Chapter 874: The Prodigy, Planning for Years
Li Tian has always felt that there is a layer of mystery surrounding her man.
The emperor's brother.
A great figure of the Mohist school.
The mortal enemy of Confucianism.
A famous general of the Ming Dynasty.
Not even twenty years old, he has already been surrounded by thousands of people and is the focus of everyone's attention.
When Chang came, Li Tian was prepared for his mother's complaints. After all, the hoe raised by his son-in-law not only dug into the foundations of the powerful and the literati, but also dug into the corners of his own father-in-law.
Chang held Dapeng in her arms, looked at him for a long time, and sighed, "This child is blessed."
Many people would say that Dapeng is a lucky child when they first saw him. Li Tian always thought that this was a polite compliment. But even her mother said this many times, which made her curious, "Mom, how do you know that Dapeng is lucky?"
"This..." Chang was startled, and looked at her grandson carefully, shaking her head for a long time, "I don't know. But as soon as I saw this child, I felt that this is a blessed child."
Li Tian couldn't help but smile.
Chang's eyes looked a little blue, and Li Tian knew that it was because she didn't sleep well.
"The people from the Ministry of Revenue haven't come yet." Chang took the initiative to mention this matter. "Your father sighed last night. Sometimes he was worried about Dalang's future life, and sometimes he was worried about what would happen if his grandson failed to pass the imperial examination and lived off his family. I was annoyed, so I kicked him to the study."
Li Tian covered her mouth and laughed, her eyebrows and eyes curved. Chang said angrily: "You are still laughing."
"Mother," Li Tian said, "your son-in-law has no choice."
"I know, and your father knows too." Chang sighed, "Your father said that you will become a powerful official before you are 20..."
"My husband is not a powerful official!" Li Tian argued subconsciously.
"Good, good, good!" Chang smiled and continued, "Before he was twenty, he was already in a high position and had great power. In terms of military affairs, he was the best general in the Ming Dynasty, and in terms of literature, he was on par with Yan Song. Look at the history books, how many people are there like him?"
"Huo Qubing." Li Tian said.
"Puh, puh, puh!" Chang glared, "Don't worry, little boy, the wind will blow it away."
Li Tian then remembered that Huo Qubing died young, "Pooh, pooh, pooh, good things work, bad things don't."
Chang pretended to be angry and slapped her arm. Dapeng cried out. Chang smiled and said, "This is a filial boy. He knows that I beat his mother."
Li Tian took Dapeng, Huang Yaner came in to serve tea, Chang drank a sip of tea, glanced at Huang Yaner, and Huang Yaner squatted down and left.
As I walked out of the room, a maid came over and whispered, "Are you here to ask for a solution?"
Asking for methods means using connections.
"Don't talk nonsense." Huang Yan'er had a cold face. She was the head maid beside Li Tian. Although she was not in charge, as someone Li Tian brought from her mother's home, she was superior to the maids in the backyard.
"It's like rain." someone said.
She came over tenderly and gently like the rain. She glanced at Huang Yan'er and said, "Many families have ruined their foundations because of the backyard. Don't gossip in the backyard!"
Huang Yan'er said calmly: "Just mind your own mouth."
Ruyu smiled sweetly, and even Huang Yaner felt her eyes brighten.
"You are my wife's close friend. You should not only watch your mouth, but also keep an eye on the people around you. You must know that if one prospers, all prosper. If one suffers, all suffer."
"I don't need you to remind me."
As soon as Ruyu arrived, she became the manager of the backyard. Although Li Tian had talked to Huang Yaner alone, comforted her and said that she couldn't leave her by her side, Huang Yaner felt ashamed that a newcomer became the manager while she, an old man who had followed her wife for many years, remained in the same place.
Ruyu smiled with her hands covering her mouth, and her charming aura made Huang Yaner secretly curse her as a vixen.
