The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua

Chapter 43

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However, the atmosphere that looked like it was soon shattered.

The subordinates who followed Eunuch Wang didn't dare to disturb her boss's eye contact with others, but little A-Dong had no such scruples. She walked out of Tang Fan's house, holding tableware and chopsticks in her hands, seeing this scene , snorted very strangely: "Why are you standing here, don't you go in?"

Eunuch Wang brushed off the dust that didn't exist on his clothes, smiled at Suizhou with an inexplicable smile, and walked past him into the room.

Seeing that Sui Zhou didn't follow him in, A-Dong was a little strange: "Brother Sui, why don't you go in? Who is that person, who is so pompous?"

Sui Zhou shook his head and didn't speak any more. He glanced at the Xichang Fanzi who was guarding outside the house, turned and left.

Let's talk about the house.

No matter who is a handsome and charming man on weekdays, he will not want to keep the same as before when he is sick.

Master Tang was no exception. At this time, he was covering his mouth with a handkerchief and sneezing, while he was busy blowing his nose. Seeing Eunuch Wang standing three feet away from him, he could not help but say: "Wang The Duke is here, and I don't know why?"

His voice had a thick nasal tone, his eyes were a little red, and his fair skin like jade reflected slightly messy sideburns. Although he was no longer as neat and tidy as usual, at first glance, he seemed to have a frail beauty.

- The premise is that Wang Zhi didn't see him sneeze and snot just now.

Eunuch Wang suddenly came to Tang Fan's place, turned against the guest, closed the door mysteriously, and kicked out the host's house, of course not just to visit him.

Hearing Tang Fan's question, he said, "Didn't you hear the wind in the court?"

Tang Fan said, "I've been sick for the past few days, and I've been resting at home. I have to sleep for at least eight or nine hours out of twelve hours a day. Where do I have time to inquire about news? What happened?"

Wang Zhi pouted: "I sent a letter to His Majesty asking for a reinstatement, and as you expected, it was rejected."

Tang Fan nodded, there was no surprise on his face.

Wang Zhi is a little unwilling. He is young. He has been in charge of the West Factory for the past two years and has experienced outside the palace. Go, but although he has the intention of seeking military exploits from abroad, and always wants to lead troops, his level of military affairs is just average.

He dragged the chair to the door and sat down: "What's the doorway here, tell me. How did you know that His Majesty would not agree to rehab?"

Can you not sit so far, I just caught the cold, not the plague...

Tang Fan looked at him speechlessly: "The Hetao area is important, everyone knows it, but the Hetao area is easy to attack and difficult to defend, and it is destined that even if it is taken down by the imperial court, it will be difficult to defend, and the imperial court is not willing to spend so much effort. Going to build a piece of land that will be taken away by someone at some point, and they feel that the gain outweighs the loss, this is one of them.”

"Secondly, even if it is powerful, it is unintentional. Now the imperial court is no longer the imperial court before the change of Tumubao. Look at the court and the public, who would take the initiative to mention the matter of reinstatement? Even His Majesty himself, I am afraid he is thinking too much. One thing is worse than one less thing. Wang Gong's move will naturally hit a wall."

Wang Zhi frowned: "But you also suggested that I go north, but now I can't get back to the set, what military merit can I get?"

Tang Fan said solemnly: "It's not that the Hetao should not be recovered, but that it should not be rushed. This is a big battle, and it needs the right time, place, and people to be sure of winning. Now none of the three are in line, and the recovery process will continue from What to talk about? Duke Wang's heart to restore territory for his country is admirable, but he has to eat one bite at a time, and the same goes for war. Threats. It was because the emperor Yongle moved the capital to Beijing in the past, so that the emperors of the following dynasties could always wake up to face the northern captives and defend the northern border of the Ming Dynasty."

What he didn't say is that the capital is now Beijing, not Nanjing. Otherwise, with the habit of today's sons, they will indulge in pleasures in the south, and the north will not know how many times the gates will be opened by the Oara or the Tartar cave, and how many times the land will be invaded. Now for the safety of Beijing, there is still a sense of crisis, and Beijing cannot be lost.

Tang Fan added: "So although it is important to recover the Hetao, it is not the only thing that must be done. You must know that since the change of Tumubao, our side has lost more and won less, morale has been low, and after Oara is weak, the Tartars have risen again. Many People think that we can't win anyway, so we simply can't retreat, and when we can't, we bribe the Tartars with gold and silver, or let them enter the city to loot for a while. Wang Gong can be afraid of the Tartars, so that they don't dare to harass them from time to time, even if it is a military achievement."

