Shenjing City
The dark night shrouded the earth, like a silver moon hanging in the sky, like a veil or mist, falling on the roof of the palace. The study room in the Daming Palace was still brightly lit, as bright as day.
Emperor Chongping raised his head from a pile of memorials and asked Dai Quan, who was standing with his hands lowered, "How is the public opinion in Beijing?"
Since the afternoon, as the cabinet ministers left the palace, news of the discovery of gold mines in Henan also spread to the outside world.
Dai Quan whispered: "Reporting to your majesty, my servants have spread the news in restaurants and teahouses. The people in the capital say that God has blessed you and bestowed gold upon your majesty."
Emperor Chongping nodded and said: "Nowadays, because of the construction of water conservancy projects in the northern provinces, people's hearts and minds are stirring, and material discussions are boiling. I previously passed Jia Ziyu's memorial to the General Affairs Department and published it in Di Bao. I hope it can calm some of the rumors. "
Dai Quan hesitated for a moment and then suggested: "Your Majesty, would you like me to send a message to Yongning Bo Fei Ge..."
This Prime Minister Dai Nei, who had followed the emperor since he was in King Yong's residence, was obviously not as simple as he appeared.
Emperor Chongping was silent for a moment, and said in deep thought: "Ziyu knows it well, and there is no need to remind him. He can't hide it, but he can pass the message to Ziyu by flying pigeons, and wait until the sweet potatoes are transplanted in Henan. He will take the sweet potato seeds with the farmers and hurry up. Deliver it to Beijing, and I will transplant it in the back garden to see the harvest."
Since the Chongping period, the northern provinces of the Han Dynasty have been suffering from severe droughts for many years. In addition, the imperial mausoleum collapsed in the earthquake not long ago.
Although the Chen-Han court dealt with King Zhongshun and downplayed the relationship between heaven and man at the official level, suppressing the fluctuations of people's hearts on the surface, secretly the people were muttering in their hearts.
Immediately afterwards, civil unrest broke out in Henan, and the city of Kaifeng fell to the hands of thieves. The words "Wars are rising everywhere, and the storm is precarious" were clearly displayed in front of everyone.
Civil unrest in Henan swept across the Central Plains, and bandits captured a provincial government. Is the Han Dynasty about to run out of energy and change dynasties?
But unexpectedly, Jia Heng led the Beijing army to put down the rebellion at the first opportunity, which was equivalent to a basin of cold water that quickly extinguished the small fire in the heart of such an ambitious man.
After that, Gao Yue and other bandit leaders' subjugation of the law effectively shocked the hearts of people in the north and south of the Yangtze River in Shenjing City. They probably...run! The court has troops!
Today, with the discovery of gold mines with reserves of one million taels in Song County and other places under the jurisdiction of Henan Prefecture, the news of the discovery of coal mines in Xin'an County spread like wildfire, and the entire Shenjing City was buzzing with discussion.
Gold and wealth are very exciting, especially the news of gold being dug out of the ground. One pass to ten, ten to a hundred.
Moreover, the huge gold mines in Song County were rich in reserves even in later generations. At this time, a million taels of gold mines were equivalent to one year's taxation of the Han Dynasty's treasury.
At this time, mineral deposits, especially gold mines, were generally God-given wealth, which shows that Chen Han was blessed with fortune. As for the so-called Chong Ping's lack of morality in recent years, and God's warning, it is untenable.
Otherwise, why did God give such a gold mine? Totally unjustifiable.
In this world, no one thinks that gold mines are some kind of chemical elements. Most of the scientific judgments formed in prehistoric times attribute them to God's gift.
Emperor Chongping put down the memorial, took a look at the sky outside, and said, "That's it for today, show off in Kunning Palace."
Now we just have to wait for it to rain after summer. If it rains, he cannot be entirely blamed for some of the previous things.
Prince Wei's Mansion, backyard, study
This recently completed mansion occupies an area covered with gardens and dense trees.
Wei King Chen Ran was sitting on a pearwood wooden chair, with a complex expression on his young and handsome face, and said, "Does uncle know that there is news in Beijing today that a huge gold mine has been discovered in Henan and is being excavated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"
As the vassal king in charge of the Five Cities Military and Horse Department, he was naturally aware of the sudden rumors in the capital.
