Dingjiangshan

There are many continuous rains in the south of the Yangtze River, and once the valley rain is over, it will continue to rain.

Standing under the eaves, Ning Huaijin stretched out her hand to catch a handful of rainwater from the eaves.The drizzle was intertwined with the waterline under the eaves and fell on his palm, flowing down between his fingers, and hitting the bluestone ground bit by bit.

As April approaches, the climate in the south of the Yangtze River is already very mild. Flowers and grass are blooming all over the ground, and it seems that there is already a trend of summer.

Ning Huaijin stood at the door for a moment, shook off the water on her hands, and turned to look across the path.

After about half a cup of tea, Wei Ji's figure appeared at the end of the path.He was holding a big oil umbrella, the canopy of which was pulled down very low, covering most of his face.

Holding two bags wrapped in oiled paper in his hand, he hurried towards Ning Huaijin with his head down.

Ning Huaijin had already changed into an ordinary, inconspicuous cloth. Seeing him coming back, she turned and went into the house, and took a coir raincoat from the shelf at the door.

"Master." The middle-aged man behind the counter pushed his abacus away and asked, "Are you going to leave now?"

"Yeah." Ning Huaijin nodded and said, "The time is just right now. If you go out of the city for a night's journey, and enter the city with the farmers outside the city in the early hours of the morning, you will be unaware of anyone."

While talking, Wei Ji happened to come over from the door, and the middle-aged man consciously took the oiled paper bag in his hand, walked around the counter and opened it layer by layer, divided the shortbread inside into several parts, and put them in the bag to go.

"Have you agreed with the governor of Pingjiang?" Ning Huaijin asked.

"It's all agreed." Wei Ji took out the prince's jade pendant from his arms, handed it back to Ning Huaijin with both hands, and said: "If someone goes up to visit the prince because of this matter in the future, the prince will only say that he is here in Pingjiang. It’s just for fun.”

Ning Huaijin nodded. He did not go to the official office of Pingjiang Mansion in person. Firstly, it was because he wanted to hide his whereabouts when he came out this time. Second, his status was much higher than that of Pingjiang Mansion Yin. Just add trouble.

Ning Huaijin took the jade pendant and thought about it, but instead of carrying it on her body, she stuffed it into her bag together.

"Young master." The shopkeeper finished packing his luggage for him, and then said a few more words: "The Anqing mansion is the prince's fiefdom after all, so be careful and don't cause any trouble to be caught by others. Beijing doesn't like it." There are many of you, and I will join you when I get the chance, Your Majesty is young, if the clan really makes trouble, it will not end well if he protects you."

"I know." Ning Huaijin patiently agreed: "Don't worry, Uncle Fu... Has the certificate from Uncle Rong arrived?"

There are many feudal lands around Jiangnan, Ning Huaijin was careful when she opened the Huaiyu pawn shop, and put some confidantes in Jiangnan and other places.

The shopkeepers of Pingjiang Mansion and Anqing Mansion are a pair of brothers, who served Ning Huaijin's father at first, but when they got older, Ning Huaijin couldn't bear them to work as errands in the Wang Mansion, so she sent them out to be the shopkeepers. , the profits are self-sufficient, and the losses are made up by the Wangfu, but they are living a good life.

"Here." Uncle Fu agreed, took out two thin identity documents from under the counter, and handed one to Ning Huaijin and Wei Ji.

"It's just that Anqing Mansion is not peaceful recently, young master still has to be careful." Uncle Fu said worriedly: "I heard that Anqing Mansion and Jiujiang Mansion have been in close contact recently, and many merchant ships have been sent to and fro, most of them are covered with linoleum. I don’t know what they are buying or selling.”

Ning Huaijin secretly remembered this matter, nodded seriously, and said, "Got it."

It was getting late outside, Uncle Fu wanted to explain a few more words, but he was afraid of delaying Ning Huaijin's time to hurry, so he could only sigh and urged them to leave quickly.

The sky in Pingjiang Mansion was darker than in the capital city, and it was still bright when Ning Huaijin left the city. He was wearing a coir raincoat and the bamboo hat was pressed down very low.

"Wang——" Wei Ji remembered something as soon as he opened his mouth, and swallowed the title again, and changed it: "Master, let's..."

"Young Master Wang?" Ning Huaijin still had time to tease him: "Who is your name?"

"Young Master!" Wei Ji became furious: "This is serious business——Anqing Mansion is so big, where are you going to start the investigation? Master Jiang has almost checked the farmer's house, and I'm afraid there will be nothing new if we look again. It’s not easy to startle the snake, how can we find Ning Zheng.”

"Didn't you hear Uncle Fu?" Ning Huaijin said, "Ning Zheng is in contact with Jiujiang Mansion."

"King Yong'an wouldn't be so courageous." Wei Ji knew that he was worried that the two fiefdoms would combine to trip Ning Yan, but he shook his head and didn't quite agree: "King Yong'an is already so old. , even if he can live for a few more years, Jiujiang Mansion is enough for him to die in peace, so why bother getting involved with King Changle."

"Being together doesn't mean that there are two hearts. What's more, even if they get mixed up, King Yong'an will always have something to say in the future - it's just that the minister doesn't know, and the fiefdom is managed by others , I have been in Beijing for many years, and I don’t know what happened’ and so on.” Ning Huaijin said: “In the final analysis, although Anqing’s grain production, vegetables and fruits are good, it can’t be self-sufficient after all, and it has to communicate with the outside world. Contacts, whether it is buying and selling grain or business contacts, must be in contact with the outside world—not only Jiujiang, but even Pingjiang has contacts with him."

