During this period, let alone rain, there were no clouds visible to the naked eye in the sky.
The climate had been dry for a long time and the heat was unbearable. Life was already extremely difficult, but the emperor's dragon boat still needed thousands of trackers to tow it.
To do such extremely difficult work under such a scorching sun, the situation is unimaginable.
In less than a day, hundreds of trackers fell ill, and some could never stand up again.
Therefore, on the road from Yangzhou to Jinling, the trackers changed one group after another, causing complaints from people around and it was unbearable to listen to.
It would be fine if the government provided some relief, but this is a compulsory levy by the government, and the money does not come from the national treasury. How can the government be willing to pay more?
Normally, the wages of trackers were one or two taels of silver, but when it came to these people, they were only given one penny of silver. If they unfortunately died, there would be no more.
Of course, there were people who wanted to advise Emperor Qing on this matter, but Emperor Qing had not shown up in the past few days, and all his orders were conveyed by Ziwei Ling Lu Shuo.
And it was Lu Shuo who was in charge of gathering the trackers, so who would dare to have any objection?
Until they saw that Jinling was right in front of them and the long-awaited rain finally fell from the sky, Emperor Qing was very pleased and no one dared to offend the emperor at this time.
The dragon boat is about to arrive in Jinling.
Jinling City is the most important jurisdiction of Jiangnan Province, and many officials from Jiangnan Province are stationed here all year round, including the Salt Inspector Gu Zhong.
All the civil and military officials of Jinling City were waiting for the arrival of the emperor at the port.
After an unknown amount of time, a dragon boat appeared on the endless and clear Qinhuai River. It was several meters high and its width occupied almost the entire surface of the water.
At this time, people looked carefully and found that they were actually densely packed and endless ships.
The dragon boat that Emperor Qing was on looked like a lifelike dragon, with gold and jade splendor and gorgeous carvings on it.
When the dragon boat is sailing, the dragon head points to the sky, the dragon tail lowers to the ground, and the hull is covered with colorful flags that flutter in the wind, like a flying dragon riding the wind, which is extremely magnificent.
Surrounded by the crowd, Emperor Qing stepped down from the dragon boat step by step, climbed onto the newly built platform, and accepted the congratulations of all officials. Following him was Ziwei Ling Lu Shuo.
Everyone bowed their heads respectfully, but at the same time they couldn't help but secretly glance at the demeanor of the most noble person in the world.
Although Emperor Qing is already forty-five years old, he has taken good care of himself. He walks with the gait of a dragon or a tiger, and he looks majestic without even being angry.
However, the emperor was getting old after all, with some wrinkles between his eyebrows and eyes, and more white hair in his hair.
And Lu Shuo, who was standing beside the emperor, was so dignified and majestic that he almost outshined the third prince behind him!
After Emperor Qing finished the ceremony, he looked around and soon saw a familiar face in the crowd in front of him. He couldn't help laughing and said, "Gu Zhong, come forward and let me see you."
The smile between Gu Zhong's eyebrows almost overflowed. He never thought that the emperor would give him such face and the first person to express condolences would be him. Such honor and favor was truly unique.
When Gu Zhong came forward, Emperor Qing patted him on the shoulder affectionately and said, "Gu Zhong, you have done a great job as the Imperial Salt Inspector in Nanjing for the past ten years. You have guarded the salt administration in Jiangnan for me. You should know that salt is related to the lifeblood of the country. I am very relieved to entrust you with this."
Gu Zhong hurriedly said: "This is my duty. I am ashamed to accept your praise, Your Majesty."
"Haha, why are you so modest? I praise you because you did a good job. By the way, you have been away from Beijing for so many years, and I haven't seen you for a long time, as well as your nephew."
Emperor Qing looked at Shao Zhen behind him with a hint of meaning.
Shao Zhen had a surprised smile on his face, as if it was the first time he had seen Gu Zhong in so many years. In fact, Shao Zhen had already met his uncle the last time he was secretly ordered to go south.
Seeing the emperor's actions, all the civil and military officials present also understood what was going on tacitly.
After a while, the emperor began to receive local officials of higher ranks. The prefect Lin Wanming stepped forward nervously, but fortunately, the emperor did not have much impression of him and just said a few words of comfort and let him stand aside.
After the reception was over, the eunuch Liu who was in charge of building the palace came forward and saluted carefully, saying, "Your servant Liu Qiang, respectfully greets Your Majesty, and invites Your Majesty to take a look at the palace."
Eunuch Liu lowered his head, cold sweat pouring down his back.
From the moment Emperor Qing asked Gu Zhong to come forward, Eunuch Liu felt something was wrong.
This time, as the person in charge of the palace, Eunuch Liu also knew that he had offended Shao Zhen.
Shao Zhen is the third prince and the son that His Majesty has always favored the most. How could Eunuch Liu not understand what would happen if he went against Shao Zhen?
