turmoil

In the blink of an eye, it is March, and the warm wind drives away the severe cold, and the weeping willows on the moat are showing new green.

On the day of the prince's wedding, the city was filled with lights and festoons.Zhang Jingche was injured and his status was embarrassing, so he didn't go to join in the fun, but just stayed in the dorm for a drink under the pretext of recovering from his injury.

What he didn't expect was that Dingbianhou, who loves the most excitement, didn't go to the palace to watch the ceremony. The reason was exactly the same as his - the old wound was not healed.

This man surnamed Yang didn't know what to think, he ignored the beautiful and beautiful family members who were drunk in the red building, but he found Zhang Jingche, seeing him huddled in the room alone drinking, Yang Fan picked up a cup without thinking of himself as an outsider, and rushed He stretched out his hand: "Give it to Benhou Man."

Zhang Jingche thought, "Who are you?" He pointed at the door without looking back: "Go slowly, I won't see you off."

Yang Fan looked at this man's gloomy expression, and knew that he was not moaning without illness, but was really full of aggrieved and had nowhere to vent.

"The rich and powerful in this capital are like a cloud. How many people have racked their brains to cling to the royal family, but they still have no way out. It's good for him to push out the wealth and honor that came to him," Dingbianhou thought with great interest, "It should be said that he has no one in his eyes, or he is so stupid. gone?"

He became interested for a while, lifted his clothes and sat down: "The prince is a dragon and a phoenix among people. Marrying into the East Palace is a blessing that no daughter of a wealthy family can ask for, and now it falls on you... the female officer next to the empress." On the head, it's too late to burn incense and worship Buddha, why does it seem like you have been wronged by the sky?"

Zhang Jingche chuckled lightly: "Do you want this blessing for you?"

Yang Fan was choked by him, he couldn't recover, and after a while he whispered: "I'm not a girl..."

Regardless of his back injury, Zhang Jingche raised his neck and drank the contents of the cup in one gulp. Yang Fan frowned at the posture of drinking like pouring water, "You are almost ready, have you forgotten how you got this life back? What if you lose it?" , didn’t the money I spent before go to waste?”

Zhang Jingche tilted his head and looked at him sideways: "Marquis Dingbian was born in a noble family, and his family is rich and successful, why are you reluctant to part with these few taels of silver?"

He was born very well, his side face was as straight as suet jade and flawless, at this time he drank wine, the corners of his eyes were flushed, dipped in a little bit of water, like crabapple flowers soaked in water.

Yang Fan suddenly didn't dare to look at him anymore, coughed dryly, and slightly turned his head away.

"You don't know? Benhou is one of the most wealthy and prodigal sons in the capital. Even if there are mountains of gold and silver in the family, he can't help but toss about like running water. Can you save money?" Zhang Jingche didn't move, Yang Fan simply grabbed the jug and poured it for himself I drank a glass, "...I said, the girl you stole that night is really your own sister?"

What happened that night was tacit understanding between them, and they never mentioned it again.Zhang Jingche only thought that this article had already been exposed, but Yang Fan would suddenly mention it at this moment. Zhang Jingche didn't want to mention it, but he was afraid that this rich dude would make a fuss and everyone would know about it, so he could only make a vague "hmm".

Yang Fan became more and more curious: "Why didn't I hear you mention it before? Your own sister married into the East Palace, and you and the prince... are also considered to be relatives in a roundabout way. Many people can't ask for it in their dreams. Why are you still drinking?"

Zhang Jingche said coldly: "Ms. Zhang has hands and feet, so she can support herself. She doesn't need to sell girls for glory! I don't ask her to marry into the heavenly family and enjoy all the glory. As long as she can find a man who treats her well, Live a simple and prosperous life, and pass your life in peace and stability, and you will be satisfied."

These words were a little shallow, and Zhang Jingche shouldn't have said them, but he was depressed for too long, and he was a little drunk, so he spit it out without hesitation.Hearing this, Yang Fan admired his insight. After thinking for a while, he advised carefully: "You don't need to worry too much. Although the rules in the palace are strict, you should be well-clothed and well-fed anyway. Besides, the prince's character is precious. He is also considered a rare lover, since he married your sister, he must treat her well."

