Jiang Ning went to thank Zhu You, the young man's order, and politely exchanged greetings with his former colleagues, and then returned home as if he was running away with the official seal he had just received.
It's not the rented second-entry courtyard before, but the magnificent mansion given by the emperor after my cousin was canonized as queen.
Jiang Liniang was at home at this time, not only her, but also Jiang Mandun and Fei Shi. Only Yuan Niang was in the backyard listening to the female officer sent by Queen Mother Dou to teach palace etiquette, and she was not here.
Fei Shi saw her son coming back and forced a smile. Jiang Liniang's sharp eyes saw that the seal on his waist had changed: "Brother, have you been promoted?"
Jiang Ning silently sat down next to his father. After a while, he responded in a dull voice: "Oh, he is in the fifth rank, and he is still working as an errand in the Young Mansion."
Then he felt that the atmosphere in the front hall was not right: "Did something happen?"
Fei and Jiang Mandun hesitated to speak, their expressions hard to describe.
Jiang Ning went to see her younger sister, who was the youngest but most decisive.
Jiang Liniang stared at him and said slowly: "Mrs. Liu just came to visit. She is the aunt of Rich Man Liu. Her husband is a fourth-rank official and the highest-ranking person in the Liu family."
Jiang Ning said "ah" without knowing why.
Jiang Liniang continued: "Mrs. Liu sent a generous gift with a very humble attitude. She said that her husband has been working as an official in other places all year round. She didn't know that her nephew relied on his power to do random things. In the fish and meat village, he still wanted to kill his relatives in a righteous way. Xiang Jingzhaoyin exposed Rich Man Liu’s evil deeds of bullying men and dominating women over the years. Unexpectedly, Rich Man Liu heard the news, committed suicide in fear of crime, and hanged himself..."
Mr. Liu hanged himself? !
Jiang Ning's expression suddenly trembled, her lips moved a few times, but she couldn't speak.
What happened today is so similar to when Mr. Liu escorted the steward to the Jiang family to apologize!
It’s just that time has changed, and Rich Master Liu finally became an abandoned son in the hands of others...
Jiang Ning has also read the books of sages and knows that wealth, power, and power can move people's hearts. He has even been taught by his sister, who talked about the fate of relatives in the past generations. However, the truth in the book is good, and the death of General Dou is also good. Well, to him, it was not as shocking as the death of a rich man named Liu.
He was silent for a long time, and then asked his sister: "What did you say?"
Fei rubbed her sleeves with her fingers: "What can I say? It's Mr. Liu's own business and it won't bother his uncle. Mrs. Liu was so grateful that she wiped her tears and said that her family was unfortunate. , making outsiders laugh, and said that whether the money Mr. Liu had put in the countryside over the years, or the loans he had borrowed, all the IOUs were gathered together and burned, and that he had robbed other people's fields in the past. They all went back..."
Jiang Mandun smoked a dry cigarette and remained silent.
Fei had a cold war and whispered to her family: "In the past, Rich Man Liu asked people to rob our house, and I felt aggrieved in my heart. I really wanted to turn into a cat and bite that mouse to death, but now... He is really dead, but I feel uncomfortable in my heart. Not that he is innocent, but I feel..."
She "felt" for a long time, but she didn't say what she felt.
Jiang Ning looked at her sister: "It's strange to say that studying is good. In our family, Yuan Niang is the most sober and Liniang is the most far-sighted."
…
Jiang Ning went to Shi's house and asked Mrs. He to be a matchmaker for him to find a reliable wife.
Mrs. He was startled at first, and then asked him with a smile: "What kind of wife does Dalang want to find? Let me know so that I can help you."
Jiang Ning bowed solemnly: "Master's wife knows very well what our family is like. We are originally from a small family. It is not appropriate for us to marry a well-known girl from a well-known family. It is also inappropriate for a husband and wife. If we don't go together, we will not be happy and we will be delayed."
"So I thought, regardless of family background, I just want to find someone who is knowledgeable and has good character. The Jiang family has become a foreign relative. In the future, my mother will inevitably have to deal with other married women. My daughter-in-law is knowledgeable and can give me some advice. And it is precisely because the Jiang family has become relatives that they need to find a wife with good character..."
