Chapter 426 No one should sleep tonight!
Nanjing Garrison Office.

In the White Tiger Hall.

In full view.

As Yan Shaoting slowly bent down and took his seat, occupying the seat that had been vacant from the beginning to the end of the night, everyone couldn't help but exclaim in their hearts.

However, the story does not end here.

Zhu Qi was very smart. In front of everyone, he placed the old Taoist priest's edict on the shelf on the table.

Subsequently.

He called for his soldiers to come forward, took out Yan Shaoting's official seal and official certificate and placed them on the table.

After finishing all this, Zhu Qicai and Liu Wan stood on the left and right of Yan Shaoting, hands on the long swords at their waists, and stared at the officials from various departments and offices in Nanjing with majestic and sharp eyes.

below.

Chen Hong, who was sitting in the top seat on the left, watched Yan Shaoting and his team do all this, lowered his eyelids silently, his face calm and expressionless.

But his heart was already filled with thousands of waves and he was filled with endless sighs.

really.

This well-known Lord Yan in the capital is truly no ordinary person.

The advice in the letter from the palace resurfaced at this time, reminding Chen Hong of the instructions and warnings from the palace.

"Guest Yan has been favored by the emperor and has made many outstanding achievements. He is favored by the emperor and is indispensable to the court. I hope you will help me when you have the opportunity. You must not offend the emperor."

Chen Hong sighed in his heart, thinking back to the instructions in the letter sent from Beijing at that time, and said nothing.

Duke of Wei Xu Pengju, who had been sitting outside the hall but had now returned to the White Tiger Hall, turned pale when he saw Yan Shaoting openly occupying the seat of the head of the White Tiger Hall.

That seat should have belonged to me, the Nanjing garrison commander, but I had come out alone just to show courtesy to the garrison eunuch Chen Hong.

But now Yan Shaoting has taken over.

He was angry and ashamed.

The emperor's edict, Yan Shaoting's official seal and official certificate were right in front of him. Although Xu Pengju was a fool, he understood that this was not the time for him to show his anger.

He walked with a slightly heavy step, returned to the top chair on his right, and sat down slowly with a sullen face.

Also, without saying a word.

This is the moment.

Outside the White Tiger Hall, officers from the garrison office came forward and stopped at the door.

"Reporting to the lord, the kitchen has prepared the wine, meat and food."

"I don't know..."

The officer originally had a smiling face and a flattering expression, but as he continued to speak, his voice gradually became smaller. He raised his head to look inside the White Tiger Hall, and was surprised to see more people. In addition, the faces of the masters in the hall were all ugly, so he did not dare to say more.

Yan Shaoting, who was sitting upright under the plaque of White Tiger Hall, suddenly smiled and laughed.

He sat high in the main seat, overlooking everyone in the hall.

"I didn't expect that as soon as we entered the city, the leaders of Nanjing, the secondary capital, had already prepared wine, meat and food for us who had been fighting day and night. We soldiers should really express our gratitude to them."

The corners of Xu Pengju's mouth twitched.

According to Yan Shaoting's words, the wine, meat and food that he had prepared for himself and others now became prepared for his people.

Although both parties knew what the truth was.

But I couldn't really say it in public, as it was not prepared for Yan Shaoting and the others.

Xu Pengju forced an ugly smile on his face.

But she didn't wait for him to speak.

Chen Hong, the eunuch who was sitting opposite him and guarding Nanjing, was already smiling. He said with a hearty smile like a spring breeze, "Lord Yan, you are too kind. Before, when Lord Yan was traveling to Matou Town in Huai'an, he met the White Lotus rebels on the road, which was Nanjing's fault. Now Lord Yan is carrying the emperor's order and going south to Nanjing. He regards it as a national affair and exercises power in Jiangnan on behalf of the emperor. This is a labor for the prosperity of the country. We are ordered to guard the secondary capital. We should put the emperor's order first and serve the country. In this case, we should pay more attention to Lord Yan, so that Jiangnan's finances and taxes will increase day by day. How dare we treat Lord Yan lightly in his work? I have prepared a little wine, and I hope you will not mind the shabby food. Tomorrow, when Lord Yan and you have rested enough, we will reopen the banquet at the Jinling Tower on the Qinhuai River to welcome Lord Yan and you."

Under the White Tiger Hall.

As Chen Hong uttered these completely blatant words of flattery, everyone looked sideways at the eunuch who had clearly agreed to work together to deal with Yan Shaoting before, but was now openly turning against him.

Several people felt angry.

Xu Pengju, who was sitting opposite him, was even more annoyed.

Xu Pengju sat upright, looking straight ahead, with Chen Hong included in his sight, and a look of displeasure flashed across his eyes from time to time.

Hatred comes from the heart.

He used his own words!

