Chapter 240 A Different Capital
That night, King Yan actually took some seeds back from Su Ruojin. As to whether he planted them or not, that is unknown.
When the nobleman left, she went to see him off, but she didn't let him go, and the group disappeared into the night.
"Uncle Hua, the imperial tomb is very close to here?" But how come she had never heard of it?
Hua Ping didn't answer her directly, but asked, "Do you want to climb the mountain tomorrow morning?"
climb mountains?
Su Ruojin turned her head and looked behind her, but unfortunately it was pitch dark and she couldn't see anything.
An autumn rain fell the next day. By the time the rain stopped and the sky cleared up and we were able to climb the mountain, several days had passed.
Standing on the top of the hill and looking across, she saw mountains covered in emerald green and forests in all colors, stretching majestically and toweringly. Even she, who didn't understand Feng Shui, could see the extraordinary momentum of the mountains.
"The Zhao family's imperial tomb?"
Hua Ping nodded.
"How did he get here?" Su Ruojin looked at the long and narrow valley. Just one look made her feel dizzy and afraid of heights, and she took a few steps back unconsciously.
Hua Ping shook his head, "I don't know either."
Su Ruojin looked left and right, and it seemed that she had to go to the end to see the connected place, but it would take a long way to go around there, right?
"Don't look at me, I really don't know."
Su Ruojin stopped asking and looked directly across. If there was no deep valley, the imperial tomb would be right at the border of Weizhou County and could be reached by just walking. It was really incredibly close, but with the deep valley blocking the way, it was completely different, like two completely different places.
She secretly felt lucky that the imperial mausoleum was not under her father's jurisdiction, otherwise there would be a lot of inconveniences!
I glanced at the thatched huts and wooden houses hidden in the woods opposite. The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and it was floating in the air. For those who could endure loneliness, it was a paradise on earth. If one's heart was set on prosperity, it would be deep in the mountains and forests, or remote and poor countryside.
So which type does the King of Yan belong to?
Hua Ping reminded: "The guards on the other side asked us to leave."
Su Ruojin didn't see anyone, so she exclaimed and looked at Hua Ping, meaning that there was someone there?
Hua Ping nodded, "Let's go, you should go back to the county and prepare to go to the capital to attend Yang Si Niang's engagement party."
Well, it's time to go back.
Just as Su Ruojin turned around, King Yan came out of the cabin and looked across the valley.
When Su Ruojin saw him, she quickly saluted from a distance.
King Yan raised his hand in response.
Regardless of their familiarity or status, the two had nothing to say. After the greetings, Su Ruojin left.
Prince Yan stood in front of the door for a long time.
After the autumn rain, the sun was shining brightly and the temperature was just right. After Su Ruojin left, the vegetables on the 200 acres of land began to sprout one after another. If you stand in the morning light and look at them, you will feel a sense of accomplishment.
Of course, before Su Ruojin left, she took advantage of the rainy days to sign a contract with Shangouzi Village to look after 200 acres of vegetable fields. All the work including care, weeding, and vegetable harvesting was contracted to Shangouzi Village, and she only had to sell the vegetables.
After returning to her home in the county town, Su Ruojin packed up and prepared to go to Beijing.
Su Yanli was the magistrate of a county. During his tenure, he was not allowed to go to the capital at will except to report on his work. Therefore, he could not attend the Yang family's wedding this time. His father could not go, and his mother refused to go.
Forget it, Su Ruojin will go alone.
"When the time comes, let your brother go on behalf of your father to deliver the congratulatory gift and have a meal."
"knew."
Su Sanlang and Su Silang clamored to go to Beijing with Su Ruojin, and finally Su Xiaomei was influenced by the two and also clamored to go.
If the Su family was an ordinary small business, Su Ruojin would really be willing to take her younger brothers and sisters out. But now Su Yanli is a county magistrate, with the Prince of Jin's Mansion and Minister Fan behind him. There are potential dangers without her knowing, and she will not let her younger brothers and sisters take this risk.
It took a lot of effort to coax the three little ones into submission, and then they fled to the capital.
After leaving Weizhou County and heading towards Beijing, Su Ruojin didn't know if it was an illusion, but she always felt that the disaster was not over. Whether it was in the fields or among the small vendors, there was always a bleak feeling.
Is it because autumn has arrived and the leaves on the trees have fallen that we have this bleak feeling?
Ye Huaizhen shook his head. "Compared with Weizhou County, it is indeed in decline."
It turned out that it wasn't her illusion.
Su Ruojin frowned. The Zhao family mausoleum was so prosperous, but why was the situation in the capital so bad? Was it the person sitting on the dragon throne...
She shook her head. This was not something she should think about. Su Ruojin closed her eyes and fell asleep while rocking.
