New·New Consort

At the entrance of the Xianju Restaurant in the capital, there was a sign saying "The owner is happy, closed for one day".

Many diners hesitated in front of the closed door and retreated.

A young man in brocade blue clothes strode towards the main entrance. The man waiting at the door stretched out his hand to stop him, but when he raised his eyes, he saw a pair of indifferent but sharp eyes.He hurriedly bowed his body and let the man through the door.

From the main entrance into the lobby of the restaurant, after a few zigzag steps, the man in blue saw a gray-haired old man in brown clothes with a broad back.

He hurriedly pulled up his clothes and knelt down, chanted long live, and kowtowed to salute: "The ministers and eight officials patrol Zhang Shaomin and kowtow to the emperor."

The brown-clothed old man waved his hand, refusing his salute: "Get up and talk."

He turned around, showing a majestic and solemn face, but he spoke exhaustedly: "Is there any news about the prince?"

"It should be in Huailai City with Princess Tianxiang," Zhang Shaomin said, "Princess sons-in-law are all capable people, and they are very vigilant. It's not good for your subordinates to follow too closely."

The emperor nodded: "Xiang'er and the son-in-law, I don't worry about it. Sigh..." He walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, "Actually, I also made a dangerous move. He was focused on getting the Lao Shizi wooden bird, but I don't care about political affairs, I really can't, I can't entrust this huge country to an ignorant and weak king, let him go out to practice and practice, maybe it will be effective."

Zhang Shaomin said respectfully: "Your Majesty, please be at ease. The crown prince is the emperor's son, so naturally he will not be bad. The ministers will also do their best to assist the crown prince, so that the crown prince can put his mind back on state affairs."

The emperor turned around and looked at the young man in front of him, and said in a gentle voice, "Zhang Aiqing, do you know what I left for you?"

Zhang Shaomin said cautiously: "Your minister is ignorant."

The emperor smiled and said kindly: "I have reserved the position of Prime Minister for you."

Zhang Shaomin was stunned for a moment, and his voice was a little nervous: "Your Majesty, I have something to say, I don't know if I should say it or not."

The emperor took out the Book of Loyalty from his arms: "Do you want to speak for Prime Minister Liu who ranks first on the book of loyalty?" He flipped through the pages and repeated slowly, "500 taels of loyal Prime Minister Liu .”

Zhang Shaomin said in embarrassment: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Liu is a veteran of the three dynasties. He is cautious and cautious. Although he didn't have any great achievements, he didn't make any big mistakes either. So, I think..."

"Yeah, he didn't make any mistakes, and he didn't make any achievements," the emperor said indifferently, "he has his part in all the successes, and he can't escape all the mistakes. His personal qualities are impeccable, as a person , he was very successful—but, ineffectiveness is just another word for mediocrity. As the pillar of the imperial court, he was actually a failure!"

The emperor's tone became more serious, he turned around slowly, and sighed, "I, I can't leave such a failed prime minister to the prince... One day, when the prince ascends the throne, I promise to give him a new sun!"

"Your Majesty, I have little talent and little learning..." Zhang Shaomin wanted to argue again.

"Zhang Shaomin, do you know, have I prepared anything else for you?" The emperor's face sank like water, and he said word by word, "Heavenly Prison."

A group of four people were walking on the trail on the outskirts of Huailai.

The combination of these four people seems to be quite strange, a rich boy riding a donkey, a young man leading a donkey, a fortune teller, and a knight-errant in a well-dressed suit.

Hearing that Li Zhaoting said that Zhang Shaomin created a loyalty book, Tianxiang couldn't figure it out for a while: why she and Feng Suzhen didn't do it in this life, but let Zhang Shaomin do it.

Feng Suzhen, who was leading the donkey in front of her, let out a soft sigh: "Master Zhang, it's really interesting."

Tianxiang gnawed at the sugar cane: "Feng, what do you know?"

