Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 20

Tan Lun thought about it for a while: "I can write a letter, but I don't know if I can convince him..."

"Let's write together, and I'll sharpen the ink for you!" Zhang Juzheng said while walking to the desk to sharpen the ink.

Everyone was silent for a while.Tan Lun began to conceive the sentence of this letter.Zhang Juzheng was grinding his ink, apparently also working on his draft.After a while, he rubbed the ink thickly, then stepped back and sat down.Tan Lun came over, picked up a pen and wrote word by word, and the letter was finished within a cup of tea.He handed the letter to King Yu with both hands. After reading it with Concubine Li, King Yu nodded at each other and handed it to Zhang Juzheng.

"The first half of the article is not bad, but the last paragraph is weak and needs to be corrected." Zhang Juzheng finished reading quickly, and said to Tan Lun, "I will explain these few sentences, and you write them again."

King Yu and Concubine Li both looked at Zhang Juzheng. Zhang Juzheng began to pace up and down, and said in a sonorous tone: "Gongsu has the ambition to clarify the world and save the people. However, the Duke has not yet been in office for forty years. Ignorant of Heshi? Does the heaven intend to make a great weapon today? Hundreds of thousands of living people in Chun’an look at their fathers in the midst of water and fire, like looking at the clouds and clouds in a severe drought, like orphans looking at their parents! Jackals and tigers are everywhere. The sword is still sleeping in the sheath, or it is better to be broken by the neck of a beast! If Gong Guo died in Zhejiang, then the mother of the male is really the mother of the world! The incense of the public, the surname of Haimen, will surely spread in the temple and will not be extinguished for generations to come!"

"Good!" Yu Wang was the first to praise loudly!
Concubine Li smiled, but her eyes faintly revealed a woman's admiration for a man's talent.

Tan Lun was already sweating profusely from writing, and finally finished writing the last word, put down his pen and stood up: "Zhang Taiyue is Zhang Taiyue! This passage of yours is as good as Hai Rui's, and they can be called twin stars. There is this letter Believe me, I expect Duke Hai to come out!" He stopped here, and then heaved a long sigh: "I'm afraid that this precious sword will really break in Chun'an, and I, Tan Lun, will really want another mother..."

Concubine Li: "If that's the case, bring his mother to Beijing and we will support him."

Under Su Lan's big trouser legs are a pair of women's big feet!Next to the stone slab on which the big feet are stepping on is a well platform.

The old man held a hemp rope tightly and was alternately using force to lift a bucket of water up from the deep well.A full bucket of water was brought up to the mouth of the well. She grasped the rope with one hand, and grabbed the handle of the bucket with the other free hand. It was a bit difficult, but she still steadily lifted the bucket of water from the mouth of the well and poured it into the well. into an empty bucket beside him.

The old man was about to raise the bucket to the mouth of the well to get another bucket of water, when a man stretched out his hand to take the bucket.

"Release!" The old man's voice was not loud, but majestic.

The man's hand slowly loosened, and a middle-aged man in his forties stood there with a gentle face.At this time, he was still holding a shoulder pole with iron chain hooks on both ends, and stared at the old man who was still carrying water with concern.Seeing that the old man filled the two buckets with water in the hanging bucket, he hurried over with his shoulder pole, and hooked the wooden handle on the bucket with an iron hook.

"Go away." The old man still said in a low and dignified voice.

The middle-aged man had no choice but to loosen the iron hook from the wooden handle slowly, and said, "Mother, if I want to scold you, I will always scold you. Let my son carry water."

The old man didn't answer, she held the wooden handles of the two buckets of water with both hands at the same time and lifted the two huge buckets of water by her!Walk vigorously to the door of the main house.

The middle-aged man didn't dare to say anything, he just followed the old man step by step with a pole in his empty hand.

The lid of the steamer was lifted, and a large expanse of white hot air blew up in the kitchen.The steamer is full of steamed rice cakes wrapped in lotus leaves.

Standing by the stove, a five or six-year-old girl's eyes lit up, and she opened her mouth: "Grandma, there are a lot of poops."

