Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Chapter 426 The water is too cold

"My lord, it doesn't matter if you can save more money when you run out of money."

"Your Majesty doesn't keep promises. You only need us to eat 1000 million shi as promised. How can he transfer another 2000 million shi? How can he keep his word? Your Majesty has no faith!"

However, Qian Qianyi was already immersed in his emotions and couldn't extricate himself.

Liu Rushi's pretty face changed color: "My lord, how did His Majesty speak?"

Qian Qianyi told Liu Rushi about the conversation with Chongzhen at Yanziji Wharf.

After hearing this, Liu Rushi sighed, "Master, Your Majesty has never given you a clear promise."

"He didn't give a clear promise, but he hinted." Qian Qianyi said, "He hinted that as a husband, as long as we pay 1000 million shi at a high price and pay 4000 million taels to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he will not come to adjust the grain. Crack down on food prices in Nanzhi."

"But the Holy Majesty has also clearly told you that the price of food can only be maintained at six taels and cannot go up any further." Liu Rushi sighed and said helplessly, "But have you fulfilled your promise?"

"This..." Qian Qianyi was at a loss for words, and they didn't keep their promise.

Just after the end of the annual vacation, the price of food in Nanzhi ushered in another surge, from six taels to ten taels.

At that time, they felt that the 4000 million taels of the Holy Spirit was too ruthless, and they were too bad, so they wanted to make up for it.

After a moment of silence, Qian Qianyi said again: "But the Holy One can't be so ruthless, just hit the price of Nanzhi's grain from ten taels to five yuan, and take the opportunity to force us to repay the debt, and the grain in our hands is five yuan per stone. The price of the money is all charged up, isn't this a clear robbery, isn't this a clear robbery?"

"What kind of holy monarch, what kind of wise monarch, shit, it's all bullshit."

Qian Qianyi's mentality completely collapsed, and he dared to say anything.

Liu Rushi sighed again: "Master, you still don't understand Your Majesty."

"Why can't I understand? The current sage is hypocritical, killing people without blood, eating people without spitting out bones."

"It's not what you said. The Holy One is the real thunderbolt method and the heart of a Bodhisattva. The thunderbolt method is aimed at the clan, nobles, gentry and merchants, and the heart of a Bodhisattva is given to all people."

"You regard such an emperor as a business partner, isn't it just seeking skin from a tiger?"

"Also, how could your lord spare you when you exploited and exploited the people in the south of the Yangtze River in front of the sage? Master, please be content, it's just a waste of money."

However, hearing Liu Rushi mention the word wealth, Qian Qianyi felt sad again.

"My silver, my one million taels." Qian Qianyi broke free from Liu Rushi's embrace and stumbled down the mountain.

Under the rockery is a pond dug years ago, the deepest part is more than ten feet deep, enough to drown a person.

Qian Qianyi jumped into the pond without hesitation after descending the mountain, and then struggled from the shallow water area to the deep water area.

"Master, why are you still thinking about it?" Liu Rushi became anxious when she saw this, "Isn't it just 100 million taels of silver, I still have more than 20 taels of my own money left here, and some jewelry can be sold for some money. When I turn back as a concubine and go to the old courtyard to borrow some silver taels from my former sisters, I can always make up the 100 million taels."

Hearing this, Qian Qianyi stopped immediately.

"The water is too cold." Qian Qianyi turned and walked out of the pond.

After climbing to the shore, Qian Qianyi said to Liu Rushi again: "Madam, how can a man use a woman's money, your body money and jewelry, as a husband, you will not touch a penny."

Liu Rushi was still worried: "Master, don't commit suicide again."

"Madam, don't worry, I won't commit suicide for my husband." Qian Qianyi said with emotion.

"You're right, you can earn money when you run out of money, isn't it just 100 million taels?"

Watching Qian Qianyi's figure walk away slowly, Liu Rushi shed tears of emotion. This is the husband-in-law she chose. How could Qian Muzhai, the leader of the Jiangzuo literary world, be knocked down by a few taels of silver?
……

In Yilun Hall.

During dinner, Zhu Cijiong asked Chongzhen again.

"Father, I still can't figure it out, how did you do it?"

"How did you do it?" Chongzhen chuckled, and said, "It's very simple, because your father and I hold far more money than Huguang grain merchants, and at the same time, father also holds far more money than Nanzhi. The grain from the grain merchants, so if they want to fight against your father, they are courting death!"

The power of big capital is so terrifying.

That's why it is said that big capital is a scourge.

That's why it is said that capital cannot be out of control.

After a pause, Chongzhen said again: "There is another reason. When I was in the capital, there was no one in the hands of my father. The princes in the court are either greedy and contemptible, or mediocre who only know how to talk. I just want to If you want to send someone to Huangzhuang to collect rent, it would be good to get back a bucket of rent for a stone."

