Fang Yuan returned to Qianqing Palace from Kunning Palace, Wang Chengen had been waiting at the gate of Qianqing Palace for a long time, and when he saw Fang Yuan arrive, he led him to Dongnuan Pavilion to meet Emperor Chongzhen.

Emperor Chongzhen sat in front of the dragon case and reviewed the chapters, looked up at Fang Yuan, and said lukewarmly, "Fang Yuan, what is the result of the selection of horses?" ”

Chongzhen asked knowingly, Fang Yuan could only pretend not to know and accompany him to act, "Your Majesty, thanks to the concubine Niangniang, Queen Zhou, and Empress Yi'an, the minister was selected." ”

Chongzhen saw that he finally chose to give in, and was willing to be the captain of the horse, Long Yan Dayue, put down the twists and turns and said, "In this way, you and I will be a family in the future!" Well, that's good! ”

Wang Chengen hurriedly complimented, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations Fang Da, oh no, Captain Pony! ”

Chongzhen stood up and said, "Fang Yuan, you are already a quasi-concubine and a lieutenant, and Kunxing has a year before she arrives at the age of Jilu. Before the wedding, I will announce to the world again and officially crown you as the captain of the horse. If you have any other requirements, please mention them together! ”

The first thing Fang Yuan thought of was Zhou Yanru, the enemy of the Liangshan brothers, "Your Majesty, how did Zhou Yanru, the first assistant who brought disaster to the country and the people, deal with it?" ”

Chongzhen said, "Zhou Yanru is incompetent and overwhelmed by his heavy responsibilities, so I immediately ordered him to be dismissed from his position as the first assistant and ordered him to return to his hometown on his own. ”

Chongzhen expressed his attitude and abandoned Zhou Yanru, which can be regarded as the appeasement of Fang Yuan, and slightly repaired the suspicion between the monarch and the minister because of the matter of the horse captain.

Even the emperor handed over a ladder, and Fang Yuan also went down the steps, "Your Majesty Shengming!" ”

Chongzhen asked again, "What else?" ”

Fang Yuan remembered the catastrophe in Shandong this time, and said, "The people of Shandong have suffered a catastrophe this time, and they urgently need to recuperate, please ask Your Majesty to pardon the taxes of the people of Shandong for one year." ”

The Ming Dynasty won a big victory in Shandong, Chongzhen was in a good mood, anyway, Shandong was in turmoil for many years, and he couldn't collect much tax, so he immediately responded, "Quasi-play!" What else? ”

Fang Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, when the minister returns to Jiangnan this time, he will completely rectify the banknotes for collecting taxes in the Jiangnan section of the Grand Canal. However, among the seven major banknotes, only Linqing banknotes and Hangzhou Beixin banknotes can collect ship materials and goods tax, and the two banknotes under the jurisdiction of the minister can only collect ship materials. ”

Chongzhen asked curiously, "How much more silver can be collected in a year to rectify the banknotes?" ”

Fang Yuan said, "Now there are 400,000 taels of banknote customs tariffs a year, of which Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Hangzhou account for at least eighty percent. ”

According to Fang Yuan's estimate, as long as the banknote customs can be rectified, at least one million taels of silver can be charged more tariffs every year. 500,000 taels, which was handed over to Chongzhen, and the rest of the big head was in Fang Yuan's pocket.

Fang Yuan deprived Hangzhou of the right to tax on goods, in addition to the reason for overtaxing, there was also a reason, that is, he was ready to make a move to the Zhejiang Political Division. This Zhejiang political secretary, with Zheng Zhilong from Fujian as the backstage, dared to accept the Donglin party members who fled from Fang Yuan's jurisdiction, causing Fang Yuan to lose at least hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.

When Chongzhen heard that he could collect more money, or as much as 500,000 taels, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "Okay, okay, I immediately issued an order to hand over the tax rights of Hangzhou Mansion to Suzhou Mansion, what else?" ”

Fang Yuan said, "When the minister was rectifying Jiangnan affairs, most of the Donglin Party members who violated the law and discipline led by Qian Qianyi fled to the jurisdiction of the Zhejiang Political Department to avoid pursuit. The minister wants to ask for the right to discuss and cross the line to arrest these key criminals of the Donglin Party! ”

Fang Yuan was willing to accept the marriage, and Chongzhen sent eunuchs to monitor him, so Chongzhen was a dragon's heart, and he didn't think about it and said, "This is easy to do, I have appointed you as the governor of Yangzhou, Changzhou, Suzhou, and Songjiang, and concurrently serve as the commander of Jinyiwei." ”

The governor has more power than the governor, and has military, political, and personnel powers in the four prefectures of Nanjing, and can even send troops to quell the rebellion and suppress bandits without reporting to the imperial court.

