Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 128 The so-called law of the king, the closer you are to the king, the more the law is like a knife (Seeking monthly votes!)
The capital region was chilled by a sudden cold snap.

The north wind whipped up leaden-gray clouds that pressed heavily against the sky, threatening rain but refusing to fall, making people feel uneasy.

On the official road, a carriage was traveling at a leisurely pace.

Along the official road, the emerald green wheat seedlings have already sprouted from the soil, lush and verdant, forming a green sea.

But occasionally you can still see a few glaring patches of yellowish-brown wasteland.

In front of the carriage, a young scholar dressed in a Confucian robe rode a horse, his posture upright like a pine tree.

He suddenly reined in his horse, turned it around, and came to the carriage window, leaning slightly forward.

"Lord Biyu, Lord Shedou, I will go to the fields to investigate as usual, and then meet you in Zhuozhou tonight."

An old hand lifted the curtain of the car window, revealing a wrinkled face.

He glanced at the sky and nodded.

A hint of weariness showed in his cloudy eyes as he slowly said, "Very well. Brother Youfu and I have been traveling for days and are really too tired to accompany you. We will have a servant meet you at the city gate after we have settled in the city."

"Thank you for your arrangements, Bi Yu Gong." The young scholar nodded, nimbly dismounted, handed the riding whip to his servant, and headed straight for the fields.

The old man watched his retreating figure in silence for a long time before finally drawing the curtains.

Inside the car sat another elderly man with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.

The carriage started moving again, but there was silence inside.

"Being young is great..." After a long while, the first old man sighed out of the blue.

The old man, who had been resting with his eyes closed, didn't even lift his eyelids, but said in a low voice, "Jingzhi's words are not what they seem. It's not just because he's young."

Upon hearing this, both of them simultaneously lost interest in chatting and remained silent for the rest of the journey.

Who is inside the car?

The first one.

He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 35th year of the Wanli reign, a fellow student of Yang Lian of the Donglin Academy, and a model of the upright officials who rose from Shujishi (a junior official in the Hanlin Academy) to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

—Cheng Jiming, courtesy name Jingzhi, sobriquet Biyu, was 68 years old at the time.

Second place.

He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 20th year of the Wanli reign, and served as a corrupt official in the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Transmission, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of War.

—Wang Yongguang, courtesy name Youfu, sobriquet Shedou, was 66 years old at the time.

As for the scholar riding a horse outside the carriage, that was none other than Lu Xiang-sheng, the prefect of Daming Prefecture.

At this moment, they had reached ten miles outside Zhuozhou City, and were only a little over a hundred miles away from the capital.

……

Lu Xiang-sheng walked along the official road, his gaze sweeping over the wheat fields. Soon, he locked onto a particular field.

The land was only a few acres in size, and the family of three was only now beginning to sow the seeds.

A thin, slightly gray-haired farmer tied the rope of the seed drill to his body and pulled it with all his might like an animal.

Behind him, a seven or eight-year-old boy was using all his strength to hold up the wobbly seed drill.

The woman followed at the back, carrying a hoe, and hastily covered the sown seeds with soil.

The north wind blew, stirring up dust from the ground and making the boy's thin clothes cling tightly to his body, making him look even thinner.

Lu Xiang-sheng didn't say anything, but simply rolled up the hem of his Confucian robe, tied it in a knot at his waist, and stepped into the muddy field without hesitation.

He walked to the back of the seed drill, stretched out his hands, placed them on the shafts, and pushed it forward with a sudden jerk.

"Hey!"

The seed drill suddenly lurched forward, increasing its speed considerably.

The old farmer pulling the cart in front suddenly felt a lightness on his body and was startled.

He turned around in surprise and saw a strange scholar in blue robes standing behind him, his boots covered in mud.

Lu Xiang-sheng smiled slightly at him, revealing two rows of white teeth: "Old man, I am a scholar who has come to the capital to take the imperial examination. I would like to ask you some questions about farming. But there's no rush. Let's finish sowing this row of land first."

The old farmer looked at Lu Xiang-sheng's attire and demeanor, nodded blankly, then turned away, seemingly feeling embarrassed at being helped, and pulled him forward with all his might.

The row of seeds was sown very quickly.

The family of three stood in the field, looking at the unfamiliar young man, seemingly at a loss for what to do.

“Young master…” The old farmer rubbed his hands, unsure of what to say.

Lu Xiang-sheng looked at them, then at his mud-covered boots, and laughed loudly, "Since we've already worked the land and our boots are dirty, we might as well sow a few more rows as an apology for taking up your time."

"No, no!" The old farmer waved his hands repeatedly, trying to snatch the seed drill.

Lu Xiang-sheng shook his head, not arguing with him, and went around to the front, slung the rope over his shoulder, and walked forward without saying a word.

