Fengyang in July, the scorching sun is like fire, knowing that it is tireless and noisy, and there are few pedestrians on the streets of Fang City. {3W.23Wx. In May, the great epidemic in Jingshi and Beizhili, but the central capital Fengyang also suffered this fate, coupled with the drought for many years, even the high-walled guards who had always been rich were also defeated, and the people were scattered in all directions. The slightly invigorated Zhongdu City that Lu Zhenfei built back then fell into a slump again.

By July, the epidemic had finally eased, but nearly half of the people in the central capital had fled to all directions. Gao Guangdou, the governor of Fengyang, asked the imperial court several times for grain relief, but now the Jingshi is already difficult to protect itself, and in the face of the consumption of more than 200,000 troops inside and outside the Guan, the imperial court is no longer able to allocate half a cent of silver and a bucket of grain for Fengyang's disaster relief.

Just outside the Fengyang noon gate of the official office gathering area, Yunji Street Drum Tower to the east, is Fengyang's town guard eunuch mansion, next to the location near Yun'an Fang there is a secluded house, the scale is not large, but shrouded in a shady green tree, originally the imperial tomb town guard eunuch Shi Yingzhao's courtyard, but now quietly replaced by a new owner.

At this time, Zhu Yujian was lying on a bamboo chair in the shade of the tree in the back house of this house, holding a book in his hand, and a pot of strong tea was placed on the small table next to him.

In the middle of last month, Zhu Yujian received a decree from his master, and after nearly five years of detention, Zhu Yujian was finally freed again. Although it is still under the supervision of the eunuchs in the middle capital, it is still much stronger than being inside the high walls. Even with two days a month, Zhu Yujian's family could still walk around Fengyang City accompanied by the personnel guarding the eunuch's mansion.

Every month, the eunuch's mansion will allocate rice and silver to the palace. Today's town guard eunuch Qian Defu is also an old acquaintance of Wang Pin, and under Wang Pin's care, he will naturally not treat Zhu Yujian's family lightly. Now Zhu Yujian stays in this mansion every day, and there are several internal officials and maidservants to serve, and his life is finally worry-free. Zeng's son, Zhu Linyuan, is now about to be two years old, and has just learned to walk.

His sons Zhu Linyuan and Zeng took a nap in the backyard, but Zhu Yujian couldn't sleep, so he hid in the shade of the garden and had a cup of strong tea. A single book is enough to pass the lazy afternoon.

When you are drowsy. Zou Jing ran in from the front yard, "Master, there is a guest asking to see!" ”

Zhu Yujian suddenly shook his spirit, and the scroll in his hand also fell to the ground. Zou Jing picked it up with his hands and feet.

"Who is it? Did you inform the eunuch's house? ”

"The visitor was very clear. Along with the warrants for the eunuch's palace and the governor's palace were handed in. said that he had already informed Governor Gao and Father-in-law Qian. ”

Zou Jing handed over a letter of worship and a gift list. Zhu Yujian took it and took a look, and the inscription on it read: "Foolish brother Zheng Hongkui worships." "Look at that gift list, it's all-encompassing. What food, clothing, and housing things, as well as a thousand taels of silver.

Zhu Yujian was stunned for a moment, racked his brains and thought for a long time, and then remembered a figure. couldn't help but smile, "It turned out that Zheng Yue was gradually visiting, please!" ”

But when he saw Zheng Hongkui, Zhu Yujian was taken aback.

Zheng Hongkui in front of him was much thinner than before, and the whole person was curled up in a soft couch, which was carried into Zhu Yujian's study by several servants, although his face was dark, but it was densely covered with a state of weakness that had just recovered from a serious illness.

"Brother Gradual, you are!" Zhu Yujian closed his mouth in surprise.

The servants carried Zheng Hongkui in, and Zou Jing ordered the subordinates in the house to carry in two ice basins and serve tea, and then led Zheng Hongkui to leave from the people and closed the door with his backhand.

Zheng Hongkui smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Brother Lao is worried, and now it is much better, and you can walk around in another month." The younger brother's legs were injured when he was at sea, and he was soaked in the sea for a long time, which has delayed until now. ”

What is Zheng Hongkui's identity, Zhu Yujian is naturally clear, for Zheng Zhilong, Zhu Yujian does not have much good feelings, a businessman born as a bandit, and now he has become a Zhengyipin chief military officer who holds the military power of a province. This is unimaginable in the prosperous era of the Ming Dynasty, thinking that back then, when the Japanese invaders were in rebellion, the Ming court also appeased the leaders of the pirates, and how could they be so low-voiced. Now, if it weren't for the inappeasement of northern Xinjiang and the rise of thieves, it would never be Zheng Zhilong's turn to take charge of the military affairs of a province.

But for Zheng Hongkui, Zhu Yujian is easy to accept. After all, he is a scholar, and under the intersection, he does not have the pedantic spirit of ordinary scholars, but he is even very angry with Zhu Yujian.

After chatting about the injury, Zhu Yujian asked Zheng Hongkui's intention. Zheng Hongkui smiled bitterly again, and a trace of flushing appeared on his black face inexplicably, and then he talked about what happened. "Don't hide it, I'm here, I'm here to beg my brother to intercede on my behalf!" Zheng Hongkui patted his injured right leg, "This time at sea, my Zheng family suffered a big loss, although it is all self-inflicted, but now no one has firmly pinched it in the palm of his hand, so I have to ask my brother to make peace on my behalf!" ”

This time, Zhu Yujian is even more strange. "Brother Xian's words are wrong, when Chongzhen was nine years old, the foolish brother was imprisoned within the high wall. Last month, by the emperor's grace, the imprisonment of the foolish brother was lifted, and I was allowed to live in Fengyang for a long time. In the past five years, the foolish brother has not asked about the world, and he has never even met the old people, so how can he talk about making peace with others? ”

Zheng Hongkui was a little embarrassed, "Don't hide it from my brother, this one who had a misunderstanding with my Zheng family has a deep relationship with you!" ”

"Oh? Which one is it? ”

"It is Zhu Ping'an, who was born in your mansion, that is, the one who is now the deputy chief soldier in Dengzhou!"

