he speaks softly and comfortably, speaks humbly, and never calls himself "this king" and "lonely" between the lines, but calls himself "I" and "Yu" like Zhao Dangshi and Chen Hongfan, which is quite cordial.

Chen Hongfan opened his mouth and smiled twice: "The two of you have read books and have self-cultivation, and I am ashamed to be ashamed!" ”

Zhu Yiming hurriedly said: "What did Lord Chen say?" If you weren't sitting in Xiangyang, why would you be here for a leisurely rest today. It seems that we can only sing the wind and snow, chanting the stars and singing the willows, which is purely a funny trick, and it is useless. ”

Zhao Dangshi also said: "The younger brother only knows some carving insect skills, and he can't get into the eyes of the elder brother." My brother is a human being, and he has become my Chubei Dinghai God Needle. This majesty and bearing, the younger brother is beyond the reach of the dust. ”

Chen Hongfan sighed and said: "Pinch your fingers, Chen has been in Xiangyang for nearly half a year. is ashamed of the size of the merit, but often bothers the prince and is too incompetent. Thanks to the prince's kindness, he never blamed, otherwise even if Chen had a thick face of Zhang Huai bark, he would have been ashamed of himself so far. "Let's talk about it, clink glasses with Zhu Yiming and drink.

After drinking, Zhu Yiming said: "Lord Chen is strict with himself and self-denial, and Xiao Wang really admires it." To tell the truth, if there is no dedication to Lord Chen in the past six months, this Xiangyang will only become a tiger's cave and a wolf's den sooner rather than later. ”

Zhao Dangshi echoed continuously: "Not bad. The elder brother has long had a good reputation for his virtue, and the younger brother has always been guided by the elder brother's code of conduct. Brother, don't be presumptuous. While talking, he thought that Chen Hongfan really had a hand, although he was the first to control the defense of Xiangyang and Shangcheng City, but he really had some means to make the dignified Xiangwang give face like this.

There were flattering words, although he only drank a few glasses, Chen Hongfan was already full of red light, he gave Zhu Yiming another glass, and said: "I dare not take the praise of the prince." Even though Chen spared no effort, there are other reasons why Xiangyang can be impregnable. He took a sip and faced Zhao Dangshi, "For example, Brother Zhao Xian." He is in Zaoyang, and Chen are each other's horns, and they work side by side on weekdays to deter the ugliness, and he has a great credit. ”

Zhu Yiming's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded vigorously: "I have heard of Lord Zhao's demeanor for a long time. When I went to the banquet today, I heard that Mr. Zhao was also there, so I invited Mr. Chen to be the matchmaker and connect the friendship between the two of us. ”

When Zhao Dangshi heard this, he was secretly happy, looked at Chen Hongfan, and replied: "Zhao has also heard of the reputation of Wang Yexian for a long time, and hates military affairs, otherwise he has to take a trip to visit if he says anything." Speaking of this, he coughed lightly, "However, when I met the prince a few days ago, I only felt that his person Zhong Lingyu was beautiful and extraordinary, which was surprising." But now that I have to see the prince, I know that Feng's father and son have something to do, and the surprise disappears at the beginning. He had the intention to lead the topic to Zhu Changfa, and sure enough, Zhu Yiming's expression changed immediately.

"Alas, Chang Fa, this kid ......," Zhu Yiming sighed, "He told me everything." If it weren't for Lord Zhao's timely action, this kid would have already become a snack for lonely ghosts. It can be seen that Zhu Yiming is very doting on Zhu Changfa, so much so that he does not have any accusation against Zhu Changfa's reckless behavior of going out of the city without authorization, "The reason why Xiao Wang wants to meet Lord Zhao is also to express his gratitude in time." After today's banquet, I must choose an auspicious day to invite Lord Zhao to come to our mansion to formally thank you, and I hope that your lord will appreciate it. ”

Zhao Dangshi hurriedly said: "The prince tortures the villain. It is a blessing for the villain to be able to relieve the worries and difficulties of the prince and the prince. ”

Chen Hongfan said: "My brother was bewitched by others in his early years and took a detour. In fact, he is the most loyal and courageous, and has told me more than once that he should repay his kindness to the court after the past. Now it seems that he is a true gentleman who matches his words and deeds. ”

