[R18] Will drink wine – “About Wine” Chapter 65 [English]

Chapter 63 Dredging

Xi Hongxuan was trembling and vomiting, his face turned horribly white.Han Jin, who was behind, saw that the situation was not good and hurriedly waded into the water to stop him.Xiao Chiye let go of his hand and watched Xi Hongxuan being carried onto the sedan.The rain was still falling, and officials, big and small, were crying, chasing Li Jianheng’s sedan, and swarming towards the palace gate.

Pan Xiangjie’s shoes were all gone. The old man was holding his robe, panting, and still crying “Your Majesty.”Everyone around him was similar, except Hai Liangyi who remained dignified and followed the sedan chair back to the palace.

The imperial doctors who had been waiting for him hurriedly came to greet him, and they continued to run into the palace in chaos.Mu Rusu came to pick him up. When he saw Li Jianheng covered in blood, tears fell down.

The Queen Mother was helped out by Hua Xiangyi, and she said to Han Cheng in a bad tone: “You are in a hurry, why do you ask a group of old people to run with you? They are all elderly people, and they are wet in the rain. If there are two shortcomings, it will make things worse!”

The Jin Yiwei knelt down with a roar, and Han Cheng said: “The sin of a humble minister deserves death.”

“Hurry up and ask people to prepare soup and clothes,” the Queen Mother said to the ministers. “The Ai family is very touched to see your sincerity and loyalty. Now that the emperor has returned to the palace, there is no need to rush now. It is so cold, so everyone should go to the side hall to take shelter from the wind and drink hot soup. Don’t get sick at this moment.”

The ministers kowtowed and thanked him.

The Queen Mother said again: “Yuan Fu, the cabinet and the ministers came in to talk.”

* * *

Cen Yu was away, so he stayed on Donglong Street and followed Xiao Chiye to clear official roads.Yu Xiao, no matter how low-ranking he was, followed behind and held the raincoat for Cen Yu.

Xiao Chiye’s head and face were covered with water, and the cold wind made everyone around him tremble, but he was not affected at all.Just now he was digging people, and he had lifted the nearly one hundred kilograms weight by himself. He was now wearing a handkerchief around the tiger’s mouth, and his expression was very ugly.

“Poor families live in the low-lying areas. It’s not easy to live in a house made of broken wood. Now I hear that it is going to be demolished, and nine out of ten people don’t agree.” Cen Yu soaked his bare feet in the water, lifted up his soaked official robe and stuffed it around his waist. He said, “Only Donglong Street is flooded today. That’s because Donglong Street is close to the Kailing River. If the rain doesn’t stop, Governor, other streets will also be flooded tomorrow.”

“If the imperial court is willing to subsidize five taels of silver to the poor families who demolish their houses, he will be willing to do so.” Tantai Hu, half-covered in mud, said, “Just to have a place to live, as long as he is willing to subsidize the money, it will not be a problem. I think it is the big houses that are hindering the unblocking. Those houses have been expanded illegally, and there are many private fights to fight for a few inches of space. Now let heWith only five taels of silver, who is willing to pierce a good house without even knocking on the door?”

“I’m afraid we can’t reach an agreement on the subsidy,” said Cen Yu, who has been in official circles for a long time and knows the rules inside. “If the Ministry of Household Affairs is willing to use money to help the victims, it is already looking at Hai Yuanfu’s face. The money will have to be calculated separately. If each family is subsidized with five taels of silver, they will definitely not agree.”

“Sir, don’t blame me for being a rough talker. Why are you still thinking about money at this juncture?” Tantaihu’s chest heaved. “When the water rises, people will die, and there may be epidemics! It will be useless to keep money at that time!”

