At the end of December of the tenth year of Chongzhen, two amazing things happened in Daming.

The first thing was that Emperor Chongzhen married his daughter, Princess Kunxing, to Yue Yang, the Marquis of Zhongyong and the governor of Xuanda.

The second event was that Chongzhen appointed Yue Yang as a scholar of Dongyang Pavilion, governor of Shandong, and governor of Caoyun in Shandong, preparing to reorganize the sailors and implement a new tax system in Shandong.

The first thing belongs to the family affairs of the Lao Zhu family, people marry their own daughters, although those ministers are very dissatisfied, but Comrade Xiao Zhu just said that Lao Tzu married his own daughter and took care of your, so everyone obediently shut up. But the second thing made those ministers jump to their feet, let Yue Yang serve as a scholar of Dongyang Pavilion, the governor of Shandong and the governor of Caoyun has shocked the glasses of a place, but let Yue Yang reorganize the sailors and implement a new tax policy, which will make everyone jump to their feet.

As mentioned earlier, Daming is a low-tax country. Yes, you heard it right, in fact, Daming is a low-tax country, Comrade Zhu Yuanzhang personally set the tax rate of thirty taxes and one if it continues to a few hundred years later, all businessmen can laugh so much that they even have to lose their teeth, but the blame is that those businessmen in Daming are not satisfied, they think that they do business to make money with their ability, why should they pay taxes to the imperial court, so these businessmen tried all kinds of ways to evade taxes, it seems that if you don't do this, you are embarrassed to say hello when you go out, Now that the emperor has sent Yue Yang to Shandong to engage in new taxes, isn't this here to grab silver?

So the civil officials who were supposed to spend the New Year at home were all working hard to write in the study, and when it came to the first day of the Lunar New Year, a letter flew into the Forbidden City like snowflakes.

Today is the second day of the Lunar New Year, Chongzhen and Queen Zhou, Tian Guifei, Yuan Guifei and a few children gathered together in Kunning Palace, the family was eating a reunion dinner, and suddenly Wang Chengen came to report that the master of ceremonies had received a large number of concerts, all of which were impeached for the wanton and lawless tampering with the ancestral system, and asked Chongzhen how to deal with it.

Hearing Wang Chengen's report, Chongzhen's face, which originally had a smile on his face, immediately sank. And the children sitting next to him, such as Empress Zhou, Tian Guifei, Yuan Guifei, and the crown prince Zhu Cijiong, Zhu Cixuan, and Princess Zhu Yujiao of Kunxing, were so frightened that they didn't dare to say anything when they saw their father's unhappy face.

"Hmph...... Don't these people even make me feel comfortable during the Chinese New Year? Chongzhen's face gradually became angry: "Take them all in." I'll see who is against the appointment. ”

"Slave obeys!"

Wang Chengen didn't dare to slack off, and soon led two eunuchs to walk in with a basket and put it in front of Chongzhen, looking at the basket full of twists and turns, not only Chongzhen but even Queen Zhou and others gasped.

Chongzhen stood up and walked to the basket, looked at the basket full of pieces, and smiled angrily: "Hehe...... Yue Yang hasn't gone to Shandong to take office yet, so there are so many excerpts to impeach him, if he arrives in Shandong, I don't know what will happen? Let me see who they are. Chongzhen squatted down and began to look through these folds one by one.

"Zuodu Yushi Zhong Jiong, Shangshu Tian Weijia, Cheng Guoxiang, Li Dayong, Chen Buzhi...... Hehe, even Liu Zunxian, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, has also been booked, which is really lively. ”

Even Empress Zhou exclaimed: "Your Majesty, Yue Yang doesn't seem to have offended these people." Why are they all impeaching him one by one? ”

A sneer flashed at the corner of Chongzhen's mouth: "Why?" Yue Yang is going to Shandong to smash some people's jobs, can they not be in a hurry? ”

"Smashing your job?" Empress Zhou was not very familiar with the government and politics, and she was very puzzled after listening to Chongzhen's words.

