Next, after seeing the concubines in the emperor's Xiyuan harem, Zhang Gui still followed Wei Zhongxian to the celebrant and said to Wei Zhongxian: "Father-in-law Wei, the inner court now only has more than 20,000 taels of silver, then you give me 10,000 taels first, and I have to build a steelmaking workshop first." ”

Wei Zhongxian was embarrassed and said: "Uncle Guo, forgive me!" The inner court can't give you a tael of silver now. ”

Zhang Gui was quite surprised when he heard this: "What do you mean by this?" ”

"Uncle Guo, you don't know. There are 100,000 palace people in the inner court, and the daily expenses are also very large, and the lamp oil alone costs a lot! More than 20,000 taels of silver were deposited for you, and the emperor and us could only suffer from cold and hunger before the silver from the Weaving Bureau entered the inner treasury! ”

Wei Zhongxian complained.

"You also know that your inner court has expenses, so don't my Earl's Court have expenses? Your mother sent two stunning maids over, and the Han family also sent two, before they were gone, each person had to ask for fifteen taels of silver per month, and if they were sick, they had to add silver, how would you let me live? ”

Zhang Gui said with a sneer and asked.

Wei Zhongxian said: "Uncle Guo thinks that he can't afford to sell them, but in this case, it is a bit of a loss of face for Uncle Guo, and it is also a pity, Han Ge's hometown, our family doesn't know, but the two that our family gave to Uncle Guo are indeed rare." ”

"I don't like to buy people around."

Zhang Gui replied.

After hearing this, Wei Zhongxian said: "Uncle Guo has forgotten, didn't Your Majesty reward you with a farmland?" ”

Zhang Guidao: "Those people in the household department, you don't know that it's not normal if you don't delay a matter for a year." I can only ask you for money now, anyway, Your Majesty said, if you don't give me money, the celebrant will not stay. ”

Wei Zhongxian smiled bitterly in embarrassment.

Then, Wei Zhongxian said angrily: "However, these people in the household department are also lazy, that is, the examination method of Jiangling (Zhang Juzheng) when he was an assistant to the government is gone, otherwise, they should have been dismissed a long time ago for their behavior of being a vegetarian meal!" ”

Saying that, Wei Zhongxian walked outside: "Let's go and ask you, if they don't approve Uncle Xiang's Zhuang Tian, our family will find a way to change the official of the household department!" ”

"Then let's go to the household department and ask."

Zhang Gui said.

Wei Zhongxian arched his hand: "I am willing to serve Uncle Guo." ”

……

Households.

As soon as Wang Yingjiao, the head of the household department, learned that Wei Zhongxian and Zhang Gui were coming, they had to come out to greet them.

Wei Zhongxian said in a preface: "Our family didn't come for anything else, just to ask when the Zhuangtian given to Uncle Guo by the Holy Oracle will be approved?" I know, I understand that it is difficult for you to be in charge of the household, and there are many things, so I delayed this matter. I don't know, I just think that you are snubbing the royal family, and even making the emperor's face not look good, if it spreads, others will think that the household department is all incompetent. ”

"What the father-in-law said is that the father-in-law understands the household department."

Wang Yingjiao said with a smile, and also saluted Zhang Gui: "Please also ask Uncle Guo to calm his anger, in fact, they have already drawn out the matter of this Zhuangtian, and they are about to ask Uncle Guo to choose it." ”

Wang Yingjiao asked people to bring the map drawn out, and pointed to the map and said to Zhang Gui: "The ministry has drawn three places, one is here in Zhaojiazhuang in Changping, one is here in Miyun Shuilonggou, and one is Xishan. These three places can also be classified as Zhuangtian, and the others are too far away, I don't know which one Uncle Guo wants? ”

Wei Zhongxian really wanted Zhang Gui to get a good farmland, so as to save Zhang Gui from asking him for silver every day because he didn't enter the project, and then threatened to sue him in front of the emperor.