After stopping for a rest on the way, they entered Beijing around noon the next day. Unexpectedly, Zhao Lan was waiting for them at the city gate. Su Ruojin was quite surprised. "Brother Jin, how did you know I was coming today?"
She didn't write to Zhao Lan, and only told him an approximate time last time. Unexpectedly, he was waiting here.
Suddenly, there was a sweet feeling like a meeting between two young lovers.
Zhao Lan smiled widely as he helped her into his spacious carriage. He then reached out and pulled her into his arms, letting her lean her head on his shoulder. "You must be tired. Let's eat first and then rest after that."
"good."
Since they had already confirmed their relationship, Su Ruojin didn't act pretentiously. She leaned her head on his broad and strong shoulders and looked at him with a smile on her face. It felt good to have someone arrange everything for her.
One lowers his head, the other raises his head.
What a sweet smile from a young couple.
But this smile was suddenly interrupted by the sudden jolting stop of the carriage.
Su Ruojin's head almost hit the wall of the carriage, but was blocked by Zhao Lan, who was quick-eyed and quick-handed. It hit his palm, and she reached out to rub his palm.
Zhao Lan held it with his backhand and reached out with his other hand to lift the car curtain. Outside, a group of soldiers, ignoring the panicked civilians, showed off their military might and collected taxes from shops.
Taxes were collected in the past, but only in the East and West Markets, or in the morning and night markets. There had never been such a thing as the grand restaurants and shops on the main street, because the shops that could be stationed on the streets of the capital were all backed by aristocratic families and wealthy families. Those who collected taxes would never dare to offend them.
Now, it is being taxed like a small market. It seems wrong no matter how I look at it.
"Brother Jin?"
Zhao Lan lowered the car curtain and said, "Minister Yang has been promoted again."
"Now we are co-prime ministers."
Su Ruojin was so shocked that she could fit an egg in her mouth.
Pingzhang is the position of prime minister.
“So powerful?” The Yang family’s status rose significantly again.
Zhao Lan's smile cooled and his expression turned cold.
Su Ruojin stood up from his shoulder and sat up straight.
Why is his brother Jin a little scary?
Perhaps realizing that his air pressure was too low, Zhao Lan sighed, "The capital is different now." After saying that, he reached out again and took the young lady into his arms, letting her lean on him comfortably.
"This time, if you can avoid going out, then don't go out."
"Why?" Su Ruojin looked up at him again, "Your Majesty is short of money, so he wants to collect money through Lord Yang?"
The young lady is indeed a young lady. She revealed the essence of the matter in one sentence.
"Yes." Zhao Lan explained the situation in the capital to her. "Not only did they employ cunning villains, but they also trained cruel officials. Prince Wei and I are now just holding sinecure positions, and the Imperial City Department is now in the hands of His Majesty."
Su Ruojin was surprised again, "Why?"
"In the fight for the throne between the Prince of Qi and us, we remained neutral and did not help His Majesty to seize the throne."
"So, he settled the score later?"
"Um?"
This tolerance is simply the rhythm of courting death! But Su Ruojin didn't dare to say it, because she was afraid, "Then my father..."
"Your Majesty's mind is now on the capital."
Su Ruojin understood. Her father was just a small county magistrate and didn't have the energy to deal with him.
"But..." Zhao Lan said, "A few days ago, someone from Weizhou County came to the capital to report your father."
"Ah..." Su Ruojin was so shocked that she almost jumped up, "What are you reporting?"
Zhao Lan coaxed her into his arms again, "It's the wasteland you bought."
"wasteland?"
"Yes." Zhao Lan replied, "The clerk said that you bought the good farmland at the price of the inferior farmland."
I strangled it.
Su Ruojin almost couldn't hold back from cursing. She had been on guard, but she didn't expect that someone would still distort the facts.
"Not only did he let the Gongcao go and see it, but he also personally watched him write the deed. How did he accuse me of buying good land at a low price?" She couldn't understand.
Zhao Lan said, "I asked someone to make a copy. I'll show it to you when we get to the restaurant."
"oh."
More than half an hour later, Su Ruojin arrived at the restaurant run by Zhao Lan. She didn't even bother to eat. She first looked at the counterfeit contract and said, "It's fake."
Su Ruojin was so angry that she was fuming, "Brother Jin, can I go and sue this Tu guy?"
Zhao Lan pulled her to sit down and said, "I have already asked someone to suppress this matter. You don't need to sue."
"Is this guy so easy? This is a false accusation!"
"Of course it can't be cheap." Zhao Lan arranged the dishes for her: "Eat first."
Su Ruojin glanced at Zhao Lan. She had even lost her position as a prince. She really could only eat her fill first, and then think of ways to protect her father and get rid of these bad guys.
Zhao Lan seemed to have heard what she was thinking. "In this situation, it's better to stay still than to move."
"Brother Jin means for me to wait."
"Um."
