Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 41

The two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty were really too big.In Beijing at this time, there was a thunderstorm followed by a strong wind, but here the sun was shining brightly. The water of Xin'an River was blue and clear, and the grain boats parked on the river floated there without moving.

The "Weaving Bureau" lanterns with red letters on a white background are still hanging high on the mast of each ship, which is very eye-catching.

The food guards stood like nails on the shore of the pier, facing countless victims of the disaster in Chun'an.

Shen Yishi sat down on the chair at the bow of the big boat again, but he didn't wear the official uniform anymore. He was wearing a double-sided gown with hundreds of pale pink plum blossoms embroidered on it, and a plain white cicada Wing long clothes, tied with a plain white silk ribbon, and a hairband with a few pale plums embroidered on a white background is also tied on the hair bun.At this time, the light wind from the river gently lifted the long gown outside, and at a glance, this suit looks like a picture of plum blossoms in the snow!
That face was also covered with a thin layer of white powder, the eyebrows were drawn into the temples, and the eyes were deep, quietly looking at the river flowing from the upper reaches.

Suddenly, his ears moved, and his eyes seemed to see the sound of a large group of horseshoes faintly emerging from the distance of the river!
——This is the ear that can hear the piano sound of Ji Kang's "Guangling San" 300 years ago!This is the ear that can hear Jiajing's voice from Yuxi Palace two thousand miles away!

But at this time on the shore, the crowd was still very quiet.

Shen Yishi's ears moved again, and the sound of countless horseshoes was getting closer and clearer.

Only then did the crowd on the shore feel it, and immediately there was a commotion.

On the post road at the north gate of Chun'an, a group of mounts appeared, raising dust all over the sky, rolling towards the pier!

The cavalry was getting closer and closer, and Hai Rui was at the front, followed by the soldiers of the governor's office, and Jiang Qianhu, Xu Qianhu, and Shen Yishi were leading the cavalry. Steward.

Riding on the horse, Hai Rui's eyes became slits. Under the scorching sun, he looked at the row of masts facing the river, and at the scarlet letter "Weaving Bureau" on the lanterns on the masts!

On the shore of the wharf, another thousand households who were guarding the grain in the yamen immediately shouted to the soldiers: "The land buyers have arrived! Everyone is guarding, and no one else is allowed to approach the grain ship!"

The soldiers moved and drove the victims and people back.

Hai Rui's horse galloped to the dock and stopped.The horse team behind him stopped.

Hai Rui looked at Shen Yishi who was sitting on the bow of the big boat, and looked at the dazzling attire, raised his eyebrows, and his eyes immediately shot a deep light of disgust!
Shen Yishi still sat there quietly looking at the river in the distance.

Qianhu, who was holding grain, walked over in stride, and greeted Jiang Qianhu and Xu Qianhu: "Get off the horse first, and have a cup of tea on the boat!"

Jiang Qianhu and Xu Qianhu had gloomy faces and did not respond.

Qianhu, who was holding the food, was a little surprised, and then he felt something, and looked at the seventh-rank official at the front of the horse team.

Hai Rui said loudly, "Change defense! Jiang Qianhu's and Xu Qianhu's soldiers are here to guard the grain ship, and the soldiers here are going to the city to listen to Gaofutai's orders!"

Jiang Qianhu and Xu Qianhu led the cavalry to move silently to the shore.Qianhu, who was holding the grain, was still in a daze, but at this moment he strode up to Jiang and Xu, "What's going on? Who dares to send us?"

Jiang Qianhu had a sullen face: "He has a transfer order from the governor's office in his hand, so let's change defense."

Qianhu, who was holding grain, stood there in a daze.

Hai Rui stared at him at this moment: "Didn't you hear me when I said switch defense?"

Qianhu, who was holding grain, came to his senses, but he still didn't order troops to be dispatched. He looked at Hai Rui and said, "I want to see the dispatch order from the governor's office."

Hai Rui took out a transfer order and held it in his hand.The thousand households came over and went to get it.Hai Rui: "Just look."

That Qianhu retracted his hand again, looking around, the bright red seals of "Zhejiang Governor's Office" stood out strikingly!

"Change defense!" Hai Rui accepted the order.

Qianhu, who was holding grain, stared in bewilderment, and walked towards his soldiers: "Line up! Line up!"