"The Huangzhuang is still like this, and the capital is still like this."

"There is no need to say more about provinces such as Huguang and Nanzhi."

"The government decree does not leave the Forbidden City, and it refers to such situations."

As he spoke, the aggrieved memory of the original version of Chongzhen emerged in his mind.

I have to say that the 17 years of Chongzhen's accession to the throne in the original version are really aggrieved.

In name, he is the Ninth Five-Year Supreme, and he seems to be able to take life and death from the ministers. The chief minister of the cabinet will kill if he wants to, and the six ministers will kill if he wants to, but in reality?
Can't actually do anything.

Zhu Cihong already had a vague memory of these.

Immediately, Zhu Cilang sighed and said, "But it's completely different now."

"That's natural." Chongzhen smiled, and continued, "Now the father has more than 6000 capable and honest scholars, and any decree of the father can be conveyed to the provinces in a short time and be resolute. The execution of the attack, such as the crackdown on Fuguang and Nanzhi grain merchants, would have been wishful thinking two years ago."

"But now, with the imperial father's decree, within two months, hundreds of grain merchants in Huguang and Nanzhi who are hoarding rare fish and meat will be bankrupt, and the bones will be squeezed out of oil."

While talking, Gao Qiqian walked in with small steps.

"Long live, this old slave heard that Qian Ge hanged himself."

"Hanged?" Chongzhen asked with a smile, "Shouldn't he be dead?"

"I really can't hide anything from Long Live Lord." Gao Qiqian said with a smile, "Elder Qian Ge found a willow tree the size of a fist on the rockery in his backyard and hanged himself, but he couldn't bear his weight, bent it, and I ran to the pond under the rockery and threw myself into the lake, and when I was waist deep, I said the water was too cold, and finally I climbed up again.”

"The water is too cold?" Chongzhen laughed out loud.

This thing is a bit paradoxical, did it happen again?
Gao Qiqian suddenly said again: "I just have pity on Rushi Liu."

"Liu Rushi? You're talking about Liu Ru, right? What happened to her?" Chongzhen asked.

Gao Qiqian said with contempt on his face: "Elder Qian Ge is quite good at making women happy, while telling Liu Rushi that he would not use women's money to pay off debts, but at the same time ran to the old courtyard to look for Li Zhenli."

By the way, Li Zhenli had returned to the old courtyard half a year ago.

Yangyuan is not a courtyard, but a row of houses on the south bank of the Qinhuai River, facing Wuding Bridge to the north, and Chaoku Street to the south of the old courtyard.

After reopening, Meixianglou is even more magnificent than before.

Because of Li Xiangjun's relationship, there should not be too many girls who volunteer to contribute.

Therefore, in less than half a year, half of the courtyard of the old courtyard became the property of Meixianglou. Now Li Zhenli has thousands of girls under her command, and dozens of red ladies.

The most famous of them are Kou Baimen and Dong Xiaowan. Kou Baimen was once the concubine of Zhu Guobi, Duke of Baoguo, and Dong Xiaowan was also Maoxiang's concubine. Kou Baimen was sold back to the old courtyard after Zhu Guobi's family fell into ruin. , and Dong Xiaowan was expelled from the house by the Mao family shortly after Mao Xiang died for Daming.

The two daughters are both charming and charming, plus they have had such an experience, all the youths in Wuling in the south of the Yangtze River are attracted to them.

It's just that the second daughter's vision is very high.

They don't accept ordinary guests.

"What do you mean?" Zhu Cijiong said, "Qian Qianyi is going to sell Liu Rushi?"

"That's right, the price has been negotiated." Gao Qiqian shook his head and sighed, "The price is 20 taels of silver."

Chongzhen frowned slightly when he heard the words, and turned his head to ask Xia Yunyi, who happened to be in the department of Shibo, who happened to be present: "Xia Yunyi, did Liu Rushi have a relationship with Chen Zilong before marrying Qian Qianyi as a concubine?"

"Returning to the Holy Lord, Liu Rushi was really good with others, and his relationship was very strong." Xia Yunyi replied honestly, "It's just that the Chen family obstructed it in every possible way, Liu Rushi couldn't bear the humiliation, so he was angry and married Qian Qianyi."

Chongzhen hummed lightly and asked again: "Then you write a letter to Chen Zilong and ask him if he wants to continue the relationship..."

"Your Majesty, don't ask." Xia Yunyi said decisively, "Renzhong has never let go of Liu Rushi, and Renzhong's first wife, Mrs. Zhang, died of illness three years ago, and she has not reunited so far."

"If that's the case, then you can ask Liu Rushi what she means. If she is also interested, you can gather a group of colleagues to raise money to redeem Liu Rushi's body. Let Chen Zilong slowly repay the money with his dividends. The dividends are not enough. , after he retires from office in the future, he will repay it with his official salary, and the interest will also be calculated.”

