Jiang Qing

Just one sentence made the eyes of both of them warm up at the same time.

"Teacher..." Mei Shao took two steps forward, held his hand, and then squatted in front of Zhang Huailiu, looking up at the old man who bestowed upon him the etiquette of poetry and calligraphy.

Zhang Huailiu has devoted his whole life to the peach and plum industry, and has countless students under him. He really prefers this student who was born in a general family and has a heart of courage.

As soon as the Cangshan incident happened, Zhang Huailiu, who had always been aloof and not involved in political affairs, violated his own principles and asked a few students he had taught, but he received an irresistible reply from the emperor.

Before the scientific examination that year, Zhang Huailiu even organized the students to write a letter together, kneeling in the palace road to plead for a thorough investigation of the case, but in the end they failed to save the lives of these generals.

After this incident, Zhang Huailiu returned to Benzhou disheartened and became an ordinary old man farming on the southern slope. He never saw his favorite disciple in his life again, even after he got him to follow him as a male favorite. When the news came that King Xie En went south, he just silently smoked a bag of herbal cigarettes on the ridge of the field, and did not bring him a single word for the next six years.

Mei Shao’s poems and books were taught by him. Zhang Huailiu taught him etiquette, righteousness, honesty, loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, but he never taught him how to deal with treacherous villains, how to win the favor of the monarch, how to make friends with powerful people, and consolidate power.

In the few years Zhang Huailiu devoted himself to farming, he asked himself countless times, if he had taught Mei Shao a little bit of power, would he have become less rigid, would have been more leeway, and maybe he would not have ended up This is what happened now.

After working hard for several years, stepping his feet into the soil, Zhang Huailiu gradually put his heart at ease, and he finally found the answer.Even if he does it again, he still won't teach Mei Shao the skills of being a minister and flattering the emperor, because Mei Shao is supposed to be such a flamboyant and bright young man, if such a person does not come to fruition in this world, it is the fault of the world. rather than human fault.

The world is determined by the sky, and people's hearts depend on themselves.

Now seeing the child he has been thinking about standing in front of him, Zhang Huailiu couldn't help feeling a little relieved.

"You've lost weight." Taking a closer look at Mei Shao's face, Zhang Huailiu didn't mention a single word about the past, just an ordinary greeting, but Mei Shao almost shed tears.

Bai Bingchen waited silently at the side, and only when the two of them calmed down a little, did they wink at Mei Shao.

"Teacher, what's the matter in your case?"

When Zhang Huailiu mentioned this matter, his silver head trembled slightly with anger, and he narrated the matter in a trembling voice.

It is not much different from what Bai Bingchen saw in the pleadings, except that there are more specific cases where the government and rich businessmen jointly oppressed the people. However, the history of the rich businessman in Benzhou sounds very familiar, which makes people have to think about it.

Mei Shao obviously also caught this point from the teacher's words, and he asked: "That rich businessman in Benzhou also made his fortune by relying on water transport?"

The matter of water transportation began to take shape in the period of the first emperor. After Zhao Zhen ascended the throne, he allocated Kuyin to order repairs, presided over by the Ministry of Industry, and issued documents to call businessmen from prefectures and counties along the river to buy the local water transportation terminal. The right to use, while the taxes paid by wealthy businessmen are used for the daily maintenance of transport ships and docks.

Most of the shipping along this waterway along the river relies on the annual taxes paid by wealthy businessmen who contract wharves along the river.

Coincidentally, Mei Shao and Bai Bingchen both thought of the Huang family in Cangzhou, who also made their fortunes from the water transport business. The difference is that Cangzhou is a collusion of businessmen and bandits, while Benzhou is a combination of officials and businessmen.

Li Guojun's fiefdoms are all three prefectures, and the three prefectures between Cangzhou and Benzhou are under the jurisdiction of Pingdong Marquis Sun Zhe, and the river flows to the southeast, just covering the two military marquises of Pingdong Marquis and Nanyang Marquis The land of the two places feeds the people of the two places with the water of one river.

Because of the large span of Shunjiang in the Li Kingdom, Zhao Zhencai focused on water conservancy construction not long after he ascended the throne, with a view to long-term development. In the future, water transportation taxes can feed back the national treasury and enrich the national strength.

Bai Bingchen has also heard about Zhang Huailiu's personality. He is old-fashioned, he doesn't admire the rich and powerful, and he doesn't say anything reckless. If he hadn't seen the state of Benzhou with his own eyes, he wouldn't have come here under the scorching sun to block an unknown person. The imperial court ordered officials to uphold justice.

But if it is true as he said, the merchants in Cangzhou and Benzhou who are in charge of water transportation are secretly plotting, and Bai Bingchen has to wonder if there is such a situation in the other states that flow along the river. , Did the Second Marquis of Nanyang know about this?

"Teacher, how did you know that there are court officials passing by here?"

Seeing Zhang Huailiu just saw that his excited expression did not seem to be fake, just like Bai Bingchen said in the carriage, he didn't know who was sitting in the carriage.

"The son of the prefect of Benzhou is preparing for the autumn exam this year. He threatened me to go to the mansion to explain knowledge to him. In the mansion, I overheard the conversation between the prefect and the rich businessman. It was the distant relative of the rich businessman who instigated the rich businessman to increase taxes. Cangzhou came to the court. Official, I just found out that I have set off to return to the capital in the past two days."

A person's name suddenly appeared in Mei Shao's mind, and he asked, "Is the distant relative who has gone to refuge surnamed Huang?"

"How did you know? I vaguely heard his subordinates call him Master Huang..."

Zhang Huailiu's surprised expression confirmed Mei Shao's thoughts. He raised his eyes and glanced at Bai Bingchen. Both of them knew that the distant relatives who wanted to join the rich merchants in Benzhou were the Huang family who ran away from Cangzhou.

