Seeing that the conversation had reached an impasse, Li Jin's mind was spinning rapidly, and finally before Wei Zhongxian lost his patience, he said: "Even if my father-in-law is not for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, he should plan for his own future. Does my father-in-law really think that with His Majesty's protection, his family can sit back and relax? Isn't my father-in-law worried that after his death, the gentry who hate you will not vent their anger on my father-in-law's sons and nephews? ”

Gao Yun, the eunuch who was guarding the side and serving the two, suddenly scolded Li Jin: "Bold, are you threatening Grandpa Wei?" ”

Li Jin didn't react to Gao Yun's scolding, but just observed Wei Zhongxian's expression on the other side intently. The other party's eyes only flashed a trace of anger, and then he returned to his normal expression, and stopped Gao Yun's scolding with a voice.

Then Wei Zhongxian calmly said to Li Jin: "With the Holy Son of Heaven on the throne, the emperor will not tolerate those shameless people to accuse them at will. If Prosecutor Li only thinks of using such a shoddy tactic to sow discord to provoke the miscellaneous family, I am afraid that it will be difficult for the miscellaneous family to receive it. ”

"Hahaha..."Li Jin suddenly laughed.

Wei Zhongxian suddenly felt a little stunned, and couldn't help but ask him, "Why is Inspector Li laughing?" ”

Li Jin stopped laughing, shook his head and looked at the other party and said: "I laugh at my father-in-law's unwiseness, why should these gentry slander my father-in-law's sons and nephews, just the current people's reputation against my father-in-law is enough to make the father-in-law's reputation ruined."

My father-in-law couldn't stop these rumors during his lifetime, and after my father-in-law died, I am afraid that these rumors would be regarded as true by the people. Dare to ask the father-in-law, the father-in-law feels that when his power is in his heyday, he can get the father-in-law Liu by the side of Emperor Wuzong? ”

Although Wei Zhongxian felt that his nine-thousand-year-old might not be inferior to Liu Jin, the self-proclaimed emperor, he still shook his head in front of Li Jin and admitted that he was inferior to Liu Jin.

Li Jin then asked: "Then does my father-in-law think that the friendship between you and Your Majesty is higher than that of Emperor Wuzong and his father-in-law Liu?" ”

Regarding this point, Wei Zhongxian naturally shook his head honestly and admitted that it was not as good as being by Tianqi's side that day, Tianqi may not treat him as much as Emperor Wuzong trusted Liu Jin, and as for the current Emperor Chongzhen, he is even more indifferent.

Li Jin laughed and said: "With the power of Gonggong Liu and the affection of Emperor Wuzong that day, under the continuous impeachment of everyone, he was still disgusted by Emperor Wuzong. Dare to ask my father-in-law, how long do you think Your Majesty can endure when the world is spreading your evil words? My father-in-law may still be able to enjoy his old age in peace, but what about my father-in-law's sons and nephews? Will they be able to escape His Majesty's wrath? ”

Wei Zhongxian, who had been in the palace for a long time, of course understood that when the emperor became suspicious, there was no reason to say. What's more, there is not much friendship between him and Chongzhen, even if the emperor knows that some things are planted by the gentry, he may not come forward to protect the descendants of a person who is out of luck with tea and cooling.

Think about Zhang Jiangling's fate and know that this is not only the first assistant of the official background, but also the teacher of Emperor Shenzong, but just because the emperor was oppressed too hard when he was alive, when the gentry counterattacked the Wanli New Deal, Emperor Shenzong chose to push the boat down the river and directly knocked the powerful Ming Shoufu family into the quagmire.

He is just a eunuch who has always been hostile, can he still hope to protect his descendants forever and now? Wei Zhongxian, whose heart was finally touched, suddenly had fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

Wei Zhongxian blinked, and asked tentatively at Li Jin, "Then Inspector Li thinks that the miscellaneous family should plan for the future?" ”

Li Jin replied without hesitation: "Of course, it is for my father-in-law to accumulate yin virtue for his own family, didn't my father-in-law see the hungry people everywhere inside and outside Suzhou City?" These Suzhou people have no land in their hands, and they have always relied on their skills to eat. Now that the workshops in Suzhou have been suspended, these people are left to live on their past savings.

Now that the price of food is getting higher every day, how long can the savings of these people last? Even if the lower officials stabilize the rise in grain prices, if the workshop continues to close, these people will be empty sooner or later.

The population of Suzhou is more than one million, and if you add some surrounding towns, the number of victims in Suzhou alone may exceed one million. Once these victims are in chaos, Suzhou Mansion will become a hell on earth in an instant.

Is it true that Suzhou relies on the rich domestic people to be born from local farmland? The lower officials thought it was wrong. The wealth of Suzhou depends on the craftsmanship of these craftsmen who have no land. The source of Suzhou's wealth is not in the land of Suzhou, but in the people of Suzhou. Without these skilled craftsmen, how would Suzhou still call itself the hometown of 100 craftsmen in the future? What other reasons do merchants from all over the world have to come to Suzhou to sell their goods?

Therefore, Xia Guan thought that if he wanted to survive the current famine year, he would not only build a few porridge shops outside the city, but also to support these craftsmen, and not let them scatter like this. Otherwise, in the coming year, where will the workshops in Suzhou recruit people? A skilled craftsman cannot be trained in ten days and half a month.

If the father-in-law can take the lead in responding to the minimum wage for craftsmen and announcing that the workshops under the name of the weaving government will not reduce the number of workers this year, how many tens of thousands of father-in-law will live? How can the people of Suzhou not sing praises for their father-in-law? With such a good deed, those gentry's remarks to smear their father-in-law may no longer be able to deceive the people of the world.

