From Zhangde to Zhending, from Huaiqing to Nanyang, there are rogues everywhere, and there are bandits and horse gangs everywhere where there are no rogues. The price of grain in the city has risen to the point that ordinary people can't afford it at all, and that's it, and it's often impossible to buy grain with silver.

Because of the great drought, the Yellow River, which originally had a lot of water, also slowly dried up, except for the middle section of the river, the rest were only shallows, overgrown with withered grass and reeds, and the cold wind continued to rise and fall there.

The reed stalls were full of frozen corpses, men, women and children, the color of the corpses had turned black, the clothes on their bodies had long been stripped off, and packs of wild dogs haunted the reed stalls, dragging people's internal organs everywhere, and when they saw the cavalry that appeared on the embankment, the wild dogs did not scatter in shock, but grinned at the cavalry.

Looking at the corpses that were eaten by wild dogs, the cavalry of the Liaodong Army choked in their throats, and everyone's hearts were in pain.

Cao Bianjiao looked at it in a daze, and for a long time, he let out a long breath

Jingshi, East Factory.

Since Gusu came back, Cao Huachun has eaten and lived in Dongchang, and he will not go anywhere, unless the emperor is called, he will never enter the palace. Uncle Cao Xuan sent a letter to say that the old lady was sick, he thought it was not a serious illness, and he was busy for a while before visiting, Cao Xuan urged several times in a row, Cao Huachun only took the emperor's order to push the blame, but after three days, the old lady returned to the west with her life.

Thinking of his grandmother's kindness, Cao Huachun regretted it, condoled and cried bitterly, scolded his uncle so much that he was scolded, he should undertake the funeral for the old lady, but now it is inseparable, the old lady's affairs should be put aside first, so he asked the hometown to store the old lady's coffin in the Zhihua Temple, and chose the opportunity to mourn.

On this day, an old acquaintance Zhou Yingbi sent 40,000 taels of silver, saying that he wanted to ask Cao Huachun to help one or two old people in Beijing, Cao Huachun was wondering who Zhou Yingbi said about the old man, Jia Hong, the head of the East Factory, came in and said with a smile: "Factory father, my hometown came to play with two friends who played together, and they came all the way from Jiangnan to meet the factory father." These days, I have been busy with state and family affairs, and I have not dared to disturb them, and I have been ordering them to wait for the letter. ”

"Who?" Cao Huachun looked up and asked.

Jia Hong heard that he did not categorically refuse to see him, and said with a smile: "The factory father has met with one person, and the other person may have heard of it." ”

Cao Huachun frowned and said, "Just say it!" There is no one else here, what are you worried about in the yamen of the East Factory, such a flickering statement? ”

"Yes, yes..."Jia Hong didn't dare to flicker anymore, and hurriedly said: "One is called Dong Tingxian, and the other is called Wu ......."

Before he could say anything, Cao Huachun interrupted him, "It's Wu Changshi, right?" Both of them are guests of Zhou Yanru's mansion, and you let them into the city six days ago, hum..."

"Factory ......" Jia Hong's legs were weak, he didn't expect Cao Huachun to know about it, and he was terrified, "The factory is very reliable, and they are in a hurry to see the factory father, so they will call the shots...... This is their filial piety......" he said, taking out a silver ticket from his sleeve and respectfully presenting it.

Cao Huachun saw that it was a 3,000 taels of silver ticket, with the words "Jingshi Pingyao Pigment Hall Shanxi Rishengchang Laohao", which was issued by the most famous money village in Beijing, and after frowning the state, he took the income into his arms and asked: "What are they looking for our family?" ”

"There are many people here, and it is not the place to visit, so please condescend to meet the factory father." Jia Hong was a little embarrassed, showing that the person who asked for it wanted to meet Cao Huachun in person.

"You go back and get ready, and I'll be there later."

