The sun in midsummer is like a big fireball, shining fiercely on the earth, seeming to emit all the heat. The leaves on the trees on the roadside were all rolled up, and the sparrows standing on the trees were listless.
While shaking his fan, Yu Rong said, "This weather is really life-threatening!"
Honghua said, "Madam, let's not add a basin of ice again!" The weather was too hot, and Yu Rong, who had begun to be frugal, also put a basin of ice in the house.
Yu Rong shook his head and said, "This ice is so expensive, so I don't want it. You ask someone to get two buckets of well water and I will wash my face." The weather is getting hotter and the price of ice has tripled, and there are more Continue the upward trend.
There are two wells in this house, one in the front yard and one in the back yard. The well in the front yard is for the people of the mansion, and the well in the back yard is exclusively for Yu Rong and Yizheng and Mr. Gao's family.
After washing her face and wiping her body again and changing her clothes, Yu Rong felt a little more refreshed. Before his butt was hot, I heard the red tone saying that Yizheng was back.
Yurong met his son and asked, "Why do you have a holiday today?" Yizheng was studying with her husband in a private school, who had previously served as a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy and was very talented. There were not many people in that private school, only nine people. It is not only that he can learn well by himself, but also because this gentleman has been favored by Jiang Wenrui.
Yizheng said: "The refugees were making trouble in West Street, and one of my classmates happened to pass by and was injured. My husband was afraid that there would be another accident, so he gave us a holiday."
Yu Rong said: "I said before that I let these refugees into the city, sooner or later, something will happen." The facts were as she expected, something really happened.
Yizheng said: "Mother, I'm going to see Grandpa Gao." He has to tell Grandpa Gao about this.
Half an hour later, Mr. Gao came to see Yurong. Seeing Yurong, Mr. Gao said, "Madam, I'm afraid that the capital will be uneven during this time. People in the mansion, if you can go out, or try not to go out!"
Yu Rong asked somewhat unexpectedly, "Is it so serious? Are there so many officers and soldiers in the city that can't rectify these refugees?"
Mr. Gao shook his head and said, “It’s not just the refugee problem, but now the food is so expensive that ordinary people can’t afford it. In this case, I’m afraid there will be trouble again.” There was a looting of food shops last year, and the situation this year is much worse than last year. Up.
Yu Rong said: "Listen to Mr.." After a pause, Yu Rong said with a certain heart: "Sir, do you want to sell all the grain we have?" There was a drought in Beijing this year, but It's not serious, it seems that the production has been reduced by 20 to 30%. Yurong’s 800 mu also received more than 200,000 catties of grain. New grains are exchanged for old grains. The grain depots now contain the grains stored last year.
Mr. Gao knew that Yu Rong wanted to make a fortune, and he did not object, but said, "Madam, the grain will definitely increase if this trend continues. Even if we want to sell grain, it will take a while. Sell."
Yurong smiled and said, "Then sell it later!" Not to mention the grain in the cellar, the grain stored in this house is enough for them to eat for three to five months.
Upon seeing this, Mr. Gao said: "Mrs., we can only sell grain to the big grain shops, but we can't sell it ourselves." The price of selling to grain shops must be lower, but it is safe.
Yu Rong just wanted to make a fortune, but she didn't dare to take the risk: "Mr. Gao arranged this." For Mr. Gao, she was very relieved.
Battering, swindling, kidnapping, snatching, and similar incidents are endless, causing panic throughout the capital. This incident naturally shocked Yan Wushuang.
Su Shan, the commander of the Forbidden Army, said: "The emperor, it is no longer appropriate to let the refugees into Beijing. Otherwise, there will only be more similar incidents." He wanted to drive out the refugees who came in. But Yan Wushuang didn't speak, so he couldn't speak easily.
Yan Wushuang thought about it, and agreed to Su Shan's suggestion, and set aside an area to the north for the refugees to live in.
Lord Shangshu Gan of the Ministry of War said that the refugees can be prevented from entering the city, but they cannot be ignored. They must be provided with food before persuading them to return to their hometown. Otherwise, if so many refugees riots outside, the consequences will be disastrous.
Yan Wushuang nodded and said, "You are right. The refugees outside the city should indeed be settled."
Mr. Shang Shugeng of the Household Department complained that the treasury had no money, and resettling the refugees was a big expense, and he didn't know where to look for money.
After discussing the matter, Yan Wushuang again ordered Tie Kui to lead his troops to build a shack outside the city for the victims to live in temporarily. In addition, these victims must be properly settled and public order must be maintained.
