In June of the seventh year of Chongzhen, the Royal Academy of Sciences finally dedicated the revised "Chongzhen Calendar" to Chongzhen, with a total of 137 volumes, divided into six sections and five basic items. This almanac was also the most reassuring thing for Xu Guangqi before his death, and it was finally completed half a year after his death.

Zhu Youzhen did not consult with the cabinet, so he directly issued an edict to implement the new calendar from next year, but from now until the end of the year, the Royal Academy of Sciences and the Qintianjian jointly checked whether the new calendar was accurate, and after Xu Guangqi, the compiler of the almanac, Tang Ruowang, was also appointed as the deputy superintendent of the Qintianjian.

It was also in July that Shanba, the leader of the Uliangha, accepted the canonization of the Ming Dynasty, so the 33 Mongolian banners attached to the Ming Dynasty became the 37 banners. And the two demotes of Derge and Amin were also canonized as marquises, but Derge was still the owner of the blue flag, but Chongzhen did not appoint Amin as the owner of the blue flag, but appointed him as the president of the Eight Banners of Loyalty.

Amin was in a good mood when he first heard about the appointment, but he soon realized that it was just an empty title. The Eight Banners of Loyalty and Righteousness now have four flags: yellow, white, blue, and inlaid blue, with fifteen cows for each flag, with a total of 3,600 people. More than 2,300 people under the Derge class who were unwilling to return to Shenyang, and the surplus personnel were placed in the other three banners.

However, on weekdays, the soldiers and horses of the Four Banners are trained with the Guards, and the owners of the banners do not interfere in the internal affairs of the Four Banners, but only inspect their men and horses when they send troops and inspect the school. It is still difficult for the owner of the Four Banners to control the daily affairs of the Four Banners, and Amin, the president of the Eight Banners, has nothing to do.

It's just that Elli, Ahsan, and Derge have other official positions, and they don't have nothing to do on weekdays. However, Chongzhen seems to have forgotten to arrange other positions for Amin, so he can only wander around the capital. However, Amin, who was imprisoned once by Huang Taiji, has a much better temper. Even if Chongzhen left it idle, he didn't make any complaints.

However, Chongzhen didn't care about appeasing these Jurchens at this time, and after April, although it finally began to rain in Shaanxi, some places started to stop playing and flooded again. With such capricious weather, it looks like God is tossing the people of Shaanxi and Shanxi.

Fortunately, taking advantage of the severe drought before, the local government was engaged in cash-for-work, repairing many library houses and low dams to regulate the water level of rivers. These projects have greatly reduced the flooding and resulted in no local casualties. However, this year's summer harvest is inevitable.

However, in Hebei and Shandong, because of the completion of several large-scale water conservancy projects, there has been a rare bumper harvest year. Between this plus and minus, the grain output in the north is not much different from last year. It's just that what worries Chongzhen is that if the abnormal climate in the northwest continues and even expands to the Central Plains, the pressure on Daming's grain production will be too great.

Compared with the population of Shaanxi, the population of the Central Plains region is at least double, and if there is a famine in the Central Plains, the stability in the northwest may not be maintained. In the history of China, there has never been a situation in which the Central Plains was in turmoil and the frontiers were stable. In order to ensure agricultural production in the Central Plains, in fact, the main thing is to control two rivers, the Yellow River and the Huai River.

Therefore, during this period, Zhu Youzhen was discussing with Fan Jingwen to increase the water conservancy control of the Yellow River and the Huai River, especially to intercept and store water for the tributaries of the two rivers, and to set up flood distribution areas.

Zhu Youzhen put most of his energy on how to manage the water conservancy projects in the Central Plains, and even when it took a little time for the Hou Li Zheng clan to invade Guangxi, he threw it to the army and navy staff and Hong Chengchou and Lu Xiangsheng on the front line, as if other things could not attract his attention at all.

However, at the beginning of August, Wang Chengen handed over several memorabilia finally attracted Chongzhen's attention again and made him angry. He slammed the recital in his hand on the desk, looked at Wang Chengen and Lu Qi and scolded: "Is Xu Yingyuan drunk and confused?" I asked him to go to Jiangnan to watch a play and collect money, not to let him be a bad person.

It's just that he took out 300,000 yuan from the hands of those gentry, and he dared to ask me for credit? He also said good things for these gentry, saying that some cases are too old and the evidence is insufficient to be believed. According to his inquiry, these gentry often give alms to temples on weekdays, and they also give porridge to disaster victims in famine years, and they are all good people. That's why he stopped Jinyiwei from acting rashly, so as not to hurt my reputation among the people of Jiangnan. It's bullshit..."

Wang Chengen lowered his head and stared closely at the sunlight under his feet, it was the first time he had seen the emperor make such a big fire. Chongzhen has always been very tolerant of the people around him from the Hidden Mansion, even if he occasionally makes mistakes, he will let them review them first, and it can be regarded as over.

But because of this, when the emperor began to get angry, it was even more terrifying. It wasn't until he heard the emperor's voice stop that he dared to interject and said: "Otherwise, let the minister go to Jiangnan and convey His Majesty's meaning to Chief Xu well, so that he can make meritorious contributions..."

Zhu Youzhen raised his hand to interrupt him and said, "Xu Yingyuan, this idiot must have been held in the hands of those gentry, otherwise he would not have been on such a setback." Even if he is made guilty and meritorious service, a person who has been seen through, how can those gentry be willing to give in again? ”

Wang Chengen immediately changed his words and said: "Then it's better to select one person from the celebrant to go south to replace..."