Zhao Dangshi bowed his head and said: "The grace of a drop of water must be reciprocated by a spring." The imperial court did not think that Zhao was despicable and innocent, and issued a pardon order. How could Zhao not cherish this opportunity to change his mind and face and break his bones for my Daming country! ”

Zhu Yiming said solemnly: "I can understand Lord Zhao's loyalty. As far as the county lord of Huaqing is concerned, he has also praised your character many times. At first, Zhu Yiming didn't have a deep impression of Zhao Dangshi, but he couldn't stand Zhu Changfa and Huaqing's three days of wind blowing in their ears, and imperceptibly, he couldn't help but have a good impression of Zhao Dangshi.

Talking about this, with Chen Hongfan on the side, Zhao Dangshi became the center of the topic. Chen and Zhu said a word, and Zhao Dangshi was held up to the sky, but Zhao Dangshi knew that it must be Zhu Yiming who wanted to be himself, so he showed favor first. Therefore, for all kinds of good words, I will sit firmly on the Diaoyutai and will not be able to accept them.

Unconsciously, the three of them had been sitting and talking for a long time, and a slave stepped up and said a few words to Chen Hongfan. Chen Hongfan knew it in his heart, and felt that the time was almost up, so he changed the conversation and said: "His Royal Highness King Xiang is a virtuous king, and Brother Zhao Xian is a loyal minister. People say that heroes cherish each other, and they are destined to meet thousands of miles away, which is true. He added, "Whether the ground in Xiangyang is stable or not is not only in me Chen, but also in the two of them." The three of us are of one heart and one mind, so as to ensure the peace of one party. ”

Zhao Dangshi raised his glass and said: "What my brother said is very true. ”

Chen Hongfan and Zhu Yiming glanced at each other, and said: "However, at the moment, the prince has some troubles...... said, turning to look at Zhao Dangshi.

Zhao Dangshi immediately leaned over and asked, "Oh? If you are like a prince, you also have troubles about unevenness? ”

Zhu Yiming sighed at this time: "It is precisely because of my identity that some things are difficult to settle. ”

Chen Hongfan said: "Every family has a scripture that is difficult to read, and the virtuous brother does not need to be surprised. Turning to inquiry, "Since the virtuous brother is responsible for assisting in Xiangyang and Nanyang, I don't know if he has noticed anything unusual in the past half a month." ”

"Strange?" Zhao Dangshi pondered for a moment, and then pretended to wake up, "What my brother is referring to, could it be that it is the recent sudden increase in liukou?" ”

Chen Hongfan clapped his hands and said, "Exactly!" Recently, the raids of the rogues in Xiangyang Mansion have become more and more frequent, and these rogues are very numerous, divided into countless small groups, and they are very cunning. Many places have been poisoned by them. When these words came out, Zhu Yiming's face was obviously bitter.

Zhao Dangshi said thoughtfully: "I heard that the thieves and others have recently gathered in Nanyang, and the Cao thieves have also flowed into Chengtianfu and other places from Henan, and the north and south are close to Xiangyang, and the reason for the sharp increase in thieves in Xiangyang Mansion may be related to this. ”

Chen Hongfan nodded and said, "No matter what the reason, the property of His Royal Highness King Xiang is now under great threat. ”

Zhao Dangshi's eyes widened, and he said in surprise: "The prince's industry? ”

Zhu Yiming respected his identity and did not answer, Chen Hongfan said for him: "The prince is virtuous, and there are many industries in Xiangyang Mansion and even the surrounding states and counties. Together with the thieves, the one that affected the most was the Xiang Domain. ”

In the Ariake generation, the clan clan has always been the top landlord class in the country. In the beginning, the income of the clan mainly came from the rice and the imperial village. The amount of Lumi's branch was reduced by the Hongwu and Jiajing dynasties, but due to the rapid increase in the population of the clan, the total expenses of the imperial court were actually becoming more and more onerous, so that they could not afford to pay. For example, in the 32nd year of Jiajing, Liang Cai, the head of the household department, pointed out that "the world pays tribute to the capital master rice for 4 million stones, and Lu Mi everywhere has 8.53 million stones", which shows the weight of Lu Mi's burden on the imperial court.

