Infrastructure masters in the red building

"Brother Ru Hai, what do you think of today's events?" Jia Fang asked.

"Brother Zifang, judging from today, the situation in the city may not be as simple as grain merchants hoarding." Lin Ruhai lowered his voice and said to Jia Fang.

The two found a lively restaurant and sat down.There are storytellers in the restaurant, and when it comes to the highlights, there are cheers one after another. No one cares what Jia Fang and Lin Hai are discussing.

Just now when he came all the way, Lin Hai had already revealed to Jia Fang that his trip to Beijing was for next year's spring.Regardless of Lin Hai's young age, he already has a reputation as a Juren.I came to Beijing this time to visit famous teachers, and to find a proper place to live in Beijing so that I can prepare for the exam with peace of mind.

As for the last time Jia Fang saw Lin Hai and Shui Xian having dinner together, it was because Shui Xian's mother and Gusu Lin's family were close relatives.When Lin Hai went to Beijing, even the temporary residence was found with the help of Beijing Palace.

Jia Fang thinks about it too, isn't Lin Hai one of the five generations of princes?It is perfectly normal to be related to the Beijing Palace.

The two hit it off right away, and they unanimously decided to call each other by Biao characters, Lin Hai's character is like Hai, and Jia Fang's character is Zi Fang.

Jia Fang told Lin Hai about what he had seen and heard about De'an County. Lin Hai was very interested and asked Jia Fang a lot of questions about the setting of the "refugees' camp". Your father and His Highness the Fourth Highness are in charge of the overall situation, but no one on the East Road has the courage."

Jia Fang lowered his voice and asked, "Could it be that...the one who supervises the country doesn't care?"

Lin Hai asked back: "Why don't you ignore it?... But it's difficult!"

"From what Zifang said, the county magistrate of De'an was obviously persuaded by His Royal Highness and your father to support [-] refugees with the power of one county. This is a feat that has never been seen before. The crown prince's cronies are here, and the county officials are not so courageous, and each sweeps the snow in front of the door, regardless of the frost on others' roofs, there are some."

Jia Fang was silent and thought to himself: After all, it was because of the court struggle... Those refugees on the East Road are so pitiful.

"What about the grain merchant?" Jia Fang sincerely asked Lin Ruhai for advice.

"Some of the prince's staff made rumors at the end of last year that the prince was going to implement a new policy when he was in charge of the country. One of the new policies was to reduce the road tax of the state capitals. The heads of the major food companies came forward and jointly signed the petition. , to express their opposition. Now that it is just a year of severe drought, they will not buy His Royal Highness's face, anyway, it can be inferred that food storage is hard to come by and the cost is high."

Jia Fang was dumbfounded: "Isn't cutting road tax a good thing for grain merchants?"

The road tax is the road tax. If the tax is reduced, the cost of transporting grain for the grain merchants will be reduced. Could it be that the grain merchants will not be happy.

Lin Ruhai's expression was a bit secretive: "Think about it, think about it!"

Jia Fang immediately figured it out: "I think the major food companies have their own spheres of influence, and they have advantages in operating them in these places. Once the road tax is cut, other food companies will join them to compete."

Lin Ruhai praised Jia Fang: "Brother Zi Fang is very sensitive in economic affairs."

Jia Fang: Don't flatter me, you are the best one.

This Lin Ruhai is not much older than Jia Fang, but he is transparent and understands everything at a glance; while Jia Fang himself... has to think about it for a while.

But even so, Lin Ruhai still concealed one thing and did not say: the crown prince is the prince of the country, and these food companies dared to oppose the crown prince and openly joined forces to push up the price of grain, causing the people in the capital area to suffer. Think about the ensuing events The rumors in the market, the driving force behind this, obviously has a lot of background.

It is inconvenient for Lin Ruhai to say these things, but fortunately Jia Fang is not stupid.

However, if the food dealers are in trouble at this time, is it really no one to care about? ——Jia Fang thinks, if he is in power, and he has to catch a "model", he will be punished once, and the punishment will hurt them, and other industries will be restrained.

Jia Fang briefly revealed his thoughts to Lin Ruhai, Lin Ruhai shook his head quickly and said: "I know what Zi Fang thinks, everyone thinks that His Royal Highness should be like this-but the prince can't learn from unknown people, food is indeed expensive now, and it is transported from all over the world. It’s not easy for the capital, if it’s really targeted at the grain business at this time, I’m afraid no one will be willing to transport grain to the capital.”

