"Godfather, didn't you say you should stay away from the one in the harem?"
Xiao Yinzi looked puzzled. As the most favored godson at the moment, he could guess what his godfather was thinking.
Benefits can be obtained, but nothing can be done.
"You have to distinguish clearly, who is that, and the prince is the prince!"
Zhou Yi was not optimistic about Empress's success, but knew that His Majesty's child would definitely ascend the throne. He suddenly asked, "How did this Jiangning Su Family mere cloth merchant follow the path of the eldest prince?"
The famous post is unusual, and must have a close relationship, rather than a businessman making money for the eldest prince.
"Godfather, our family has asked people to investigate this matter. It sounds quite legendary."
Xiao Yinzi described it vividly. "The Wu Family Extermination had a lot of space for the tribute portion of cloth. Several Lineages in Jiangning competed fiercely. The Su family was at the bottom, so it was already impossible."
"I never thought that the Su family's humble son-in-law would be friends with the eldest prince. He met Jiangning Inspector Liu with his name card, and the share naturally fell into the hands of the Su family!"
"Sister-in-law?"
Zhou Yi was amazed. "There is such an interesting thing, please tell me carefully!"
"Our family also heard about it from Inspector Liu. It is said that the son-in-law is an excellent poet and can write excellent articles. His talent has spread to the ears of the eldest prince."
Xiao Yinzi said, "The two exchanged letters and met several times later. Some people said that the eldest prince praised the son-in-law for his great talent, but I don't know whether it is true or not."
Zhou Yi pondered for a moment and then ordered, "Tell Eunuch Liu to send someone to keep an eye on the son-in-law. The eldest prince's vision is not low!"
"As commanded."
Xiao Yinzi said, "Daddy, if you are interested in that son-in-law, our family can just send someone to invite him. Why go to all this trouble? A mere local wealthy businessman is just an ant, and our family can easily crush him to death!"
"What you do is so arrogant, it will cause trouble sooner or later."
Zhou Yi taught him a lesson. "When our family was not prosperous, we could not afford three meals a day. How do you know if today's Nameless son-in-law will be famous all over the world in the future?"
"Instead of arresting people without knowing the truth, it is better to send people to investigate carefully."
"If you really have great ability, you can easily help him when his status is low, and you can put him to good use with a little favor!"
Xiao Yinzi Hearing the scolding, instead of being frightened, he burst into tears of gratitude.
Kneel on the ground and kowtow.
"My godfather has given me advice and taught our family the principles of life and work. He is more kind than his parents, and my godson has nothing to repay, so I will leave this life to my godfather!"
Zhou Yi looked touched, patted Xiao Yinzi's shoulder gently, and said kindly.
"In all Eastern Depot, our family is the most trustworthy!"
Late at night.
King Who Pacifies the West House.
There was a knock on the door.
The concierge followed the crack and saw a drunkard, leaning on the door leaf and vomiting, calling the oiran's name Full Moon Pavilion.
"Hey! The Crown Prince is back. We thought you would stay the night, so we didn't leave the door open."
There was unconcealed contempt in his voice. Normally he would not dare to say this. At this time, the Crown Prince Feng Ze was so drunk that he did not react even if he kicked his feet several times and spit.
The door was half-opened, and Feng Ze staggered in. His body was covered in filth and exuded a sour smell.
The porter covered his nose and helped Feng Ze to the middle courtyard. A servant had already heard the noise and came to take care of him.
After a while.
The porter looked around and saw that the palace was quiet again. He took out a piece of paper from the crack in the wall and wrote four words with charcoal.
——Still trash!
The notes were folded up and stuffed at the feet of the stone lion outside the door. Someone would pick them up early tomorrow morning.
"Bah! This loser is so lucky, why don't we have this fate?"
The concierge spat bitterly and returned to the house to continue vigil.
The backyard of the palace.
study.
The lights are bright.
King Who Pacifies the West is looking through the history books. After proclaiming himself king, he burned all the military books into ashes.
Read the Four Books and Five Classics, read history books and biographies, but never touch the books on war and the art of war.
The servant opened the door carefully and brought Feng Ze in.
"Wine, wine, wine..."
Feng Ze's consciousness was chaotic and he didn't know where he was. He grabbed the slave's hand and wanted to drink.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has brought you."
The slave got rid of Feng Ze's entanglement and hurriedly exited while still on the ground, fearing that the prince's anger would be affected.
King Who Pacifies the West looked solemn as he read the history books page by page, leaving his son drunk on the ground.
After a long time, I finished reading the entire book.
"Get up and stop pretending!"
Feng Ze stood up staggeringly, his energy flowing, he woke up from his drunkenness in an instant, and casually slumped on the chair. "Father, if you keep pretending like this, I will really become a waste."
"That would be great. Feng Family might be able to leave a lasting impression."
King Who Pacifies the West said, "It's a pity that you are not a waste. You always want to do something big. As a father, you have no other choice!"
"You don't have to rebel to do great things."
Feng Ze said, "For example, leading troops in battle, or writing poetry and writing, I can do things that ordinary people can do better!"
"You also know that he is an ordinary person."