However, in contrast, most of the clans' means of livelihood were still Huangzhuang. During the Hongwu period, Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang gave the clansmen some lands without grain for self-sufficiency, such as pastures, river beaches, etc. But later, after Jianwen, Yongle, etc., to the period of Yingzong Zhu Qizhen, the clansmen either gave or invited, and countless lands were annexed. Even though the two dynasties of Tianshun and Hongzhi issued three orders and five declarations, the clans were not allowed to forcibly occupy the people's land again, but "the performances are endless, and the begging is more and more complicated", has become a big trend. At the time, people even exclaimed, "If you do this kind of looting, the people's fields will become Wang Zhuang".

Xiangfan is one of the strongest feudal domains in Huguang, even if it is not as exaggerated as the Fu Domain's "land of Zhongzhou, half into the feudal domain", but in Xiangyang, Nanyang, De'an, Chengtian, Jingzhou and other prefectures still retain a huge number of plaster fields, especially the land rent of Xiangyang Mansion is the bulk of it. These fields were cultivated by tenant farmers and hired farmers, and together with the rogues, these people died or fled, and the fields were desolate, which had a great impact on the royal government.

In addition, to this day, the tentacles of the clan have long been extended to other industries. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, while giving the fields to the clans, they would occasionally be given subsidies for lake and pond fish classes depending on the situation. This system was first opened in Zhu Yuanzhang, Hongwu five years, the king of Qin was given 9,200 stone of fish in the lake, 3,000 stones, the king of Jin, the king of Yan. During the Yongle period, Zhu Di made it a practice to add a business tax in addition to the land to win people's hearts. As soon as the source was opened, the use of capital by local clans and feudal clans to forcibly intervene in commercial profits became increasingly unstoppable, and even "occupied the water and land passes, and divided the property" and so on. What's more, some powerful feudal clans meddled in the local salt and iron monopoly to make huge profits. Especially in the Wanli Dynasty, because the Divine Sect favored King Fu, they turned a deaf ear to Yao Zongwen, the university scholar Fang Congzhe and others who advised and forbade the vassal king to touch salt and iron, so the other clans followed suit.

Xiangyang has an excellent geographical location, and half of Xiangfan's income comes from rent, and half from commerce. Chen Hongfan now talked in detail about the money villages, pawn shops, salt shops, and fish cabins opened by Xiang Fan in Xiangyang, Zaoyang, Nanzhang, Yicheng and other places, and Zhao Dangshi listened to it in his ears and was happy in his heart.

That day, he had a private meeting with Chen Hongfan, and in order to solve the dilemma of lack of food in Zhao Ying, Chen Hongfan proposed a strategy. In the final analysis, it is still the act of guarding and stealing. Later, Zhao Dangshi ordered Guo Ruke to make up for his mistakes, and the task assigned was to ask him to spread troops and horses, disguise himself as a rogue, and attack the property of the Xiang clan in Xiangyang Mansion everywhere. In the end, the results showed that Guo Ruke did a good job, not only did not leak the slightest rumor, but also successfully caused panic in Xiangfan. Coupled with Chen Hongfan's fanning of the flames, Zhu Yiming, who had a good impression of Zhao Dangshi because of Zhu Changfa and Huaqing, naturally thought of looking for Zhao Dangshi to help.

However, Zhao Dangshi was able to stabilize his temperament, and asked first: "I don't know what my brother thinks about this matter?" ”

Chen Hongfan stroked his beard and said: "It's just some desperate little thieves, which are insignificant. It's just unpredictable, elusive, and a headache. He added, "It stands to reason that Chen is responsible for the prince's affairs." However, Chen needs to protect Xiangyang City, and once the troops are scattered, it will inevitably lead to the city's air defense. Now the group of thieves is looking at the side, not afraid of 10,000 in case, Taishan's responsibility is really difficult to take care of other places, and please forgive the prince. ”