But what Xie Shu said before was also true. Even if he followed Shao Zhen's instructions, the other party had a fatal handle on him, and he would be controlled by him in every way in the future, and his end would not be good.
Therefore, Eunuch Liu made up his mind and decided to take a gamble. He was now the manager of the Imperial Household Department. If he could do this job for His Majesty, he might be able to make further progress when he returned to Beijing. By then, it would be extremely difficult for the Third Prince to take action against him. If worst came to worst, he could still seek refuge with the Crown Prince.
However, Eunuch Liu did not expect that His Majesty showed an extraordinary attitude towards the Gu family as soon as he arrived in Jinling.
Gu Zhong is the Third Prince's maternal uncle, and the Gu family is the Third Prince's in-laws, so how can they not stand on the Third Prince's side?
What's more...
Eunuch Liu suddenly remembered a piece of news. He only found out later that the palace was built on the West Garden built by Gu Zhong!
When this thought came to his mind, how could Eunuch Liu not be terrified? He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt a chill all over his body. It must be Shao Zhen who was looking at him.
Eunuch Liu cursed in his heart, blaming Xie Shu for causing him so much trouble!
After hearing what Eunuch Liu said, Emperor Qing also became somewhat interested. Previously, Eunuch Liu said in a memorial that the salt merchants in Jinling took the initiative to donate a palace to him to express their gratitude for his kindness.
How could Emperor Qing not be happy? He had been eager to see the palace.
Emperor Qing was about to speak when Gu Zhong suddenly said, "Your Majesty, this temporary palace is outside Jinling. It will take some time for Your Majesty to get there. I dare to ask Your Majesty to stay in my mansion first. I will definitely do my best to take care of Your Majesty."
After hearing what Gu Zhong said, Emperor Qing also remembered that he had previously given Gu Zhong a secret decree saying that he would stay at his house for a few days. Now it would be difficult for him to go back on his word.
Emperor Qing nodded and agreed. The emperor’s words were golden and could not be changed.
Eunuch Liu watched the outcome unfold, but he didn't dare to say anything.
When His Majesty went to Gu Zhong's mansion, Eunuch Liu hurried to the door to find Xie Shu. Xie Shu must give him an idea today.
If he was convicted, Xie Shu would have no chance of escaping.
Today, because the emperor has arrived in Jinling, the imperial road is open and ordinary people are not allowed to walk on the streets at will. They can only watch from both sides of the street.
But Xie Shu did not go to his teacher's house because he had something else to do.
At this time, hearing the news that Eunuch Liu was coming, Xie Shu also felt that something bad was about to happen.
Eunuch Liu was in a bad mood and came in with a sullen face.
Seeing this, Xie Shu remained calm. After greeting Eunuch Liu, he invited him to sit down and talk.
Seeing that Xie Shu was as solemn and calm as ever, Eunuch Liu seemed to relax and his expression looked much better.
Then, Eunuch Liu quickly talked about what had just happened.
Your Majesty has been so kind to the Gu family, and Gu Zhong took the initiative to invite Your Majesty to the Gu Mansion first. Given Gu Zhong's character, how could he not have made any preparations inside?
Gu Zhong must want to take this opportunity to do something detrimental to the two of them.
Xie Shu was not surprised when he heard this, but he was also startled.
He had anticipated this and knew that Gu Zhong would not give up, but he did not expect Gu Zhong to act so quickly. Emperor Qing's favoritism towards the Gu family was obvious.
The Gu family now has the upper hand, and Emperor Qing doesn't know how long he will live in the Gu Mansion. During this period, if Gu Zhong says something in front of the emperor, it will be impossible to guard against it.
The teacher is right. Even if we want to make up for it in the future, it is already too late.
After Eunuch Liu finished speaking in one breath, he looked at Xie Shu. He thought that Xie Shu's face would be more or less fearful, but unexpectedly, his expression did not change at all. He just lowered his brows and closed his eyes, thinking quietly.
Eunuch Liu's heart moved, and he changed his tone to a kind one and asked tentatively: "Master Xie, have you come up with any ideas?"
Xie Shu pondered for a while, looked at him and whispered, "To be honest with you, Eunuch Liu, Gu Zhong is now by the emperor's side, and we two can't compare. He has the upper hand, so I'm afraid it will be difficult."
When Eunuch Liu heard this, he knew that Xie Shu's words hit the nail on the head. Even he, a manager of the Imperial Household Department, could not serve the Emperor. So, was there really no other way?
But Xie Shu just now clearly...
Eunuch Liu became angrier and angrier. At this moment, Xie Shu showed a complicated expression and said, "Eunuch Liu, there is actually another way, but..."
Eunuch Liu didn't care about the meaning of "just". He immediately asked, "Just what?"
Xie Shu finally spoke, and he sighed, "Speaking of the emperor's close ministers, who can compare to Lord Lu Shuo?"
Eunuch Liu's eyes lit up. Yes, in fact, it was not Shao Zhen who impressed everyone today.
