messy

From the second day onwards, after having breakfast downstairs, I boarded the carriage again and headed south again. This time, I should not delay too much on the road, otherwise I would not have much time to stay in Suzhou and Hangzhou. Jin Yuchen was not here this time. In the same carriage as Jin Mingzuo, he walked slowly on purpose, and only after Jin Yanchi and Jin Xuanhao entered, he pretended to be a step slower in annoyance: "It seems that my son was a step slower and fell behind a few younger brothers. Now, this time it's my turn to go to the carriage in the back with my ninth brother."

After speaking, he jumped out of the carriage and walked to the back alone.When he went out, he glanced at Shen Qingbie, the latter had no obvious expression, and sat quietly, not saying a word.

Fu Bai led the convoy to move on. Although it is an official road, it is extremely difficult to walk. Jin Mingzuo was dizzy on the carriage and couldn't help complaining: "Why is this road so rough? The official road was built with funds from the treasury. Yes, why is it so difficult to walk?"

Jin Xuanhao on the side listened, and said: "The silver allocated from the national treasury is distributed according to the actual situation of each place. Shandong is a relatively affluent area, but my son saw that most of the pedestrians and woodcutters on the road were ashen-skinned and thin. , This is a manifestation of not having enough food, and there are very few pedestrians on the street, I feel that there must be something strange in this."

"That's right, when we entered the city yesterday, the grass market happened to be open. It stands to reason that many self-sufficient farmers would come out to sell things, but there was no one on the street yesterday, and there were few officers and soldiers guarding the city gates. It's pitiful, the food and drinks in the inn are also very expensive, even the famous Baohe Building in the capital is not much worse than it." Jin Yanchi also echoed.

Jin Mingzuo thought about it for a while, and asked, "Then what do you two think about this strange thing?"

"I believe that the public funds allocated by the imperial court were deducted in the process of use, so the road was not repaired, and the tax increase by the imperial court in recent years has been transferred to the common people, so the situation here is It's so bleak. Father's trip to the south this time can just be a big rectification, and give this kind of corruption a serious blow." Jin Yanchi suggested.

Jin Mingzuo nodded: "After we arrive in Quanzhou and understand the actual situation, we can make a decision. Don't make a conclusion in advance. There may be other hidden reasons."

"Father taught me that."

Shen Qingbie glanced at Jin Yanchi and Jin Xuanhao who were sitting across from each other, thinking about what the two said just now, and Jin Yuchen's deliberate delay, suddenly understood something, and said: "In recent years, many places have With a large amount of funds allocated by the imperial court to open the way, it was supposed to break through the land shackles of various places, so that the culture and economy of the various places can blend together, thereby promoting the development of the local economy, so the imperial court increased taxes. But now the treasury of the capital is more and more full, and the local people But living in dire straits, the center is getting stronger and stronger, and the surroundings are getting more and more exhausted, thinking about it from a distance, the impact of this matter is not small.”

Jin Yanchi nodded: "Indeed, this matter has far-reaching consequences, Father must treat it with caution."

But what was being discussed in the other carriage was a different style, there was no Jin Mingzuo in it, and the atmosphere was much more humorous and relaxed.Jin Haiyan started the topic first, and said: "I visited Suzhou and Hangzhou the year before last, and found some interesting things there. There are anecdotes and strange things that don't exist in the capital. I wonder if you are interested in knowing?"

Jin Xuefan said with an expression full of interest, "Second brother, let me hear it?"

Jin Haiyan took a look at Jin Yuchen and said, "I don't know when it started. A new attic was built near the Qinhuai River in Suzhou and Hangzhou, called Nanfeng Pavilion."

"Nanfeng Pavilion?" Jin Xuefan frowned, "Is it a newly opened teahouse?"

Jin Haiyan shook his head: "No, what follows is the anecdote I'm going to talk about, you have to listen carefully, don't be too surprised."