Jia reassures himself: So, this dynasty does respect private property rights, and will not confiscate the property of ordinary businessmen at every turn...or is there more twists and turns behind it?

"In short, it is best to use business methods to deal with business matters," Lin Ruhai said, "This is what the elders in the family taught the younger brother."

"But I still can't figure out one thing." Jia Fang frowned and said, "Even if the grain companies are dissatisfied with the Prince's new policy, so they join forces to fight the price of grain, then the grain business under the command of 'Tian Yi Yi' is also motivated by For this reason, insist on refusing to lower grain prices?"

"Tianyiyi" is the king of Beijing.

Jia Fang has long heard from his elder brother Jia She that Wang Shuixian's business in Beijing covers various businesses and various goods. Except for salt and iron, he does not touch, and there is no other field that he does not set foot in.

Earlier, Jia Fang repeatedly confirmed to the rescued boy that there was no grain store in the capital that did not maintain high grain prices. He had a vague suspicion in his heart—hoarding for strange things and making huge profits by taking advantage of the drought. share?

Recalling the question in the Wanqing Tower back then, Shui Xian pointed out that Jia Fang was "talking about war on paper", saying that his saying "he who has food will give food" is simply unrealistic.But in fact, Shui Xian himself is also the "food earner" who is unwilling to pay?

Jia Fang thought this should be true, but he resisted in his heart and didn't want to believe it.

This may be because Shui Xian has a cooperative relationship with Jia Fang, and Jia Fang regards him as a natural ally.

However, Jia Fang couldn't accept it when he heard that his allies were so ruthless that they watched these personal tragedies unfold one after another in important places in Gyeonggi regardless of the lives of the people.

He is a person who is very fussy about the details of life, and naturally has a cleanliness mentality, and his three views on allies... always have a little bit of high standards and strict requirements.

Unexpectedly, Lin Ruhai stood up with the table, threw a piece of broken silver on the table to pay for the tea, and pulled Jia Fang's sleeve: "You reminded me, he is in the mansion, why don't we ask him face to face. "

At this moment, Lin Ruhai seemed to be a straight-hearted person, and he must not keep doubts in his stomach overnight, and he dragged Jia Fang away.The Beijing Palace is not too far away. Lin Ruhai led Jia Fang through two north-south streets, turned a corner, and arrived at the Beijing Palace in the northwest of the capital.

The concierge of the Beijing Prince's Mansion should have recognized Lin Ruhai, but not Jia Fang. When he saw the two of them, he was about to step forward to inquire, but suddenly caught a glimpse of the Qingtian stone seal that Jia Fang was wearing with him.

The concierge's expression changed immediately, and he immediately bowed his waist. He didn't say anything about routine matters such as "communication", and directly invited the two of them in.

It was the first time for Jia Fang to enter the Beijing Palace. Along the way, he only paid attention to the differences between the regulations of the Palace and the Duke's Palace, and never thought of being taken directly to the Chuihua Gate.The servants of Prince Jing's Mansion did not dare to go in anymore, bowed to Jia Fang and Lin Ruhai and said: "You are not allowed to enter. Please go in by yourself. After entering the door, go straight. When you see a corridor through the mountains, go along the corridor. Pass a pavilion and a bridge, and when you see 'Wuzhu Secluded Residence', I will be there."

Jia Xin knew that behind the hanging flower gate was the garden of Prince Jing's Mansion, and thought it was difficult for the concierge to make it so clear.

Lin Ruhai smiled: "I know the prince's temper best. He never likes to see people. Naturally, he doesn't like others to come in and disturb him in such a clean place."

"Last time, he said that he installed a special clean room in the garden. I asked him where it was special. He said that he didn't need to be attended to during the whole process, and he would clean it with a touch of his hand. In this way, he can stay alone in the garden. No one disturbs you, this is the biggest beauty of the clean room."

Feelings are like this!

Jia Fang finally understood.

No wonder the little prince Narcissus appreciates the bathroom he made so much, in fact, it is because he doesn't like people around him.

This is how much I like living in isolation!

