Chapter 103 Plum Blossoms 13 You have to leave the door open for me every night
It was a good dream, but Song Yanze was awakened by a start. The plum branch inserted in the bedside was moved closer, and its graceful posture could be seen through the gauze curtain.
He supported himself with one hand and sat up. The people around him had already left, leaving only the tightly tucked-in quilt. He was woken up by the heat in the morning.
In dreams and in reality, Song Yanze's thoughts were in chaos when he woke up in the morning, and he could hear his heartbeat getting louder and louder.
Recently, he often thought of Brother Xiaoyan, and he didn't understand why. Maybe Jiang Tingyuan was also in Yanzhou? He couldn't help but worry about him.
As soon as he thought of Jiang Tingyuan, he remembered what he wanted to tell him. He immediately put on his outer robe and went to the desk to write a letter to Shi Yucheng, and then wrote a letter home.
Now the Ministry of Revenue case has been settled, but he has no way of getting away from the subsequent paperwork and procedures, as well as the confiscated money and rice.
That's not the case. He wanted to take a leave, pack up his things and go back to wait until the Dragon Boat Festival flood was over.
The Minister of Works actually said in the court that the newly built warships of the Ministry of War were misappropriated to transport materials to build the dam, and that the Ministry of Works' expenses increased so much because of the construction of the dam.
He should be anxious now, but I'm afraid that he is not thinking about mending the fence after the sheep have been lost, but is trying to shift the blame. There is too much room for maneuver in this natural and man-made disaster.
No matter how Song Yanze thought about it, he knew that this was a big trouble. There was no need and no reason for Jiang Tingyuan to get involved, not to mention that it would cause trouble for both himself and King Xuan.
"Sir, it's time to go to the government office."
Since he won the first place in the imperial examination, the young man is not as happy as before. He is depressed as a Hanlin, worried as a prefect, and anxious as a censor.
It seemed that only in front of Jiang Tingyuan, he still had the relaxed and lively spirit of his youth.
"Ah, at this hour, has the morning court session already ended?"
"I think so."
If there had not been an urgent house search like last time, Jiang Tingyuan would have come back to change into his official robe. After all, the wide robe with big sleeves was a burden to him.
When they went to search the house together before, Jiang Tingyuan kept rolling up his sleeves, but nothing worked. He even sighed and said that it was difficult for civil servants like them to write without getting their robes dirty.
Song Yanze didn't know that when he thought of him, his brows relaxed and the corners of his lips curled up in a smile. He casually tied his hair up and turned around to see the person in the bronze mirror smiling, and his face tightened with fright.
He flicked his sleeves and walked to the courtyard wall. After hesitating for a while, he took two steps closer to listen if there was any movement.
He couldn't hear clearly some sound near the wall, but there seemed to be a faint rustling sound. There was no way Song Yanze would climb over the wall, and he would not do so even if asked to.
His eyes swept across his feet and he saw a few stones lying on the grass. Without thinking any more, Song Yanze picked them up subconsciously and threw them over.
I regretted it after throwing it away.
What is he doing! He is already an adult, and he still...
"Is it fun?"
A familiar laughing voice came from across the courtyard wall.
"What is Master Xiao Song doing? A secret plot?"
When Song Yanze looked up, he saw Jiang Tingyuan easily climbing over with one hand holding the courtyard wall.
His long black hair was flying, his sleeves were tied tightly, his red inner garment and black embroidered robe were fluttering slightly, and the goose-feather tassel on his waist was fluttering.
"Ahem." Song Yanze felt a little uncomfortable and secretly patted the dust off his hands.
"What about you, what are you doing flipping over?"
He was prepared for Jiang Tingyuan to retort, but he just heard him smile and say.
"I haven't seen you for a few hours. I miss you."
Song Yanze could only stare at him blankly. Now he didn't hide anything at all, or rather, he had never hidden anything before.
"I have something important to tell you." Song Yanze took a deep breath, not wanting to delay any longer, and prepared to tell everything.
He might not be so frank with others, but Jiang Tingyuan is different.
"Do you remember the letter I received? About the Three Rivers Dam?"
Jiang Tingyuan walked out with him, listening to him with his hands behind his back. After hearing him tell everything without reservation, his smile disappeared.
"Anyway, you can refuse this matter. Don't worry about...worrying about um...other things. It doesn't matter if you refuse. I understand."
Song Yanze was really serious, but when I turned around I saw a smug smile on his face that looked like he deserved a beating.
"I refused, what are you going to do?"
"I will go to Prince Xuan in person, or write a memorial to the emperor about the truth in the letter. Otherwise, I can go talk to Qian Huan."
Jiang Tingyuan's smug smile collapsed. It was just a matter of the past two days, and he had been in front of him every day, yet he could still come up with so many ways of escape.
"Prince Xuan will at most use the excuse that the truth is unclear. He won't respond if you tell the emperor directly. Qian Huan will just think that you are blackmailing him."