"I don't want to remind you. But my wife asked me to take care of the backyard!" Ruyu let go of her hand and sighed, "Han Shan came to complain that day, saying that more than ten strong men in the village couldn't find a wife, and the uncle couldn't do anything about it. I was thinking that there are many people in our backyard waiting for marriage, which is suitable. Oh! I have something else to do, so I'm leaving."
Ruyu walked away gently and softly. From behind, her waist swayed slightly with her steps, as if it would break at any time.
"Fox charmer!" Huang Yan'er sneered. Turning back to see the maid looking at Ruyu with envy, she said, "Did you hear that? Whoever talks too much will be assigned to a farmer in the farm."
The maid shuddered, "I dare not."
"Hmph!" Huang Yan'er snorted coldly and walked away angrily.
The maid stood there and suddenly said, "Huang Yan'er... isn't as powerful as Ruyu!"
Inside the room, Chang said, "...Looking through the history books, people like my son-in-law have a name, called the pride of heaven."
"Heaven's pride." Li Tian suddenly smiled, "Mom, isn't it a blessing for me to marry you?"
"It's a blessing in itself. Don't be ungrateful for what you have." Chang also smiled, feeling very relieved.
"Then mother, the fields at home..."
"The son-in-law is now in a high position and has great power. Your father said that as the Yue family, we must not hold him back. When the people from the Ministry of Revenue come, we will take the initiative to report it."
Chang looked a little gloomy, then smiled.
But who is willing to cut their own flesh?
Li Tian said softly: "Mom, don't worry, in the future..."
"Don't talk about the future." Chang said angrily, "Your father and I can still walk and eat. Although your eldest brother and sister-in-law have some complaints, they calm down as soon as your father opens his mouth. Your eldest brother even said that he might as well take the initiative to report to the Ministry of Revenue... but I persuaded him not to do so."
Li Tian lowered his head, and Chang sighed, "We are all family. Your father and I will be at ease only when you are well. Even if we die, we will have no regrets when we sit at your grave and watch you live a good life. Isn't this what parents want?"
"mother."
"You are so old, why are you crying?" "No matter how old I am, I am not your daughter."
"And she's acting like a spoiled brat."
The mother and daughter in the Bo family have a deep affection, but the Yan family is in an uproar.
"What? Someone from the Ministry of Revenue is coming?"
Upon hearing the news, the housekeeper sneered and said, "Let them go to Zhilu."
A servant went out and said to the official from the Ministry of Revenue, "Go to Zhilu!"
The official cupped his hands and said, "This is a civil matter. There is no reason to go to the government office to look for the person involved."
The butler sneered from inside the door, "The Prime Minister and the young cabinet minister haven't come back yet. If you have the guts, just wait."
This is the residence of Yan Song and his son, who were both powerful in the government. How dare you come here?
The official from the Ministry of Revenue said nothing and just waited outside the door.
The steward was furious when he heard the news. "Send someone to Zhilu to report to the young minister and ask whether he should drive them away."
Although the Yan family was managed by Ouyang, the old lady lacked energy and Yan Song had many things to do, so Yan Shifan was the one who made the decisions on all major matters.
Someone rode quickly to Zhilu.
"Someone from the Ministry of Revenue is coming?" Yan Shifan was startled, and subconsciously said, "This is a test from Jiang Qingzhi."
"In my opinion, it's more like forcing the emperor to abdicate." Cui Yuan sneered, "It's only the second day since the beginning, and they went to the prime minister's house. If you say there is no one instructing them, I will never believe it."
Yan Song narrowed his eyes, "This matter...where is Jiang Qingzhi?"
Yan Shifan looked at Shen Jun, who went out to ask, and came back to say, "Jiang Qingzhi just entered the palace."
"Prime Minister," Cui Yuan said, "If you bow your head, the taxes you have to pay every year will not be a small amount. If you bow your head, it will be a sign of weakness. How will the outside world view it?"
Yan Song was silent, and Yan Shifan was also silent.
