Ten days after Suo Na Jin Fu's holy decree, he arrived in Qingjiang. Since July, the middle river of Luoma Lake has been opened for irrigation, and all the counselors and officials of the Qingjiang River Governor's Office have been dispatched to Andong to watch the ceremony. Since there is a canal, except for the beginning of the Ming Dynasty Chen Xuan digging and clearing, there has never been such a huge project, along the bank of the Yellow River 180 miles, gathered hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, it took five years, the cost of countless coins, this last project along the river was finally completed, Jin Fu pressed a big stone on the chest finally removed, and Chen Huang, Feng Zhiren, Peng Xueren and several other subordinates shaved their heads and shaved their faces one by one, full of brightness, and got off the boat and boarded the embankment to look north. I saw that the ink-like stone embankment was densely packed, and the people on both sides of the canal who could not see the end came to watch the irrigation of the middle river. Chen Huang saw at a glance that the bitter gourd old man was wearing a new blue cloth shirt, and he was standing in the nearby crowd with his son and grandson, so he paced over and said with a smile: "Old yellow head, I haven't seen you for a long time, and I can't drink your big bowl of tea as soon as this river worker is harvested!" ”

"It's Master Chen!" The yellow bitter gourd was full of smiles, and he hurriedly called Qian'er to ask for peace, and said, "I went to the Shanyang construction site to boil water last year, you are always busy, although you have passed there, I didn't dare to alarm you." In the past few years, I have saved some silver in the river work, and our lords have already discussed, so we will do the boat business, selling porcelain from Luoma Lake to Nanjing, and the river will be exempted from walking in the Yellow River as soon as the river is opened, which is not the merit of Lord Jin and the lord? Chen Huang just wanted to ask him why he didn't grow crops, but suddenly remembered the matter of Tuntian, so he swallowed, and only smiled: "It's not bad to do business, and selling porcelain is also a profitable livelihood." The son of the yellow bitter gourd didn't buy Chen Huang's account, and said with a sneer: "If we return the dry land, the turtle grandson will want to do business!" ”

Chen Huang was stunned by him, and was about to speak, when he heard the firecrackers on the side of the Guangji Gate upstream, which had already opened the gate to release water, and the water of the Yellow River roared into the middle river, rolling up the wood chips and grass blades under the riverbed. Migrant workers on both sides of the strait cheered and threw their dustpans, baskets, and hats into the air. The excited migrant workers blushed, some shouted "Zhonghe is open", some shouted "Amitabha", and some shouted "Long live the emperor Laozi"! It sounded like a pot of porridge. Chen Huang's unhappiness disappeared without a trace in an instant, walked quickly to Jin Fu, and excitedly pulled Jin Fu's sleeve and shouted: "The water is coming, the water is coming!" Look, my lord, it's half a slot! Just on the boat! ”

Jin Fu smiled from ear to ear, just staring at the slowly rising Zhonghe, and was reluctant to leave for a long time: "I owe you and I owe you!" Thanks to Lao Feng and Lao Peng! Ten years of hard work finally have a result - I will definitely protect you to the emperor! ”

"I don't want to be an official!" Chen Huang stood on the river embankment, Ren Qiufeng lifted the hem of his robe, and somehow he suddenly remembered Ah Xiu, who had worked hard for half his life, and spent all his efforts on the soil under his feet and the water flowing in the river. After a long time, Chen Huangfang sighed, "My "River Defense Narrative" is still a draft, and I haven't had time to revise it all these years. Two strings of tears burst out of his eyes as he spoke. Feng Zhiren and Peng Xueren rewarded the four top products last year, and they were enthusiastic about being officials, but they ignored his thoughts, and only said happily: "...... If Taiwan is taken down, it will be Haiyan, the river must be clear, the Haiyan River will be clear and the world will be peaceful, and we will be able to enjoy a few years of happiness! "The river can't be considered clear," Chen Huang interjected and said with a smile, "The Yellow River, as long as there are many kinds of grass and trees in the Ganshan area, it will definitely be really clear!" ”

As he was talking, he saw the Goshha horse galloping along the embankment, and gasped: "Jin Zhongcheng, Jingli Yithan Ashangshu is here, because he can't wait in the yali, he has already come over in a sedan chair, and he will call the little one first." ”

"Didn't you say anything?" Jin Fu was stunned and asked.

