"Lao Zheng, you say, do we want to gamble?"

Zheng Michang couldn't help but panic when he saw He Maocai proposing to him with a solemn face.

Subconsciously looked around, and after seeing that there were only two people in the room, he and He Maocai, then he was relieved.

Immediately, I saw Zheng Michang raise his head, look in the direction where He Maocai was, and said in a low voice: "Old He, do you know what you are talking about?" ”

"For so many years, if it weren't for Yan Ge Lao and their protection, we would have died a long time ago, I don't know how many times!"

When Zheng Michang said this, he paused, and continued: "You know, Yan Ge Lao still holds our handle in their hands!" ”

When He Maocai heard Zheng Michang's words, he nodded, and said unhurriedly: "Lao Zheng, I understand what you said, look at Shen Yishi, and then look at Ma Ningyuan!" ”

"Shen Yishi is because of selling illicit salt, and what about Ma Ningyuan, Ma Ningyuan has done so many things for Yan Ge Lao and them for so many years, but in the end, he ended up like this!"

When Zheng Michang heard He Maocai's words, he couldn't help but fall into silence, his expression was gloomy, and he didn't speak for a long time.

Zheng Michang knew very well in his heart that he and He Maocai were at best just doing dirty work for the Yan family.

Once something happens, or someone needs to be responsible, they will be the first to be implicated!

Then, I saw Zheng Bichang come back to his senses, pick up the wine jug on the table, pour himself full of wine, raise his head, and drink it all.

"Lao He, do you know, on the night of Ma Ningyuan's death, I personally sent someone to send Yan Ge's letter!"

"Lao Zheng, you ......"

When He Maocai heard Zheng Michang's words, his face was full of shock, because of this matter, Zheng Michang had never mentioned it to him.

After that, I only heard Zheng Michang's voice sound again: "After the person I sent to deliver the letter came back, he relayed Ma Ningyuan's last words, Ma Ningyuan hopes that we can take care of his family and relatives for him!" ”

"Do you still remember what you said when Shen Yishi and Yun Niang set themselves on fire, I'm afraid the fate of the two of us in the future will not be much better than this!"

When Zheng Michang said this, he couldn't help but smile miserably, lowered his head, and stopped talking.

He Maocai, who was on the side, heard Zheng Michang's words, and he also agreed with it, and then said: "Yes, Ma Ningyuan's family, and we help take care of it, if something happens to the two of us, who will take care of our family?" ”

When He Maocai said this, his face was full of amazement: "Right now, Yan Ge Lao and their boat, we can't get off!" ”

After that, I saw He Maocai change his words, and continued: "However, we can take the opportunity of the imperial court to investigate the land annexation and make some achievements, and when the time comes, the governor will also be able to say a few good words for us in front of His Majesty, maybe we can atone the merit for the crime?" ”

When Zheng Michang heard He Maocai's words, his face was full of hesitation, and after a long time, he responded: "Lao He, those gentry landlords are not easy to mess with, the relationship is complicated, and if you don't pay attention to it, you will end up in pieces!" ”

"When Zhang Xuan and Zhang Ge were the first assistants of the cabinet, what they didn't do, can we do it with the two of us?"

He Maocai took in the expression on Zheng Michang's face, nodded, and turned to speak: "Who said that there are only the two of us, didn't you say that the governor came with His Majesty's mission?" ”

"We just need to do our best to assist the governor and investigate the land annexation, you know, the governor is from a Shu Jishi, and his future is immeasurable, and it is not difficult to even enter the cabinet!"

"Officialdom is not like this, you have me, I have you, and if you have a good relationship with the governor, it will definitely be of great benefit in the future."

"You know, behind us is the Governor, and behind the Governor is Your Majesty!"

Zheng Michang was moved by He Maocai's words, and after struggling for a long time, he saw him slam the table and said in a deep voice: "Damn, it's out, Lao He, let's gamble!" ”

He Maocai was also quite excited when he saw that Zheng Michang agreed to his proposal, and then, he picked up the chopsticks and said next: "Okay, the matter is settled, don't just drink, come, eat vegetables!" ”

"Anyway, early tomorrow morning, Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou will officially set off for the capital, we have to send it!"

"Yes, I've been working together for so many years, it's time to give it away!"

……

After three rounds of wine and five flavors of food, Zheng and He left in a sedan chair.

Because the doubts in his heart were answered, and the next things were settled, He Maocai was in a good mood.

As soon as the sedan chair he was riding stopped at the door of the mansion, the housekeeper greeted him and said respectfully: "Master! ”

When He Maocai heard this, he replied imperceptibly.