Cui Yuan smiled and said, "Fortunately, I didn't catch Jiang Qingzhi's eye, so I escaped."
"Consort!"
The steward of the Prince Consort's Mansion came to report with sweat on his forehead, "Someone from the Ministry of Revenue has come to our house, saying that they want the land and population numbers."
"Jiang Qingzhi, you are such a jerk!"
Cui Yuan left in a hurry. Yan Song said calmly, "Cui Yuan is in pain! He doesn't dare to take the lead, so he instigates us to take action. If the sky falls, there will be someone taller to hold it up."
"I know." Yan Shifan had already seen through Cui Yuan's intention, so he said nothing.
"Dad, with Jiang Qingzhi's personality, if we declare those fields of our family, I'm afraid we won't be able to escape paying taxes." Yan Shifan felt heartbroken, but for a moment he was at a loss.
Yan Song sighed, "He was the first to let his family report to the Ministry of Revenue, so he took the lead. Xin'an Lane took the lead, but I, the Prime Minister, am in trouble. If I don't cooperate, I will be regarded as opposing the new policy. Donglou..."
Yan Song pointed in the direction of Yongshou Palace. "Your Majesty seems to be indifferent to everything, but he is actually keeping an eye on it!"
Taoist priest has suddenly become fascinated with medicine recently, and he studies medical books whenever he has nothing to do.
But Yan Song knew that although those eyes were on the medical books, their ears were listening to the movements in all directions.
The emperor's calm demeanor makes it difficult for people to figure out his true intentions.
It was like a sharp sword hanging above the heads of the ministers, and no one knew when this sword would suddenly fall and take off someone's head.
Yan Shifan gnashed his teeth and said, "We have so many fields. If we declare them, we will have to pay taxes. Dad, those farmers don't have much grain left after paying taxes. Should we take it? If we take it, the farmers will not be willing to starve to death and will definitely flee. If no one farms the fields, they might as well be used as firewood sticks!"
"Whether you plant or not, you have to pay the tax." Yan Song said quietly, "Donglou, don't you understand?"
Yan Shifan was confused because of his concern, but when he calmed down after hearing this, he cursed: "Jiang Qingzhi wants to make it unprofitable to annex land. What a Jiang Qingzhi, what a Jiang Qingzhi!"
As soon as his mind opened up, Yan Shifan felt his hair stand on end. The huge sense of threat made him tremble all over. He felt the excitement of meeting an opponent.
Yan Song smiled bitterly, "Father has just thought of this. How long has Jiang Qingzhi been planning this?"
Yan Shifan narrowed his eyes, "I bet he has been planning this for at least a year. No, someone come here."
When an attendant came in, Yan Shifan said, "I remember someone said last year that Jiang Qingzhi's farm outside the city seemed to have some connection with the Ministry of Revenue... Go and find out."
"Yes."
Yan Song and his son looked at each other in silence.
After a long while, Yan Song said softly: "Donglou, you and I both underestimated Jiang Qingzhi."
Yan Shifan blushed slightly, "Dad, he just had some intention but didn't mean it."
"Land annexation has always been the biggest problem in every dynasty. Many emperors and ministers have racked their brains to solve this problem. But it is so difficult! Even if it is temporarily alleviated, the government will soon die.
Jiang Qingzhi's move was far-reaching, and more importantly, if it could be successfully implemented, there would be no chance for land annexation to come back as long as the Ming Dynasty existed. This is the way to eradicate the root of the problem!"
Yan Song smiled bitterly, "I said this guy was too reckless, but now it seems that his plan is so big..." He shook his head, "Your Majesty must have seen the benefits of this, so he let Jiang Qingzhi do it. We are in trouble."
Not long after, the attendant came and said, "Prime Minister, Young Minister, after His Majesty awarded the farm to Jiang Qing, Jiang Qingzhi paid the tax according to the harvest that year to the Ministry of Revenue."
"It's been planned for many years!"
Yan Song and his son looked at each other.
(End of this chapter)