Song Jingdao: "I heard the Ministry of Industry mention this matter today. Lord Qin will set up a Coal Department in accordance with the Holy Will. At the same time, he will select a group of craftsmen to go to Xin'an County to set up a Coal Department and dig coal mines. However, the government and the public will have a lot of public opinion about this matter recently. .”
In the previous Ming Dynasty, the Yin Guan Bureau, also known as the Zhongguan (Internal Supervisor), went to dig for gold and silver mines in various places for the benefit of the court. This was criticized by civil servants.
Dahan is under the control of the Department of Guangshu and Preservation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is responsible for excavation and smelting matters.
But this does not mean that civil servants have no objections to this matter.
"Public opinion is about to rise. What do you say?" King Wei asked in surprise.
Song Jingdao: "Some people say that miners gathering in one place for mining may cause trouble. Last year, there were several confrontations between coal miners and the government in Shanxi. Moreover, the imperial court has been calling for a strike to stop mining operations, but the Ministry of War needs to Regarding weapon smelting, Prince Zhongshun was quite opposed to it at first, so it didn't work out in the end."
In a small-scale peasant economy that emphasizes agriculture, a considerable number of officials asked the court to ban mining.
King Wei nodded and said: "Previously, Prince Zhongshun was in charge of the internal affairs and was able to suppress them. Now that Aunt Jinyang is in charge, these people may become restless again."
King Zhongshun was in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. As the emperor's brother, he suppressed some criticisms from the court. In addition, weapons smelting was inseparable from coal, so some criticisms could not be heard.
Whether it is the imperial court or the dignitaries of Shenjing, they really need good coal for heating and daily necessities, and this matter will not cause any commotion.
Song Jing said: "However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has a huge organization and has many things to do. It is even more generous than the Ministry of Household Affairs."
At the beginning, he was almost able to enter the Kuaiji Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In another three to five years, it is not impossible to gradually take charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but it is a pity that his success fell short.
Song Jing turned to look at King Wei and said, "Is everything going well with the Five Cities Military and Horse Division now?"
King Wei nodded and said: "It's okay, but after all, it's still young, prestige is not yet established, and people are not attached to it.
"Jia Ziyu has a lot of errands now, and he won't be able to stay in the Five Cities Military and Horse Division for too long. His Highness will probably mention the affairs of the Five Cities Military and Horse Division." Song Huan said with relief.
Suddenly he paused and said, "The Prefect of Jingzhao has been vacant for a few months, and the court will nominate candidates recently. It would be great if His Highness could be the Prefect of Jingzhao.
According to the practice during the Longzhi period, the East Palace controlled Jingzhao Mansion, and if a vassal prince was in charge of Jingzhao Mansion, the political signal would be very strong, almost establishing the foundation of the country.
Chen Han's training of the prince was based on Chen Han's Taizu learning the lessons of the former Ming vassal king who raised pigs and the artifacts changed hands to other people. Although the focus was still on prevention, he also gave some opportunities for political training, at least the meat would rot in the pot.
When he became an adult, he opened the government, and depending on the situation, he went to the six ministries to observe the government and assist the emperor in managing the government. As for the East Palace, he was in charge of the affairs of the Jingzhao government and often patrolled the place on behalf of the emperor.
When the prince is established as the new emperor, he will usually keep his close relatives in Beijing, and the rest will go to various places to join vassals. For example, Emperor Chongping's cousins, Wei and Zheng vassals, and his father was also the brother of Emperor Longzhi. He was also known as the wise king at that time. .
Both Taizong and Longzhi were in such a stable process. Although there were some rebellions, it was generally stable. Many wise kings appeared, and they also suppressed the civil servant group.
But during the Longzhi period, there was a fight for heirs. The capable vassal kings all coveted the throne. The prince, King Zhou, King Zhao, and King Yong were almost in chaos.
King Wei sighed and said, "I'm afraid this matter is a bit difficult. The last political turmoil showed that my father did not intend to establish the foundation of the country early.