Chongzhen changed Fang Yuan from the governor of the four provinces to the governor of the four provinces, which was to send Fang Yuan to the power to conquer the power, and when he became the governor, he could quell the rebellion internally and seek it externally.

With Chongzhen's authorization, Fang Yuan could legitimately enter the jurisdiction of the Zhejiang Buzheng Division to arrest Qian Qianyi and other Donglin Party members. With the power of the governor, there is also an advantage, that is, it can suppress the warlord Zheng Zhilong, who is entrenched in Zhejiang and Fujian and is not subordinate.

And the commander of the Jinyi Guard, because Fang Yuan was not in the capital at all, it was actually a false position, that is, he gave Fang Yuan a name to promote the subordinates of the Jinyi Guard, and Fang Yuan could promote his official position in the Jinyi Guard who went to Jiangnan on his own.

Fang Yuan's request, Chongzhen is all on target, it can be seen that Chongzhen's heart still wants to retrain Fang Yuan, the concubine, and become the mainstay of the Ming royal family.

The boredom in his heart gradually disappeared, and Chongzhen thanked him.

Fang Yuan left the capital three days later and returned south to Jiangnan.

Before leaving, Fang Yuan still went to find Princess Kunxing to say goodbye, after all, she was already his nominal wife.

Princess Kunxing saw that he was about to leave again, so she reluctantly held the corner of his clothes, and said in a mosquito language, "Fang Yuan, when will you go back to the capital?" ”

Fang Yuan looked at her shy and jade, she was really a little princess with a beautiful face, but what appeared in his heart was not joy, but guilt, at least until now, he hadn't figured out what attitude to treat the little princess in front of him, "It is estimated that it will be time to negotiate peace with the Manchu Qing!" ”

Princess Kunxing obviously didn't pay attention to the abnormality of his expression, and asked shyly, "Then these days, I will think about you every day, will you miss me?" ”

The names of the two have been determined, and Kun Xing dared to ask such a shameful heart, but Fang Yuan didn't know how to speak, he was silent for a while, and barely squeezed out a smile, "When you become a relative to the princess, you can be together every day." ”

Princess Kunxing looked at the people around, plucked up her courage, tiptoed and kissed Fang Yuan on the cheek, blushing with shame, not daring to look at Fang Yuan again, turned around and fled in a hurry.

Fang Yuan stroked the face that had been kissed by her, and he was relieved again.

Before Fang Yuan left the capital, he also did an important thing, that is, he asked Wang Chengen to lead the little eunuch to inquire about the day when the outgoing first assistant Zhou Yanru left Beijing, and the day Fang Yuan left Beijing was only one day before and after.

He ordered two sergeants of the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry to hang behind Zhou Yanru's group leaving Beijing, and followed him all the way to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and boarded the boat.

It turned out that Zhou Yanru also went south by boat, so it would be very easy to catch him, because Jining Prefecture, where Liangshan is located, has a Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal that must pass through the banknote customs, Jining Pass.

Fang Yuan immediately sent several horsemen to the south and informed the Liangshan brothers to intercept Zhou Yanru at Jining Pass.

Half a month later, Fang Yuan met Zhou Yanru, who was captured alive by a hundred Liangshan brothers, on the Juyi Hall in Liangshan, Shuibo.

Zhou Yanru was treated as a guest by Li Qingshan when he went to Liangshan before, and the treatment was completely comparable to Song Jiang's hospitality back then.

And Zhou Yanru fell into the hands of Liang Shan again today, time has passed, and the former guest has become the enemy that Liang Shan will kill and will kill quickly.

Zhou Yanru was so frightened that his face was like death, and when he saw that Fang Yuan was also on Liangshan, he had some hope, and said angrily, "Fang, Governor, after all, you and I are officials in the same dynasty, and as the governor of the imperial court, you can't watch these rogues act recklessly!" ”

Fang Yuan smiled and said, "Zhou Yanru! At the beginning, when you conspired with Qian Qianyi and others to arrange the five deadly sins for me, did you ever think that we were officials in the same dynasty? ”

Zhou Yanru was speechless, and said hesitantly, "Those five charges were arranged by Qian Qianyi, and they have nothing to do with me!" ”