Only then did Hai Rui get off his horse, threw the reins to a soldier beside him, and slowly walked down the pier, towards the big boat on which Shen Yishi was sitting.

The four personal soldiers followed him not too far and walked towards the big boat.

Shen Yishi stood up slowly, then slowly turned around, looking at Hai Rui who was walking slowly from the gangway to the big boat.

Hai Rui walked to the end of the gangplank and was not in a hurry to board the boat. He stood still there, examining Shen Yishi who was standing by the chair at the bow and looking at him.

The two pairs of eyes met at this moment, they froze for a short time, and looked at each other for a short time.

Shen Yishi's feet didn't move, and the light river wind blew, and the "plum blossoms in the snow" slowly floated towards Hai Rui.He stopped on the side of the ship.

One was at the end of the gangway, and the other was on the side of the ship. The distance between the two was only a few feet, and both pairs of eyes were fixed on each other.

"Report for your position." Hai Rui asked suddenly.

Shen Yishi: "I'm sinking a stone, doing business for the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau."

Hai Rui: "Business? So you're just a businessman?"

Shen Yishi: "Forget it."

"The "Da Ming Hui Dian" clearly stated that merchants are not allowed to wear silk and satin. What do you say about your attire?" Hai Rui asked in a low tone, but stern.

Shen Yishi smiled lightly: "Master Hai's words really caught me."

"Please answer my words!" Hai Rui's voice suddenly turned high, and his eyes pierced into Shen Yishi's eyes.

Hearing his voice grow louder, several soldiers from the governor's office immediately boarded the gangway from the stone steps of the pier and walked behind Hai Rui.

Hai Rui didn't look back, just waved his hand, and the four guards retreated from the diving board again.

Shen Yishi restrained his smile, with a bit of respect: "Sure enough, being famous is worse than meeting each other. Mr. Gang Feng is indeed Mr. Gang Feng."

Hai Rui: "I'll say it again, and I will answer clearly."

Shen Yishi didn't reply, he raised his hands and clapped his hands.

The steward appeared on the carved door of the large cabin, and then the four geisha appeared, each holding a tray in their hands: the first tray held a six-pin gauze hat, and the second tray held a six-pin gauze hat. The third tray held the jade belt that tied the official uniform, and the fourth tray held a pair of black satin official boots.Led by the steward, the four geisha and the four trays were brought to Shen Yishi's body.

Shen Yishi: "Under the Ming law, merchants are not allowed to wear silk and satin, but I did. Why, tell Master Hai."

"Yes." The steward then said loudly, "In the 37th year of Jiajing, the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau reported to the Supervisor of Ceremonies, and the weaver Shen Yishi worked diligently and made outstanding achievements. The Supervisor of Ceremonies reported to the emperor to reward Shen Yishi's sixth-rank meritorious service." Wear it on top."

Hai Rui was startled for a moment, then looked at the four hard-to-cover women, at the gauze caps, robes, jade belts and official boots in their trays, a flash of anger flashed in his eyes, he quickly calmed down, and turned to look at Shen Yishi: "It turns out that the imperial court still has a special case for rewarding merchants with fame and honor. No wonder this set of official uniforms is entrusted to women."

Shen Yishi: "Master Hai is very right. Although this fame is a special gift from the emperor, Shen never dares to wear it at ordinary times. After all, it is not in line with the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty." His tone was clear when he said this: "But Now that the emperor has rewarded me with fame, I am not just a businessman. This is why Shen dared to wear silk and satin. I wonder if Master Hai would agree with such an answer?"

The ancestors became the law, and the state's famous utensils were able to go directly to the emperor through the eunuchs. He changed them without authorization, gave them to merchants indiscriminately, and forced himself to accept it.The man in front of him was using the brand of the Weaving Bureau, that is, the brand of the Palace, to buy the land of the victims at a low price. He dared to be so arrogant and frivolous. Looking straight into Shen Yishi's eyes: "You said it yourself just now, it is not in line with the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty that the emperor rewards you with fame and honor. Do you want me to approve your words now?"