The middle-aged woman who was sweating profusely wiped the sweat from her face, revealing her melancholy eyes. She took out a lotus leaf rice cake from the steamer and cooled it in the palm of her hand. Girl: "Ah Nan, Daddy is going on a long trip. This is for Daddy to eat on the way. Ah Nan wants to eat, and Mommy will steam it for you tomorrow. This one will be sent to Grandma."

The girl swallowed her saliva and nodded sensiblely.

The daughter walked across the yard holding the lotus leaf rice cake in both hands, and saw the middle-aged man standing at the door holding a pole from a distance, so the child slowed down and walked over cautiously.

Suddenly, there was a loud sound of splashing water washing the floor in the house, and then a drop of water splashed out from the door.

The daughter stopped immediately and looked at the middle-aged man timidly.

The middle-aged man standing at the door also saw his daughter, and immediately gave her a look, motioning for her to come over.

The child walked over holding the lotus leaf rice cake.Walking to the door, the middle-aged man waved his head to the room again.

The daughter walked to the middle of the door: "Grandma, you always eat papa!"

The room was still silent at first, and then the old man's voice came: "What baba?"

Daughter: "Lotus leaf rice cake. My mother steamed a basket and said that my father ate it on the way when he was away from home."

"Who said daddy is traveling far away!" The old man's voice was stern.

The child was stunned, and it took a long time before he whispered: "Aunt said..."

The old man appeared at the door and looked at the child: "Nan, go and tell your grandma, just say grandma is not dead yet."

The middle-aged man immediately knelt down at the door when he heard this.The daughter was also frightened and knelt down.It was getting dark by this time.

——The official document from the Ministry of Officials and Tan Lun's letter were urgently delivered to Nanping, Fujian Province at the same time, and were delivered directly to Hai Rui.

From that day on, Haimu's face has been tense, and she seldom speaks a few words in a day, and the frequency of washing the floor has increased than before.Hai Rui counted the days, if he wanted to go to Zhejiang as scheduled, he would have to leave tomorrow no matter what, but...

It was completely dark, and the first quarter moon floated faintly over the southern courtyard wall.All kinds of insects chirped in the green vines crawling on the wall and in the cluttered grass at the foot of the wall.

The blue cloth on the bed was still spread out, and on the cloth were several sets of clothes, books and a bundle of manuscripts.

Beside the lamp as big as a bean, my wife sat there lost in thought.

Hai Rui came in with his daughter in his arms. His wife quickly stood up and took her daughter.

Hai Rui didn't talk to her either. He walked to the big wooden cabinet by the wall, rolled up a printed quilt on the wooden cabinet, and walked towards the door.

"Are you going to leave tomorrow?" His wife asked softly from behind.

Hai Rui paused by the door, but still didn't answer, and walked out.

This is the bedroom of Haimu.Walking to the door with the thin quilt sandwiched between them, Hai Rui took off his shoes first, put them outside the door, and walked in barefoot.

At the moment of "crack", the tinder in Hai Rui's hand lit up the oil lamp on the small wooden table.Then he placed the thin quilt he was holding on the single bed next to the wooden table, and then looked towards the big bed.

The hemp mosquito net was still hanging, and the jellyfish curled up and faced inward, without covering it, just lying like that.

Hai Rui walked over slowly, gently picked up the thin quilt at the head of the bed and covered her mother, but did not cover her feet, the old bare feet were still exposed outside the quilt.

Haimother remained motionless.Hai Rui sat down quietly on the stool beside the bed.

There was a breeze outside the courtyard, and the sound of insects came intermittently.Mosquitoes were flying around in front of the lights.

Hai Rui picked up the palm-leaf fan, and went to fan his mother's bed to drive away mosquitoes. After driving away the mosquitoes, he went to untie the copper hooks on the mosquito net.

"Don't let it go." Haimu said a word, still facing the inside of the bed.

"Yes." Hai Rui hung up the curtains again, and gently fanned the cattail fan beside the bed.

"I'm asking you." Haimu was still lying there.

"Yes." Hai Rui replied.