"The young master—"

"It is precisely because the business relationship is so normal that he will not strictly prevent anyone from investigating." Ning Huaijin said: "It is normal to say that the close relationship with Jiujiang Mansion is normal - because Anqing Mansion is still alive after all. But It’s strange, but it’s not completely suspicious.”

"What's suspicious?" Wei Ji asked.

"The distance between Anqing and Jiujiang is not far, and it can be reached in one day by water. But there is a Yangtze River in the middle, and the grain and crops are similar, so there is only one tea that can be distinguished." Ning Huaijin said: "But tea can It can’t fill several large ships, so what are the two of them that are worth exchanging in this way.”

After listening to Wei Ji, he always felt that although he said that Ning Zongze was innocent, it seemed that he didn't pick him out.

"It might be grain." Wei Ji guessed: "Master Jiang said that the price of grain has been lowered every year, so as long as King Changle sells the grain, won't he be able to earn two shares of money from farmers and merchants?"

It makes sense, Ning Huaijin thought, this is indeed a good way to make money, although the price of grain is not too high, but Anqing can be regarded as a good place for grain production, and the grain grown throughout the year is enough for Ning Zheng Earn a fortune.

But Ning Huaijin still felt that it wasn't enough, Ning Zheng and Ruan Yin both wanted to intervene with Ning Yan, so they wouldn't be satisfied with a little silver.

Money is indeed a good thing. From the royal family to the poor people, there is no one who does not work for real money.

But Ning Zheng would never be satisfied with this.

Ning Huaijin didn't tell Wei Ji just now that King Yong'an really didn't need to get involved with a prince like Ning Zheng who had missed the throne early, but there was one exception - Ning Yan wanted to sit in this seat. Be sure to sit so that no one can take advantage of it.

Ten years have passed, and the people in Beijing have changed one crop after another, but the pattern has not changed much.Without Ning Yan, Ning Zheng would still be the biggest contender for the throne relying on Ruan Yin alone.

Great battles for the world, petty schemes for the country, and the usurpation of the dynasty, some of them are methods that don't cost a single soldier.

Jiang Xuan is an example.

In Luoyun Palace, Jiang Xuan had already put on her veil earlier.She has recently felt that she always takes care of herself according to his preferences without Ning Yan's orders, and from time to time she reveals a little bit of "begging for perfection", which seems to be very sympathetic.

Ning Yan hadn't said a word since entering the door today. When he saw Jiang Xuan who came out to greet him, he was visibly stunned for a moment. It wasn't until Jiang Xuan called him that Ning Yan came back to his senses.

He looked at Jiang Xuan with complicated eyes for a while, Jiang Xuan's fingers hidden in his sleeves were tightened, and he was holding the handkerchief in his hand, his heart was beating very fast.

She probably already guessed that the brightly colored clothes on her body must have something to do with his "sweetheart" back then.But Jiang Xuan had always shown others with a dull and steady color before, and Ning Yan was not a fool, how could she not see such a blunt change from her.

—Whether he will get angry, Jiang Xuan inevitably becomes nervous.

But maybe Ruan Yin really knows Ning Yan very well, or maybe that "sweetheart" is really important to him. In short, Ning Yan just looked at her in silence for a while, then passed her by, taking the first step into the temple.

Jiang Xuan couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, her back was drenched in cold sweat.

Dinner has been set up in the outer hall of the main hall, and several pretty maids are standing around, waiting to serve.Ning Yan was not in high spirits, and sat down on the main seat without any intention of moving his chopsticks.

Jiang Xuan took two deep breaths at the door, walked in and sat beside him, picked up chopsticks and picked up a piece of fish for him.

Linglong came in from the door a few steps behind him, and when she appeared, she was still holding a jug of wine that she got from somewhere.

"Your Majesty." There was only one wine glass in the tray in Linglong's hand: "Here comes the wine."

Ning Yan didn't speak, but tapped on the table with his fingers.

Linglong bent down and put the jug in his hand, and glanced at Jiang Xuan without any trace, and gestured for the wine glass.

Jiang Xuan knew the big maid next to Ning Yan. She had seen her several times in Ruan Yina and knew that she was "one of my own".

She nodded gently, indicating that she understood.

Seeing her response, Linglong put down all the things in her hands, and took away several irrelevant little maids in the house.

Jiang Xuan stood up in person and poured a glass of wine for Ning Yan. Ning Yan didn't know what she was thinking, so she just stared at her for a while, picked up the glass in silence, and drank it all at once.

He drank viciously, as if he was venting his anger instead of drinking.

Jiang Xuan looked at him quietly without dissuading him, letting him drink cup by cup.After drinking for three rounds, seeing that Ning Yan's eyes were already drunk, the eyes that looked at her became painful.

"Your Majesty is not in a good mood today." Jiang Xuan filled the wine for him, and said lightly: "Is there something wrong?"

"...Indeed." Ning Yan's eyes fell on her, long and empty, as if looking at a shadow: "I just feel that the moon in the water and the flower in the mirror are meaningless after all."

"Your Majesty is the emperor, even the water and mirrors in this world belong to His Majesty." Jiang Xuan pointedly said, "If Your Majesty likes it, you can look at it for a lifetime."

Ning Yan was silent for a long time, then rubbed his wine glass, smiled vaguely, and laughed at himself: "...you are right."