has become a demon

Chapter 23 Nightmare

As soon as the twelfth lunar month entered, all kinds of tributes prepared by officials from various prefectures were continuously sent to Shuntian Mansion.

There are tax silver, salt and grain on the bright side.

Some things that were under the table were sent to the private houses of the rich and powerful.

Shu Liang opened the box in front of him, and there was a stack of bank notes neatly stacked inside. He glanced at it lightly, noncommittal.

Liao Yixin, the young prisoner standing in the hall, was very clever, and said with a smile in a low voice: "Ningxia is cold early this year, the grain harvest is not as good as in previous years, and the Tatars have no food to eat and have repeatedly violated the border. To the master's filial money It is indeed a little less than last year, anyway, please forgive me and explain a thing or two in front of the prince."

"You also know that the year is not good this year, and there are fewer annual tributes everywhere." Shu Liang picked up the tea bowl and held it in his palm, "The master finally became the prince, not to mention anything else. One million. There is also the military pay for the Xuanzhou Army, the master's personal soldiers, the Jinyiwei and the Habayashi guards who followed the master...nearly [-] households, and the money collected by the court officials...don't think we follow The master is overwhelmed, so he is relieved. This country needs to be stable, and there are many places to spend money. Our family thinks that Jin Wu has lived a comfortable life in Ningxia Town, so we use such a small amount of money to deal with our family. Ningxia Wei The supervising army can come back if they don’t want to be big, our family will send someone else.”

Liao Yixin smiled and listened to Shu Liang's rebuke, and even bowed respectfully, not daring to refute at all. When Shu Liang finally finished speaking, he took out an inconspicuous bamboo tube from his sleeve and handed it over.

"Eunuch Jin really has his heart broken in Ningxia, and he dare not neglect the master's plan. Not only Eunuch Jin also knows that you have worked hard day and night, Bingbi, so I must bring this little heart to you."

Shu Liang pinched the bamboo tube with pale fingers, unscrewed it, and the amount of banknotes drawn out from it was not too small compared to the amount of tribute to the crown prince in the brocade box.

"In addition to the collection of taxes and food from the military households, the business with the Tatars outside the customs has not stopped. What do the Tatars lack, what do we sell, food, salt... and weapons. There is a big order recently, and the Tatars need it One hundred thousand long bows and arrow feathers. I have arranged for military households from all over the country to work overtime... Well, in the end, it is all to honor His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and you Bingbi..." He lowered his voice and said flatteringly.

"Ningxia Wei is an important place on the frontier of Daduan. Naturally, there are also many business opportunities." He slowly pushed the banknote back into the bamboo tube, put it in his sleeve, and said lightly, "Little Jinzi still has to worry about it."

"Grandfather Jin please don't worry, godfather, he will definitely handle Ningxia's errands well. He will never let the crown prince's great career be strained."

"Speaking of which, how is Yuan Shu's arrangement in Ningxia Town?"

"Arranged to live with those old, weak, sick and disabled military households at the horse farm near Ningxia Wei." Liao Yixin replied.

"Alive?"

"Alive."

Shu Liang nodded: "Although the title is deprived, it is still the blood of the clan after all. Let Jin Wu take good care of it, don't neglect it."

Liao Yixin is so smart, he bowed quickly when he heard this: "Don't worry, I will hurry up and send your message back to Ningxia immediately."

After Liao Yi finished his thoughts, he retreated from Shuliang's room and walked to the door of the palanquin hall. He saw the new Beizhen Fusi Zuozhen Fushi and Yuqian celebrity Shen Zhu standing in the corridor.

"Young Supervisor Liao." Shen Zhu cupped his fists.

Liao Yixin hurriedly replied: "Master Shen, you are being polite, I don't know what Master Shen is..."

"Oh, I have something to do at Bingbi's residence." Shen Zhudao, "Young Supervisor Liao finished his errands? How many days are you staying in Beijing?"

"I still need to visit a few noble people, and I'm going to Ningxia in three days." Liao Yixin smiled, "I hope I can go back before the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month."

"So there is something to trouble the young prisoner."

"My lord, please general."