Feng Suzhen didn't turn her head, she just walked slowly so that she could get closer to Tianxiang: "Princess, I think Mr. Zhang should know the emperor's intention."

Tianxiang meal, what's the purpose?

Feng Suzhen blew with her index finger and thumb in a ring, put it next to her ear to listen, and blinked at Tianxiang.

Tianxiang was stunned by her blink, and then realized: Oh oh oh, the intention... What, does Zhang Shaomin know now?

She carefully looked up the memories of her previous life, as if Zhang Shaomin had done nothing during the dispute over taking over Xiantai in her previous life.

Didn't build a loyalty score, didn't write a letter, didn't advise, didn't do anything, just quietly watched from the sidelines.

He is acquiescing to the emperor's money-gathering.

Think about Zhang Shaomin's administration, he is smooth and sophisticated, quite a man of the city. In his previous life, he knew the treasury's assets like the palm of his hand, and used the available gold and silver in the treasury to the extreme.

He is more sensitive to politics and the emperor's heart than himself and Feng Suzhen. Now even if he knows the emperor's intention, it is normal, but——

"Then why does he still build such a loyalty tree?" Tianxiang was puzzled, "Isn't such a loyalty tree passively confronting the father?"

Feng Suzhen said: "Princess, if Brother Li and Brother Liu made such a loyalty chart, I might follow your thinking, but the person who did this was Brother Zhang, and we have some doubts about the Emperor's will." After understanding a little bit, I couldn’t help but think a little more.”

"Before Li Zicheng of the previous dynasty broke through the capital, the last Emperor Chongzhen, known for his frugality, was also soliciting money from ministers, but his purpose of raising money was not to build a Xiantai, but to raise military salaries. He said, 'With 3 "Two are the best", he even forced his eunuch Bingbi to donate 1 taels. However, Wei Dezao, the chief assistant of the dynasty, who became the head of the cabinet in only three years, only donated 500 taels."

"500 taels!" Tianxiang's eyes lit up. Isn't this the taels Liu Tao donated on Zhang Shaomin's loyalty chart?

"The capital only donated such a small amount. How could the people dare to donate more? Chongzhen had no choice but to ask his father-in-law's door. Empress Zhou understood the righteousness. In order to persuade her father to donate more money, she took out 5000 taels of silver to give it to him." He was paid 2000 taels by the father-in-law."

Tianxiang was speechless: "...The Last Emperor is not easy..."

"The last emperor didn't know people clearly. The officials and nobles of the previous dynasty were all wealthy at that time, with hundreds of thousands of family assets. But when the country was in crisis, they were only willing to spend such a small amount of money, which eventually led to the collapse of the previous dynasty. Today Your Majesty is also well aware of this story, and now Master Zhang is making such a move, which makes the Emperor even more angry."

Tianxiang suddenly understood, no wonder, the father-in-law was completely indifferent to the loyalty chart made by the son-in-law and himself in the previous life.

Li Zhaoting, who was catching up to the side, understood what the two of them said, and immediately turned pale: "But, the last emperor of the previous dynasty was to raise military pay, but now he is going to take over Xiantai..."

"Essentially, there is not much difference. In the eyes of the emperor, they all hide their money and refuse to contribute to the king." Feng Suzhen said with emotion, "If there is no such book of loyalty, most officials will just cry poorly. The delay continues, but now, Mr. Zhang is adding fuel to the flames!"

This emperor's heart really cannot be measured with ordinary eyes.

Li Zhaoting said angrily: "This Shaomin is really a politician!" Liu Qian also became angry, this loyalty line clearly put her old father Liu Tao on the cusp of the storm.

Feng Suzhen froze, if she hadn't gotten along with Tianxiang recently, she might have naively thought of using the method of Jianzhong Xinpu to draw the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty to coerce the emperor to compromise with them.

She couldn't help but looked at Tianxiang on the donkey's back, but saw that the latter was frowning, and the old god was there.

