But it was said that Wang Mang returned in the early dynasty and came to the general's mansion. As soon as he arrived at the door, he saw many carriages and sedan chairs parked at the entrance of the General's Mansion, and he was very strange.

These carriages and sedan chairs are very luxurious, and at a glance you can tell that they are the special carriages of a high-ranking prince.

"I seem to be in Qingzhou, and I don't have a relationship with a few people."

Wang Mang was secretly suspicious, and asked the guards guarding the door, "Who is coming to our house today?" Who belong to these carriages and sedan chairs? ”

The guard replied: "Lord Hui, in the morning, Mrs. Nanwang, Mrs. Beihou, Mrs. Taishiling, and Mrs. Danongcheng have come to visit. ”

"What are they doing here?" Wang Mangqi said.

The guard shook his head, indicating that he didn't know where they were coming.

Wang Mang entered the gate and said to himself as he walked: "The king of the south and the marquis of the north let their wives visit, which is reasonable, after all, they are in charge of the military. I'm going to go on a campaign, and they're going to have to go to war. It's just that Tai Shiling and Da Nong Cheng have nothing to do with me, and it's strange that they sent people to visit. ”

When he came to the inner courtyard, he did not go to the study, but to the council chamber, and he expected that these ladies should talk to Wang Jingyan in the council chamber.

After a while, he came to the door.

At this time, I only heard Wang Jingyan say: "This time, everyone from Laomeng came to visit, and I really didn't want to go." When my father-in-law is free in the future, my father-in-law and I will definitely come to visit. ”

When Wang Mang, who was outside the door, heard this, he immediately knew that they had finished speaking.

So he coughed twice and entered the chamber.

When the four ministers' wives saw Wang Mang coming, they got up and saluted each other, exchanged a few polite words, and then retired in turn.

Wang Mang didn't keep it, after all, men and women can't kiss each other, and they can't talk casually.

After they left, Wang Mang asked Wang Jingyan, "Jingyan, what are they doing here?" ”

Wang Jingyan rolled her eyes and said, "Do you still need to ask?" ”

"How do I know without asking? I'm not a roundworm in their stomachs. ”

Wang Jingyan explained: "They are here to test the gift, those adults probably want to make friends with you, but they don't know where to start to break through, so it's not good to look for you rashly." So they asked their wives to come and talk to me first, trying to open a breakthrough from me.

You are now considered a high position in the imperial court, where can these officials still turn a blind eye to you? I want to make friends and sell it for a profit. ”

"Want to befriend me? Hehe, that's kind of interesting. Wang Mang smiled: "Jingyan, it seems that your trouble is coming." I ignored it before, and now I realize it. If I am not bad, there will definitely be many more officials and wives coming to you in the future. There are even some people with ulterior motives who try to bribe you and make you come forward to handle some things. ”

"I've been prepared for this, I'm not as careless as you."

Wang Jingyan replied, came to Wang Mang's back, gently kneaded his shoulders, and asked, "Xianggong, is this early dynasty going well?" Did Your Majesty agree to the reforms you proposed? ”

When Wang Mang heard this, he paused.

Then he grabbed Wang Jingyan's hands, pulled her to him, hugged her in his arms, and said bitterly: "Your Majesty has agreed to the reform proposal, after all, it is impossible for Your Majesty and the ministers to implement this matter, but only verbally agreed." It's just that the matter of the Shangguan family is a little difficult to do. ”

"Shangguan's family? What do you mean? What does it have to do with them? Wang Jingyan asked.

Wang Mang replied: "This morning, Li Zhong accused the masters of the Shangguan family of killing many people, and asked me to lead people to arrest them. I had no choice but to accept it. This time I want to deal with the Jia family, and they will take revenge on the official family, which is really a headache. ”

"What? Let you catch the person from your sister-in-law's house? Isn't that ridiculous? Wang Jingyan exclaimed: "The Shangguan family is a martial arts family, and they have never dealt with the imperial court. Therefore, those grievances are just a matter of rivers and lakes, how could Li Zhong say this now? ”

Wang Mang said: "Although it is a martial arts family, this world is still Your Majesty's. As long as the Shangguan family kills people, especially government personnel, they have an excuse to attack. ”

"So what are you going to do? Do you really want to catch the official masters? If so, what should my sister-in-law do? Wang Jingyan asked.

"You don't need me to arrest it, Li Zhong's gang will arrest it. What they wanted me to do was nothing more than wielding a butcher's knife and killing the master of the Shangguan family, so as to disgust me. ”

Wang Mang spoke for a while, got up and came to the door, and whispered a few words to the guard.

When the guard heard this, he nodded and said, "My lord, my subordinates will do it." ”

"Well, you go and see them, and let them hide themselves and not show their heads recently. At the same time, let them not need to participate in the extermination of the Jia family, let alone fight with others. Wang Mang instructed.

The guards took the order, turned around and left.

Wang Jingyan said: "You asked him to go to the Shangguan family to interrogate, right?" ”

"Well, I asked him to be arraigned. Now His Majesty has issued a holy decree to arrest the masters of the Shangguan family on a large scale. If they appear, Li Zhong and the others will be rounded up, and Ji Yun and the others will also take action, so I have to inform them in advance, so as not to deal with it badly. Wang Mang replied.

"It's hard for you. But you can't be careless about this, lest your sister-in-law feel unhappy. Also, when are you going to deal with the Jia family? Wang Jingyan said worriedly.

"We'll do it tomorrow night." Wang Mang said hatefully: "Li Zhong and others think that I have no soldiers in Qingzhou, so I can't help the Jia family." This time, I'll let them see how I destroyed this Jia family. and took all their people. ”

After talking about business for a while, Wang Mang looked at the sky and said with a smile: "Jingyan, I told you last night to prepare some things in the morning, I wonder if you are ready?" ”

Wang Jingyan nodded and said, "It's all ready, just put it in the kitchen." Half a bag of charcoal, several barbed wires, a few stoves of the kind you mentioned, and hundreds of thin bamboo sticks. As for the other ingredients and accessories, they are not bad. ”

"Well, as the saying goes, people are iron and rice are steel, and if you don't eat a meal, you will be hungry and panic. In the past, you cooked for me, but now I'm going to show you a hand and let you taste something different. Wang Mang said.

After speaking, he pulled Wang Jingyan and walked in the direction of the kitchen.

In a few moments, the two of them had arrived at the door of the dining room.

Wang Mang raised his feet and was about to go in, when more than a dozen cooks who were busy in the kitchen saw Wang Mang coming over, and they were shocked.

Later, when they saw that Wang Mang was about to come in, they were even more panicked.

Then they hurriedly put down the work in their hands, blocked the door, and said on the ground: "Master Wang, why did you come in person?" Isn't it delicious that we cook? ”

As they spoke, their eyes turned slightly red, and they choked softly.

"Ask the lord to be gracious, beg the lord to be gracious, don't drive us away. We will certainly make serious changes. ”

"Yes, Master Wang, please. You can lower our wages, we just ask you not to drive us away. ”

The cooks were anxious, frightened, and begged bitterly.

(End of chapter)