King Who Pacifies the West sighed, "My father is the only king with a different surname in the country. The one in the north has already obeyed the instructions and refused to listen to the announcement. If the court cannot take him down, it will definitely take action on the Feng Family!"
Feng Ze certainly understands the truth, otherwise he would not agree to hide his stupidity.
Feng Family seems to be prosperous, but in fact it is in danger.
Civil servants already despise military men, not to mention that the King Who Pacifies the West war to destroy the country gave His Majesty the confidence to expand his land and reform. He has long wanted to confiscate the Feng Family family and exterminate the clan.
The military attache did not dare to get close to King Who Pacifies the West, for fear of making His Majesty suspect of treason.
The only one who supports King Who Pacifies the West is Emperor Zhengtong. Not to mention whether the trust will last forever, nor to mention that the safety of the nine tribes depends on one person. Just because His Majesty is fifty years old is not a good trust.
"Why didn't you support the prince and choose the gelding instead?"
"As a father, if you dare to get close to any prince, you will definitely lose His Majesty's trust. Feng Family will not survive until the day of the uprising."
King Who Pacifies the West said, "On the contrary, although Eastern Depot's castrated dog has a bad reputation for being unruly and unscrupulous, his situation is very similar to that of a father. He is an enemy in the whole court. What's more important is that he is capable."
"Feng Family is outside, Eastern Depot is inside, maybe we can find a glimmer of hope for the Feng Family!"
"What a glimmer of hope is just an excuse for power."
Feng Ze said, "My father really wants Lineage to be fine, so he can write a letter to apologize for his illness, resign from all official positions, and return to his hometown in the northwest to retire. Feng Family will definitely be rich for generations!"
There was a thorn in the words, but King Who Pacifies the West was not annoyed and asked instead.
"Are you willing to go back to your hometown in the northwest?"
"Of course not!"
Feng Ze stood up quickly, held his head high, and a bit of fanaticism flashed in his eyes.
"Even if you risk the lives of the nine tribes, you still have to give it a try. Since you are once again in this world, you have to leave a few lines in the history books, even if it means rebelling against a thief or getting a bad name!"
Eastern Depot After the governor returns.
The capital city, which was already undercurrent, began to stir up waves.
First, Censor-in-chief submitted a letter to Minister of Appointments, accusing him of selling his title and conferring an official position and forming a clique for personal gain. His Majesty requested that Pacification Office be investigated.
The government and the public were in an uproar, and they couldn't figure out what the grudge between the two was.
A leader of the Qing Dynasty and a Heavenly Official of the Six Divisions, both of whom were mainstays of the civil service, could actually quarrel with each other.
Unexpectedly, this was just the beginning, and several high officials in the court wrote to participate.
Emperor Zhengtong As long as they go to court, the ministers will bite each other. The solemn morning court is chaotic and turns into a vegetable market. The big shots who usually look calm and polite almost start to fight with each other by grabbing their hair and gouging their eyes.
The chaotic court hall was completely unable to handle affairs.
But Emperor Zhengtong couldn't arrest them all, so they could only mediate with a headache. Today they would appease Ministry of Revenue, and tomorrow they would persuade the officials.
Any discerning observer could see that there must be someone behind the chaos in the court.
This is just the precursor of the Great Wind wave!
It's June in the blink of an eye.
The sun is scorching.
The palace has become a steaming steamer, and the amount of ice used to dispel the heat is increasing day by day.
Seeing that the ice cubes in the cellar were exhausted, Directorate of Imperial Supplies collected ice tribute from the people to protect the harem.
After several rounds of bidding, Jiangning Su Family won the ice tribute qualification at a price far lower than the cost.
Directorate of Imperial Supplies.
There are eight ice mirrors placed around, and the temperature is similar to autumn and winter.
If anyone in the palace breaks the ice, Directorate of Imperial Supplies will not be short of it. After all, there has never been a saying that a cook will starve to death.
Zhou Yi looked through the account books and calculated the cost of storing ice in the palace in previous years. Compared with the ice tribute collected from the Su family, the price difference was more than 50%, and he couldn't help but marvel.
"Where did the Su family get this cheap ice cube? Could it be that it was conjured out of thin air?"
Directorate of Imperial Supplies Director Eunuch Chen said, "Duke, the Su family must have benefited from the tribute, and deliberately sold it to the palace at a loss to show their loyalty to the governor."
"If it were anyone else, our family would believe it."
Zhou Yi caressed his beardless chin. "Jiangning Su Family, it's different, it will definitely be profitable!"
Xiao Yinzi heard this and bowed down to report.
"Godfather, there is a message from Inspector Liu. Fanzi has been watching for a few months and found that there is nothing mysterious about that person. Instead, he is very laid-back and lazy. He does everything slowly and leisurely."
Zhou Yi shook his head and said, "Slowly, you can be confident. Tell Eunuch Liu to find out the secret of the Su family's ice making!"
"As commanded."
A strange color flashed in Xiao Yinzi's eyes. He admired his godfather's methods very much, saying that if the Su family had the means to make ice, they must have it.
Getting these secret recipes is like a gold mountain that cannot be dug out!