Shen Zhu took out a golden bell tied with a peace knot from his bosom: "Young prisoner should know that I and Yuanshu, who is now imprisoned in Ningxia, are sworn brothers. Now that his father and brother rebelled with the deposed prince, I naturally want to fight with him." Draw a clear line...the golden bell he gave me when I was married has nowhere to put it. I also asked the young prisoner to take it back to Ningxia and find someone to give this bell to him. I said that Shen Zhu cut off his righteousness by cutting off his robe and asked him to take it away. Return the bell to put an end to my thoughts. I also ask him to call on His Majesty and the Crown Prince to be merciful, to turn over a new leaf and repent for the crimes committed by his father and brother."

Liao Yixin was somewhat suspicious, but it was hard to show it at this time, he took it with a smile, put it in his sleeve, and said: "Don't worry, I will definitely bring the bell and the message."

"Thank you very much." Shen Zhu cupped his fists.

In just four or five days, Zhao Yuan's courtyard is much more respectable than before.

Xie Taichu looked dignified and quiet when he was in the capital, but he was really down-to-earth in his work.The beams of the roof were re-strengthened, the grass was replaced, and the big black horse was brought back and forth from the mountain twice. The schist was brought back and piled up outside the house. The stones were lifted piece by piece and placed thinly at the corner, ready to be paved on the roof. .

The yard was compacted, all the pebbles were picked up, and even the threshold in the house was removed, making it much easier for Zhao Yuan's wheelchair to get in and out.

Two days ago, Di Bianping's fever finally subsided, and he came to thank him. When he entered the yard, he pressed Di Ying's head, and the two of them knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Zhao Yuan.

Zhao Yuan was taken aback: "Get up quickly, old man."

"Firstly, I didn't discipline this incompetent child stealing from your house. Secondly, you and Daoist Xie saved the old man's life, and you are the saviors." Di Bianping has white hair, and the wrinkles on his face are as yellow as the vicissitudes of life. The land is full of ravines, his right hand is tied to his chest, and his left hand is pressing on Di Ying, refusing to get up, "You are my benefactor of Di's family, and you are a great nobleman from the capital. There is nothing to repay our poor family. Well... Di Ying will follow you as a girl to serve you in your daily life. When you are 15 years old, you will take her into the house if you don't mind it."

Zhao Yuan's face turned red in an instant, and he quickly waved his hands: "No, no, no..."

"Don't be shy, sir! I'm strong!" Di Ying didn't care at all, and tried to sell herself, "I'm tough and good-tempered, so I won't drag you down. My grandpa said, I have a big hip and a big butt. And give you a big fat boy!"

Zhao Yuan was even more embarrassed, with thin sweat on his forehead, he refused anxiously, but was held down by Xie Taichu's shoulder.

"Your Highness is already married." Reverend Ning Shan's complexion is not good at the moment, so he just said lightly, "The one at home is very picky, I'm afraid the little girl will be wronged. Forget it."

Hearing that the mistress would be wronged if she was picky about the girl, old man Di's careful thought of "finding a good son-in-law according to the trend" suddenly disappeared.

He frowned: "Then what should I do. Xie En still needs to be thanked, otherwise her parents in the underground are afraid to dream that I don't know how to be grateful."

Zhao Yuan was stunned for a moment, "Miss Di...well, Miss Di's parents..."

Di Ying raised her head and said, "Dead. When the Tatars plundered and crossed the side wall, my father was killed in battle, and my mother was also killed by the Tatars. And my brother. The only family left is me and me." Lord."

"I shouldn't ask." Zhao Yuan said.

"What's the matter?" Di Bianping said, "Zhang Liangbao said there were 100 military households, but in fact there are less than [-] men alive, and the rest are orphans and widows. There is no right or wrong, you are serious. .”

He didn't care, and Di Ying didn't seem to care either.

But Zhao Yuan was silent for a long time.

"How about it." Zhao Yuan said, "If the old gentleman and miss don't dislike it, then you can recognize me as your elder brother. In the future, I will treat Miss Di with brotherhood."

"You are a nobleman in the capital, we have climbed high!" Di Bianping's eyes lit up, and he slapped Di Ying on the back of the head, "Hurry up and kowtow to your brother!"