Tie Kui received the order, his face as black as the bottom of a pot. Yan Wushuang, the bastard, even asked him to settle the refugees by a dignified second-rank general.
The eunuch who delivered the decree was a little bit frustrated when he saw it, and left the barracks without even asking for a reward, and returned to Beijing.
When the eunuch reported the matter, Meng Nian happened to be there. After hearing this, Meng Nian frowned and said, "Tie Kui is too presumptuous. The emperor asked him to arrange refugees, but he was unwilling." In Meng Nian's eyes, the people below should be as loyal to Yan Wushuang as him. .
Yan Wushuang said, "I'm afraid it's because of Pingdingshan's thing that makes him worry about it." He didn't care whether Tie Kui thought too much, as long as he got the job done.
Meng Nian snorted and said, "The king wants his minister to die, and the minister has to die. But it is just that he killed those people in Pingdingshan, and even dared to complain. No wonder the emperor was worried about him before."
Yan Wushuang said: "If everyone is like you, I won't have to work so hard." After a pause, Yan Wushuang said: "Don't talk about him, what's the situation in the northwest?"
Meng Nian said: "Just two days after the news of Yun Qing's destruction of the Northern Captives came back to Haocheng, the martial law was lifted in Haocheng. The emperor, do we still have to implement our previous plan?"
Yan Wushuang said: "No, don't provoke Han Yuxi anymore in this situation." Once the woman gets angry, she doesn't know what she will do.
Meng Nian thought for a while and said, "The emperor, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei and other places have also suffered disasters. The emperor, their lives are not better than ours."
Yan Wushuang said, "You still missed the Northwest and Jiangnan. The harvest in these two places is decent this year." Compared with him, Han Yuxi is much easier.
The two were talking about the matter, and Grandpa Min said outside: "The emperor, the imperial concubine, please see me."
Nothing, Yuchen would not come to the Imperial Study Room. Yan Wushuang said, "Please come in!"
Yuchen even wore a plain blue palace dress with a soft Qiluocui gauze outside. The hairpin on the head is an exquisite jasper hairpin, decorated with fine silver beaded tassels. Even if he is more than 30 years old, his muscles are still like fat, Yan Ruokailian. It makes people look at it and can't move its eyes.
But no matter how beautiful people look at it, they won’t feel too much. Yan Wushuang asked, "What can I do if the imperial concubine comes to the imperial study room?"
Yuchen said: "I heard that the refugees outside are not able to eat, and the concubines want to do their best." Yuchen wanted to summon the noble concubines in the capital to donate money to the victims outside.
Yan Wushuang nodded and agreed. The donation of this female family member is definitely limited, but it is possible to use this trend to call upon hundreds of civil and military officials to donate together. Yan Wushuang said, "I am very pleased that the imperial concubine has this heart, and Meng Nian can help you with this matter!"
Yuchen respectfully said: "Yes!" This showed that Yan Wushuang had agreed.
When she left the imperial study room, Mother Gui lowered her voice and asked, "Niang, what did the emperor say?" If the emperor agreed, the imperial concubine would take the lead in calling on the ladies and young ladies to donate, which is also an honor and merit.
Yu Chen nodded and said: "The emperor has agreed."
Back at Zhanghua Palace, Yuchen wrote a post, inviting the ladies of the officials of the Fourth Grade and above in the capital to attend the banquet. She didn't hide it either. The post stated directly that this banquet was mainly to raise money for disaster relief.
After all the posts were sent out, Yuchen asked people to take the account books of the warehouse, and then selected a lot of things from it.
Tie Kui's wife Xiao also received the invitation. After taking the post, Xiao went to the front yard to look for Tie Kui: "Master, how much do you think we should donate?" This time it is a banquet to raise disaster silver, she can't go.
Tie Kui didn't want to pay a penny, but he also knew that it wouldn't work if he didn't donate it: "We donate as much as others donate."
The Xiao family was a little embarrassed: "Isn't it right?" Who doesn't know that their Dasheng caravan and shop are making money every day, even now, their business is prosperous. If you donate the same amount as others, isn't it meant to be called a miser
Tie Kui was upset: "What's wrong? If others want to say, just let them say."
Seeing that it was not right, Xiao asked, "Master, did something happen?" As a wife, how can one not know who his husband is. My husband is not stingy, and he does not support those subordinates who are living poorly on weekdays. This time it is really a bit abnormal.
Tie Kui said: "Nothing."
Xiao thought for a while, and said, "Master, how about we donate one thousand taels?" Like others, this matter is not easy to grasp.
Tie Kui said, "One thousand taels is one thousand taels, no more."
