"Sure enough, it's gold!"

Chang Wu took out a piece of gold ore from his cloth pocket, looked at the sun, and couldn't help but cry out with joy. His name is mine supervisor, and mining is his job after all. If you can really find gold and mine it and give it to the emperor, it will be much tougher than the gold and silver extorted from the local area.

Many officials in the imperial court have long discussed the matter of Emperor Wanli sending mine supervisors everywhere, so Wanli has repeatedly told the mine supervisors to pay attention to their actions and not to give people authority. Mining real gold mines, the officials have nothing to say, and the mine supervisor who can find the gold mine is very face-saving in front of Wanli.

"Congratulations to Grandpa Chang." Han Wen and Wang Qi naturally knew what to say at this time, and the two of them stood up in unison and congratulated Chang Wu.

"Hahahaha, rejoicing together." Chang Wu laughed sharply, he pointed at Su Hao, and asked Han Wen, "Han Zhixian, you mean that this gold mine was found by this kid?" ”

You're the boy! Su Hao secretly scolded in his heart, but he also knew that his status was enough to make a eunuch say a little boy, which was a glorious thing. The greatest contempt in the world is not to give a derogatory title, but not to call it at all.

Han Wen nodded and said: "Exactly, Su Hao spent two days and two nights in Dashun Township, risking being injured by tigers, leopards and wolves, overcoming obstacles, and found this gold mine." ”

"Su Shengren has worked hard, Xiaoliang......" Chang Wu shouted to the little eunuch again.

"Yes." The little eunuch deserved a very happy answer, and hurried over to ask for his life.

Chang Wu pointed at Su Hao and said: "This Su Shengren has a meritorious job in prospecting for minerals, you go and rummage through our family's baggage, see if there are any decent objects, and give them to Su Shengren." ”

"Students don't dare! It is the glory of the students to find mines for the saints, how dare they ask for the reward of their father-in-law. Su Hao hurriedly declined.

Eunuchs are known for being greedy for money and stingy, and the gifts they give are not easy to take, who knows after you receive this gift. It is enough to return several times the gift. In addition, Su Hao had a feeling of discomfort for the eunuch in his heart, and if the things used by the eunuch really wanted to be given to him, he was not happy to accept it.

Hearing Su Hao's refusal. Chang Wu didn't even hit a stump. waved his hand to let the little eunuch named Xiaoliang retreat, and said thoughtfully: "Oh, that's so embarrassing, how can you not reward you for your merits?" But. Our family is also a poor person, and there are a few things that can be handed, which are also given by the saints, and we dare not pass them on to others. In this way, Su Shengyuan has a meritorious job in prospecting. Change my blessing to the saint, please give Su Sheng a background. ”

"Father-in-law Xie Chang." Su Hao knew that Chang Wu was talking about it, so he had to go forward to thank him in a fake way. There's no way, people who are powerful and powerful are just grass people.

Chang Wu gave Su Hao another seat, and then asked him in detail about the gold mine. Su Hao didn't have anything to hide, so he introduced the location of the gold mine, the predicted reserves and other things in one by one. Chang Wu was very curious about how Su Hao was able to find this gold mine in two days, so Su Hao had to infer that he had extensively visited the old farmers in the countryside and heard some clues. A painstaking investigation followed, and the gold mine was discovered.

Of course, when Su Hao was talking, he never forgot to emphasize that this was because of Chang Gonggong's blessings, otherwise how could anyone find a gold mine in two days?

Chang Wu listened to Su Hao's introduction. Nodding with satisfaction, he turned his head to Han Wen and asked, "Han Zhixian, now that the gold mine has been found." How are you going to mine it? ”

Han Wen hurriedly replied: "Father-in-law Chang, this gold mining matter." It is very complex, and gold mining, screening, and refining all require skilled craftsmen. As far as the lower officials know, there is no one in this county who is good at this, and I am afraid that I have to ask Chang Gonggong to invite craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry. ”

A Jinyi guard named Wu Quan next to him interjected: "Father-in-law Chang, what Han Zhixian said is reasonable, as far as the villain knows, when gold is mined elsewhere, soldiers must be sent to guard it, so as not to steal the gold from the craftsmen. Fengcheng County determined that it could not bear this matter, and asked Chang Gonggong to investigate. ”

When Wu Quan said this, Wang Qi threw a meaningful look at Han Wen, who knew that Wu Quan must have benefited from Wang Qi, so he stood up to speak for Fengcheng County. You must know that the input of gold mining is not less than the output of gold mines, if all the personnel and consumables are borne by the Fengcheng County Ya, it is better to take this money directly to Changwu.

Chang Wu is as good as a stream, and when he heard Wu Quan say it so sure, he nodded and said, "That's true, but our family is impatient." In this way, Han Zhixian, you can assign some miscellaneous laborers to our family to be handymen in the gold mines. As for the craftsmen who mine gold and alchemy, as well as the soldiers or something, our family asked the Jiangxi Buzheng Division and the Capital Division to help dispatch them, what do you think? ”

"The subordinate obeys." Han Wen hurriedly replied.

The Ming Dynasty system stipulated that the peasants were to bear taxes and forced labor. The peasants were completely free to bear the conscription, so if Hangul wanted to send some miscellaneous labor to Changwu, there was no cost involved. Of course, these miscellaneous servants were assigned to Changwu, and there were fewer miscellaneous servants that could be used in the county. However, compared to the pressure of 10,000 taels of silver originally envisaged, it was nothing to do some miscellaneous labor.

