Fate with you

The lotus garden is located on the banks of the Xizi River. Every summer when the wind blows, you can see the fields of lotus leaves, which are enchanting.The breeze is coming slowly, and the fragrance of lotus is tangy, as intoxicating as fine wine.It often makes tourists linger and forget to return.

At this time, the best season for appreciating lotus has passed, and there are only dead branches and rotten leaves left on the lake, which looks quite desolate.

Liu Huimin, the Patriarch of the Liu Family, walked to the window, glanced outside, and complained, "Why did you choose such a place? Not to mention the wind leaking everywhere, even the flowers failed to bloom, which is very disappointing!"

Hearing what he said, Zhao Cheng, the Patriarch of the Zhao Family, closed his eyes, while Huang Yongji, the Patriarch of the Huang Family, just smiled and said nothing.Liu Huimin's expression was serious and his face was sullen, but Lin Tan, the head of the Lin family, took it seriously and nodded repeatedly: "That's right."

Hearing this, Liu Huimin's expression turned pale, and he was about to echo a few more words, when Lin Tan smiled and said, "It's just that today is different, even if Brother Liu is wronged, he can only bear with it."

The place for the banquet was agreed upon by the four of them together, and the place is rather withered, but they did not come here to show the Fujun their wealth, wealth and splendor. Asylum one or two.

Of course, Liu Huimin knew these calculations, but he was always a good-looking person who liked to show off, so he didn't know what to think in his heart, but he must fight for the first place in his words.

"The arm is so twisted that it can go beyond the thigh? The person here is a lord appointed by the Holy One. I don't think the Fujun may be willing to help." Liu Huimin said angrily.

Lin Tan calmly said, "So what about the appointment from the Holy One? A strong dragon does not overwhelm a snake."

Liu Huimin sneered: "What kind of local snake is she..."

Zhao Cheng, who had been keeping his eyes closed for a while, suddenly opened his eyes and interrupted coldly: "She's not, we are. Cut the nonsense, we're here, and we'll do as agreed." After a pause, he bit out In a few words: "Don't make extravagance."

The warning was clearly aimed at him.Liu Huimin snorted coldly and stopped talking.Seeing this, Lin Tan smiled and waved an ivory folding fan leisurely.

No matter how the four prefectures compete for profit on weekdays, at this juncture, they are standing on the same boat.Seeing that Liu Huimin stopped yelling, Zhao Cheng turned his head, looked at Huang Yongji and said, "Brother Huang."

Huang Yongji was talking to his seventh son Huang Kuang in a low voice. Hearing this, he turned his head and saw Zhao Chengjiong's bright eyes. He smiled gently and nodded slightly.

Zhao Cheng has been dealing with Huang Yongji for the longest time, and he has long known his personality. He seems to be gentle and elegant, but in fact he is full of tricks.Seeing his usual steady smile now, Zhao Cheng calmed down a little and began to think about other things.

There is not much news from Beijing, but because there is not much, the situation is even more serious!It's a pity that the county magistrate has not been in office for a long time, and he still can't figure out his temperament.What is certain is that the sheriff is from the Zhengshitang, he must be a close minister of the emperor, and it must be difficult to win him over. However, he also found out that the sheriff's parents are absent, all six relatives are dead, and he is alone.Compared with the officials who are constrained by their families and dare not change their positions, she is much easier to win over, and the money is touching. The most important thing for salt merchants is gold and silver!

It was getting dark, and the sheriff who had promised to go to the banquet was still nowhere to be seen.

Liu Huimin couldn't sit still, stood up anxiously and walked around twice, then stretched his neck and looked outside the door, but there was no movement.The capital's side has shown signs of hopelessness. Apart from the salt administration of the two states, Wan Musheng, who is in charge of the military administration of a county, is very important.

"Didn't you fool us?" Liu Huimin grumbled.

The remaining three people all looked serious, and it was impossible to deliberately coax them. If the sheriff broke the appointment, they could only change their minds temporarily. If so, it would be a big trouble.

Huang Yongji and Huang Kuang looked at each other, and they both saw the darkness in each other's eyes.

At this moment, a clear female voice could be heard outside, entering through the door.

"The four patriarchs hosted a banquet, how could I not come?"

These few words are like sounds of nature to everyone's ears.The group of people suddenly felt a little relieved, but in an instant, they all restored their previous image in front of people.

Zhao became the leader, and several people stood up to greet him.

Mu Sheng walked in with a subordinate in a relaxed suit, and when he saw someone, he folded his hands and confessed: "I'm really sorry, but I heard that some unscrupulous people violated the order to go to sea early in the morning, so I had to go and check it myself , it's too late, I hope you will forgive me."

At this juncture, who cares about her being late?Liu Huimin said with a smile: "It's my honor to be able to come. How can you forgive or not forgive such foreign words?"

"That's right, the government is diligent, and everything is done by myself. It's really a blessing for me in Lin'an, please come to the table quickly, and we will offer you a cup on behalf of the people of Lin'an." Zhao Cheng made a gesture of invitation without losing the opportunity.

