Huan Rong

Taihe three years, August, Yi Chou

Just after the rainy season, Jiankang City ushered in a rare sunny day.

At the end of the time, a red-painted and soaped ox cart drove out of Huanfu and went straight to Taicheng via the imperial road.

An official went to the government office with his face down and saw the sign on the car. He ordered the health servant to stop the bullock cart and exchanged glances with puzzled expressions.

Since July, this is the eighth time Princess Nankang has entered Taicheng.Counting the previous years, it has never been so frequent.

"Could it be that there is something wrong with the Huan Mansion?"

"Hard to say."

With the seniority of Princess Nankang, the Empress Dowager Chu must be "received" to enter Taicheng.

After the two meet, they often talk behind closed doors for more than an hour.Not to mention the maidservant, the queen will be driven away directly.It is undoubtedly a dream for outsiders to inquire about the news.

Occasional rumors spread in the palace, but all of them were proved to be misinformation without any basis.

The Son of Heaven is still big-hearted, he pushes all government affairs to his ministers, drinks and has fun with his pets all day long, and doesn't care about anything.

Empress Yu was panicked. Through the news from Yu Xi, she learned that the situation of the Yu family was not good. Because Yu Miao was good at making claims, Huan Wenwen and Xi Min would probably take care of them together.Seeing that Princess Nankang entered the palace to have secret talks with the Empress Dowager for several days, she couldn't help feeling worried, lest she would be abolished before the Yu family fell.

Seeing Princess Nankang coming to the palace again today, she also waved away the palace maids, and the gate of the palace was closed tightly. Empress Yu's panic reached its peak.A palace maid arranged by the Yu family came forward to persuade her to visit the Queen Mother again and take the opportunity to inquire about the news.Before he could finish speaking, he was slapped across the face with a palm.

The maid covered her cheeks in astonishment, more puzzled than pain.

"Your Highness?"

Empress Yu was stunned for a moment, looking down at her palm, as if she didn't believe her actions.After a while, his cheeks were flushed, his five fingers were closed, his nails were dug into his palm, and his eyes were firmer than ever before.

"Ah Fu, call Da Changqiu."

"promise!"

A palace maid quickly exited the inner hall, and soon brought an eunuch who was around forty.Knowing that it was Empress Yu who was going to drive her out of the palace, the eunuch couldn't help being stunned on the spot.

"Your Highness wants to drive away this maid?"

"Yes." Empress Yu let go of her fingers, leaving a crescent-shaped pinch mark on her palm, but she didn't feel any pain at all, "Don't stay in Taicheng, just drive away."

"promise."

Da Changqiu didn't say much, and summoned two young eunuchs, gagged the mouth of the servant girl, and dragged him out of the inner hall by his arms.

The maidservant's face was full of disbelief, and she let out a "woo-woo" sound, kicking her feet wildly, as if she wanted to make a final struggle.

Empress Yu stopped the eunuch, walked up to the servant girl, and said in a deep voice: "You have been with me for many years, but your loyalty is still not with me. It is useless to keep you."

The person who should be most loyal to her is Yu Shi who is full of thoughts.In the eyes of these people, does she have weight as a queen?

It's a pity that she didn't understand before, and she was only thinking about her natal family.Now that I think about it, it's too late.

The maid was forcibly dragged away, and Empress Yu sat alone in the inner hall, staring at the unlit three-legged lamp in a daze.The misty skirt spread out from below the knees, it was as gorgeous as a cloud, and it made the palace even more desolate, and the beauty was indifferent.It is clearly the age of Huaxin, but it has withered like rotten wood, and the youth is no longer.

In the Empress Dowager's Palace, Princess Nankang was sitting upright, holding a teacup in her hand, waiting for Empress Dowager Chu to make a decision.

Compared to her calmness, Empress Dowager Chu's brows were furrowed, her mouth full of bitterness.

"Sister, do you really want to force me like this?"

"How is persecution?" Princess Nankang put down her teacup and said calmly, "There is a county duke in Gua'er, who can enjoy food for five thousand households. Fengyang is occupied by the Di people. They haven't gotten a grain of grain for several years. They should have compensated."