Seeing Queen Zhou's puzzled appearance, Chongzhen glanced at Wang Chengen. Wang Chengen explained on the side: "Niangniang, the Marquis of Zhongyong went to Shandong to pay grain and apportionment into the mu as an official and gentry, which is no less than robbing their silver, how can these people be willing, naturally impeach him to death, and even more." It is estimated that some people already know that Hou Ye Yue is going to Shandong to reopen the sea ban, and these people are now estimated to have eaten Hou Ye's thoughts, let alone impeach him. ”

Zhu Yujiao, who was on the side, stared at her beautiful big eyes and asked curiously: "Wang Daban, father, and mother, since my father has decided to send ...... Send that Yueyang to Shandong on an errand. This should be beneficial to both the country and the people, but why are those officials so afraid of the opening of the sea ban and the implementation of the ban on taking food as an errand and paying for food? ”

"This ......"

Now it was Queen Zhou's turn and Chongzhen looked at each other and smiled bitterly, they couldn't explain the selfishness and sinister of people's hearts in detail to their twelve-year-old daughter.

Seeing that her father and mother smiled bitterly and didn't speak, Zhu Yujiao couldn't help but curl her mouth. In her young and simple heart, she thought that since her father and mother had promised her to Yue Yang, she was Yueyang's person, and it was wrong for those people to treat Yue Yang like this now.

Then. The crown prince Zhu Cijiong, who was sitting next to him, said to Zhu Yujiao with a smile: "Sister, didn't my father already marry you to that loyal and brave marquis?" Now they're going to deal with your husband. ”

Seeing Zhu Cijiong smiling so strangely, Zhu Yujiao was embarrassed, blushed slightly, and then widened her eyes and said to Zhu Cijiong: "If you say it again, I won't take you to play this time!" ”

Zhu Cijiong was really a little afraid of his own Zhu Yujiao, and when he saw that his sister was angry, he grinned and stopped saying nothing.

At this moment, Cao Huachun, the eunuch of the celebrant and eunuch, walked in from outside and bowed to Chongzhen and the others, saying, "Long live Lord Qiyu, the Marquis of Zhongyong sent someone to ask for a meeting outside the palace,"

"The Marquis of Zhongyong sent someone, who did he send over, could it be that what happened?" As soon as Chongzhen heard that Yue Yang had sent someone to ask for a meeting outside, they were all slightly startled and hurriedly asked.

Cao Huachun replied: "The one who asked to see him outside was the Tang Hu Tang who was stationed in the capital by the Marquis of Zhongyong, and I heard that Lord Tang came to give gifts on the order of the Marquis Yue, and this is the gift list he sent. ”

"What, gift-giving!"

As soon as they heard this, the faces of Chongzhen's family immediately became strange, how could this Yue Yang come over as a gift for the New Year, what did he want to do?

Chongzhen didn't speak, but Tian Guifei on the side couldn't help but burst out laughing, she covered her mouth and smiled: "Gonggong Cao, you read this gift list to the big guy, I have heard that this loyal and brave marquis is known as the rich in the world, I want to see what dowry he sent to our concubine." ”

"Yes!"

Cao Huachun took out the gift list from his sleeve, cleared his throat and began to read: "The New Year's gift from the Governor of Xuanda and the Loyal and Yong Marquis Yueyang to Princess Kunxing, 500,000 silver dollars, 3,800 taels of gold, three teams of jade Ruyi, 20 pairs of large glass mirrors at the bedside, 100,000 quintals of polished rice, 300 pieces of silk, and 50 pieces of various clothes......"

Cao Huachun read it for half an hour before he finished reading these gift lists, but everyone present was stunned. knew that Cao Huachun hadn't come back to his senses for a while after reading it. Concubine Liangjiutian exclaimed: "My good man, this congratulatory gift is not light, it can fill several inner libraries." Speaking of this, Tian Guifei smiled at Zhu Yujiao and said, "Yujiao, it seems that you, the future concubine, really love you, otherwise you would never be willing to send so many things to you." ”

Zhu Yujiao was ashamed, looking at her little face blushing like a cute little apple, Chongzhen and the others also laughed, Zhu Cijiong and several other boys were even jumping up around Zhu Yujiao and laughing: "Oh...... Oh...... My sister wants to be a bride...... My sister wants to be a bride! ”

At this time, Zhu Yujiao was so ashamed that she buried her head in Queen Zhou's arms, and she didn't dare to raise her head again.

Yuan Guifei, who had not spoken, also laughed and said, "As the saying goes. Men are afraid of entering the wrong line of business, women are afraid of marrying the wrong man, as long as this girl marries the right person, she will have everything, you see that our family has not yet married, this congratulatory gift is so much, this will not be the dowry gift sent by the Marquis of Zhongyong, right? Gee...... This dowry is a lot, so that my sister and the Tian family are envious to death. ”

How could Zhu Yujiao withstand such a joke from Yuan Guifei at such a young age, not only her face was small, but even the roots of her ears were blushing, and she lay dead in Queen Zhou's arms and refused to look up again.

