With the arrival of the first snow in winter in the seventh year of Zhenghe, Cai Jing was pulled from his post, and his eldest son was also removed from his official position and was waiting for election. The trend of denouncing the enchantress who had brought harm to the country was finally calmed down in Beijing.
This snowfall was very heavy, and it accumulated several inches deep in just one night.
It was cold and freezing, and Emperor Mingde did not entertain guests when she got up in the morning, so the carriages and horses on Hong'en Avenue had not yet formed a congestion.
Amidst the chaos, from the end of the avenue, a mother and daughter in ragged clothes came supporting each other.
Mother and daughter are very similar, with full lips, thin eyebrows, high nose bridge, round face and big eyes, beautiful appearance.
However, there was a bitter color between his brows and a sad look on his face, which was blue and white due to the cold, making him indescribably sad and desolate.
"Mom, it can be said that it was her fault that Daddy is in this situation, yet you still insist on coming to beg her!" When the daughter saw the towering gate of Ninghe Hall, she stood still and said with a choked voice. :
"Why is it so easy to get into her school? Haven't you never heard of the slang that is widely spread by outsiders?"
"The bright and virtuous enchantress is in the Hall of Ninghe. The porch is made of gold and the sill is made of silver. The courtyard is covered with the wealth and anointing of the people. There is a banquet in the hall without virtue and talent. Gold and silver make the clouds reach the sky. Everything will be done."
"Qing'er!" The woman seemed to be severely frozen, and her words were trembling: "It was your mouth that harmed your father. Why don't you know how to reflect on yourself? What kind of world is this, you still dare to talk nonsense language!"
"Mom, what are you afraid of what she will do? You and I have no money and it's hard to even get in. How can we get in if we say so?" Qing'er didn't follow the woman's lead and said disdainfully: "If it weren't for the restrictions imposed by you and dad. I entered the palace, and now, I can't say, I have also sealed my wife, if something happens to my father and brother, I can still find a way to save him!"
"You, you ignorant girl!" The woman was extremely angry, stretched out her finger and tapped Qing'er's forehead harshly: "Your father and brother are both honest and kind, and they do their job, how come you are here?" You are just mean and have a heart as high as the sky!"
"How easy is it for you to be an official? There are hundreds of ladies in the palace. If you get in, you will disappear without any sound!"
"Mom! I'm different from those people. I'm not only good-looking, but also talented!" Qing'er Buyi said, "My aunt told me that at that time, all the eldest sons of Prime Minister Cai's family came to ask for you, but you didn't know how to make progress. I chose dad, an honest man who only knows how to farm, and if something happens, he will be immediately pushed out as a scapegoat!"
"You, you!!!" The woman didn't know whether she was cold or angry, her face was livid, and she was shaky: "You also know that's Nai! What you Nai is a toy, how can you have the dignity of a real wife! You can't offend me. If you accept this thought, don't enter the Ninghe Hall with me!"
After saying that, he threw Qing'er away with one hand and strode towards the direction of Ninghe Hall. However, he fell heavily into the snow before taking two steps.
Qing'er rolled her eyes behind her, followed quickly, helped the woman up and walked forward in the wind and snow.
In the Hall of Ninghe, the heat was suffocating. Zhao Fujin was wrapped in a thick fur cloak. He stretched out a hand from the cloak and was reading articles on the table.
This article was submitted by a farm attendant named Li from Xing'an County.
Its content is that after three years of experience in serving farmers, he concluded that grinding the seedlings with stone plates at the end of the year before they have hardened stalks can keep the ground warm in the middle of winter, not damage the cold seedlings, and ensure the next year's grain. rich.
However, after he submitted this article, he was thrown into jail by the magistrate of Xing'an County.
The crime was to use stone plates to crush the seedlings privately, causing a reduction in grain production. It was a heinous crime.
In his previous life, Zhao Fujin once read about the strategies for keeping winter wheat warm in agricultural knowledge. It is said that rolled winter wheat is conducive to safe wintering, reduces soil cracking, enhances wheat rooting, and can retain water, increase moisture, and increase soil moisture. Fertilizer can prevent excessive loss of fertilizer, promote root growth, and improve the ability to withstand cold and frost. It can be said that it has all the benefits and no harm.
And according to Li Shinong, this approach has been experimented for three or four years and has reached mature conclusions, so it was sent to Tianting in order to implement production protection throughout the Song Dynasty.
It stands to reason that I have already tried it before, so why was I thrown into jail after submitting it?
Zhao Fujin sent someone to Xing'an County to inquire about it. He just came back yesterday and said that this Li Shinong was Ma Zheng's brother-in-law. Ma Zheng's death splattered the court with blood, and all members of the family who had official status were dismissed from their posts.
Li Shinong's wife was Mrs. Ma's cousin. She was separated by one floor and was not implicated at first, but she couldn't stop him from forming a personal feud with the county magistrate in Xing'an County.
In order to seize his guilt and use Ma Zheng's crime to bring harm to the whole family, the county magistrate combined his two crimes into one and put him in prison.
Zhao Fujin let out a long sigh. The more he watched, the colder his heart became.
There were many officials in the Song Dynasty, and most of them were those who wielded power.
People like Li Shinong, who are pragmatic and talented, often have a hard time getting ahead. They either get promoted to high officials and take credit, or they are plotted by villains and never get ahead.
"Fifth Emperor Ji, you are so rich and powerful, how can you still have the nerve to sigh and sigh?" A woman's sigh suddenly came from the silent palace.
Zhao Fujin looked back and saw Princess Ande, Zhao Jinluo, wearing a cloak and yawning as she walked out from behind the screen.
"You've been living with me for more than ten days, when are you leaving?" Zhao Fujin glanced at her and asked angrily.
"Confucius said that it is a great pleasure to have guests from far away. Fifth sister, you are good at wielding power, but you are a shameless person!" Zhao Jinluo fastened his cloak, squeezed unceremoniously to Zhao Fujin's side, stretched out his He tilted his head to read the articles on her case.
"Fourth sister has the nerve to say that she is a guest. Have you ever seen a guest come uninvited and stay for more than ten days?" Zhao Fujin rolled his eyes at her and moved to the side so that she could sit upright. After reading the article on the case: "Simply ask the people in your palace to send your expenses to me. Even if you stay here for a few more days, I won't chase you away!"
"Go, go, go!" Zhao Jinluo took one look at the book about agriculture and immediately lost interest. She lowered her body on the table and said with a look of sadness: "You have already got so much money, but I only have so little." The living expenses are not enough to slip through the cracks of your fingers!”
"Why are you so virtuous again? What's going on?" Zhao Fujin asked a little strangely: "Before I moved out, I heard that the eldest lady was discussing marriage with you. How could you still be wandering around idle? of?"
"A beloved man is like this, but he has a mother..." Zhao Jinluo's muffled voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
"What you are saying is that if you don't have a mother, where can you find a good man?" Zhao Fujin thought for a moment: "Why is Song Juren's mother so difficult to deal with?"
"It's not just difficult to deal with!" Zhao Jinluo got angry when he mentioned this: "She sent a message to my mother, saying that the city is too far away from the ancestral home, and she hopes that after I marry her son, I can be with her. Move to the ancestral land and serve the ancestors!”
"What!" Zhao Fujin was speechless: "The eldest lady will definitely not agree, right?"
"You guessed wrong! My mother said that the daughter of an official family is also the daughter-in-law of another family, and it is the proper etiquette to obey the orders of Weng Gu!" Zhao Jinluo said through gritted teeth.