Zhang Jingche smirked slightly: "What's the best way? Keep her in the palace, give her food and drink, and go to see her when she's in a good mood. When she's in a bad mood, she doesn't see anyone for several months. She completely forgot that there was such a person. Is that what Lord Hou calls good? How is this different from raising kittens and puppies!"

In fact, these words are quite suspected of being rude, and they actually included all the empresses in the harem into the category of "beasts". However, Yang Fan savored the taste of his words carefully, and he couldn't find a reason to refute.

In the end, the Marquis of Dingbian seemed eager to get back the place, and he muttered in a low voice with a little resentment: "The wind can't blow through, the rain can't hit... It's better than us working hard in northern Xinjiang, eating the wind and drinking the dew?"

Zhang Jingche turned his head to look at him, and saw that despite the forbearance of the young Lord Hou, there was still an eagerness to emerge from the corners of his eyes and brows.

Zhang Jingche knew that he and Yang Fan were not the same after all.

"No matter how strong the wind and snow in northern Xinjiang is, this life is my own after all. Even if surrounded by wolves, I can fight my way out of the desperate situation!" Zhang Jingche leaned on the cushion and thought casually, "Gong It looks magnificent and beautiful, but it is a place where individuals can eat people. Everyone's wealth and life are tied to one person. If you want to live, you have to calculate endlessly... To be honest, it can't compare with the sky high and the sea in the north. , Indulge in pleasure?"

He drank the contents of the cup in one gulp, unwilling to get entangled in this topic: "Master Hou came here uninvited, he didn't just ask for a glass of wine, did he?"

Yang Fan rubbed his nose, and looked back before speaking.

Zhang Jingche understood, and said in a low voice: "Master Hou, please rest assured, I am the only one living in this courtyard, and You Yun guards the door, so you can speak with confidence."

Yang Fan then said: "Recently there is no rumor about Uncle Zhongyong in Beijing, but there is another rumor spreading around... Well, have you heard about it?"

Zhang Jingche remained calm: "Master Hou is referring to..."

"At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Household Affairs informed Guo Chen of the matter, saying that last year the land in the south of the Yangtze River suffered a snowstorm that had not been seen in a century, and the people suffered from hunger and cold and were displaced. I'm afraid it will trigger a rare spring flood, when floods will occur frequently, destroying fertile land, and many people will die."

Yang Fan called himself a "rich and idle man", and he hadn't shown his face in the court since he returned to Beijing, but he talked about these things like a treasure: "Master Guo is sincere and loyal to the country and the people. He was not taken seriously by the Holy Majesty, but he was reprimanded for scaremongering, suspected of causing trouble for the court, and threw him into the imperial prison... Calculate the time, that is, the two days when you and I return to Beijing."

Zhang Jingche smiled: "So what?"

Yang Fan looked at him fixedly: "Since it fell into the hands of Jin Yiwei, this matter should have been covered to death, but now it is spreading in the capital... You really don't know?"

Zhang Jingche said meaningfully: "How do you know? What if you don't know?"

He was calm and calm, and he didn't take this fatal rumor to heart at all. Yang Fan saw it in his eyes, so why didn't he understand?For a moment, he didn't know which nerve was wrong, and he became anxious like "the emperor is not in a hurry to kill the eunuch": "Are you crazy? Why is it at this time... If it is known by others, it is not a matter of punishment!"

Zhang Jingche heard that he was really angry, and couldn't help but turned around in surprise, looked carefully, and discerned unmistakable concerns and worries from his face.

"He's worried about me?" Zhang Jingche thought incredulously, "How is it possible?"

Zhang Jingche knew that Marquis Dingbian looked down on him - Yang Fan was born in the Marquis's mansion, he was a nobleman for generations, his ancestors were even related to the royal family, so no matter what, he didn't need to pay attention to a mere white dress.

What's more, this "white clothes" is still a soft and charming thing in his eyes, and it has always been the object of verbal criticism by scholar-bureaucrats.

