Beijing, Yanfu.

In recent days, after his mentality has stabilized, Yan Shifan's speed of writing questions has also been much faster, and most of the questions in this year's imperial examination have been released in the blink of an eye.

"Huh~ Let's get here first today, and talk about the rest tomorrow." Yan Shifan looked at the finished topic in his hand and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Elder Xiaoge, this is a letter from Zhejiang." At this moment, the voice of the butler came from outside the house.

"Well, come in."

As soon as Yan Shifan's words fell, the housekeeper pushed open the door and handed the envelope in his hand to Yan Shifan.

"Xiao Ge Lao, if you still have something to do, you will leave first."

After the letter was delivered, the butler spoke with great discernment.

"Well, you go down."

At this time, Yan Shifan's attention was completely focused on the letter in his hand, and after the housekeeper left, Yan Shifan opened the letter in his hand, which was a letter written by Zheng Bichang to Yan Shifan, in which he gave all his plans and promised to hand over the majority of the Wen family's property to the Yan family after the matter was completed.

"This Zheng Michang will find trouble for me!" After reading the contents of the letter, Yan Shifan threw the letter aside and ignored it.

After a while, perhaps relieved of the property promised by Zheng Michang, Yan Shifan picked up the letter again and read it again.

"Well, if you look at it this way, it should be easy to achieve your goal by then." Yan Shifan rubbed his chin, thinking about the feasibility.

"Well, forget it, let's talk to my father about it." Yan Shifan thought so, and immediately knocked on Yan Song's door with an envelope.

"Who?" Yan Song's voice came from the room.

"Father, it's me." Yan Shifan bowed slightly and responded.

"Oh, come on in."

After getting Yan Song's permission, Yan Shifan pushed open the door of his father Yan Song's room.

"Is there anything you want me to do? Is there another problem with the exam questions? Yan Song saw Yan Shifan come in, put down the book in his hand, and asked.

"Father, the boy wants you to see this." Yan Shifan said goodbye and handed over the letter written by Zheng Michang to Yan Song.

Yan Song took the letter from Yan Shifan's hand, and then looked at the content on it, and after a long time, I saw Yan Song take off his reading glasses and ask Yan Shifan: "Who wrote this letter to you?" ”

In the face of his father's inquiry, Yan Shifan didn't dare to hide it and hurriedly replied: "Father, this letter was written by the child's subordinate, Zheng Michang, the political envoy of Zhejiang, to the child, he hopes that we will help from it, and after the matter is completed, most of the Wen family's property will be offered!" ”

After Yan Song heard the name mentioned by Yan Shifan, he recalled for a moment and said: "Hmph, who should I be, it turned out to be your unsuccessful subordinate Zheng Michang, someone sent a report to me last time!" ”

Hearing Yan Song mention this matter again, a trace of embarrassment flashed on Yan Shifan's face, and he explained: "Father, the child thinks this plan is feasible!" ”

Yan Shifan said while secretly observing Yan Song's expression, seeing that Yan Song did not interrupt him, he continued: "Right now, the youngest son of the Wen family is killing people on the street, if he can make a fuss about this matter, he will definitely be able to pocket all the property of the entire Wen family at that time!" You must know that the Wen family started by selling illicit salt, and the wealth they have gathered is more than tens of millions? ”

"In addition, I can also hit those Qingliu officials by the way, why not do it?"

"Are you finished?" Yan Song said coldly after listening to Yan Shifan's words.

"Father...... Father, the boy is finished. Seeing that Yan Song was a little unhappy, Yan Shifan immediately chose to admit it and didn't dare to say any more.

"Hmph, look at you, who are you using! Do you dare to use this kind of trick proposed by straw bags? I see you've been blinded by lard, what do we want so much silver for? Serving Your Majesty wholeheartedly is the right way! ”

Yan Song said, slammed the letter in his hand on the table, and scolded angrily.

