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Page 231

After groaning, Shui Rong said in a gentle tone: "Master Zhen, you are welcome. This is not the first time that I and you have met."

The Emperor's several tours to the south were mostly hosted by the Zhen family. When he was young, Shui Rong also accompanied the Emperor on his southern tours. He had met Zhen Yingjia and was regarded as a "familiar" person.

Besides, Zhen Yingjia is Zhen Hua's father. Logically speaking, the person in front of him is also Shuixun's cheap father-in-law. He does not look at the monk's face but the Buddha's face. He only relies on his cousin's warm fragrance and body warmth to accommodate Shuixun's good temper. He should be polite at least. two.

Zhen Yingjia was overjoyed when she heard this, and said with a smile: "I never thought that the prince would still remember me. It is really an honor for me. I wonder if the Supreme Emperor is in good health?"

For the Zhen family, the Supreme Emperor is their foundation. After Emperor Yongkang ascended the throne, the Zhen family was gradually ostracized. The "salt patrol" was taken over by Lin Ruhai, the censor of the salt patrol, and economic affairs such as copper and gold were taken over by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There is only one Tirenyuan left in the Zhen family.

Shui Rong nodded and responded: "The Supreme Emperor cultivates his moral character in the Daming Palace, ignores secular affairs, and enjoys leisurely life every day. The dragon body is very healthy."

For the Supreme Emperor, Shui Rong could feel family affection, so Shui Rong also thought of the Supreme Emperor in his heart and warned the Supreme Emperor not to take the golden elixir. Perhaps he was thinking about feelings when he was old, so he listened to Shui Rong's advice.

It’s just that everyone knows that the body of the elderly cannot be cured by water dissolution. It is false that the dragon body is very healthy, but it can last for several years.

In the face of "outsiders", Shui Rong will naturally not tell the truth.

When Zhen Yingjia heard this, her heart relaxed slightly and she said with a smile: "In that case, I am relieved. I hope that the prince will express his love to the Supreme Emperor. The people in Jiangnan have been waiting for the Supreme Emperor for a long time and are waiting for the Supreme Emperor's southern tour at any time."

After hearing this, Shui Rong couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, and looked at Zhen Yingjia with something strange in his eyes. Hey, good guy, do you know how much money a southern tour costs? This guy can't bring it up. If Emperor Yongkang knows about this, , don’t slap him in the face.

Don't forget, during the Emperor's several tours to the south, your Zhen family still owed a lot of money to the treasury. Before the old debt was settled, new debts came to mind. This meant that your house was in a hurry to be confiscated.

However, Shui Rong can also understand that the Zhen family is currently on the decline. If the Supreme Emperor's southern tour is hosted by the Zhen family again, it will undoubtedly add momentum to the Zhen family.

With a chuckle, Shui Rong said: "We will discuss this matter after I return to the capital. This time I am in Jinling on official business, and I would like to trouble Lord Zhen to help me a little bit more."

When Zhen Yingjia heard the words, she couldn't help but feel proud. On the ground of Jinling, it was indeed difficult to do things without the Zhen family's nod, but Zhen Yingjia was not stupid. The person in front of him was the Prince of Beijing County. He had a distinguished status and was not someone he could show off his prestige to. So, He said modestly: "As long as the prince has given instructions, the subordinates will do their best."

Shui Rong smiled and said nothing when he heard this, and looked at Zhen Yingjia with a bit of amusement in his eyes. He hoped that the Zhen family would do their best, but was this possible?

With the Zhen family's usual strong-willed attitude, it was never so easy to talk to someone.

At this time, Jia Yucun said respectfully: "Your Majesty, it's been a long journey, so let's go to the guest house to settle down first. I've already taken care of everything."

Zhen Yingjia frowned, feeling quite satisfied with Jia Yucun. He was reminiscing with the Prince of Beijing County, so he kept interjecting, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that Jia Yucun's words were reasonable, and he didn't say anything. .

Jia Yucun has always been a person who adapts to the wind, so he noticed Zhen Yingjia's peculiar characteristics, but he didn't care. He climbed up to the Prince's Palace in Beijing. By the end of the year, he would be transferred to the center of the imperial court. He still cared about Zhen Yingjia in Jiangnan. Home?

Moreover, Jia Yucun, the Prince of Beijing County, had a clear conscience about the purpose of his trip to Jinling. In the usual style of the wealthy Jinling family, he would even go to death to offend the Zhen family.

The water melted a little, the waves on the river, the bumps along the way, made people restless, and even their sleep was not stable. I was indeed a little tired, so it was a good thing to take a rest first.

Seeing this, Jia Yucun hurriedly led Shuirong to the guest house. As for the officials, they were also sent away and dispersed, even Zhen Yingjia was no exception.