"...Officials and aristocrats were all wealthy at that time, with hundreds of thousands of family assets. But in the face of national crisis, they are only willing to give such a small amount of money..." Tianxiang's mind was full of what Feng Suzhen said just now.

In her previous life, when she returned to the capital, Zhang Shaomin in her memory seemed to be 20 years older, with an old-fashioned beard and shrewd and powerful eyes.

There was an endless stream of local officials presenting gifts to Zhang Shaomin, and there was always a lot of traffic in front of the Zhang residence.

In the early days of her administration, a censor constantly criticized Zhang Shaomin, saying that he was not a clean official.She trusted Zhang Shaomin, so she called him directly and asked him what he thought of Yushi's manuscript.

Zhang Shaomin smiled proudly at her: "Wait until they have the ability to sit in my position, and then evaluate my personal virtue."

As a politician, there is no selfishness, good or bad, only ability.

What about the civil and military abilities of the Manchu dynasty headed by Liu Tao?

Zhang Shaomin made a loyalty spectrum in this life, and Feng Shaomin also made a loyalty spectrum in his previous life. Different people make the same actions for different purposes, but they will eventually lead to the same result.

This piece of Shaomin is a move higher than Feng Shaomin's.

The four of Tianxiang and his party arrived at Chief Jia's house at night, and only then did they learn that the prince's residence was still ten miles away.

Originally, except for Li Zhaoting, everyone had the time to be around, and it was not impossible to take a few quick steps when they got angry, but unfortunately, the weather was not good, and there was a thunderstorm at night.

It was pitch black and it was raining, and the roads were not familiar. They had no choice but to stay at Jia Zhang's house.

After a simple dinner, Chief Jia asked with a smile: "Little old man's house is small, there are only two vacant rooms, and the house is fairly clean. I wonder how you guys will rest tonight?"

The four looked at each other.

Princess Tianxiang recalled the embarrassing situation after the four met in the same inn in the previous life.

Feng Suzhen has been sleeping with Tianxiang in a separate room recently, although she also slept with Tianxiang in the palace, but for some reason, she was a little nervous at this moment, she smiled and said: "Since there are only two rooms, let Let my son go to bed, and I will go to the firewood room to make do for the night."

Li Zhaoting also stood up: "I'm just a fortune-teller. I'm rough-skinned and thick-skinned. I'm used to sleeping on the floor mat. It would be great to have a tile to cover my head—I'll sleep in the firewood room too. Give up the room to Mr. Liu, too."

Tianxiang and Liu Qian: "..."

Chief Jia couldn't understand: "But don't you guys go all the way...You big families, really, really have rules...Although the room in the little old man's house is small, two people can still sleep in one room .”

Feng Suzhen and Li Zhaoting: "..."

Li Zhaoting said again: "Mr. Jia is right, so I wronged the two sons to sleep together tonight. I am a fortune teller. Brother Feng is a servant, and we are of equal status, so I will sleep in the same room with Brother Feng." Bar."

Feng Suzhen, Tianxiang, Liu Qian: "..."

Tianxiang said in a strange way: "Wu Ya Zui, what's the matter with you, why are you pestering my servant all day long?"

Li Zhaoting smiled calmly: "The main reason is that the two young masters have similar identities, and sleeping together is considered harmonious. Besides, I haven't seen Brother Feng for a long time, and I still have some things in Beijing that I want to discuss with him, so I can listen to his opinions."

Listening to Li Zhaoting's words, Feng Suzhen also thought about it, as if she was considering the feasibility - she really shared the room with Li Zhaoting, at worst, she could read a few pages by the table by herself, and then she could sleep by herself after Li Zhaoting fell asleep.

Just when Feng Suzhen was about to agree, Tianxiang coughed lightly, Feng Suzhen raised her head and looked towards the source of the coughing sound.