He and Lin Ruhai followed what the concierge said, and went straight after entering the Chuihua Gate. Sure enough, they saw a corridor through the mountains facing the water. They walked along the corridor for dozens of steps, crossed a pavilion and a bridge, and came to a square pavilion facing the water.The four characters "Wuzhu Secluded Residence" are written on the square pavilion.

There are moon gates on all sides of the square pavilion.Jia Fang was in a position where he could see the owner of the garden.

Shui Xian was still in his half-worn Taoist robe, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed in the pavilion.On the low table opposite him was a basket of chess pieces, a chessboard with many pieces already placed on it, which looked like a "Zhenlong" chess game.

It wasn't until Jia Fang and Lin Ruhai approached that Shui Xian slowly opened his eyes, turned his head slightly, and said softly: "Please do as you please, both of you, please come and sit here for a while."

Jia Fang followed Lin Ruhai into the Sifang Pavilion. As soon as he entered the pavilion, he found that the pavilion was not simple-the four-sided moon cave gate, which was actually the scenery of the four seasons.

The direction they came from was the snow-white east wall, and there were lattice windows made of black tiles on the wall, which should symbolize the winter scene.Shuixian is facing the north side at the moment. Green bamboos are planted outside the Moon Cave Gate, with dense phoenix tails and thin dragon chants, corresponding to the spring scenery; In summer, the pond should be full of Han Ou, and the fragrance is far away and clear.

Jia Fang sat down on the west side, and in front of the Moon Cave Gate, there are several Biwu trees planted. Presumably in autumn, sitting here, you can enjoy the golden color everywhere, and you can know the autumn with one leaf.

In a small square pavilion, the moon gates on all sides actually reflect the four seasons of "spring, summer, autumn and winter". This is the most typical method of "moving and changing scenery" in traditional gardening.As long as you sit in the pavilion, you can see pleasant scenery no matter what season you are in.

When Jia Fang saw the real thing of "One Pavilion and Four Seasons", he quickly looked at the scenery in all directions first. Unlike Lin Ruhai, he sat down on the right hand side of Shui Xian and said hello: "Brother Ziheng, Zifang and I came here uninvited. Don't take the liberty of disturbing me."

But it is obvious that Shui Xian prefers to see Jia Fang's attitude.Although Jia Fang didn't sit down immediately, but indulged in admiring the scenery from the various moon gates. After watching for a long time, he murmured: "What a place out of this world."

Shui Xian's expression remained unchanged, but there was a bit of satisfaction in his eyes, and he said softly: "This pavilion was built by the ancestors, but it is very suitable for my appetite."

Probably to emphasize that everyone's tastes are more consistent.

Jia Fang let out a "huh", nodded, reluctantly turned his eyes away from the picturesque scenery on all sides, sat opposite Lin Ruhai, cleared his mind, and let himself immediately forget about this fairyland-like garden - after all, everyone today To talk about things in the world.

Shui Xian said, "Besides, there is no tea."

Jia Fang and Lin Ruhai: ...

"I have dismissed the Taoist boys, and they can only enter the garden after two hours, so there is no tea." Shui Xian finally said a few more words to let the two guests understand the cause and effect.

Jia Fang: Dare to love this... really likes to live in isolation!

Forget it, if there is no tea, there will be no tea. Anyway, he and Lin Ruhai drank some tea earlier, and it is far from thirsty.

At this moment, he and Lin Ruhai looked at each other, but they still hadn't figured out how to speak to Shui Xian.

Unexpectedly, Shui Xian opened his mouth first and asked them: "Are you two here for food?"

Jia Fang nodded bravely, and asked Shui Xian: "Yes... What I want to ask the prince is that all the grain stores in the capital are currently maintaining food prices that are unbearable for the common people. Did the prince know about it?"

It can be said that Shui Xian's expression didn't change at all, but his eyes were like lightning, and they turned around Jia Fang's face suddenly.But Jia Fang felt that the feeling of Shui Xian had completely changed for him, as if he treated others like a spring breeze a moment ago, but now his eyes are cold and stern, as ruthless as the autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves.

This person's emotions are like the changing scenery in the moon cave. One moment it was a spring scene, and the next moment it has turned into a chilling autumn.

Even Lin Ruhai's face turned pale, but he didn't understand where Jia Fang's questioning just touched Shui Xian's bad luck.

