Emperor Longwu Palace, Queen Zeng's Middle Palace, Dongnuan Pavilion.

During the war, frugality was advocated, and it was impossible to build a large number of buildings and repair the palace, and the furnishings and decorations of the middle palace were a little old, but because the cleaning was very clean, there was no feeling of dilapidation.

The Dongnuan Pavilion was very quiet, the incense cage emitted a faint fragrance, the palace maids and eunuchs stood respectfully, and Zhu Yujian, Emperor Longwu, and Empress Zeng sat opposite each other, playing chess. Of course, the hand talk is not spoken, only the sound of Qingyue's falling son sounded from time to time, such as gold and stone strikes, and like a pearl falling on the jade plate, as soon as you hear it, you know that this chess set is a very expensive treasure.

Yunnan's Yunzi, Yunnan's quince chessboard, is one of the New Year's gifts sent by Sun Kewang, included in the New Year's tribute, just sent to Guilin two days ago. This set of chess pieces and chessboard is certainly worth a lot of money, but what is really expensive is the 100,000 catties of refined copper in the annual tribute.

Longwu Tongbao is a "small flat money", that is, the most common and common copper coin, 100,000 catties of refined copper can cast 20,000 Longwu Tongbao, although now the silver is expensive and copper is cheap, it is also worth 10,000 taels of silver.

This is a huge amount of money, but it was taken as a gift by Sun Kewang very casually, and Emperor Longwu was very surprised. Since Sun Kewang sent 100,000 catties of refined copper to the imperial court, there must be more copper in his hand, and they all said that Yunnan is a wild land that has not yet been civilized, how can it be so rich?

Emperor Longwu asked the ministers, everyone didn't know why, and they were also very surprised that Sun Kewang sent 100,000 catties of refined copper, and this place in Yunnan became a little mysterious in everyone's minds......

(Yunnan is rich in copper deposits, but the mining volume in the Ming Dynasty was very low, during the Jiajing period.) Yunnan's annual copper output is only 150,000 catties, but since the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the mining of copper mines in Yunnan has increased significantly. In the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, the annual copper output reached 4.5 million catties, and the peak reached in the third year of Qianlong, and the annual output of Yunnan copper exceeded 10 million catties, accounting for more than 95% of the country's copper output. ）

But it's just a surprise, not a gaffe. As the king of a country, Emperor Longwu couldn't scare him with anything worth 20,000 yuan. In addition to paying more attention to Yunnan, he should work and rest. There happened to be no court meeting today, so I went to Queen Zeng to play chess.

In addition to playing chess, it is more for pleasure and recuperation, and Emperor Longwu and Empress Zeng sit in front of the chessboard. Focused and calm. It is not clear from the expression who has the advantage. But Wanqing, the palace maid next to her, could see clearly that this game of chess had reached the middle game, and Emperor Longwu's advantage was obvious.

Wanqing glanced at it quickly, quickly retracted her gaze, and made a look of not squinting, but she was secretly a nymphomaniac in her heart: "Long live Lord has become more and more majestic in the past two years, the true dragon son is probably like this, right?" Joy and anger are invisible......"

At this moment, a little eunuch walked in quickly. Kneel down and kowtow.

"Hooray, there's a fight on the docks. Lu Xianggong was shot in the left leg by a fire gun......"

"Oh?" Hearing that Lu Daqi was shot, Emperor Longwu's expression suddenly changed, his eyes were sharp, and after the little eunuch finished speaking, he ordered: "You hurry back, tell me that Ma Jixiang is keeping an eye on me, you can find a few more companions to take turns to report the news, no matter what happens on the dock, I must know as much as possible." ”

The little eunuch answered, turned and went out of the hall.

Emperor Longwu turned around and continued to play chess, and with a bang, the chess pieces fell, but they were played in an inexplicable place, which was equivalent to a waste of chess.

“……”

Wanqing was scared for a while, her nose looked at her mouth, her mouth looked at her heart, and she didn't even dare to come out of the atmosphere - look at the anger of the old man, such a big thing happened, no wonder!

Empress Zeng glanced at her husband, and then responded to a son, but in the most critical position on the chessboard, a big dragon of Emperor Longwu was broken in half, and it fell in a blink of an eye.

It's not a good game. Emperor Longwu tapped his forehead with his fingers, punishing his sudden faint move, and meditated for a long time before he carefully responded to one move and another move...... wanted to escape the severed dragon home, but Queen Zeng did not give in, and kept chasing and killing step by step.

While the wolf was fleeing on the chessboard, the little eunuch returned.

"Long live Qiyu, Lu Xianggong was beaten again! This time, it was Wang Kefan who took it upon himself and smashed it on his shoulder with a silver ingot, and he smashed Lu Xianggong to lie down, and his son and son-in-law were also beaten up......"

After hearing the news, Emperor Longwu was very concerned, asked about the details again and again, and ordered the little eunuch to go back quickly, and then inquire about the news.

The little eunuch agreed, saluted and retired, and just came out of the Dongnuan Pavilion, but there was a sound of small footsteps behind him, and Wanqing chased him out, on behalf of Emperor Longwu and Empress Zeng, he rewarded him with twenty taels of silver.

"I'm losing, don't go down again, let's go around the garden." Emperor Longwu admitted defeat with a smile, threw the chess pieces in his hand on the chessboard, stood up and put on a robe, and walked out.

