The Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 492: Conviction of private granting of silver

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"Master, are we going to the shop?" Fu Xiaojian asked in a low voice.

"No, Mu Jiu's dozens of soldiers have already acted as the eyes of the Lord?" Zhu Youjian looked around. There were some tall houses with blue bricks and red tiles among the shops, but the doors were closed. It should be the mansion of a large family. To build a house in such an important place, the business in the city is obviously not prosperous.

Zhu Youjian walked along the street for about three miles, and it was the end.

At the end of the street is the North City Gate. Several guarding soldiers are slowly tightening the ropes, apparently to put away the suspension bridge and close the city gate.

Zhu Youjian stepped forward and said to the city gate officer standing aside: "Brother, wait a minute, wait a minute, we are going out of the city!"

"Out of the city?" The city gate officer, wearing the grey cloth of the Ming army, asked with a slanted eye, "It's getting late. If you are out of the city now, you won't be able to enter the city tonight!"

"Master..." Fu Xiaojian was also strange. Zhu Youjian had just entered from outside the city, why is he leaving the city now

Zhu Youjian recruited Fu Xiaojian and whispered a few words.

Fu Xiaojian nodded and signaled. He took two steps forward and came to the city gate official. He took out an ingot of broken silver from his sleeve, seven or eight taels, and stuffed it to the city gate official, "We are going out of the city to meet an important My guest, I will return after an hour, brother accommodating

The city gate official did not receive the money, but looked at Fu Xiaojian. Obviously he noticed that the group of them were uniformly dressed. Although they did not recognize them as court guards, they also knew that they were not ordinary people, "Are you Han Chinese?" From the mainland?"

"Yes, yes, we are here to do business from the mainland, and now we are going out of the city to meet with an important customer. For us, this person is very important. Is it convenient for me?" Fu Xiaojian nodded and bowed, looking like a sophomore.

"You are here for the first time, no wonder you don't understand the rules!" The city gate officer's gaze swept across the guards' faces again, and finally fell on Zhu Youjian's face, like a warning: "You are the leader, right? Not here. In the mainland, if anyone takes your bribes, not only will they lose their job security, they may also be in jail.” Seeing Zhu Youjian's indifferent appearance, he added: “Those who make money are also guilty of the same crime! "

Zhu Youzhen was surprised and delighted, but his face was slightly discolored, "Brother, is this the military order of the army, or the law of the government?"

"It's all the same!" The city gate official looked awe-inspiring, "Whether it is an official or a soldier or merchant, you must abide by the laws." Seeing that he frightened Zhu Youjian, his face was slightly softened, "I think you are here for the first time. Yes, go quickly!"

Zhu Youjian looked at the city gate officer. He was in the same gray costume as the ordinary New Army of the Ming Dynasty. He was not tall, but had an inviolable air on his face. "Brother, this is Fusong Mansion's regulations, or the whole Lu The regulations of Song Province? Why are they inconsistent with the laws of the Mainland of Ming Dynasty?"

"The whole province of Luzon is the same," the city gate official said with a mocking expression, "When and where are the private grants of silver in the inland of the Ming Dynasty allowed? It's just that your merchants don't comply. Catch you to jail!"

"Yes, yes, we'll leave right away!" Zhu Youzhen was surging. With such a city guard, there is such an army and government, so why worry that Luzon can't rule it out? "Brother, let me ask one last thing, which army are you from?"

"It's the same for any army," the city gate officer became impatient. "Go, go," he said to the soldiers who were packing their slings: "They won't leave the city anymore, quickly close the city gate."

Fu Xiaojian was furious, and when he was about to draw out the long sword, Zhu Youzhen held his arm and said, "Little sword, let's go!" Everyone followed Zhu Youzhen around and went south.

When Fu Xiaojian saw that the city gate was far away, he asked, "Master, why just now..."

Zhu Youjian smiled and said, "Little Sword, what did you mean by pulling the sword? What was wrong with the city gate officer?"

"He is very rude to his master!" Fu Xiaojian was still angrily.

"Have you forgotten Xiaojian? Master is a microservice." Zhu Youjian walked slowly with his hands on his back. "Since he doesn't know the identity of the master, why not do this? To be honest, it's too late for the master to be happy. Yeah!" Seeing that Fu Xiaojian hadn't recovered for a while, Zhu Youjian said again: "Look up who this city gate official is, and after the Lord leaves Luzon, he will give him awards!"

"Yes, Lord!" Although Fu Xiaojian still didn't understand Zhu Youjian's true meaning, he still recruited two guards, whispered a few words, and the two guards left quickly.

The last glimmer of sunset glow on the horizon has disappeared. The darkness is like an invisible giant net, which quickly enveloped the entire Fusong City. The pedestrians on the street are becoming less and less. Different from the inland of Daming, among the sparse pedestrians, you can occasionally see one. Two women in a hurry.

Zhu Youjian looked at the bright lights gradually blooming in the distance, and said to Xiaojian: "Xiaojian, I'm hungry, let's find a place to eat first!"

The guards chose a restaurant on a street on the right hand side of the main street. The restaurant was small in size and the decoration inside was average, but there were really many people eating, and the lobby on the first floor was almost full.

"Master, do you want to pack the restaurant?" Fu Xiaojian asked in a low voice.

Zhu Youjian looked at the guests around to eat. Almost ordinary people dine in the hall. Whether it is clothing or the number of food on the table, you can see, "Bundle it? So many people eat, shouldn’t it be necessary? Will such a guest be blasted away?"