"The minister leads the order." Xia Yunyi took the order and left.

Watching Xia Yunyi leave, Chongzhen turned his head and said to Gao Qiqian with a smile: "Gao Banban, from now on, don't think so carefully, I don't have any prejudice against prostitutes, after all, this is not what they want , but Li Xiangjun alone is enough for me, and I have no intention of getting to know more prostitutes."

Again, Chongzhen is not good at prostitutes.

The good thing about Chongzhen is Cao Mengde's addiction.

Li Xiangjun was a surprise.

……

On the other side, Liu Rushi returned home with a lonely face.

Liu Rushi originally thought that the jewelry he had saved could be worth 50 million taels of silver, so that he could make up 80 taels, and then he could find the sisters in the old courtyard to make up for it.

But I never thought that the price of jewelry in Nanjing has plummeted recently.

The original value of 5 taels of Zhucui head noodles is now only worth 5000 taels.

In the end, all the treasures were emptied and only sold for a mere 10,000+ taels. Including the personal money accumulated over the years, the total was only 40 taels. The silver has been returned to the bank account of the Ministry of Households.

But there are still 60 taels of silver owed.

It seems that he can only go back to the old courtyard and resume his lowly business.

Liu Rushi thought sadly, "I don't know when I can pay it off?"
But before going back to the old courtyard, Qian Qianyi had to divorce her first, otherwise, what would be the dignity of the court assistant?
Just when Liu Rushi was thinking about how to tell Qian Qianyi about this matter, the little girl came in and reported that Li Zhenli, the mother of Meixianglou, had come to visit her.

"Mother Li?" Seeing Li Zhenli, Liu Rushi was a little surprised.

Li Zhenli sighed softly, and said somewhat sadly: "It's true that flowers can't be popular for a hundred days, and people can't be happy for a thousand days. I hope that the fragrant girl of our family will never return to Meixianglou."

"Mother Li, what are you talking about?" Liu Rushi suddenly felt inexplicably flustered.

"If you are a younger sister, don't blame Mammy." Li Zhenli sighed, "It's good for you to go to Meixiang Tower, because Nanny will not force you to do things you don't want to do. If you want to sell yourself, you can sell yourself. Singing, the nanny respects your wishes, but if you fall into the hands of other madams, you won't be allowed to."

Liu Rushi's pretty face turned pale in an instant.

"Mother Li, my master sold me to Meixianglou?"

"Well, together with this house, the total price is 20 taels."

After speaking, Li Zhenli stood up, looked at the yard and said, "It's my sister, if you were replaced by someone else, the nanny would pay at most 15 taels of silver for adding people to such an old house."

Liu Rushi only felt a burst of blackness in front of her eyes, but she didn't hear what Li Zhenli was saying clearly.

Liu Rushi's love life was quite bumpy. At the age of 14, Zhou Daodeng accepted her as a concubine when she was young and ignorant. Soon after Zhou Daodeng died of illness, she was expelled from the house by Zhou's family, and she didn't feel too sad.

But Songjiang talent Chen Zilong really hurt her.

Because of her heartbreak, Liu Rushi married Qian Qianyi who was over fifty years old in a fit of anger.

Although he didn't love Qian Qianyi in his heart, but because Qian Qianyi loved her very much, Liu Rushi also planned to wash his hands and make soup from now on, and wholeheartedly be Qian's wife.

But he never expected that Qian Qianyi would sell her out.

It turned out that Qian Qianyi's sweet words were all false. In Qian Qianyi's eyes, she, Liu Rushi, was still just a concubine who could be given away or bought and sold.

Just as he was feeling dejected, a figure walked in.

"Master Xia?" Li Zhenli said in surprise, "Oh yes, it's time to call Master Xia."

"You can call me whatever you want." Xia Yunyi is also a frequent visitor to the old courtyard, and she is also very familiar with Li Zhenli.

After saying hello, Xia Yunyi took out another manuscript and handed it to Liu Rushi: "Liu Confucian scholar, take a look at this poem."

"It turned out to be Master Xia." Liu Rushi came back to his senses, bowed to Xia Yunyi, and then reached out to take the manuscript.

"Looking at the south of the Yangtze River in double tone. Feeling old."

"Thinking about the past, the flowers and the moon are hazy."

"The jade swallow wind slanted on the temples, and the golden incense was embers on the embroidered screen, half drunk leaning on the light red."

"What limit to hate, the news is more long-lasting."

"The weak willow sleeps three times in spring, the dream is gone, and the corner of the distant mountain is sad, and there is no way to ask eastward."

After repeating a few words in a low voice, a sense of familiarity welled up in my heart, and an extremely familiar face appeared before my eyes, and then I felt a sharp pain in my heart.

(End of this chapter)