The man smiled and hooked his fingers at Feng Suzhen. Feng Suzhen leaned forward in confusion, only feeling his ears itch, Tianxiang said in a low voice: "It's natural for the son-in-law to talk about state affairs with Mr. Li, but since Mrs. Li is here, you should still be the son-in-law." Don't disturb the couple's happiness." She spoke in a breathless voice, and every word was breathed into Feng Suzhen's ear.

Tianxiang watched with great satisfaction as Feng Suzhenying's white Ruyu's ears turned red, burning all over her face.

Feng Suzhen's face was flushed as if she was drunk, she still straightened her body, and resolutely said sonorously: "Young master is right, since the younger one is the younger one's servant, the younger one is inseparable from the younger one at night. It's the little one's luck, and the younger one should be better—" Alright—serve—wait—my lord." She turned to Li Zhaoting and Liu Qian and cupped her hands, "I'm sorry, my lord can't leave me at night, I'm afraid it won't be convenient for me."

Who can't leave you at night?Tianxiang opened her eyes wide and looked at Feng Suzhen, as if she saw the red tide on her cheek recede little by little, while her own face became hotter little by little.

Li Zhaoting's complexion was a little ugly, but Liu Qian couldn't help laughing: "Children of the rivers and lakes, how can there be so many scruples, I am just a reckless man who walks in the rivers and lakes and eats in the rivers and lakes. The fortune-teller is a scholar, as long as the husband does not dislike him. I live together, how dare I dislike anything?" She said, but there was a bit of pleading in her words.

Li Zhaoting was taken aback for a moment, hearing Liu Qian's implication, and felt a trace of guilt in his heart.He restrained his expression, and said solemnly: "Where is it, the young master speaks seriously, and this young master has been wronged to live in the same room with me tonight."

Looking at the four handsome young men with weird faces in front of him, Chief Jia felt as if he knew something important.He laughed and went to prepare the room for everyone.

In Yuxian Palace, Yuxian laughed loudly:

"I also wondered what kind of ability that Zhang Shaomin has. After tossing and tossing, he tossed out thousands of taels of silver!"

Dongfang Sheng sneered at the side: "Why are you so happy? Now that the government and the public have given out such a small amount of money, your idea of ​​making money may be in vain."

Yuxian smiled seriously and said: "Hey, Brother Dongfang's words are wrong. Pindao is a monk, so how can he be so rare about those Adus! The reason why I urged the emperor to build the Xiantai is just to give the little prince off under the guise of destiny. That's all for the superior!"

Dongfang Sheng snorted: "I didn't expect the national teacher to care more about my cheap brother's future than my brother."

Yuxian sneered: "Now the wooden bird prince is missing, and Pindao's subordinates haven't heard anything about it, and they don't know if he died in some wood workshop. But the emperor's body is still healthy, and the poor Taoist I also want to make a final decision to avoid future troubles—"

"Stop talking nonsense, what are you trying to do by calling me here in the middle of the night?" Dongfang Sheng became impatient.

Yuxian smiled and said: "Tomorrow, the emperor will be furious at the court meeting. I will ask my two subordinates to present gold and silver treasures to the emperor in order to obtain an official position. Trick. So Pindaote came here to remind Brother Dongfang, prepare some gold and silver, maybe you can change to an official of the nine admirals."

Dongfang Sheng glanced at Yuxian sideways, and didn't care: "Young master has no intention of being an official of this Lao Shizi."

Yuxian smiled apologetically: "The sooner the Dongfang brothers gain power, the sooner we can accomplish things!"

Dongfang Sheng thought about it several times, nodded to show that he understood, and then strode out of Yuxian Palace.

Mu Hufa, a woman in Tsing Yi, was quite puzzled: "Master, why should we bow our knees to this kid?"