Chongzhen raised his hand. Cao Huachun, who was on the side, hurriedly handed him the gift list, and said with praise in his mouth: "Congratulations to the emperor, congratulations to the emperor, this marquis is really generous, don't you see that the car giving the gift is lined up from the palace gate to half a mile away." Now the whole capital is in a sensation. ”

Seeing that Chongzhen was already a little sluggish, Wang Chengen stepped forward and whispered in Chongzhen's ear: "Your Majesty...... The Emperor ......"

After screaming twice, Chongzhen came back to his senses: "Ah...... What's going on? ”

Wang Chengen asked, "Your Majesty, Gonggong Cao asked you." What should I do with those congratulatory gifts outside the palace? ”

"Let people transport it to the inner library immediately, and transport it to the inner library!"

At this time, Chongzhen's voice trembled a little, it had been so many years. His inner library has always been only in and out, and the warehouse of the Internal Affairs Office has long been empty enough to run mice, and now there is finally an entry, which is not easy, although these things are nominally given to Princess Kunxing, but everyone knows that this is just Yue Yang giving these things to Chongzhen with the help of Princess Kunxing's hand. There is a folk proverb that says that if you have food in your hands, you don't panic in your heart, and the same is true for this emperor. Now that the treasury is empty, Chongzhen, the emperor, can't even speak, if he does anything, the ministers of the court can choke him to death as long as he uses a sentence that the treasury has no silver, and now with the 500,000 silver dollars and 100,000 quintals of grain sent by Yue Yang, Chongzhen can finally breathe a sigh of relief. What's more important is that these things are congratulatory gifts from Yue Yang to Zhu Yujiao, in other words, these things are the private property of the Zhu family, and how they want to use them is the old Zhu family's business, and others can't control it.

Thinking of this, Chongzhen had a feeling of raising his eyebrows and puffing up in his heart, it turned out that the feeling of being rich was so cool. 500,000 silver dollars, how much can be done with that.

Thinking of this, Chongzhen suddenly remembered one thing, and said to Cao Huachun: "By the way, those polished rice are also transported to Taicang and put away, and no one is allowed to move without my will, understand?" ”

"Yes...... Slave maid understands! Cao Huachun knew what Chongzhen meant, now the official warehouse is so empty that rats can run out in tears, if you don't put these grains away quickly, it is estimated that Cheng Guoxiang will have to kill Cheng Guoxiang like a shark who asks about the smell of blood.

"By the way, except for the silver dollars and grain, the rest of the things should be moved into the palace, and they will all be moved to Fengyang Pavilion, this is a gift from the Marquis of Zhongyong to Yu Jiao." Chongzhen, who suddenly got a windfall, was in a good mood and also made a joke about his daughter.

"Eh, father, you are necrotic, you are talking about people like this!" Zhu Yujiao was teased one after another, and in a hurry, she ran to Chongzhen's side, grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously, making Chongzhen laugh......

Although the court was turbulent, but the initiator of Yue Yang was not alarmed, after returning to Shanxi, he returned to Hunyuan Prefecture, saw the family who had not seen him for several months, after telling the pain of parting, he called Hai Lanzhu, Linglong sisters and Wang Yue, Dong Xiaowan and Li Xiangjun and several other wives and concubines to the study, and told them that Chongzhen was going to marry the princess.

After listening to Yue Yang's words. Yulong couldn't help but exclaim: "Xianggong, if the princess marries into our Hou Mansion, then ...... What about Sister Hai Lanzhu? Do you want to ...... To ......"