Therefore, when Wei Zhongxian saw the three places drawn by the household department, he was angry for Zhang Gui first: "I really don't know whose household department is now!" actually bullied the royal family to this point, these three farms, your household department is also embarrassed to bring it up! ”

Wei Zhongxian said: "Changping Zhaojiazhuang is close to the mausoleum of the emperor's ancestors and ancestors, and not a single grass or tree there can be moved, what can you do if you let Uncle Guo take it?" The area around Miyun Shuilonggou is full of swamps, do you want Uncle Guo to be a fisherman? Also, this Xishan, who doesn't know that the land in Xishan is the most barren, all mountainous, and the fields are pitiful. Aren't you humiliating Uncle Guo?! ”

Wei Zhongxian looked at Zhang Gui as he spoke: "Uncle Guo, we can't bear this." You are an imperial prince, and it is unjustifiable for him to do this no matter what. ”

"The household department is naturally the household department of the Ming Dynasty, not our household department!"

"Since my father-in-law said so, why don't you let out the Zhuang Tian of you and Mrs. Fengsheng, and say something cool here. Who doesn't know, the good fields and good land in Gyeonggi, in addition to becoming a royal village, have long been divided up by the powerful, where do you let us go to the household department to map out the land for Uncle Guo! ”

Wang Yingjiao, the head of the household, was not afraid of Wei Zhongxian, but followed the confrontation, and said: "Of course, the household department also knows that it is a little inappropriate to give such land to Uncle Guo, after all, Uncle Guo did protect the imperial heir for my Ming Dynasty this time and made great contributions, so the household department was also embarrassed, so it was delayed until now." Now the household department can only take out these three places, if Uncle Guo really doesn't want it, we can only go to Baoding and really set the plan. ”

"Xishan, it's actually okay."

Zhang Gui said at this time.

Zhang Gui clearly remembers that there is a large amount of coal under the West Mountain in the Gyeonggi area, and the value of the mineral deposits far exceeds the agricultural value of the fertile land of the same area as West Mountain.

Therefore, when he heard that there was Xishan, Zhang Gui was actually very happy in his heart, and he couldn't wait to say that he wanted the land of Xishan immediately.

But Zhang Gui also understood at this time that the civil officials of the household department obviously deliberately did not give themselves good land, and if he showed that he wanted too much, it might have the opposite effect and be rejected by the household department.

Therefore, Zhang Guicai just said that Xishan was okay.

Wei Zhongxian was very surprised at this time, he had to admit that this Uncle Guo was still too simple, and he was obviously fooled by what the household department said, so he continued: "Uncle Guo, we can't bear this matter!" ”

"You don't have a good thing, what a hard charge! The household department has said that there are no good fields to be zoned in Gyeonggi, and I want Xishan. ”

Zhang Gui scolded Wei Zhongxian.

Here, Wang Yingjiao, the head of the household, was very happy to see Zhang Gui make such a choice, and hurriedly confirmed: "Uncle Guo really decided to want Xishan? ”

Zhang Gui nodded.

"No remorse?"

Wang Yingjiao asked again.

"If I regret it, my friend Wei Zhongxian will be struck by lightning when he goes out!"

Zhang Gui replied.

Wei Zhongxian: "......"

After hearing this, Wang Yingjiao suddenly wanted to make Zhang Gui regret, but when he thought that if Zhang Gui really repented and gave him a good field, it would affect the taxes of the Ming Dynasty, so he ordered someone to take the pre-prepared question book about the Zhuang Tian drawn for Zhang Gui, and after writing his name, he gave it to Wei Zhongxian: "Father-in-law Wei, since you are here, please take it to Han Ge Lao to vote directly, and then you can directly approve the red." ”

Wei Zhongxian took over the household book, and it was not easy to persuade Zhang Gui again, but he still couldn't understand why this Zhang Gui thought that Xishan was okay.

Suddenly, Wei Zhongxian thought of a possibility, and hurriedly asked Zhang Gui: "Uncle Guo, don't you want to learn from some businessmen in the south of the Yangtze River, open a nunnery in Xishan, and then choose beauties to welcome guests, right?" ”