Although the Ming Dynasty was big, it was just there and could not be moved at any time. The target was conspicuous, while the nomads of the Tatars fought guerrillas. After they came, they burned, killed and looted. Come, they will go up when they encounter weak ones, and they will not live in border towns.

That's why Daming always has nothing to do with these people. A swarm of flies comes flying, and as soon as you hit them, they disperse again. After a while, you stand there with a big goal, and flies can find you at any time. , what should I do

The only way is for you to be completely strong, so that the flies will not dare to approach when they see you.

But if Daming wants to become stronger... first, he has to change the group of ministers who eat dry rice in the court, and then if possible, he has to brainwash the emperor so that he doesn't mess around like that.

So without getting these people, Wang Zhi wanted to recover some Hetao, which was simply impossible.

Wang Zhi was eager to get a watermelon to eat, but Tang Fan told him that the watermelon was not yet ripe, so he could only eat a grape, and he immediately lost interest.

Tang Fan saw that he didn't care for petty troubles, and said speechlessly: "Mr. Wang, with all due respect, if Hetao was so easy to recover, how wise and talented the emperor Yongle was back then, he would have taken it back long ago, how can he get it back? We? Wasn’t it a great achievement to be able to defeat the Tartars? Besides, the imperial court has no money to support you to collect the Hetao?”

Wang Zhi stood up: "It's okay! I don't want to stay in the capital, and I'm fighting with Shang Ming all day long for that one-acre and three-point land. "

Tang Fan reminded: "When people leave the tea cold, slander is the most taboo, don't wait for Mr. Wang to come back, His Majesty and Concubine have already forgotten about you."

In his opinion, although Wang Zhi has many problems, he can only compete with comparisons. He finally has a bit of a big picture. He is not like a eunuch like Shang Ming who only knows how to eradicate dissidents and please the emperor. No matter what the motive is, he will In terms of his ability to help conceal Yuanliang's affairs and avoid the imperial concubine from pursuing the prince, it is much better than some officials in the court.

This is also the reason why Tang Fan is willing to interact with him and mention him.

Wang Zhi waved his hand: "I understand that."

He said suspiciously: "But then again, you are young and your official position is small, so how can you know the situation in northern Xinjiang? Although scholars do not go out and can know the world, but there are not many people like you in the court. , I think that Pan Bin, although he has been an official for so many years, may not be able to say this."

Tang Fan said with a smile, "How do you know what's going on in the world if you don't go out? When my parents died early, I went out to study with the fame I just got as a scholar, south to southern Yunnan and north to Mobei. Scrolling books, traveling thousands of miles, and walking out one step at a time."

Wang Zhi was slightly moved when he heard it, and he was really impressed by him.

At this time, the traffic is extremely inconvenient. Although Tang Fan is not a delicate woman, he is alone. No matter how peaceful and prosperous the world is, there will also be robbers and rogues on the road, and there will be unforeseen natural and man-made disasters. There will also be a lack of doctors and medicines. If you are in the wilderness, let alone find a doctor. Also, since the orthodox years, there have been frequent riots in various places. If you get involved, you may be killed directly by the chaos soldiers, no matter which side he is on.

But not only did Tang Fan not die, but he was still alive and well, and even got into the jinshi and became an official.

Among them, the various difficulties and obstacles he encountered, and how to save them from danger, it must be a wonderful story just to write it out.

Such officials are naturally different from those officials who only know how to read and read books, and when they become officials, they only serve as officials to spend their days.

In this world, those who have experienced the hardships of wind and frost may not be able to become great, but those who become great must go through the wind and frost without exception.

Eunuch Wang had long felt that Tang Fan was different from others, and now he was even more certain that he would invest more in Tang Fan.

Whether it is political investment or emotional investment, all in all, if you have a good relationship with this person, you will definitely benefit from it in the future.

After the two of them chatted about business, Wang Zhi got up and said goodbye.

When he was in the mood to make a joke, he smiled ambiguously at Tang Fan: "I see that you pretend to be romantic and unrestrained on weekdays, but you don't seem to be someone who can live a good life. When you get sick, you only have a big man and a little girl waiting by your side. Now, do you want me to send you two beautiful maids?"

Tang Fan said: "Forget it, wine is a medicine for piercing the intestines, and color is a bone scraper. I'm afraid that my bones will be shattered before my cold is cured. But if Mr. Wang has the heart, he can help me. busy."

Wang Zhi asked, "What are you busy with?"

