All Heavens and Worlds Modified History System

Chapter 125 Twin Flowers Bloom
In Rongxi Hall, the haggard Lady Jia was trying hard to entertain the guests.

"Madam, since you are in the capital, just stay here. There is no need to find another place to live."

This concubine is not that concubine. Aunt refers to a relative from the aunt's family, while Madam is a respectful title for a lady of status in this era.

"This is too much of a bother." Aunt Xue said a few polite words, but she saw that everyone looked listless.

"Old lady." She was puzzled. "I wonder if there is any trouble in the mansion?"

"Oh~~~"

When it comes to this, Grandmother Jia is troubled. "To be honest, Madam, something has indeed happened. It's not that I can't tell you, it's just too embarrassing."

Mrs. Wang at the side took over the conversation and said, "Eat first. After dinner, I will come to your place and tell you everything."

Ignoring the main business, Grandmother Jia's attention fell on Xue Baochai.

"What a pretty girl."

Xue Baochai was polite and courteous, and bowed shyly.

Mrs. Wang beside her looked at her, thoughtfully.

After the banquet, Aunt Xue went to her sister's room and curiously asked, "What happened? Why are you all so sad?"

"It's something next door." Madam Wang waved her hand. "Something happened in the East Palace. Their house has been confiscated."

"What?!" Aunt Xue was shocked and asked quickly, "Tell me, has this been implicated?"

She didn't want to be implicated just after coming to her sister's aid.

Mrs. Wang explained and said, "Chen Zhuangyuan is responsible for this matter."

When Aunt Xue heard Chen Ran's name, her heart skipped a beat and she subconsciously looked away.

That person is not only the top scorer in the imperial examination, but is now a high-ranking official?
"What's wrong with you?" Mrs. Wang saw that she was unusual. "Why is your face so red?"

"Nothing." Aunt Xue quickly covered her face with her hands. "Maybe it's too hot in the room."

Mrs. Wang looked at her suspiciously, but couldn't guess what was going on, so she simply skipped the topic and said, "Think carefully about Baochai's entry into the palace. There is already an elder sister in the mansion who has entered the palace."

"It's always a way out." Aunt Xue didn't care and just wanted to send her daughter into the palace.

Seeing that she was determined, Mrs. Wang didn't say anything more. This matter would not succeed anyway.

Women entering the palace have to undergo a very strict physical examination.

Xue Baochai is ill and needs to take Lengxiang Pills. How could she be chosen to enter the palace?

When they arrived at Lixiangyuan, the residence arranged by the Jia family, before they had time to settle down, they heard Xue Pan rushing in noisily.

"Mom, I'm scared!"

"What's the matter?"

"Several cousins ​​from the Jia Mansion invited me to dinner, and I met Brother Bao." Xue Pan danced with joy exaggeratedly, "You didn't see him, but Brother Bao's face, tsk tsk tsk~~~ looked like a ghost!"

Chen Ran didn't know that Aunt Xue and her family had come to the capital, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care.

He was busy interrogating everyone in Ningguo Mansion strictly, squeezing all their silver out of each household.

An ordinary servant was questioned and then sent back to the mansion to continue working.

But people like Lai Er, who were in charge, even spit out the silver hidden in the outer room under torture.

After Jia Yucun presided over the tax-sharing bidding in several prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River, Jia Zhen's case of treason was also closed in a low-key manner.

As the masterminds, Jia Zhen and his son were sentenced to exile to Shamen Island.

Lai Er and others who were forcibly charged with involvement were exiled to the imperial mausoleum.

It seems that they have saved their lives, but in fact, any discerning person knows that these people are dead.

It has never been heard that anyone exiled to Shamen Island could survive more than three years. They all died silently and were thrown into the sea to feed the fish.

As for being exiled to the imperial mausoleum, that would be even more tragic.

Lai Er and his men are not eunuchs, so it is not their job to guard the imperial mausoleum. Their job is to repair the imperial mausoleum, and they don't have to worry about life or death.

Either he died of exhaustion on the construction site of the imperial mausoleum, or he was locked inside when the dragon stone fell.

There is no other way.

"Once we get to Shamen Island, we'll find a chance to do it." After watching Jia Zhen and his son, who were wearing heavy shackles and had almost no flesh on their bodies, being carried into the cabin, Chen Ran told the constables who were seeing them off, "You are all veterans, so I don't need to say much."

"Don't worry, sir." The constable took the banknote and put it away skillfully, and replied in a low voice, "The prisoner accidentally fell into the pit while going to the toilet."

Chen Ran smiled and patted his shoulder. "Go ahead."

Watching the official ship gradually move away, Chen Ran mounted his horse and returned to the city.

This time, I went straight back to Ningguo Mansion.

The women of Ningguo Mansion were sentenced to be supervised on the spot, and the supervisor was Chen Ran himself.

When he arrived at the gate, he looked up and saw that the original imperially built Ningguo Mansion plaque had been taken down and replaced with a "Chen Mansion" plaque. Chen Ran smiled silently.

After entering the mansion, he went straight into the back garden and ran to Tianxiang Tower.

When he walked into the garden, he ran into Third Sister You.

"master."

Compared to the cautiousness and precautions I took when I first came to the mansion.

At this time, Third Sister You smiled brightly and stepped forward to greet him enthusiastically, "Thank you, Master."

"no need thank me?"

"Thank you, Master, for protecting my sister's reputation." Third Sister You took a step forward, and the scent of perfume on her body rushed straight into Chen Ran's nostrils. "Master, you are so kind, and we sisters have no way to repay you."

He raised his hand and rubbed his nose. "And then?"

