With breakfast, Zhang Yuan took the carriage of his brother-in-law Shang Zhou Zuo to go to the six yamen, the six yamen are outside the Chengtian Gate in the south of the palace, from the east and west archway to the Chengtian Gate nearly ten miles away, the Metropolitan Procuratorate is farther away, at the southwest end of the West Garden of the palace city, fortunately, the avenue is flat and spacious, the carriage is fast, and it will arrive at the North Bridge of the Jade River on East Chang'an Street in two moments, Shang Zhouzuo told Zhang Yuan some rules in the carriage, after Zhang Yuan got off the car, Shang Zhouzuo went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to work.

At the end of the morning, the weather is fine, Zhang Yuan stands at the head of the Yuhe Bridge to the west, the winter sun shines from behind him, quite warm, on his right, is the imperial city of grand scale, the perimeter of the imperial city is more than ten miles, the city wall is towering, the Chengtian Gate in the south has seven zhang high, thirteen zhang wide, the yellow tile cornice, the momentum is magnificent, the Chengtian Gate is the main gate of the south of the palace city, the guard is strict, there are red helmets and white armor with knives to guard, patrol, the officials and eunuchs in and out have to show the token, the office on duty in the imperial city is the cabinet and the six departments to give things, the six yamen are outside the imperial city, that is, to the left of Zhang Yuan's current position, that is, on the east side of the thousand-step corridor between Chengtianmen and Daming, Qintianjian, Honglu Temple, and Hanlin Courtyard are all on this side, and the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies and Jinyiwei are on the west side of the thousand-step corridor-

This is the power center of the Ming Dynasty's two capitals and thirteen provinces, the decree was issued, and the documents from all over the country gathered here, Zhang Yuan turned his head to the right to look at the high imperial city wall, and thought: "The fat and lazy, greedy and greedy Wanli Emperor is not far from me, what is the emperor Lao'er, who has been doing for forty-three years, is he still worried about not being able to make the king of fortune the crown prince?" "Thinking about Emperor Wanli is also aggrieved, he can't choose his heir to the throne among his sons, the supremacy of imperial power is very questionable, so Emperor Wanli feels that the world of the Ming Dynasty is not all his world, his will is often distorted, there is the ancestral system to bind his hands and feet, and there are ministers who are noisy, so he is sluggish, of course, his neglect is not to delegate power, and he firmly grasps the red power in his hands, but he often does not send the votes and chapters submitted by the cabinet, that is to say, the Wanli Emperor does not want to take care of things, But I don't want others to be in charge, as the saying goes, occupy the pit and don't, the huge broken car of the Ming Dynasty is like this, driving forward with its usual surname, it will fall apart at any time, and the front is a swamp and an abyss-

Zhang Yuan walked down the north bridge of the Jade River, was about to enter the East Gongsheng Gate, felt that something was wrong, turned back suddenly, only to see the end of the bridge, a long and healthy figure was standing under a maple tree, it was Mu Zhenzhen, so he beckoned, Mu Zhenzhen quickly ran over, his nose was slightly sweaty, and he was a little panting, and shouted: "Young master——"

"What are you doing with you, doesn't it mean you don't have to come with you!" There is no need to ask to know that this girl is running behind the carriage, Zhang Yuan is a little distressed, but his face is very serious, how can he do it if he is disobedient.

Mu Zhenzhen was a little flustered, and pulled out the banner to justify: "It was the wife and the young grandmother who ordered it, and asked the maid to follow the young master and say that the capital-"

"Alright, alright." Zhang Yuan waved his hand: "What's the use of you following me from afar, if someone on the side suddenly pulls out a knife and stabs me, can you fly over and kick it away?" ”

Mu Zhenzhen's face was red, his mouth was open, and he looked at Zhang Yuan with dark blue eyes-

Zhang Yuan smiled, turned around and stepped forward, and said: "Come with me, this is the forbidden land of the imperial city, if you see those tall and majestic guards, who dares to commit murder here!" Hearing Mu Zhenzhen's brisk footsteps following him, he thought self-deprecatingly: "I'll bring a beautiful maid to the six yamen on business, this is very embarrassing, I don't know if the officials will impeach me for being lustful in the future, hey-"