Tang Fan was a little embarrassed: "Well, you see, I've been sick at home these days, and I can't even go out. I heard that there will be a new batch of books in the bookstore, so I can't bother Suizhou or my younger sister to go out and help me. If I buy this stuff, I also ask Gong Gong to help me buy a few copies and send them over. I’m bored when I’m sick, and it’s a good way to kill time.”

Wang Zhi was suspicious: "What book, wouldn't it be an erotic palace picture?"

Tang Fan was almost choked by him: "Do I look like such an unruly person!"

Wang Zhi didn't even think about it: "It's not like that."

Tang Fan looked relieved.

Wang Zhi said again: "But people can't look at their appearance."

Tang Fan: "..."

Tang Fan was annoyed: "It's not the erotic pictures, it's the Fengyue storybook, writing those fairy ghosts, bizarre anecdotes, whether to bring them!"

Wang Zhi sneered: "Bring, for the sake of helping me a lot, I should help me with this little thing, shouldn't I?"

He didn't know when he stepped forward, raised Tang Fan's chin with one hand, and looked left and right.

"Speaking of which, you still have some good looks. If you can't become an official in the future, you can sell some romantic stories on the street. It is estimated that some big girls and little daughters-in-law will patronize you, and the business must be good!"

Master Tang finally couldn't help but rolled his eyes indecently: "If that day comes, I will definitely go to the gate of the West Factory to sell it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the door slam open.

Sui Zhou walked in with the medicine in his hand, and by coincidence he saw Wang Zhi condescending, pinching Tang Fan's chin with one hand, forcing Tang Fan to raise his head slightly, but his body was still sitting on the bed with a quilt on his face, his face coughing. Because of this, there were two blushing groups in the cold white, the temples were messy, the clothes were disheveled, and the distance between the two was so close, it looked very reminiscent of some strange place.

What's more worth mentioning is that the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty were not as sissy as many people imagined, and many of them were tall and mighty man-type characters.

Although Wang Changgong doesn't look mighty and tends to be feminine, his stature is definitely not related to words like weak, thin and frail. Just imagine, a person who has practiced martial arts from a young age like Suizhou, how thin can he be

In contrast, because Tang Daren was a civil official and was ill, at a glance, he was strong and weak.

No matter who came to see it, they would think that this was Eunuch Wang, who was flirting with Master Tang.

Under the cold eyes of Suizhou who didn't say a word, Wang Zhishi let go of Tang Fan, patted his cheek gently, and said affectionately, "I'll see you another day and get better."

Tang Fan: "..."

He always felt that there was something wrong with this misleading tone? !

Facing Suizhou's icy and powerful aura, Wang Zhi turned a blind eye, and joked: "Sui Baihu is so virtuous, he is taking medicine and taking care of him. If this goes on, Master Tang will not have to marry a daughter-in-law in the future?"

Before Tang Fan could react, Wang Zhi laughed and walked out.

What he said was honest and unobtrusive, full of publicity and reckless behavior. If he changed someone else today, he would be molested as a woman, and he would compare a big man to a little daughter-in-law, and he would have already held a grudge, and it would be a loss. It was Tang Fan who didn't take it seriously, and Suizhou didn't bother to care about him, so he let the Admiral of Xichang go away.

The unfortunate one is Mr. Tang.

As soon as Wang Zhi left, he was taught a lesson.

Suizhou said to him with a cold face: "Wang Zhi is a man of mixed emotions, indistinguishable between good and evil, and is not worth dating."

Although Tang Fan agreed with his evaluation of Wang Zhi, he said: "Now Your Majesty favors eunuchs, and his situation is hard to change. After all, there are only a few people who are strict and strict like Wynn. The emperor prefers Liang Fang and Wang Zhi. , Shang Ming, who can cater to his own wishes. So even if it is not Wang Zhi, it will be Li Zhi, Zhang Zhi, as long as he can guide him a little on the right path, and can do something that benefits the country and the people, it counts. Good thing."

Seeing that he knew what to do, Sui Zhou stopped talking and handed the medicine to him.

Tang Fan: "..."

He smiled and said: "Look, can we have a discussion, my disease is almost getting better, why don't I save this medicine?"

He said he was getting better, but he was still sniffing.

Sui Zhou was quite refreshing, and just said one sentence: "Drink it yourself, or should I drink it?"

Without saying a word, Tang Fan took the bowl, pinched his nose and gulped it down, his eyebrows and eyes were all wrinkled, and he even waved his hand sullenly with Suizhou handing him the sweet-scented osmanthus, showing no interest.

Foodies like to eat, but that certainly doesn't include bitter medicine.

The two were talking one after the other, but when they heard someone calling the door outside, Sui Zhou got up and walked out.

