Dingjiangshan

The matter of Dongshou was decided very quickly, even to the point of a little haste.

Ning Huaijin, who was at home, didn't know the reaction of the court, but when he heard the news, he immediately thought that the servant who sent the message was blinded and didn't hear the order clearly.

Then it wasn't until he saw He Wenting who was waiting to see him in the main hall that he realized that he had mistakenly blamed the little attendant who sent the message.

Ning Yan's resolute action seems to be a little misplaced this time. Now that there are many officials returning to Beijing to report on their duties in the rush of the year, there are also some people who need to be dispatched by the official department for investigation. Very trivial.If you go to Dongshou, it will take at least a dozen or 20 days, and when you return to Beijing, you will almost catch up with the New Year's Eve.

"Your Majesty, don't worry." He Wenting had obviously been instructed by Ning Yan to come prepared. Seeing that he was worried, he persuaded him with a smile: "Your Majesty said that this year, the foreign general will return to Beijing, and the winter hunting is just a good time to loosen his muscles and bones." Not to mention, let His Majesty test the abilities of our generals."

When Ning Huaijin heard this, she couldn't say anything wrong.Most of the military generals are straightforward, and they have been guarding the border all year round. There are not many opportunities for Ning Yan to get closer to them.Riding horses and hunting in winter hunting, living in tents in the hunting grounds, drinking and eating meat, did make these generals more happy than feasting and rewarding in Beijing.

"And Your Majesty said that he also ordered some civil servants to accompany him, so he won't lose his temper by playing around." He Wenting slightly elongated his voice, which sounded a bit peaceful.He said unhurriedly: "What's more, the cabinet handles trivial matters that are not in a hurry. Mr. Shu doesn't have any legitimate children of Dongshou who are of the right age in his family, so there is no need to go. It is just right to stay in the cabinet to take care of them."

As soon as Ning Huaijin heard this, she knew that Ning Yan had planned for a long time.Although he didn't know how His Majesty loved to play for the first time, but after thinking about it carefully, Ning Yan was only 16 years old, and it was normal to be a bit willful occasionally.

The time for winter hunting was set by Ning Yan on the third day of the twelfth lunar month. Except for the important ministers like Jing Zhan and Ning Huaijin, all the courtiers in the Jingzhong family who had sons of the right age received the post.In addition, a few clan relatives of suitable age were also called, including Ning Yan's two relatives and brothers, and a group of people was assembled in a mighty manner.

For the royal winter hunting, I went to a royal hunting ground a hundred miles away from the capital. The hunting ground has everything in the mountain forest and covers an area of ​​over a thousand acres. Every month, people from Zhuangzi will put some prey in the hunting ground. I don't take care of it too much, it's no different from the mountains and fields, let alone deer and rabbits, even wolves and bears are said to have a few.

When the first emperor was alive, he often came here to have fun, so although Ning Yan did not come here often during the ten years since he became the throne, it was not deserted, and he still asked people to take care of it on a daily basis.

When Ning Yan said that he was going, it sounded like it was on a whim, but all the noble families in Beijing were ecstatic. They just thought it was a good opportunity for their children to show their face in front of Ning Yan, not to mention those who received the post. Those who have not received it are also beating around the bush, trying to send their children to participate in one or two.

So when it came to the third day of the twelfth lunar month, there were more convoys than expected.

It's just that someone has to worry about the things outside. It's freezing cold, and Ning Yan didn't bother to get out of the car, so he read a book and drank tea alone in the car.

He really wanted to ask Ning Huaijin to get in the car with him, but unfortunately today is not like going out to play in the palace at sunrise, the battle is too big, if he hastily asked Ning Huaijin to get in his car in front of everyone, I am afraid that within half a day, they will be gone. There will be some gossip again.

Ning Yan doesn't care if people say that he is too fond of powerful officials, but he is afraid that someone will point at Ning Huaijin's spine behind his back and say that he has deceived the young emperor.

It's okay to listen to this as gossip, but if you talk too much, it will be annoying. Although Ning Yan doesn't care about these acid words, he is not willing to let others dictate how he and Ning Huaijin get along.After a long time, His Majesty also learned to restrain himself a little.

Because it was a large group of people and horses who set off, the carriages were also moving slowly. They set off at the hour of the morning, and it was estimated that they would not arrive until after noon.

Ning Yan got up from the bed before dawn, now feeling uncomfortable, wrapped in a blanket and leaning on the soft pillow, flipping through the books.

Linglong, who was accompanying in the carriage, was occupying a corner of the carriage with a low eyebrow and was carefully lighting the charcoal with a palm-sized palm-leaf fan.

Ning Yan touched a piece of candied fruit from the small table and stuffed it into his mouth, without carrying Linglong's back, he casually threw the finished memorial to the side, and touched a new one.

These days, he has been in close correspondence with Jiang Xiaohan, and new letters arrive in his hands almost every day.

In fact, Jiang Xiaohan's departure from Beijing this time was not completely innocent. Before he left Beijing, Ning Yan had asked him to secretly investigate foreign fiefs, especially those near the capital.

Mr. Jiang was very familiar with this job, so he readily agreed by taking the opportunity of passing by.

The feudal system of Da Chu roughly followed the previous dynasty, but changed in details.For example, the fief is only granted to the descendants of the direct line—that is, the brothers of the current emperor.If a new emperor comes to power, the previous fiefdom will be taken back automatically, and the old prince in the fiefdom will go to Beijing for "glorious support".

It is said to be honorary support, but in fact it is nothing more than withdrawing the seal, it just sounds nicer.