Entering the East Gongsheng Gate, the first yamen on the left is the military department, Qi Biaojia is waiting for Zhang Yuan in front of the small door next to the yamen of the military department, Qi Biaojia's father Qi Chengjiao is the military department Langzhong, because he did not bring his family into Beijing, he lived in the Yamen house of the military department, the military department is the same hall below, people have gathered in front of the museum, not only Han Society colleagues, but also other provinces of the people, there are as many as 300 people, said to jointly sign Fu Que to ask for disaster relief, this is all launched by the people of the Han Society last night, Zhang Yuan looked bad, although the book disaster relief is for the country and the people, But the emperor and the cabinet don't like a large number of people to gather to discuss political affairs, especially outside the imperial city, it is more likely to cause criticism, and others are just that, he Zhang Yuan is the target of the public, he is the leader of the Han Society.

Zhang Yuan invited Wen Zhenmeng and Huang Zunsu to the side to discuss for a while, and then separately persuaded the crowd to raise the sons, and it was okay to join the house, but don't rush to the household yamen together, on the eve of the Spring Festival, act more cautiously, so it was agreed that Zhang Yuan, Wen Zhenmeng, Huang Zunsu and Chen Qiyou went to the household yamen to present the disaster relief, and the rest stayed in the hall to wait for news, Zhang Yuan also specially told Fan Wenruo, Wang Binglin and others, please pay attention to the movements of the people in the hall, and don't let people with ulterior motives instigate, The rumor case against Hanshe in Zhejiang Township has not been conclusive so far, everything must be careful-

The household yamen is on the right side of the street, close to the Daming gate, opposite to the Qin Tianjian and Honglu Temple, Zhang Yuan four people came to the household yamen, Wen Zhenmeng is worthy of being the eighth time to participate in the examination of the field house veteran, there are acquaintances everywhere, in this household yamen there is a household member Wailang is Wen Zhenmeng's friend of the same year, there are acquaintances to do things, immediately put the "hungry people" and "please help the six counties of Shandong" to the household left servant Li Ruhua, Wanli forty years later, the six departments of the lack of officials Yanjing do not make up, often one person and several positions, the year before last the household department Shangshu Zhao Shiqing resigned due to illness, The household department is in charge of the affairs of Li Ruhua, the left waiter, the household department is difficult to manage, the disaster situation continues all over the country, and the financial operation of the Ming Dynasty is difficult——

Li Ruhua invited Zhang Yuan and the four of them to the back hall to inquire about the disaster situation in Shandong, Zhang Yuan, Wen Zhenmeng and Huang Zunsu were hearsay, but Chen Qiyou was personally experienced, saying that he cried once, Li Ruhua said: "Qian Shiwan, the governor of Shandong, and Zhao Shiheng, the governor of Shandong, have said several things since July about the disaster in Shandong and the rebellion of the hungry people, but the song is sent into the palace, like a stone sinking into the sea, and the household department can only let the counties of Shandong provide disaster relief on their own, and the exemption of taxes can only be implemented by the emperor's decree. ”

Zhang Yuan said earnestly: "Li Shilang, the disaster in Shandong is not only the suffering of the victims, but also the danger of blocking the Cao Yun, I waited for this time to enter Beijing, in Jining, Liaocheng delayed for five days, it is because the hungry people for thieves, attacked the Linqing banknote pass, resulting in the canal is not passable, although the officers and soldiers quickly drove away the hungry people, but the north-south traffic of the canal was blocked for five days, the loss is not small, now is not the busy period of Cao Yun, if the disaster is not controlled, the victims can not get compensation, thieves are rampant, next year's spring Cao Yun will be affected, and the merchants from the north and south are also stagnant, Prices in Beijing are bound to soar, and the loss of tax money and grain in several counties will be lost. ”

