The 100,000-strong army left Yangguan in the west, like a stick stirring a pool of stagnant water, and the six departments in Beijing immediately became busy. If you don't raise troops and don't fight, you can do anything that is tight calmly. As soon as the soldiers and horses moved, all kinds of problems were suddenly revealed. As soon as Yin arrived in Shaanxi, he immediately reported to the imperial court, where the water was already thin and frozen, and the frost was everywhere, and he wanted the household department to quickly send 100,000 winter clothes. Yinzhen took Ma Qi to check the warehouse, the cotton and cloth in the warehouse were piled up like mountains, and there were also wadding, but when they were lifted out to dry the wind, their hands were broken. Yin Zhen was surprised, and hurriedly went to the arsenal of the military department to check the weapons, which is also a general situation, boxes of ** are damp, and the weapons are still bright and dazzling because they are oiled, but the guns, knife handles, and arrows are all rotten and unusable. Shaanxi and Gansu then reported that the one million stone grains sent were all returned by the general Wang Yin. As soon as the minister of the study and Yinzhen were surprised, they received a report from Yin's 600 li to step up, saying that Shi Jun, the governor of Ganshan and Shaanxi, was stubborn and blunt, derelict in his duties, and used moldy grain to perfunctory the army, and the forage was unbearable. In the middle of the emperor's office, the household bank has been exhausted - not that there is no silver, but the silver is lent out and cannot be retrieved - the internal affairs office transferred documents from Zhili, Fengtian and other places, and they are also anxious to ask for silver, saying that the five taels of silver allocated by each household of the families of the soldiers who went out on the expedition have not been settled so far. said impassionedly, "Please ask the fourth master to play the saint, the soldiers are on an expedition to the bloody battlefield, life and death are uncertain, and his wife is leaning on the door to look." There is no rice to cook at home, and there are few people to keep out the cold clothes, how can the soldiers in front of them kill the enemy with peace of mind? ”

"It all matters," Yinzhen has been living in the military department, and has been busy non-stop for more than a month, and he is tired and tired. After receiving the file transferred by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Yinzhen was furious, threw it at the case angrily, and said: "Today's matter is leaking from all sides, and it is out of breath in all directions, this mission is really difficult to do!" ”

Ma Qi, Shi Shilun, and You Mingtang all sat on the side, seeing that he had a temper, but there was nothing to comfort: the war was originally a matter of merit in the front, but it was difficult in the rear, and it was not obvious that he was tired to death. If Yinzhen had been cleared up at the beginning, he would not have been so constrained at all. Seeing that Yinzhen's hair was more than an inch long in front of his forehead and he didn't care to shave, everyone cast a pity on him. You Mingtang sighed: "It's difficult to do things! In fact, each household in the flag camp has to pay five taels of silver, saying that it is the family members of the conscripts, but in fact, where do they really pity their subordinates? They wanted the 100,000 taels of fire. ”

"Don't talk about it." Ma Qi saw that Yinzhen's face was pale, and he became more and more angry that he had nothing to say, and reluctantly smiled, "Zhengyi, I have already called the Zhili civil system to send away, and the weapon is being repaired, so I don't miss the thing ahead." Food is not worried, and some of them are just not able to be transported for a while. The grain from Shanxi and Henan was rescued when it was transported. The biggest headache at the moment is money, and the list of 1.2 million yuan released by Guangdong yesterday has arrived. In my opinion, there is no need to come to Beijing, and the commander of the military department is called to deduct it, so he will directly transfer it from Luoyang to the fourteenth master, and it will be over. As he spoke, Yinzhen's brows gradually stretched and he regained his composure. He won't be anxious about these troubles, he is angry, he is busy desperately, Yinxi hugs the stove to taste tea, and reaps the benefits of the fisherman, this loss is too great. You Mingtang also regretted following Tian Chai, and said busily: "What Ma Zhongtang said is true. Now that I only owe more than 400,000 to my family members, it is better to send a notice to calm people's hearts first, saying that this year's local endowment has not yet been collected, and it must be allocated before the end of the year. At that time, Wei Dongting's customs money arrived, and it happened to be reissued...... It's going to be empty and useless. ”

Shi Shilun was silent all the time, and he felt a little strange in his heart: this time the fourteenth elder brother led the troops, and Yinzhen was in charge of the salary, and he encountered so many difficult things, why did Yinzhen always say that it was not a big difficulty every time he saw Kangxi, and refused to invite this Lafayette to come out to solve problems? Seeing that everyone was persuading Yinzhen, Shi Shilun took off his myopia glasses, smoked two puffs of cigarettes, and said, "Fourth master, what they said is right. However, no one can say how long this battle will last, so you still have to think of a long-term solution. In my humble opinion, the provinces have a lot of money and food, and the provinces will directly allocate it to the army for use before the month according to a fixed amount, and those who are wrecked will be dealt with according to military law! For the sake of the court, for the sake of their own lives, fame and future, they also have this power. If we do it as usual, we will be tired and die, and they will still not care about it. ”