Fang Yuan looked at his face that was still prevaricating when he was dying, and said with a sneer, "Qian Qianyi, I will definitely slaughter you, but you Zhou Yanru!" It is the Liangshan brothers who want to kill you, not our Yuan. ”

Zhou Yanru looked at Liang Min and the others sitting in the Juyi Hall again, and said again and again, "Ladies and gentlemen, now you are no longer rogues, but squires who have sealed the land in the imperial court. Although Zhou is no longer the head of the cabinet, he is the champion of the fame, the world's celebrity, killing the champion of the court, you are also a capital crime! ”

Fang Yuan was stunned for a moment, but he didn't expect that this Zhou Yanru was quite clever and eloquent, and his vision was also unique, so he found the key point at once, and said to Liang Min in a low voice, "Leader Liang, what Zhou Yanru said is not alarmist, after all, he is a famous man in the world, lynching and killing, and Emperor Chongzhen cannot risk the disapproval of the world to protect the people of Liangshan." The land reward is afraid that it will be deprived immediately. ”

Liang Min and the next few leaders Liu Jinshan and Wang Qianzhong glanced at each other, nodded in unison, as if they had made a lot of determination, and said loudly, "We, Brother Liangshan, righteousness comes first, how can we let go of this fang who killed Brother Li for the sake of just the land!" ”

"That's right! We don't want the land, kill him! ”

"Cut him with a thousand knives and avenge Brother Li!"

The entire Liangshan was full of excitement, and they all shouted and scolded that they would rather not have a land reward, but also cut Zhou Yanru with a thousand knives.

Zhou Yanru met Liangshan, a group of 'barbarians' who were reckless for righteousness, and wanted to cry without tears, and hurriedly begged for mercy and said, "Leader Liang, kill me, and you will be surrounded and suppressed by the imperial court in the future." I am willing to kowtow to Li Qingshan's spiritual position to apologize, and then pay all the family wealth, and settle the grievances! ”

Liang Min looked at Fang Yuan in amazement and asked, "Will the imperial court encircle and suppress us?" ”

Fang Yuan said truthfully, "Behind Zhou Yanru is a member of the Donglin Party, and he is a famous person in the world, and if this kind of celebrity is killed, it will inevitably spread all over the country immediately." Of course, the imperial court did not dare to encircle and suppress Liangshan during the war, but it may be liquidated afterwards. Leader Liang, think twice! ”

Liang Min pondered for a while, slammed the big table, and said loudly, "A thousand knives have cut Zhou Yanru, and our Liangshan brothers have all defected to Governor Fang, okay?!" ”

Thousands of Liangshan brothers shouted in unison, "Good! Will Zhou Yanru be cut with a thousand knives! ”

"Defect to the Governor Fang!"

Zhou Yanru saw that threats and temptations could not extinguish the determination of the people in Liangshan to take revenge, and he was so frightened that he couldn't make a sound.

Fang Yuan got Liangshan's army out of thin air, it was a strong soldier and a strong horse, and he was a hundred willing.

He groaned slightly, and then said, "Leader Liang, you have to think clearly. ”

Liang Min threw his hand at him and said, "The Liangshan brothers have thought it through, and if they have land, if they can't resist the Manchu invasion, it's useless." Only by following Governor Fang and exterminating the Manchu Tartars and Liukou can you achieve fame and make the next big cause! ”

Fang Yuan saw that his heart for refuge was very sincere, nodded and said, "Okay, I will collect 3,000 people from Liangshan, 1,000 cavalry, 1,000 infantry troops, and 1,000 sailors." ”

The Xuanjia Army is Fang Yuan's pro-army, and it is necessary to ensure absolute control over the Xuanjia Army, so the sources of the Xuanjia Army will be diversified, including Mongolian mercenaries, the old department of the Tianxiong Army, as well as the Liukou, Shenji Battalion, and the guards of the Suzhou Sanwei, which will never simply make any force bigger.

He limited the number of people who incorporated Liangshan to 3,000, the purpose of which was to prevent too many people and horses in Liangshan and the formation of new mountains in the Xuanjia army, which was not conducive to control.

Liang Min and the other Liangshan brothers applauded loudly, and since they had found a way out, they immediately asked Zhou Yanru to be escorted to Li Qingshan's spiritual seat, and he was directly disemboweled, and slaughtered with a thousand knives.

Zhou Yanru's screams before he died kept coming, but Fang Yuan's mind had already reached the old miscellaneous Qian Qianyi, who had taken refuge in Zhejiang, when would he be able to cut this old miscellaneous piece with a thousand knives?