There are many powerful officials in the Ming Dynasty who have dealt with each other. This is the first time that Shen Yishi, an official who is so aggressive and aggressive, has met. The stronger he meets, the stronger he is. This has always been Shen Yishi's strength. Meeting such an expert, the melancholy and loss along the way was immediately intensified by the other party's invisible maneuvers into a fighting spirit for a showdown.He laughed again, and replied: "For three years, every time I saw this set of official uniforms, Shen felt uneasy. Finally, I met someone who can return the grade of official uniforms to the court for me. Master Hai, the hungry people are waiting to be fed." The food and rice are on the boat, that’s the big deal. Can we talk about whether Shen should wear an official uniform or silk satin?”

"No." Hai Rui replied decisively, "If you are a decent official, immediately change into an official uniform; if you are just a businessman, immediately change into civilian clothes."

Shen Yishi: "Does changing official uniforms to commoner ones have anything to do with today's disaster victims' food supply?"

"Of course it's related!" Hai Rui's tone became severe again, "You used the brand of the Weaving Bureau and the palace to buy the fields of the victims at a low price. If you want to wear an official uniform, I'll go to the Sparse Ginseng Weaving Bureau. You If you want to change into civilian clothes, I will take you down immediately! Let me ask you again, do you immediately put on official uniforms, or change into commoner clothes?"

Shen Yishi shook his head lightly: "I have already said that whether to wear official uniforms or change into civilian clothes has nothing to do with the victims and food."

Hai Rui: "That means that the purchase of the disaster victims' land at a low price was not done by the Weaving Bureau, nor was it the original intention of the palace. Come on!"

Several soldiers behind him roared in unison.

Hai Rui: "First take down the lanterns of the weaving bureaus on each ship, and then take this person!"

"Wait." Shen Yishi also said loudly immediately, "But I don't know why Mr. Hai wants to take the lantern from the boat?"

Hai Rui's eyes shot at Shen Yishi like a knife: "Use the name of the palace to buy the land of the victims at a low price, slander the court, and try to stir up civil uprisings, how dare you ask me?"

Shen Yishi shook his head lightly again: "So it's for this." He yelled loudly at the boats: "Put down the post under the lantern!"

Immediately, the silk posts that had been hanging there under the lanterns of each boat were lowered at the same time.

Countless pairs of eyes looked at those posts - each post had four big words written on it: "Designed to provide disaster relief"!
Hai Rui's eyes also slowly turned to the mast of the big ship, and doubts appeared in his eyes immediately.

——On the mast, the three red letters of "Weaving Bureau" on the lantern above and the four characters of "Relief by order" on the post below are eye-catchingly connected into seven characters of "Relief by order of Weaving Bureau"!
Immediately afterwards, there was a noise on the shore, and the victims were all jubilant!
Hai Rui's eyes suddenly became blank!
"Please. Haizhi County." Shen Yishi made a gesture.

This boat is indeed very big. There are two large desks in the middle of the cabin, and a stack of account books are piled up on the desks.Hai Rui glanced at Shen Yishi.

"All the account books are here, please have a look at Haizhi County." Shen Yishi said indifferently.Sitting down by the desk.

Hai Rui didn't say anything, just sat by the desk and flipped through the account books.For an hour, the two of them didn't speak a word.After reading the last volume of account books, Hai Rui turned his gaze to Shen Yishi who had been sitting opposite the big case.

At this moment, Shen Yishi closed his eyes and rested there.

Hai Rui didn't call him, his thoughts were mixed, but there was silence in the cabin.

Hai Rui hated business all his life, and this was the first time he dealt with a businessman. Dealing with such a big businessman was such a big deal, and it suddenly became so confusing, which was even more unexpected.After reading the bills of Shen Yishi's relief to the victims, all the plans that had been conceived were useless at this time.I want to detain the grain ship to relieve the victims, and then use this to overthrow the tyrannical government that changed the strict party from rice to mulberry. Now it turns out that the waves hit the empty city.Not only did the other party not come to buy the land at a low price under the brand of the Weaving Bureau, but sold the goods to the emperor, and voluntarily lent grain to the two disaster-stricken counties.In this way, the word "relief" is solved, what about the word "change"?It is impossible for the imperial court to change the national policy of changing rice to mulberry into relief for victims of disasters.Conscience and determination told him that there must be a more complicated background behind this incident, or a more hidden plan, and he didn't know what bigger changes would happen next!Hai Rui became vigilant, and couldn't figure it out for a while, so he could only tell himself, listen first, and figure out what the other party is going to do and why.