Li Ruhua pondered for a moment, personally brought Chen Qiyou's recital and "Hungry People's Map" into Chengtianmen, and went to the six departments outside the noon gate to see the six departments on duty, Xiong Mingyu and Like gave things to the affairs of Xiong Mingyu and Like to the affairs of the military department to teach the poems are Shandong people, and they are still very anxious about the disaster in their hometown, and immediately prepared the music together with the "Hungry People's Map" to the cabinet first, and then by the cabinet university votes, and then let the inner servants send it to the Miyagi Department of Ceremonies, waiting for approval, now the cabinet assistant minister is only Fang Congzhe, so busy that he is busy, and he is busy. The pieces that are ready to be sent are often not replied to-

Li Ruhua returned to the household department and saw that the household member Wailang was still in the back hall with Zhang Yuan and the four people, so he said: "Today is already the twenty-fifth day of the lunar month, and the palace is preparing to feast on Chinese New Year's Eve and welcome the New Year. After thinking about it, he said: "Temporarily support the 60,000 stone of grain in Linqing's water warehouse for disaster relief, which is within the authority of the ministry, and the rest will have to wait for the emperor's will." ”

Zhang Yuan four people resigned from the household yamen, returned to the hall to explain the situation to Zhu Juzi, although Zhu Juzi was dissatisfied, but the emperor did not approve the red they can do anything, generously discussed, went back to the hall to bake the fire, only the people of the Han Society are still there, knowing that Zhang Sheshou must still have something to say, has arrived in Beijing Han She has 35 people, the members of the Han Society are basically from Zhejiang and Nanzhili, this time Zhejiang Township tried Han Society has 28 people on the Dragon and Tiger List, should Tianfu Township Test also has 18 people from Han Society Chinese, together with Wen Zhenmeng, Fan Wenruo, Jiao Runsheng, Luo Xuanwen, the four former imperial examiners, has a total of fifty lifters in the Han Society, although it is nothing among the seven or eight thousand lifters who took the exam, but for a social league, such strength is already second to none-

Now there are still forty days before the first spring festival on the ninth day of February next year, and it cannot be wasted, Zhang Yuan proposed that colleagues in the Beijing Han Society gather every three days to give lectures, or invite the famous Confucians of the Hanlin Academy to give lectures, or by the scholars in the Han Society, the eight stocks of economics and history, and the economy and military can be taught——

Zhang Yuan asked everyone to wait for the news in the hall, the first lecture will be held on the 28th of the lunar month, and he will inform everyone of the lecture venue the day before.

After the Han Society dispersed, Zhang Yuan and his eldest brother Zhang Dai followed Qi Biaojia to the Yamen of the Ministry of War to meet Qi Chengjiao, Zhang Yuan wrote a note on the situation in Liaodong, and asked Qi Chengjiao to submit it on his behalf, Zhang Yuan is now not only based on his later understanding to discuss the situation in Liaodong, he came to Beijing all the way, as long as he met merchants from the north, he would inquire about the news of Liaodong, and he had to listen to all kinds of hearsay gossip, which news was true and which news was false, he could still distinguish it, and talked with his senior brother Xu Guangqi a few days ago. has a general understanding of Nurhachi's movements, which is corroborated by his later cognitions, and he wrote a "On the Establishment of the State Old Slave General in Jianzhou" on the ship-

Qi Chengjiao heard his son praise Zhang Yuan yesterday, and he was a little admired, but Qi Chengjiao didn't believe it very much, thinking that even though Zhang Yuan was talented, but after all, he was young, in addition to the Four Books and Five Classics, how much can he learn from the world, at this time, he was surprised to read this article "On the Establishment of the National Shu by the Old Slave of Jianzhou", Zhang Yuan wrote at the beginning:

"The chief of Jianzhou, Nurhachi, has been watching me open the original for a long time, and he has not dared to succeed in opening the original fence for me in the south and north of the two passes. Than the year swept the South Pass, encroached on the Bu chieftain, and thick knotted Mongolia simmering, slaughtering the two chiefs, the conspiracy was large, the group drove farming and herding, and cultivated the hometown of the fierce chieftain, shocking me to open the original border field, how can this ambition be in a north pass! Kaiyuan and Beiguan (that is, the Jurchen Yehebu, and the Ming Dynasty goodwill) rely on each other, no Beiguan is no Kaiyuan, no Kaiguan can not exist alone without the principle of opening, Kaiyuan and Beiguan are lost, then there is no Liao, there is no Liao, and the mountains and seas are a pass who guards the ......"

