Chapter 64 – Snow in Shangjing City
About four thousand miles away from the Kyoto of the Qing Dynasty in the northeast, the more ancient brilliant city of Shangjing, the snow is very strong, goose feather-like snow has sprinkled down, the streets and alleys of Shangjing as if a layer of pure white woolen blanket in general, and those who have a heater on top of the house but the snow does not accumulate, showing the black roof, the two contrasting exceptionally beautiful.
From the city gate will be able to see from afar that built on the mountain of the palace, the palace eaves of the pure black to look deeper than the black eaves of the people’s homes, the mountain snow rock layers of winter trees hanging frost and snow, waterfalls have been gradually weakened into ice streams, stone paths diagonal and clear, winter mountains and the Qing Palace is extremely harmonious blend into a single body.
After the summer past, Beiqi also happened a lot of things, the most shocking nature is the Zhenfusi commanding ambassador adult Shen Chong assassination. That night the long spear strong horse galloped in the street of the male marshal Shangsugi tiger, is now still under house arrest in the house, while the court and the palace attitude is very clear, Shen Chong died immediately after the countless piling charges, the Shen family family broken, only that the Shangjing people are very familiar with the Miss Shen suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Shen Chong’s sudden death, for the Jin Yiwei, is an extremely heavy blow. Originally a bit on the weak side of the Northern Qi secret service organization, by the young emperor cast a dark hand, after losing a quite city leader, it seems even weaker, and even the voice of the Empress Dowager to speak a lot lower.
For several months, all the personnel of the Brocade Guards were a bit scared and panicked, there has been no one to take over this Yamen, do not know how the court will be dealt with. Well the other day the court finally issued an explicit decree, Changning Marquis family son, the Honglu Temple Secretary Wei Hua officially took the position vacated by Shen Chong.
In the past on the Beijing rumors, the Empress Dowager is the intention of Changning Hou as a commanding officer, but was the young emperor resisted, now the decree is written to let Changning Hou’s son to do, not inevitably caused some discussion, I do not know that this pair of daily quarrels mother and son, is not finally reached some kind of tacit understanding and compromise.
Today, Jin Yi Wei re-shake their spirit, took out the ferocity and dominance of the year, began to carry out new tasks.
More than a hundred Jin Yi Guards in brown official uniforms surrounded Xiushui Street, letting the snowflakes drift on their bodies.
Xiushui Street was not simple, the stores on it all had extremely deep backgrounds, especially the seven stores in the center were all imperial merchants of Southern Qing, the two countries were currently in the honeymoon period, logically speaking, the Brocade Guards were in the middle of self-rectification, they should not come to cause trouble.
However, the development of the state of affairs, out of everyone’s expectations, the shopkeepers along the street stood out, rubbing their hands in the snow and wind, nervously watched as the Brocade Guards took away the wine boss surnamed Sheng. This boss surnamed Sheng Minghuairen is one of the leaders of the Southern Qing Inner Treasury in Shangjing.
The glass store’s Yu boss held onto the ancient door panel and said in a trembling voice, “How dare you arrest it?”
The fellow said softly, “It says that a large hoard of goods was found in the southern part of the capital, there were no customs and defense papers, not even tax hops, and the Jinyiwei felt their way along that line to Shangjing, and dug up this Boss Sheng.”
The wind and snow came on his face, around his body, than the glass bottles behind the Yu shopkeeper all seem to be a little more translucent, he had a worried face looking at the gradually withdrawn brocade guards. He is very clear about the inner treasury to the north of the smuggling thing, this is originally the Princess single-handedly do business, just the North Qi side has always acquiesced, enjoying the benefits of the low price, how today but suddenly moved the hand?
Shangjing beautiful palace, the young emperor is curled up in the warm mattress, a hand holding a piece of snacks to the mouth, a hand holding a volume of books, carefully and very attentively looked at.
The new Zhenfu Division Commander Wei Hua carefully looked at him, deliberated for a long time, only to gather the courage to interrupt his majesty’s distraction, and said softly: “Arrested a few people …… However, all along, the Cui family and the Xinyang side helped the court a lot of favors, the face of the face of some can’t get over it, so in accordance with the Empress Dowager’s command, those who have the identity, finally released.”
The young emperor did not look at him, but the corner of his eyebrows wrinkled with some disgust, said, “Women …… people’s benevolence, since it has already turned its face, but also look at what old love?”
He was talking about the empress dowager’s faults here, Wei Hua naturally did not dare to answer. The emperor shook his head, his eyes still resting on the book, continued, “But it doesn’t matter if you arrest someone, how much of the goods …… intercepted down?”
