Yan Song is indeed the boss second only to Emperor Jiajing in the dynasty, and his influence is everywhere. However, Yan Song is far away in the capital, and this is just a welcoming banquet for Censor Hu, do you really have to lick him like this? !
Licking the dog, licking the dog, licking until there is nothing left...
Seeing that the five officials at the table were trying their best to keep a distance from him, Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but curl his lips.
The five officials at the table gathered together for warmth and had a pleasant conversation, while Zhu Ping'an was alone... eating happily.
Hu Zongxian was very good at making toasts at each table. When he came to Zhu Ping'an's table, after toasting, he asked Zhu Ping'an with a smile, "How did you know that I would take office on a donkey?"
"Ahem, I guessed."
Zhu Pingan couldn't help coughing when he heard this. How did Hu Zongxian know this? ! It must be someone from Chu Xiong's group who let the secret slip. Zhu Pingan turned his head to look at the table where Chu Xiong and the others were sitting. Sure enough, he found that Chu Xiong was paying attention to his table. When he noticed that Zhu Pingan was looking at him, he smiled at Zhu Pingan like a constipated bulldog. That's right, it was this guy who leaked it.
"What kind of family does Lord Zhu come from? How dare you bet two hundred and fifty taels of silver just by guessing?" Hu Zongxian approached Zhu Ping'an and asked with a smile.
What the hell! Chu Xiong, this idiot, actually told Hu Zongxian how much he had bet?! Zhu Pingan was speechless.
"Ahem, Lord Hu, it's not gambling, but funding for the militia. I have been appointed as the Assistant Provincial Criminal Investigation Department of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and I have been ordered to reorganize the military and lead the militia. We are short of funds and in financial distress. Lord Chu and Lord Zhang are interested in funding the militia. The so-called elegant gambling is nothing more than a small game of inference and guessing to increase the fun of funding. Moreover, we are not doing it for money, but to raise funds for the militia." Zhu Ping'an solemnly corrected the word gambling in Hu Zongxian's mouth and explained seriously.
Hu Zongxian was an inspector and had the power to evaluate officials. Although various gambling games were popular among officials, literati and the general public, such as Leaf Game, Majiang Cards and Dominoes, which were invented and popular at this time, and even Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty loved the cricket gambling game, and the future Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty invented and loved the "Dropping City" game, after all, many Ming Dynasty laws such as the "Ming Code" and the "Regulations on Interrogation" strictly prohibited gambling. If they had to make a big deal out of it and define it as gambling, Zhu Ping'an and others would be in big trouble.
That is why Zhu Ping'an made a serious correction and explanation, saying that they are not gambling in terms of form, purpose and constituent elements, but are just recommendation guessing games to increase the fun of the funding process.
"Oh, it's a guessing game to add to the fun of funding. Well, raising funds for the militia is not for the purpose of gambling, and it's indeed not..." Hu Zongxian smiled and nodded, agreeing with Zhu Ping'an's explanation, and then asked with a smile, "But there are also winners and losers in the game, and Lord Zhu is not afraid of losing. From Lord Chu and his people funding Zhu's People's Group, it has become Lord Zhu funding Lord Chu and his people?!"
"Sir Hu, I have a reason why I dare to play this little game." Zhu Ping'an said frankly.
"Oh, what is the basis for this, Lord Zhu?" Hu Zongxian asked curiously.
"The basis is... ... the gentleman is Hu Zongxian." Zhu Ping'an looked at Hu Zongxian and said seriously.
"Oh?" Hu Zongxian raised his eyebrows.
"Lord Hu inspected important border towns such as Xuanfu and Datong, rectified military discipline and strengthened border defense; he inspected Huguang, rectified military discipline and suppressed the Miao rebellion. Lord Hu inspected Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and encountered the Japanese invasion. It is expected that Lord Hu will rectify military discipline. As the saying goes, one must first discipline oneself before disciplining others. Lord Hu has just arrived, so if he wants to rectify military discipline, he will naturally lead by example. So, I guess Lord Hu may ride a donkey to take up his post." Zhu Ping'an explained.
After Zhu Ping'an finished speaking, Hu Zongxian looked at Zhu Ping'an for three seconds, then smiled.
"Insightful and thorough, you are worthy of being Lord Zhu - the youngest number one scholar in our Ming Dynasty!" Hu Zongxian praised with a smile.
"Your Excellency is too kind to praise me. I am unworthy of it." Zhu Ping'an said with a bow.
"Mr. Zhu, if you have time in the future, you may come to the Inspectorate more often." Hu Zongxian raised his glass with a smile.
"As you wish, I dare not ask. As long as Lord Hu does not mind, Ping'an will certainly bother you from time to time and report to you on my work." Zhu Ping'an raised the wine glass with both hands, toasted Hu Zongxian and said with a smile.
At present, the Inspector-General has great power and has in fact become the immediate superior of the Inspector-General of the Judicial Commission for Discipline Inspection. Although Zhu Ping'an does not lead the rank of Inspector-General, he is inevitably under the control of Hu Zongxian, the Inspector-General of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, to a certain extent, so it is not an exaggeration to use the word "report".
The sunlight shone in through the doors and windows, and the early winter sunlight cast a golden glow on the two of them even at noon.
The two smiled at each other, raised their glasses, and drank them all.
Hu Zongxian toasted each table, returned to the main table, and once again raised a glass of wine to toast all the officials present.
"Now, the Japanese invasion is getting more serious. Many desperate people are taking risks and following the Japanese. The Japanese pirates are burning, killing, looting, and committing all kinds of evil. The people are suffering! I, Hu Zongxian, have been trusted by the emperor and appointed as the inspector of Zhejiang. My main task this time is to resist the Japanese. You are all talented people in the southeast. Zongxian will cooperate with you sincerely. I will not return to Beijing until I capture Wang Zhi and other thieves, eliminate the Japanese pirates, and stabilize the southeast!"
Hu Zongxian's voice echoed in the banquet, resoundingly...
This is his true feelings.
I will not return to Beijing until I capture Wang Zhi, wipe out the Japanese pirates, and stabilize the southeast... This was the oath Hu Zongxian made when he took over as the Inspector General of Jiangsu and Zhejiang and left the capital. It was also his ideal and ambition in this life.
"Don't worry, Imperial Censor Hu. We are not talented enough, but we will definitely live up to His Majesty, our country, and the people. We will work together to wipe out the Japanese pirates!"
The voices of the officials at the banquet also echoed in the banquet, just as loud and clear...
The banquet lasted for more than an hour, and eight or nine officials got drunk and were carried back by officials from the same yamen. Hu Zongxian was a heavy drinker. As the protagonist of the banquet, he was toasted and toasted. He drank the most wine in the banquet, but his face was only red. There was no sign of drunkenness in his words and deeds. He stood at the gate of the inspection yamen, cupping his hands and seeing off the officials from each yamen one by one.
Zhu Ping'an was not drunk either, not because his alcohol tolerance had improved, but because he drank less. Apart from the two glasses of wine that Hu Zongxian toasted him with, he only drank one glass of wine when everyone else raised the toast. Three glasses of wine did not make him drunk.
"Mr. Zhu, I still say the same thing. Come to the yamen often when you have time." When Hu Zongxian was seeing off the officials from the Judicial Inspection Office at the yamen gate, he smiled and patted Zhu Ping'an on the shoulder and said to Zhu Ping'an again.
"Sure." Zhu Ping'an replied with a bow.