Jin Xuefan pretended to be closed, squinting his eyes to see the reaction of the two.

Jin Xuefan couldn't bear it any longer, and said, "Second brother, there are only three of us brothers here, what can we not say clearly? Don't make people want to talk anymore."

Jin Haiyan smiled and said: "Ninth brother, don't worry, the second brother will just say it. The Nanfeng Pavilion is actually a homophonic word, Nanzi, which means male, which means male and female. Singing and dancing and playing the piano are the selling points, and the appearance requirements of men in the hall are also very strict. The hall does not take in any ordinary or ugly people, and as long as the customer pays a high price, he can choose a man from the hall to bring back. One night at home, if you want to keep this man on the second day, you have to continue to pay him a high price. To put it bluntly, it is a brothel, but it is not Meijiao Niang who picks up customers inside."

"What! There is such a strange thing, and now even men have sold their bodies?" Jin Xuefan couldn't believe it, "It is said that the culture in Jiangnan is open and romantic, it seems no exaggeration."

"At first I also felt very novel, but the male style was also popular in the previous dynasty, so I was not very surprised. I thought about how such a museum is operated, and whether there is any business to do? So I went in to find out Tan, it’s okay if you don’t explore, it’s really amazing to explore. The business in the museum is surprisingly good, the singing, dancing and wine decorations inside are all top-grade, and the decoration inside is extremely luxurious. More than 50 taels, making more money than officials. Most of the people who care about are the children of officials and princes and nobles. It is promoted in Suzhou and Hangzhou, and it is becoming more and more popular. Its popularity is no less than that of the annual talent show in Jiangnan. In the competition, the Nanfeng Pavilion was selected as the day for the election of Yanan on that day. What is a Yanan is to select a man in the Nanfeng Pavilion who is the number one in appearance, talent, and poetry. , there will be a grand dance banquet on the Qinhuai River, anyone who pays enough money can get on the boat to watch, the boat is extremely big and can hold more than [-] people."

"Then the owner of the pavilion is not an ordinary man. He can afford to open the Nanfeng Pavilion and build such a big ship. He has a lot of background." Jin Xuefan said, shaking his fan.

"It is indeed not an ordinary person, but Zheng Mingjie, the son of the Quanzhou prefect."

"Oh, where did I get so much money and power? It turned out to be the son of the prefect, so I don't think it's surprising. This trip to the south of the Yangtze River is very interesting, don't you think? Fourth brother?" Jin Xue Fan suddenly realized, and directed the conversation to Jin Yuchen.

As soon as the words came out, the air was quiet for a while. Jin Yuchen raised his lips and smiled, and read a poem half-understanding: "Jiangnan is good, and Hufu is late in autumn. Landscapes are always beautiful in poetry, and Shengxiao is just like the sound of the voice. .Who's on the Mulan boat."

Also like sleepwalking.

Going all the way to Quanzhou, I want to see what is so weird about Quanzhou, and how corrupt and unbearable the peace under the whitewash of the prosperous age is.

But Jin Mingzuo still tried his best to avoid revealing his identity. If the news of the emperor's southern tour spread to Suzhou and Hangzhou, the fun of the trip would be reduced by more than half. Therefore, after entering Quanzhou, Jin Mingzuo still only found an inn to live in. Clean it up.

Jin Xuanhao and Jin Yanchi went to the street to inquire about the news. Quanzhou is an important place and a central town in Shandong, and the prefect of Quanzhou lives not far away.

"These two children, can't they settle down first and then go out to find out the truth? They are in such a hurry and frizzy, and they can't hold their breath. How can they do great things?" Jin Mingzuo looked dissatisfiedly at the downstairs. The figure walking out complained to Eunuch Li who was tidying up, "The big convoys are already very eye-catching, but now they are running out and asking people around, I don't know how to change them in disguise." The clothes worn by the rich and noble people on their own, they call it a scare, and the news will soon reach the ears of the Quanzhou prefect. I am afraid that we have not got enough evidence to ask the teacher to incriminate him, and the other party may have already prepared seamlessly. "

"Second Young Master and Third Young Master want to solve your worries and problems too much, Master. Although they are a little frizzy, they always have good intentions." Eunuch Li said.

