The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 205 Chen Liangjiu, Chen Erbai, Chen Laogou
Zhang Zhou followed Xiao Jing out of the palace.

Xiao Jing was already giving instructions on how to react after meeting Uncle Ping Jiang and Chen Rui, such as putting on airs, not giving Chen Rui a good face, giving him a good look, etc...

Zhang Zhou was also thinking.

The last time he was asked for bribes by decree was just a shadow, but he just took the imperial decree in advance and ran to Wang Yue and Zhu Feng's house. This time, he told him directly that he would take whatever he wanted, and he didn't have to hand it over if he took it. The more the better, the better.

Sounds good.

But Zhang Zhou was also wondering, could this be the emperor digging a hole for himself?

"Mr. Zhang, did you hear that?"

Seeing that Zhang Zhou didn't respond for a long time, Xiao Jing couldn't help asking.

Zhang Zhou said with a smile: "Understood, probably to let Uncle Ping Jiang know who is in charge and who is in charge."

"Yes, that's what it means." Xiao Jing laughed.

Soliciting bribes this time has nothing to do with him, but Chen Rui will definitely give him some benefits, and he is also happy to give Chen Rui "guidance".

Then Xiao Jing reminded: "Uncle Ping Jiang, you don't have to be polite, his family has a great career, just digging out of him is enough for a long time. His Majesty's intention is not to let him bleed more, he doesn't know how painful it is." .”

"Really? No consequences, right?" Zhang Zhou asked with a smile.

Xiao Jing was surprised and said: "How can there be consequences for His Majesty's order? You can take whatever you want, and others will never know."

Zhang Zhou thought to himself, I don't know now, but the emperor is quite happy. He thinks that by asking others to help him with reward money, the feelings can still be remembered on himself, which belongs to "borrowing flowers to offer Buddha".

But this was during the honeymoon period of the monarch and his ministers. In case the emperor had any objections to Zhang Zhou and felt that he was not good at anything, the gift he received now became his death talisman.

Li Guang is a typical example of the opposite.

"Collecting property sounds good, but it's too ostentatious and easily criticized by others, so there are no novel gifts? I heard that these honorable families like to keep some singers and dancers from Jiangnan, so I can't give this Come?"

Immediately Zhang Zhou began to be picky about the types of gifts and the way of giving them.

"what?"

Xiao Jing was taken aback.

This need...is really different from our eunuchs. It seems that Zhang Banxian doesn't need money.

Then you are usually so stingy?
Xiao Jing seemed to understand that Zhang Zhou didn't want to accept gifts, he thought for a while, nodded and said: "If singers and dancers are used as gifts, it can only be regarded as a personal gift, not an act of bribery. Besides, bribery is If you want to talk about favoritism and abolition of public affairs, and you are not between the government and the opposition, how can there be any public affairs that can be abolished?"

Zhang Zhou shook his head and waved his hands: "Receiving gifts is not doing anything, so I can't accept it."

"Haha." Xiao Jing said with a smile, "It's just to give him a channel, let him have a chance to get your advice, and to go to Liaodong to have the opportunity to commit crimes and make meritorious deeds. This matter is considered to be done. He will definitely be happy to give it to you."

"is it?"

Zhang Zhou thought to himself, is there anyone who is particularly happy to give gifts?

Do you think everyone is Wang Weining?
That guy really likes to curry favor with others, and even if he loses his fortune, he has to give gifts. He is a model of sacrificing himself to illuminate others.

Xiao Jing continued to smile: "Uncle Pingjiang is having a difficult time recently. After he returned to the capital, others called him 'Chen Erbai'."

"Chen Erbai? Isn't it Chen Liangjiu?" Zhang Zhou asked with a smile.

Maybe someone intentionally punished Chen Rui, anyway, this reputation has spread in the capital recently, and now everyone knows that Chen Rui likes to drink cold wine because he is afraid of fire.

Xiao Jingdao: "This time at Pianguan, Marquis of Wei Ning let him run away, he led his troops and ran out for [-] miles in one day and one night, and then came back after running [-] miles in another day and night... From then on, Chen Erbai also became his outsider. Number."

"This...that should be called Chen Sibai." Zhang Zhou sighed.

"Haha, it's all the same, it's all the same, but now I feel that he led his troops to run fast, but he didn't go to fight the Tartars, but led the troops to escape. He himself said that he was rushing to Yansui to resist the little Tatar prince. If there is no partiality to this matter, perhaps others would still believe it, but who would believe it now?"

Xiao Jing was also teasing Chen Rui.

Zhang Zhou asked, "Your Majesty helped him because of his bad reputation?"

Xiao Jing put away his contempt, and approached Zhang Zhou and said: "Actually, he asked to come to our house through the relationship of Jin Yiwei, and our family used the results of the visit of Dongchang'Zi Ji' to tell His Majesty. reported it."

Zuoji is Dongchang's detective, who is responsible for sending and receiving messages at various yamen and city gates. Chen Rui, as a martial artist who was dismissed from the northwest due to an accident, must be "taken care of" by Dongchang after returning to the capital.

Only then did Zhang Zhou realize that it was Xiao Jing who was threading the needle for Chen Rui.

This shows that Chen Rui has already given benefits to Xiao Jing in advance.

……

……

Zhang Zhou and Xiao Jing went out of the palace gate, before they got into the carriage.

A stench came from the front, Zhang Zhou covered his nose and said, "What's going on?"

Xiao Jing sighed: "Mr. Zhang, don't you know that the rivers and canals in the city have been blocked recently? It also started last year, and the drought in the north was severe. After the spring of this year, there was not even a single rain or snow. It's done, the situation is not good everywhere in the city, especially the place near the palace where there are water canals."

