[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Third Mrs. He took Xing Xiuyan's hand and said, "Miss Xing is really a caring lady, especially at this age."

As she spoke, she motioned to Mammy to take out the bank notes, but she took three 500 taels of bank notes. Mrs. He San smiled and told her not to refuse any more.

Xing Xiuyan said: "I shouldn't have taken the extra money, but Madam is so kind, it would be too hypocritical for me to refuse. Xiuyan is ashamed, so she has to accept it."

Mrs. He San smiled and said: "You should have got it. You are really blessed to be so ingenious at such an age."

Mrs. He San saw that she had delicate features, clear eyes, and snowy skin. Although she was only 11 years old, she was a little beauty.

After Xing Xiuyan sent Mrs. He away, Mrs. Xing and Li dared to show excitement and said, "Yan'er, the third lady gave you 300 taels more! Before, I thought it was a waste to make those little gadgets, so there are still these tricks." .”

Xing Xiuyan said: "The He family is very rich, and the old lady is celebrating her birthday. People in several houses compare and give gifts. Compared with gifts from other houses, 1200 taels is probably not too expensive. They are the most respectable families. Well, Mrs. He San is just the daughter of a squire. Compared with the other wives, she is not rich, so she has to pay more attention. If she finds something she likes, she will give it 1500 taels, which is not only for us, but also for herself. She Why wouldn't you want to give it?"

Xing Li said with a smile: "I'm still a smart girl."

……

However, it is said that on the first day of the first month of the 33rd year of Qianzheng, Emperor Qianzheng abdicated to the Seven Sons, and the year name was not changed that year.A year passed quietly, and the new emperor ascended the throne for one year, and Fang changed his title to Chengqian.

In the first year of Chengqian, the new emperor has gradually become powerful in the court. Although the old saints are still powerful, many people who are obviously old saints have secretly taken refuge in the new emperor.

I also heard that in the spring, the new emperor went hunting in the paddock in Hexi, personally hunted white tigers, and presented them to the emperor.

This matter was circulated among the common people. At that time, the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty had been nearly 70 years old, and there had been four emperors. However, except for Taizu, Taizong and Gaozong were all martial arts. At this time, the new emperor was able to hunt white tigers, and the people rumored that he had Tai. Ancestral legacy.

By autumn, these legends had already flourished in the market in Suzhou.

Xiuyan just took another job of embroidering the "Diamond Sutra", which was to be given to the old lady of the magistrate's family. The business was introduced by Mrs. He San. Mrs. He knew all the "big guys". After reading the words, directly say that the starting price is 1500 taels, and if the embroidery is good, you can give more.

Today, she followed her parents to buy needles, thread and fabrics, and Xing Zhong went to talk to someone about buying a courtyard house in Gusu City. Now that she has some money in hand, it would be shameful to rent it all the time near Panxiang Temple.At that time, it is not good for women to show up and talk about these things, so Xing Zhong will talk about it.

The mother and daughter went to a restaurant to eat. Now that they have money, the next restaurant will not cost much, and the taste is fresh. They are just peasant girls, not ladies, so naturally they can go out often.

The restaurant was bustling, and the storyteller turned the story of the new emperor's hunting of the tiger into something even stranger than Wu Song's hunting of the tiger.

Xiuyan laughed secretly: I'm afraid the emperor had someone get a half-dead tiger in the paddock, so he just jumped on it and killed it.How much integrity does a creature like the emperor have?In order to establish prestige, what methods cannot be used?Even the vicious method of concubine Feng building a relative's villa to absorb all the wealth of nobles, and then shooting these people down is used.It shows that □□ sells one's body for survival, and the emperor has higher ambitions, selling one's body for the sake of the country.

However, it is not known whether Jia Yuanchun has become a concubine or not, and whether the family-speaking villa has been built.Ordinarily, when Miaoyu went to Beijing to go to Muni's Court, Jia Yuanchun had already been made a concubine, and the next year's Lantern Festival was to visit her relatives.At this time, Lin Ruhai was almost dead.

……

It was mid-October at this time, and Lin Ruhai, who was supposed to die on the third day of September, hadn't died yet.

In the study of the Lin family, Lin Ruhai stared at a middle-aged scribe. He was a little afraid of this middle-aged scribe. If this person who only had a reputation as a scholar, if he formally entered the imperial court, he would be looked down upon by many scholars.