“Brother Tiger, don’t be anxious,” Yu Xiaozai raised his hand to appease everyone and said, “You don’t know this account clearly. The household department also has difficulties with the household department. They are not really stingy with this money. They have been inspected nearby and have done a good job. HeOur hearts are at ease and our faces are bright, so why not do it?But why are we not willing to do it? It’s just because we are short of money!This money is now being used to meet the emergency. In a while, it will be the spring farming season in various places, and the areas affected by the disaster last year will be harvested.If there is no harvest, the local government will report it. The Ministry of Revenue will consider allocating money to the local government, so that the affected local government offices or chief envoys can use the money to buy seeds in places with good harvests in the provinces. This is a big problem for hundreds of thousands of people to feed, so if you look at the money in the national treasury now,How can they dare to act so easily?Furthermore, since it is an illegal expansion, the occupation of official ditch should be investigated and punished. The court has not punished them, but how can they pay for it?If this matter is not figured out clearly, our Ministry of Revenue will impeach them later, so it will be difficult for everyone.”

No matter how much Yu Xiao has the ability to calm people, once he speaks with a slight accent, no matter how big the issue is, it can wait.What he said is the truth, not to favor anyone, but the problem is just that.

Local spring plowing and planting are directly related to all the trends of this year’s Great Zhou Dynasty. The military supplies of the two major frontier areas depend on the grain harvests of Juexi Thirteen Cities and Hezhou, so no one dares to be careless. This is the first priority in the world.

what to do?

Forced demolition will definitely arouse public outrage. Currently, half of the people in the Forbidden Army are military households in Qudu. Not many live in Donglong Street, but there are also quite a few.Hai Liangyi handed this matter over to the Forbidden Army, but actually handed it over to Xiao Chiye, because once the matter was handed over to the Eighth Battalion, there would be no compromise. Han Jin would directly ask people to bulldoze it, but the hidden dangers thus planted could not be ignored.

This just requires Xiao Chiye to find a way.

Xiao Chiye tightened his grip and was about to speak when he saw someone walking out of the rain.

Shen Zechuan raised his hands to them and said, “I guess you are all here. How is Guangou’s progress now?”

“It’s difficult to handle,” Cen Yu sighed. “It’s not easy to dismantle.”

“The difficulty in the Ministry of Household Affairs is ultimately that we can’t figure out the amount of spring plowing expenses.” Shen Zechuan’s face was calm, but his cheeks were a little red. He looked at the rain and said, “This account can actually be estimated. I have just read the Jinyiwei records and I have quite a lot of experience in this. If the Governor doesn’t mind it, will you listen to me?”

Xiao Chiye stared at he and said, “Please tell me, Zhen Fu.”

Shen Zechuan thought for a while and said: “Last year when the new emperor ascended the throne, there was a general amnesty in various places, so Juexi was exempted from 30% of the tax. heWe had a good harvest last year. Except for the disasters reported in Huaizhou and Zhongbo Dunzhou, there were no problems.Governor, Dunzhou is short of food this year. The government will definitely go to Cizhou where the warehouses are full.There was a heavy snowfall at the beginning of the year.The heavy snow is falling on the house in Zhongbo. Didn’t the prince allocate 40,000 taels of military pay for the Libei cavalry this year to Cizhou for relief?Now we can let Cizhou return this favor. Please ask the prince to write a letter to Zhou Gui, the capital of Cizhou, so thatThe grain he sells to Dunzhou this year will be discounted at 40,000 yuan. In this way, the Ministry of Household Affairs will be able to save money on Cizhou’s allocation this year, which can be used for the current house demolition subsidy.”

Yu Xiao thought about it again and said, “But the matter of occupying official ditches is also a crime if investigated. The Ministry of Revenue can’t handle it, right?”

“According to the law, the occupation of official ditches must be punished, but in special times, special treatment must be given. We cannot just blame each other and bring them in with rigid methods.” Shen Zechuan paused slightly, “The court cannot see the victims. To compensate the victims with this money is a favor and a matter of great favor from the emperor. It is most appropriate for Mr. Cen to discuss this matter. The Ministry of Revenue is not hard-hearted. As long as it is correct, the accounts are clear, and the money is sufficient, they will definitely start to handle it immediately.”