It can be seen from the side of the bed that Haimu's eyes are wide open, looking at the tent wall: "Tell me again what the letter said."

"Yes." Hai Rui took out the envelope from his pocket and started to dig out the letter.

Haimu: "I don't listen to their official words. You just tell me about the place they told you to go to."

Hai Rui: "Yes. Aunt, do you always know how much we sell for an acre of stone valley?"

Haimu: "Fifty stones in a good year, forty stones in a poor year... why do you ask this?"

Hai Rui: "The imperial court transferred his son to Chun'an in Zhejiang, and now the land can only be sold for one mu in Bashigu."

Haimu: "Are there many fields there?"

Hai Rui: "No. There is a saying that in Zhejiang, there are seven mountains, two waters and one field. It means that there are many mountains, many waters, and few fields. Even if there are at most two people, there is only one mu of land."

Haimu: "Then why are you still selling the fields at such a low price?"

Hai Rui: "Forced."

"How did you force it?" Haimu sat up.

Hai Rui hurriedly supported his mother to sit up on the bed, and then continued, "The government, and the powerful people there."

Haimu stopped talking, her eyes were lost in thought on the other side of the bed, and then she slowly looked at Hai Rui.

Hai Rui: "In order to make up for the shortfall, the imperial court wants to replant all the fields in Zhejiang with mulberry seedlings, so that more silk can be produced and sold for more money. The weaving bureau in the palace, the Zhejiang government, and the big silk households there saw this as an opportunity to make a fortune. They wanted to buy all the fields of the common people, and wanted to buy them cheap. So they colluded and took advantage of the Dragon Boat Festival flood to destroy the embankment and flood two counties. The people suffered disasters, and they did not lend money to them. They survived the famine just to force the people to sell their fields to survive."

Haimu: "The court doesn't care about such an unreasonable matter?"

Hai Rui fell silent.

Haimu stared at him: "Tell me."

Hai Rui: "My mother will be even more worried if I tell you."

Haimu: "Let's talk first."

Hai Rui avoided his mother and looked down: "The imperial court knows all these things."

Haimu was shocked, and after a long time asked again: "Did the court let them do this?"

Hai Rui: "It's the person who holds power in the court. It's explained, it's a member of Mr. Yan Ge's party, and I'm afraid it will also involve the palace supervisor."

Haimu opened her eyes wide and sat there thinking.After a while, he suddenly stretched out a hand and touched the side of the bed where Hai Rui was sitting, as if looking for something.

Hai Rui held his mother's hand: "Mum, what are you always looking for?"

Haimu: "Trust!"

Hai Rui quickly took out Tan Lun's letter from his pocket and handed it to his mother.

Haimu took the letter and stared at the cover in a daze.The light from the oil lamp on the small wooden table was so dim when it reached the head of the bed, she obviously didn't seem to be reading the words on it, but seemed to penetrate through the letter, trying to find the middle self. Something that is felt but not known.

Of course, Hai Rui understood his mother's mood at this time, and said in a low voice, "These people who wrote to my son are all loyal ministers of the court. They arranged for my son to be transferred to Chun'an as the county magistrate."

Haimu still looked at the letter: "Arrange you to fight with those people?"

Hai Rui: "Yes."

"There are so many high officials who don't want to fight, why ask a county magistrate to fight?" Hai Mu's eyes turned from the letter to Hai Rui.

Haimu's plain words were like a sharp knife, splitting the mess in half from the middle, and many clues were immediately exposed from the edge of the knife!But if you think about it carefully, although the knife cut revealed many clues at once, the mess was just cut into two messes.With more clues, the mess becomes even more messy.Hai Rui didn't know how to answer his mother, so he stayed silent.

Haimu: "Answer me."

Hai Rui: "Back to Aunt, there are many things that my son is not very clear about."

"Then you still promise them to go?" Haimu asked forcefully.

Hai Rui: "My son thinks, because of this, the hundreds of thousands of people must have someone who speaks for them and makes decisions for them!"

Haimu: "Why did they pick you?"

Hai Rui: "They have decided on their son. They will fight against those people for the common people!"

Now it was Haimother's turn to be silent.