Cao Huachun was proud of his noble status, and he was unwilling to go with Jia Hong, and besides, it would be a few thousand taels of silver, which must be a confidential matter, so he naturally added more caution. Now Wang Dehua and Gao Qiqian are staring at him for the affairs of Jiangnan, even Wang Chengen also wants to intervene, he, the eunuch of the Admiral Dongchang, has a hard time, so he should be careful in everything, so as not to end up with his tongue.

After dark, Cao Huachun changed into civilian clothes, and went to the place that Jia Hong said under the protection of several Dongchang fans, just entered the gate, Jia Hong, Wu Changshi, and Dong Tingxian were already standing in the door, Cao Huachun just got off the sedan chair, and the three of them gathered around him together, and greeted him and hugged him into the hall.

Dong Tingxian presented the red gift list, which was mostly gold, silver and jewelry, Cao Huachun didn't look at it carefully, took it carefully, and asked: "Xinkui, why do you need to spend so much, we and Zhou Ge Lao are not outsiders, what is it." ”

Dong Tingxian said with a smile: "The elder of the pavilion has not seen his father-in-law for a long time, and he misses it very much, so he specially sent the two of us to ask my father-in-law for peace, where is there anything wrong." Besides, there are big things, and when I get to my father-in-law, big things will turn small things into nothing. ”

"You've lifted it, we don't have the ability to call the wind and rain." Cao Huachun knew that he was trying his best to flatter, but he felt that he was useful, and he smiled, "Right now, the Central Plains is making trouble, you have come all the way to get it, and we have received it." ”

Wu Changshi arched his hand and said: "My father-in-law's eyes are really like torches, we do have one thing for you to worry about." My father-in-law is far away in Beijing, and he lives in Da Nei, have you heard of anything in Jiangnan? ”

Cao Huachun's heart suddenly burst into his heart, and he said: "Our family has been in Beijing recently, where can we take care of the affairs of Jiangnan?" ”

"Mr. Qian Muzhai, a famous man in Jiangnan, can your father-in-law remember?" Wu Changshi reminded.

"Why don't you remember? Back then, our family saw him arguing with Elder Wen Ge in the palace, and his face turned pale...... Besides, when our family entered the inner study hall, the husband came from his disciple, so our family was actually a disciple. Thinking of visiting Qian Qianyi at Yunyan Temple in Huqiu in Gusu four years ago, after Qian Qianyi knew his intention, the trace of fear and panic in his eyes that could not be concealed, and he couldn't help sneering in his heart.

Wu Changshi didn't know that Cao Huachun had been staring at Jiangnan for the past two years, and when he heard him say kindly, he was busy and grateful: "If Mr. Muzhai hears his father-in-law's words, he will be overjoyed. It's just that he has recently been framed, riddled with lawsuits, and is at a loss. ”

"Oh?" Cao Huachun was surprised: "Mr. Mu Zhai is all over the world, why dare to provoke him?" ”

"Naturally, he is a big man." Wu Changshi deliberately looked out, and then lowered his voice and said: "This person is extremely powerful, although he is in the capital division, but which of the Jiangnan affairs is not controlled by him behind the scenes?" I really can't afford to mess with it! Needless to say, Mr. Mu Zhai is just a waiter of the Ministry of Rites who has resigned from his post and returned to his hometown, which is the six Shangshu of the current dynasty, which one is not only a promise, dare to have half a complaint! ”

"What you said turned out to be Elder Wen Ge, and I can't complain about being so careful. The two have a deep grudge, but Mr. Mu Zhai lives in seclusion in Jiangnan and writes books for his own entertainment, how can he have anything to do with Wen Ge Lao? Wu Changshi said so much, Cao Huachun no longer knew that the person in Lu Dao was Wen Tiren, and he, the governor of Dongchang, really lived in vain.

"Four years ago, at the Tiger Hill Conference, Mr. Mu Zhai and his disciple Qu Shiyun came, and Wen Ge Lao must have been afraid that he would make a comeback with the help of the power of the Restoration Society, so he instigated Zhang Hanru in Changshu to sneer and escort Mr. Mu Zhai and Qu Shiyun to Beijing and put them in the prison of the Criminal Department."