Third Sister You blushed and said, "I am willing to pledge my love to you~~~"

Two lines of subtitles passed by Chen Ran's eyes. 'Third Sister Yu's modification has been completed, and the reward is now issued.'

'Note: When you use the skill 'Twin Flowers Bloom', the girl with whom you have a sister relationship will have her favorability towards you increased by 50%.'

"Hiss~~~" Chen Ran's expression did not change, but he was extremely surprised in his heart.

"This is the first time I've used a skill directly. Not bad, not bad, really good."

After coughing, Chen Ran sighed slightly, "I heard you have a sister?"

Third Sister You was stunned for a moment, as if she didn't believe her ears, but the next moment, she suddenly came to her senses.

She does have an older sister, You Erjie, who is living a hard life at home!
When I came to my senses, Chen Ran had already left the garden and went to Tianxiang Tower.

Tianxiang Tower is located in the back garden of Ningguo Mansion, also known as "Huifang Garden".

This is a beautiful building with exquisite workmanship, which is especially eye-catching at night when the whole building is hung with strings of lanterns.

Inhale. Cough cough.

In any case, Chen Ran did not live in the main courtyard, but moved into Tianxiang Tower with Qin Keqing.

In the following days, many royal relatives and nobles who had won the bidding for the tax-sharing business in Jiangnan Prefecture went south in a mighty procession to collect taxes.

As soon as this group of people left, the city seemed to suddenly become quiet and peaceful.

Chen Ran's life also returned to normal.

He went to work every day, and then went home to eat and drink and feed Qin Keqing.

Occasionally when he has free time, he visits the You sisters and brings them takeout meals.

In a blink of an eye, several months have passed and winter is approaching.

On this day, Chen Ran was taking a day off at home, sleeping soundly as usual.

"Master, Master~~~"

Ping'er's slightly hurried call outside the door woke up the sleeping people.

He opened his eyes with a yawn, took his arm away from his body, told the You sisters to continue sleeping, then got up, put on his robe, and came out to open the door.

"what's up?"

"Master, an angel from the palace has come and said that His Majesty wants you to come into the palace immediately."

"Walk."

When the door closed, You Erjie, who was curled up in the quilt, looked at You Shi timidly, "Sister, what are we doing~~~"

"What, are you tired of the life of luxury?" Third Sister You sneered as she stood up and dressed herself. "Do you know what would have happened to my eldest sister if it hadn't been for the master's rescue? She would have been sent to the Music Bureau!"

"Second sister." Yu Shi, who was in her early thirties and was a mature fruit, held Yu Erjie's hand and sighed, "It's good now. Serving the master alone is always a hundred times better than serving a group of people."

"More than that." Third Sister You added, "At least we can continue to live a life of luxury!"

You Erjie was a person without her own opinion, so after hearing what her sisters said, she gave up any other thoughts.

Chen Ran rode his horse to the gate of the imperial palace, dismounted and went straight into the imperial study.

There were quite a few people in the Imperial Study, including several cabinet ministers.

The emperor narrowed his eyes and looked at Chen Ran, snorting coldly, "Your idea is great!"

Chen Ran was puzzled. "Which idea?"

An elder standing by couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "Chen Ran, you are doing tax farming. You have caused public outrage in the prefectures of Jiangnan and caused civil unrest. This is simply a heinous crime!"

"Master Fang." Chen Ran bowed to him. "You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. You come up and put the blame on me. You want to pass the buck so badly. Could it be that you are also involved in this?"

"How dare you!" The white-haired Fang Ge Lao was furious. "How dare you talk to me like that?"

"Why not?" Chen Ran spread his hands. "You and I are both his Majesty's subjects, working for him. The only difference is what we do. How do you want me to talk to you? Do I have to say 'Please report' to you?"

"Your Majesty!" Fang Ge Lao was so angry that he jumped up like thunder and trembled as he reported to the emperor, "Look at him!"

"That's enough." The emperor waved his hand, "You must not be rude to the elder."

Then there is no more then.

Seeing Lord Fang being humiliated, several ministers nearby couldn't help laughing secretly.

It is obvious that Chen Ran wants to be a lone minister, and he is very good at making money for the emperor. Why bother provoking him?

After rebuking Fang, Chen Ran turned to the main topic, "As for the Jiangnan uprising, it is up to the cabinet to figure out how to deal with it. I am only the chancellor of Shuntian Prefecture, and a temporary governor at that. I am not qualified to discuss it."

"You!" Fang Ge Lao wanted to speak again, but the emperor interrupted him directly, "Okay, I just want to ask you, how do you think the Jiangnan uprising should be handled?"

Chen Ran directly asked back, "Is it really a civil uprising?"

The emperor frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I have checked before. There are seven prefectures that are tax-farming this time. They are the ones that have paid the least taxes over the years among the dozens of prefectures in Jiangnan. The land in these places is almost all in the hands of wealthy families. Where do the people come from? If there are no people, how can there be a civil uprising?"

Land annexation is a stubborn problem that the feudal dynasty could not solve no matter what.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was no exception.

The areas that were subject to taxation this time were all places in Jiangnan where land annexation was most serious, and the land was concentrated in the hands of large families.

Most of the common people were tenants of the big households, and it was not their turn to pay taxes.

If this is the case, how could the common people who have nothing to do with the matter start a civil uprising? It is clearly the wealthy families who are causing trouble.

The emperor was of course aware of these things, and he asked again, "Just tell me what we are going to do!"

"The best strategy is to send troops to suppress the rebellion." Chen Ran was not polite and started to use force. "Send the army over there, search for the mastermind behind the incident, confiscate his property and behead him. The situation will be quelled in a month at most."

"You, you, you~~~" Several ministers could not sit still. "How dare you! A mere official dare to talk about military affairs? How dare you!"

(End of this chapter)