I was just one step late, and all those words were said by that damn eunuch Chen Hong!
Xu Pengju immediately calmed down and a warm and sincere smile immediately appeared on his face.

He clasped his fists and looked at Yan Shaoting, who was sitting in his position in Nanjing.

"I have long heard that Lord Xiao Yan is a young talent in the court. Your Majesty has often praised him. He is one of the few loyal ministers in our court."

"We have a lot of elders, Xiao Yan. The capital did not specify where Xiao Yan should work in Nanjing. I think the intention is for the governor to inspect the various departments and places in Nanjing. But after all, he will stay in Nanjing for a long time, so there must be a place for him to stay."

"If Lord Xiao Yan doesn't mind, the Xu family has an empty mansion in Nanjing. It's next to the Confucius Temple in the south city, on the east side of the West Garden. It can be used by Lord Xiao Yan and his entourage."

At this moment.

Chen Hong, who was sitting opposite him, finally looked up at this incompetent Duke. The corners of his mouth slightly raised, but he immediately restrained them.

The people in the hall were even more slanderous and complaining in their hearts.

The Xu family residence next to the Confucius Temple in the south city and on the east side of the West Garden that Xu Pengju mentioned was clearly the residence of the Wuning Prince's Mansion in Zhongshan bestowed by Emperor Taizu.

Logically speaking, this is the main house of the Xu family. How can it be said to be an empty house?
But it was only in these years that Xu Pengju, the fool Duke, liked to play, and the Xuanwu Lake in the north of the city was given to the Xu family by divine will. Although the Xu family did not enclose the entire Xuanwu Lake, they built a lakeside house, which was quite magnificent.

Xu Pengju also moved there with his family, old and young.

But no matter what.

You, Xu Pengju, are now letting Yan Shaoting live in the main residence of your Xu family in front of everyone. This is no longer comparable to Chen Hong's previous flattering attitude.

Xu Pengju, this idiot Duke, clearly turned against his own side in public!

Everyone was filled with resentment.

He glared at Xu Pengju secretly.

Yan Shaoting, however, sat there and watched everyone present looking at each other in front of him, and couldn't help feeling sarcastic in his heart.

During this trip south, he started the first three fires in Huai'an Prefecture.

Of course I know that these people in Nanjing will regard me as bandits and will secretly collude with each other to discuss countermeasures.

He also thought that the people in Nanjing would definitely not be united.

But he really didn't expect that he had just arrived, and Chen Hong and Xu Pengju, especially the stupid Duke Xu Pengju, would so easily turn to the light.

Yan Shaoting smiled and spoke softly, "I have been in the north for a long time, and I have heard that the way people in the south treat each other is like the spring water in the south, and the tenderness of women. Today I see that it is indeed true. I would like to thank you for your kindness, and I dare not refuse. But for now, let the soldiers who are with me have enough food and drink first."

He just finished speaking.

Xu Pengju stood up and said, "Yes, yes, Lord Yan has been traveling with you all to serve the country. How can we let you go hungry? Please come to the side room to drink and eat meat."

Everyone sitting in the hall also stood up one after another, looking at Yan Shaoting, waiting for him to come over together.

But Yan Shaoting didn't move at all.

"I am well protected by the soldiers. It is not suitable to eat at this time of night. Let the soldiers eat."

Talking.

He simply closed his eyes and slowly leaned back against the chair, looking like he was taking a nap.

Everyone looked puzzled and looked at each other.

Xu Pengju glanced at Chen Hong opposite him, and then looked at Yan Shaoting who was sitting on the upper seat and was obviously about to take a nap, and finally forced a few laughs: "So... so..."

He had no idea what to do now. Zhu Qi, who had been standing aside and observing the group, looked outside and said, "Order the soldiers to eat and drink and rest on the spot."

outside the house.

There came responses from the accompanying Jinyiwei and Beijing camp officers and soldiers.

After giving the order, Zhu Qi continued to stand where he was, guarding Yan Shaoting, who was dozing off in the White Tiger Hall, together with Liu Wan.

Xu Pengju glanced at him, his face tangled. After a while, he smiled dryly and said, "That's fine... We'll just stay here and wait for Elder Yan's instructions..."

After finishing speaking.

He was also unwilling to just stand there in the hall, so he returned to his original seat and sat down.

Opposite him, Chen Hong had silently sat back in his original seat.

Everyone was dissatisfied when they saw this, but no one dared to take the lead in making trouble. They could only follow behind, sitting in their original seats and silently observing the movements in the hall and the reactions of the people around them.

There was silence in the hall.

Xu Pengju, however, felt extremely regretful.

You said that I am clearly a well-known and well-known idiot Duke, and today I am having a great time as usual on a boat trip on my own Xuanwu Lake.

