Chapter 374 Zhang Juzheng's Warning
The boatman on the boat was very considerate.

The boats on the Chaoyangmen Wharf are all official ships, and the boatmen all work for the court and officials. They are used to welcoming and seeing off the important figures in the court.

soon.

Tables, chairs and benches were moved out of the cabin.

Yan Shaoting and Zhang Juzheng sat opposite each other.

Yan Shaoting first filled two wine glasses with wine, and then took out two sealed letters from his arms.

He pushed the two letters in front of Zhang Juzheng and then raised his glass.

"Brother Taiyue."

Zhang Juzheng just glanced at the letter in front of him and picked up the wine glass with both hands.

"Drink full!"

Zhang Juzheng let out a low cry, then raised his glass before Yan Shaoting and drank it all in one gulp.

Yan Shaoting also smiled slightly and drank the wine in the glass.

At this moment.

Zhang Juzheng then turned his attention back to the two letters in front of him.

Yan Shaoting also explained: "Brother Taiyue went south to supervise the maritime affairs and manage all overseas affairs of our dynasty. I can't help you much. I only have these two letters. Brother Taiyue can personally deliver one to Xu Wenbi of the Governor's Tax and Military Office for his review, and the other can be forwarded to Qi Jiguang, the Deputy General of Zhejiang."

After understanding Yan Shaoting's explanation, Zhang Juzheng raised his eyebrows.

Everyone knows that the Tax and Military Office was established with the strong support of Yan Shaoting.

At this point, there is no need to talk about how Xu Wenbi went to the southeast. At least, Xu Wenbi's job as the governor of the tax and military office was facilitated by Yan Shaoting.

Now that I have this letter in my hand, I can be sure that in the future when I am in charge of the grain administration office in Suzhou Prefecture and the maritime affairs, Xu Wenbi, who is in charge of the tax and military office in Songjiang Prefecture, will definitely help me when I need it.

Although the current powers of the Tax and Military Office are limited to the collection of commercial taxes and silver from the two prefectures of Suzhou and Songjiang and the collection of taxes by the Maritime Customs.

But these tax soldiers are not limited to doing these two things.

First of all, the tax soldiers carry knives and are equipped with firearms. If you encounter trouble and need troops to suppress it, the tax soldiers' office is a good choice.

Secondly, the navy can be controlled more quickly through the tax and military offices.

after all.

Now a large part of the tax silver collected by the Tax and Military Office will be transferred to the navy.

I have Xu Wenbi to help me.

It is equivalent to controlling the navy's purse.

As for the letter to Qi Jiguang, it will probably be kept as a last resort.

After all, Qi Jiguang is now the deputy commander-in-chief of Zhejiang, with tens of thousands of soldiers under his command, and they are all the most capable and warlike people in the southeast.

Zhang Juzheng carefully put the two letters into his arms.

He raised his head and looked at Yan Shaoting with a smile.

After a while.

Zhang Juzheng smiled and said, "By the time of Mid-Autumn Festival this year, Changping will be filled with the aroma of crabs!"

Yan Shaoting also laughed out loud.

Zhang Juzheng's answer was quite appropriate at the moment.

The deal between the two ended.

The wine has been drunk.

Yan Shaoting looked at the two tallest children standing behind Gu not far away.

Zhang Juzheng also looked over, smiled and waved to the children.

"Jingxiu, Sixiu, come over and meet guest Yan."

Zhang Jingxiu and Zhang Sixiu were the eldest and second sons of Zhang Juzheng's family.

When the two boys heard their father calling them, they immediately came forward obediently.

After all, he is the son of an official or gentry family.

The two boys saluted Yan Shaoting respectfully.

"I have met Guest Yan."

Yan Shaoting smiled and nodded, looking sideways at Zhang Juzheng: "The two young masters will be enrolled in Changping Academy soon. Brother Taiyue, don't worry. The three old gentlemen are here to take care of the two young masters' studies. They will definitely not delay them."

Zhang Juzheng nodded repeatedly: "If Lord Yan can personally ask for permission from the three old masters to accept these two young boys, I have nothing to ask for."

This is true.

There are many scholars in the world who want to become disciples of Nie Bao and the other two but have no way in.

Yan Shaoting also smiled but said nothing.

Zhang Juzheng looked at his two sons with a stern face at this time: "Your father has been ordered to go south to take up his post, and will not be in the capital. You two brothers will live in Changping in the future. When you go to the academy, you must not rely on your father's status. You must abide by the rules. If you slack off, Yan Benke will be like your father in person and can discipline you two on your behalf!"

The first half of the sentence was directed to his son.

The second half of the sentence is a request to Yan Shaoting.

The two boys are really obedient.

After hearing what their father Zhang Juzheng said, the two brothers immediately bowed and clasped their fists again.

"Students Zhang Jingxiu and Zhang Sixiu greet you, sir."