Yuxian sighed: "You don't understand, I look beautiful on the surface, but I am actually a dog of the royal family! I thought that if Dongfanghou died, I would be able to get rid of this situation, but that concubine Ju is suppressing me. Right now In this palace, she is the most favored in front of the emperor. I hoped to give you to the emperor, but Concubine Ju didn't let go, so I could only send a few useless women in to play tricks. If the wooden bird prince It's all right now, if I kill the little prince, I can change from a dog to a human!"

Mu Hufa was stunned: "Why does the leader want to help the prince?"

Yuxian said faintly: "The prince is an adult, and he still has this demented virtue. If he really ascends the throne, he will not be able to achieve great things. I can coax him by playing tricks on him; but the little prince has not grown up yet. He has a strong personality." My mother and half-brother help him, even if I help him become emperor, I'm still a dog of his royal family—who the hell wants to be a dog!"

Huailai came to the countryside, the rain was dripping, the thunder was muffled, and in Jiachang's house, the two guest rooms were brightly lit.

Mrs. Jia Chang was very dissatisfied: "How many people in the room are still awake in the middle of the night, what a waste of wax!"

A long man twisted his beard and said: "The woman has long hair and short knowledge, the money those few gave me is enough to buy several cars of wax! Young people talk a lot, what do you know, you yellow-faced woman, go to sleep!"

From the west wing, a voice lazily rang out: "Hey, Feng, you walk around in the middle of the night. Is it because the farm food is so delicious that you eat too much and you're afraid you'll get stuck in your stomach, or are you afraid that I'll eat you?"

Feng Suzhen, who was walking back and forth with her hands behind her back, stopped, frowned and said, "I'm in a hurry."

Tianxiang said: "What are you in a hurry for? Go out of the toilet and turn right."

Feng Suzhen: "..." She took a seat opposite Tianxiang, with her arms resting on the table, "You said, once Master Zhang made this loyalty book, once the emperor is angered, will the emperor make any more drastic decisions?"

Tianxiang thought about her previous life, and said, "Yes."

Feng Suzhen jumped up from the stool and continued to walk around with her hands behind her back.

"Stop!" Tianxiang was dizzy.

Feng Suzhen's footsteps were stagnant, she turned her head and asked eagerly: "The drastic decisions I can think of, one is to convict and confiscate one's family, and the other is to sell officials and confiscate titles, which one do you think the emperor will choose?" She shook her head after she finished speaking for a moment. "One is impossible, I guess it is two, the emperor will sell the official title."

"What, what?" Tianxiang was slightly surprised—how did Feng Suzhen know what her father would do?Could it be that she was reborn in a day?She couldn't help but look Feng Suzhen up and down.

"The emperor asks for money, but the money belongs to the people. If the emperor wants to ask for money in an open and honest manner without arousing the anger of the common people, he can only start with the rich and the officials." Feng Suzhen sat down again and analyzed for Tianxiang. I’m guessing—convicting and confiscating one’s home will inevitably cause people to panic, and it’s more likely that the rich will hide their money, but only selling officials and nobles can expose all kinds of hidden wealth to the sky.”

Tianxiang was shocked: "You are right."

Feng Suzhen frowned: "The emperor is determined to keep a few capable people for the prince. Whether it is Zhang Shaomin or Gu Chengen, they are all being suppressed at the moment. Once the sale of officials and nobles happens, and the chaos is corrected in the future, these official positions will be vacant. At this time, these oppressed young officials can be put on the horse."

Tianxiang was dumbfounded: "Yes, you are right!"

Feng Suzhen sighed: "In this case, let's set off early tomorrow morning, find the prince, and return to Beijing as soon as possible! I am worried that my teacher will be reprimanded in this turmoil. Even though he is a licorice minister who governs by doing nothing, he is my teacher after all. , is brother Li's father-in-law, we don't want to delay the schedule. Princess, let's rest earlier!"

Tianxiang was dragged onto the bed by Feng Suzhen in a daze. Before she could fully react, she stared blankly at Feng Suzhen extinguishing the candle, and rushed to the bed in a hurry. Stumbled over a bench in the dark.Only then did she wake up, and exclaimed, "Sleep, sleep, why are you so anxious!"