That slap was real, and there was a slap, which made Zhao Yuan feel the pain.

Di Ying probably got used to it, scratched her head, bowed her head and kowtowed again: "Big...Brother!"

Zhao Yuansheng was afraid that Di Bianping would shoot her again, so he quickly agreed, "Oh, good!"

Satisfied, Di Bianping got up and looked around the house, and saw the arranged arrow feathers in the yard.

"The feathers are not easy to clean up. The work is tight and tiring, and the workload is relatively small." He shook his head, "Common people come from the capital, and they must be able to read and settle accounts. My old man has a broken arm now, but he can help me remember The master book of accounts. Would you like to do it?"

"Accounting?"

"Yes, someone has to sort out the records of feed consumption in the temple and horses coming in and out."

Zhao Yuan's eyes lit up: "That would be great. Of course I am willing. Thank you Mr. Di."

Ningxia town.

Mr. Zhang Yiqian's family waited not long after entering the Baozhai tea room, when the clerk inside came out and handed over a box and said, "Old man, this is 50 taels of silver, please keep it."

The master hesitated for a moment, took the box and opened it, and there was actually 50 taels of silver inside.

"Can you really exchange money?" He was surprised.

The man smiled and said politely: "We will take back the jade token. I don't know where the owner of the jade token is now?"

"Ah... in... our Zhang Liangbao." The master couldn't believe it, "This, is this really a token of the Qingxing Pavilion?"

The man looked back at the curtain behind him.

The person behind the curtain tapped the ground with his fingertips.

"Then see if this works. I'll arrange a carriage to take you back to Zhang Liangbao, and then you take me to find that person. The journey is twenty or thirty miles long, so you don't have to go back and walk." The man said with a smile, and turned away topic.

The master counted some money, and said absently: "Okay, fine. It's fine if you can do the job."

"Then let's go?"

"Come on, I'll take you there."

When the carriage entering Baozhai arrived at Zhang Liangbao, Zhao Yuan was already able to skillfully lay hands on Di Bianping.In recent days, he looked through many records of Yuanma Temple and compared them one by one.

Xie Taichu was pouring water into the pot from the stove.

There is some high foam in the pot, which is Di Bianping's treasure.

The high foam bubbled, and the tea fragrance wafted out.

Xie Taichu poured out the tea and shared a cup with each of them.

When Zhao Yuan was in the capital, it was not the best quality tea and he never tasted it, but now he took a sip of the high-foam tea that still had tea dregs, and he felt very happy.

"Good tea." He praised sincerely.

Old man Di smiled triumphantly: "This is something that the old man has treasured for many years, and it is not easy to take it out."

"Grandpa, in the tenth year of Zechang, there were still 21 military horses and 230 herdsmen in the Zhangliangbao Yuanma Temple. Why did Zechang [-] years ago, that is, last year, there were only [-] military horses left? There are only four hundred households?" He asked Di Bianping, "This is far lower than the cavalry establishment of Zhang Liangbao."

Di Bianping drank tea cherishingly, and glanced at Xie Taichu: "I see that the Taoist priest also travels to the frontier all the year round, do you know the reason?"

Xie Taichu sat down next to the two of them, raised his hands to warm the fire, and said: "The imperial court can't pay the national funds needed to raise horses, so the number of military horses is decreasing year by year. But the frontier is expensive and happy to see it. The pastures can't raise horses, so naturally they can." Farming. So the Yuanma Temple ranch was gradually annexed, and the herding army had no horses to raise, let alone farmland to plant. Gradually, they all fled back to the interior. Only the old, weak, sick and disabled were left with nowhere to go."

His palm was so hot that he warmed mink oil in his palm, and grabbed Zhao Yuan's wrist to activate his blood.

The chilblains on Zhao Yuan's hands healed a lot in a few days, all thanks to his careful care.

Zhao Yuan thought carefully, unaware of his movements, "I checked the information, and according to the establishment, Ningxia is an important border area, with three places in the center, avant-garde, and back. At least three thousand cavalry are required to be stationed in each place, and civilian farmers also need ten. Every household raises one horse for the army to requisition. Zhang Liangbao is the largest horse farm near Ningxia Town, and there are only [-] horses left. What about the other Yuanma temples?"