Yan Shaoting looked surprised and looked at Zhang Juzheng. He didn't expect that Old Zhang would play this trick before leaving.

But the two Zhang brothers already call themselves that.

Yan Shaoting could only sit up straight and said, "Your father served the court loyally and went south to take up his post. If you two don't obey me in the future, I will have no choice but to teach you a lesson on your father's behalf."

The two brothers bowed again in response.

Seeing that his son was obedient, Zhang Juzheng felt relieved.

He then waved his hand, and after his two sons left, he sighed softly, "After today's farewell, I don't know when I can return to the capital. The capital is a place of great importance, but the surroundings are extremely dangerous. Please proceed with caution."

Yan Shaoting immediately looked at him and nodded, "Brother Taiyue, don't worry."

Zhang Juzheng shook his head. "As the saying goes, a trapped beast fights its last gasp. From what I've seen in the court, I'm afraid it has come to this. In addition, Your Majesty... the more it gets like this, the more turmoil in the court will surely become. We must be extremely cautious!"

Yan Shaoting's eyes fixed.

What Zhang Juzheng meant by this was that he felt the emperor would not live long.

Whenever the emperor's life is about to end, the struggles in the court will inevitably be the most intense.

No one wants to be the one to be abandoned as soon as the new emperor ascends the throne.

But this will inevitably be the time for the court to fully reorganize its structure.

Zhang Juzheng was reminding himself to be careful of his former mentor.

Yan Shaoting's expression remained unchanged. He smiled faintly and said meaningfully, "So Brother Taiyue, as the governor of the maritime affairs of Suzhou Prefecture, must work even harder."

Zhang Juzheng's eyes flashed, and then he stood up with a big laugh.

He waved his arms and bowed with both hands.

"After sending you a thousand miles away, we must finally say goodbye. It's already late, so you should go back to the city as soon as possible."

……

Zhang Juzheng eventually left Beijing again.

He also went south again to take up his post in Suzhou Prefecture.

But last time, he was supervising the court's efforts to increase silk production and market it overseas.

This time it was the Governor-General of Marine Affairs.

Just as Yan Shaoting and Zhang Juzheng said on the official ship that day.

The current situation in Jiangnan is probably what someone least wants to see.

Because unconsciously.

The hometown of Xu Ge Lao, the second assistant of the cabinet of the Ming Dynasty, has been raided by Yan Shaoting and his former good student Zhang Juzheng.

Songjiang Prefecture has the tax and military office of Governor Xu Wenbi, and Suzhou Prefecture now has an additional Governor of Maritime Affairs, Zhang Juzheng.

Let’s not forget that there is also Hai Rui, the governor of Yingtian, who has already taken office in Jiangnan.

Besides.

There was also Zhao Zhenji, who was recommended by the Yan family and promoted to the governor of Zhejiang and the governor of Zhejiang. There was also Qi Jiguang, the deputy general of Zhejiang, who was clearly a member of Yan Shaoting's faction in the court.

Unknowingly.

The mansion at the mouth of the Yangtze River has been surrounded by water.

only.

Jiangnan is far away after all.

In Beijing, the same old things happen day after day.

Shuntian Prefecture at the foot of Mount Yan finally welcomed the scorching summer heat.

However, Shuntian Prefecture is currently immersed in the joy of harvest.

"guests!"

“This year’s sweet potatoes have all been dug up!”

"What a good harvest! All of them are plump and round, and they are pleasing to the eye!"

Early.

Zhou Yunyi led the people, hurrying to avoid the scorching sun at noon, and digging sweet potatoes in the morning and evening and storing them in the cellar.

now.

Zhou Yunyi held a big sweet potato in both hands, which looked to weigh about seven or eight kilograms. His face flushed with joy, he ran from the sweet potato field to the edge of the field and held it in front of Yan Shaoting.

Yan Shaoting also waved his hand in order not to spoil the atmosphere: "Prepare the red ribbon. If there is nothing heavier later, this will be the sweet potato king this year!"

Zhou Yunyi responded and happily placed the sweet potatoes that he had reserved for this year's Sweet Potato King carefully in a separate basket nearby.

According to the rules set by the Public Security Bureau not long ago before starting to harvest sweet potatoes.

From then on, every year, the largest and heaviest sweet potato in Changping would become the sweet potato king of the year, and would then be sent to the West Garden and presented to the old Taoist priest.

After hearing the news, the old Taoist priest immediately asked Lu Fang to pass the message to Changping and the cabinet.

When the sweet potato king from Changping was delivered, he would not eat it. He would only watch it being weighed before sending it to the Taimiao and offering it in front of the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty to announce his achievements to them.

Yan Shaoting looked up at the endless sweet potato field in front of him.

My heart is filled with peace of mind.

With these sweet potatoes, even if there was another disaster like the one in the 40th year of Jiajing, he could still feed the people without spending a penny from the court.