After roaring, she was greatly touched in her heart: Given time, this Shaomin might not be inferior to that Shaomin.

Li Zhaoting and Liu Qian in the East Wing, first saw the candle on the opposite side go out, and then heard the princess's voice, "What are you in a hurry for?", they were both stunned.

A thunderbolt rolled across the sky, and the remaining lightning flashed across Li Zhaoting's stunned face.

It was raining harder outside.

After a long time, Liu Qian said leisurely: "Zhao Ting, you just did that just now, do you still think that son-in-law is Feng Suzhen in your heart?"

Li Zhaoting remained silent, stood up, and looked out the window at the dark west wing through the rain curtain.He suddenly lowered his head and smiled desolately: "Madam, let's go to bed."

This "ma'am" made Liu Qian's nose feel a little sore: "Yes, husband, let's rest."

The next day, before dawn, the rain had stopped, and the four of them walked out through the mud.Nobody spoke a word along the way, as if they were all preoccupied.

This silent ten-mile journey was extremely fast, and when the first ray of sunlight climbed up their backs, the sharp-eyed Tianxiang had already seen the Xu family courtyard that fit Chief Jia's description.

In the courtyard, a young man in a Confucian shirt was holding a four or five-year-old girl "high", making the girl giggle.

"Brother!" Tianxiang waved her arms, calling for her elder brother.

Hearing the sound, the young man in the yard put down the girl doll, squinted his eyes and looked towards the east, and immediately smiled: "Sister! Brother-in-law!" He ran towards Tianxiang.

However, I haven't seen her for a short time, and Tianxiang couldn't help being moved by her brother's enthusiasm, so she got off her donkey and ran towards the prince.

When the brother and sister met, the prince was out of breath, but still smiling.

Tian Xiang saw that her elder brother was much darker, and his clothes were also gray, she couldn't help but feel distressed, and was about to say something, but saw the prince stretched out his hand towards her.

He said with a naive smile, "Sister, do you have money?"

Above the court hall of the capital, Long Yan was furious.

"This is your loyalty? Your loyalty has been eaten by dogs?!" Before the tall dragon case, the emperor threw the account book-like loyalty score down the imperial steps.

"Civil and military in the Manchu Dynasty, civil and military in the Manchu Dynasty, your loyalty is only worth a few thousand taels of silver?" The emperor scolded, "How much silver do I spend a year to support you gang of officials? Are you going to repay me like this? Liu Tao, I won't tell you." Others, let’s just talk about you! As the current prime minister, you actually only gave me 500 taels of silver. But I know that the net profit of your son’s Qingyalin is no less than 5 taels a year!”

"And you, Wang Daofu, Mr. Wang Ge, your hometown has hundreds of acres of land, and the annual harvest is no less than ten thousand taels. You actually gave me 300 taels!"

The more the emperor talked, the more angry he became, and he complained: "You, you, you, all of you are full of benevolence and morality, saying that I am greedy, and that I am tyrannical. You want me to be a saint who does not eat the fireworks of the world, but you, one by one , anyone who is greedy is more ruthless than me!"

The national teacher at the side watched the emperor vent his anger to his heart's content, looked at the kneeling courtiers in the hall with a look of color on his face, and snorted softly.

The emperor's face was livid, and after scolding for a long time, he was already too tired, so he had to take a short rest, sat down and took a breath.

The national teacher shook his whisk, and was about to step forward and advise the emperor to exchange his official rank for money.

There was a sudden commotion outside, and the sound of an announcement approaching was like a tide rushing towards the court hall.

"Report-"

"Report, hurry up five hundred miles—"

"Report, five hundred miles urgently, Xuanda urgently report—"

"Report, hurry five hundred miles, declare the urgent report, the Chahar Department breaks the contract and declares war!"

There was an uproar.