When Han Du saw the steam rising from the tea cup on the table, he understood that what Zhang Lei said must be true.
"Sit down, why are you standing?" Han Du gestured toward the chair.
"Uncle Xie." Zhang Leixian smiled and sat down carefully.
Zhang Lei had to be embarrassed, remembering that when he was in the Jiaofang Division, he scolded Han Du angrily. But now such a short period of time has passed, Han Du has transformed from the original fifth-rank official to a Ming Earl and a distinguished noble. And he is still the same.
Even the man he regarded as Gao Shan's father had not yet received a title.
"What's the matter with you coming to see me?" Han Du had no choice but to ask when he saw Zhang Lei sitting in front of him tremblingly, with his head lowered and not saying anything.
Ranwen
"Ah? Oh." Zhang Lei suddenly came to his senses and stood up again.
He bowed to Han Du and said awkwardly: "My nephew rashly contradicted my uncle...Uncle, please punish me."
"You called me uncle?" Han Du's eyes suddenly widened and his voice rose an octave.
Zhang Lei was also embarrassed and his face was hot. He didn't want to call Han Du uncle. Han Du was about the same age as him, so calling him such a name among his peers really made him speechless. But it just wasn't possible to stop shouting. His father had said that he should be friends with Han Du's peers. As Zhang Yi's son, he was naturally a generation younger than Han Du.
Even if you don’t bark, you have to bark. Otherwise, Zhang Yi said, he would break his legs.
"Father, I said..." Zhang Lei tried to explain intermittently.
Before he finished speaking, Han Du understood what was going on.
He smiled and said: "You should call me Han Du, or uncle. Your father and I are one thing, and you are another thing. If you call me uncle, I won't be used to it. "
Just kidding, I don’t even have a son. What's going on if you just become someone else's uncle?
"Then...I'll thank you uncle." Zhang Lei felt relieved. He originally wanted to call Han Du, but thinking of his father's face, he immediately changed his name to uncle.
Han Du smiled, nodded, and asked, "Is this what you came here for today?"
"Yes." Zhang Lei replied with a smile.
"Well, now that it's settled,
Then go back. "
"Okay." Zhang Lei nodded subconsciously, and then walked outside.
But after taking two steps, he suddenly stopped, turned around and said to Han Du: "Uncle, if I go back like this, I'm afraid my father will think that I have never been here and just wandered around outside to deceive him. .How about I go back later?”
"That's fine." Han Du didn't expect that Zhang Lei, who acted like a playboy, could be so thoughtful.
After thinking for a while, Han Du simply said: "How about this? You eat at my place and I will accompany you back. What do you think?"
It was almost noon, and Han Du happened to have slept in the morning and didn't even eat, so he was already a little hungry. Moreover, Han Du didn't plan to go for a walk in the afternoon, so he could just go and see Zhang Yi.
Zhang Lei didn't expect Han Du to be so easy to talk to, so he quickly said: "Thank you, uncle."
...
Two days later, Zhu Shou, the newly minted governor, was about to take office. Lan Yu, Han Du and others came to see him off at the riverside dock outside Dinghuai Gate.
Ten large fortune ships were docked by the river, and two thousand soldiers had boarded them. Zhu Shou's family and the things he planned to bring were slowly boarding the ship.
When Han Du saw that Zhu Shou's people had even brought pots and pans with them, he couldn't help but joked: "Master Hou, are you going to take office or are you moving? Why do you have to bring these things with you?"
Zhu Shou laughed and said nonchalantly: "It will only take us five years to leave our hometown. If we don't take these things with us after five years of leaving our hometown, what if we don't even have a bite of food from our hometown?" Driving us crazy? To tell you the truth, not only did we bring these things, we also brought a cook."
"The Marquis is still thoughtful." Han Du gave a thumbs up in salute.
"My dear brother," Lan Yu sighed and warned, "Although Java is weak, you still have to be careful when going here."
"Little brother, I saved you." Zhu Shou solemnly nodded, "Please stay, I won't send you off!"
Then, he stepped onto the big fortune boat without looking back.
Warriors are used to farewells of life and death, so they don't attach much importance to things like farewell. If Han Du had brought Lan Yu and others here today, Zhu Shou might have left without anyone to see him off.
Moreover, even
In this way, Zhu Shou wouldn't find it difficult to let go.
The Dafu boat broke free from the ropes, raised its sails and sailed down the river, and soon disappeared from the eyes of several people.
...
Golden autumn and August are the harvest season.
This year's drought has caused varying degrees of food harvest failure throughout the Ming Dynasty. Specifically, the Central Plains and northwest regions experienced more serious harvest failures. In places such as Jiangnan and Sichuan, the harvest failure was only about 10%.
Although the grain harvest was poor, the people still harvested the grain happily. Although it is less than in previous years, it is still better than none.
After the grain is harvested, the next step is to pay taxes. Since the emperor issued a decree to reduce taxes in many places this year, after the people paid taxes, the food left in their hands was about the same as in previous years.
This stabilizes the people's hearts and makes them full of hope for the coming year.
...
In Jinshen Hall, Lao Zhu was holding several memorials and comparing them carefully. Afterwards, he was in a daze and sat there without saying a word. The Zhu Zhu in his hand seemed to be frozen, and he didn't put down the pen for a long time.
Finally, Lao Zhu put down his writing brush and placed several memorials in front of him one by one.
Suddenly shouted: "Mao Xiang."
"I'm here, please give me your orders, Your Majesty."
There was another moment of silence, and Mao Xiang knelt in front of Lao Zhu, not daring to move at all.
"Go and check for me. Beiping Chengxuan Envoy Si Li Yu, Punishment and Prosecution Envoy Si Zhao Quande, and Household Minister Guo Huan. Find out if there is any connection between these three people."
"According to the order!" Mao Xiang replied immediately. There was a surge of ecstasy in his heart, the emperor was finally going to use him.
Mao Xiang was also someone who was single-handedly picked up by Lao Zhu. He was also an old man who followed Lao Zhu and won Lao Zhu's trust. Mao Xiang was also a human being, and he also wanted to be granted the title of Marquis and to honor his ancestors.
However, the Ming Dynasty had already established an iron law that no one could be granted a title except for military merit.
And Mao Xiang stayed by the emperor's side all the time. How could he have the chance to make military exploits? Therefore, if Mao Xiang wanted to be granted the title of marquis, he needed to make meritorious deeds in front of the emperor, enough to offset the merits that could not be granted the title of marquis except for military merit.
But what happened one after another caused Mao Xiang to lose face in front of the emperor. The emperor's grandson died, but no cause of death could be found, and no murderer could be caught.