To say that the three houses in Suizhou are actually not small, but the whole family has no other permanent residents except for himself, Tang Fan and A-Dong. Cleaning the house is also a hired part-time worker, and those part-time workers are in the capital. I have my own place in the house, I can go back after cleaning, and I don’t delay the host’s place, so that now I don’t even have a housekeeper, and the host has to open the door in person, but this way I feel comfortable, like Suizhou People like Tang Fan don't like being restrained, and of course they don't like watching people who are not so close dangling under their noses all day long.

After Suizhou went out, he didn't come in again. Tang Fan was a little strange, but saw A-Dong sneaking in.

Tang Fan laughed and laughed: "I won't let you in here? Why do you look like this?"

A-Dong smiled and said, "Brother Sui's cousin from the Zhou family is here again."

Master Tang, a big man, usually has a sloppy and unrestrained temperament, and has no old grudges with that Zhou lady, so naturally he will not dislike the other party because of this. The reason why I got angry that day was because I had just experienced the Donggong case and saw so many people who should not have died. There are no words and smiles Yanyan, it is purely a subjective and one-sided view of Master Tang), so it is inevitable that there is a sense of loneliness in my heart.

Now that time has passed, of course Tang Fan can't be jealous and unhappy like a child or even prevent his friends from getting close to Zhou's girl. After hearing A-Dong's words, he smiled lazily: "A-Dong, are you right? Jealous of others being able to get close to your eldest brother Sui? You are still young. It’s not that the eldest brother refuses to decide for you. If you like Suizhou, wait a few years and you will grow up, and I will give it to your Sui family. Big brother mentions it to see if he is willing to accept you as a concubine, but you are like a bean sprout now, it's no use just talking to me here!"

Although A-Dong is innocent and lively on weekdays, she is a maid from a big family, and she can't really know anything about these internal affairs. When she heard Tang Fan say this, she rushed over to make trouble with him, pouting her mouth so high: "Brother Where did you say it! I'm not jealous of Sister Zhou! I'm worried about you!"

"What should I worry about?" Tang Fan was puzzled.

A-Dong said: "You think, if Big Brother Sui and Sister Zhou really get married, what would you do?"

Tang Fan is usually a smart person, but now he sounds completely confused: "What should I do, the more you talk, the more out of place!"

A-Dong gave him a white look: "Big brother, why are you stupid when you get sick! If Big Brother Sui and Sister Zhou become relatives, then Sister Zhou will definitely live in? How can we live here? Moved out? So of course I care, big brother, you can't make money, of course I hope we can live here as long as possible, so that you can save more money!"

Regardless of A-Dong's young age, she is also very good at calculating this account, and she speaks in a logical manner.

Tang Fan said deeply: "In your eyes, your big brother, I'm so useless? If we move out, we'll be hit by wind and rain?"

A-Dong said sadly: "Isn't it? Big brother, you have such a small salary, and you still like to eat so much. You eat so many things every day, and you make people poor. What can you do in the future? You buy me rice and noodles every month. I've been careful to use it. Now let's grow some melons and fruits in the yard, and then go out to buy some meat. We can save some money every month for you to marry a daughter-in-law in the future, but if we move out, this little money is only afraid I can't save it, what will you do then?"

When Tang Fan heard that, he really wanted to roll his eyes again, feeling angry and moved.

After a long time, dare this girl care so much about whether Suizhou and Zhou's girls will succeed, just for this reason

Tang Fan touched her head and said gruffly, "Just put your heart back in your stomach, we will never end up on the streets, besides, even if I live on the streets, you won't recognize me as a big brother. ?"

A-Dong shook his head sharply.

Tang Fan said: "Isn't it over? If you have a bite of my meal, you will have a bite of it. Besides, don't underestimate our old Tang family. Before my parents died, our Tang family could be considered a part of it. Shaoxing is famous, although the family is down, there are still a lot of good things left, back 10,000 steps and said, no, I still have a sister who is married to Xianghe County, then let's go to her."

He originally comforted A-Dong casually. His sister married off, and as usual, she was from her husband's family. Tang Fan was an official in the capital again, so how could he run over to live at his sister's house.

But the little girl still smiled happily: "Okay, big brother, then I won't blame you for eating too much in the future, it's better for you to eat more, this time, there is no meat on your face, I don't know. I thought it was an escape!"

Tang Fan went to pinch her face: "If you talk nonsense again, you don't have to wait for your eldest brother Sui to get a wife, I'll kick you out first!"

The two were messing around when a voice suddenly came from the door: "Who wants to marry a wife?"

The two looked at the sound and saw Sui Zhou coming to the door, and by chance they heard half a sentence.