Seeing Empress Dowager Chu's embarrassment, Princess Nankang continued: "Xi Fanghui has agreed, what is the Empress Dowager still worried about?"

What are you worried about?

Empress Dowager Chu pressed her forehead irritably, and said, "My sister asked the question knowingly."

"If you're worried about that old slave, the Queen Mother doesn't have to."

"how do I say this?"

"Gua'er was frightened a few days ago, and Da Sima specially sent gold silk cloth from Gushu, and there are fifty young and strong people." Princess Nankang looked directly into Queen Mother Chu's eyes, "Furthermore, when Gua'er went out to serve, the Queen Mother helped the old man. If you hide it, you still owe me one more time."

Empress Dowager Chu choked.

Princess Nankang smiled lightly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes at all.

"Could it be that the Empress Dowager thought that with a few boxes of bamboo slips and a few beads, the matter would be over?"

It is too good to think.

"Nankang," Empress Dowager Chu said with a solemn expression, "I know it was wrong before, but you should stop in moderation."

"It's natural to beg for food for my son, how can we just stop?" Princess Nankang's smile became colder, and her voice became colder.

"Don't mention the Sima family, count the other county princes one by one, who is like my son, who didn't get any food after he was ennobled? Even the concubine of the Huan family has grain and silk! Compared with this, my son What is it?!"

"Nankang, you can change to another place."

"No need to bother, I think Yandu is very good."

Seeing that the Empress Dowager Chu showed signs of softening, Princess Nankang restrained her anger and stopped being thorny in every sentence.

"There are thousands of households in Yandu Linhai. Xi Fanghui has no objection. The queen mother just asks the emperor to make an order. I don't have to worry about where I am."

Empress Dowager Chu was silent for a while, knowing that Princess Nankang would not give up if she didn't agree for a day.Sima Huan would not oppose it openly, and there is no benefit in continuing the stalemate. He offended Nankang for no reason, so why bother.

Thinking of this, Queen Mother Chu nodded,

"I will talk to the emperor tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow, I think today is just right."

Empress Dowager Chu was silent.

On that day, Sima Yi was awakened by the eunuchs in the Empress Dowager's palace, and with a bit of drunkenness, he wrote down the imperial decree in a daze.

Seeing the eunuch who announced the decree left the palace gate with his own eyes, Princess Nankang's wish was fulfilled, and it was rare to give Sima Daofu a smiling face after returning to the mansion.

This action aroused the latter's uneasiness, for fear that after Princess Nankang laughed, people would tie her to the carriage of the old man.Since then, he has become more and more cautious in his actions, as if he didn't go out of the door, as if he was a different person.

The eunuch carried the imperial decree and traveled eastward to Qiaojun by boat.

When passing Jingkou, I happened to meet Xi Chao who was returning to the west.

The two boats passed each other, and Xi Chao couldn't help frowning when he saw the bow mark.Knowing that the ship did not stop at Jingkou, but went to Yandu according to the holy will, he suddenly had a bad feeling.

It's a pity that the eunuch was in a hurry and didn't give Xi Chao a chance to contact him at all.

The boatmen chanted and stepped on the oars. In less than a moment, the official boat had gone down the river, leaving only a few water marks.

In the third year of Taihe, at Gengwu in August, the imperial decree arrived at Yandu.

Two days later, a hundred Beifu troops stationed in the west of the city, led by Liu Laozhi.

Seeing the "old friend", Huan Rong was very pleasantly surprised.Greeted out of the county government office in person, and welcomed Liu Canjun and the accompanying officials into the back hall.

The tyrants in the county were all surprised when they learned that they had disappeared.They sent people to the west of the city to inquire, but they all went and never returned. When they came, they were detained, and one by one they were tied to the horse stakes to feed the mosquitoes.

In less than five days, the horse posts near the county government office were almost full.

Chen Xing's premonition came true, Huan Rong was by no means cowardly, at a loss for what to do in the face of threats, but secretly prepared and waited for the opportunity to strike.