The inspection is about to begin. The inspection is related to the promotion of personnel in various departments. Everyone is willing to get “excellent”. As long as it makes sense, I will definitely be willing to do it.

“Let’s talk about Cizhou again,” Shen Zechuan looked at Xiao Chiye, “Zhongbo is going to build the old city this year. Although we don’t know who will be sent there yet, it will be expensive to hire manpower. Because of this, the governor is in love with Cizhou. When the old city is built, the manpower cost can be calculated on the families who have been demolished today. From heEach family will allocate manpower to work in Cizhou and be escorted by the imperial army. A few months is enough, which can be regarded as a punishment for occupying the official ditch.The five taels of silver will not be owed, so the person who gives it can rest assured, and the person who takes it can also feel at ease.”

Not only that, after this incident, Cizhou’s debt to Libei turned into a relationship of mutual help and mutual help. As long as Zhou Gui was not a fool, he should have understood that this was an opportunity to make friends.

As soon as Shen Zechuan finished speaking, Yu Xiaozai shook off his raincoat and put it on Cen Yu.

Cen Yu was going to do it right away. Before he stepped forward, he patted Shen Zechuan’s shoulder heavily and said, “Master Zhenfu, time is running out at the moment, so I won’t say much. After this scene is over, I, Cen Xunyi, will prepare some wine in my humble residence and look forward to your visit!”

He put on his bamboo hat, took Yu Xiaozai and left.

“Is everything okay in the palace?” Xiao Chiye held Shen Zechuan’s wrist.

Tantaihu hesitated to speak, but remained silent.

Shen Zechuan hooked the badge from his waist with his backhand, looked at it for a moment, and said, “The Queen Mother summoned all the ministers to prepare for the settlement. It’s just a good thing that you are not among them. The official trenches must be arranged quickly. There was some talk just now, but you must understand that if it is still not clear in the next few days, you will be held accountable.”

The two of them stood here, and Xiao Chiye couldn’t touch him again, but seeing that he was slightly sick due to the rain, he said: “Elder Ge asked you to watch the palace. You go back, sit in the office, drink a cup of hot tea, and just stare at the door.”

“That’s Han Cheng’s matter,” Shen Zechuan turned around, “…Master is at Zhaosu Temple, and I’m worried too. Without further ado, you go and do your work first. I have to follow the people from the Ministry of Revenue and handle the relief work for the victims in the back.”

Xiao Chiye wanted to say something else, but Han Jin on the other end had already picked up his shoes and called “he”.He had no choice but to let go, take a few steps back, turn around and run away with Tantai Hu and Chen Yang.

Shen Zechuan had a splitting headache. After being soaked in the rain, he sobered up a little. He turned around and called Ge Qingqing to lead people down to the low-lying area.

Clearing official channels is not easy to do, it is dirty and tiring work.The people in the household department had to change their shoes and robes when they got out of the water, and the office workers all huddled under the sheds, not even wanting to get wet.Anyway, this is an errand assigned by Hai Liangyi to the Ministry of Industry and the Forbidden Army, and they are here to help.

When Shen Zechuan arrived, he saw that the number of people gathered could not be counted on ten fingers.He knows that the people under the Ministry of Finance who are used to messing around are the most oily, and there is no benefit to them.

Ge Qingqing asked: “It’s getting dark today, why do people only have so much?”

The official who nodded and bowed for Shen Zechuan to sit down said, “Can’t you call me? Haven’t the Forbidden Army in front finished digging yet? If they dig over tonight, it will be too late to recruit people tomorrow morning. Sir, sit down quickly, it’s raining! Drink a cup of hot tea quickly, it will warm you up, don’t freeze yourself!”

Shen Zechuan did not move, looked at the shed and said with a smile: “The shed you built yourself? It’s well built.”