Many old families in the capital were targeted by Yang Jingzi, even his own family, the Yang family, was not spared.
After dinner, while digesting the food, Zhao Lan told him some more about the capital, and Su Ruojin realized, "That doesn't make sense!"
Her first reaction was confusion, "Brother Jin, if you were successful, would you be like this?"
"I heard that Lord Yang is not having a good time in the Yang family."
"So, once he becomes successful, he will take revenge on his original family?"
Zhao Lan did not comment, "This person is very cruel."
This is too cruel!
Su Ruojin always felt that it was unreasonable and that Lord Yang had been replaced by the Liaoxia people.
"Brother Jin, do you think it's too unbelievable for me to think this way?"
Hua Ping told Zhao Lan about Su Ruojin's guess. He asked people to go to Liaoxia country to investigate, but there has been no clue so far. If no clues can be found, it can only be said that the Yang family has persecuted Lord Yang and has forgotten the country.
In the afternoon, Su Ruojin saw that Zhao Lan didn't send her home, so she urged him, "Brother Jin, if you are busy, I will go back with Uncle Hua."
He was dismissed by the emperor, so what was there for him to do? "Since your parents are not here, just live in the restaurant."
It is also convenient for the two of them to meet.
Su Ruojin said, "Arong asked me to come back two days early just to chat with me."
Zhao Lan: …
Why do I feel like I'm not as important as others?
The young prince was unhappy.
Su Ruojin leaned close to him, hugged his arm and rocked him, "Brother Jin, we will always be together in the future, but Arong and I only have a little time together as girls, so let's talk in private."
Zhao Lan's heart softened when the young lady shook him, and he said unforgivingly, "You are the only one who can talk."
Su Ruojin giggled and coaxed him to take her home.
Sure enough, Yang Si Niang's maid had already told the doorman to let her know as soon as she came back.
Su Ruojin was waiting for her at home, but she didn't expect Lord Xue to come first.
Since the Su family bought a house and moved to Weizhou County, they had hardly been in contact with the Xue family. But when Su Ruojin left the capital, he still gave the recipe for making Yizi to Mr. Xue, asking him to make Yizi and sell it to Zhao Lan's store to make more money.
"Uncle Xue, what do you want from me?"
Xue Changcheng sighed: "If you were not in the capital, I would have almost lost my life."
Su Ruojin asked him in surprise: "What's wrong?"
"For the sake of the craftsmen in the Ministry of Industry, I stood up to my superior, and then on the way home, I was almost hit and killed by a carriage."
Su Ruojin:...She doesn’t know what to say.
Xue Changcheng said, "I was so scared that I resigned from my official position. Now I make a living by killing barbarians." After getting to this point, he still came to find a young lady to talk. He wished he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
"Maybe it's a good thing." Su Ruojin advised.
"Maybe." Xue Changcheng sighed, "A few days ago, I seemed to see your girl making fire."
"Where?"
"In the West City."
"Then have you told the young prince?"
Lord Xue shook his head, "I'm afraid I'm seeing things." Also, he said, "I always feel like someone is watching me, so I usually don't go out except to control the barbarians."
"Is there anyone watching you?"
Xue Changcheng was not sure either, "I don't know either, it's just this feeling."
So he asked the Su family's doorman to tell him once the young lady returned to Beijing. He then came in a hurry. Firstly, although Madam Su was not very old, they got along surprisingly well and he treated her as a friend regardless of age difference.
Second, behind Madam Su Er is the young prince. Telling her would be the same as telling the young prince Zhao.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The capital city is really in dire straits! After Su Ruojin heard Xue Changcheng's words, this was the first thing that came to her mind.
She looked at Lord Xue, "Then those craftsmen in the Ministry of Works are now..."
"If you don't want it, don't want it. If you want to be a slave, be a slave."
"Have you noticed where those unwanted craftsmen are now?"
Xue Changcheng said, "Look, two of them have returned to their hometowns, and some have found jobs in various craftsmen's shops."
"Can those who return to their hometown prove that they really returned to their hometown?"
Xue Changcheng shook his head, "This is beyond my ability."
Su Ruojin understood, "Okay, I understand."
After chatting for a while, Xue Changcheng sighed again and said with emotion, "It's a good thing for Brother Su to leave the capital and become a county magistrate."
Su Ruojin: ...I thought to myself, you don’t even know that someone has already reported this to the capital, the whole world is corrupt, okay?
After the chat, Xue Changcheng went back and met the young lady from the Yang family at the door.
The young lady was very polite and bowed to him, "Uncle Xue, please come to our house often when you are free."
Xue Chang sincerely thought that the threshold of the Yang family was too high for him to enter. On the surface, he smiled politely and said, "Thank you for the invitation, Fourth Lady. I will definitely visit you when I have time."
After saying that, he left the Su family.
He took the old servant home and looked around as usual.
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