"Because of the tragic events during the Longzhi period, the court officials did not mention the matter of the East Palace much, but it was just a distraction. When the time comes, His Highness will always have a chance." Song Huan said with relief.
King Wei nodded and said: "My mother also said the same thing. In recent years, my father has reflected on the events of the Longzhi period and seems unwilling to determine the country's foundation early. He also has doubts about the vassal king being in charge of the affairs of the first government office. Uncle, I will be the most important in the future." Master five, city troops and horses."
In fact, the King of Qi supervised money and food all the year round in the Ministry of Household Affairs, and was only able to gather middle-level bureaucrats in the Thirteenth Official Department of the Ministry of Household Affairs and some prefectures and counties in various provinces.
The King of Chu, on the other hand, was often responsible for the errands assigned by Emperor Chongping in the Department of Military Affairs, Arsenal, and the Department of Chachiqing Officials. As a result, he came into contact with many military generals and was able to win over some middle-level military generals in the capital camps and border towns.
This was under the suppression of Emperor Chongping, who deliberately did not allow the two vassals to take charge of overall affairs.
Moreover, Emperor Chongping has been on the throne for more than ten years, unlike Emperor Longzhi who has been in power for decades. The prince has been consulting in the six ministries for a long time. As time goes by, the party members he won over in the early stage gradually rose to higher positions, and even became the balance of the dynasty. The power of the game
one.
Song Jing pondered and said: "It's too early to say this now. Your father is very high-spirited and wants to rely on Yong Ningbo's power to pacify the Eastern captives and seek eternal peace. Even though Yongning Bo cannot eradicate the captives in the end, as in the Northern Yuan Dynasty. Compared with the previous Ming Dynasty, it was probably five to ten years. At that time, the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty would not sit back and watch the East Palace without an owner, and you are the eldest son. The Five Cities Military and Horse Division is by no means the end. When the situation of the court changes, you will be in charge of a department. It’s not impossible, by the way, your fourth uncle wrote a letter earlier, hoping to know about the affairs of Kaifeng Mansion, saying that Uncle Yongning wanted to recommend him.”
At the end, Song Jing's tone was a bit complicated.
Compared with his fourth brother, who was born in the second rank of Jinshi, his official career was not smooth. King Wei nodded and said, "Where's Xianning? Is there any news recently?"
Song Jing said: "It's not mentioned in the letter. Xianning didn't write a letter to the palace alone?"
"I haven't heard anything from Queen Mother or Concubine Rong in the past few days." King Wei shook his head and said.
He somewhat wanted to know what was going on between Xianning and Jia Ziyu, but it was hard to find out about this kind of thing. He heard that the queen mother wanted to marry Jia Ziyu.
Song Jing said again: "Your Highness, the key is still in these five years. Your Highness can work with peace of mind, fully display your talents, and let the Holy Lord know that you have the style of a king. As for the King of Chu, now the relatives of Wei and Zheng vassals are interceding outside the palace, making a fuss." The palace is not good-looking, and the King of Chu did not do his job well this time. He has a reputation of being kind and virtuous, but he is too much to blame."
King Wei's eyes flashed and he asked: "What do you mean by uncle, will my father feel disgusted with the King of Chu brother because of this?"
"It's hard to say now. King Chu had some merits before, so it's not a big mistake this time." Song Jing thought for a while and explained.
Moreover, he vaguely guessed that the palace was letting several vassal princes fight among themselves, so perhaps it would not threaten the imperial power.
At this moment, a female official came in from outside. She bowed to King Wei and said, "Your Highness, the princess sent someone here to say that it is getting late and it's time for dinner."
"Uncle, do you want to keep some?" King Wei said quickly.
Seeing this, Song Jing stood up, smiled and said, "No, your aunt is still at home waiting for dinner." "Then I will send it to your uncle." Because he often came to visit, King Wei did not force him to stay, and stood up to meet him. deliver.
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Luoyang City, May 5th, Dragon Boat Festival
Jia Heng also took a break today and led a group of orioles to visit Laojun Mountain before returning to Jia's mansion in Delifang.
In the flower hall in the backyard, Jia Heng and Princess Jinyang were sitting opposite each other across a chessboard, chatting. Princess Jinyang asked, "I heard from Xianning, what did Fu Shi mean when he entrusted his sister to you yesterday?"