Everyone knows that His Majesty's love for Shao Zhen is partly intended to check and balance the Crown Prince. If His Majesty really wants to change the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince must first make a big mistake. Moreover, the Crown Prince is related to the country and the people, which is enough to shock the court and the country. His Majesty is not so foolish!
At present, the person who is truly trusted by Your Majesty is Lu Shuo. Lu Shuo is in the prime of his life, with a heart as strong as that of Bi Gan, and his favor is enduring. One word from him is more effective than ten words from others.
The reason why Eunuch Liu did not think of Lu Shuo just now was because Lu Shuo was a very difficult person to talk to. He looked easy to get along with, but it was not easy to ask him to do things.
Besides, Lu Shuo's identity was sensitive and he seldom made friends with eunuchs, so naturally, Eunuch Liu would not think of him.
However, after Xie Shu said this, Eunuch Liu also thought of something.
Xie Shu and Lu Shuo are brothers from the same sect. Now that Lu Shuo has returned to Jinling, how could he not visit his master?
Even if Jiang Hong and his master and disciple turned against each other, how could Lu Shuo not care about his own reputation?
So now, the only one who can speak in front of Lu Shuo is probably Xie Shu...but...
Xie Shu obviously thought of this as well. He said with a sad look on his face, "If the teacher knew that I went to visit my senior brother privately, he would definitely regret accepting me as his disciple."
Then, Xie Shu changed the subject and said to Eunuch Liu, "This matter concerns our lives. I must go, but I must not tell anyone else. Please keep it a secret for me, Eunuch Liu, and lend me a helping hand."
Eunuch Liu laughed out loud and nodded in agreement, praising Xie Shu for his strategy, courage and knowledge. He felt amused in his heart. Jiang Hong thought he had accepted a good apprentice this time, but he never expected that the latter one was of the same ilk as the former one!
However, with Xie Shu's character and behavior, Eunuch Liu became more optimistic about him. At the same time, thinking that he now had a handle on Xie Shu, there seemed to be less barriers between the two of them working together.
After Eunuch Liu and Xie Shu discussed the details, they were about to leave. At this time, Xie Shu suddenly remembered something and said to Eunuch Liu, "Eunuch, there is one more thing I need your help with."
After a while, Eunuch Liu readily agreed. This kind of thing was really a trivial matter to him.
But Eunuch Liu really couldn't figure it out. He had also heard the news these days that the merchant Su Kai from the Su family was going to take a girl named Wei Qingtong as his concubine.
I heard that Wei Qingtong was quite famous in Jinling City and was called "Little Guanyin", so it was not surprising that Xie Shu wanted to snatch him away. But why didn't he keep him by his side and instead sent him away far away?
Could it be really as Xie Shu said, that they were just neighbors and were just looking out for each other?
Although Eunuch Liu was curious, he did not ask. This question is more important than anything else at rare times.
Xie Shu was relieved when he saw that Eunuch Liu agreed. In the past few days, Xie Shu investigated this matter and found that it was not simple. Su Kai had married several concubines before, but they were all perfunctory and hasty. He had never been so serious. With Su Kai's character, he was definitely not someone who would easily suffer a loss.
However, Wei Qingtong was not difficult for Su Kai to obtain, but Su Kai agreed to several conditions proposed by Wei Qingtong one by one. There must be something fishy about this.
Eunuch Liu walked out in a relaxed manner, unlike when he came in. He had not gone far when he bumped into Mr. Yu who was walking towards him.
The weather is hot now, and people standing outside can hardly breathe. Eunuch Liu has always been afraid of heat, and he had a bitter face for a long time, but when he saw Mr. Yu, Eunuch Liu relaxed his brows.
Unexpectedly, Eunuch Liu was here. Yu Chuxi was slightly surprised, then nodded with a smile.
Eunuch Liu no longer had any doubts at this moment. Yu Langjun's appearance was unprecedented even in the emperor's bedroom, and it was the most beautiful Eunuch Liu had ever seen in his life. As for other things, Eunuch Liu could not say anything bad about her.
So it is not surprising that Xie Shu acted like this.
Watching Eunuch Liu go away, Yu Chuxi came back to his senses and felt that the smile Eunuch Liu had just shown was a little strange.
By the way, what is Eunuch Liu doing here?
Yu Chuxi was worried that something had happened, but looking at Eunuch Liu's expression, it didn't seem like that.
Yu Chuxi shook his head and didn't think about it anymore. He walked quickly upstairs and decided to ask Xie Shu.
Yu Chuxi walked to the door, put his finger on it, and was about to push the door open, but he heard a faint voice coming from inside the house: "Ximo, go to the Wei family later..."
This voice once whispered in his ear and coaxed him gently. It was so familiar.
Yu Chuxi was in a daze for a while, and suddenly realized that he could no longer deceive himself. This was Xie Shu's voice.
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