He was incredibly strong and had a steady gait; the heavy seed drill seemed to weigh almost nothing in his hands.

The family of three was stunned.

The old farmer realized what was happening and quickly followed, pushing the cart from behind with all his might.

The boy followed behind, watching Lu Xiang's tall figure, and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Father, this young man is so strong, like an ox, and much faster than you!"

"Nonsense!" the old farmer scolded in a low voice, his face full of embarrassment.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiang-sheng burst into laughter, his voice unusually hearty: "Haha, when I was a kid, I used to till the fields at home, and my friends all called me 'Big Ox Lu'! You little brat, you have a good eye!"

Laughter dispelled the awkwardness in the field.

He sowed three or four more rows in one go, and with the field already more than halfway planted, the old farmer's unease grew heavier and heavier.

He rushed forward and grabbed the seed drill tightly, refusing to let Lu Xiang-sheng continue.

“My lord, this is absolutely not right, this is truly not right… You are a scholar, with a precious body, how can you do such rough work…”

Lu Xiang-sheng looked at the remaining half of the land, then at the old farmer's fearful face, and ultimately did not insist any further.

He untied the rope, walked to the edge of the field, cupped his hands in greeting, and his expression became solemn.

“I am indeed a scholar traveling to the capital. I have heard that the new emperor values ​​achievements, so I wish to ask about agriculture along the way in preparation for his questions.”

He pointed to the newly sown land and asked, "Old man, I've traveled all the way from Daming Prefecture, and all the wheat along the way has already been sown. Why is it that only half of your land has been sown yet?"

Upon hearing this, the old farmer hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting around, and he stammered, unsure of how to begin.

As a child, he was still young and spoke without restraint, letting out a soft hum.

"We only got our turn because they tilled the land and sowed seeds for that benevolent Feng family first!"

"You brat!" The old farmer glared at his son in exasperation.

Fortunately, the young man in front of her did not react excessively, so she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Please don't be offended, young man. The child is just talking nonsense and doesn't know any better."

“That’s how it is,” he said carefully, organizing his thoughts before explaining, “This Feng Shanren was originally a soldier, but somehow he had a stroke of good luck and passed the imperial examination. I heard he became a high-ranking official in Beijing. A few years ago, he returned to his hometown and acquired a large plot of land in our Zhuozhou.”

“I…I am his tenant. The land we rented was by the river, which was excellent irrigated land with a higher yield, so naturally we had to prioritize planting on that land.”

"These few acres of thin land belong to our family, but they are far from the water source. We can only take care of our own land after we finish working on the other side."

He seemed afraid that Lu Xiang-sheng would misunderstand, so he added, "Actually, Mr. Feng is quite good. His rent is lower than others, and he's not as strict about collecting payments. When the harvest is bad, he's always willing to give a few days' grace. This kid is ignorant, saying things like 'his family' and 'my family'. He's just making a fool of himself in front of you, sir."

Lu Xiang-sheng listened quietly and nodded: "We really need to hurry. For wheat sowing, the Autumn Equinox is the best time, followed by the White Dew. It's already close to the Frost's Descent, which is indeed a bit late."

The old farmer gave a wry smile: "It's okay if it's late. We can plant more seeds and put in more effort. We'll still have a harvest eventually."

Lu Xiang-sheng then asked, "Is there any fodder for horses in Zhuozhou?"

"Of course we'll collect it!" the old farmer replied immediately. "The autumn tax just passed, and my family only paid one bundle."

Lu Xiang-sheng raised an eyebrow slightly: "I see that you only have a few acres of land, sir. Do you really have to pay a full bundle of grain?"

"This..." The old farmer shook his head blankly. "I don't know either. Anyway, the village chief came to tell us that every household has to hand in a bundle of grass."

Lu Xiang-sheng nodded, his gaze becoming somewhat deep, but he said nothing.

He bowed to the old farmer again, saying, "I'm sorry to have bothered you, sir."

The old farmer had never received such a grand gesture from a scholar before. He was so startled that he quickly stepped aside and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Young master, you're too kind. I... I didn't say anything."

He then asked, "Young master, it's getting dark soon, why don't you... stay at my house for the night? It's simple, but it's clean enough."

Lu Xiang-sheng shook his head and pointed to the servant leading the horse on the distant official road: "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I have already made an appointment with a friend in Zhuozhou City, so I cannot trouble you any further."

As he spoke, he reached into his sleeve, pulled out a small object wrapped in oiled paper, and handed it over.

"I passed through Baoding Prefecture the other day and bought some maltose, but I don't like sweets."

"I really like your child because he is so lively and adorable. Here's a little something for him as a snack. It's also my way of apologizing for keeping you in your shoes for so long."