Feng Ziying had taken over the Guest House, and the palace guards were surrounded inside and outside. They performed their duty as guards. Shui Rong stepped into the Guest House and sat at the front of the flower hall. He took a sip of tea and felt a little relieved.

After glancing at Jia Yucun down the hall, Shui Rong asked, "Jia Fuyin, how are the prices in Jinling?"

Jia Yucun made some arrangements and said in a clear voice: "Back to my lord, the victims of the disaster continue to pour into Jinling. There is not much food left in the granary. It can last for seven days at most. Prices have risen. The current price of food has reached one hundred and forty cents." Grain dealers are selling by measures, so that the supply exceeds demand. If things go on like this, the price of grain will only keep rising. By then, not only the victims of the disaster, but also the people of Jinling will have no food to eat. "

After Shui Rong heard this, it was clear that the victims who had lost their homes could only seek survival everywhere. At this moment, not only Jinling, but also the eight prefectures and continents in the south of the Yangtze River were constantly gathering victims. It was understandable that the number of people was too large, and it would affect the local people.

After groaning, Shui Rong said, "Tomorrow the king will host a banquet for the wealthy Jinling family. Please tell them about it. It's up to you to decide the location."

In Jinling's territory, it is naturally arranged by local snakes, and Shui Xun does not need to intervene.

Jia Yucun understood clearly after hearing this. It was not that there was no food in Jinling, but that the wealthy families controlled the price. The prince of Beijing County came to Jinling for the food in the hands of the wealthy families. Only with food in hand can the plan be implemented. It was reasonable to invite them to a banquet for discussion. As it should be.

After thinking for a moment, Jia Yucun said softly: "Your Majesty, Yilan Garden is a famous elegant place in Jinling. If not having a banquet there, I can also allow Your Majesty to appreciate the characteristics of Jiangnan."

Shui Rong glanced at Jia Yucun, and he knew in his heart that going to Yilanyuan to appreciate the Jiangnan characteristics was nothing more than the world-famous "skinny horse".

When it comes to flattery, Jia Yucun is also very knowledgeable about it. As the saying goes, men understand men, and this is generally the case. One word can hit the point.

However, Shui Rong was not interested at the moment, and said casually: "It will be arranged by Jia Fuyin."

It's nothing more than a place, the key is disaster relief.

Jia Yucun smiled knowingly when he heard this, and responded: "I understand, I will submit a letter to the Zhen family and other Jinling wealthy families."

As a local official, everyone has a private list, which contains the names of the most powerful, extremely wealthy and noble squires in the province. This is the same in all provinces. If you don't know it, and you offend such a family for a while, not only the official title, but also the Even his life could not be saved, so he was nicknamed "Guan Guan Talisman".

When Jia Yucun wrongly convicted the Hulu case, it was not because the Xue family could not afford to offend.

Shui Rong nodded and said, "I am a little tired. Jia Fuyin should go and work on disaster relief."

Jia Yucun heard the words and responded, then respectfully left.

Shui Rong sat on the chair and rubbed his forehead. He was a little tired, but not weak yet. At this moment, he was a little worried about Tanchun and Daiyu. When Shui Rong decided to go to Jinling, Daiyu was also preparing to set off to support Lin Ruhai. The journey back to Suzhou for the coffin was difficult, and even though sergeants were specially arranged to protect it, it still made people feel uneasy.

It's probably because you care so much that you worry about gains and losses, just like a child who goes out to explore and can't stop worrying even though he knows there will be no accidents. This is the so-called "worrying".

Jinling, Zhen family.

After Zhen Yingjia greeted the imperial envoy from the dock, she intended to go to the guest house, but was sent back by the Prince of Beijing County. Zhen Yingjia, who had nothing to do, returned to the mansion.

Walking along the Chaoshou corridor, I met a man in brocade clothes, with a beard under his chin and a somewhat wealthy look. This man was Zhen Yingjia's eldest brother Zhen Tiren.

When Zhen Tiren saw the person coming, he turned his eyes slightly, stepped forward with a smile and said, "You didn't go to the dock to meet the imperial envoy, why are you back now?"

The imperial envoy went to Jinling. The rich families like him had already known about it. Logically speaking, the imperial envoy had just arrived in Jinling, and his second brother should have accompanied him. How could he have returned home now?

Zhen Yingjia looked slightly unnatural, and explained casually: "Your Majesty is a little tired from the bumpy journey. He is resting in the Guest House right now, so I don't want to disturb him."

Zhen Tiren didn't pay much attention when he heard this. After all, the person who came was not only an imperial envoy, but also a county king. Even if the Zhen family was accustomed to being the dominant one in Jinling, they would not be arrogant.