"Yes, father, the child knows that he is wrong!" Seeing this, Yan Shifan hurriedly knelt on the ground and admitted his mistake to Yan Song.

"Think more before you do things in the future, don't want people to say anything, you just follow what you do!"

"Thank you father." The respectful look on Yan Shifan's face remained unchanged, and he spoke.

"Alas, get up, it's a cabinet meeting later, hurry up and pack up."

Yan Song sighed and said helplessly.

"Yes, father."

……

The Forbidden City, the Palace of Nourishing the Heart.

"This is the note that Hu Zongxian handed to my relatives?"

"Yes, Your Majesty! The Governor has entrusted me to send it to you, and he says that it is too important for anyone to pass through the middle, but only to you yourself. ”

"Well, Lu Fang, bring it to me."

Jiajing then turned his gaze to Lu Fang, who was waiting on the side, and said softly.

"Yes, Your Majesty." After Lu Fang answered, he took the song from the hand, and then came to Jiajing and respectfully sent the song to him.

Jiajing took the song from Lu Fang's hand and said to the visitor: "Well, you did a good job, go down and rest!" ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

As soon as Jiajing's words fell, a eunuch led the person down to rest.

Jiajing looked at the back of the departing person, chuckled, and then opened the song, only to see that it was written: "Your Majesty, the current salt tax system is erosive, and the imperial court has not been able to collect enough silver, so that the imperial court's finances are tight!" ”

"As far as Wei Chen knows, the salt merchants and officials behind it colluded with each other to traffic in illicit salt, and the wealth they accumulate every year is not more than 10 million, but they only pay 8 or 9 million salt taxes to the imperial court, so Wei Chen begs Your Majesty to take action to remove these moths from my Daming's body......"

Jiajing looked down line by line, and saw the last sentence in the middle of the recital: "Goodbye to Hu Zongxian!" ”

After Jiajing finished reading it, he was silent for a long time, and then put it down.

"Lu Fang, it's almost time for the cabinet meeting, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, in a little while it will be time for the Cabinet meeting."

Seeing the emperor's inquiry, Lu Fang replied respectfully.

"Well, that's right, let's go now, and take me for a walk." After Jiajing finished speaking, he put away Hu Zongxian's letter, and then said to Lu Fang.

"Yes, Your Majesty, the slave obeys." Lu Fang suppressed his curiosity about the content of the recital, and kept up with Jiajing's footsteps step by step.

……

"Your Majesty has arrived!"

As usual, after a shrill voice sounded outside the cabinet, Jiajing took Lu Fang into the cabinet.

"Ministers, see Your Majesty, long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

When the ministers saw the emperor come in, they saluted in unison.

"Excuse me, get up." After Jiajing sat in his place, he waved his hand and spoke.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After the ministers saluted, they all sat down in their places.

"Zhang Juzheng, how did I do what I told you before?" Jiajing turned his gaze to Zhang Juzheng and asked.

"Your Majesty, Weichen has made a report on the budget required for the construction of the second water division of my Ming Dynasty and submitted it to the Ministry of Households." Zhang Juzheng got up from his chair and responded.

"Well, Xu Jie, did you receive Zhang Juzheng's report from the household department?" Jiajing's tone was lazy and asked.

"Your Majesty, the household department has received the budget report from Lord Zhang for the construction of the second water division, a total of 8,360,000 taels of silver! At present, the household department has allocated the silver. ”

"Well, okay, you're doing well, sit down." After listening to Zhang Juzheng and Xu Jie's reports, Jiajing nodded and commanded.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After Jiajing spoke, Zhang Juzheng and Xu Jie both breathed a sigh of relief and sat down.

"Yan Shifan, how did I let you get the imperial examination questions?"

"Your Majesty, at present, Weichen has already put out more than half of the questions in the imperial examination, and it must be completed in two days!"

"Well, you have to hurry up with this piece too, you can't delay the hour, understand?"

"Wechen understands!"

(End of chapter)