After saying that, without waiting for the old farmer to refuse, he turned around and strode away.

Upon reaching the official road, he casually plucked a few wild grasses from the roadside, wiped the mud off his boots, mounted his horse, and galloped off with his servant toward Zhuozhou.

……

On the ridge of the field, the old farmer watched the young scholar's departing figure, still somewhat puzzled.

The boy looked up at the oil paper package in his father's hand, his mouth practically watering.

The old farmer turned around, took a look, and laughed heartily.

He patted the boy's head with his rough, large hand: "Here, have some. You're so hungry."

The boy shook his head: "Father, you've worked hard. Father, eat first."

The old farmer paused for a moment, his eyes slightly burning.

He carefully opened the oil paper package, and a sweet fragrance instantly wafted out.

He brought the candy to his lips, licked it lightly with the tip of his tongue, sighed contentedly, and then handed the candy to his son.

The boy shook his head again, then looked at his equally tired mother beside him: "Mother, you've worked hard too, Mother, eat first."

The woman looked at her sensible son with smiles in her eyes. She reached out and touched the child's head, took the candy, but only touched it to her lips before handing it back to the child.

The boy happily took it, carefully put it in his mouth, and his eyes narrowed into slits with happiness.

"Let's go, let's keep going!" The old farmer straightened up and looked at the unsown land. "Wife, you go home first and get that oil lamp. Even if it takes more oil tonight, we have to finish sowing the rest of the land!"

He looked up at the gray, gloomy sky, his brows furrowing tightly.

"I just hope this rain doesn't start too fast."

"Otherwise, the harvest from these few acres will likely be bad." ...

As darkness fell completely, only two people and two riders remained on the official road.

The evening breeze carries the scent of soil and vegetation from the fields, along with a touch of coolness.

Soon, they arrived at Zhuozhou City.

Lu Xiang-sheng reined in his horse at the foot of the city wall.

Even in the darkness of night, one can still feel the grandeur and profoundness of that city.

Two lanterns were already lit on the city gate tower.

Under the dim light, a couplet was faintly visible:

"A strategically vital location on the edge of the sun, and the most troublesome state in the world."

The calligraphy retains its original style, but the scene beyond the characters is quite different.

More than an hour before curfew, the city gates were already locked, with only a small side gate open for people to enter and exit.

A few soldiers leaned lazily against the door, shouting at the people entering the city. Only when someone took out a few coins from their sleeve and stuffed them into their hand could they get an impatient sidestep.

The decline of social morality is already evident in this corner.

Lu Xiang-sheng remained expressionless, dismounted, and silently joined the end of the line.

When it was his turn, a soldier glanced at him sideways and shrugged, "Five coins per person, but you're riding a horse, so you get ten extra coins!"

This is several times higher than others.

Lu Xiang-sheng said nothing, counted out thirty coins from his sleeve, and threw them into the soldier's hand.

The soldier chuckled, weighed the object in his hand, and then made way for it.

……

At the inn, Lu Xiang-sheng asked for a basin of hot water, quickly washed his face, and cleansed away the dust of his journey.

Just as he changed into a clean set of clothes, his personal servant's voice came from outside the door.

"My lord, someone has delivered a visiting card outside the door, inviting you to a banquet tonight."

Lu Xiang-sheng accepted the visiting card, which was a large red name card with several large, elegant characters written in gold powder.

"Respectfully presented by Feng Boheng of Zhuozhou."

Lu Xiang-sheng held the rather heavy visiting card, but did not open it; he simply stroked it lightly with his fingers.

He asked, "Did the other two gentlemen also receive their visiting cards?"

The servant nodded: "The men who came are leading three carriages and are still waiting outside the inn. They said they have brought three invitation cards and are eager to invite the three gentlemen to come."

Lu Xiang-sheng's finger stopped on the three characters "Feng Boheng".

After a moment, he shook his head and casually placed the visiting card on the table.

"You declined."

His voice was calm.

"We will say that we are carrying out the Emperor's orders and are in a hurry to return to the capital, so we dare not hold a private banquet. We will come to Zhuozhou again when we have time, and have a drink and conversation with Scholar Feng."

"Yes." The servant acknowledged the order and left.

Lu Xiang-sheng stood silently in the room for a moment, then finally shook his head, seemingly with a hint of self-mockery.

He walked to the table and took out a booklet from his pocket.

The booklet was already densely covered with writing.

“In Daming Prefecture, there are five to seven bundles of horse fodder per hectare.”

“Guangping Prefecture, nine to thirteen bundles per qing.”

“In Shunde Prefecture, there are twelve to nineteen bundles per qing (a unit of area).”

“In Zhen Ding Prefecture, each qing (a unit of area) yields 18 to 27 bundles.”

“Baoding Prefecture, 25 to 35 bundles per qing.”