Zhu Youzhen interrupted him and said: "If you change people halfway, you naturally have to change someone who has a deterrent effect, is there anyone in the ceremonial supervisor who can deter those Jiangnan gentry?" ”

Wang Chengen was speechless for a moment, and he didn't dare to say any more. Zhu Youzhen was silent for a while before continuing: "Wei Zhongxian has also rested long enough in Fengyang, it's time for him to exert his residual heat." The edict was raised, and Wei Zhongxian was removed from the post of eunuch in Fengyang Town, and he was appointed as the eunuch of Jiangnan weaving. Xu Yingyuan was dismissed from the post of Jiangnan weaving eunuch and appointed as the eunuch of Fengyang Town.

Wang Chengen, you go to Fengyang in person and explain the matter to Wei Zhongxian clearly. Tell him that after this is done, he will be able to retire in Jiangnan..."

The appointment and dismissal of lieutenants has never had to go through the outer court, so Wang Chengen got the edict and took a team of brocade guards out of the capital. Wang Chengen also knew that the matter was urgent at this moment, and he hardly stopped to rest along the way, and finally arrived at Fengyang Mansion after the 21st.

When Wang Chengen got off the carriage, his legs were already numb, and he couldn't even stand on his feet. However, he relied on the two cronies and little eunuchs to recover his strength, so he shook off the support of the two, stood up straight and asked Gao Yun, who hurriedly greeted him, "Where is Eunuch Wei?" ”

Gao Yun, who didn't know what Wang Chengen meant, also replied with a little stutter: "Duke Wei is just changing clothes, and he also asks the prince to enter the mansion first." ”

Wang Chengen turned around and took the gold-painted lacquer box containing the emperor's edict and held it in his arms, before he said to Gao Yun, who was bent over: "What are you still doing, lead the way." ”

When Wang Chengen walked into the courtyard in front of the lobby of the Eunuch's Mansion in Fengyang Town, he saw that Wei Zhongxian didn't even have his hat on, so he ran out in such a hurry. Someone in the courtyard had already prepared an incense case, and Wang Chengen didn't say anything polite, so he took out the edict and read it, in fact, there was nothing to say between him and Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Zhongxian, who was still a little panicked, listened to the content of the edict and finally slowly put his mind at ease. He originally thought that this was the emperor's preparation to settle accounts with him, but he didn't expect the emperor to be able to use him again. The small porcelain vase, which was originally held tightly in his hand, was quickly hidden by him again.

After Wang Chengen finished reading the edict, he re-rolled it and handed it to Wei Zhongxian, watching him get up easily without help, and couldn't help but curse in his heart, "Sure enough, good people don't live long, and disasters will last for thousands of years." I'm almost seventy years old, and I'm still so healthy. ”

Although Wang Chengen thought so in his heart, he said very politely: "Father-in-law Wei, let's find a place to talk alone, Your Majesty still has a few private words for me to tell you." ”

Wei Zhongxian hurriedly got out of the way and said to Wang Chengen: "Then it is better to ask the prince to go to the backyard Xiaoxuan to talk, which is close to the lake, which is quiet and cool..."

No one knew what the two of them said in Xiaoxuan, but the next day Wei Zhongxian took Gao Yun and went on the road under the escort of a dozen brocade guards.

On September 9, Xu Yingyuan, who was preparing to celebrate Chongyang with the Suzhou gentry, was stopped before he left the Suzhou Weaving Eunuch's Mansion. Before he could scold these two brocade guards who didn't know how to be respectful, he was speechless in shock because he saw Wei Zhongxian walking in from outside the door.

After listening to the edict brought by Wei Zhongxian, Xu Yingyuan, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly looked like ashes, and almost forgot to take the edict. Wei Zhongxian patted him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear: "Don't be too alarmed, Your Majesty still has some affection for you, if I were you, I would leave Suzhou and go to Fengyang now." This stall is muddy, let's let the miscellaneous family take a trip. ”

Under Wei Zhongxian's reminder, Xu Yingyuan quickly reacted, and he hurriedly replied: "Thank you Father-in-law Wei for your advice, I will definitely remember Father-in-law's high righteousness." ”

After Xu Yingyuan thanked Wei Zhongxian, he hurriedly entered the backyard to pack some clothes and left with a few entourage. He understood in his heart at this moment, if he was entangled by those gentry and passed back to the emperor's ears, it might not be as simple as guarding the tomb in Fengyang.

After Xu Yingyuan left, Wei Zhongxian looked up at the sky, and then turned back to Gao Yun behind him and said, "We are really a group of uninvited guests, obviously it is a day to climb high and look far away and reunite with our families." met us, but he really wanted his wife to break up. ”

Gao Yun hurriedly replied: "This is also because they have no court law and discipline in the first place, and they can't complain that we are ruthless." ”

Wei Zhongxian chuckled, and then ordered: "Go and ask Han Yiliang and Xu Xianchun to come over, the matter has been delayed for too long, and if you really want those gentry to destroy all the evidence of the crime, my old bones can't bear Your Majesty's anger."

Since His Majesty asked me to make this knife, the miscellaneous family had no choice but to make it difficult. These Jiangnan scholars always think that this country should be based on their temperament, but unfortunately they have forgotten that the Son of Heaven is surnamed Zhu..."