"It will only get worse." Xie Taichu said.

"Who is the nobleman here? Who has the courage to occupy the official ranch? This puts the frontier defenses in jeopardy. If the Tatars invade on a large scale, the Ningxia cavalry will be defeated. This person will become a sinner for the ages." Zhao Yuan asked with a frown. .

"Common people are people who understand." Di Bianping lost his relaxed expression just now. He put down his teacup and sighed in frustration, "It's just that no one can touch this person. The chief soldier dare not touch him, the governor dare not touch him, Even Prince Qing dare not touch him."

"who?"

"Jin Wu, the eunuch who oversees the army."

"Jin Wu? Is it Shu Liang's godson?"

"It's him. Since he was dispatched to Ningxia, he has become an eunuch supervising the army. He has great power and holds the power of Ningxia's military equipment. Even the Ningxia Guards have to listen to him." Xie Taichu said, "He is Shu One of Liang's most trusted direct descendants, and whom Shu Liang is loyal to, His Highness will not be surprised."

Zhao Ji.

The moment this name appeared in Zhao Yuan's mind, he seemed to hear the grievances and wailing of Tianshou Mountain in the camp, and also seemed to see Su Wang's mansion reduced to ashes in the raging fire.

For a moment, he was a little dazed.

He thought that he was imprisoned in Ningxia Wei, so he stayed away from the struggle between the government and the opposition, power strife, and this person... Maybe he can survive and live in peace.

It turned out that the nightmare has been going on, like a shadow, but he never woke up.

Zhao Yuan's face was pale, which made Xie Taichu a little worried.

"Your Highness..." Just as he was about to speak out to comfort him, he heard someone greet him outside the chai gate.

"May I ask if Daoist Ningshan is here?"

Xie Taichu got up to look, and outside the door was a gold-rimmed carriage drawn by tall horses, with the words "Jinbaozhai" printed on the door.He put down his teacup and got up to go out.

"Presumably this is Daoist Ningshan."

"It's down."

The clerk came forward with a smile and bowed respectfully, "Hello, my master. I'm Zheng Fei, the man from Jinbaozhai, here to pick me up and go to the branch in Ningxia Town."

Jinbaozhai is a big business in the north of Daduan. It seems that Jinbaozhai has been established since the founding of Daduan, and it has lasted for hundreds of years.The business can be done, the reputation is good, and there are many contacts inside and outside the pass.

Now the guys in silk and satin came to this countryside looking for someone, and they even called Xie Taichu his boss.

Di Bianping's eyes went straight.

He secretly wondered if he should find an opportunity for Zhao Yuan to set up a line and marry Di Ying to Xie Taichu?

"Who asked you to come?"

"It belongs to the big shopkeeper." The man said, "The medicinal materials you wrote to send over have also arrived in the shop, please come with me to get them."

Xie Taichu nodded, turned to Zhao Yuan and said, "I'll go to Ningxia Town to deal with some matters. I'll be back tomorrow."

Zhao Yuan said yes, but felt that something was wrong.

"The real person doesn't need to tell me where I am going."

Hearing his words, Xie Taichu said quietly for a moment: "Before, I was used to doing my own thing, leaving His Highness to wait. It was Xie Taichu's fault."

He turned to the guy and asked, "Can I bring something warmer in the carriage?"

"There are animal hides, cashmere cloaks, diamond carbon and shochu."

"Take them all down."

The man answered yes, took these down with the coachman, and moved them into the yard.

Xie Taichu put the cloak on Zhao Yuan's shoulder, and said to him: "Where to go and what to do in the future, His Highness will definitely know."

Before Zhao Yuan fully comprehended the meaning of Xie Taichu's words, he turned around and stepped out, got into the car and drove away.

Zhao Yuan was wearing that big cloak, looking at the empty street outside the door, lost his mind for a moment.

After a while, old man Di winked and asked him: "I said common man, did this Xie Xianchang ever get married?"

Zhao Yuan coughed and looked up at the sky.

After a while, the turmoil in his heart finally calmed down before he could speak.

"Reverend Ningshan has never been married."

he heard himself say.