"Hmph, I'm afraid it's not because I want to solve my problems, but because I want the seat of my father. Along the way, I kept talking about the scene I saw on the street, and repeatedly told me to be cautious. Why, I see Don’t you see or have no brains, why do they keep talking non-stop? Don’t they just want to make meritorious deeds, let them toss, I want to see how they solve this matter.” Jin Mingzuo left the matter to them , I plan to wait and see, and wait for the result.

In the middle of the night, Jin Yuchen pushed open the window, easily turned out of the window, and quickly ran to the prefect's house.

When the servant at the gate intercepted him, he directly showed the token in his hand. After seeing it, the servant hurriedly lowered his head and invited him in. Even the housekeeper was startled awake, waking up the sleeping prefect Zheng Wentao.

"I don't know if the lord came to visit late at night. I offended you by being negligent first. I hope the lord will forgive me." Zheng Wentao obviously rushed over in a hurry, without any clothes on, he knelt on the ground and dared not look at him.

Jin Yuchen smiled: "It's this king who is being rude, what is Mr. Zheng guilty of? Please hurry up."

"Thank you, my lord." Zheng Wentao got up, stayed aside respectfully and asked, "It's just why the lord appeared here late at night? Why did no one come to report when the lord arrived in Quanzhou?"

"Not only my king came to Quanzhou, but also my father, and I got news that you, as the parent official of one side, embezzled the public funds allocated by the court, and then increased the taxes of the people privately. People, come to search your lord's prefect's mansion, I wonder if you have the confidence to let someone from your father come in and search?" Jin Yuchen saw the other party's suddenly stiff face, and it seemed that the corruption was probably confirmed, so he said more leisurely "Father's southern tour is a secret trip, and he is very dissatisfied with the conditions along the way, especially the official road leading to Suzhou and Hangzhou. The funds allocated by the imperial court are enough to make the road flat and wide. Life is also poor, and it is hard not to think of corruption.”

Zheng Wentao spat, and boldly said: "Since that's the case, why does the prince still have to visit late at night?"

"This king came with this king's plan. I just want to ask you, the prefect, do you want to be imprisoned and relegated to common people after the corruption of the ledger is found tomorrow, or do you want to continue to be the prefect who can sit back and relax?"

"My lord, if you have something to say, you can be regarded as an understanding person."

"Hehe..." Jin Yuchen took a few steps in the living room, "This king knows that the eunuch is a sensible person. If the eunuch wants to continue to sit back and relax, he can do as the king said, and by the way, the Suhang Nanfeng Pavilion If you do, the prefect will be on the same boat as the king. If the king is safe and sound, you and the son of the family will be safe. If you are stubborn and pedantic, the prefect will be fine. The king can check your mansion right now and put you in prison!" The tone of the last sentence suddenly turned cold, forcing Zheng Wentao to make a choice.

"Nanfeng Pavilion...Your Highness..." Zheng Wentao's eyes widened, and then he reacted immediately, bowing down respectfully and said, "Your Majesty will follow the arrangements of your Highness."

"Very good, Lord Prefect, please send someone to hand-copy the account book of Nanfeng Pavilion to this king, and then make sure to correct all the mistakes and extra expenditures in the past few years according to normal expenditures before the sun rises tomorrow morning. Finally, Tell the doorkeeper tonight to keep his mouth shut forever, if a third person finds out what happened tonight, the king will at most be fined and grounded, but you, Lord Prefect..." Jin Yuchen turned his face away , with a sinister smile, "Except for the maids and servants, none of you can live. Corruption is a death penalty in Anqing."