Compared with status, the Beijing County Prince is more noble than them. If you really want to care about it, even if the dragon crosses the river, the local snake will not be able to deal with it.

Thinking of this, Zhen Tiren's eyes flashed with a strange color, and there was a hint of regret in his voice as he said: "Speaking of which, Hua'er was expected to become the Princess of Beijing, but I never expected that something would go wrong."

When Zhen Yingjia heard this, she couldn't help but feel startled. She looked at Zhen Tiren with a dark look in her eyes. This elder brother's words were a bit heartbreaking.

Originally, according to the old concubine's intention, she planned to marry the Zhen family to the Prince of Beijing. Everyone in the Zhen family thought that it was a sure thing. Who would have thought that the Prince of Beijing would not treat her as a princess and would only allow her to marry her? The name of a concubine,

In the Zhen family, or most people's view, Shui Rong's status was a little embarrassing at that time. After he was adopted by the Beijing Prince's Palace, his status plummeted. If he was not suppressed by Emperor Yongkang, he would have burned incense. With the status of their Zhen family The status is enough to match, so from the perspective of the Zhen family, it is equivalent to a humiliation. For the sake of the Zhen family's dignity, they did not agree.

Nowadays, Shui Rong is highly regarded by Emperor Yongkang, and even praised by Emperor Yongkang himself. The gap between the idle prince and the powerful prince is not even a little bit.

How should I put it, the Zhen family now feels a little regretful, but there is nothing they can do about it. If they had known this earlier, even if Hua'er was a concubine, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Pursing her lips, Zhen Yingjia sighed and said, "I guess I don't have such a fate, but Hua'er is now the grandson-in-law of Ning Guo Gongfu, which is not bad at all."

Although the concubine has a jade certificate, she is still not as good as the mistress in the one-third acre of land in the back house, and the effect of the in-laws is greatly reduced.

Zhen Tiren raised his eyes and glanced at Zhen Yingjia, and nodded lightly. She was the grandson-in-law of Duke Ning's mansion, and her status was already high. He had just expressed emotion before.

At this time, the housekeeper came over in a hurry. After bowing, he held a post in his hands and said: "Master, this is a greeting post sent by Yin of Jinling Prefecture. It says that the imperial envoy is inviting the Zhen family to visit." We will have a banquet at Yilan Garden tomorrow.”

Zhen Yingjia took the greeting card and started to read it. She frowned at the content of the greeting card and said, "The greeting card did mention that the prince invited me, but why did the prince not mention it before and instead posted it?"

This post is a formal invitation and does not represent an individual.

Seeing this, the butler respectfully added: "Sir, I heard that the governor of Jinling has given orders to the Jia family, Wang family and other wealthy families."

Zhen Tiren was stunned when he heard this, smiled and said: "Your Majesty is not raising money for the purpose of raising money. I think it is for fundraising matters."

Jinling's wealthy families have already received the news about the water dissolution of Jinling, and they have discussed it privately. Most of them believe that the purpose of the water dissolution is to raise funds for disaster relief.

Zhen Yingjia nodded after hearing this, obviously agreeing with this statement.

After pondering for a while, Zhen Yingjia said softly: "Yangzhou salt merchants donated 500,000 taels, and Jiayu Village also raised 500,000 taels in Jinling. Excluding other prefectures and counties, the remaining difference is only a few hundred thousand taels at most. If the prince has something, Please, maybe we can make friends through this.”

The Zhen family is gradually declining, and the old concubine is getting old. She may not be able to protect the Zhen family for too long. At this time, it is necessary to choose a strong political ally, and the high-profile Beijing Palace is obviously an excellent choice.

I missed the mistake before, but I can still make up for it, especially since the Prince of Beijing is now the son-in-law of the Jia family, and the Zhen family and the Jia family have always been on good terms, so they are still related when they are involved.

Zhen Tiren frowned when he heard this, and there was a feeling of dissatisfaction in his heart. Among the 500,000 taels raised by Jinling, there were merchants of the Zhen family, and they had already donated money. Now they have to fill this hole, which makes people I felt a little unhappy.

However, he also understood Zhen Yingjia's words and did not refute. He thought about it for a moment and nodded: "It's OK to donate, but we can't donate for free. The prince must at least give us some convenience so that we can get back some of our capital. ”

It's okay to donate, but if you catch someone to pick it up, it can't be justified no matter what.

Zhen Yingjia stared at Zhen Tiren, who was full of smiles, and suddenly had a bad feeling in her heart, and asked, "What kind of convenience does brother want?"

Zhen Tiren smiled "haha" and said, "It's nothing. I have sent letters to Duke Ningguo and I plan to jointly sell food in the disaster area. I hope the prince can provide some convenience."