"Oh."

Zhang Zhou nodded.

Since the 11th year of Hongzhi in the northern part of the Ming Dynasty, there have been droughts for four consecutive years, and the drought has been severe, especially in the 11th and 13th years of Hongzhi. The situation did not improve until the 15th year of Hongzhi. It is known from "Records" that in the 11th year of Hongzhi, many places in the north were exempted from the tax of that year.

The abnormal climate is actually a precursor to the coming of the Little Ice Age. The current drought is in stark contrast to the two relatively large Yellow River floods in the second and sixth years of Hongzhi.

It was from the 11th year of Hongzhi that the foreign aggression in the northern frontier began to become serious.

To put it bluntly, the tribes on the prairie are also under the pressure of survival, so they will continue to invade and plunder in order to have a chance for the tribe to survive.

Who wants to be bald with hair?
Xiao Jingdao: "The Ministry of Industry and the Shuntian Mansion have recently made an announcement, requesting His Majesty to send servants to dredge the rivers and canals in the city. It would be great if there will be rain in a few days. Sir, our family has to go to the Pingjiangbo Mansion to inform first, You might as well go back and wait, our family probably won’t be traveling with you by then, so it’s up to you to decide what to say. Farewell.”

"Please."

They each got into their carriages, and Zhang Zhou went home.

……

……

Zhang Zhou went home in a carriage.

Wang Mingshan walked with him. Originally, Wang Mingshan was sitting opposite to the carriage, so he called Wang Mingshan to come and sit beside him.

"Ok?"

As soon as Wang Mingshan sat down, Zhang Zhou went over with his big hand and wrapped her around her waist.

For this cute girl with a figure and no brains, she really didn't know what Zhang Zhou was going to do, but she didn't push him away.

One thing she knows.

I am already a member of the Zhang family, so I should call Zhang Zhou "Master". Zhang Zhou took her to see her father and uncle. I don't know what it's like to get married.

But recently, it was Han Qing who told her a lot of things, some of which made her face a little hot after hearing it.

For example now.

She also had some strange feelings in her heart.

"I've been busy recently, so I didn't teach you personally. How much have you learned from Qing'er?" Zhang Zhou asked.

Wang Mingshan shook her head, roughly speaking, I haven't learned much.

I don't even know which ones should I need to learn.

"After I've been admitted to the university, I want to be admitted in a small way. Do you know what that means?" Zhang Zhou asked again.

Not surprisingly, Wang Mingshan continued to shake her head.

Zhang Zhou thought about it, let this silly girl learn in advance, it is better to have an indoctrination method, let her practice first, and she will understand after the practice, otherwise, with her head, it seems that she can't understand what didn't happen What the hell is it.

This willow waist...

"Sir, we're here." Sun Shangqi said as he drove the car ahead.

Zhang Zhou suddenly felt that it was not a good thing that his home was close to the gate of the palace. It was not enough to get acquainted with his confidante. Jiang Pingyu and Han Qing were always there when he returned home, so there were always many inconveniences.

It seems that only in the carriage, when there is no other place to go, nothing else to do, is it convenient to enhance the relationship.

……

……

Zhang Zhou returned home.

Let Xia Zhi go to say hello to the people in the inner courtyard, tell them that he has guests to receive, and then let Wang Mingshan sit on his lap and continue to be a stinky and shameless official Zhang.

But it didn't take long before Chen Rui came to visit in person.

"Uncle Pingjiang is here, I'm so sorry to welcome you." Zhang Zhou didn't know what to say to such a rough old man.

Chen Rui is not young anymore.

Historically, Chen Rui died in the 13th year of Hongzhi, that is, the next year, and there is no record of how he died. It is good for a person like Chen Rui to leave a name in history.

But one thing Zhang Zhou knows is that Chen Rui "died with hatred", because in the 13th year of Hongzhi, he went to the northwest with Xu Jin, who was the Minister of the Ministry of War at the time, to resist Huosai's invasion. He was dismissed and went home to live idle, and died not long after.

It is not an exaggeration to say that he died of grief and anger.

Chen Rui clasped his fists, knelt on one knee and said, "Chen Rui, a humble worker, met Mr. Zhang."

"Why is Uncle Ping Jiang so polite, get up."

Chen Rui was supported by Zhang Zhouxiang, but it was a boy who came in with him and handed him a small wooden box.

Just when Zhang Zhou thought that there should be some gold, silver and jewelry in it as a gift for him, he saw Chen Rui opened the wooden box, and there was actually a portable charcoal stove and an iron jug inside.

"This is?"

Zhang Zhou looked it up curiously.

Chen Rui said with a smile: "Humble workers don't drink cold wine recently, even if they go out, they have to keep the wine warm at any time, and occasionally drink a few sips, so proud."

"..."

Zhang Zhou wanted to hit someone after hearing this.

You came here empty-handed for your feelings, and you still show your political attitude here?
I don't have to accept gifts, but you can't refuse to give them!
With you like this, Xiao Jing actually recommended it for you?You gave Xiao Jing a gift, but not me?
Old Chen?

Zhang Zhou nodded and said: "Uncle Ping Jiang is really a drinker, I can't do it under me, he will get drunk after a few sips."

When Chen Rui heard it, his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of some very special idea.

Zhang Zhou knew it was definitely not a good idea.

"There happens to be a batch of good wine here in the humble job. I want to invite Mr. Zhang to drink with me. Come, come back to the house and bring the good wine. The old man wants to get drunk with Mr. Zhang."

(End of this chapter)