The time soon came to September of the eleventh year of Chongzhen

On this day, Chongzhen was concentrating on the review and reading in the Nuanxiang Pavilion, Wang Chengen was waiting on the side as usual, and suddenly Wang Chengen saw the eunuch Cao Huachun hurriedly coming from outside.

Seeing Cao Huachun's coke oven in a hurry, Wang Chengen's heart moved, and he looked at Chongzhen, who was watching the folds seriously, and took a few steps forward to stop Cao Huachun's face. Cao Huachun saw that it was Wang Chengen, and he quickly stopped, because don't look at the eunuch who is the eunuch of the Si Li palm seal and Wang Chengen is just an old man who serves Chongzhen's life, but the status of the eunuch is not only based on what kind of official he is, but also on his status in the emperor's heart and the distance between him and the emperor. Don't look at Wang Chengen, who doesn't take on any official positions now because of his age, but he waits next to Chongzhen for almost twelve hours a day, and even Queen Zhou has to be polite to him.

"Father-in-law Cao, what's the matter?"

Cao Huachun secretly glanced at Chongzhen, who was working in front of him, and also said in a low voice: "It's a good thing, this year's autumn tax from Shandong and Shanxi has been sent to the capital." ”

Wang Chengen's eyes lit up, "Oh...... How many? ”

As soon as Cao Huachun wanted to speak, Chongzhen's voice sounded behind him, "What are you two muttering about, is there something hidden from me?" ”

As soon as the two of them who were talking to each other turned around, they saw Chongzhen staring at him and hurriedly trotted to Chongzhen, Cao Huachun hurriedly reported: "Your Majesty, the slave has good news to tell you this time." ”

Seeing Cao Huachun's hippie smiling face, Chongzhen couldn't help but laugh and scolded: "Oh...... What good news do you have to tell me, you slave, if I am not happy to hear it, I will punish you! ”

Cao Huachun, who has been with Chongzhen for so many years, didn't know that Chongzhen was really joking with him, not only did he not kneel down and ask for guilt in fear, but said with a smile: "The emperor has seen thousands of miles, and the slave can guarantee that you will be happy to hear it." ”

Chongzhen smiled helplessly and scolded: "You dog has just learned to sell Guanzi, let's talk about it...... What the hell is going on. ”

Cao Huachun smiled and bowed to Chongzhen: "Congratulations to the emperor, congratulations to the emperor, this morning the taxes in Shanxi and Shandong have been paid, Shanxi has paid a total of 1.5 million taels of silver, 1 million quintals of grain, and Shandong is less." But he also paid a million taels of silver, and now our household finally has silver. ”

"Oh...... There is such a thing, this Yueyang he really did it! Chongzhen was taken aback at first, and then became happy, "In this way, the treasury can breathe a sigh of relief, and that Cheng Guoxiang doesn't have to complain to me every day." ”

Speaking of this, Chongzhen couldn't help but hate his teeth a little, last time Yueyang caught a large number of tax-resistant businessmen and gentry in Shandong, and fried out 10 million taels of silver, such a large amount of silver has caused too many people's eyes. The six Shangshu are like red-eyed hungry wolves, and they almost have to fight on the Jinluan Palace for this silver. Later, it was Yue Yang who gave seventy percent of the silver to the inner treasury, and the remaining three million taels of silver were given to the household department.

It is said that such a large sum of silver should be enough for Daming to take a breath, but now Daming is too poor, three million taels of silver seems to be a lot, but to the great Daming so soon to see the bottom, less than half a year The treasury of the household department was empty again, these days, as soon as the early dynasty came, Cheng Guoxiang and a group of ministers shouted to let Chongzhen open the treasury to help the household that became empty again. In the face of this kind of request, Chongzhen naturally refused to agree, not because Chongzhen was stingy, but because he knew that he couldn't be so used to these people, otherwise his internal money would flow out like flowing water after this case opened. It won't be long before his inner library will be back to the days when rats didn't bother to go in, as he did before.

One asked the other party to pay out of his pocket, and the other refused to pay, because Chongzhen was worried about the silver these days, but he didn't expect Shanxi and Shandong to pay the taxes in advance. This really solves Chongzhen's urgent need.