Behind him was the Zhou family girl and her maid.

Suizhou said: "My cousin heard that you were ill, and thinking of the collision with you that day, she specially asked me to bring her over to see you and apologize to you."

Although there are men and women in defense these days, it is not that they are strict to the point of meticulousness. Like Tang Fan, he is a good friend of Suizhou, and he has already shown his face in front of Suizhou's family, and now he has Suizhou to accompany him. At the same time, it is not a problem for the Zhou girl to meet. In comparison, in the south, the etiquette is more strict, and the north is a little more tolerant.

Zhou's girl didn't look as refreshing as that day. She was quite shy in front of her cousin. Anyone with a discerning eye could see her feelings for her cousin. a few percent.

Tang Fan smiled and said: "Miss Zhou is very polite, that misunderstanding in Japan was also caused by unknown identity. Now that the misunderstanding is resolved, it will naturally be all right. But I have contracted the cold now, and I am afraid that I will be sick, so I also ask Miss Zhou not to do so. It's better to stay longer."

Zhou Xiuyue nodded and said two more polite words. She was obviously not very comfortable with the smell of medicine in the room. She didn't even sit down. She just stood at the door and said hello to A-Dong, and then left.

As the host, Sui Zhou naturally wanted to see off guests.

When walking towards the gate, Zhou Xiuyue said with a little coquettishness: "Cousin, it's almost winter, how about you accompany me to Yunju Temple for incense on a day when the weather is better? "

Although Sui Zhou was a little cold, he couldn't resist being tall, valiant and martial, outstanding in appearance, excellent in ability, and a bright future. Naturally, there were many matchmakers in the Sui family who came to propose marriage, but the parents of the Sui family had never been able to be the masters of this young son. In the past, the Sui family and the Zhou family had a verbal agreement, so they have been shelved.

Now the uncle of the Zhou family has brought the family back to Beijing, on the one hand to take care of the old mother, on the other hand for the marriage of the children.

In fact, Zhou Xiuyue's father has already looked for another candidate. The other's father works in the Hanlin Academy, and he is also studying in the Imperial College. It can be said that it is a scholarly family. After all, it is different from Jinyiwei like Suizhou.

Ever since the Zhou family came out as the Queen Mother, they have been thinking about going to the scholarly family and the family of hairpins. When people go to high places, the uncle of the Zhou family would choose this, which is normal.

Of course, as far as Suizhou himself is concerned, it is not necessarily a cousin of the Zhou family.

The friendship between the two only ended when they were young, and after many years, there are not so many bloody plots where they vowed not to marry.

It's just that Zhou Xiuyue still seems to have an inexplicable affection for Suizhou, so she only came to the door three times, trying to test her cousin's heart.

However, the minds of the two are not on the same line.

The woman finally took the initiative to invite, but Sui Zhou shook his head: "No, Tang Fan is sick these days, and A-Dong can't do it alone, so I have to take care of it at home."

Zhou Xiuyue bit her lower lip: "Then I'll find a maid from home to help take care of it?"

Suizhou said lightly: "Forget it, don't bother, just go with your uncle and the others. I heard that my uncle intends to find a marriage for you, so the man must be of good character, even though we are cousins and sisters. , after all, there are differences between men and women, and it is better for you to visit less in the future, so as not to gossip."

Zhou Xiuyue's face suddenly became embarrassed, she glared at Sui Zhou, and said, "You are so hateful!"

He turned around and walked out.

The maid of the Zhou family was following behind them. Seeing that the two seemed to be whispering, they tacitly moved away from each other.

Seeing that the master suddenly became angry for no reason, and walked away, she was hurriedly chasing after him.

Sui Zhou watched the family go away, his expression didn't change, he turned around and went to Tang Fan's house.

When the effect of the medicine came up, Tang Fan had already fallen into a deep sleep.

A-Dong whispered: "Big brother just slept not long ago, Big Brother Sui, what do you want to eat at night? I'll do it."

Suizhou nodded: "Whatever, just go back and heat the leftover porridge just now."

The past two days have been busy taking care of the patient, and the patient can't eat too many tricks. A-Dong is too lazy to toss. Hearing the words, he agrees and goes out.

As soon as she left, there were only two people left in the room.

One sleep, one wake up, one stand and one bed.

Tang Fan has been sleeping longer than he has been awake these days.

Illness comes like a mountain down, sickness goes like a thread.

The room was very quiet, except for Tang Fan's long breathing.

Sui Zhou covered him with a quilt and stood quietly for a while.

It wasn't until A-Dong outside knocked on the door and called him to eat, then turned around and left.