Looking at such a lively scene, Fa Xiaojian also had a headache. He stroked a few strands of loose hair on his forehead, "Master, or else, the people who eat will let them eat, but from now on, the guests Don't come in again."

"No, how much movement do you want to create?" Zhu Youzhen flatly refused, "With you by your side, are you afraid that these ordinary people will not succeed? Besides, Mu Jiu and the others are in the city!"

"Master, how can ordinary people eat here?" Fu Xiaojian's gaze has been staring at the guests in the hall, as if every one of them is ill-intentioned.

Zhu Youjian is right to think about it. Ordinary people naturally have to live frugally. Eating at home is the most economical place. Most of the people who come to eat here should be businessmen. "Let's go to the private room on the second floor! "

"Yes, Lord!" Fu Xiaojian was waiting to greet him, Xiao Er had already greeted him, "Guest officer, how many of you? Do you want to eat in the lobby? There is a private room upstairs, do you want to sit down?"

"The room upstairs," Fu Xiaojian said angrily, "Little Er, you lead the way!"

"Good!" Xiao Er yelled, and threw the sweat towel in his hand back and put it on his shoulders, "Guest, please follow the villain upstairs!"

More than twenty people in this line naturally attracted the guests who were dining in the hall. Fu Xiaojian raised his head boldly and guarded Zhu Youjian's left side. Zhu Youjian followed Xiao Er, along the narrow wooden stairs, up the second floor, and entered an elegant hall in the back.

"What does the guest officer need? Can I ask for drinks?" Xiao Er bent down and asked Zhu Youzhen, he clearly saw that these people were headed by Zhu Youzhen.

"Bring a few of the signature dishes from your store, and then a pot of good wine!" Zhu Youjian finished speaking and motioned to Fu Xiaojian. Fu Xiaojian took out an ingot of silver from his arms, about five taels. He held it in his hand and was still on the table, "Little Er, reward you!"

Xiao Er's eyes flashed immediately, he grabbed the silver, glanced at Zhu Youjian again, and skillfully stuffed it into the pocket of his chest, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" His lips trembled again, "It's been a long time since there hasn't been so much. I'm rewarded, who are not mortals!"

Zhu Youjian smiled, "Little Er, you will bring up the wine and food first, and the Lord will ask you a few words later!"

"Lord, even if you tell me, the villain should know everything!" Xiao Er saluted Zhu Youjian and Fu Xiaojian each, "Master first sit down, and the villain will urge the vegetables first, and come back soon!"

But half an hour, Xiao Er held out a red lacquer tray. In addition to four cooking dishes, there was also a white porcelain pot.

"Master, these are the four signature dishes of the small restaurant. The rest of the dishes will be here soon. Master eat and drink first. The villain will greet you first. When the master is ready, the villain will come and serve you again!" You Jian and Fu Xiaojian nodded and bowed, bowing in salute.

"Go!" Zhu Youjian waved his hand and let Xiao Er go down.

Fu Xiaojian filled Zhu Youzhen with wine, and then stood behind Zhu Youzhen, looking around this room, looking for any place where people could hide.

Zhu Youzhen smiled and said, "Xiaojian, sit down and eat. When going out, how can there be so many rules?"

Fu Xiaojian hurriedly waved his hand: "Ye, no matter where it is, it is the same, the rules must not be changed! The courtesy must not be abandoned!"

"Xiaojian," Zhu Youjian tapped Fu Xiaojian's figure with his finger, "If you all stand on the sidelines and wait, ask Xiaoer later, is he still scared to death?"

"Master... Then..." Fu Xiaojian hesitated, not knowing what to do for a while, thought for a while, and said, "Master, let the two guards stand behind him for protection!"

"Sit down and eat!" Zhu Youjian has already dried the wine in the glass. "Brothers are running around with the master. It's hard work. Don't stand up. Let's open another table!"

Fu Xiaojian was still waiting to reprimand the guards, but thinking that Zhu Youjian didn't care about these vain courtesies all the way, even Liu Xianzhi's maid Xiaolian dared to challenge her, so she didn't go into it further, just let the other two guards sit down and eat together In order to eat, I was actually guarding Zhu Youjian’s other side. I sat down on Zhu Youjian’s side and filled Zhu Youzhen with a glass, but said to the guards: "You have another table. But be smart, is this the mainland."

Zhu Youzhen was too lazy to listen to Fu Xiaojian's verbose, he stretched out his chopsticks, the nearest to him was a braised fish, weighing about a catty, the fish body is transparent, the back is wide and thin, and the tail fin is a little red. I don’t know. What kind of fish is it? I took some fish meat and tasted it. It tastes good. "No wonder Xiao Er said it is their signature dish. It smells of sugar but has no sweetness. The fish is tender and smooth, but it is light and flavorful. Yes, not bad!"

Fu Xiaojian also tasted, "Sure enough, as the Lord said, the fish is as tender as tofu, and it almost melts in the mouth. What kind of fish is this?"

"Haha, eat more if you like it!" Zhu Youjian dries the wine in the glass again. The alcohol content is extremely low, far inferior to the distilled wine produced in the mainland of Ming Dynasty. Fortunately, Zhu Youjian is not greedy for alcohol. Lighter is better.

Xiao Er came back with a tray, "Master, your food is ready, if you need anything else, just ask, there will be someone serving the food at the table over there, the villain will come and serve now, what do you have to say? Just give it a direct order!"

Zhu Youjian asked: "Xiaoer, you just said that no one has been rewarding so much for a long time. What do you mean by that?"