After hearing this, Mrs. He suppressed her smile, looked at him steadily for a long time, and nodded slowly: "I used to think that your two sisters were pretty, but now that I have seen them, I can already support the family."
…
The final selection of the queen indeed surprised many courtiers - they never expected that the emperor would choose a woman from a peasant family as the queen.
It's fine if she's a peerless beauty, but that's not the key, right?
But it was a shock. Both the courtiers and the people held a positive attitude towards the current ethics, and even scholars praised it.
After the emperor ascended the throne, he did not forget the old covenant, which shows that the emperor cherishes the past and cherishes the old feelings, and promises a thousand pieces of gold.
Insisting on marrying a daughter of the Jiang family, who was of mediocre origin and not stunningly beautiful, as the queen. This shows that the emperor loves virtue more than lust. How rare this is!
Soon after the imperial edict to appoint the empress was issued, news came out that Jiang persuaded Jin Jin to follow the old practice of Emperor Daizong and release the young concubines out of the palace to remarry. Jin Jin hesitated, Jiang persuaded her again and again, and the emperor finally relented and agreed.
In this era, starving to death was not a small matter, and lack of integrity was a big deal. In this dynasty, there were even more than one queens who entered the palace after marrying, and it was not just among the people, high-ranking officials, or scholar-bureaucrats. For women, Chastity is not taken very seriously. On the contrary, the mainstream of public opinion is to encourage adult men and women to have children and widows to remarry in order to increase the population.
Therefore, as soon as this incident came out, it immediately became evidence of Queen Jiang's benevolence.
In addition, Mrs. Jiang is a disciple of Shi Yun, a contemporary scholar, and she has a natural aura of knowledge - for such a virtuous, talented and knowledgeable woman, who dares to say that she is not the best candidate for the queen?
Let’s look at the relatives who are most likely to cause trouble. The Jiang family has a small population. After Yue Ninghou received the title, he rarely went out. Although his son Jiang Ning received the fifth-grade official title, he acted as loyal and cautious as before. In this way Who can find fault with my relatives?
Such a perfect marriage has really diluted the previous fear and uneasiness in Chang'an due to the fall of the Dou family. The emperor is wise, the queen is virtuous, and the court is clear. Even ordinary people feel that their days are promising.
Except King Baling.
It is a good thing to be loyal to the country, and it is also a good thing to shine for the country, but the taste of paperwork - whoever tries will know!
Since Zhu Yuanzhang appointed him, he really used him. He did not transfer King Baling to him as a personal seal, but really handed over the power of Sinong Mansion to him.
He was even afraid that the people of the Sinong Mansion would be disobedient to the young boss, so he made a special decree and placed King Baling's office next to his own.
This was obviously against the rules. Even King Baling was murmuring in his heart - Did the emperor give him a candy and then find someone to impeach him in the court?
Or maybe you want to keep an eye on him nearby?
But there really isn't.
The emperor really just wanted to create a good working environment for him, that's all.
King Baling felt deeply guilty for his doubts, and then devoted himself to his work with full energy to repay his cousin's trust.
But……
But!
Why can my cousin go from dark in the morning to willow shoots in the moonlight?
Why do you wake up earlier than a chicken and go to bed later than a dog?
Is he really not tired? !
Hey, it’s fake!
Brother, do you know that you can easily die suddenly if you do this? !
If Jiang Liniang were here, she could answer him: Young man, your problem is that you think too much and see too little.
Throughout the past five thousand years, there are few people who can compete with your brother in terms of liver.
This is the kind of person who was homeless when he was a child, hungry and full, and then went to war as a young man in middle age. In middle age and old age, he took turns fighting in 996 and 007, and lived to be over seventy in one fell swoop!
What is the chosen one——
Not long after the fall of Dou Jing, the bad debts left by Dou Jing during the period also need time to be investigated. Smaller holes can be overcome by turning a blind eye, but if they are serious enough to cause the walls to collapse, the buildings will collapse. To such an extent, I am determined not to let it go easily.
King Baling first understood the accounts of Jingzhaoyin and Jingji, and then checked the local counties in order. Hedong County, Henan County, and Hongnong County were all fine. When it was Hanoi County's turn, , here comes the problem.
It is true that there are masters of false accounting in Hanoi County, but the real strong men are all gathered in Chang'an. In this big Sinong Mansion, if you smell a fishy smell, you can find the hidden dead fish along the way. .