What does it have to do with me why these people in the city are in such a panic?
Even if he heard the news, he would just continue to have fun on the lake, living up to his reputation as a fool and living up to everyone's expectations.

Even if the news reached the capital and fell into the ears of the emperor, based on the Xu family's qualifications and past merits, they could not strip him of his title. They could only take away his post as the governor of Nanjing.

If this is true, it will make you happy and comfortable.

What is this now?

Instead, he trapped himself here.

Xu Pengju felt so regretful.

on the contrary.

Even Chen Hong, who had never spoken again, recalled the letter from Beijing. No matter how powerful this eunuch guarding Nanjing was on weekdays, he was willing to sit in the White Tiger Hall with him.

no matter what.

He came from the palace and worked for his master to monitor these bureaucrats in the secondary capital.

Even if I have some flaws.

Could his fault be greater than that of Yang Jinshui, who was in charge of the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau in Zhejiang?
Yang Jinshui was able to go to the imperial mausoleum to be punished afterwards, and now he has become the military supervisor of the Dragon and Tiger Army after taking advantage of the Mongolian invasion suppressed in Changping last year. He has completely cut off his past and made a new start.

Even though I have been punished for what happened in Jiangnan this time.

Probably he was just recalled from the palace, and at most he would go to the imperial mausoleum to serve the ancestors for a while. After that, he would find an opportunity to ask the ancestors to find him another job.

How could the others present guess what Xu Pengju and Chen Hong were thinking at the moment?

Not to mention, the two of them were fearless.

But who among the others present can rely on them?

So what if he is one of the Nine Ministers? So what if he is stationed in Nanjing, the secondary capital, for the imperial court?

If this matter is not handled well, not to mention the death penalty, even losing the official hat on your head is unbearable.

Not to mention that the Minister of Justice Zhao Dayou has been ill recently and is already old, so there will be basically no progress.

But what about others?
Although Nanjing is not as good as the capital, and sometimes even has the intention of deposing or punishing people for future use, it is also a stepping stone.

Luck and opportunity came.

It is also possible to rise all the way from Nanjing and step into the Wenyuan Pavilion.

Don’t see you.

The current Prime Minister of the Ming Dynasty Cabinet, Yan Ge Lao, was promoted from Nanjing to the cabinet in the past.

That's why.

Yang Zongqi was extremely confused and uneasy at this moment.

Xu Pengju and Chen Hong sat in their seats motionless, but he was feeling uneasy.

Yang Zongqi was as surprised as everyone else about Yan Shaoting's sudden arrival from Huai'an Prefecture tonight. However, Yan Shaoting, who had caused chaos in Nanjing, did not say a word and just dozed off.

How could Yang Zongqi bear it?

The longer it lasted, the more uneasy he felt.

As for just walking away like that?

Didn’t you see that apart from Xu Pengju and Chen Hong who were sitting still, the others were also sitting here with no expression on their faces?

Although Yang Zongqi felt upset and uneasy, he also understood.

They could indeed leave tonight, but if they really left, they would have to worry that the people who stayed here would say something inappropriate to Yan Shaoting when they were gone.

Perhaps it is because of this that everyone is suspicious of each other, fearing that someone else might be plotting against them, so they all choose to sit here and not dare to give others any chance.

Yang Zongqi became more and more angry.

Unexpectedly, he raised his head and glanced at Yan Shaoting, who was dozing with his eyes closed in the main seat of White Tiger Hall.

It’s better not to watch.

This look.

Yang Zongqi was even more furious.

Yan Shaoting was still dozing off in the chair, but at this moment he was snoring.

He did it in front of so many people.

She really fell asleep!
……

"Hai Rui, can you please forgive me today?"

"Uncle, what do you mean?"

"…Why do you and I have to be like this? Can you please let me have a good rest tonight?"

"Don't worry, uncle. Just go to sleep."

In the grain office of Suzhou City Governor, in Zhang Juzheng’s house.

The two men spoke in low voices, and Zhang Juzheng was full of helplessness.

After a while.

Zhang Juzheng sighed and said angrily, "Although this grain supervision office is small, you still have a place to stay. Why do you have to squeeze in here with me?"

Hai Rui said slowly, "In ancient times, people often slept with their feet touching each other. It was considered elegant and was even sung about. Now that my uncle and I are here, we are of the same mind, so what's wrong with sleeping with our feet touching each other?"

bang bang.

Zhang Juzheng, who was forced to sleep in the same bed with Hai Rui and had to sleep with their feet touching each other, sighed all night long. Then he sighed again.

suddenly.

The sighing stopped.

A moment.

Zhang Juzheng started shouting and cursing in grief and anger.

"Haegangbong!"

"Did you not wash your feet tonight?"

…………

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(End of this chapter)