"Said that there is a will," replied Goshha, "and he did not dare to ask what was a small will." ”

Jin Fu looked into the distance, and saw the Huanglong umbrella cover coming with a sedan chair of eight people, busy dressing up and preparing to pick up the Qin errand, and turned around and smiled Chen Huang: "The emperor must have received the opening of the Zhonghe River, and he specially chose to release water today to issue the edict." You don't want to be an official, but you're afraid that wealth and nobility will force you! At this moment, the sedan chair has been slowly falling under the embankment, Ethan Aha waist down, step by step solemnly on the embankment, the people nearby have long been driven away, but no one wants to look at such a pomp, only a thick wall of people from afar, looking at this side blankly.

"Jin Fu takes the order!" Ethana went up to the embankment, tired and a little out of breath, but he calmed down and preached loudly.

"Minister Jin Fu respectfully listens to the holy oracle," Jin Fu knelt down with the co-signers and others, because he saw Isan A's face, he couldn't help but wonder in his heart, "Knock long live Jin'an!" ”

"St. Ann!" Ethan Alangsheng said, "There is a purpose to ask Jin Fu, among the 40,000 hectares of Erhe Gongtuntian, how much of the main dry land is occupied?" Eryan goes down to the river to clamp the embankment, which can prevent the backflow of seawater, and the seawater is still backflowing, what is the reason? Jin Fu played back according to the truth! ”

As soon as he asked, his tone was not good, Jin Fu was stunned for a while, stared at Isan Ah for a long time, and then kowtowed and replied: "About one-third of the tuntian originally belonged to the owner's field, and it was temporarily used as a tuntian to raise the river, waiting for the landlord to redeem it." There is still a tail work on the embankment of the lower river, so there is backflow from time to time on the tide, which is no longer a big harm, and after the completion of the supervision of Rongchen, it can be ensured that it is safe......" Isan Ah nodded and said: "Since this is played, Ben Chin has turned from the present generation to the saint. The holy decree asked: Jin Fu sent Mingzhu Bing Jing in the summer of the 19th year of Kangxi[1]

Twenty thousand taels, but there are any? Where did the silver come from? Er Jin Fu replied according to the truth, if there is deception, then Er's sin is unforgivable! This question was like a thunderbolt on a sunny day, and Jin Fu's face became scorched. At that time, Mingzhu was involved in the treasury because of the shortage of silver from his protégé Folun, and wrote a letter to borrow 20,000 silver from Hegong. Jin Fu and Peng Xueren discussed, and took out 20,000 yuan from the surplus silver of Quy Nhon Causeway and sent it, which was also a matter of helplessness, and they didn't want the emperor to ask it. Jin Fu was shocked like thunder, Mu Ran kowtowed and replied: "This matter is difficult to escape the emperor's insight, it is really a slave who borrowed the pearl from the surplus silver of the river worker, but it is not Bing Jing, ask the emperor to see it!" ”

"Hmm." After Isan Ah finished asking, he sat down because he saw someone move a chair from the boat, changed his smile and said, "Gong Jin, you are outside, I don't know that the situation has changed." Mingzhu has been raided on the eighth day of September. When it comes to you, the emperor can't help but ask. When I arrived at the Yaya, I realized that the river work had been completed, and it was really good. The past is the fault, the merit is the merit, the emperor will not lose you. For the above two items, I'm afraid you will have to go to Beijing with your brother to explain to the emperor in person. However, the fact that Tuntian went down to the river was that the footman misused the bandits, so as to disturb the people and make a big mistake. Please Gong Jin deal with it immediately at this moment, and my brother will naturally speak for you when he returns to Beijing. ”

Jin Fu was already stunned, stunned for a long time, and asked, "Who to deal with, who is the bandit?" ”

"Chen Huang!" Without thinking, Ethana immediately replied, "Isn't he the one who initiated Tuntian?" It's really a villain of the sick people of the beetle country! A villain is talented, but a gentleman is not talented! ”

Jin Fu's face turned pale, the green tendons on his forehead twitched violently, his mouth tightened, and a dry laugh burst out from between his teeth: "Tuntian to raise the river and lower the river embankment, all of which are borne by me, please send it down!" Peng Xueren straightened up and said, "Yi Zhongtang, this matter has nothing to do with Lord Jin and Chen Huang, I handled it single-handedly!" Feng Zhiren couldn't hold it back, and said loudly: "Please uphold justice, Chen Huangxiang praises the river for his merits, and it is really difficult to convince people to deal with it like this!" Although Peng Xueren is a veteran of officialdom and has always been outspoken and outspoken, Jin Fu still doesn't know what, but Feng Zhiren has always been weak and afraid of things, and he is so righteous and insistent, Jin Fu can't help but be stunned. saw that Chen Huang had slowly taken off the top of his head, held it and handed it to Goshha. His face was as calm as if he had just woken up, and he smiled indifferently: "I have received the love between Jin Zhongcheng and the two, why should everyone get involved?" The river is cured, and I just have to write books idlely, and I am very light without an official. Ask for kindness, I'm nothing! ”

