Chapter 97 Going Together
Jiang Shu was anxious and excited about her first business trip.
When her carriage left Shangjing, Yu Zheng received the news.
"She went to do business? Where to?" Yu Zheng stood up excitedly.
The secret guard reported: "Jiangnan."
Shangjing is thousands of miles away from Jiangnan,
and it may take more than a month. She is a woman, and although she brought guards, Yu Zheng was still worried about her being away so far for so long.
After walking for a while with his hands behind his back, Yu Zheng asked the secret guard to follow and protect Jiang Shu, while he was looking for something in a pile of documents.
"Why is Jiangnan so peaceful this year? Nothing happened."
Zhufeng, who was standing by, nodded his head. "Isn't it good for Jiangnan to be peaceful? Isn't it the master's long-cherished wish that the people of Dazhao live and work in peace and contentment?"
Yu Zheng glanced at Zhufeng and frowned without saying anything. Zhuiyun
thought for a while, then said, "Jiangnan is located at the lower reaches of the Huaihe River. It is very easy to have floods during the rainy season every year. This year's rainy season is coming soon. We should inspect the embankment of the Huaihe River to prevent floods."
Yu Zheng's dark eyes lit up after hearing this, and he immediately slammed the table and said, "Yes, this is related to the lives and property of tens of thousands of people. I should go to inspect and prevent disasters in person."
"It's such a small matter, why does the master need to go there in person? It's so tiring to go all the way." Zhufeng's face was full of unworthiness.
Yu Zheng glanced at him: "Go out and run ten laps around the palace."
"Why?" Zhu Feng's eyes widened in astonishment, with clear confusion in his eyes.
Yu Zheng glanced at him again: "Twenty laps."
Zhu Feng dared not speak, looked at Zhui Yun with a wronged and confused look, and walked out in despair.
What did he say wrong to make his master angry?
Zhui Yun looked at his nose and his heart, his posture was as straight as a poplar.
That day, the servants of the palace finished their work and crowded at the side door and ear door to watch Zhu Feng run laps.
"How many laps? Did you count?"
"I counted, the tenth lap."
Someone estimated the time and exclaimed: "Ten laps in half an hour, Lord Zhu Feng is amazing."
The Jing Palace covers a large area, and it takes at least a quarter of an hour for an ordinary person to run a lap around it.
Well, the main reason is that there is a garden in the backyard of the palace, which is more than fifty acres. Together with the front yard of the palace, it is a total of seventy acres.
Running twenty laps is not easy.
On this day, Zhufeng became the brightest scenery in the palace, flying around the palace like a big black crow for more than an hour.
But after flying a few laps in the back, his speed slowed down significantly.
After running twenty laps, Zhufeng collapsed on the grass in the backyard of the palace, and looked like a corpse from a distance.
Zhuiyun appeared with a teapot, walked to Zhufeng and kicked him: "Open your mouth."
Zhufeng closed his eyes and opened his mouth.
Zhuiyun tilted the teapot, and amber tea flowed out of the spout and flew into Zhufeng's mouth.
The pot of tea was empty, and Zhufeng opened his eyes, supported his hands and sat up.
"Why did the master punish me?"
Zhuiyun lamented, "Who told you to be blind and not know the master's thoughts?"
"What is the master's thoughts?" Zhufeng was curious.
Seeing his "thirsty" look, Zhuiyun found it funny.
"The master is worried about Miss Jiang's safety and wants to protect her, can't you see it?"
"Why do you see it?" Zhufeng asked sincerely.
Zhuiyun looked up at the sky helplessly: "Observing words and expressions, you can only understand but not express in words. You will not be wrong if you keep your mouth shut and talk less in the future."
"Oh." Zhufeng nodded in agreement, and finally said as if he had come to his senses: "Then is the master going to Jiangnan?"
"Well, I'm not stupid enough." Zhuiyun said and left with an empty teapot. Zhufeng
lay down again, looking at the sky blankly, feeling that the master's thoughts were hard to guess.
The next morning, Yu Zheng asked for permission to personally inspect the Huaihe River embankment to prevent floods in Jiangnan.