The officials and casual officials of the county government are all in danger, regretting that they should have underestimated Huan Rong, as before, intending to give the new county magistrate a blow.It's a small thing to lose his job now, I'm afraid Xiangshang's head will be lost!

"Why didn't I think about it carefully!"

Several officials gathered together, all frowning and worried.

"How could Sima Huan's son be easily provoked!"

The previous county magistrates were all from noble families, and many of them were descendants of high-ranking high-ranking families.However, he was born with a Chinese surname, which is naturally opposed to the Wu surname. He has no military power and is not as strong as the direct branch. When the county tyrants joined forces to suppress him, he was at a disadvantage, and even lost his life in severe cases.

Even if the family comes to restore the situation, what's the use if the person is dead after all.

Huan Rong is not.

The eldest son of Huan Da Sima, the eyeball of Princess Nankang, the cousin of the Emperor Chao, the Duke of You County, who made a good friend with Xie Xuan and was appreciated by Xi Min. There are more than 50 guards around him, and now there are nearly [-] government troops.Counting with their fingers, everyone broke out in cold sweat, and their lips began to turn white.

"I might as well carry the thorns on my back and go to the west of the city to plead guilty!" an official said decisively.

He is not a son of a powerful man, but just an ordinary wealthy family.Because he married a daughter of Lu's family, he had a relationship with Hao Qiang of several surnames, and became the chief of the pavilion.

The county magistrate was weak before, so he naturally stood on the side of the powerful Chen and the others.Now that Feng Shui turns around, you always have to find a way out for yourself, and you can't really hang yourself on a rope.

Everyone exchanged glances, there were those who agreed and those who opposed.

When they couldn't stop arguing, they suddenly heard the sound of shields knocking outside the window. Immediately, their hearts froze, they grabbed their sabers and sticks and rushed to the gate, looking out carefully.

Different from the ruins in the west of the city, the east of the city is a place where powerful county people live together. Several rivers pass through the city, and the waterways are well developed.There are many houses and shops along the river bank, flags are hung on the pier, and wooden boats transporting sea salt come and go in an endless stream.

At noon, the wharf on the shore was bustling. Dozens of government troops suddenly came from the west, with shields on their left arms and ring-swords in their right hands.

There are healthy servants behind the army, and every time they pass by a Yanting wharf, wine shop or shop, they will find the walls to paint with paste and paste notices.

Seeing people gathering, the accompanying officials will raise their voices and read out the contents of the notice.

"Yandu County was divided from Qiao County and changed to Fengyang County Gongshi Town."

"Measure the acres in a few days and check the household registration."

"Follow the imperial court's law on giving guests, and strictly investigate the tenants and shady households. Those who exceed the name are recorded as Dingkou and reorganized as Minmin."

"Refugees are naturalized to reclaim wasteland. Ding men are divided into [-] mu of land, and Ding women are divided into [-] mu of land. The tax is the same as that of Ding households in the county."

"The government officials in all counties have been assessed and recorded again, and all the scattered officials have been dismissed."

After reading one by one, the crowd was silent at first, and then the discussion suddenly broke out.Especially the servants of the various houses who were sent to investigate, their faces changed several times, knowing that the Patriarch would be furious after reporting back.

Sure enough, upon hearing the content of the notice, Chen Huan was so enraged that he wanted to kill someone, and Chen Xing dropped the teacup on the spot.

"Father, this little slave wants to cut off my life!"

As the county magistrate, Huan Rong can collect taxes from households in Shiyi.As long as he wants, he can scrape the land at will.Not to mention land tax and business tax, just set up a wooden stake to set up a port, and you can collect tolls for traveling to and from business travel with great fanfare.

Chen's business is to cook salt, and he also has a lot of land in his hands.In the past, there were often tax evasion incidents, and I couldn't help but investigate them carefully.

What's more terrible is that the Chen family is only regarded as the last of the gentry, relying on the Wu surname to become a powerful man.According to the regulations of the imperial court, both the number of fields and the number of tenants and shade households have far exceeded the number.