"Mr. Gang, are you finished?" Shen Yishi finally opened his eyes.

"It's over." Hai Rui's gaze fell directly to Yishi's, "I would venture to ask, you are a businessman, even though you have a sixth-rank crown, it's nothing more than a fake, disaster relief is not your responsibility, why did you do this?" Hai Rui looked into Shen Yishi's eyes and asked.

"Why can't I do this?" Shen Yishi sat across from him, without avoiding, he also looked into Hai Rui's eyes.

Hai Rui only looked at him.

Shen Yishi: "I'm a businessman, but I'm a businessman working for the Weaving Bureau. The imperial court asked me to produce more silk, so I tried my best to produce more silk for the imperial court. Now that there is a disaster, it is also the imperial court's business. The Zhejiang government can't afford food. To help the disaster, I will advance the money to buy some grain and lend it to the government. If I help the court, I will help myself. You will also pay me back the grain, and I will not lose anything. But I don’t know what I said, Mr. Hai thinks denied?"

Hai Rui: "How about changing rice into mulberry? You have lent all the money to buy grain to the disaster county. You can't buy fields and can't change mulberry. How can you produce more silk?"

Shen Yishi: "It's not my business that the imperial court wants to change rice into mulberry. So many rich people can pay to buy fields and change them to mulberry seedlings. And the people themselves, with food, can also turn rice fields into rice this year. Planting mulberry seedlings. As long as I can sell more of the raw silk produced to me and let me weave more silk, I will be able to handle the weaving bureau's errand."

What he said was so sensible and practical, which was beyond Hai Rui's expectation.There is such a person, who has such a mind to understand the general situation and seek the overall situation, that he actually "difficult to solve" what everyone thought was difficult to solve. Why didn't the Weaving Bureau and the Zhejiang government discuss it with him in advance? ?And this person didn't even communicate with the government. At this time, he suddenly plunged into the bottom and delivered the food to himself!Who the hell is this?

"Let's sign the IOU." Shen Yishi didn't allow him to think too much, "The disaster is raging, and I will lend you [-]% of the food, and I have to go to Jiande to lend them the remaining [-]%."

Hai Rui still looked at him steadily.

Shen Yishi: "If Mr. Hai still has doubts, I'll transport the grain back. Write me a proof that you don't want to borrow the grain, so I can report to the Weaving Bureau."

A pen, inkstone, paper and ink were placed on the table. Hai Rui nodded and picked up the pen.

Outside, it was still raining heavily.The two stewards, one on each side, held a stack of clean clothes neatly in their hands, and stood on both sides of the door with their heads lowered while holding their breath.

Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing stood silently on either side of Yan Shifan.

Yan Song was lying on the recliner, staring at the roof beams absently.The gauze hat was still neatly worn on the head, and it was still wet.The robe was still on, and it was also wet.

The old man didn't change his clothes, so Yan Shifan had no choice but to sit in the chair next to him in his soaked coat and hat.

"There are so many vassals, and there are so many people in the central palace, half of the annual expenditure is taken up. Last year, the palace was built, and another third was taken up. The treasury is empty... the treasury is empty, but we are left behind." Yan Shifan was depressed. He said, "I also said that changing rice to mulberry is to make up for our deficit..." At this point, Yan Shifan shed tears that he hadn't shed in Yuxi Palace.

Yan Song still looked up with empty eyes.

Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing just looked at Yan Shifan blankly.

"Tell me!" Yan Shifan stood up, "Does this treasury belong to the Zhu family or to our Yan family?"

"Come here..." Yan Song suddenly shouted, followed by a violent cough.

Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing ran over immediately, each grabbed his hand, Luo Longwen put the other hand through the back of his neck to help him sit up, and Yan Maoqing stroked his chest with the other palm.

Yan Song gasped and coughed, and said weakly: "Come, come..."

The steward at the door came in: "Master Xiang, what are your orders..."

Yan Song: "Take, take a knife, give it to Yan Shifan, let him kill me..."

Hearing what he said, the steward trembled in fright, and knelt down with a "plop", Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing were also startled, and knelt down beside him.

Yan Shifan also closed his eyes, lifted his robe and knelt down.

(End of this chapter)