……

Lu Xiang-sheng picked up his pen and added a new line of record below.

“In Zhuozhou, each qing (a unit of area in Taiwan) yields 28 to 41 bundles.”

After finishing writing, he looked at the various data points from Daming all the way north and finally couldn't help but sigh.

The law is the law of the king; the closer one is to the king, the more ruthless the law becomes.

Can his line of work really change anything...?

If things can't be changed, it's probably better to just get things done steadily in Daming Prefecture.

He had just sorted out the old accounts of land tax and was about to make great strides when he was suddenly transferred to handle the horse feed matter.

Horse grass, horse grass, seemingly a military and political matter of the nine border regions, but in reality, it is probably inseparable from the word "king".

The light in Lu Xiang-sheng's room went out after a moment.

……

Next door, in Cheng Jiming's room, the nearly seventy-year-old minister, wearing an amulet, was carefully reading through more than ten official gazettes from different dates that he had copied from the post station, by the light of the lamp.

Wei Zhongxian hanged himself, and Cui Chengxiu and Tian Ji were exiled...

Zhang Ruitu, the "Three-No-Knows Grand Secretary," has been dismissed...

New policies in the capital... Xue Guoguan, Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture
Sun Chengzong was reinstated as the Commander-in-Chief of Jiliao...

Cheng Ji Ming read through each character and then removed the Ai Dai.

He stared blankly at the oil lamp for a while, countless thoughts flashing through his mind, but he could only let out a soft sigh.

After a while, the lights in Chengji's room went out.

……

Meanwhile, in Wang Yongguang's room, all the lights were already off.

If you listen closely, you can hear steady, rhythmic snoring, which sounds especially peaceful in this bleak, cold night.

That night, none of the three people who had traveled together from Daming Prefecture went to the banquet hosted by Feng Boheng, the landlord from Zhuozhou.

……

The Feng residence.

Inside the brightly lit hall, Feng Quan listened to the servant's report, and the smile on his face gradually froze.

"All three... declined?"

"Yes...yes, sir," the servant replied tremblingly. "They all said...they all said they were in a hurry to get on the road and dared not delay."

Feng Quan clenched his fist instantly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

Wang Yongguang and Cheng Jiming were one thing, but even Lu Xiangsheng, who appeared out of nowhere, dared to slap him in the face. It was simply outrageous!

When I passed the imperial examination, you were still playing in the mud somewhere!

However, anger is useless; the victor is king and the loser is villain.

He's now favored by the Emperor, which makes him far more remarkable than that former eunuch from the previous dynasty!
Having figured this out, Feng Quan slowly loosened his clenched fist.

He even managed a slight smile, but there was no warmth in that smile.

“Good, very good.” He said softly, “Since the three of you are so eager to share the Emperor’s burdens, I naturally cannot hold you back.”

Feng Quan picked up his teacup and instructed the servant:

"Tomorrow morning, you will lead a group of servants to wait at the east gate."

“Just say…just say that my master knows that the three of you are in a hurry to receive the Emperor’s favor, and dares not disturb you.”

“However, from Zhuozhou to the capital, before crossing the Lugou Bridge, bandits are rampant. My master has specially ordered you to accompany and protect them to ensure the safety of the three lords.”

The servant hesitated for a moment: "Master, what if... what if they still refuse?"

Feng Quan's facial muscles twitched suddenly.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.

However, in the end, I couldn't resist.

boom!
He smashed the scalding hot teacup at the servant's feet, shards of porcelain flying everywhere. The scalding tea made the servant shudder, but he didn't dare utter a sound.

“Refuse?” Feng Quan gritted his teeth, squeezing out each word slowly and deliberately. “If you refuse, then you better follow me from a distance! Do you think they’ll draw their swords and drive you away on the main road?”

"Get out of here!"

"Yes, yes!" The servant scrambled out.

In the empty hall, only Feng Quan remained. He looked out the window at the deep night, his chest heaving violently.

Human relationships are like paper, and worldly affairs are like a game of chess.

Why leave no room for compromise?
The way you three are acting is really making it clear that I have no chance of recovery!

I, Feng Quan, am only thirty-two years old this year!

……

Ten miles outside the city.

After working until midnight, the broadcast was finally finished.

The family, exhausted, packed up their farm tools and walked along the path home.

"Hey, Daddy, look!"

The little boy's clear voice was full of surprise. He pointed to the sky and jumped up and down, shouting, "The moon is out!"

The old farmer suddenly looked up.

The previously gloomy sky had cleared away, revealing a bright, clear moon hanging high in the sky. Its cool, clear light cascaded over the fields like mercury, coating them with a layer of silver frost.

(I tried my best, but the AI ​​wouldn't listen to me... this is the best I could do.)
(End of this chapter)