This situation is a little difficult. Benzhou is located between Nanyang Hou and Ping Donghou's fiefdoms, and they are the gates of each other. In order to avoid suspicion, the two Marquis will never take the initiative to intervene in the affairs, lest the other party feel that they want to move War of war.

Moreover, according to Zhang Huailiu's description, the prefect of Benzhou was obviously involved and would definitely protect the Huang family more.And as the head of a state, he went to annex the land so blatantly, and even let Zhang Huailiu intercept the court officials with a warrant, but he didn't care, obviously he had a lot of backing in the court.

And this backer who can protect him, looking at the center, is probably the left minister Zhang Jiudai.

As soon as this happened, Bai Bingchen became more and more suspicious that Zhang Jiudai was the person behind Anxiang Pavilion.

The matter of Zhang Huailiu kneeling in the middle of the street will most likely be reported to the prefect of Benzhou by someone. Maybe he will hide his unclean hands and feet in advance. If he sends people to investigate at this time, he will not get much real evidence. Bai Bingchen plans to first Go back to the capital, wait for more than a month, and use other words to send an appropriate person to go deep into Benzhou to have a look.

It's just that Zhang Huailiu's current situation might not be suitable for him to stay in Benzhou.

"If you don't dislike it, sir, you can go to Cangzhou to cultivate. I will make arrangements to protect your safety."

Bai Bingchen had been standing by the pillars of the gazebo, two or three people away from Zhang Huailiu, so he could hear their words clearly and avoid getting too close to cause offense.

Zhang Huailiu had always been immersed in meeting Mei Shao and resenting the events in Benzhou, and had always regarded Bai Bingchen as a servant who followed Mei Shao, but now listening to him speak and paying attention to his attire, he realized that his status was not high. Low.

"This is..." Zhang Huailiu looked wary, glanced at Bai Bingchen, and then asked Mei Shao with his eyes.

Zhang Huailiu had never met Bai Bingchen, but he had met Bai Jianye when he joined the students to write a letter. Now that he met such a face, he felt vaguely familiar intuitively.

When he asked such a question, Bai Bingchen suddenly didn't know how to introduce himself. If he told his true identity, I'm afraid Zhang Huailiu's original trust because of Mei Shao would be wiped out.

When Bai Bingchen was in a daze, Mei Shao naturally took over the conversation.

"Teacher, this is my... bosom friend."

His voice was very soft, and there was still a smile on the corner of his mouth when he said this, almost instantly, Bingchen was slightly dizzy, and was at a loss for what Mei Shao said.

Even when they were classmates, Mei Shao never used "confidant" to describe their relationship.

Hearing Mei Shao's words, Zhang Huailiu's guarded expression suddenly relaxed, and he murmured: "Teacher can rest assured that someone is with you. I'm afraid that you will be alone when you go back, and you won't even talk. , There is no one to discuss things, this is all right..."

Bai Bingchen realized that such rhetoric would indeed make Zhang Huailiu let go of his guard and reveal more things he dared not say.

It's because he thinks too much...

Sure enough, the next moment, Zhang Huailiu continued: "I still have to go back to Benzhou, there is still a small school I opened there, and the people who come to learn are honest farmers, I can't let go of those children. What's more, I came out to ask for orders this time, and they are still waiting for me to bring back news. I have to go back. If I don't go back, those dog officials don't know how to abuse them. At least the dog officer is still begging me to teach him My son is reading and dare not touch me."

"Teacher..." Mei Shao held his hand and wanted to persuade him again, but Zhang Huailiu waved his hand and refused.

"When I came out of Pingdu, I had escaped once and returned to my hometown. Now that I am old, I can't escape. If my hometown can't accommodate me, even if I escape, where else can I escape? I only have this bit of energy left, and I lost it when I said goodbye.”

Mei Shao couldn't persuade him, so she agreed in a low voice, and helped him up.

Seeing Zhang Huailiu getting up to leave, Bai Bingchen saluted him, "Sir."

Zhang Huailiu stopped and looked Bai Bingchen up and down with a strict teacher's gaze. Seeing that he was still maintaining his salute without any sign of impatience, he withdrew his transgressive gaze and sighed softly. tone.

"Chongjin, although I didn't watch him grow up, I can understand his temperament eight or nine points. He looks tough, but his heart is easy to soften. He is not suitable for being in the officialdom. Teacher, I really didn't give him any way to protect himself wisely. But when I saw you, I knew it very well..."

"teacher!"

Hearing Zhang Huailiu's unkind words, Mei Shao subconsciously wanted to defend Bai Bingchen, but he made a sharp glance at him and forcibly held back what he wanted to say.

"Yes. The younger generation knows a thing or two about officialdom." Bai Bingchen was neither humble nor overbearing, and he didn't feel dissatisfied with being offended in the slightest.

"Then I'll trouble you and teach him well." Zhang Huailiu gently held Bai Bingxing's hand, and lifted him up to meet his eyes.

There are too many emotions hidden in his eyes, so complicated that Bai Bingchen can't tell the difference. At this moment, what Zhang Huailiu wants to express is doubt, ridicule, or understanding?

"One dynasty, one courtier. During the time of the first emperor, you could not be the master of the Bai family. I don't want to go into the right and wrong. It's just that Chongjin is still willing to trust you now, so please take care of me. The first emperor has given up on a military general once. Don't let your majesty follow in the footsteps of the late emperor."

Zhang Huailiu still recognized Bai Bingchen, and recognized the face that pushed the Mei family to a desperate situation that he could see every day when he led his disciples to kneel outside the palace gate.

And the person in front of him was very similar to that face.

The author says:

Meimei: Teacher, in fact, she is my wife...