"Good...... All right! Chongzhen stood up excitedly, pacing back and forth in the imperial study, and kept muttering: "This Yue Zhenghong is really a capable minister, how long has he been in Shandong." Collecting a year's worth of taxes so quickly, it would be much easier for all the officials in the world to be like him. ”

Seeing Chongzhen so happy, Cao Huachun also joked: "The emperor doesn't want to think about it." If all the officials in the world are as capable as the loyal and brave marquis, where will you find so many princesses to marry him? ”

"Oh...... Hahaha......" Chongzhen was slightly stunned, and then laughed again.

Chongzhen's impression of Yue Yang has gone through several stages, from curiosity to liking at the beginning to fear, fear to helplessness and now love, as if he has experienced a reincarnation, this process is incredible even when Chongzhen thinks about it.

Thinking of this, Chongzhen's eyes also began to soften, although Chongzhen is impatient and suspicious, but he is not stupid, this year is the eleventh year of his personal expedition, and he also has his own criteria for judging the quality of his courtiers. Although Yue Yang seems to be unruly and ambitious on the surface, he has indeed made contributions to the Ming Dynasty, and the most important thing is that the Ming Dynasty has almost relied on him to survive in the past few years, and all the rogues in the Tartar Pass who want to exterminate the Tartars outside the pass are inseparable from him, which cannot be denied even if the ministers of the court slander and abuse him.

With a slight breath, Chongzhen asked, "Daban, I haven't seen this girl for a few days, what is she doing?" ”

Wang Chengen replied respectfully: "Back to the emperor, Princess Kunxing has been learning to make female red embroidery with her grandmother in her palace these days, I heard that she is going to make a purse for the Marquis of Zhongyong, and it is estimated that it is almost done after these days." ”

"Embroider a purse for the Marquis of Zhongyong?" Chongzhen was slightly stunned, and then remembered that he had married his daughter to Yue Yang, and it would be time to marry in a few months. It's just that for some reason, when he thought that the daughter he had raised for more than ten years was going to get married, Chongzhen's heart swelled with a slightly sour feeling, and it is estimated that this is also the mentality of every father when he marries his daughter.

Sighing lightly, Chongzhen asked again: "Cao Huachun, a few days ago, I asked the cabinet to draw up a charter aimed at allowing several provinces in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to also carry out new policies, I wonder if the cabinet has drafted it?" ”

"This ......"

Cao Huachun's face hesitated a little when he heard this, and Ai Ai was speechless for a while.

Chongzhen didn't need to ask after seeing Cao Huachun's appearance, he didn't get angry this time, he just sighed lightly and shook his head and didn't speak. After a while, he said: "The ministers in the court all say that Yue Zhenghong is a feudal town, a traitor, and a bandit who occupies the king's land, but I don't understand. Why did this bandit and feudal town in their eyes pay me a lot of taxes and food every year, and the loyal servants they said they had turned into mute gourds with shrunken heads whenever I needed them? ”

This question is too heavy, Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun didn't dare to answer randomly, but Chongzhen didn't let them go, he pointed at Cao Huachun and said: "You are the palm seal of the celebrant eunuch and hold the power to wear red in your hands, you can tell me, whether Yue Yang is loyal or traitorous!" ”

This sentence immediately forced Cao Huachun into a corner, and soon beads of sweat flowed down his forehead, and he stammered: "Your Majesty...... Slaves...... The slave really doesn't know. ”

"I don't know...... Hum...... Don't you dare to say it! Chongzhen's words gradually became stern.

Cao Huachun grew his mouth, and looked at Chongzhen, who had an unkind face, and secretly complained in his heart. "I'm recruiting who to provoke whom, how unlucky things have let me catch up, at the moment this situation is not good, I'm afraid that even my position as the eunuch of the celebrant will not be guaranteed, forget it, let it go out today, love whoever you love!"

He gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty, although the slave maid has not studied for a few years, she has also heard such a saying, that is, whether a person is good or bad is not determined by what he says but by what he does. The slave maid and the Zhongyong Marquis have met a few times, and the Zhongyong Marquis is a little reckless. He is not very likeable, but the slave has never seen him do anything to harm the interests of the Ming Dynasty, and those ministers are ......"