"What Lao Shi said is that I have already considered this matter, but I just feel that the distant water does not quench the thirst of the near, so I am in a hurry." Yin Zhen said slowly, "But such a thing has to be handled by request, so I have to alarm the Holy Bow." This will naturally offend the lower head. I'm a mean person anyway. The reputation is outside, the lice are not itchy, and the debts are not worried. Others are afraid of trouble and offending people, but I am not afraid; The money given to the family must be cashed, we have to say a word, and people will believe us! The more than 400,000 pieces of silver are sent and received by the people of Prince Yong's residence, and they should be sent directly. I don't want those black-hearted seeds to detain others! ”

It turned out that he refused to play Kangxi directly, but the fourth master felt sorry for the old man! Several people were Confucian ministers, and they couldn't help but cast admiring glances at Yinzhen. You Mingtang was moved in his heart, and he owed his body and said, "Fourth master, you have such a heart, alas...... Since the fourth master said this, the student still has a strategy, which is only related to the fourth master himself, so he hesitated to say it. ”

"What's this, you Lao You are still ambushing?" Yin Zhen had already gotten up to leave, stood up again, and said with a smile: "You just say it." You Mingtang glanced at Shi Shilun and said, "General Nian Qianyao is a subordinate of the fourth master. He is stationed in Xi'an, and there is money and food in the army! The Fourteenth Master is in such a hurry, so he will allocate some from his camp first, and he will not worry about it immediately. Nian Junmen is now in Beijing, and a handwritten edict is transmitted, and the matter will be done. Yinzhen's eyes flashed, he turned around to take a sip of tea, and said, "When did he enter Beijing?" How did I not know? The last time I went to Beijing to pick up my fourteenth brother, I only walked for more than a month, and I came back again? ”

Shi Shilun looked at Ma Qi uneasily and said, "It's been four days since Nian Junmen came back. Yesterday I came here to find you, you went to Changchun Garden to say hello to Long live. I asked him to wait a while, and then said he was going to have something. What to do when you came back, Nian Junmen didn't say, and I didn't ask. The fourth master sent someone to find him. ”

"I'm not looking for him." Yin Zhen frowned and thought about it, and said coldly, "He is my minion, he should come to see me!" When any of you saw him, he told him what I had said. After that, he jumped the teacup on the table and shouted out: "Prepare a sedan chair for me and go to Changchun Garden!" ”

Days, something has changed. The gray-brown winter clouds moved slowly in the wind, enveloping the tall pheasants in a gloomy place, and the palanquin drivers stepped on the frozen soil on the official road, walking leisurely, making monotonous and rhythmic footsteps. Although he was extremely tired, Yinzhen had no sleep, and looked at the bleak winter scenery outside through the glass sedan window and pondered: A few days ago, I went to ask Kangxi for peace, and Kangxi said: "Although you are in charge of the Internal Affairs Office, don't go to see your brothers." You have many things to do, and you have offended many people, so you have to pay attention to yourself. What does this mean? Could it be that he went to see Yinxiang, but someone really went to the eighth child to offer his courtesy? Otherwise, why did you change the janitor? Although it's not a big deal, if you don't ask for the release of the eldest brother and the second elder brother yourself, what will you think? He knows very well that now the fourteenth elder brother is proud of the spring breeze, but in fact, people know that it is the "eighth master" at the helm, and it is common to rush to lick his ass. It's only this year, Qianyao, running back again and again, and settling with himself, what's wrong? Dai Duo wrote in Zhangzhou, saying that he wanted to ask for a transfer to Taiwan and prepare a way back for himself, and he laughed at him at the time, but now it seems that it is not for nothing......

"It's here!"

The sedan chair drivers outside shouted, waking up Yinzhen who was pondering. He got out of the sedan chair with his waist hunched, and a howling wind wrapped in snowflakes hit his face, which made him shiver. Because he saw Fifth Brother Zhang guarding the gate of the garden, Yinzhen paced over, and was just about to hand over the sign, when he saw Nian Qianyao coming out from a distance, Yinzhen turned his face, shook the cold hand of Fifth Brother, and said with a smile: "This cold day, it is difficult for you to stand on the tuyere - come!" ”

"In!" The soldiers who followed the sedan car hurriedly came up and replied with their hands.

"I have a piece of Tianma leather in my sedan chair, bring it to the fifth brother - and the copper hand stove!"