For some reason, Zhang Jingche suddenly remembered the night when he was tortured with a stick. When he was burning in a daze, there was a vague person chattering beside him. Dian climbed back to Yangshi.

At first, Zhang Jingche thought he was in a coma, but when he thought about it now, the voice vaguely overlapped with Yang Fan's.

I saw that the uninvited Marquis Dingbian became more and more angry, and almost yelled: "You are stupid, your heart has more than nine holes, it is almost poked into a hornet's nest! You are smart, and you always do these things. Fate... Do you know why Guo Jizhong was thrown into prison? Do you know whose territory Jiangnan is?"

Zhang Jingche looked at the angry young man in a daze for a moment, and sighed slightly: "Governor Li Wenbin of Jiangnan, when the Huainan fiefdom was not withdrawn, he was the magistrate of Jiangsu, and he was appreciated by Huainan King Liu An. After the Huainan fiefdom was taken back by the court, this man saw the wind and turned , Opened up the relationship between Beijing and China, relying on the protection of nobles, and continued to skyrocket - if the information in my hand is true, the backer behind this person is King Ping!"

Yang Fan suppressed his anger: "Knowing that you still..."

Zhang Jingche interrupted him immediately: "I understand what Lord Hou meant... In the case of collaborating with the enemy, I offended King Ping thoroughly, and this account has been recorded. If there is another twists and turns, once Jin Yiwei finds out the clues, not to mention King Ping, it is No one will spare me now."

Yang Fan frowned: "Your heart is like a mirror, why did you go on that dead road?"

Zhang Jingche raised his head, his eyes were as deep as a cold pool, and he couldn't see the end with Ding Bianhou's eyesight: "Of course a humble job can stay out of the matter and protect oneself wisely. But Lord Hou, if it is true as Master Guo said, the people in the south of the Yangtze River will be displaced in the future, and the people will have no means of living... Who will bear the burden of this crime?"

Yang Fan was slightly startled, but couldn't answer.

Rumors were raging in the middle of the capital, and of course Jin Yiwei would not ignore them, but just in time for the prince's wedding, no one dared to touch the bad luck of Emperor Taiping and the East Palace.

Lu Xiang knew very well that if the rumors spread so fast, someone must be behind the scenes.He originally wanted to find out the ins and outs in the future, and then submit it to Emperor Taiping's desk together, but who knows that Chaozhong Qingliu has already heard the wind and moved before he can follow the vine.

At the Great Court Conference on March [-]th, officials headed by the left and right censors of the Overwatch Council went to the shuffle one after another to impeach the governor of Jiangnan for corruption and perversion of the law, and to have a vegetarian meal on the corpse, regardless of the safety of the people.Xu Jing, the imperial censor of the Zuo capital, said convincingly: "The south of the Yangtze River is full of floods and diseases, and if things go on like this, the foundation of the country will surely be shaken!

Emperor Taiping had read Guo Chen's excerpts, and ordered Jiangnan to inspect the censor to approve the disaster situation.Maybe it was because King Ping's faction really had all-hands-on-eyes, or maybe it was because the inspector censor had long been collaborating with the governor of Jiangnan. Anyway, when the catastrophic disaster was sent to the old emperor's desk, it became a "mob riot, exaggerated."

Who would have thought that the disaster would get worse and worse. With the outbreak of local tyranny and selling officials and nobles, it finally alarmed the Palace of Qinzheng far away in the capital.

"What's going on!" Emperor Taiping threw Xu Jing's memorial on the ground, blushing with anger, "Didn't the inspectors in the south of the Yangtze River say that this matter is purely nonsense? Why is it getting bigger and bigger, and there is an epidemic?" Is it? Who is deceiving the king!"

This memorial was impartial, and it happened to hit Lu Xiang, the Commander of Jinyiwei who was kneeling under the desk. Half of his face hurt, but he didn't dare to touch it. He just kowtowed desperately: "Your Majesty, calm down, Your Majesty, calm down!"