Huan Rong bears the title of title and has the government army as a sword and shield. Who dares to forcibly disobey?

As soon as the acres of land are measured and the household registration is checked, every powerful person in the county will be torn open for bloodletting, and the number of tenants and households in their hands will drop by [-]%.

Chen Xing would be able to think of a way to do it secretly.In exchange for a frontal confrontation, let alone being able to bear it, if the charge of "rebellion" is suppressed, the whole family will suffer.

Huan Rong's own father was the biggest rebel leader in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, but whoever let him be a powerful minister with a heavy army in his hands, the court would look at his face?

All the powers in Yandu County combined are not enough to kill Sima Huan with a single blow.Huan Rong held up the sign that read "My father is Huan Wen", and walked sideways even if he didn't want to.

Chen and others are in a difficult situation, just like a smug lightweight boxer, only to find out that the opponent is a super heavyweight when he enters the ring, and at the same time he is also a referee!

unfair?

Huan Rong spread his hands, where can there be justice in a troubled world.Whoever has the bigger fist is right, and it will remain the same after thousands of years.

The government army and guards were busy posting notices to advertise to the county residents, and at the same time paying attention to the "unsettled" factors in the crowd, ready to arrest people at any time.

Passing by the gate of the Chen family, Shi Shao deliberately slowed down and coughed twice.

The health servant immediately stepped forward, brushed it a few times, and pasted two notices on the wall.One left and one right symmetrically distributed, next to the door frame, it can be said to be quite beautiful.

Looking up at the plaque on the door, Shi Shao sneered again and again, with hatred in his eyes.

He has already found out that it was the Chen family who robbed his family and killed his brother that day.The Fujun intends to eradicate the powerful, and it is time to take the strongest one.

"continue."

After the notice was posted, the government army struck the shield to open the way.The crowd immediately separated to the two sides, not daring to obstruct them in the slightest.

In the courtyard, Chen Huan was firmly suppressed by the health servant, unable to move a single step.

"Father!"

Chen Xing shook his head, not allowing his servant to let go, looking down at the chaotic chessboard with a gloomy expression.

In the county government office, Huan Rong put down his pen and stretched his waist vigorously.

I have never been involved in politics in my previous life, so I have to learn from scratch in this life.Fortunately, with Shi Shao's help, he would not be in a hurry.But for future consideration, it is always necessary to recruit a few more talents to share Shi Shao's pressure.

But where should one look?

"Difficult."

Huan Rong stood up and walked outside the door. The sun was a little dazzling, and he subconsciously raised his hand to cover it.

Jiankang can't be counted on for the time being, and my aunt doesn't even think about it.Jingkou... The alliance between himself and Xi Tingshi is still a little fragile, so don't dig the wall at will, what if it collapses.

Thinking of Shi Shao's origin, a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in his mind.

Should I go to the refugees and look for it, maybe I can pick it up again?

The little boy came with a lacquer box in his hand, and seeing Huan Rong standing in a daze on the porch, with a strange expression on his face, he had to remind him: "Your Majesty, since Shisheren posted a notice to the east of the city, more than 20 people have knelt in front of the mansion." , each carrying thorns, claiming to plead guilty to the Lord."

"Only more than 20?" Huan Rong woke up from the fugue state, not very satisfied.

The little boy blinked, put down the lacquer box, and took out the freshly delivered peaches, each of which was the size of a fist, blue with white, and the tip of the peach was red.The peach body has just been washed, with crystal drops of water hanging on it.Before biting it open, the peach fragrance enters the nose, making people salivate.

"Lang Jun, this is a peach from Kuaiji. Your Highness has someone send it from Jiankang."

Huan Rong was attracted by the peach fragrance, and his stomach started growling again.Only then did I realize that I got up early and was busy, except for breakfast, Sanzi Mahua was useless.

The little boy wiped off the water droplets on the peaches, Huan Rong lifted the hem of his robe, sat down directly on the porch, and started eating the peaches wholeheartedly, the officials and casual officials kneeling outside the door had long been forgotten.

It is necessary to show sincerity to plead guilty, and it should not be a problem to kneel for a while.