Xiao nodded and said, "Okay."
At this time, Zhong Shan had something to tell. Xiao did not interfere with the outside affairs, and immediately went back to the backyard.
Zhong Shantong looked at Tie Kui's expression increasingly ugly, and said, "Master, things are already like this, and regeneration is useless."
Tie Kui snorted coldly: "Yan Wushuang now comes up with a new trick, calling on everyone to donate to the victims. I am afraid that this time, I will have to bleed." Han Yuchen's call on everyone to donate is just a pretense, and this female family can donate. How many. Yan Wushuang's goal is probably the hundreds of civil and military officials in the DPRK and the wealthy merchants in the capital. And he is well-known, and it would definitely be impossible not to donate three to five thousand taels.
It was not that Tie Kui was cold-blooded and unwilling to rescue these refugees, but instead of donating this money to Yan Wushuang, he might as well exchange it for food and send it outside the city. But he just thought about it in his heart, but he didn't have the guts to do it. Otherwise, Yan Wushuang would definitely not spare him. Before Yun Qing led his troops into the capital, he was afraid that Yan Wushuang had already died.
Zhong Shantong said, "Master, let the emperor know that your attitude will definitely be very unhappy."
Tie Kui said, “Last time I killed the refugees in Pingdingshan, I was assassinated by a falcon. This time I was asked to settle the refugees. If I am happy to be happy about Yan Wushuang, I will be suspicious!” He also knows Yan Wushuang too well. He deliberately expressed dissatisfaction with his nature. Of course, this time Tie Kui only needs to vent his psychological grievances, and he doesn't need to act.
Zhong Shan nodded at the same time, and said, "Master, Ruo Yan Wushuang really wants you to donate, how much do you plan to donate?" The industry under their name makes a huge profit every year. If you donate less, you will definitely not be able to pass the test. But if you donate a lot, not to mention Tie Kui, even he will feel distressed.
Tie Kui said, "It depends on the situation." He didn't want to donate too much, but people had to bow their heads under the eaves. Since Yan Wushuang had this idea, they wouldn't be able to donate it.
In addition to Xiao's post, Lu Yao and Yu Rong also received the post. Seeing the donation written on the post, Lu Yao didn't really want to go. Although Han Jiancheng didn't look good, he also had two concubines, each of whom gave birth to a daughter. Lu Yao's own three sons and one daughter, the family of eight expenses is not a small sum. In addition, Lu Yao still has to secretly help her family, so she doesn't have a lot of money.
Lu Yao said to Han Jiancheng: "Master, if the donation is less, the concubine and the concubine will have a hard time. If you donate more, we won't be able to spend so much money. Master, I still say that I will not go away from the illness!"
Han Jiancheng said: "I can get the grace of the imperial concubine in my current errands. Now the imperial concubine is holding a fundraising banquet, would you not be slapped in the face of the imperial concubine?" The location is not low. It was for this reason that Han Jiancheng wanted to buy a property in Liaodong. After buying a property and having errands, life is definitely not bad.
Lu Yao also understood the reason, but she was shy in her bag: "So how much do we donate?" Three or five hundred taels would be donated through gritted teeth, but if it was three to five thousand taels, she really couldn't take it out.
Han Jiancheng thought for a while and said: "Our family's situation is also clear to the imperial concubine. You can ask the imperial concubine to see what she means?"
Lu Yao nodded.
Yurong didn't have Lu Yao's entanglement, she took the post and threw it aside. Orphans and widows, life is not easy, there is no money to donate.
After Yizheng knew about this, he persuaded Yurong to make a donation: "Mother, these refugees are too pitiful, we can help as long as we can!"
Yu Rong said: "Azheng, now the prices outside are so expensive, the food has risen to forty wen a catty, and the oil and salt have also risen several times. Although the mother still has some money in her hand, she has to feed the mansion for twenty. Many people don't know how long it will last." Yu Rong was talking about the price of coarse grains, and polished rice and white noodles are more expensive.
After a pause, Yu Rong said, "If the situation doesn't get better, my mother will have to reduce the staff in the mansion." In addition to the people who must stay, such as the guards in the mansion, she is going to let go. . The world is not good, so you can do all the tasks of cleaning and washing yourself.
Yizheng stayed for a while, and then said, "Mother, it's not that way!"
Yu Rong said: "Everything must be prepared for the worst. If it comes to an end, it will be too late. Besides, you are still young now, and you will have a lot of money to spend in the future." It is a big sum to marry a wife in Yizheng University. Expenses, so Yurong now wants to break a penny into two and spend it! How can you still donate