Zhu Yujian didn't expect Zheng Hongkui to say Zhu Ping'an's name. After Zhu Ping'an led his troops to leave Fengyang, he was summoned by Emperor Chongzhen in Beijing, and then stayed in Beijing to recuperate, and then went to Dengzhou to take up his post. During this period, there were two letters, but they were both words of peace, and nothing else was involved.

After Zhu Ping'an left, at the beginning, Wang Pin and Duan Xinian were assassinated because of Zhu Yujian's young son. is very concerned about Zhu Yujian's safety, and from time to time he enters the high wall to visit, and he can also bring in some news. But now that Wang Pin has also taken office in Dengzhou, Duan Xinian has taken over the position of the Yamen of the Dusi, and he has been overwhelmed by the epidemic and drought, and the number of visits to Zhu Yujian has only been a handful. Therefore, Zhu Yujian rarely comes into contact with outside news.

Zheng Hongkui looked at Zhu Yujian's slightly frowning brows, but he guessed in his heart that Zhu Yujian might be because he was now a commoner, and he was afraid that he would have to plead with the former servants of the palace, and he would not be able to say anything on face. That's why it's a bit difficult.

But Zheng Hongkui can't afford to delay now. The first battle of Weihaiwei. Less than 100 ships of the Zhengjia Navy Division broke through the encirclement and returned to Fujian, and the main ships were completely lost, either sunk or captured by the Denglai Navy Division, and the 20,000 soldiers and horses were also lost by seventy or eighty percent. Zheng Sen and Shi Lang and other sailors were all captured by Zhu Ping'an. Even he himself was seriously injured. None of them have been restored to this day.

Wolf Bèi fled back to Fujian. Although the eldest brother Zheng Zhilong did not blame him extraordinarily, Zheng Hongkui also knew the temper of his own brother, and the battle of Weihaiwei did lose the face of the Zheng family. Even the young master was captured alive by life, if he Zheng Hongkui can't properly solve this matter, what face will he have in the Zheng family in the future. In the past few days, the Zheng family has sent people to Dengzhou many times to negotiate and ask for the return of Zheng Sen and others, but Zhu Ping'an is a lion's mouth, and the conditions put forward are very harsh. In desperation, Zheng Hongkui could only ignore his own body, so he hurried to Fengyang, the capital of Zhongdu, to ask for Zhu Yujian's help.

So, Zheng Hongkui hurriedly explained: "Speaking of which, this is also my Zheng family's recklessness, and it is indeed a bit excessive to ask for the opening of sea trade in Dengzhou." These are all things that can't be put on the table, and my Zheng family also knows that what they have done is really excessive, so they also have the sincerity to make some compensation, that is, I hope that Deputy General Zhu can understand our difficulties and send my eldest son back to Fujian as much as possible! ”

"The foolish brother is also helpless, so I rushed all the way to Fengyang, ask the brother to intercede on my behalf, and hope that the brother can help the foolish brother on the thin face, my Zheng family is grateful, and it will be rewarded in the future!"

Saying that, Zheng Hongkui struggled to get up and give Zhu Yu a big salute. Zhu Yujian hurriedly got up and stopped him, "What are you talking about?" It's just that the foolish brother stayed in this high wall for five years, although Zhu Ping'an was the house slave in the palace that day, but now he is the chief military officer of the palace, but I am the concubine of this capital, I am afraid that what I say, he may not listen to it! ”

Zhu Yujian deliberately sold a pass, posing embarrassed. But my heart is really as refreshing as having just eaten a piece of chilled watermelon. Thinking about this half of his life, the years have passed in a hurry, and the time of imprisonment has occupied most of it, except for the plan to get rid of his two uncles when he inherited the throne of the vassal king that day, today is still a rare happy day in his half of his life. The dignified Zheng family, a wealthy family on the sea, even had a time to ask for their own place, and the opportunities in life were really unexpected!

Zheng Hongkui was anxious, "Brother, don't say that." Although the foolish brother is not talented, he still carefully inquired about the intersection between Lord Zhu and your mansion before coming. Although Lord Zhu is just a family slave, he is a heroic man and brave, and his loyalty can be learned. But he willingly followed his brother to come to Zhongdu tirelessly, and took care of him in many ways in the high wall guards, which is not something that ordinary people can do! ”

Zhu Yujian looked at Zheng Hongkui from the corner of his eye, and when he heard him praise his son, he was naturally even more relieved. He pretended to hesitate for a moment, then nodded his head and agreed to take a letter of resignation to intercede on his behalf.

Zheng Hongkui was overjoyed, thanked him again and again, and watched Zhu Yujian write the desk and write a letter. After a hurried glance, he cherished the letter and stuffed it into his arms. But he said again: "Brother, don't blame the younger brother for thinking too much, the younger brother just thinks, now that there is only this letter, then Deputy General Zhu may not be happy to release people, if the elder brother can send the old people in the mansion to go with him, maybe it will be ......!" ”

Zhu Yujian thought about it and couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Now in my mansion, there is only one old slave from the original palace to follow around, and there is no one else, if the virtuous brother does not dislike it, this old slave will go to Dengzhou with you as a brother, how about it?" (To be continued......) R640