"The emperor said that villains are intertwined, and it is true!" Ethan sneered, "It's really a person who is in trouble, and everyone is in trouble!" That being the case, Brother Jin went back to the Ya to handle the delivery and then came, and these three brothers took it away today! ”

"To whom?" Jin Fu looked at the boundless autumn water in the distance, and asked blankly, his eyes were a little distracted, and even he couldn't figure out whether it was a dream or an illusion at the moment, and what he was thinking.

With a wave of his hand, Isan Ah ordered Chen Huang and the three of them to be put on the flail with yellow coats, put them on Jin Fu's official ship, turned back to Jin Fu and said: "Zihuan take care, my brother will set up wine in Beijing to treat each other, so I will borrow Jin Gong's boat, I will say goodbye - as for taking over as the river governor, it is about Zhenjia Gong, and another Qin sent a decree to him, I am afraid that he will go to the Ya to see things tomorrow!" After speaking, he stepped on the pedal and got on the boat, and chattered a lot, but Jin Fu didn't hear a word.

As soon as the official ship moved, it slowly headed north along the Xinkaizhong River, and the three convicts sat on the side of the cabin with a pleasant expression, and tens of thousands of people watched from the shore, so silent that they coughed and did not hear a phlegm, and there was a heavy pressure in the air, which made people breathless. I don't know who is shouting in a sad voice: "Chen Hebo is coming back, ......" immediately caused a sobbing sound.

Jin Fu rushed to Beijing just in time for the first snow. The snow did not fall very much, but it was like fine white grains of sand, and the brim of the hat rustled, and the wind stirred the snow in the face, and hit the face that was red from the cold. He was a "criminal official", and he didn't want to cause trouble to others, so he went to report to the Ministry of Officials, and then found a clean house to live in Jijiao Hutong, and then received an order from the court, ordering him to hand over the sign tomorrow, and Kangxi met him in the Yangxin Palace. That night, a few friends from the same year came to visit in the snow, and there was still such a favor in the loneliness and desolation, Jin Fu couldn't help but weep gratefully, and talked about the third watch before leaving.

I didn't sleep well all night, but when I woke up the next day, the snow was heavy, and a Beijing city was decorated with ice and jade. Jin Fu was not in the mood to appreciate the snow at all, he ate two bites of breakfast indiscriminately, and he didn't take the official sedan chair, but rented a donkey and rushed to Xihuamen.

As soon as I arrived at Xihuamen, I saw the eldest brother Yinyu coming out of it. I haven't seen him for a few years, and he is already a young man with clear eyebrows. Jin Fu suddenly thought that his mother was Mingzhu's cousin, and hurriedly stepped forward to knock Qian'er and said, "Say hello to Baylor!" ”

"Hmm. Isn't this Jin Fu? Yinhe said with a smile, "Is it to see the emperor?" He's cultivating the Heart Hall right now, go ahead! When Jin Fu still wanted to ask, Yinhe had already left. When he was stunned, the fourth elder brother Yinzhen also came out of it, but he also knew Jin Fu. Yin Zhen was twelve years old, with a chubby face, looking very honest, and when he saw Jin Fu standing, he stopped and said, "It's Jin Fu!" It's a cold day, what do you see? As he spoke, his dark eyes flashed. It's the fourth master! Jin Fu hurriedly saluted, "It's the eldest brother who goes out." So early, where are you going? ”

"How do you know that since the age of five, we have been studying in it every day on the fourth watch, and we have just finished studying at this time." Yin Zhen said that he was about to leave, and then stopped and asked, "I heard that Mingzhu's case implicated you, but is it true?" Seeing that Yinzhen was so concerned, Jin Fu couldn't help but feel hot in his heart, and hurriedly bowed his head and replied: "It's always the officials who are not careful, which makes the sky angry." However, what is the crime of the subordinates, they also took the prison temple with an ancient brain. I handed the sign in, wanting to ask the emperor to ......" "You're talking about Chen Huang, right?" Yin Zhen thought for a while and said, "I heard Master Tang Bin talk about it, it seems that he is a talented person, but unfortunately his behavior is not careful. I advise you to leave his business alone, but to explain the matter of you and Mingzhu to the emperor clearly, I'm afraid it's better. ”