However, he is the secret envoy of the current Holy Majesty, and I don't know where the Holy Majesty dug out such a person.Lin Ruhai came into contact with him and found that the reason why this person could not be trusted as a Jinshi was not that he was not talented enough, but that he had too much talent. What he believed in was not Confucianism, but Legalism, the art of vertical and horizontal, and even conspiracy. He came here to let Jiangnan be cleaned up. The total plan made by Qianfeng is really extremely vicious.

Everywhere in the south of the Yangtze River, the officialdom is overwhelming, and every foreign official needs an official amulet to stand firm. Some aristocratic families hold the land in the south of the Yangtze River. How many acres of tax-free land and how many acres of ordinary tax-paying land can be owned by an official with a high status, but the land tax that exceeds the quota has to be increased by three times, but there are policies and countermeasures.

Big landlords and aristocratic families can release slaves, name the land under the names of servants who are already civilians, and control a large number of tenant farmers. If the new local officials do not give face to these families of big landlords and aristocratic families, then their tax revenue It is very difficult to collect.The completion of taxation is directly related to the evaluation of the Ministry of Officials.

The style of writing in the south of the Yangtze River is still strong. There are traditional literati families who marry each other, and some noble families buy properties in the south of the Yangtze River.Jiangnan is almost either a member of their family, or a slave or tenant of their family. Holding the land is equivalent to holding the right to life of those people.What does it mean that the sky is high and the emperor is far away? In the Jiangnan area, these nobles from aristocratic families are the emperors.It has been nearly 70 years since Dazhou was established, but the land problem that had appeared in the Ming Dynasty first broke out in the south of the Yangtze River, and it became more and more out of control like a wild horse running wild.

Lin Ruhai is the old sage's confidant. He started as an official in the south of the Yangtze River from the magistrate, and then served as the inspector of salt for three years and three years. He is very clear about the situation of the various families in the south of the Yangtze River.

Last year, Lin Ruhai met the special envoy of the new emperor in secret, and the words from the new emperor were very clear, whether he wanted to die or live.If he doesn't take effect now, it will be too late when he is worthless in the future, and his only daughter, Lin Daiyu, is lonely and helpless.

How can someone as shrewd as Lin Ruhai fail to understand the difference between the new saint and the old saint: one is the morning sun and the other is the sunset. Even if the old saint is still in control of the court, he cannot survive the new saint.In fact, many former saints have secretly turned to the new saint, and it is not appropriate to take refuge in it. The emperor is the master of the world, and it is justified.

Lin Ruhai was accompanied by the saint's hidden guards to protect him. He spent a year investigating the relationship between the farms in Yangzhou and those big clans, and secretly collected the details of those slaves of the big clans, and compiled them into a book.

Li Wei put away four secret files, protected them layer by layer, and said: "Those useful people and evidence must be temporarily controlled and protected by Mr. Lin, don't startle them."

Lin Ruhai said: "I am the only young girl under my knees. No matter what happens to me in the future, I will ask Mr. Li to take care of me."

Li Wei smiled lightly and said: "Lord Lin, don't worry, the sage has no intention of embarrassing a weak woman, besides, the sage will still use him if he makes great contributions in the future."

Lin Ruhai sighed, "I'm afraid I won't be able to with my body..."

Li Wei looked at his face and said: "You just accumulated poison in your early years. Doctor Hu is clearing up the poison for you. There will always be a day of recovery. You have only passed the age of forty. Take care of your body and pass on the incense. Worthy of the ancestors."

Li Wei looked at Lin Ruhai's state, and remembered what the emperor personally ordered, if he seemed to be having a hard time, give him the box, and if Lin Ruhai was fine, bring it back intact.

Lin Ruhai never thought that Jinshang would return him such an exquisite box. After looking at it for a long time, he opened it carefully, and saw that it was a sealed letter.

Lin Ruhai opened it, but there were only a few lines of words.

"The box has interlayers, and there are ten secret medicines inside. Take one pill with water every three days, and it should be cured after one month. This medicine is precious. I got twenty pills by chance, and I will give you ten pills. Wang Qingbao If you win your life and protect the young girl, the Lin family will not be wiped out. This matter is not for outsiders to understand."