Zhu Yiming shook his hand and said, "What did Master Chen say?" Xiao Wang is also a sensible person, no matter how heavy his career is, he is more important than his family? Lord Chen's defense of Xiangyang is to protect Xiao Wang's family. It's too late to say thanks, how can you blame. ”

Chen Hongfan said movingly: "The prince understands the righteousness, and Chen is very grateful. Then he said, "Sit and look at the four sides of Xiangyang, but there are very few people who can be feared." But with my brother Zhao Xian, the prince can be worry-free! ”

Zhu Yiming raised his eyebrows and said, "How do you say this?" ”

Chen Hongfan looked at Zhao Dangshi and said: "I, Brother Zhao Xian, am now the general of the Lutoudian who assists in guarding Xiangyang and Nanyang, and the main responsibility is to defend the land and protect the people, whether it is Xiangyang, Zaoyang or Yicheng, they are all under his wings." After speaking, he gave Zhao Dangshi a look.

Zhao Dangshi immediately answered: "There is another reason why I failed to visit the prince in time recently. Entrusted by the adults of the nearby state capitals, Zhao spent his energy on sweeping away the mountain bandits. The prince was rescued by Zhao in a raid. Now the first-line bandits from Zaoyang to Suizhou are flat, and business and tourist people come and go, which can be regarded as a credit to Zhao. ”

Zhu Yiming praised: "Lord Zhao is both wise and brave, and his reputation is well deserved. ”

Chen Hongfan took advantage of the situation and said: "Don't talk about these thieves. Last month, Lord Zhao also sent people to Tang County to fight back the thief and behead his fierce general. When the Hui thief, Cao thief and other giants heard the name of Zhao Xiandi, they also had to throw away their armor and flee. If there is Zuo Shuai in Henan, then I look at this Huguang, and I will be the first to recommend my brother Zhao Xian. ”

Zhao Dangshi bowed his head and said: "Brother praises falsely, Zhao is just doing his best, how dare you think about it." ”

Chen Hongfan said: "Why should the virtuous brother be too humble. If you want me to say, although the bandits in Xiangyang are in serious trouble, it is not as easy as looking at the patterns in the palm of your hand. Then he said to Zhu Yiming, "Lord Wang, Chen doesn't dare to say anything else, your property is handed over to Lord Zhao to take care of, and Chen dares to guarantee that there will be no danger in the future." ”

Zhu Yiming sighed and said: "I have this intention, but I am afraid that Lord Zhao is busy with military affairs and has no time to take care of it." ”

Zhao Dangshi said in a loud voice: "Northern Chu takes Xiangyang as the priority, and Xiangyang is the prince as the greatest. Since I, Zhao, have the heavy responsibility of guarding Xiangyang, if I sit back and watch the prince suffer, wouldn't I be doing the foolish act of sacrificing the basics and doing half the work. ”

Chen Hongfan continued: "Lord Zhao's loyalty to the world can be learned, and he is also sincere to the prince, so the prince doesn't have to worry. "What's more, "Imagine that it's not just those little thieves who are disturbing your domain's industry. If you want to eliminate the troubles of Valley City, you have to do it unless Lord Zhao can't do it. ”

This sentence directly hit Zhu Yiming's worst fear. What is the trouble of Valley City? Xiying is also. Zhang Xianzhong has long known about the robbery of various states and counties and even Zuo Liangyu's industry, although he is not completely at present with Zhang Xianzhong, but taking precautions is always beneficial and harmless to the family. In northern Chu, although Chen Hongfan is sheltered, but in the end he is not down-to-earth, if he pulls another strong person to support, it will undoubtedly be much safer. Therefore, he pondered for a moment, then got up and raised his wine glass and said, "In this Xiangyang, I believe in Lord Chen the most. Lord Zhao's reputation is far and wide, and he is recommended by Lord Chen, so what choice do I have! ”

Zhao Dangshi and Chen Hongfan also got up together and said: "The prince's trust is unforgettable, and he will dare not go to the soup for the prince in the future!" ”

The three of them clinked glasses and drank white, and sat down one after another.

After a few more drinks, Zhao Dangshi suddenly sighed.