"In the winter, the flowers and plants are withered, and there is nothing to turn in the garden." Empress Zeng followed and gave her husband a blank look: "Your Majesty, as a monarch's father, heard that the courtiers were suffering, and he gloated, I'm afraid it's not good." ”

Emperor Longwu suddenly stopped and said sternly to Empress Zeng: "Lu Daqi was injured, I am deeply sorry and shocked, and I can't wait to visit his injury immediately, where does the schadenfreude come from?" ”

"After so many years of old husband and wife, do you know if you are happy or angry?" Empress Zeng's voice was not high, except for Emperor Longwu, only Wanqing, who was following her, could hear it.

Wanqing's eyes were straight, her expression was wooden, and her brain was obviously not enough-Long Live Lord was gloating, why didn't I see it?

"Hahaha!" Emperor Longwu was told that he was breaking his heart, so he no longer concealed it, and said with a smile: "Lu Daqi was beaten well, and I have a bad breath in my heart!" It's a pity that Wang Kefan was still not brave enough to shoot him to death...... Hmph, to this day, Lu Daqi still refuses to commit suicide, and I am in a dilemma......"

Emperor Longwu is a relatively enlightened emperor, everything else is easy to discuss, that is, he looks at the emperor's throne the most, Lu Daqi conspired to carry out a coup d'état, and ran into the confinement of Emperor Longwu, so he hated him to the core.

This kind of thing is a big crime of the Ten Clans, and in this turmoil, more than half of the Manchu Dynasty Wenbu Li are implicated in different ways, if it is really strictly investigated according to the rebellion, this case will become a shocking case, and if Wang Kefan shoots Lu Daqi to death, it may be the best result.

……

On the dock, Wang Kefan's face was calm and calm, the violence just now had disappeared, but the warm smile on weekdays had also disappeared.

"Mr. Ji'an must not know that since a year ago, the Ministry of Households, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Industry have been in arrears of my food and military funds, and with the 150,000 silver approved by the emperor this time, the total amount has exceeded 300,000 silver...... My people have been reasoning with you, and they are always polite when they get to the yamen, but the more polite they are, the more they don't want to get the silver. ”

Wang Kefan pointed to the military formation of the Guilin Soldiers and Horses, and said coldly: "If I return the silver to you, not only will the food and salary of the Chu army be gone, but I will also be accused of being a robber." It's a pity, you found that you couldn't beat me, and you reasoned with me and talked about the laws of the court. Hehe, I have to ask, this silver was originally the salary of our Chu army, what's wrong with taking it? ”

Huang Jin didn't speak, his expression was stern.

Huang Zongxi's mouth moved, and he wanted to say something, but Wang Kefan stopped him again.

"Mr. Lizhou, you don't need to say it, I know what you have to say, the imperial court has the rules of the imperial court, and the six yamen have the rules of the six yamen, isn't it? However, I want to tell you today, this rule was set by the six yamen, and it is unfair to our Chu army, and I came to Guilin this time to set my rules! ”

Wang Kefan's voice suddenly raised: "From now on, I can't care what others do, but as long as it is the food and salary of our Chu army, we can't be in arrears!" One day late, one or two less, one less one, I'll pick it up myself! ”

Lu Zhenfei, Zhai Shiyun and others all looked like dirt, and they made trouble for a long time, this is just the beginning, Wang Kefan snatched 150,000 silver and it is not over, as long as the court has money and food in the future, it will have to pay the Chu army first.

"More than 300,000 arrears, I took 150,000 this time, and more than half, plus the food and salary that should be distributed this year, please go back and calculate it carefully, do your best to raise it, and send it to Huguang in full. Oh, I have already written the money today, please accept it. ”

Wang Kefan took out a few receipts, all of which were signed by him, and handed them to Lu Zhenfei, Zhai Shiyun, and the chief officials of the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Rites.

"Hubu, seventy-three thousand seven hundred taels of silver, one thousand and fifty taels of gold, Haoyue Gong (Lu Zhenfei), please take it."

Wang Kefan was the first to hand it to Lu Zhenfei.

Lu Zhenfei didn't answer, and said hatefully: "Even if you talk flatteringly, don't even think about taking this silver!" I will enter the palace to face the saint, and please transfer the Imperial Forest Army and the Guangxi Navy Division to send troops. ”

Wang Kefan stuffed the receipt into his arms: "Please, if you have any means, I only remind you of one thing, it is best to take this note, if you lose it or can't find it, I don't mind taking it again." ”

After he put down these words, he turned around and walked towards Zhai Shiyun, and handed him the receipt of the military department, Zhai Shiyun hesitated, took it and checked it carefully, and silently put it into his arms.

The Ministry of Industry came to the right waiter Zhang Han, the third in command of the Ministry of Industry, he was very unconvinced and complained, claiming that the Ministry of Industry did not care about the distribution of food and salary, and this time it was completely affected by the pond fish, so that the Ministry of Industry was implicated.

"Even though Yuntai has hardships, but there is a wrong, and the debtor has the owner, why should the Ministry of Industry suffer this unjustified disaster?"

"Although the Ministry of Industry doesn't care about the distribution of food and wages, other things are not less stuck in our necks, and the young secretary should have a number in his heart." (Shao Sikong, another name for the waiter of the Ministry of Works.) ）

Wang Kefan stopped his mouth with a faint word. (To be continued......)