Chang Wu got the gold ore, he was so excited that he couldn't sit still anymore, and immediately beckoned the two Jinyi guards to get up and go back to Nanchang with him to arrange gold mining. Han Wen pretended to hold back a few words, and Chang Wu said: "Han Zhixian, it's not that our family doesn't want to stay for a few more days, it's really a mining matter, and it can't be delayed." Zheng Niangniang's birthday is coming soon, and our family is still thinking about using the mined gold to cast a golden Buddha and dedicate it to Zheng Niangniang. ”

A look of displeasure flashed across Han Wen's face, and he said, "Oh...... In this way, the lower officials will not dare to keep Chang Gonggong, Chang Gonggong will go to work on big things first, and then come to my Fengcheng County for some time. ”

Sending Chang Wu and the others to the boat at Fengcheng Wharf, watching the boat go down the river and disappear from sight, Han Wen sighed and said to Wang Qi and Su Hao who were following him: "Alas, I finally sent this plague god away, I hope that the gold mining will go well, and he will stop bothering me and waiting." ”

Wang Qi frowned and said, "County Zun, did you hear what Chang Wu said before leaving?" ”

Han Wen nodded and said, "Of course I heard it, it turns out that he is Concubine Zheng's person." ”

"Yes, my generation should be ashamed to form a party with this eunuch." Wang Qi looked indignant and said.

"However, what he represents, after all, is the saint." Han Wen said, "We only know the saint and don't know Concubine Zheng, what golden Buddha he wants to cast is his own business, I just don't want to participate." ”

"It will be so." Wang Qi replied.

Everyone left the dock, Wang Qi first said goodbye to Hanwen and went home. The law of the Ming Dynasty required officials to live in the mansion and not outside, but this rule was a dead letter in the late Ming Dynasty, and officials like Wang Qi rented large mansions in the county seat. Who is impatient to live in the county office, and he has to salute when he sees the county every day.

Han Wen's home was in the county office, so he walked to the county government with a few officials. Su Hao walked beside Han Wen for a while, and couldn't help asking, "County Zun, what did you talk about Concubine Zheng with Wang Xiancheng, what is going on?" ”

"Don't you know about this?" Hangul was a little surprised.

"The students don't know." Su Hao replied.

Han Wen thought for a while and said, "Also, you have been studying in the countryside, so you don't know about such a big thing." This matter of Concubine Zheng is related to the country, and there is no one in the world who does not care. The battle in the court for this national capital has turned the world upside down. ”

"Why is that?" Su Hao asked.

Han Wen said: "This matter is a long story, there is nothing to do along the way, so the county will tell you about it." ”

So, Han Wen asked a few officials who followed him to go farther and told Su Hao about the dispute over the country.

It turned out that this so-called dispute over the country's capital was the question of who to appoint as the crown prince, and behind this was the two concubines in the palace, namely Concubine Gong Wang and Concubine Zheng.

The Wang family turned out to be just a palace maid, because of the Yin mistake, she gave birth to a son to the Wanli Emperor, this is the emperor's eldest son Zhu Changluo, born in the 10th year of Wanli, that is, in 1582, and the Wang family was also named Concubine Gong because of this.

Wanli Linxing Wang was just impulsive, and he didn't have much interest in her afterwards. What really makes Wanli like it is the concubine Zheng, that is, the Zheng Niangniang that Chang Wu said. Zheng gave birth to a son in the 14th year of Wanli, that is, Zhu Changxun, the third son of the emperor, which triggered a dispute over the country's capital.

There is a view in ancient China that the crown prince is the foundation of the country. Since the queen of Wanli did not give birth to children, between Zhu Changluo and Zhu Changxun, the question of who to appoint as the crown prince has become a very sensitive issue.

With Wanli's thoughts, he naturally hoped to make Concubine Zheng's son Zhu Changxun the crown prince, because he had no feelings for the princess at all. However, a cadre of officials in the court insisted that the crown prince must be the eldest son, and only by making Zhu Changluo the crown prince is the right way.

For this matter, Wanli and the important ministers in the court are inextricably linked, and Wanli has not been in court for several years, and there is also a meaning to express dissatisfaction with the courtiers. It has been a principle since ancient times to appoint the eldest son as the crown prince, and scholars attach great importance to it, so it is not an exaggeration to say that scholars all over the world care about this matter. Because of the annoyance that Wanli intended to make Zhu Changxun the crown prince, the scholars listed Concubine Zheng as a demon, thinking that she bewitched Wanli.

Now, this eunuch Chang Wu just said that he wanted to celebrate Concubine Zheng's birthday, which was actually hinting to Han Wen and others that he was on Concubine Zheng's side, how could this not make Han Wen and others disgusted with him. Wang Qi and Hanwen are not compatible on many things, but their positions are the same on issues related to the country, so they have an attitude of common hatred and hatred.

Guiquan ...... It's really messy, after listening to this introduction, Su Hao felt a sense of disdain in his heart. In his opinion, who is appointed as the crown prince is not the emperor's own business, and what does it have to do with others? The important ministers in this court are really full and have nothing to do, just for the sake of a so-called national capital, they forced the emperor not to go to the court, don't they have something more important than this kind of light?