Speaking of yesterday, Fu Shi left Luoyang and went to Xinyang Prefecture to take office. When saying goodbye, he entrusted his sister Fu Qiufang to Jia Heng.
Jia Heng frowned and said: "Fu Shi said that his sister was not accustomed to the acclimatization and it was inconvenient to travel, so she wanted to rest here for a few days. I saw that she did look a little sick, so I couldn't refuse, so I hired an imperial doctor. Look."
The so-called full-scale acting, Fu Qiufang pretended to be sick, so he naturally had to act more realistic and put some makeup on his face. First of all, his face was acclimatized, with a pale complexion, vomiting and diarrhea, and his expression was a bit languid. .
The eldest princess of Jinyang picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and said, "I think there is something fishy in this." As she said that, she looked at the young man opposite with a half-smile. , just a little bit.
Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said, "In a few days, when she gets better, we can just send her to Xinyang Prefecture. This Fu Shi is too thoughtful."
I had only met Fu Qiufang a few times, but they didn't have much interaction. The family itself was chaotic enough, and this Fu Shi sent a girl over again, just to cling to her.
The eldest princess of Jinyang smiled sweetly and said: "Don't be in a hurry to send it back. Just wait. I am short of manpower here to help with the affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and there is a shortage of old and scheming people like this right now. "
Jia Heng: "..."
Then why not introduce Baochai to you another day?
He continued to talk about this matter, picked up the tea cup, sipped the tea, and said: "Are there many things going on in the Ministry of Internal Affairs these days? Beijing
Isn't there any urging over there? "
"Now that we have the gold mine matter, we can hang around for a few more days. Although I am in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I am not the one who decides everything. Because of the corruption of Prince Zhongshun, now the Secretary of Kuaiji The account books over there are all sent by the emperor's brother to manage the expenditure. It is said that the household department cannot make ends meet every year, and it all depends on the Ministry of Internal Affairs." Princess Jinyang said softly.
Jia Heng nodded, with a thoughtful expression on his face: "I see."
Emperor Chongping could not let go at any time. This was the vassal king who had been killed from his hiding place. Several thousand households in Jinyi Mansion were also members of the emperor. The emperor already controlled some generals in the 12th Regiment Camp in Beijing.
He even suspected that King Zhongshun was corrupt in the Internal Affairs Office. Emperor Chongping was well aware of it. As for the corruption on the imperial mausoleum, he probably didn't know about it. He probably didn't expect King Zhongshun to be so bold.
"I call you Emperor Brother in front of me, but what do you call me in front of Xianning?" Princess Jinyang smiled and pulled the young man back from his thoughts.
Jia Heng glanced at the sky and said, "It's noon, is it time for lunch?"
The eldest princess of Jinyang had a smile in her eyes, hummed softly, and quietly looked at Jia Heng looking around him.
Jia Heng paused for a moment, changed the subject, and asked, "I was wondering if I could take advantage of being in Henan to write a memorial and deliver it to Beijing to resign from the Five Cities Military and Horse Division?"
After the First World War in Henan, he was promoted to the title of Yongning Bo. He had successfully established a foothold in the Beijing camp, and there was no need to take charge of the five-city military and horse division. Sometimes it may not be a good thing to take too much power, and It is also not suitable to work with the king of Wei.
"It depends on what the emperor wants. I think you can take both positions, but there is no need to resign." Princess Jinyang smiled softly and said softly.
Jia Heng looked at Princess Jinyang in surprise, feeling something was unusual.
"What you are worried about is that you have too much power, which has attracted criticism from the courtiers and made the emperor suspicious." Princess Jinyang chuckled and said, "But if you resign, the courtiers will not criticize you? They will still criticize and speculate about this period. , I had nothing to do and read the newspaper in my residence, and mentioned the construction of water conservancy projects in the northern provinces. Although I did not impeach him openly, I secretly had the intention of Xiangzhuang dancing with his sword. As for the emperor's brother, I feel that he will not see him. suspect."
