After dinner, Zhulan and his wife enjoyed the cool air outside. The night was beautiful today. It was so comfortable to lie on the rocking chair and look at the stars, smelling the faint mosquito repellent.
After admiring it for a while, Zhou Shuren said, "The days go by really fast."
"yes."
Zhou Shuren asked, "It seems that I haven't received a letter from the Yang family for a long time."
Zhulan counted the days and said, "It will be soon."
"Last time I wrote that my eldest brother was ill, and I don't know if he's getting better or not."
Zhulan thought about the passing of familiar people one after another in recent years, and became silent. She felt uncomfortable sending away familiar people.
Zhou Shuren added: "Brother has good health and will be fine."
Zhulan hummed, raised her head and continued to look at the stars in the sky. It was so beautiful, the stars were brilliant, and her mood improved a lot.
Zhou Shuren held his wife's hand and raised the corners of his mouth. It was great to have his wife by his side.
At the end of the morning court the next day, Zhou Shuren was stopped by the emperor. As the emperor left together, Zhou Shuren walked with the prince.
The prince looked a little tired and had not rested well. The emperor also had a stern face.
Zhou Shuren's mouth twitched. He really didn't want to stay. The emperor had just asked him to stay. He could clearly feel that the ministers were relieved.
Returning to the political palace, the emperor handed over a booklet and said, "Take a look."
Zhou Shuren flipped through the pages, his face getting darker and darker, "Damn it."
The emperor had already sat down to drink tea. In the past few days, the tea in the palace was all about fire-reducing tea. Even so, the emperor's mouth was still filled with bubbles. "I know that corrupt officials will never be corrupt. As long as they don't go too far, I will turn a blind eye." But with this shocking list, I am still too merciful.”
The last time Zhou Shuren came into contact with a thick list was during the salt tax, "I was also shocked."
The roster is a progressive network of relationships, layer by layer. However, the bribes Master Lu collects are still small. The money invested in road construction every year is huge. This is only the money taken by the court. What about the donations from merchants from various states
The emperor rubbed his forehead and said, "What I'm most angry about is that the dam also cut corners. Shouldn't I be lucky that there hasn't been a major flood in the past two years?"
Zhou Shuren took a deep breath. He felt sorry for Yinzi and was also angry that he risked the safety of the people for the sake of Yinzi. "You should be lucky indeed."
Your Majesty, "It's time to let them know that there is a knife on their head."
Zhou Shuren put down the roster, "Only blood lessons can be remembered."
The emperor touched the roster and said, "The person who wrote the roster is dead, and the girl who brought it to Beijing is dead."
After a pause, the emperor continued: "Leave it to your wife."
Zhou Shuren, "Girl?"
The emperor nodded, "She is a girl. You will know it when you see her."
Zhou Shuren admired this girl very much for finding an opportunity to report her.
The girl was in the palace, and people arrived soon, but Zhou Shuren was stunned when he saw the person. The girl was blind in one eye, and there was a scar on her face.
The emperor said: "Miss Jiang wants to go to a women's college."
Zhou Shuren didn't stare at the girl. Why is a good girl blind? He had already guessed, "I will take her back to the Marquis' Mansion first."
The Emperor said, "Yes."
Eunuch Zhang was still holding a box in his hand. Miss Jiang took it and said, "The daughter of the people thanks the emperor for his kindness."
On the way out of the palace, Zhou Shuren didn't want to chat with a teenage girl, so he kept walking in silence.
Back at the Hou Mansion, Butler Ding was stunned when he saw the girl, and then looked away, fearing that the girl would feel uncomfortable.
In the main courtyard, after Zhulan listened to Shuren's words, Miss Jiang introduced herself again, feeling sorry for the girl in front of her, "Okay, I will take you to the academy tomorrow."
Miss Jiang smiled and said, "Thank you, madam."
Zhulan said to Qingxue: "Take Miss Jiang to rest."
After Miss Jiang left, Zhulan said: "I really admire this girl."
Not everyone can stay sane in despair.
Zhou Shuren said, "The Emperor didn't tell me what Miss Jiang has been through, so don't ask."
Zhulan nodded, "I know it well."
Zhou Shuren continued: "I have restrained my children recently."
"Okay, are you going back to the household department?"
Zhou Shuren didn't want to go back, but unfortunately he couldn't, "Yeah."
After Zhou Shuren left, Zhulan sent someone to the academy to write a letter to the female officer. The academy wanted to clear out a bedroom for Miss Jiang to live in. When Qingxue came back, Zhulan called the embroiderer at home. Miss Jiang only brought a box and clothes. All need to be prepared.
There was an extra girl in the house. Yudie and the others knew about it. They wanted to see her but were stopped, so they all came to the main courtyard.
Zhulan told Miss Jiang’s origins, “She went to teach in a college.”
Miss Jiang introduced that she was good at music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and hoped to teach students. Zhulan admired the girl's broad-mindedness, and the hardships did not break her.
Yuwen listened quietly. She knew that there was a girl named Shao, and now there was a girl named Jiang. Her intuition told her that the college would be wonderful. Should she go there more times
In the afternoon at the Hanlin Academy, Gu Sheng came back from the palace and was in a daze. It wasn't until he saw Zhuo Guyu that he regained his composure.
Zhuo Guyu frowned at the sight, "Master Gu?"
Gu Sheng withdrew his gaze and thought for a while without speaking. Today in the palace, he met the Duke of Yong'an. Thinking of this, he clicked his tongue twice. The Duke's mansion really has money.
Zhuo Guyu was frightened. Gu Sheng entered the palace today. He was relieved and a little gloating. He expected that Gu Sheng would also be angered. Unexpectedly, Gu Sheng came back okay and looked at him strangely!
Zhuo Guyu was in a state of confusion. He stood up and said, "Mr. Gu, can you take a step to speak?"
Gu Sheng said, "Okay."
After leaving the house, Zhuo Guyu checked that there was no one around and asked, "I owe Sir Gu a favor. Could you please tell me if something happened to the Duke's Mansion?"
Gu Sheng was silent for a while, and Zhuo Guyu lost his patience for a long time before replying, "Today the Duke came to the palace and donated half of his family property."
Anyway, Zhuo Guyu will know when he gets back.
Zhuo Guyu's head turned a little white. How could it happen so suddenly? He didn't know any news, and didn't grandpa lie down with an injured leg
Zhuo Guyu wanted to ask again, but looked up and saw that Gu Sheng had gone back.
From the Ministry of Household Affairs, Zhou Shuren also received the order, "Half of the family property?"
Eunuch Zhang personally came to the Ministry of Household Affairs and said, "Yes, Princess Yongan donated it to the national treasury."
Zhou Shuren blinked his eyes, today the emperor moved to the Duke's palace again
Zhou Shuren's gaze was so obvious that Eunuch Zhang lowered his head and said, "The princess dragged her injured leg into the palace."
Zhou Shuren said, "I will clean out the warehouse."
When Eunuch Zhang left, Zhou Shuren said to Qiu Yan, "Clean out a few more warehouses."
Qiu Yan was frightened, "Your Excellency, I asked you to clear out the east warehouse this morning. Isn't it enough?"
How much money is contained in the entire east warehouse!
Zhou Shuren thought to himself, it might not be enough. He thought about the list on the roster, "Go ahead and make arrangements."
Qiu Yan left worriedly. How many homes did the emperor want to ransack
Before it was time to go to the Yamen, the carriage from the Yong'an Duke's Mansion arrived. Box after box of money made Zhou Shuren's eyes twitch. How much money was collected that year