Hai Rui was also silent there.

The insects in the yard outside the door stopped screaming at this time.Faintly, there was the voice of Hai Rui's wife coaxing her daughter to sleep from the side room: "The sun is about to rest, can you rest? Let's rest (sound di)... The moonlight is about to rest, can you rest?" Can you take a break... Ah Nan is going to take a rest, can you take a rest? Can you take a rest... Grandmother is going to rest, can you take a rest? Can't..."

Hai Mu couldn't help stretching out her hand slowly, and Hai Rui immediately passed her hand over.The mother's hand squeezed her son's hand tightly.

The wife's singing is still coming, with a touch of sadness: "Mother is going to rest, the sun will not shine, and the moon will not shine..."

"That's right...the lives of the mothers in the world are not bitter..." Haimu looked at the lamp absently and murmured.

"Mum!" Hai Rui immediately held his mother's hand tightly.

Haimu: "Go, bring a load of water."

Hai Rui turned around and left the house. After a while, he came in with a load of water.He took off his long gown, put on a short gown, rolled up his trouser legs, barefoot, scooped up the water in the bucket with a wooden scoop and poured it on the brick floor.

Haimu got off the bed with her big bare feet and walked up to her son: "Mum, come and wash it off."

Hai Rui stopped there in silence for a moment, and then slowly held the ladle to his mother.

The jellyfish scooped up water from the bucket one by one, and poured it on the brick floor one by one.

Hai Rui picked up the broom made of palm leaves, followed his mother, and swept the splashed water on the ground.

The lamp on the table, the moonlight coming in from outside the door, the water flowing on the brick floor, and the bare feet of mother and son.

"Growing so big, do you know how you look like Grandma?" Haimu asked while splashing water.

Hai Rui: "Everything about my son is given by my mother."

Haimu: "I'll ask you what you look like, Grandmother."

Hai Rui stopped talking and silently swept the water on the ground.

"These are the feet." Haimu said, "The doctor said that the feet that are afraid of the heat in winter and moon are fire feet, with a hot heart and a bad temper. You are really like grandma in this regard."

Hai Rui: "My son knows that the ancestors of our Hai family believed in Mingjiao. It was a fire. It burnt itself, but others were the ones who burned."

Haimu: "I heard that the Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty also believed in Mingjiao when he conquered the world, so he called the country Daming, isn't that true?"

Hai Rui: "That's right."

Haimu: "But why is the current emperor not like Taizu?"

Hai Rui couldn't answer these words, so he could only lower his head and sweep the water.

"Okay." Haimu stopped splashing water.

Hai Rui: "Then you always go to bed and rest. Son will sleep here with Aunt after finishing cleaning up."

Haimu sighed: "Bring A'nan here today, and A'nan will take A'nan to sleep."

Hai Rui lowered his head and stood there silently.

Haimu: "God has eyes, so he should leave a queen for my Hai family..."

There is still some time before dawn, and the stars in the sky are particularly dazzling at this time.

All three people stood in the yard, and no one spoke at this moment.

Hai Rui held the cloth bundle and an umbrella in his left hand, and the bamboo drawer filled with lotus leaf rice cakes in his right hand, looking deeply at his mother.

His wife also stood silently beside Haimu, but her eyes were fixed on the ground.

"Mother, my son is leaving." Hai Rui said so, but still stood there.

Mother Hai looked at her son.

Only then did the wife raise her head and look at her husband.

Only then did Hai Rui look at his wife, "Be filial to your mother-in-law."

The wife nodded.

Hai Rui was silent for a while, and finally put the things in his hands on the ground, knelt down, and kowtowed to his mother.

The wife also knelt down beside her mother-in-law.

Hai Rui bowed deeply three times, and when he raised his head, his mother's back had already walked to the door of the main room.

Hai Rui knelt there in a daze, with tears in his eyes.

The wife was still kneeling there at this time, with tears in her eyes, she choked up and said, "Are you still looking at Ah Nan?"

Hai Rui shook his head, stood up with his luggage in both hands, turned around and walked towards the small door on the side of the yard.

(End of this chapter)