Mu Sheng did not refuse, and brought Bo Lin to the table with a smile.What the angel announced yesterday was a secret edict, so no one knew about it, and it was imperative for her to inform the official camp, so she was ordered to fully cooperate with the old highness and Cui Yunji's secret edict, so she would know how to act.

Seeing her calm demeanor, Liu Huimin immediately felt at ease.The sheriff could more or less hear the news they could get, but not only did she come, she was still so calm, which showed that there was room for negotiation.

Liu Huimin glanced at Lin Tan. Lin Tan was already seated. Seeing him looking over, he raised his eyebrows.

As Zhao Chengru said just now, he toasted each other.

Mu Sheng laughed and said, "I can't hold a lot of alcohol, I won't know anything after drinking a cup of yellow soup. Let him drink it instead." After finishing speaking, she raised her hand to signal Bo Lin.

Zhao Cheng and Huang Yongji remained calm and toasted Bo Lin as they said.Liu Huimin was a little annoyed, but if he really got the Fujun drunk, it would be difficult to say what happened next.Lin Tan was thoughtful, then smiled, and made a special toast to Bo Lin himself.

These four people are different.

After drinking for three rounds, Huang Yongji introduced his son next to him: "This is Huang Kuang, a little dog. He was lucky enough to win a Juren, so he was bestowed with the word Fengzhi by Mr. Hu."

Huang Kuang immediately saluted according to his father's words: "Fengzhi has met Fujun." They had met once before, but now Huang Kuang pretended to be meeting him for the first time, "It is time to meet Fujun, but I just heard that Ben The county's affairs are constant, and the governor is wise, benevolent and caring for the people, so he dare not come to disturb easily."

Mu Sheng sized him up with a smile. She met him in a hurry earlier, and her first impression was that he was a young and accomplished talent. Now, it seems that he is not the only one. She thought about the situation of his family for a moment, and then thought about it again. The meaning of Huang Yongji's coming with his son this time, Mu Sheng showed a little intimacy: "Feng Zhi is a well-known talent in Zhejiang Province. He will become a great talent in the future. If you have time, you may as well come to the house to sit. Although I am not from the imperial examination, Finally, I have read a lot of Jinshi articles."

Huang Yongji hurriedly said: "It's really a little dog's luck to be able to get the guidance of the Fujun."

Among the four mansions, Zhao Cheng was born as a hard worker on the wharf, and later fell into the grass. After accumulating a large amount of family wealth, he was involved in salt affairs and washed his fortune.Lin Tan is something handed down by his ancestors. He was originally a cloth merchant, with enough clothes and food, and a small rich family. Later, he got on that road, sold salt, and became a well-known big salt merchant. .As for Huang Yongji and Liu Huimin, they both have family backgrounds. The fathers of the two families were salt merchants. The elder brothers who were in the front of the battle also drove my father away from the position of Patriarch.

Mu Sheng had known the rich and prominent families in Lin'an City for a long time. After talking with Huang Yongji, Zhao Cheng said apologetically: "I thought that the lotus garden would be near the lake, and the green lotus in the pond would be full of fragrance. It can be refreshing, and it can also relieve the fatigue of the ruler who has written all over the day, I don’t want to, I forgot that the summer is over, and there is only a pool full of withering, I didn’t think about it.”

Mu Sheng didn't care much and said: "What's the matter, summer has the shimmering scenery of summer, and autumn also has the sassy aura of autumn."

Liu Huimin hurriedly replied after hearing the words: "Exactly, besides, there will still be spring and summer in the coming year, but there will always be grand occasions as before."

Lin Tan couldn't help frowning, and went to look at the Fujun, and sure enough, the Fujun's expression was also stagnant.

They didn't want to show their sharpness so soon, but Liu Huimin impatiently brought it out in his words, and he couldn't hide it no matter how hard he covered it up.Lin Tan scolded in his heart that Zhuzi was not enough and scheming, so he wanted to act with winks at Zhao Cheng.

Zhao Cheng is the one with the longest seniority among them, and the Zhao family is more important in Yandao than the other three families, so naturally he will be the leader this time.

It's impossible to think about it slowly.Zhao Cheng didn't lose his mind, and cut straight to the point: "This time, I would like to ask the Lord, not only to thank the Lord for his love for the people of Lin'an, but also to ask the Lord to show mercy and help us when we are in a difficult situation."

Speak up.Everyone stared at Mu Sheng intently.

Mu Sheng was surprised and said: "Why did Patriarch Zhao say such a thing? The four families have great achievements and prosperous descendants. Even if there are occasional difficulties, they will always be in trouble. Why do you ask me for help?"

She doesn't pick up on it.

Liu Huimin frowned, and was about to speak again, when Lin Tan pulled off his sleeves. He turned his head in dissatisfaction, and saw the word "shut up" clearly written in the eyes of the patriarch of the uncle generation.

"Family, business, and greatness are really unworthy of the four characters. We only have a small family property and no worries about food and clothing." Huang Yongji sighed, "The government is busy with affairs, and I don't know anything. There are rumors in Beijing that the official business will It has been implemented. This matter was once caused by the late emperor, but it was finally settled, and the late emperor never brought it up again, which shows that it is not a good thing. Today, the ancestors inherit the blood of the late emperor, and the late emperor is the main one."