Jin Fu shook his head and said, "Back to the fourth master, Jin Fu doesn't dare to betray his friends for peace. Chen Huang is really wronged! Yinzhen smiled and said, "Your heart is not good?" It's just that Chen Huang, you can't save him, he's and-" Speaking of this, Yin Zhen stopped his mouth and looked back at the snow-covered inner palace. In an instant, Jin Fu already understood that someone had actually exposed the past of Chen Huang and Ah Xiu! How can I save it! Just thinking about it, Yin Zhen took a step closer and said with a smile: "You don't have to suspect this person and that person, there are many people who make cheap tongues!" You go to see the emperor, what are the difficulties to come to the Lama Palace to find me, I am not afraid of those messy things, yesterday the Criminal Department got the Jiangnan Science Field that year to make trouble Wu Sidao, I will keep it - both legs are broken, how many crimes he has been punished! Amitabha! "This prince is a Buddha worshipper, and when he said this, he actually put his hands together and recited a word of Buddha in a matter-of-fact manner, and then ordered the sedan chair to leave. Only then did Jin Fu check the card and enter, and went straight to the Heart Cultivation Palace.

About outside the hall, the snow was not very clean, and as soon as he entered the hall, the warm smoke cage was hot, and Jin Fu felt that the snow on his neck was itching and dripping straight into his neck, and he bowed his head and didn't dare to move. When glancing out of the corner of his eye, Gao Shiqi and Suo Etu were both there, and Duansu stood beside Kangxi without saying a word.

"You're here?" There was a rustling sound of paper, and Kangxi "snapped" and said, "Get up and stand over there!" Jin Fu didn't seem to be very stern when he heard Kangxi's tone, and felt a little relieved, so he hurriedly kowtowed and thanked him and stood up, so he dared to look at Kangxi. Kangxi wore a big wool sheepskin coat with a silk surface of Shi Qingjiang, a sea dragon leather satin crown on the case, a black braid with a bright yellow knot, casually coiled around the neck, looking very leisurely and chic, but he ignored Jin Fu, and only said to Suo Etu: "In the Mingzhu case, judging from the twists and turns of Bai Mingjing, things are becoming more and more incomprehensible, and the prince's affairs are mixed up again!" I went to Gubeikou, he entered the court in Beijing, and when I saw that the prince did not perform the courtesy, you were there at the time, but there was one? ”

Suo Etu bowed down and said with a smile: "It's not just that, the crown prince listens to the government, Mingzhu rode a horse until the Longzong Gate came down, and the eldest brother accompanied him." Xiong Cilu was still angry and reprimanded at that time, saying that although the master was not there, he should also respect the national prince, why was he so presumptuous? The slave was not in front of him about this, he listened to what the eunuchs said, and the master knew it as soon as he asked Xiong Dongyuan. Gao Shiqi was secretly amused in his heart, but with righteous indignation on his face, he said: "Corruption and bribery, and then increase the crime of disrespect, Mingzhu is really hateful, and he is categorically unforgivable!" ”

Kangxi paced back and forth with his hands behind his back for two steps, suddenly sneered, stared at Gao Shiqi for a long time, and said: "Mingzhu is unforgivable, are you Gao Shiqi forgivable?" I heard that Mingzhu visited you before you raided your home, what did you say together? There is a plaque on the list of copying the house that you sent the pearl, and it is written 'pastoral love'! Aren't you a pearl party? ”

"Hooray!" Gao Shiqi knelt on the ground with a puff and said, "On the eve of the raid, Mingzhu did ask the minister to mediate in front of Banzai, but the minister did not agree, only asked him to confess his guilt and hand over the stolen goods early, and there was no other word......"

Kangxi pulled out a piece of paper from the thick fold and shook it open. When everyone looked at it, they saw that the word "pastoral love" was written on it. Kangxi asked coldly, "What do you say?" Minister of Transportation, Punbi is a traitor, with an identity like you, why are you holding the stinky feet of the pearl? Gao Shiqi was so panicked that he kowtowed and replied: "Back to the master's words, Mingzhu asked for words at that time, and it was difficult for the slave to refuse." Master, please take a closer look, these two words are really 'receiving', and they are also extremely helpless...... "Kangxi was slightly stunned, carefully examined, the cursive "Mu Ai" was written like a dragon and a phoenix, judging from the strokes, it really looked like a "receiving" of accepting bribes, and couldn't help but smile and said: "You are a dog who is used to scolding, and tell you to escape a level, get out!" After that, he put away his smile and said in a deep voice, "I didn't want to pay attention to the pearl, I didn't expect him to have so many fame behind my back. After reading the book, I don't go to the right place, but I use it to deal with me, damn it! I saw that Bai Mingjing must have been impeached by Mingzhu, and wanted to push his fault to the party struggle. I also underestimate me, didn't Yan Song also get this set at the beginning? Hum! After that, he threw the fold on the table, sat down and took a sip of tea, and suddenly got up and wandered around the room for a few steps, looking very conflicted in his heart, thinking for a long time, he turned his face and shouted outside the hall: "Immediately pass the decree, remove the pearl to lead the guard of the minister, go to the study to walk, and the title of scholar." Stay on duty as a minister and wait! Kangxi, who wanted to kill Mingzhu immediately, changed his mind in an instant, and he had to take another look and think about it again.