The emperor and all the civil and
military officials in the court were shocked and did not understand what Yu Zheng meant by this move. "In recent years, Da Zhao has been peaceful and prosperous, but natural disasters are uncontrollable, especially in the south of the Yangtze River, which suffers from floods almost every year. I suspect that the local officials are not doing a good job in building river embankments."
"Next month, we will enter the flood season. In order to prevent the people in the south of the Yangtze River from being displaced by floods, I ask for your permission to personally supervise the construction of river embankments."
After hearing this, the emperor asked for the opinions of all officials.
Taifu Zhou stood up and said, "Your Highness Prince Jing is right."
"Every year, floods in the south of the Yangtze River cause tens of thousands of people to suffer, and the silver for disaster relief is as high as hundreds of thousands of taels. Instead of providing disaster relief every year, it is better to spend this money on strengthening river embankments."
"I second this proposal." With Taifu Zhou taking the lead, others came forward to agree.
"Okay, it's settled. Prince Jing will come in person on my behalf to inspect and build river embankments, secretly investigate corrupt officials, and seek public opinion."
The emperor made the final decision.
The prince's party was uneasy and hurriedly stood up and said, "This matter is very serious. Your Highness Prince Jing may not be able to take care of it alone. I think we should send more people to accompany Your Highness Prince Jing to assist."
"Oh? Who do you want to recommend, Minister Wu?" The emperor on the dragon throne saw through everything.
Mr. Wu gritted his teeth and said: "Meng Jingfan, Minister of the Ministry of Industry."
The emperor's long eyes glanced behind him: "Meng Aiqing, would you like to go with me?"
Meng Jingfan, who was named, came out of the queue and said respectfully: "I am willing to obey your majesty's order and assist His Highness King Jing."
"Okay, then you can go together." The emperor decided unnecessarily, and finally looked at the officials and asked: "Is there anyone else who wants to go together?"
Taifu Zhou said: "King Jing's personal visit this time will definitely arouse the dissatisfaction of corrupt officials. For the safety of His Highness King Jing, Your Majesty, please ask Zhou Boxu, the commander in front of the palace, to go with him and protect King Jing's safety."
"Yes. Taifu Zhou has considered it very carefully, and it's right." The emperor nodded with satisfaction. Taifu Zhou's words spoke to his heart.
His beloved son couldn't let anything go wrong.
After the court session, Yu Zheng went to the harem to bid farewell to Concubine Yu Guifei.
"What? You're going to Jiangnan?"
Concubine Yu Gui, who is over 40 and well-maintained, has no wrinkles on her eyes. She is wearing a red palace dress with a golden crabapple flower pattern, which makes her look graceful, dignified and beautiful.
Even in the harem where hundreds of flowers are in full bloom, she can still stand out and remain popular.
"Don't be excited, mother. There is no danger for me to go there. I will be back to Beijing in a month at most." Yu Zheng soothed her gently. Concubine
Yu Gui glared at him with her beautiful eyes and said angrily, "You always make decisions first and then ask for my approval. You don't even care whether I agree or not."
He just came to inform her this time and didn't leave her any room for objection.
The emperor is the same. Why does he let him do whatever he wants?
"I heard that Jiangnan is rich in products. Is there anything that your mother wants? I will bring it back for you." Yu Zheng tried to divert attention.
Concubine Yu Gui loves beauty very much. She likes rouge, jewelry, and clothes as long as they are beautiful and exquisite.
Although the palace has everything from tributes from all over the country, new things from the people always make people particularly fond of them.
"You can buy as many as you like. Buy more new things and bring some for your sister and Yun'er." Concubine Yu Gui instructed.
When mentioning Yu Lan, her eyes were filled with distress and guilt: "Your sister has a hard life. I'm afraid she can only be trapped in the Pingxi General's Mansion for the rest of her life. There is no other hope. You should love her more."
"I know, mother, don't think too much. My sister has never blamed you." Yu Zheng comforted her a few words and said goodbye and left the palace.
He still had to go to the Pingxi General's Mansion, and then hurried back to the palace to pack up and prepare.
Jiang Shu had already left for a day, and he could not leave until the day after tomorrow at the earliest. There was a gap of three days in between, and he was afraid he would not be able to catch up.
We can only meet in Jiangnan.