"Qian Huan is a bureaucrat. It is a waste of time for him to do practical work without taking advantage of it. Now he is busy looking for a scapegoat and unifying the local authorities. Then he will find a scapegoat."
Song Yanze paused for a moment and looked at Jiang Tingyuan. There are some things in the officialdom that you should not point out, and you should not talk about them casually.
He was such a fool, believing in his own inexplicable feelings and trusting Jiang Tingyuan easily.
Jiang Tingyuan was also a reckless person. He cursed the entire court from top to bottom in one breath.
But it was all true. The emperor was suspicious and would not touch his own private treasury even if the national treasury was empty. When the Sanjiang area was flooded, the national treasury had money to provide disaster relief, and officials of all ranks would deposit money into their private treasury when they seized it.
Prince Xuan is wisely protecting himself. Qian Huan is a member of the prince's party. Just wait and see what happens. To put it bluntly, just flood the three rivers. What's wrong with holding the prince accountable?
Needless to say, Li Heng is the one who wants the princelings to be in trouble the most.
As for one province, three rivers, twenty-three counties, and a total of hundreds of thousands of people, that is ridiculous.
The death of 10,000 people is just a number; the death of 100,000 people or a million people is just a number to them and is political capital.
Jiang Tingyuan spoke with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and when he saw him stop, he also stopped walking while holding the red tassel in his hand and turned to look at him.
"So you can only look for me."
"In the entire government, you only have me as your helper."
Song Yanze wanted to deal with him impartially and talk about the people of the world and the politics of politics, but the look in his eyes was so lingering that his heart was strangled and captured by him.
"You... agreed?"
Song Yanze turned around and avoided his sight. He didn't want to be in this state of confusion all the time.
He hasn't... hasn't decided yet whether he really wants to be with him... to be gay with him?
This is not a joke, this is a lifetime.
They are also very close and will never leave each other.
Jiang Tingyuan had no idea that he had just played a trick on other people's minds, and was busy taking credit for it and showing how reliable he was.
"It's not a promise, it's already being done."
"I have talked to King Xuan, and he is willing to help. However, after this incident, all the evidence will be given to him. We cannot interfere with how he uses it."
"I have also sent people to investigate the true situation and current status of the Sanjiang Dam. We have to find out the truth first. It is useless to rely on the letter from your friend."
"As for Qian Huan..." Jiang Tingyuan laughed with an ambiguous tone. "This matter is originally his responsibility, and he should be responsible to the end."
Song Yanze strangely matched his train of thought and just coughed lightly to remind him.
"Take it easy... He's old, and if he's too tired, he won't be able to get up. This will give him a way to escape."
Seeing that he felt relieved again, Jiang Tingyuan smiled and told him in a low voice.
"Don't worry."
Song Yanze solved a big problem and couldn't help laughing. He saluted and prepared to go to the yamen, but Jiang Tingyuan grabbed his belt and refused to let go.
This is a small path behind the government office. There are not many people there, but it is still on the street.
"You! What are you doing!?"
"There is another very important matter that needs Master Xiao Song's approval."
Jiang Tingyuan is no different from a gangster now, perhaps the difference is that Lord Xiao Song cannot report him to the police and have him arrested.
Song Yanze's hair stood on end, afraid of being seen.
Jiang Tingyuan walked a little closer and came closer, his fingers still tightly pulling his belt, and poking his thin waist through his brocade robe.
He leaned over and whispered in his ear: "Then you have to leave the door open for me every night, otherwise how can you have a detailed discussion with Master Xiao Song?"
It was so close, so close that I could hear every breath he took, the movement of his lips and teeth, and the trembling of his chest.
"I promise you everything. I promise you everything. Just let me go."
Song Yanze didn't even dare to look at him. He walked away quickly holding his official hat, his clothes fluttering, and his crimson official robe, ears and neck were also crimson.
Jiang Tingyuan watched him enter the government office before leaving. The last incident was over, but sometimes he would still touch the chest of his robe with lingering fear, suspecting that there was still blood there.
This is how the officialdom is. It is not difficult to fight for power or money. The most difficult and dangerous thing is to serve the people.
Jiang Tingyuan held the red tassel in his hand and walked towards the alley entrance, where Xuanqing was already waiting to reply.
If the Ministry of Revenue is the money bag, then the Ministry of Works is a lucrative job.
Half of them are royal relatives, and the other half are responsible for large-scale projects.
Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Water Conservancy, and Industry and Information Technology are all functions, and they are also places where money can be made. It can be made from the national treasury and the people.
Qian Huan was sitting in the inner hall of the Ministry of Works, with documents and secret letters at his hands, holding his head with his hand as he felt a headache.
In the hall were his confidants, some of them were secretly wiping their sweat, while others looked relaxed.
"My Lord, urging the local authorities to repair the levees is a bad idea."
An official in a green robe was trying to persuade people in the hall with his hands hanging down. He was a sixth-rank official, but the ring on his hand was made of the finest mutton-fat jade, the water content of which was astonishing. The two thin mustaches on his lips were combed neatly and shiny.
"Let's not talk about how big the Dragon Boat Festival flood will be, how much farmland it will flood, and whether it can destroy the levees. Even if it is destroyed, what does it have to do with you, my Lord?"
"Your Excellency has worked diligently and hard on this matter, but local officials are always not doing their best. How could Your Excellency know?"
The other person also bowed and said.
"That makes sense. If we urge the Sanjiang River Administration to repair it now, it will definitely alert the local authorities. There are still Li Heng's disciples in the local area!"
"Let's not talk about others, just talk about Fang Yifeng, the Right Governor of Jiangnan Province. He is Li Heng's disciple!"
"If we alarm them, there's no guarantee that something might not happen."
Qian Huan slammed the table and said, "That's enough! What do you know? Just do what I say!"
"If the money is not enough, transfer it from the private treasury. Quickly! Quickly!"
Qian Huan acted out of character, and his confidants looked at each other, all puzzled, but they had no choice but to follow the order and nodded in agreement.
After everyone had left, Qian Huan drank three or four cups of tea before he calmed down his anger.
The secret letter he opened had no signature, but the handwriting was actually his own. It contained correspondence between him and the Minister of War Yi Bing, whom he had secretly investigated.
He and Yi Bing were both members of the princeling party, but they were always at odds. If he had not come out to explain at the morning court that day, Yi Bing would not have said a word for him and would have allowed him to be squeezed out.
Qian Huan was a little greedy, and Yi Bing was noble, but he was not greedy for money. He did many tricks in front of His Highness, giving concubines and maids.
He is greedy for power.
But he was attacking his own people. If this matter was leaked out, the prince would kick him out, and Yi Bing would not help him, and Li Heng might not help him either...
Anyway, we just ask him to repair the dam, so let's do it first and then deal with it after the Dragon Boat Festival flood season.
The weather in the south of the Yangtze River is pleasant and comfortable around the Dragon Boat Festival. Fang Yifeng had a rare chance of free time, so he got off work and went home early.
"Yu Niang, I'm back."
In the courtyard, a woman with a bun in goose yellow clothes was playing with her child in her arms, and an old yellow and white cat was napping at her feet.
Fang Yifeng was carrying a few oil-paper bags, holding mugwort and reed leaves in his arms, and holding a red rattle.
When Yu Niang saw him, she smiled and scolded him: "You bought toys again!"
Fang Yifeng clicked his tongue, feeling embarrassed, but now they were alone as a couple, so he walked over angrily and kissed Yu Niang on the cheek.
"He's still an official, but he's just like a child."
Before the couple could finish their conversation, there was a hurried knock on the door.
"Master! Master! There's an urgent delivery! An urgent delivery from Kyoto, and also came with the Lord from the Governor's Office."
Fang Yifeng's face changed, and Yu Niang patted her husband, looked at him and said, "Go ahead."
"If it's about repairing the dam, just pretend you didn't know about it."
Fang Yifeng sighed, "No matter which party it is, the dam was repaired to benefit the people and avoid a disaster. I don't know why they sent me one letter after another, accusing me of not reporting this to the elder."
Yu Niang let him hold her daughter who was biting her finger while sleeping, and then let him change into his official robe and return to the yamen.
The governor of Jiangnan Province was a second-rank local official, but not a Beijing official.
Fang Yifeng realized something was wrong as soon as he stepped into the yamen. A colleague from the yamen, the Censor, handed him a secret letter with a pale face.
He glanced over with a frown and slammed the teacup he had just served.
“This is ridiculous!”
No one spoke here, only the people from the Governor's Mansion above spoke lightly.
"This is what Lord Li meant."
"Master Fang, I haven't congratulated you on the birth of your daughter yet."
Fang Yifeng's face lost all color. Censor Qiu Yi patted him on the shoulder with an equally grim expression.
Outside the government office, the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching. Every household plants mugwort and sits in front of the door to make rice dumplings facing the small river in front of the door. Women and girls chat and laugh, occasionally exchanging fragrant rice dumplings with each other. Street vendors shout to sell yellow flowers with elegant fragrance.
There are also five-colored nets woven for children to hold duck eggs.
It's the same in Kyoto, except that the homes of the rich are more refined.
Song Yanze drank a few glasses of light wine, his face flushed, the fragrance of the rice dumplings on the plate wafted into his nose. Jiang Tingyuan pulled his belt to tie the sachet on it, looking extremely ugly.
Qian Huan, who was frightened by the dam, repaired it quickly and well. Shi Yucheng wrote to him again and again, marveling at the man's diligence. He went to see it several times and found that the dam was made of the best materials.
His Shi family also helped a lot, and told him not to worry, the Sanjiang Dam is now truly as solid as a rock.
"Young Master!"
Lianxin broke open the door and handed him a letter.
"The three river dams...collapsed! Huaizhou, Lingzhou, Huizhou..."
Lianxin couldn't continue.
The cup in Song Yanze's hand broke to the ground, and he looked at Jiang Tingyuan in a daze.
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