Zhang Yuan's essay was recorded from Nurhachi's construction of cattle more than ten years ago, to the completion of the Eight Banners system since this autumn, and the construction of Hetuala City to analyze, and concluded that Nurhachi's founding of the country is imminent, and it will become the biggest border trouble of the Ming Dynasty, and it is necessary to garrison Kaiyuan with heavy troops, and then increase the number of troops in Qingyun Fort, Jing'an Fort, and Chaihe Fort to defend it, and connect Beiguan to prevent the slave chieftain from attacking internally, and Fushun and Qinghe will be the first place where the slave chieftain will use troops, and there should be elite soldiers and good generals to defend it, and the current Fushun guerrilla Li Yongfang is not enough to worry about-

Qi Chengjiao is a soldier in the army, of course, he knows more about the border situation, and he was very surprised by Zhang Yuan's incisive analysis, Zhang Yuan, a son of Jiangnan, how could he be so insightful about the situation in Liaodong, which is 7,000 miles away?

Zhang Yuan said that this is the news he got from the merchants and the newspaper in the north to analyze and write, the urgency of the border trouble of the Ming Dynasty, do not rush to Liaodong, the urgency of Liaodong, is nothing more than Kaiyuan and Fushun, Qi Chengjiao deeply thought so, the governor of the Liao Liao Military Department of the right attendant Lang and the Liaodong patrol according to the imperial history Xiong Tingbi are worried about the slave chief, and Zhang Yuan this sparse view is slightly the same, Qi Chengji promised to hand over Zhang Yuan's recital to the military department to repeat the matter, Zhang Yuan can only do these things at present, the main mind has to be on the spring Xuan, this recital is just a foreshadowing, It could not change the imperial court's policy towards Liaodong, because the vast majority of Ming officials still did not believe that the old slaves of Jianzhou could pose much of a threat to the Ming Dynasty-

Qi Chengjiao wanted to leave Zhang Dai and Zhang Yuan to have lunch in the military department's house, Zhang Dai said politely: "Uncle Jia has prepared lunch in the house by the Baozi River-" asked Qi Biaojia: "Huzi, will you go with me?" ”

Qi Biaojia shook her head and said no.

Zhang Dai and Zhang Yuan went out of the yamen of the military department, Mu Zhenzhen was still standing by the small door waiting, Zhang Yuan went over and touched her hand, and said: "It's cold, it's much colder here than Shanyin." ”

Mu Zhenzhen said: "It doesn't matter, it's warm when you walk around." ”

Zhang Dai smiled: "It's really foolish, it's really foolish, follow wherever you go." "I think I'm saying this a little awkwardly, it's really true-

Mu Zhenzhen glanced at Zhang Yuan, afraid that the young master would blame her for always following, but fortunately, the young master did not express displeasure.

Out of Donggongshengmen, Feng Hu and a coachman sat on the wheel of a carriage and shrunk their hands and feet and waited, Zhang Dai and Zhang Yuan got into the car, Zhang Yuan asked the eldest brother to sit over and asked Mu Zhenzhen to get in the car too, Mu Zhenzhen shook his head and refused, and said: "Young master, the maid likes to run away." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "You said that you are a woman running behind the carriage, what is the matter, hurry up, don't shirk." ”

Mu Zhenzhen obediently got on the car and sat against the wall of the carriage, only occupying a little position, Zhang Yuan suspected that she would shrink her bones.

The carriage drove through East Chang'an Street, turned north, and galloped towards the Baozi River at the east corner of Chongwenmen.

(To be continued)