Zhen Yingjia was startled when she heard this, and looked at Zhen Tiren with a look of astonishment. Originally, the Zhen family and the Jia family had been very close to each other, and they were married to the Duke of Ningguo, so the connection became even closer.

I just didn't expect that my eldest brother would quietly start doing business with Ning Guo Gongfu. He probably borrowed the Ning Guo Gong's connections to open up the channels.

After pondering for a while, Zhen Yingjia said: "Brother, please restrain yourself on the food issue and don't cause any trouble."

Zhen Yingjia couldn't stand Zhen Tiren's behavior. After all, the current price of food in Jinling has reached a sky-high price of 140 yuan, let alone the disaster area. I am afraid that rice is as precious as gold, and the people who cannot afford food may It's dangerous to go and cause big trouble.

Zhen Tiren said indifferently: "Eat it if you can afford it. Who can blame those who can't afford it? They are just some untouchables. What do they deserve?"

After saying that, Zhen Tiren saw what Zhen Yingjia wanted to say and said impatiently: "Okay, I know what's going on. Don't worry about it. I'll just do it in private."

Zhen Yingjia looked at Zhen Tiren's resolute attitude and couldn't help but sigh. He knew his eldest brother's temper, and it was difficult to change what he had decided.

Forget it, forget it. I’ll make plans after meeting the prince tomorrow.

Chapter 326 Xiaohong: It was obviously me first

The next day, Shui Rong followed Jia Yu Village into Yilan Garden. The halls were winding and gorgeous, with green curtains, pavilions and gardens, and flowers and trees hidden among the red columns and curved couplets. It was an exquisite and elegant Jiangnan garden style, which made people feel relaxed and happy.

Walk along the eaves of the corridor, enter from the west corner door, lift up the bead curtain strung with pearls and enter Baoxia. You can feel the warmth inside Baoxia. In front of you, you can see a pool three acres wide. The pool is full of lotus flowers, with lotus stamens in them. It exudes bursts of refreshing incense.

Several tables are placed on both sides of the pool, with futons for seating, gold bottles, and delicacies. On a lotus platform in the pool, several fairies in white are dancing gracefully.

It is really like emerging from the mud but not stained, beautiful and moving without being tacky, just like a fairy in a flower.

Seeing this situation, Shui Rong was slightly stunned, ignoring the crowds of people in Baoxia. It was not that he was deceived by the "fairy" on the lotus platform, but that he was surprised by the extravagance of the ancients.

It should be noted that it is not the season when lotus flowers are in full bloom, but due to the limitations of the times, this will cost a lot, but as a prince, he does not know how to enjoy it.

"We have met the prince."

Seeing Shui Rong coming, the wealthy Jinling family, who had been waiting for a long time, stood up to greet him under the leadership of Zhen Yingjia.

Shui Rong nodded and signaled, stepping on the lotus rug embroidered with flowing water and cloud patterns, which symbolized the step by step of growing lotus, and walked towards the platform at the top. He looked around at everyone, waved his hands and said with a smile: "You are welcome, please take a seat."

As Shui Rong sat down, everyone also sat down one by one. After all, Jia Yucun, who was accompanying him, was the governor of Jinling and was nominally the highest administrative official in Jinling. He sat in the first place on the left.

As soon as she sat down, the beaded curtain strung up by Yingluo was opened again, and a beautiful figure came in. She was dressed in purple silk clothes, with a crystal-clear face and a complexion like snow. She held her waist like a willow and grew lotuses step by step. Walking to the audience, Yingying bowed and said, "Liu Qingqing of the slave family has met the prince."

Jia Yucun introduced it at the right time: "Your Majesty, Miss Qingqing is well-read and extremely elegant. Her calligraphy is highly praised by literati. She is known as "the iron fist with the silver hook, which once collected the wonderful traces." This time, I specially invited Miss Qingqing to give Your Majesty, please come and wash away the dust, and take a look at the cultural figures in the south of the Yangtze River."

A good "appreciation" and penetrating words, this is the literary talent of a scholar

Shui Rong stared at the beauty in the audience. She was graceful and pretty, with a light body and a Jiangnan flavor. Now that she is here, it is common for a beautiful woman to bring a cup to her. Is it possible that Shui Rong pours and drinks by herself?

Liu Qingqing came up to the platform and knelt down beside Shui Rong, with a faint fragrance flowing. She was pouring wine from a crescent pot in her slender hands, showing her elegance and elegance in every movement.

After a while of pushing cups and changing cups, and flattering everyone, Shui Rong looked around at everyone. Everyone in Baoxia was from a well-known wealthy family in Jinling, especially Zhen, Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue.