You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 274 I am Liu Rushi. May I ask who you are?
Outside the Changmen Gate of Suzhou Prefecture, there is the ten-mile-long Shantang Street.

Jiang Qingyun requisitioned the private residence of a Donglin gentry family as the imperial envoy's headquarters. On one side of the headquarters was a large restaurant, and on the other side was a brothel.

Across the street is a theater.

Diagonally opposite are jewelry shops and antique shops.

In short, Shantang Street at this time was a bustling place where one could spend a fortune.

"Sir, the food is here."

"go in."

As usual, a taste test! The restaurant manager tasted it first, and then Zhou Cang tasted it again. That should have been enough.

"Wait, we need to try it again at home."

"is this necessary?"

"We cannot be careless."

The third uncle held a bowl in one hand and serving chopsticks in the other, picking up a piece of food from each dish.

……

The portions of food in restaurants in the Jiangnan region are already pitifully small.

The higher the price, the smaller the quantity.

With such a rigorous testing process, one can imagine the significance of the dish that would ultimately be presented to Jiang Qingyun.

on the table.

In a gleaming white porcelain dish that reflects one's image, a few fresh flower petals form the bottom, topped with two slices of braised white radish and a slice of mutton, all drizzled with a spoonful of rich, dark sauce.

This dish is called "Yangyang Deyi".

Jiang Qingyun picked up the only piece of mutton with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. Before he could even taste it, the mutton, which was too heavy to bear, melted down his throat.

"Yun'er, are you still hungry?"

"I really want to grab the shopkeeper and beat him up. He gives me 20 taels of silver a day for food, and this is all he feeds me?"

"Forget it, it'll sound bad if word gets out."

"A bunch of troublemakers have gone too far."

Jiang Qingyun picked up the unusually small and exquisite rice bowl while grumbling and swearing, and finished it in three bites.

……

A small riverside market town a few miles from Shantang Street has seven or eight shops and more than ten stalls, which can basically meet the daily consumption needs of the nearby villagers.

Jiang Qingyun, who was still hungry, went out for a stroll. His first purpose was to fill his stomach, and his second purpose was to learn about people's lives.

A large number of plainclothes guards followed them all the way, maintaining a distance of 3 zhang (approximately 10 meters).

After finishing a bowl of wood-fired wontons and two lard-filled sesame cakes, Jiang Qingyun wiped his mouth.

"Grandpa, how are things at home these days?"

"It's alright."

How many people are in your family?

"5 mouths".

"How many acres of land?"

12 mu.

"so little?"

"Sir, this is quite a lot. In Suzhou Prefecture, there are many people and little land. Owning a hundred acres of land is considered a sign of wealth."

"How much grain tax does your whole family pay in a year? How many days of corvée labor do you perform?"

"What are you doing here?" The old man at the stall immediately became alert.

"I am a merchant from the north."

"Don't ask, I don't know."

"If you continue with this rude attitude, I won't pay for my meal."

"It's alright, you can go now, go quickly."

Jiang Qingyun tossed down a string of copper coins and strode away, feeling slightly annoyed. He had only been in the world for a few years, yet he had completely forgotten all his experience dealing with people at the grassroots level. He really shouldn't have done that.

In-depth investigation? Undercover visit? They're essentially the same thing.

……

Back at the headquarters.

Zhu Guozhi was already waiting there.

"Your Excellency, I have arrested 212 Donglin Party members who participated in the riot that day. Another 41 people committed suicide by drowning out of fear of punishment. The number of those who are still at large is unknown, and we are making every effort to apprehend them."

"What about Qian Qianyi?"

"He fled back to his hometown of Changshu, but was caught and brought back by me." "This scoundrel deserves to be executed."

"The Grand Secretary's insight is brilliant!"

Zhu Guozhi grinned widely.

"why are you laughing?"

"Reporting to the Grand Secretary, these people incite the people, manipulate public opinion, conceal their land holdings, and engage in a battle of wits with the government. They are truly hateful. Just thinking about these hypocrites being thrown rotten eggs and vegetable leaves by the crowds on the execution ground makes me feel completely at ease."

"To deal with the Donglin Party, we must defeat them through public opinion and also judge them morally. We must not only kill them, but also destroy their spirit."

"Yes." Zhu Guozhi thought for a moment, then said in a low voice, "When the constables of the Provincial Surveillance Commission arrested Qian Qianyi, his wife also came along. She is currently staying at Canglang Pavilion."

"She is indeed a woman of great kindness and loyalty."

Jiang Qingyun fell into deep thought.

……

Canglang Pavilion is actually a typical Jiangnan garden.

In addition to its exquisite garden design, the garden is also blessed with the aura of many famous figures, such as Su Shunqin, Zhang Chun, Han Shizhong, and Ouyang Xiu, who were all once owners of this garden.

The famous critic Xiaoxiaosheng once said:

Famous gardens are like famous courtesans, often changing hands many times. The more times they change hands, the more valuable they become.

A light drizzle fell that day.
Surrounded by a large number of guards, Chief Minister Chiang Kai-shek came to visit the famous courtesan who lived in the renowned garden.

Outside Canglang Pavilion, a pool of spring water surrounds the garden.

Jiang Qingyun walked across the stone bridge and entered the garden, where he saw artificial hills piled up, ponds connected, covered corridors winding, pavilions and towers, flowers, trees and shrubs.

The gardens of Jiangnan are layered and have a deep sense of scenery, making it impossible to see the whole thing at a glance.

The set design emphasizes asymmetry!

No matter where a tourist stands or what angle they look from, they should be able to see a complete landscape painting.

Although Canglang Pavilion occupies a small area, it was built upon a wealth of resources and the aesthetic sensibilities of top-tier literati.

suddenly~
The faint sound of a zither could be heard, so Jiang Qingyun raised his hand to signal his bodyguards to stop.

Beneath the bamboo grove, beside the pond.

A woman danced gracefully, her figure lithe and elegant, sometimes leaping, sometimes spinning. Her clothes were extremely simple, thin, plain, long, and slightly clinging to her body, yet not at all seductive.

Her dance skills are exceptional; every gesture and glance is extraordinary.

In this moment, Jiang Qingyun instantly grasped the essence of Jiangnan garden art.

A large family lived in a quiet garden. Some were having affairs with their brothers-in-law, some were eyeing their daughters-in-law, and some were having affairs with their maids. Out of sight, out of mind.

The path takes unexpected turns, with highs and lows.

Random romance, sudden passion.

Just like now!
Jiang Qingyun was secretly admiring the scenery, but the scenery remained completely unaware.

In conclusion: Once I have my own garden, I'll keep a few more beautiful women!

……

Jiang Qingyun pondered that Liu Rushi was nearly 40 years old, yet she showed no signs of aging and her every move was like that of a young girl. How beautiful she must have been when she was in her prime.
After admiring the scenery for a while, he walked out of the bamboo forest.

The music stopped abruptly.

But Liu Rushi was unaware and continued dancing. Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, and the rainwater that had accumulated on the treetops fell like a localized moderate rain.

Liu Rushi quickly retreated to avoid the rain.

When I turned around, our eyes met.

At this moment, the artistic content of the gardens in Jiangnan is at its peak.

Jiang Qingyun smiled and carefully examined him from head to toe, remarking that too much or too little would be cloying, and that in the 17th century, without high technology, what one sees is what one gets.

"Is Madam Liu Rushi?"

"what?"

To everyone's surprise, the young woman was shocked, covering her mouth with her slender hand, looking incredulous.

Jiang Qingyun's heart skipped a beat.

Is there a mistake?

No way? ? ?
Seeing his expression, the young woman blushed, turned her head and called out softly.

"mother!"

Jiang Qingyun's mind went blank for a moment. By the lotus pond, under the shade of willow trees, a rather mature woman in a purple dress walked slowly toward him, bowed respectfully, neither humble nor arrogant.

"My name is Liu Rushi. May I ask who you are?"

(End of this chapter)