Zhu Yiming asked, "Lord Zhao?" ”

Zhao Dangshi said with a sad face: "To be able to serve the prince, Zhao is self-righteous." It's just that there is still a difficulty in this. With that, he drank himself and drank alcohol.

Zhu Yiming was silent for a while, and said: "Lord Zhao's difficulty, isn't it grain?" ”

Zhao Dangshi raised his head and stared at him and said, "The prince already knows?" ”

Zhu Yiming nodded and said, "Lord Chen has already told me about your camp before. Then he said, "Lord Zhao is sincere in helping my domain. How can my clan let Lord Zhao work for nothing? As long as Lord Zhao nods, my clan is willing to provide 50,000 stones of grain to show sincerity. ”

Zhao Dangshi was overjoyed when he heard this, and turned to see that Chen Hongfan was also smiling and nodding to himself. Although Chen Hongfan often speaks loudly, he can be regarded as really reliable at critical moments. Zhu Yiming was able to directly report the chips of 50,000 stone grains and grass, which showed that Chen Hongfan had communicated with him many times in private. If you go the right way, it's really better than blindly working hard and brute force, and it's really cost-effective to worship yourself at this dock. Thinking about it this way, it strengthened his earlier idea that foreign affairs should be paid equal attention to domestic affairs and military affairs.

Zhao Dangshi arched his hand and said: "The prince is grateful, Zhao is grateful." These 50,000 stone grains are used to suspend the urgent needs of our battalion. After the autumn, I will harvest the acres of land and return it. ”

As soon as the words came out, Zhu Yiming and Chen Hongfan smiled at each other. Especially Chen Hongfan, he won 50,000 stone of grain for Zhao Dangshi, and it really took a lot of words. Fifty thousand stones is not a small amount, and even if you take out this asset, even if you are as rich as King Xiang, it is impossible not to blink an eyelid. Fortunately, Zhao Dangshi is sensible, not those selfish and rude bandits, although he simply talks about "borrowing" instead of "taking", it gives people the impression that the times are very different, and it also leaves a lot of room for maneuver in the future.

Zhu Yiming and Zhao Dangshi had a drink and said, "I heard that your camp is in Zaoyang, and there are also some real estate. ”

Zhao Dangshi agreed: "Yes, a small piece of land to supplement the military." ”

Zhu Yiming thought about it and said: "It's not a secret, in Zaoyang, I also have land in my domain. It's just that in recent months, the bandits have become more and more troubled, and many of the evil servants have taken the opportunity to escape. ”

Before Zhao Dangshi could speak, Chen Hongfan coughed and said, "I have also heard about this, not only the Xiang Domain, but also many tenants in Xiangyang Mansion have escaped. It is a pity that the best anointed land is abandoned there at this time. ”

From the Ming Dynasty to the Chongzhen Dynasty, the phenomenon of land annexation has been extremely serious, and many eunuchs and gentry have the privilege of exempting from forced labor, and even taxes have been reduced or exempted later. While using their own power to seize the land, they also used some of their privileges to solicit and shield the households who were overwhelmed by the burden of burdens and took the initiative to donate the land to themselves. As a result, a large number of households became tenants who were dependent on the eunuchs and gentry, and the eunuchs and gentry called the tenants "tenants" and regarded them as servants. In addition to the tenants, there were also hired peasants with a more humble status, who lost all their assets and land for various reasons, and could only go to the eunuchs and gentry to work as slaves, serving all kinds of miscellaneous labor and unpaid farming for their masters. It is precisely because of the large number of tenants and hired farmers that a huge industrial system such as the Xiang Domain can be operated in an orderly manner.

However, with the trend of exile in various places, it is inevitable that this kind of dependency, which seems to be stable, will also be affected.

"Today's villains are fierce. Tenants and hired farmers took advantage of the turmoil to shake off their shackles and flee into the mountains, either to gather for thieves or to pick up ownerless wasteland and begin to convert into homesteaders. The Xiang clan has a wide range of land, and the corresponding number of tenants is also very large, who knows that during this time, thieves are around, forcing the loss of personnel, Tai Ban hid in the Yunyang Mountains, and saw that during the sowing season, a large area of land was unattended, so Zhu Yiming was worried.