“Quite a lot.” Wei Hua’s eyes flowed out a trace of excitement, “The news was accurate, the southern barbarians and could not imagine that we would break the old rules, caught off guard, ate a lot of losses.”
He suddenly thought of certain things, hesitantly asked, “This matter is a bit absurd, Fan Xian even if he wants to grab the inner treasury with the Southern Qing Princess, there is no reason to send such a large gift to us, with his strength in Southern Qing nowadays, he can completely swallow these goods by himself without letting these goods flow to the north.”
The emperor still didn’t look at him, and said coldly, “To send me a big gift, naturally, I have a request.”
“There’s no problem pinching the time, according to the news from the south, Fan Xian moved before we did, the southerners shouldn’t suspect that I’m teaming up with him to share the spoils, they’ll just think that I’m taking advantage of the fire. Just …… ” he suddenly put down the scroll in his hand heavily, narrowed his eyes and looked at Wei Hua, the warning in his eyes was very clear, said:” this thing, the dynasty close to only five people know, I don’t want to leak the news out because of you. ”
Wei Hua was greatly alarmed and bowed to the ground, swearing a poisonous oath before saying, “Please rest assured, Your Majesty.” Although he was the son of the Marquis of Changning, he was actually a bit closer to the Emperor, and this time he was able to take charge of such a powerful Yamen as the Brocade Guards, he knew that it was an opportunity given to him by the Emperor, and it was up to him to catch it.
“Are the envoys of the Kingdom of Qing still protesting?” The Emperor asked with sudden interest.
Wei Hua nodded and smiled bitterly, “That Lord Lin has been making a fuss in the Honglu Temple every day, calling for justice for the Cui family, saying that the imperial court is acting recklessly by forcibly seizing Cui’s goods and money without investigating, greatly affecting the friendship between the two countries.”
The emperor scolded, “What is the Cui family? It’s the biggest smuggler in Qing! I help the southern barbarians to discipline their subjects, they don’t come to thank me, they come to blame me, these southern barbarians are really guys who don’t know how to be courteous.”
Wei Hua smiled bitterly, thinking that you help foreign countries to discipline their merchants, but the goods and silver in your mouth refuse to spit them out, where does this make sense. When the Cui family’s incident happened, Lin Wen, as the plenipotentiary envoy of the Qing country in Shangjing, did not know the ins and outs of it, so of course he had to fight for his country’s people.
“The most troublesome thing is still that Counselor Wang Qinian.” Wei Hua suddenly said with a headache, “Lord Lin is only making trouble in the Honglu Temple, but this Lord Wang runs to the Taishang Temple every day, demanding to see His Majesty in the palace, saying that Cui is a famous great merchant of Qing, and that as officials of Qing, they must defend the interests of Cui.”
The Emperor was stunned at his words, and in a fit of anger, he laughed out loud, “Interesting, truly interesting. Fan Xian is not only interesting himself, even his beloved is also this kind of nonsense …… Obviously his own master wants to bite the Cui family to death, let him make such a mess, not only for Fan Xian to clean up his ass, but also by the way to defile me a hand.”
However, for that counterpart in the south, Wei Hua was still a bit wary, and couldn’t help but say, “Your Majesty, if …… the original story of this matter is secretly sent back to Southern Qing, so that the Southern Qing Emperor knows that Fan Xian is being generous at the expense of the country and is secretly communicating with the current dynasty, I’m afraid that he’ll only be thunderstruck with rage… . maybe he’ll never be able to get up again.”
The negotiations between the two countries in the summer let him know how cold and ruthless Fan Xian, the gentle scholar, was in his bones, so much so that after he took over as the Commander of the Brocade Guards, he immediately regarded Fan Xian as his greatest enemy, always thinking of how he could bring about Fan Xian’s downfall, and at this time, when he thought of this kind of venomous plan that would make it difficult for him to get back on his feet, he couldn’t help but be exuberant, and looked at the Emperor with expectation.
To his disappointment …… the emperor still just shook his head.
“Set your sights on the long term.” The emperor said with a sense of ridicule, “These goods of the Cui family would have been in the country’s borders, what is the use of me to seize these goods? Could it be that I still despise the silver money of these merchants? The …… court has been dealing with that Rapunzel in the past, and both sides have gained a lot of benefits …… The reason why I want to cooperate with Fan Xian this time, is the reason you don’t understand?”
The emperor picked up the book on the table and said softly while reading it, “The inner treasury of the southern dynasty will soon be surnamed Fan, if you are not sure enough to wipe him out, then it is better to be polite to him, the people in this kingdom of mine are still counting on that Fan Tisi …… to keep sending some cheap goods.”