The fifth brother said with a smile: "The fourth master didn't dare to give up the reward. It's just that I'm a military attaché, and the fourth master can't look like this when he dresses me like this. ”

"That's—the hand stove is it." Yin Zhen smiled, "You are also stupid, what does it matter if the house is warm for a while?" The fifth brother said: "The fourth master goes in, I can't freeze the slave - the old man went in to ask for peace, and when he came out, he asked the fourth master, meaning that he wanted to see you." The slave said that the fourth master is very busy now, and I'm afraid I won't be able to see it! The fourth master of Ke Keer is here. Nian Qianyao stood aside and waited, and it was easy to see that it was a crack, so he hurriedly took a step forward, kowtowed, and said: "Slave Nian Qianyao gave the fourth master a knock on Jin'an!" ”

Yin Zhen turned around at this time, stared at the top of Nian Qianyao's flowering coral, smiled for a while, and said, "Isn't this Nian Junmen?" How can I deserve this gift from you? Get up, get up! ”

"The slave has been in Beijing for five days," Nian Qianyao listened to the wrong voice, where did he dare to move! knocked again and again, "The master has not been in the mansion, and I can't find ...... in the yamen" Yinzhen smiled gloomily and said: "It's hard for your piety, I have to be very busy for a few days!" You can't see me for the time being, go see other brothers first. My house is too narrow to accommodate you, a feudal official. I can't afford to raise what people eat and horses chew. I'll see you in a few days, I'll come and visit! With that, he left the stunned Fifth Brother Zhang and walked away. Nian Qianyao got up after a while, looked at Yinzhen in the distance, his face was blue and gray, he took a long breath, and rode away stupidly.

When Yinzhen arrived at the Ningju residence, Zhang Tingyu sent Fang Bao out. Fang Bao was holding a stack of books under his armpits, and when he saw Yinzhen standing up, he only smiled and said, "The fourth master is here?" Yin Zhen saw that this Confucian who had withdrawn from the study was constantly maneuvering around Kangxi, knowing that he must have confidential matters, but he didn't dare to ask, but he greeted: "Mr. Fang, the older you get, the more energetic you are, and you walk with the wind!" A few days ago, I chatted with a few doormen, and they talked about your "Miscellaneous Notes in Prison", in which the headache of Chen Zhi's treatment of the current evils was vividly exposed, and they all admired it very much, but unfortunately I have been so busy that I have not read it! They said, 'Read his books and see him as a man.'" I said, "What's so hard about that?" I want to ask you to take the time to appreciate the light, you can't throw your face to the ground for me! As he spoke, he walked towards Danqi, and listened to Kangxi's voice inside:

"Is the fourth elder brother here? Come in, it's cold outside! ”

"Yes, Shahama!" Yin Zhen excitedly agreed, hurriedly stepped in, kowtowed to An in a proper manner, and said, "Erchen has a lot of chores these days, and finally has some clues. ”

"Hmm." Kangxi Yuan was half-lying on the big pillow, and when he heard what was going on, he sat cross-legged and said, "It's too hot in this room, you take off your coat, sit and talk, and don't go out for a while to catch a cold." I'm in good spirits! You say—Tingyu, you sit too. Yinzhen saw Zhang Tingyu sit down, so he leaned and sat on a wooden pestle on the side of the couch. He carefully played the military and government affairs handled after Yin's departure, and said: "...... The 471,000 taels of silver owed must have been disposed of before the end of the year, and everything was relieved by the emperor. There are things that can't be done, such as the supply of military supplies by the provinces on a monthly basis, and the sons and ministers should come again to ask the emperor to make a holy judgment. ”

Kangxi listened while eating tea, very attentive. After Yinzhen finished speaking at length, he asked Leng Ding: "How old is that little grandson who hunted wolves in Chengde that year and followed me this year?" ”

"Fifteen." Yin Zhen was stunned by the question, and hurriedly bowed down and replied. Kangxi smiled and said, "Don't blame me, I see that this kid is clever and want to ask him to come to the garden to study." I'm old and forgetful, let's talk about it first, Ming'er, you sent a decree to him to come in and see me first. Yin Zhen hurriedly smiled: "Yes!" ”

Kangxi was stunned for a while, and said: "These things you just said are all handled very well." I have already transferred 500,000 stone from Sichuan to the grain, and it has already been delivered to Yin's hands. If you are not in the army now, how can the fourteenth elder brother spare you? The matter of weapons also called Tingyu to send a document, called from the Shaanxi arsenal to supply on the spot, the war in the west has not stopped for many years, and their arsenal has already been prepared......" He said, the more Yin Zhen listened, the more surprised he became: it turned out that his father not only did not "rest", but also handled everything in advance, and handled it carefully! Just as he was sighing to himself, Kangxi smiled and said: "As for the pension money owed to the families of other soldiers, I have also thought about it. The year after that was the 60th year of my accession to the throne, Ouchi had prepared more than 700,000 pieces of silver, which were set aside for others first. At the end of the year, there is silver, and a little more is allocated, so that they can have a good life - the children take risks in front of them to make it difficult for the court to work hard, and this bit of silver cannot be stingy. ”