The official held the tea and smiled happily: “No, we are so busy right now. How can anyone care about us? We can only build it ourselves…”

He’s voice gradually became quieter, because all the Jinyi guards stood solemnly behind Shen Zechuan, looking at He, and no one smiled.

Shen Zechuan was okay, so he took the tea and took a sip.

The official said flatteringly: “This is Hezhou’s good tea, specially brewed for adults——”

Shen Zechuan turned his hand and splashed he in the face. The official was startled, yelled and backed away.Shen Zechuan tapped the bottom of the cup with his fingertips and poured out all the tea leaves.There was still that smiling face on her face, which became even more beautiful and beautiful in the shower.

“Tea,” Shen Zechuan said warmly, “I respect you, why didn’t you drink it?”

The official hurriedly plucked the tea leaves from his face and said, “Too, too urgent…”

“The king of hell called the roll, don’t rush.” Shen Zechuan threw the tea cup and said, “Yuan Fu strictly ordered the Jin Yiwei to supervise the relief work, but the order to kill on the spot was still not tight enough around the neck. I poured this tea on the ground, and you must drink it. Since you can’t catch it standing, why don’t I give you a ride, and you go down there and drink it for me.”

The official hurriedly knelt down and said, “Sir, how can this be possible, my lord! After all, he is a sixth-grade court official in a low-level position. How can he be executed just by saying…”

“There is no one below the fourth grade who has been imprisoned in our prison!” Ge Qingqing lifted her robe and kicked him into the water. “If the governor tells you to drink, you have to drink. Do you want to drink alive or dead?”

The official rolled into the water. When he saw Shen Zechuan holding the knife and looking at him, he immediately held the water in his hands, stuffed it into his mouth, and cried: “I drink, I drink!”

The people around who were still standing or sitting in various postures and making jokes all quietly stood up and leaned on the side in an orderly manner.

Shen Zechuan glanced at them and said, “Can this errand be done immediately?”

Everyone said in unison: “It all depends on the envoys of Lord Zhenfu.”

“I’m an inspector, how can I know anything about it?” Shen Zechuan took out a blue handkerchief and wiped his hands, smiling and said, “If you don’t want to be an errand, we Jin Yiwei will just follow you. Are you leaving?”

Who dares to stay!

The official trembled and wanted to come up. Shen Zechuan glanced at him, and he stepped back again, stammering: “S-Sir…”

“This is the street,” Shen Zechuan comforted before leaving, “come back after drinking.”

The sky has turned completely dark, but the rain still doesn’t stop.No matter how majestic the Jin Yiwei is, he still has to be soaked in water and smell sour.When Shen Zechuan stood up, he felt like the world was spinning. He held on to the board of Fengguan Ditch and stabilized it for a moment. Everyone on the left and right was busy, and no one noticed.

Only Ge Qingqing quickly persuaded in a low voice: “Don’t rush now, it’s okay to take a break!”

Shen Zechuan forced a smile, feeling unable to speak as the nauseating taste was already in his throat.He held the board up and reached for a water bag from under the half-collapsed hut.

Suddenly there was a heavy weight on his back, and someone covered Shen Zechuan’s head.While he was still squatting, the cover in front of him was suddenly opened again. Xiao Chiye panted, and suddenly got in, stuffed the still hot food box into he, and the next moment he got out again, and was about to leave.

Shen Zechuan pushed aside the cloak covering his head, and the man who had walked a few steps returned the same way, stepping on the collapsed debris, squatting down and holding Shen Zechuan’s face, and kissed him hard. After the kiss, he rubbed Shen Zechuan’s cheek hard.

The rain fell, and Xiao Chiye was panting heavily. He looked at Shen Zechuan in the darkness for a moment, said nothing, turned around and ran away.He turned it out with great skill, put the dirty robe hanging in his arms back on, and ran into the alley.

If not for time.

Xiao Chiye pulled his collar, crossed over the ruins, stepped on the filth and rushed towards the Forbidden Army, and cursed secretly——

Damn it!