After Wei Hua resigned, the emperor’s countenance seemed to instantly relax a lot, stretched an indecent waist, and yawned greatly. At this time, a woman with a charming face and wearing a gorgeous palace dress lifted the curtain and walked out, looking in the direction of the new Lord Commander’s departure, blinking her eyes and asking curiously, “What are you talking about? It sounds like it has something to do with Fan Xian.”
“Lili, you’re so nervous the moment you hear the word Fan Xian, aren’t you afraid that I’ll be jealous?” The young emperor swept her over and into his arms lightly, whispering in her ear, “Fan Xian has made a move against Xinyang in the south, and I …… am little cooperating with him.”
Not a small cooperation, the Cui family in the north of the line has been completely destroyed, and the goods and silver that stayed in the stagnation have all been seized by the jinyiwei, a large clan famous for business in the world, was cut off a hand, and the other hand placed in the interior of the country of Qing, it has long since been completely chopped off by the eerie Supervisory Yuan.
Si Li Li ate and smiled and responded, “Of course I’m nervous, Lord Fan is our matchmaker.”
When the young emperor thought about it, if Fan Xian hadn’t come up with that “strange idea” of having Uncle Bitter Lotus take Siri as his disciple, it would have been a bit of a hassle for Siri to enter the palace given her status.
“What are you looking at?” Siri curiously snatched the scroll from the emperor’s hand.
The emperor was anxious and snatched it backhandedly, saying, “Fan Xian specially sent me the Stone Records, the latest chapter …… is unique in the whole world, don’t break it.”
Si Li Li smiled brightly, snuggled in his side, said softly, “How did Fan Xian dare …… to lay hands on his mother in law?”
The emperor shook his head and said, “This guy’s guts even seem to be quite a bit bigger than me, that palace in the south is too complicated than our part of the world, who knows?”
Beiqi country’s most noble river, it is from the mountains flowing down, around the palace half circle, and then cross out of the ancient city of Shangjing that Yuquan River. The further upstream you go, the closer you are to the palace, the quieter it is.
Today’s snow, the river bank between the hidden ice debris, bitter cold incomparable. In the place where you can already see the black eaves of the palace and the winter trees in the mountains, there is actually a small garden, and I don’t know what kind of status people can live here.
A about thirteen or fourteen years old teenager, this time is doing hard labor in the garden. Teenager’s face is slightly fat, pulling the garden stone mill, gritted teeth and turned around, stone mill squeaking sound, his legs and feet but some trembling, in this cold winter weather, the body of the shirt is actually sweat wet back, really can not speak of the poor.
After a few turns, the teenager finally could not stand it anymore, pushed the handle in his hand, and turned back to curse angrily: “There are no beans again! Let me push this empty mill for what! Can’t you even afford a donkey!”
The object of his angry scolding, at this time, was sitting freely and incomparably under the eaves of the house, lying on a recliner plastered with thick mattresses, the pair of bright but not robbing eyes, was looking at the snowflakes whistling past outside the eaves, seemingly lost in thought. Listening to the teenager’s roar, only then she yawned, stood up, crossed her waist, lazy and incomparable, said: ”It’s snowing today, where to go to buy beans? As for the donkey …… isn’t there you now? I sold the donkey a few days ago, the garden chickens ah ducks, winter also want to warm, always want money.”
The two people in this odd situation are naturally Fan Si Zhe, who was banished to North Qi, and the most famous character in the young generation of the country of North Qi: Miss Haitang.
Haitang was wearing a large flowered cloth cotton jacket, her hands tucked in her pockets, a hint of a smile flashed across her plain, uninteresting face as she looked at Fan Si Zhe and said, “Your brother wrote to me just the other day, asking me to discipline you properly.”
She didn’t say okay, once she said this, Fan Si Zhe finally really freaked out, he came to Shangjing also some days, as a result, nothing has been done, is caught by this village girl doing hard labor, even Yan’er was also sent away by her!
The village girl’s status is high, strong martial arts, mind, he wanted to escape many times, did not work, life in the capital, really strange and bitter. Thinking of this section, he squatted down in exasperation, scolded: “What are you my people? Who are you to discipline me?”
Haitang laughed and did not respond, but just lay down again, her eyes slightly closed, as if she was going to fall asleep to the accompaniment of this wind and snow.
Fan Si Zhe looked at her, knowing that if he didn’t listen, he probably wouldn’t even have a meal to eat, so he only had to regain his grip on the handle of the stone mill, and hatefully gritted his teeth and said, “Looking like a village girl, you still want to marry my brother! Don’t want me to recognize you as my sister-in-law in the future!”