But in recent generations, some favored princes have gradually gained face, and will also receive some unrevocable grace.Like the younger brother of the first emperor, Ning Yan's uncle is like this.It has been ten years since Chonghua, but although the king of Yongan has been raised in Beijing, the deeds and official documents of Jiujiang Mansion are still in his hands, it is no different from the fact that the title has not been revoked.

In Ning Yan's generation, the heirs of the late emperor withered, and a few of them died at the top. Apart from Ning Zheng, there were still two brothers left in Ning Yanjing. One was of low status and had no sense of existence, and the other was still young. There is no seal yet.

But that's the case, besides Jiujiang Mansion, there is also Ning Zheng's Anqing Mansion, and the two southwest mansions, all of which are divided fiefdoms.

However, it would be fine if the fiefdom is taken back and remanaged every few decades, but if it is held in the hands of a family for many years, it will be easy to hide filth.

Jiang Xiaohan just wandered around the boundaries of Anqing mansion incognito, and then reported several incidents of encroaching on farmland and wantonly raising rent.

Most of these lands were bought at a low price when the farmers couldn't pay the rent in drought years, and they were rented back to the farmers for cultivation.

In Jiang Xiaohan's reply letter to Ning Yan, he calculated an account, saying that if the calculation was done in this way, these landowners would pay [-]% more rent interest every time they came and went.

This is not a big deal, but if it goes on for a long time, the price of grain will become a one-shot deal. The more farmers grow, the poorer they will be. Even if the money is not in the treasury, it will hurt the hearts of the farmers.

Because of this, Jiang Xiaohan stayed in Anqing Mansion for a few more days. He pretended to be a businessman who was looking for food, and went to several famous big villages around him. Then he sorted out the case records and sent them back to the capital every day according to the progress.

Ning Yan has been Jiang Xiaohan's student for ten years, and the master and apprentice have a tacit understanding.The letter Ning Yan is holding now is the latest one. When Jiang Xiaohan sent the letter, he attached the date on the first page, which was exactly three days ago.

The letter said that he had already found out the source of the purchase of the farmers' farmland. It was the steward who came from a village in Ningzheng. The steward held the land title deeds of two or three villages in his hand, and he seemed to be a landlord.

The rice in Anqing is not as good as those in Jiangnan, but the growth of other grains is good. Due to the relationship between the Yangtze River and the ferry, the price of grain has always been very reasonable. In addition, the weather has been good in recent years, and the grain production is also good.

Ning Yan raised his eyebrows when he saw this. Based on his understanding of the teacher, there was still a "but" if the back was not neat.Sure enough, Ning Yan turned over this page and discovered the mystery on the last page.

——" Kechen managed to go to the local county government to secretly check the land accounts, and also checked with the farmers in the village, but found that in the past few years, the land in the slave's hands has been increasing year by year, and it has not been affected by the mild weather. And there was a delay."

The ink on the nib became a little stagnant due to the cold weather, bringing out a little mottled strokes.The man who was scribbling at his desk under the night paused for a while, then refilled the inkstone and retrace the painting just now.

The candle beside him flickered for a moment, and under the shadow, a slender hand stretched out to help him pull the candlestick closer.

"The delivery of these lands has contract documents, and it is in compliance with the law. It is not considered a forced occupation." The man who spoke was a cold-sounding male voice. After moving the candlestick, he sat next to the man at the Eight Immortals table and picked out the wick. , said casually: "Additionally, Tian Tax is also under Ning Zheng's jurisdiction. Even if it is reported to Ning Yan, I'm afraid he won't be able to intervene too much."

"Not necessarily." Jiang Xiaohan dipped some ink again, and said with a smile: "Our little Majesty, looking at his young age, has a lot of thoughts. When he ordered me to secretly seize the fief, his expression looked the same The late emperor was exactly the same back then, with a calculated look."

Yan Qing put the sword in his hand on the table, followed his tone, lowered his voice slightly, and said with a smile: "That's natural, the children taught by Mr. Jiang are naturally smart and full of city. "

Jiang Xiaohan clicked his tongue and said with a smile: "Ah Qing has also learned to tease people now."

The man at the desk said, and passed a soft cloth from his side. Yan Qing just happened to draw his sword out of its sheath, took the soft cloth naturally, and began to wipe the sword.

"The terrain of Anqing Prefecture is different from that of Jiangnan Prefecture, and the types of food produced are also different. Jiangnan has abundant rainfall and a variety of rice. Although Anqing also grows rice, it grows more wheat and fruit trees. It is reasonable that there will be no conflict. "Yan Qing said: "What's more, the weather has been good in recent years, and the grain production has been good. If it is sold at a normal price, there will be no failure to pay the rent."

"But the problem is, it just appeared." Jiang Xiaohan didn't stop writing, and said, "I asked the nearby farms, and the grain prices have been getting lower and lower in recent years. They said that because the year is good, so the output is too much, The price will naturally come down."

"Nonsense." Yan Qing's tone was slightly cold.

"I also think it's nonsense." Jiang Xiaohan finished writing the last stroke, put down the pen, and waited for the ink to dry: "The grain sold in the village, except for a small number of fresh vegetables, which are carried to the town to sell by themselves, the rest Most of them have to be sold to the harvesters. But if the harvesters have bad intentions and a few join forces to lower the price, the farmers have no other choice.”

"So..." Jiang Xiaohan picked up the letter paper and shook it, then folded it and stuffed it into the envelope by the candlelight, and sealed it with melted hot wax, before saying with a smile: "If someone deliberately lowers the price of food, It will be easy to invade the fields.”