Speaking of this, Cao Huachun stopped. In fact, this is enough to express what he meant.

Chongzhen also sighed lightly: "Yes, even a eunuch like you, who is not even a showman, understands this truth, why don't the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty understand it." ”

Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen glanced at each other and quickly closed their mouths. The question is too deep for them to talk about.

"That's it, it's a good day. Now that the household has money, I can live a few days of comfortable life, and presumably that Cheng Guoxiang will no longer worry about my belongings. Chongzhen sighed lightly and waved his hand to signal Cao Huachun to retreat, but saw that Cao Huachun was still standing in place and looked at him a little embarrassed.

Chongzhen couldn't help but ask curiously, "Cao Huachun, do you have anything else to report to me?" ”

"Your Majesty...... The slave has one more thing to report to you! Cao Huachun said with some hesitation.

"What the hell is going on, tell me quickly!" Chongzhen was a little impatient.

"Yes!" Cao Huachun knew Chongzhen's temper, and did not dare to delay and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the slave maid has received some news, it is said that these days the Marquis of Zhongyong took advantage of the opportunity to rebuild the naval division in Shandong, and now in Weihaiwei to re-expand the port of Weihaiwei, and more than ten new docks are being built to build new ships, the slave and maid do not dare to specialize, so I specially asked the emperor how to deal with it." ”

"New Mariner?" Chongzhen frowned and thought for a while, turned his head and asked Wang Chengen on the side: "Companion, has Yue Zhenghong ever been on this excerpt?" ”

Wang Chengen frowned and thought about it, before he hesitated and said: "Your Majesty, the slave seems to have heard the Marquis of Zhongyong tell you last year, he said that if you want to open the sea ban, you must rebuild the sailor, and without the protection of a strong sailor, our caravan out of the Ming Dynasty is the meat on the chopping board of others and can be bullied, so when the sea ban is reopened, you must also build a sailor who can fight." ”

"Hmm...... It seems that there is such a thing. Only then did Chongzhen remember that he had told him these words when Yue Yang entered the palace last year, but he immediately asked: "But the rebuilding of the water master requires a lot of wood, where did he get these things?" ”

Cao Huachun secretly glanced at Chongzhen and said in a low voice: "Back to the emperor's words...... The timber of the Marquis of Zhongyong is made from ...... It was transported from Liaodong. ”

"Liaodong ......"

Two exclamations sounded in the imperial study at the same time, Chongzhen's face stiffened in shock, and he exclaimed after a long time: "What's going on, aren't the Tartars and Yue Zhenghong entrenched in Liaodong mortal enemies?" How could they sell him timber, this is not a resource...... So what? ”

Chongzhen originally wanted to say the words of the enemy, but then he thought that he didn't scold himself for saying this, so he was vaguely angry.

Cao Huachun smiled bitterly: "The slave and maid don't know about this, but the slave and maid have heard the report of the fine work lurking in Shengjing, and I heard that it was the Marquis of Zhongyong who threatened the Tartar and asked the Tartar to bring a large amount of wood every month." Otherwise, the Marquis of Zhongyong would use troops against Shengjing, and the Tartar had no choice but to pinch his nose and admit it. The slave and maid did not know whether this news was true or not, anyway, the slave and maid only knew that the Tartars would drag a large amount of wood from the sea route in Liaodong to Weihaiwei every month, and then transport grain, cloth and other things. ”

"Hey...... It's a mess! Chongzhen and Wang Chengen couldn't help crying and laughing, first killed so many people and horses on the other side, and indirectly killed the emperor of other people, and now they are threatening each other, if you don't give me wood, I will beat you, it is estimated that this matter has been done several times, and the whole Ming Dynasty can do it with this guy Yueyang.

"Well, I won't be surprised if this guy comes up with something sensational." Chongzhen was really speechless. He sat back down in the dragon chair and pressed his hand on the temple on his head.