Jia Fang thought about it, knowing that the other party should be dissatisfied with the title he just called.The last time the two met, they could put aside their status and status, regardless of whether it was a prince with a different surname or a concubine from the government, they could meet each other honestly and equally.But this time in the Beijing Palace, Jia Fang gave up this way of getting along.

Maybe it's because he, Jia Fang, has some resentment in his heart!

Clearly holding food and money, clearly grasping the power, but he did not choose to save the people from fire and water, and relieve the people from hanging upside down - he made friends, what kind of person is this?

No matter how wonderful the garden is, no matter how in line with Jia Fang's taste, it is useless if the three views are inconsistent.

So Jia Fang didn't care about the vague anger of the other party, and asked directly: "When we met for the first time, I heard the prince said that money touches people's hearts, so the most reliable maintenance in this world is real money. Let me ask you, In this year of catastrophe, when the common people are dying, is the prince still thinking about it?"

Shui Xian looked at Jia Fang steadfastly, and Jia Fang even felt the pupils of the other party shrank slightly—maybe it was the vigorous anger, or it might be the embarrassment after being poked in the painful foot.Anyway, Jia Fang has no regrets. If he dare not reveal his true thoughts in front of the other party, then he is no longer himself, and he is no longer the Jia Fang who dares to persist and "makes the world go away with one draft".

Unexpectedly, Shui Xian's emotions eased up little by little, the young King of Beijing returned to calm, no longer angry, but there was a hint of arrogance in his expression, as if he didn't disdain such a hairy as Jia Fang at all. The first guy is so idle.

He got up, and said: "Follow me like the sea!" But he stretched out his hand, grabbed Jia Fang's sleeve, and pulled him away.Lin Ruhai looked terrified, and quickly followed behind the two of them.

Shui Xian dragged Jia Fang along the corridor through the mountain, and walked quickly all the way, and soon left the garden, and came to the building complex at the back of the palace—according to the regulations of ordinary palaces, this part should be the residence of servants.But in the Beijing Prince's Mansion, there are one after another, magnificent... warehouses.

Shui Xian pushed open a room casually: it was empty.

Before Jia Fang could see the situation inside, Shui Xian dragged him away again, and pushed open the door of another warehouse: the inside was still empty.

But Jia Fang saw it clearly this time. Although the warehouse was empty, he could clearly see grains scattered on the ground and in the corners of the walls—that was grain.

"The grain bank under my command bought a large amount of rice from the south, and even occupied all the warehouses of the grain bank." Shui Xian said lightly, as if discussing a business, "As a last resort, the old house behind the Wangfu They all emptied out to fill the rice.”

But now, these warehouses have been vacated - which means that the grain bank under Shui Xian has sent out a large amount of rice.

"In the beginning, I tried to sell it in the city, but later changed it to supply food to the official storehouses... Both ways failed. I simply transported all the stored food out of the city and sent it to the refugee camp in De'an County, so that the refugees there could receive relief. "

"It's about the life of the people in the world, the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Hebei Road and the capital. Although I am not talented, how can I value the little wealth in my hand more than human life when I am dying? Zifang, you will I took it lightly."

Just as Shui Xian finished speaking, Jia Fang stretched out his arms, arched his hands, and bowed to the other party to the end.

He sincerely apologized to the other party: "I was wrong, very wrong. Please, King Beijing...Please don't worry about it, brother Ziheng."

At the critical moment, Jia Fang could still remember Lin Ruhai mentioning Shui Xian.

Shui Xian looked at Jia Fang, but his eyes were still a little cold, he didn't say a word, he just stared at Jia Fang dumbly, probably because his heart was still stuffed with air, and he couldn't put it down for a while. .

Who knew that Jia Fang suddenly pulled Shui Xian's sleeve in reverse, and dragged him back quickly.Jia Fang has a good sense of the orientation of any garden and residence. How did Shui Xian bring them here just now? Now Jia Fang doesn't even need to ask, and he doesn't need to identify the path. He just pulls Shui Xian back.The faster he walked, the happier he walked. It may be that he had long been looking forward to Shui Xian's clarification in his heart - now he has waited for the answer he most desires to hear.

"Let's go back to the secluded residence of Wuzhu. Brother Ruhai and I have something to ask your Excellency... to 'Tianyiyi' for advice." Jia Fang's tone was actually full of joy.

Lin Ruhai followed behind the two with a mask on his face, but he really didn't know what the hell they were doing back and forth.