From now on, this assignment will be more important than the position of the Commander-in-Chief in Imperial Guards. It can save lives at critical moments.
Jia Heng weighed the pros and cons and asked: "I also know about this. The criticism will never stop. I just thought that I really can't find the time to take care of the affairs."
"You asked the Ordnance Supervisor, but you don't often go to the Ordnance Supervisor?" Princess Jinyang smiled and said: "Besides, we are in Henan now. When we get to Beijing, we won't be bothered by the affairs of the Beijing camp. You must be hands-on in everything, and the specific affairs in daily life are those of the Five Cities Military and Horse Division and the Jinyi Mansion."
Jia Heng looked silent, thought for a moment, and said, "What you said is that it's just the Five Cities Military and Horse Division and the King of Wei who is watching the government."
"After returning to the capital, as before, I will not pay much attention to the daily affairs of the Five Cities Military and Horse Department, and just leave the daily affairs to the King of Wei." Princess Jinyang said softly.
If you don't advance, you will retreat, and if you give up everything, then when the day comes, it will only be people who work as swordsmen, and I who work as fish and meat.
Jia Heng whispered: "If someone says that I support King Wei, I'm afraid...
Regarding the matter of seizing the direct descendant, he was still a little unfamiliar with Emperor Chongping's temperament and needed to hear what Jin Yang wanted. The eldest princess of Jinyang said: "You and Xianning have become like this, are you still afraid of others telling you?"
Jia Heng said: "After all this talk, why are you bringing this up again?"
He was a little busy writing documents these days, and then he didn't stay at the eldest princess's house much. In the eyes of the beauty in front of him, he was a little bit offended.
"Okay, let's not mention it then." Princess Jinyang said, left the chair, came to Jia Heng's side, lowered her voice and said: "You haven't made the emperor suspicious now, wait until you are here Beibian'er has won a great victory and has great prestige. All the troops in the capital camp are your generals. It's not too late to think of other ways to clear up the doubts. Moreover, the King of Wei is married to the Nan'an Palace. You don't deal with the Nan'an family, and you have The prince of Xining County did not deal with it, and there were several other princes. These were all seen by the emperor's brother, but now he will not
I doubt you, do you believe it or not, if you go to the doctor, the emperor will probably not allow it? "
Jia Heng thought about Jin Yang's words, feeling confused.
The conflict between Nan'an County Prince and him is irreconcilable, because he is a rising star, and the conflict with Liu Fang and other old nobles is related to the right to speak in military affairs, but he has not yet completely suppressed the founding nobles, let alone the emperor. The situation can be balanced at any time.
"Then let's take another look. There's no rush. It won't be too late to discuss this matter when we get to the capital." Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said softly: "It's a bit risky to have all three in one."
At least you can't do three jobs openly, it's too conspicuous.
Even if he gives up the Wucheng Army and Horses Division, he will let his cousin stay in the Wucheng Army and Horses Division, and there are other relatives and friends who stay in the Wucheng Army and Horse Division. Everyone cannot be Han Tong of the Later Zhou Dynasty. Life and death are at stake. At that time, it's probably enough to leave a door open for him.
Of course, this is a thought hidden in the deepest part of my heart. No one can say it. Besides, it won't go to that point. Well, I just want to leave a door open and just want to... live on the run.
Under the curved eyebrows of the eldest princess of Jinyang, there was a hint of worry hidden deep in her watery eyes, and she whispered: "That's okay, let's go have lunch. I'm a little hungry now."
The Commander-in-Chief of Jinyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Beijing Camp, and the Military Division of the Five Cities, all have a chance to be saved in the future precisely because of their dangerous situation. It is difficult to talk to him about some things at the moment.
Just as the two left, not far away, a nanny came into the hall and said: "A man outside who calls himself Xu Kai, a bachelor of the Imperial Academy, handed over a greeting card outside the house."
Jia Heng's expression paused, he looked at Princess Jinyang, and said softly: "You go to eat first, and I will meet this Xu Hanlin later."
Xu Kai was a former lecturer at the Hanlin Academy and came to Henan on Han Huang's recommendation. If nothing unexpected happens, he will probably be sent to Runing Mansion as the prefect, but he still needs to see his talent.