This is the true meaning of sweet potato.

It has nothing to do with whether it tastes good or not, or whether it can become a staple food.

As long as it can fill people's stomachs when necessary, that is the greatest value.

Just as Yan Shaoting was wondering how many sweet potatoes would be stored in the entire Shuntian Prefecture this year.

There was a figure rushing over from the distance.

When he got closer, Yan Shaoting could see clearly that it was the little bird Yan Hu.

Yan Hu looked unhappy and sat down next to his brother.

Yan Shaoting looked puzzled and patted Xiao Que'er on the shoulder with a smile: "Why did you come here instead of training with the militia team?"

Yan Hu, who is tall and strong, and two heads taller than his brother Yan Shaoting, was indeed holding his mouth like a child.

"Brother, can I not help Mr. Xu?"

Yan Shaoting suddenly became even more confused: "Why? What does Mr. Xu want you to do for me?"

Yan Hu was unhappy: "When Mr. Xu gets married, can I not go to welcome him?"

Yan Shaoting was stunned for a moment before he reacted and immediately laughed: "Could it be that the red envelope given by Mr. Xu is not big enough? This is a rare big event in Changping recently. That day must be extremely lively. Why don't you want to join in the fun?"

As he spoke, Yan Shaoting stroked Xiao Que'er's head.

Although this younger brother looks big and strong, he is a pure and innocent person with a simple and kind nature, and is not contaminated by external things.

Yan Hu pouted his lips, which were big enough to hold several bottles of water, and muttered, "I heard from them that when Mr. Xu gets married, we will be beaten into the house by the other party when we go to welcome him."

Only then did Yan Shaoting remember what was going on.

He explained in a gentle tone: "Our Mr. Xu is an old-fashioned man. He has to follow the ancient customs when getting married. The other party will naturally follow the customs as well. It is inevitable that the bride will be beaten during the wedding."

Yan Hu snorted, "I'm not a fool, why should I get beaten for nothing? It's Mr. Xu's wedding day, I can't fight back..."

Only then did Yan Shaoting realize that his younger brother was struggling.

He is really not a fool.

He laughed out loud twice.

Yan Shaoting patted his chest and said, "Don't worry. The sticks of the people on the other side that day were all wrapped in red cloth. If you wear a soft armor inside, it won't be a problem. I'll let Mr. Xu speak and allow your Public Security Bureau to have two more hunting trips in the mountains this year."

Go hunting in the mountains!

Yan Hu's eyes suddenly lit up.

Although the militia team had training in hunting in the mountains, there were various restrictions.

Being able to go into the mountains for hunting two more times, Yan Hu immediately began to imagine how many prey he would hunt this year.

He nodded immediately, but then quickly shook his head and held up three fingers.

"Can I have three more times?"

Yan Shaoting glared.

Yan Hu immediately put away a finger and said with a pursed mouth: "Two times is two times, brother is not allowed to lie, today we have to get Mr. Xu to nod his head and agree! It would be best if he writes the document and posts the notice today!"

Yan Shaoting was left in tears and amused by his brother's behavior.

He nodded helplessly: "Okay, okay! Brother will do whatever you say!"

Yan Hu immediately stood up and cheered.

Yan Shaoting immediately fell into the shadows.

Yan Hu was already running away cheering.

Yan Shaoting glanced at Xiao Que'er who left with laughter, stood up, patted his butt, and looked towards the still hot sweet potato field.

That's when.

In the distance, there was a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds, faintly coming from the official road.

The sound comes from far to near.

But it's getting farther and farther away.

Yan Shaoting couldn't help but frown.

Judging from the noise, it seemed that this kind of sound was caused by a large group of cavalry galloping.

I don’t know which army in the capital it is.

As for the sweet potato fields, the harvest was almost complete by the evening.

Unsurprisingly, the sweet potato that Zhou Yunyi picked out today became the sweet potato king of Changping this year.

The Sweet Potato King was sent to the academy and first enshrined in front of the portrait of Confucius for one night. It would then be sent to the palace the next day and finally enshrined in the Taimiao, so that the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty could see how well the grain was growing at the time.

And here in Changping.

Everyone also gathered together at the food court.

After finishing this crop, there is actually not much time to rest for two days, as everyone has to continue working in the fields.

Just when Yan Shaoting and Xu Wei were slightly tipsy.

But then there was the sound of horse hooves rushing out of the food street.

Lu Yi screamed, pushed through the crowd in front of him, and finally squeezed in front of Yan Shaoting.

Yan Shaoting shook his head and looked at his brother-in-law who was sweating profusely.

Without waiting for him to raise his hand or speak, he pulled his brother-in-law to drink and eat meat.

Lu Yi spoke with his voice trembling.

"Brother-in-law!"

"Something bad is going to happen!"

…………

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(End of this chapter)