King Baling hesitated for a moment - should he lift the lid?
What happens once it's opened?
Hanoi County is located in the hinterland of the Central Plains. It is not a deserted place. There are many wealthy families in the area, and many of them are involved with the Gaomen of Chang'an. Once the money issue breaks out, it will inevitably be a big case...
The hesitation was only for a moment. King Baling quickly calmed down and put away the relevant files. The book understood and took it next door to see the emperor.
Zhu Yuanzhang was working energetically at this time. When he saw his cousin Little Lamb coming, he put on a friendly face and said, "Brother Huang is here. Did something happen at work?"
King Baling presented the memorial in his hand along with the file: "Your Majesty will know after reading it."
The chamberlain held up his hands.
Zhu Yuanzhang took it in his hand and read it from beginning to end. Murderous intent flashed in his eyes: "How dare you bully me to this point!"
The imperial court built granaries in various places to make reserves in disaster years or to prepare urgently needed military equipment. Of course, there will be a certain amount of consumption and scrap every year, but the premise is that it must be within a moderate range!
Look at the records handed over by Hanoi County - unless there are hundreds of thousands of rats raised in the granary, normal losses will never be like this!
It’s okay if you don’t encounter any disasters. If you encounter any disasters, you don’t know how many people will starve to death!
He made a decision immediately: "Angels should be sent to Hanoi County to thoroughly investigate the case! As for the candidates..."
King Baling immediately said: "Brother, please come!"
He analyzed the pros and cons one by one: "Firstly, I am the chief of Da Sinong Mansion, and this matter is within the scope of my authority. Secondly, I am from the clan, which can shock the hearts of Hanoi County and make villains retreat. , Thirdly, there are many ministers in the Dasinong Mansion. Although I hold the post of Dasinong, I am not indispensable..."
There were four other things he didn't say.
He wants to travel at public expense and take a break from Beijing_(:з」∠)_
The emperors obviously saw through his intentions and laughed maliciously.
Li Yuanda said: "My little brother's thoughts are really evil!"
Li Shimin was also surprised: "Does anyone still think they can get Lao Zhu's wool?!"
Liu Che began to make heartfelt calculations for Zhu Yuanzhang: "On the day of farewell, Lao Zhu gave one hundred taels of travel expenses, and said to King Baling with tears in his eyes, Emperor brother, you can eat whatever you want when you go out, and drink whatever you want. Don't treat yourself badly. If you have time, help Hanoi County build water conservancy projects and walls, and provide care for the old, weak, sick and disabled..."
Ying Zheng continued: "Then don't forget to bring back the unspent money to account."
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and scolded: "Go away, we are doing business seriously, we won't dig like this!"
He then said thoughtfully: "On this trip to Hanoi, money is secondary. The most important thing is to send him enough manpower. The accounts are so bad that they can't be covered up. It's conceivable that Hanoi County How corrupt has it become?"
After a few thoughts, Zhu Yuanzhang dispatched half of the Jinwu Guards to accompany him, and allowed King Baling to temporarily control the military power of Hanoi County and allow him to act expediently.
King Baling knew that it would be dangerous to go there, and he must need some protection before he could set off with peace of mind. However, he never thought that the emperor would arrange it so well before he even opened his mouth.
He was even allowed to temporarily control the military power of Hanoi County...
King Baling was stunned.
This was not the first time that he had felt trust from this cousin, but how could the previous ones compare with military power?
The emperor treated him with sincerity, and he also treated the emperor with sincerity. After thanking him, he took the initiative to pierce the window paper between the two people: "My brother, I have something unknown..."
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows in confusion: "What's the matter?"
King Baling's heart was so hot that he almost choked and said: "Isn't your Majesty afraid that my brother will support his own troops in Hanoi County?"
Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to have not heard clearly: "What are you afraid of?"
King Baling: "Support the troops in Hanoi County and respect yourself."
Zhu Yuanzhang asked again: "Who are you afraid of supporting troops in Hanoi County to respect themselves?"
King Baling saw that his cousin was teasing him, and said with a straight face: "I'm afraid that my brother will support himself in Hanoi County."
Zhu Yuanzhang burst into laughter that almost knocked the roof off.