The incident in Jiangnan was too big, and the six important officials, including the crown prince and King Heping, all arrived. Seeing that Commander Lu pleaded guilty again and again, Liu Yanzhao gave a wink, and immediately an important minister stood up and pleaded for Commander Lu: "Your Majesty, calm down, Commander Lu did fail to observe, but the Jiangnan incident is not trivial, and the truth needs to be found out as soon as possible, in my opinion, it is better to ask Commander Lu to take the blame and perform meritorious service, and give the people an explanation."

This "important minister" is none other than Jian Sihui, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, the new father-in-law of the crown prince.He would stand up and speak, and anyone with a discerning eye could tell that he must have been instructed by the crown prince.

In the prince's view, doing so may be just a matter of fact. After all, Lu Xiang has been in charge of Jinyiwei for many years, and his ability and loyalty cannot be questioned.But this act of pleading unintentionally violated Emperor Taiping's big taboo - as the commander of Jinyiwei, he should obey the emperor's order, when will he climb the thigh of the East Palace?Do you feel that the emperor is old and useless, and you are anxious to find a way out for yourself, or do you see that the prince is full-fledged, and want to take a big gamble and win the merits of the dragon?

The more Emperor Taiping thought about it, the more uneasy he became, and he looked at the prince with a hint of unkindness in his eyes.

At this time, King Ping, who had been left out for many days, suddenly stepped out and bowed to salute: "Father, my son and minister have a performance."

It is said that "one goes down and the other goes up", the old emperor's grown-up sons are only the crown prince and King Ping, and at this moment, seeing the prince is not happy, but looking at King Ping is very pleasing to the eye, and even his tone softened a little: "You say. "

Ping Wangdao: "I believe that Jin Yiwei is responsible for monitoring all officials and patrolling the four regions. If you want to find out this matter, it must be Beizhen Fusi."

Liu Yanzhao frowned slightly, feeling that there was something in his words, and sure enough, he only heard King Ping's voice pause, and continued unhurriedly: "However, Commander Lu has been in the capital for many years and is also busy with official duties, so he can't take care of it even if he has three heads and six arms... ...In my opinion, it would be more effective to have an imperial envoy who is familiar with the situation in the south of the Yangtze River go south to find out the reason, rather than us wandering around like headless chickens."

Liu Yanzhao's heart skipped a beat, he suddenly understood King Ping's plan, and was about to refute, when Emperor Taiping said: "In your opinion, who is the right person to send?"

Prince Ping calmly said: "Jin Yiwei knows that Zhang Jingche is originally from the south of the Yangtze River, and he made great contributions in the First Battle of Northern Xinjiang. He is astute and knows the details. I think this person is the most suitable."

Liu Yanzhao's ominous premonition came true, and hastily made an excuse, trying to dispel the old emperor's thoughts: "Father! Zhang Tongzhi has been in poor health since he came back from northern Xinjiang... If there is an epidemic in Jiangnan, send him to , I'm afraid it's not suitable!"

King Ping had been prepared for a long time, and he retorted calmly: "The prince's words are wrong. In the whole world, is it the land of the king, the shore of the land, and the ministers of the king... Zhang Tongzhi is highly valued by his father, and he should do his best for the court. , How can you shirk the emperor's order because of your poor health? If so, will you not disappoint your father and emperor's family, and also make the people in the south of the Yangtze River feel cold?"

Liu Yanzhao still wanted to dissuade: "Father..."

Emperor Taiping raised his hand, blocked Liu Yanzhao's words, and ordered to the servant next to him: "Decide my order, and Xuan Jinyiwei's colleague Zhang Jingche will see you."

King Ping lowered his head, with a sinister smile in the corner of his eyes.

Jiangnan used to be the fiefdom of Huainan King Liu An, but now it has been taken over by the imperial court, but it has not been fully digested. The forces of all parties are intertwined, and the governor of Jiangnan, Li Wenbin, is even more difficult to deal with. After years of management, he has become a local emperor who dominates one side.

Such a hot potato was pushed into Zhang Jingche's arms by King Ping, the intention was self-evident.

King Ping made up his mind to send Zhang Tongzhi on a road of no return. Unexpectedly, Zhang Jingche was not the only one who came to see him, but two people.