The implication is that this time, no matter how aggressive the attack is, it will be nothing in the end.

Mu Sheng just smiled and said nothing, it seems that they still don't know that she also advocated the official business back then.

Seeing that she didn't answer, Lin Tan thought for a while, and asked tentatively: "The Fujun came from the capital, do you have any news to give me?"

Very cautious and discerning.Mu Sheng looked at him, thought for a moment, and said: "When I left Beijing, I was only a fifth-rank member of the government. Although I was lucky enough to see the holy face, after all, I am a soft-spoken person. There is only one thing. The determination of the Holy One is stronger than that of the late emperor."

Everyone was silent.

After a while, Liu Huimin couldn't see that his morale was low, so he said contemptuously: "So what if you are more determined than the late emperor? After all, your majesty is young, so how can you compare with the late emperor who ruled the world and said nothing differently. What can your majesty do that the late emperor never mentioned again in his later years?"

Mu Sheng glanced over, his eyes brightened, he sneered, and said: "How about your majesty, is it something you can discuss with ordinary people? A newcomer is not as prosperous as you are in Lin'an. What you are looking for, I am afraid it is helping you. I'm not busy anymore, so farewell!"

Seeing that the sheriff was about to leave in anger, the five of them finally panicked.Liu Huimin also regretted that he had spoken too clearly.

Seeing this, Mu Sheng sighed helplessly: "It's not that the official is unwilling to help, but the fact is that if the king does not keep secrets, he will make his ministers, and if the ministers do not keep secrets, they will lose themselves, and if they do not keep secrets, they will cause harm. Reckless and impulsive is of course Gaining a mood for a while, but it is of no benefit to the big things.”

What he said made Liu Huimin's face flushed.

After Mu Sheng finished speaking, she shook her head and left without waiting for any further persuasion from the crowd.

The remaining five people looked at each other in blank dismay, not knowing what to do.

In the end, Zhao Cheng walked away without saying a word.Huang Yongji and his son bid farewell to Lin Tan and Liu Huimin, and got into their own carriage.Lin Tanli didn't even want to talk to Liu Huimin, he was the one who said it well, he was talking nonsense, the Liu family's second child was several times stronger than him, it's a pity that he was born three years later.

As soon as Lin Tan walked out of the lotus garden, he saw the Zhao family's carriage parked in the shadow in front of him, and with a thought, he hurried forward.

Mu Sheng hadn't even touched a drop of wine, and when he got off the carriage, his expression was very clear.

Bo Lin followed her all the time, seeing that the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, obviously she was in a good mood, so he thought about it and asked, "I didn't get anything done this time, the Fujun just made a futile trip."

"Where did you run in vain? Isn't the position of each family clear?"

Bo Lin thought about it for a while, and seemed to have touched some lifeblood, but it was still not clear: "What does the Fu Jun mean?"

"The mountains and rivers are full of tears and clothes, how long will the wealth and glory last? It's not only on the Fen River today, but the geese fly every autumn." Mu Sheng chanted softly, seeing Bo Lin's eyebrows slightly stretched, Fang said: "If Mr. Huang Qi came to the door, I would like to entertain you. "

Bo Lin didn't ask any more questions, but respectfully agreed.

Apart from this incident, what surprised Mu Sheng even more was another major event that would benefit all generations.Just now at the banquet, it was not easy to show it, but now when she returned to her study, she couldn't help being elated, took out a blank playbook, and wrote with a pen.

When her memorandum was sent to the imperial court, Meng Xiuyi immediately pushed aside other matters and started to unfold it impatiently.

"Min Musheng, governor of Lin'an County, would like to pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor..." Meng Xiuyi read it word by word, and after reading it, he was already overjoyed, and said happily, "Great kindness!" Turning to ask Mai Rongen: "Qi Uncle Wang, have they left Beijing?"

"Return to Your Majesty, His Majesty and the others left this morning." After a pause, Mai Rongen said again, "At this time, send someone to chase them, and they can still catch up."

Meng Xiuyi shook his head: "No need." Just wait for her to write a letter.

After finishing speaking, she lowered her head again, and read the memorial carefully word by word, and the sudden joy passed, followed by endless disappointment.

In the memorandum, Mu Sheng accidentally learned of a salt drying method that is more convenient than boiling salt. Changing to this method can produce more salt and lower the price of salt. A happy event for Qianqiu!Such a grand event, which is beneficial to both the country and the people, happened under her rule, so she couldn't help being overjoyed.

Meng Xiuyi took up a pen to criticize Zhu: "Understood, you can decide according to the situation."

The characters written by Zhu are vigorous and powerful.After the handwriting was completely dry, Meng Xiuyi closed the notebook.Once this matter is reported to the world, Mu Sheng will be a great achievement, and such a contribution will also be recorded in the history books.

What good can I give her then?what would she wantWhat should I give her so that I can give it to her heart?

Meng Xiuyi couldn't help thinking deeply.