Father-in-law, this is a way to save people and save yourself. ”

Wei Zhongxian did not confirm until this moment that Li Jin took these weavers outside to surround the weaving mansion, not to risk his name, but to really want to do something for these Suzhou people. Although he didn't know what Li Jin was thinking in his heart, Wei Zhongxian didn't want to deny his sincerity now.

But if he really wants Li Jin's boat, he really can't make such a determination. After all, at his age, all he wants now is a stable life. Guarding the property of the Internal Affairs Office is also loyal to the emperor for him, and he will not be blamed too much by the emperor afterwards.

And taking the property of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to feed those weavers is not a direct relief to the victims, and the risk is a bit greater. Although Li Jin's statement is reasonable, it may not reach the emperor's ears. As he said to Li Jin before, the eunuchs in the palace were first the emperor's domestic slaves, and then the emperor's subjects.

Therefore, officials can make moves such as opening warehouses and releasing grain without seeking the consent of the imperial court in advance, because they are first and foremost the courtiers of the Ming Dynasty, and secondly the subjects of the emperor. However, the eunuch used the inner treasury property privately, no matter where it was used, it could be regarded as a betrayal of the head of the family.

Wang Chengen and others beside Chongzhen were only released to the palace after losing the struggle for power with him, so they naturally would not say anything good for him. If he had not obtained the consent of the palace and approved these measures, he might not have aroused the emperor's disgust. Therefore, the best thing for him to do was to leave these measures to the emperor for decision.

However, with the current situation in Suzhou, I am afraid it will be difficult to support the emperor's reply. Whether it is a pigeon letter or an optical telegraph, it is impossible to explain such a complex policy clearly, and the traditional urgent book can only be used, but such a coming and going, there is no way to go back and forth without more than 40 days, and this is not counting the time for the emperor's decision-making.

Wei Zhongxian was thinking about the pros and cons of this matter one by one, and after more than half an hour had passed, he opened his eyes and said to Li Jin: "You let me think about it for a long time, and I will definitely give you an answer until tomorrow morning." ”

"Father-in-law..."Li Jin didn't want to leave, and he still had to continue to persuade a few words.

But Wei Zhongxian had already waved at him and said, "Go, go, by the way, take away all the weavers outside the door." On such a hot day, if something happens in front of the weaving mansion, what is your count? Or count it mine? ”

Gao Yun, who was standing on the side, also quickly stepped forward, bent down at Li Jin and said, "Lord Li, please come here." ”

Seeing this, Li Jin had no choice but to get up and salute Wei Zhongxian to leave, and after half an hour, Gao Yun returned to the high platform again. Wei Zhongxian knelt on the mat with his eyes closed, and did not open his eyes, so he asked in a loud voice, "Are those weavers outside gone?" ”

Gao Yun arched his hand and replied: "Back to my father-in-law, Li Jin talked with the leaders of those weavers for a while after going out, and now they have begun to disperse. But Father-in-law, do you really plan to wade into this troubled water? If we do, I'm afraid it won't please you inside and out. ”

Wei Zhongxian opened his eyes and looked at this subordinate who was loyal to him, and couldn't help but ask, "What do you think will be unflattering inside and out?" ”

Gao Yun replied without thinking: "The gentry in Suzhou will not be satisfied with their father-in-law, and it is estimated that several stewards of the Internal Affairs Office will not be satisfied either." ”

Wei Zhongxian sighed and said: "I'm afraid that the gentry in Jiangnan will never be satisfied with the miscellaneous family, and the only thing that is a little worried now is the palace." After the death of the first emperor, the connection between us and the palace was almost severed, and the 24 prisons were changed to the internal affairs office, and everything was a matter of things.

The miscellaneous family is not worried about themselves, after all, the miscellaneous family has not been alive for a few years. But Li Jin is right, what should you people and my nephews do then? ”

Gao Yun suddenly replied in fear: "My father-in-law lives a hundred years, how could he..."

Wei Zhongxian raised his hand to stop him and said, "The miscellaneous family still wants to live to be nine thousand years old, but they almost can't live to seventy." This is a long life, so don't think about it. The miscellaneous family is now just thinking about being able to settle down for the future, but don't let you lose a result, that would really harm others and yourself..."

Gao Yun didn't dare to answer Wei Zhongxian's words again, but just lowered his head and stood in place, and after Wei Zhongxian thought for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Tian Guozhang's matter, let's do it for him." Which of the three women do you think is more suitable? ”

Gao Yunxin was suddenly taken aback, and couldn't help replying: "Didn't my father-in-law say a few days ago that he couldn't afford to get involved in the affairs of the palace, and he planned to reject Tian Guozhang?" ”

Wei Zhongxian shook his head and smiled bitterly: "That's a miscellaneous, Li Jin said it right today, even if you are far away from the capital, people will not forget you." People like us want to retreat and swim under the spring, that's a dream. It's better to make the next move first, maybe it's a live hand in the future. Which do you think is the right choice? ”

Gao Yun hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke: "Of the three, only Chen Yuan can be called stunning, but this woman is from a humble background, and she has already sung on stage, and she is famous, I am worried that sending her into the palace may incur the disgust of the concubines in the palace." ”

Wei Zhongxian smiled and said, "Because of this, when she ascends to the sky in one step, she will not forget our favor." Besides, today's ambitions are ambitious, and the female color is extremely weak, if it is not stunning, how can it move the heart of His Majesty. You find someone to redeem her, and then get rid of her lowly status, accept her as a righteous daughter, teach the rules of the palace well, and wait until the famine year passes, and then send her to Beijing..."

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