Zhou Yi knocked on the table, his mind wandering, and suddenly asked, "How did that person behave before, such as showing the name of the eldest prince?"
"Reply to godfather."
Xiao Yinzi said, "That person doesn't care about the Su family's business. However, in order to compete for the Kampot business, the Su family mortgaged their fields and dyeing workshops. If they can't win a share, they will go bankrupt."
"It wasn't until the debt collectors blocked the door and the Su family had almost no way out that the man took out the eldest prince's name card!"
"It's actually like this..."
Zhou Yi's eyes flashed, and he immediately understood that the Eastern Depot spy had been exposed.
The spies were all good at martial arts. They took turns to stare at the man. Instead of finding anything strange, they recognized the identity of Eastern Depot. From this, they speculated that he must possess mysterious martial arts.
In the past, he was indifferent to the Su family's business, but this time he helped the Su family win the ice tribute. This has three meanings.
The first is to tell Zhou Yi that I already know you, the second is to use the ice tribute to express a signal that we will not be enemies or even join forces, and the third is that the method of making ice is in his hands.
What ordinary people see as mountains of gold and silver, that person only uses it to deliver a message!
"It's fun, it's so fun!"
Zhou Yi clapped his hands and praised, it is easy to communicate with smart people, and everything can be explained clearly even though they are thousands of miles away.
"Xiao Yinzi, is there anyone in the Jiangning Su Family who is studying or serving as an official?"
Xiao Yinzi thought carefully and said, "That man is not on good terms with the Su family, but he takes good care of his wife. His brother-in-law failed to pass the Jinshi exam three times in a row!"
"Haosheng arranges the arrangements."
Zhou Yi ordered, "Next spring, let him become a Jinshi and seek an official position in the capital, and our family will also have to return the favor."
Xiao Yinzi asked, "Do I need to arrange a good ranking?"
"No need."
Zhou Yi said, "You have to follow the other person's wishes when it comes to returning gifts. If they don't want to be famous, if our family makes a big fuss, then this gift will turn into revenge!"
"Don't worry, godfather, everything will be done properly."
Xiao Yinzi Keep that person in mind and forget about the ice-making method. We must have a good relationship with him in the future.
"You go ahead, let's go meet an old friend."
Zhou Yi waved his entourage away and walked through the palace alone, kowtowing to all the chamberlains he met.
"It's a good job to be an errand."
"Yes, I have a bright future."
"You can make things happen, as our family says..."
With a pat on the shoulder and a few simple words, the waiter thanked him profusely and wished he could die for Zhou Yi immediately.
Until Cold Palace.
Zhou Yi glanced at the ancient palace gate. The paint was mottled, which was very different from the splendor of the rest of the palace.
"Old Lu, our family is here to see you."
As he was talking, he stepped in and saw Old Lu lying on the steps, basking in the scorching sun, but there was no sweat stain on his body.
Zhou Yi suspected more than once that Old Lu was an unparalleled master. However, several tests confirmed that he was an ordinary old eunuch who had only lived longer.
Old Lu opened his cloudy eyes. He had not seen her for two years and had become much older. His pupils were almost dilated.
"You kid is walking, but why is there no movement?"
"I'm used to it. When I was on duty in the palace in the early years, if anyone didn't walk quietly, if he stepped too hard and disturbed any noble, he would be pulled out and killed with a stick."
Zhou Yi didn't care about the dirt on the steps, lay down on it wearing a dragon's purple robe, and asked curiously.
"Old Lu, why don't you break a sweat? Could it be that you are immune to the cold and heat just like our family?"
"We are just a bad old man, but he can't compare to the famous Eunuch Yi. He even killed the innate Sword God!"
Old Lu stroked his chest gently. "A calm heart will naturally cool down. Our heart is about to stop. How can we still know whether it is hot or cold?"
Zhou Yi used Art of Breath Listening, and sure enough, Old Lu's heartbeat was slow and weak, as if it would stop at any time, and a trace of joy flashed in his eyes, as expected, it was as reported by the palace servant.
Old Lu is dying!
The servants on duty nearby are all confidants arranged by Zhou Yi, and they are always watching Cold Palace carefully.
Zhou Yi definitely didn't want to kill Old Lu, but wanted to watch him go with his own eyes and give him a ride as a way to repay his kindness for his guidance.
"Old Lu Don't worry, our family will give you a good life, and we will find a descendant for you in Beijing, change your surname to Lu, and offer incense to you every year!"
"No need to bother."
Old Lu shook his head and said, "Ashes will return to dust, dust will return to dust. Our family has long seen through life and death. There is no underworld in the world. It is just a lie to deceive believers."
Zhou Yi nodded slightly. "Come today, I still need to ask you something."
Old Lu said, "Is there anything in this world that Eunuch Yi can't do?"
"Of course!"
Zhou Yi said, "As the saying goes, prosperity must inevitably decline. This is an eternal truth."
"Our family is already the general admiral of the Eunuch Bureau, and also founded and ran Eastern Depot. It can be said that the most powerful eunuch in history is also going to decline?"
Happy New Year's Eve and Happy New Year!
I wish all readers good luck and fortune in the coming year!