In the process of entering the mansion, He Maocai saw that the housekeeper looked like he wanted to say something, waved his hand, and asked, "Is there something wrong?" ”

When the housekeeper heard He Maocai's words, the whole person was like being amnestied, and immediately led He Maocai to a place where no one was, and said in a low voice: "Master, not long ago, the Yuan family sent someone and sent 10,000 taels of silver!" ”

After He Maocai learned the news from the housekeeper's mouth, he immediately frowned, and the expression on his face became extremely solemn: "What's the matter, didn't I tell you that in the recent past, no one will accept any money?" ”

When the housekeeper heard He Maocai's words, he couldn't help but panic, and he tried to defend himself: "Old ...... Master, the little ones can't help it, they put down the silver and leave, the little ones ......"

Seeing this, He Mao withdrew his gaze from the housekeeper's body, waved his hand, and commanded: "Okay, take the master and I'll take a look!" ”

When the housekeeper heard He Maocai's words, the whole person was pardoned, and hurriedly led the way in front.

"Master, please come here!"

"Hmm."

Under the guidance of the housekeeper, I saw He Maocai come to a side room, and after pushing the door open, there were several large wooden boxes neatly placed in the room.

Then, I saw He Maocai step forward and open a wooden box, in which silver ingots of excellent color were neatly stacked.

Seeing this, the housekeeper on the side saw this situation, his eyes were almost straight, where had he seen so much cash, this silver, is enough to buy a mansion in the capital, if he gave him all this silver to spend, he would not be able to spend it in his life!

"Hmph, 10,000 taels of silver, it's really a big deal!"

After finishing his sighing, I saw He Maocai step forward, take out a silver ingot from the wooden box, and play with it casually.

Seeing this, the housekeeper on the side immediately plucked up his courage and came to He Maocai's face, and asked cautiously, "Old ...... Master, what should you do with this silver? ”

When He Maocai heard this, he glanced at the housekeeper, and commanded: "This silver will be put here for the time being, and no one is allowed to approach without my permission, understand?" ”

When the housekeeper heard He Maocai's words, he immediately looked awkward, lowered his head, and replied in a deep voice: "Yes, master!" ”

After instructing the housekeeper, I saw He Maocai put the silver ingot in his hand back into the wooden box, and then left the room with his hands behind his back.

……

The night passed in the blink of an eye, early in the morning, near the docks.

Early in the morning, Zheng Michang and He Maocai came to the dock as promised to bid farewell to Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou, but to their surprise, Zhao Zhenji actually came to see them off in person.

At this moment, Zhao Zhenji looked at Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou, who were about to leave in front of him, and couldn't help but remind: "This capital is not as good as Zhejiang, you must be cautious in everything, understand?" ”

When Qi Jiguang heard this, his face was full of gratitude, he arched his hand, bowed to Zhao Zhenji, and said, "Thank you Lord Governor for your advice, the lower officials will definitely pay more attention!" ”

After this, I saw Qi Jiguang retract his gaze, and then looked at the officials who came to see him off not far away, and said in a deep voice: "Your Excellency, let's say goodbye!" ”

When the words fell, I saw Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou and their party stepping on the sampan without looking back.

Seeing this situation, Zheng Michang, who was on the side, couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "Alas, the governor has gone to the capital, Gao Hanwen has gone to the capital, and now even Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou have gone to the capital, when will it be my turn Zheng Michang?" ”

Gradually, the sky in the distance is soaked in orange-red, the breeze gently blows the water, the water ripples, and the sun comes out!

The boat that Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou and his party were on was like this, getting smaller and smaller, getting smaller and smaller, and finally became a small dot and disappeared from everyone's sight.

Then, I saw Zhao Zhenji retract his gaze, face everyone, and commanded: "Okay, go back!" ”

When Zhao Zhenji's words fell, everyone bowed down and responded respectfully: "Obey, Lord Governor!" ”

After that, the officials who came to see him off dispersed, and three or two got together and chatted and gossip.

"Now Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou are really developed, they can actually be transferred to the capital!"

"This is all the credit of Hu Ge Lao, I heard that Hu Ge Lao personally recommended them to His Majesty!"

Just as Zhao Zhenji was about to return to the Governor's Mansion in a sedan chair, he saw He Maocai coming to him in three steps and making two steps, and said in a low voice: "Lord Governor, the lower officials have something important to report!" ”

When Zhao Zhenji heard this, a trace of surprise flashed on his face, and then, he saw his gaze scanned over He Maocai and Zheng Michang not far away, respectively, and commanded.

"This is not the place to talk, you should go to the Governor's Mansion with this official!"

"Yes, Governor!"

After that, Zheng Michang and He Maocai went to the governor's palace in a sedan chair.

"The two of them, what do you have to report to this official?"

On the way back to the Governor's Mansion in a sedan chair, Zhao Zhenji's heart has been haunted by this doubt.

After all, Zheng Michang and He Maocai are recognized as the backbone of the strict party in the court, and at present, they have just taken office as the governor of Zhejiang, and their foundation is unstable, and there are still many places that need to rely on the two of them.