After a while, Cao Huachun said cautiously: "Your Majesty, do you want the slave maid to send someone to Shandong to ask the Marquis Zhongyong to see what he thinks." ”

"No need!" Chongzhen waved his hand and said viciously: "Companion, you immediately give him a decree in my name, let him come to the capital immediately, I want to tell him in person, I want to see what this guy wants to do." That's right. The Chinese New Year is just a few months away, and I'm going to see how this guy marries my daughter. ”

Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun glanced at each other: "I'm afraid that this last sentence is your real purpose, right?" ”

Yes, Chongzhen is indeed a little anxious, because he is now with the great rise of Yueyang's power. The court is becoming more and more inseparable from this guy who was originally hated by him. Not to mention anything else, but the annual tax of more than 2 million taels of silver and more than 2 million quintals of grain account for almost 30% of the entire Ming Dynasty's taxes, and this proportion has a tendency to gradually increase. Such a can't be beaten, only co-opted

If the guy doesn't turn him into his own person, he really can't sleep, anyway, Princess Kunxing will be thirteen in a few months. It's only right to turn him into his own son-in-law as soon as possible.

Just as Chongzhen was racking his brains thinking about how to turn Yueyang into his own, our comrade Yueyang encountered an unexpected thing in Weihaiwei.

"Guo Guerrilla, Ben Hou wants you to have a reasonable explanation!"

Yue Yang looked at Guo Jingxian, who had broken into his mansion early in the morning, with a look of displeasure on his face. At this time, there were still some unwiped toothpaste foam sticking to the corners of his mouth, and he decided that if the guy in front of him didn't give him a joint explanation, he wouldn't mind letting him clean the toilet for a month.

Looking at Yue Yang with an unhappy look on his face, Guo Jingxian also knew that he had come at a bad time, and anyone who was disturbed by someone would not be in a good mood, so he could only explain with a bitter face: "Master Hou, the last general didn't mean to disturb you, but there was indeed an emergency, just now a fleet came from outside our dock." ”

"Getting to the point!" Yue Yang interrupted him angrily.

"Yes...... This fleet was the fleet of the Dutch, and they were also armed merchant ships of Spain. ”

"Armed merchant ships? Or the Spaniards? Yue Yang was stunned for a moment, "Where did these Spaniards come from?" ”

"Master Hou, they are from the big man."

"Big?" Yue Yang was stunned for a while, of course he knew that the big man Guo Jingxian said was what later generations said about Taiwan, and he couldn't help but ask curiously: "What are those Spaniards doing here?" ”

Guo Jingxian smiled bitterly: "I don't know about this lowly position, but these armed merchant ships sent a signal to stop in the port, and the people on the dock didn't know what to do, so they came to ask you for instructions because of their lowly duties." ”

As soon as Yue Yang heard the anger, he didn't come to one place: "Play the piano indiscriminately, let them come when they come, how many people are there, how big a wave can they set off, why are you so afraid of people coming in?" ”

"Aren't the lowly people afraid that these people will come in and make trouble?" Guo Jingxian's face was embarrassed.

"Mess around!"

Yue Yang shook his head secretly, it stands to reason that the attitude of the DPRK towards the outside world should be relatively open, but even pirates like Guo Jingxian, who once crisscrossed the South Seas, have such a heavy resistance to foreigners, which shows how stubborn the Manchu Tartars who were more closed off from the country later.

Thinking of this, Yue Yang waved his hand impatiently: "Let them come to the shore, but you have to tell them that they are not allowed to bring firearms ashore, you know?" ”

"Yes!"

Seeing Yue Yang's ugly face, Guo Jingxian almost trotted out and ran out......

Outside the port of Weihaiwei, a fleet of three armed merchant ships slowly approached, and the armed merchant ship at the front was the largest, a three-masted merchant ship of about 600 tons, and several Western men stood on the bow of this merchant ship. The first man, a soldier in his mid-forties, wearing a gray and red uniform with a saber hanging from his waist, was carefully observing the situation on the docks.

Behind the soldier stood three middle-aged men in ordinary clothes, who, like the soldier, were carefully examining what they saw.

"They're coming!" At this time, the soldier standing at the front spoke.

In front of them, a swiftly swallow-shaped ship was heading towards them...... (To be continued!)

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