"Huang Ama!" Yin Zhen hurriedly left the table and knelt on the ground, kowtowed, "Don't move the inner money!" The more than 400,000 pieces of silver were collected by the sons and daughters from the brothers, and they must be handled properly. Erchen is trying to be poorer this year, and he will recognize 100,000 first! The silver was still kept for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of his father's ascension. An unprecedented festive day, don't be hasty! Kangxi said with a smile: "What kind of internal and external money, after all, it is the money of the imperial court, so where is the difference?" This world, this rivers and mountains, are all Aixinjue Luo's, the world is under great rule, so what's the matter if I don't celebrate this sixty years? ”

Zhang Tingyu bowed on the pestle and said, "Your Majesty, what the fourth master said is true." There is another layer of truth, and it is inconvenient for the fourth master to talk about it. Use the internal money, and those who know the truth know that it is long live the soldiers in front of them, and the holy grace is immense. Those who do not know the truth will create gossip that the imperial treasury is empty and the money and salary are exhausted, and it is not in vain that the hard work of the saints is in vain! The brothers dig out their pockets, firstly, to show that the heavenly family has the same hatred for the enemy, and secondly, to let them know that the family and the country are one, and it is beneficial to share honor and disgrace! ”

"This is really the old man's view of the country!" Kangxi was stunned for a moment and sighed, "Let's deal with it like this." It's just Yinzhen, you're going to offend people again this time, I can't bear it......" After finishing his words, Yinzhen was almost in tears when he said this, choked up, and said: "Erchen is a withdrawn character, and he is lonely with others, as long as the emperor knows Erchen's heart, Erchen would rather let others complain and be scolded!" After seeing people's hearts for a long time, even the brothers will not really misunderstand their sons for a lifetime! ”

Kangxi listened, got up silently, paced a few steps, and when he looked at Yinzhen's movement, Fang said: "Get up—I'm really tired of you." I've been a soldier all my life, what don't I know? Fighting with Dzungar, it's not the front, it's the rear! I was afraid that you would have the idea of marrying someone else, and I would not show my strength. Now it seems that you not only have the measure and the general knowledge, but also grit your teeth and do the things that can be handled, and refuse to work hard, this filial piety is especially valuable! People don't stand without rigid bones, so I will take your strengths! Go ahead, do your best, and everything will be done! Tingyu, you send the fourth elder brother! ”

Yinzhen thanked him and walked hand in hand with the silent Zhang Tingyu, and when he arrived at the entrance of the moon cave, he repeatedly humbled and asked Zhang Tingyu to return to play thanks. He was very excited, very grateful, and a little worried, as if he was slightly drunk from drinking, with a red light on his face, while walking alone, thinking about Wu Si and saying: This lame man is really a god, how can he guess everything about the old emperor's mind so thoroughly? Although this time it was much more tiring than the previous errands, I saw the results at this moment. Value!

"Say hello to the fourth brother!" Someone behind him suddenly said.

When Yinzhen looked back, it was the seventeenth elder brother Yinli, who had just come over from the peony garden, and he was smiling and calling himself a thousand children. Yinzhen looked at him plainly, just like the fifth elder brother Yinqi, just childish, a little silly, remembering the last time he was roded with Yin, Yinzhen couldn't help but smile: "You are also in your twenties, and you are still naughty, which scares me!" Carefully hit the board again! ”

"As long as no one intercepts my life halfway, it's not trivial to be punished!" Yinli said with a smile, "I can't afford to provoke the eighth master's people, so I took advantage of that time to ask Ama to beat the tenth brother with a few whips, but the fourth brother is not happy?" Yin Zhen was really taken aback: someone intercepted and killed himself, except for sexual sound and Wu Sidao, no one knew about this, how did this little ghost know? Yin Zhen rolled his eyes and was stunned for a long time, and asked, "You are an elf!" Could it be that you sent someone to intercept me? Yin Li said: "Talking by the river, there are fish in the water to hear!" But that night, I took two little guys to fish under the Jinao Jade Bridge and catch the king......"

I see! Yin Zhen relaxed his tense heart, and asked as he walked: "Why did your tenth brother offend you again, you dragged him to be beaten?" Yinli was silent. When Yin Zhen looked back, he saw that this younger brother's eyes were full of hatred, and he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What's wrong with you?" ”

"I can't say, it's not a place." Yin Li said, "I came to see you, not to say this." Master Wang wants to see you, do you want him to go to your mansion, or will I take you to see him? Or is it gone? ”

Yin Zhen's eyebrows moved, he already had a premonition that something was important, he groaned slightly, and said, "You and I can go in a sedan chair together!" ”