Jin Fu moved uneasily, and then he understood that Kangxi was discussing with the minister of the study today how to deal with Mingzhu. Kangxi's exquisite mind surprised him secretly, and he was puzzled by such a light treatment. Just as he was thinking about it, Kangxi turned his face and asked, "Jin Fu, Mingzhu has such a bad record, do you know it?" Jin Futou buzzed, and he knelt down busily, not even knowing what to answer.

"Don't know?" Kangxi said angrily, "I thought you were an honest person, but I didn't expect to live up to my grace so much, it's really chilling!" As he spoke, he threw over a thick notebook, "This is his list of copyists, you see, such a person can be killed or not, what crime should you get?" ”

Jin Fu's face was bloodless, and when he opened it tremblingly, he wrote densely:

List of pearl raiders

There is one palace and twenty-seven pavilions, with a total of 340 rooms. A garden, 2,000 hectares of fields, three pawnshops, 240,000 taels of silver, 21,000 taels of gold in gold inventory, 23,000 silver ingots, 1,000,000 Jingqing, 700,000 Su Qi, 1,700,000 money in the treasury, 10 jade tripods, 10 jade pans, 40 jade Ruyi handles, 400 and 5 inlaid jade Ruyi, 10 sapphires, 5 gold eight treasure screens, 72 silver bowls, 100 pairs of gold inlays, 11 bronze tripods, a mouth of ancient swords, 1,000 orders of Song paper, 451 inkstones, four branches of coral trees are three feet six inches high, A gold-inlaid jade inlaid bell, 5,200 pieces of silk and satin yarn, 26 pieces of white fox skins, 250 pieces of Yuan fox skins, 400 pieces of sable skins, 5 large self-striking bells, 70 small self-striking bells, jewelry, gold and silver, morning pearls, miscellaneous pei, hairpins and other things, a total of 10,000 pieces......

There are also endless items below, listing who gave each item as a gift, with marginal notes. Jin Fu couldn't help but sweat when he saw his name appear three or four times, he didn't know whether he was ashamed or ashamed, shocked or frightened, and after reading it, he lay on the ground for a long time and didn't dare to raise his head.

"Looks like you're still afraid." Kangxi glanced at Suo Etu and Gao Shiqi and said, "There is room for forgiveness." You must know that you can still live if you do evil in heaven, but you can't live if you do evil in yourself! You are a talented person, the river is governed like this, you should have made a meritorious statement, who would have expected you to drill under the command of Mingzhu? When you left Beijing that day, what did I tell you to come? ”

Jin Fu thought of Kangxi's words that he did not doubt the use of people, and thought of the embarrassing situation in which he was sandwiched between the Suo and Ming parties, he couldn't help but sigh, tears burst out of his eyes, kowtowed and choked and said: "It's always the slave who bears the grace of the saint, and I pray that the Lord will punish the crime heavily to maintain the dynasty." But the slave died, and there was also a word to the master, a thousand mistakes, the fault was that the slave was alone, Feng Zhiren and the other three had hard work and no bad deeds......"

"You mean Chen Huang?" Kangxi smiled fiercely, "You are a mud bodhisattva crossing the river, and you have to protect others!" The Mingzhu case is just a temporary dismissal, not a waiver. You have been dismissed, and you are waiting for the grinding survey in Beijing, so you should think more about your own business! Whoever thinks that I am a deceitful master, then wait and see—you all go down! Gao Shiqi, didn't you recommend Zhang Tingyu to enter the study to draft an edict? Call him in tomorrow, and I'll test him for his knowledge and conduct!" Then he lifted the curtain and entered the inner sanctum.

[1]

Bing Jing: In the summer, foreign officials gave Beijing officials two pieces of silver to make up for the lack of money, which was called "Bing Jing".