And Zheng Michang and He Maocai are also quite knowledgeable, and Zhao Zhenji will do whatever he orders, and he will not exceed the rules at all.

Not to mention how close the two sides are, at least they can get along on the surface, they are safe, and they look like the well water does not interfere with the river water.

It is precisely because of this that Zhao Zhenji is puzzled by the attitude of the two of them in this 180-degree turn.

Zhao Zhenji has served as the inspector of the imperial history for many years, and has already cultivated a "sharp eye", judging from the attitude shown by He Maocai before, this is clearly moving closer to himself!

"Could it be that the two of them have other ideas, Yan Song instructed them?"

Thinking of this, Zhao Zhenji only felt upset.

Then, I saw him shake his head, suppress all the chaotic thoughts in his heart, and comforted himself: "That's it, let's take one step at a time, this official wants to see what tricks the two of them can play!" ”

Then, I saw Zhao Zhenji open the sedan curtain and look at the scenery on the side.

"Your Excellency, the Governor's Palace has arrived!"

"Hmm."

After the sedan chair stopped, I saw Zhao Zhenji get down from the sedan chair with the support of the sedan chair driver, and then stepped into the governor's palace.

……

Shortly thereafter, the Chamber of the Doge's Palace.

At this moment, I saw Zhao Zhenji sitting on the main seat by himself, scanning his eyes from Zheng Michang and He Maocai respectively, waving his hand, and commanding: "Sit, sit down!" ”

"Thank you, Governor!"

Zheng Michang and He Maocai, who were not far away, heard this, and after bowing to Zhao Zhenji, they sat down on their seats.

Soon after Zheng and He sat down, a servant stepped forward and brought a bowl of hot tea for everyone.

Zhao Zhenji picked up the teacup, took a sip, put the teacup down, then looked in the direction where He Maocai was, and asked: "Lord He, when you were at the dock just now, you said that you had something important to report to the official, let's say, what's the matter?" ”

When Zhao Zhenji's words fell, I saw He Maocai get up from the seat, and after arching his hand to Zhao Zhenji, he said in response: "Lord Governor, I can't hide it, last night, the Yuan family sent someone to send 10,000 taels of silver to the lower officials!" ”

"In addition, the Yuan family's side has repeatedly sent people to lobby the lower officials, hoping that the lower officials can raise their noble hands and let that Yuan Kui go!"

After He Mao finished speaking, he lowered his head and stopped talking, and Zheng Michang, who was not far away, was also full of nervousness.

After all, there is no turning back when the bow is opened, and telling the truth about this matter is equivalent to directly expressing his attitude and surrendering to Zhao Zhenji, and now it depends on whether Zhao Zhenji accepts it.

When Zhao Zhenji heard He Maocai's words, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, he had been in the officialdom for many years, how could he not hear the meaning contained in He Maocai's words.

He Maocai clearly wanted to take advantage of the fact that the Yuan family sent someone to send him 10,000 taels of silver to indirectly show his loyalty to Zhao Zhenji.

In other words, it's a vote.

The meaning He Maocai wanted to express was very simple: "Lord Governor, you see, I even told you about the Yuan family sending people to send me silver, and repeatedly sending people to lobby, and how to deal with it next, it's all up to you!" ”

Seeing that Zhao Zhenji hadn't responded for a long time, Zheng Michang's heart was about to rise to his throat, and he didn't dare to imagine what they would do if Zhao Zhenji didn't accept their surrender.

If this matter spreads, the fate of the two of them can be imagined.

Time passed slowly, and the atmosphere in the room gradually fell into a standstill.

Just when Zheng Michang, who was on the side, was about to lose his mind, he only heard Zhao Zhenji's voice without a trace of emotion.

"Oh, Lord He, it stands to reason that you don't need to report something like this to this official, right?"

When Zheng Michang heard Zhao Zhenji's words, he couldn't help but 'chuckle' in his heart, and said to himself: "It's over, it's a bad thing, the governor doesn't accept our surrender!" ”

When He Maocai heard this, he immediately raised his head, looked in the direction where Zhao Zhenji was, and said without thinking: "The governor is the chief of the lower officials, and when this kind of thing happens, the lower officials are naturally obliged to report it truthfully!" ”

When He Maocai's words fell, Zhao Zhenji raised his eyebrows after pondering for a while, and said with a smile: "Lord He, before this official came to Zhejiang to take up his post, but the inspector of the Imperial History of the Inspectorate, do you know what is the crime in the Daming Law for accepting 10,000 taels of silver?" ”

He Maocai heard Zhao Zhenji's words, and said without thinking: "All officials who receive money will be judged for stolen goods, and the officials will be chased and removed, and the officials will be dismissed. ”