"Oh, we don't know about it yet." Cao Huachun secretly admired Wen Tiren's old and spicy methods, and asked quietly: "What evidence did they collect?" ”

"Not afraid of clear opinions, not afraid of clear discussions, sucking people's blood, feeding the country, controlling the government, turbidizing official comments, and so on, there are no less than 58 articles. Zhang Hanru is the master of the Yamen, and fabricating accusations is his forte. ”

"How far has this come about?"

"Yingtian Governor Zhang Guowei and Inspector Lu Zhenfei both defended Mr. Mu Zhai's grievances, and Mr. Mu Zhai also had two tricks in prison, but they were all pressed down by Wen Tiren, and they couldn't reach the emperor's hands."

"Well, I know everything about this, it's not a big deal, you two go back first, pass the word to Mr. Mu Zhai, and teach him to rest assured." Cao Huachun said, took out a stack of silver tickets from his sleeve, pushed them in front of Wu Changshi and Dong Tingxian, and said: "This is the 40,000 taels of silver that you entrusted Zhou Yingbi to give us a few days ago. ”

"This, this...... How to make it? "Rao is Wu Chang's timing has changed, and he has also experienced many years in the officialdom, but he is also unspeakable and embarrassed.

Jia Hong grabbed the silver ticket, stuffed it into their hands, and persuaded: "Since the factory has agreed, you can go with confidence." The two hesitated and looked at Cao Huachun blankly.

Cao Huachun said with a smile: "We also have something to ask Mr. Mu Zhai, ask him to write a Shinto inscription for Mrs. Tai with a big stroke of the pen, and mourn with a stone." In this way, the power should be evened out, and there is no debt to each other. ”

Wu Changshi and Dong Ting were full of joy, nodded again and again, and left with a thousand thanks

Early the next morning, Cao Huachun got the inscription written by Qian Qianyi overnight. Qian Qianyi was imprisoned, and there was nowhere to dispel his grief and grievances, so he took this opportunity to spit out the block in his chest, and wrote the inscription with emotion, sadness and poignancy, Cao Huachun read it emotionally, as if his grandmother who had just died was in front of him, and he couldn't help but cry. was crying, a little eunuch rushed in and said, "Long live the lord's mouth, Lord Xuan will enter the palace immediately." ”

Cao Huachun hurried to the palace and entered the Dongnuan Pavilion, Chongzhen didn't wait for him to bow to him, so he threw a piece of paper in front of him and said, "Cao Huachun, you are getting more and more promising." Stretching out your hand is 40,000 taels of silver, what a big spirit! ”

Cao Huachun hurriedly picked up the piece of paper from the ground, it turned out to be an anonymous post, and hurriedly read it from beginning to end, which said that Qian Qianyi used 40,000 taels of silver to "hit Cao Wen", and when he was in a cold sweat, he knelt down and kowtowed: "The slave and maid have no such lawlessness, it must be a traitor who maliciously framed him, long live Lord Mingjian!" ”

"You won't be ignorant of this truth."

Chongzhen's face was gloomy, and his voice was very stern. Cao Huachun thought carefully about Zhou Yingbi's silver ticket and returned it yesterday, I don't know what went wrong, it will leak to people, and I want the emperor to reveal the post, it is really a great grace, it is necessary to take advantage of the emperor's doubts, carefully dissect it, he stabilized his mind, and asked softly: "Slave and maid, where did this unveiling come from?" ”

"Mr. Wen played it."

"The unveiling post clearly stated that the slave and maid were impeached according to the head of the Wang Domain, but the slave and maid couldn't remember, who was the Wang Domain? The old rain and the new knowledge that the slave and maid knew, there is not a person with this name. It's amazing that this man spoke as if he had seen it with his own eyes! ”

Cao Huachun scratched his head and thought about it for a long time, feeling that this matter was too strange and there were many doubts, but when he sorted it out, it was chaotic, and he didn't know where to start

Write a few paragraphs of other things, it's not good to keep staring back, it's too bad, alas, let's hurry up and compete with the full tartars.