"What do you want?" Yue Yang was angry and funny, and tapped lightly on Yulong's little head, and scolded with a smile, "Do you think I'm the kind of person who climbs the dragon and attaches the phoenix?" Hai Lanzhu is my wife, this will not change no matter what, the emperor said, after the princess marries and Hai Lanzhu, there is no size, I just hope you can help the princess more, after all, she is just a simple little girl. For the sake of her father's order, she had to marry me in this domain, so let's take care of her, so that the emperor won't say that we bullied his daughter, do you think that's the truth. ”

Yulong, who knocked his head on Yueyang, was not angry, but said with a smile: "Xianggong, I heard that this princess is only twelve years old this year, and the emperor is going to marry her to you, he is too anxious, right?" ”

"He's not in a hurry, he's scared!" Yue Yang sighed lightly. "Now that the Ming Dynasty is full of bandits, the imperial court's finances are almost collapsing, and it has lost control over many places. That's why he let go of his grudge against me and married the princess to me. In order to get our support. ”

Speaking of this, Hai Lanzhu suddenly asked, "Did the prime minister ever think about replacing him?" ”

After listening to Hai Lanzhu's words, the faces of the surrounding women, including Linglong, Wang Yue, Dong Xiaowan and Li Xiangjun, changed a little, and people in this era are still very in awe of imperial power. Now that I heard Hai Lanzhu openly ask her father-in-law to judge the chair, even if they were married to Yue Yang, they were also taken aback.

"Instead?" Yue Yang smiled and shook his head: "Maybe that chair is a supreme honor for many people. But to be honest, I don't think so. You don't want to think about it, even if Xianggong really sits on that chair, will he be happier than now? Have you not seen what kind of day the emperor lived in the palace, every day at five o'clock in the morning (five o'clock in the morning) you have to get up ugly (one o'clock in the middle of the night) to sleep, what you have to do every day is to keep reviewing and folding, such days I just think about it I feel shuddering, I still be more comfortable when I am the Marquis. ”

"That's it!" Hearing Yue Yang say this, the Linglong sisters and Wang Yue and the other three daughters couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, for them to rebel against the imperial court is too strict, they are not the kind of ambitious women, for them to be able to accompany their men to live this life in peace and stability.

"When will Xianggong go to Shandong, and who do you plan to take with you?" Soon, Hai Lanzhu raised another question that all women were concerned about.

"Hmm...... Although the emperor has given me the post of governor of Shandong, I can't lose it here, Hai Lanzhu, you have to stay here and watch our belongings, and the Linglong sisters have to take care of the family's business. This time I'll go to Shandong with Yue'er, Xiangjun and Xiaowan. ”

Soon Yue Yang made a decision, Hai Lanzhu and the other three daughters had no objection to this decision, Shanxi is Yueyang's old nest, so naturally he has to leave the most trusted person to take care of the house, no one is more suitable than Hai Lanzhu. The salt shops, farms, and factories and workshops in Yingzhou Prefecture managed by the Linglong sisters were their lifeblood, providing Yueyang with an endless supply of silver and food every year, and without them, Yueyang's army of more than 100,000 would become a rootless peace, and it would collapse at any time.

In this way, in late January of the eleventh year of Chongzhen, Yue Yang took 10,000 troops through Hebei, and drove into Jinan, the capital of Shandong, and the officials of Jinan City collectively went out of the city to greet each other, welcomed Yue Yang into the yamen of the governor of Jinan, and invited Yue Yang to the largest restaurant in Jinan at night Hongyanju to pick up the wind and wash the dust for him, and Yue Yang also readily agreed.

At night, Yue Yang came to Hongyanju under the protection of hundreds of guards, and at this time, all the people in Jinan City who had a little head and face were waiting in the restaurant for a long time.

"Marquis Yue, this Shandong envoy Ma Ke, this is Shandong General Soldier Liu Zeqing, this is Shandong Political Envoy Ke Zhennan, this is the commander of the capital Lu Zhili, this is ......"

With the continuous introduction of the people on the side, after Yue Yang turned around, he could be regarded as a preliminary acquaintance with these colleagues who would deal with in the future.

After the introduction, Ke Zhennan, the political envoy of Shandong, coughed lightly, and the restaurant that was originally still whispering immediately quieted down, Ke Zhennan said loudly: "Everyone, we are here today to wash the dust for the famous Marquis Yue, and now please ask for the instructions of Marquis Yue!" Marquis Yue, please! ”

After speaking, Ke Zhennan smiled and gestured to Yue Yang.

Yue Yang nodded, he looked around at the dozens of officials at all levels in the restaurant and said lightly: "Everyone, Ben Hou came to Shandong on an errand by order, as for what kind of errand he is doing, everyone must have already known, so Ben Hou will no longer talk nonsense, Ben Hou will explain here first, Ben Hou is not here to embarrass everyone, please don't let Ben Hou embarrass you, otherwise Ben Hou will also make you very difficult!" ”

Speaking of this, the faces of the people present began to change...... (To be continued......)