When Zhao Zhenji heard He Maocai's words, he bowed his head slightly, and said unhurriedly: "Lord He is worthy of being a criminal who has been working for more than 20 years, and he is familiar with many provisions of the Da Ming Law, well, yes!" ”

Zheng Michang, who was on the side, saw that Zhao Zhenji's tone softened, and the whole person couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

At this moment, I saw that Zhao Zhenji's face became extremely cold, looked directly into He Maocai's eyes, and said word by word: "Lord He, since you know that this is a capital crime, why do you still charge this ten thousand taels of silver, can you say that you can't treat the Da Ming Law as an ornament?" ”

When Zhao Zhenji said this, he paused, and continued: "Or do you think that this official can't govern you?" ”

In the face of Zhao Zhenji's aggressive posture, He Maocai forcibly suppressed the panic in his heart, plucked up his courage, and said in a deep voice: "The lower officials don't dare, everything is up to the governor's orders!" ”

After receiving He Maocai's reply, Zhao Zhenji nodded, withdrew his gaze from He Maocai's body, and after a moment of silence, he commanded: "Well, sit down!" ”

"Yes, Governor!"

After that, I saw He Maocai take a strong breath and bow to Zhao Zhenji before sitting back on the chair.

It was only then that he realized that his back had already been soaked in cold sweat.

Seeing this situation, Zheng Michang on the side finally landed safely with the stone hanging in his heart, which means that they have passed the test, and Zhao Zhenji accepted their surrender.

Then, I saw Zhao Zhenji looking in the direction where Zheng Michang and He Maocai were, and asked: "Say, what is going on, tell the official the ins and outs of the matter!" ”

"Your Excellency, here's how it ......"

Under the narration of Zheng and He, Zhao Zhenji finally has a more intuitive understanding of the Yuan family in Jiaxing.

"What do you mean is that this Yuan family is not only a powerful landlord, but also a machine owner, with more than 8,000 looms in his hands?"

As soon as Zhao Zhenji's words fell, he saw Zheng Michang on the side stand up and say peacefully: "Yes, Lord Governor, this Yuan family has a lot of connections in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the relationship in the capital is also intertwined!" ”

"On weekdays, when we meet people from the Yuan family, we have to smile at each other, and we don't dare to offend in the slightest!"

After listening to Zheng Michang's narration, Zhao Zhenji nodded, then looked in the direction where He Maocai was, and commanded: "After coming down later, return the 10,000 taels of silver to the Yuan family!" ”

When Zhao Zhenji said this, he paused for a moment, and then continued to add: "Next, we can't leave any handles, Yuan Kui's case, this official must make him an iron case, and the official wants to see how capable his Yuan family is!" ”

"Yes, Governor!"

As soon as Zhao Zhenji's words fell, I saw Zheng Michang and He Maocai on the side immediately get up from their seats and speak without thinking.

At this time, Zheng Michang's face on the side was full of excitement that he couldn't hide, because he heard Zhao Zhenji say the word "we just now".

That is, from now on, they will be on the same front!

Seeing that the matter had settled, I saw Zhao Zhenji withdraw his gaze from the two of them, and commanded: "Okay, let's do this for the time being, you can go down and prepare!" ”

"Yes, Lord Governor, I'll retire now!"

When the words fell, Zheng Michang and He Maocai did not stay in the conference hall for too long, and after saluting Zhao Zhenji respectfully, they turned around and left.

Zhao Zhenji looked at the backs of Zheng Michang and He Maocai leaving, and his face was full of inexplicable looks.

He had a hunch that Zheng Michang and He Maocai must have noticed something, and their attitudes changed so quickly.

After that, I saw Zhao Zhenji slowly get up from his seat and walk in the direction where the governor's mansion study was located.

……

Recalling what happened before, He Maocai still felt a little afraid.

After all, Zhao Zhenji's aura was too strong, and for a moment, he really thought that Zhao Zhenji was going to deal with him in accordance with the laws of the Great Ming.

Thinking of what he might do, He Maocai shuddered.

He Maocai saw Zheng Michang's thoughtful look, and immediately stepped forward and asked, "Lao Zheng, what are you thinking?" ”

Hearing this, Zheng Michang raised his head, glanced at He Maocai, a look of happiness appeared on his face, and then said: "I'm thinking, if the governor doesn't accept our surrender, what should we do!" ”

"When the time comes, if the news spreads, both of us will have to die without a place to be buried!"

He Maocai also agreed with Zheng Michang's words, only to see him nod, and said with emotion: "Yes, if the news spreads, and there is no need for Yan Ge Lao to order them, there will be countless people who will take action against us and take our place!" ”

Then, the two came to the place where the sedan chair was parked.

Before getting on the sedan chair, I saw He Maocai pause suddenly, turned around, glanced at the governor's mansion again, and said to himself silently: "Alas, it's a pity, 10,000 taels of silver just flew like this!" (End of chapter)