Seeing Zhu Hejian come to greet him in person, Huo Zhengyuan and Song Chengren were both flattered.
Although they were hostile to Zhu Hejian, after all, Zhu Hejian was a prince who had a high chance of succeeding as crown prince. This attitude could be said to give them enough face.
Therefore, Huo Zhengyuan and Song Chengren hurriedly saluted and said hello. Song Chengren was the first to say: "His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince was actually alerted to greet him in person, and so many Nanjing sages appeared together. It is too grand, too grand!"
Huo Zhengyuan also nodded repeatedly: "I can't afford it! I really can't afford it!"
Zhu Hejian smiled and said: "What nonsense! Senior Song is the head of the Jin gentry in Jiangnan. He was also an important minister in the court at that time. He is highly respected and respected. As a junior, I should take the initiative to welcome you..."
As he spoke, Zhu Hejian turned to look at Huo Zhengyuan again: "There is also Academician Huo, who is a rare wise man in the temple. I also have the same respect. Especially since Academician Huo almost encountered an accident the evening before yesterday, it is even more shocking.
It’s my duty to express concern.”
When it was mentioned that Huo Zhengyuan almost encountered an accident, Zhu Hejian's expression was full of concern, but there was an implicit scrutiny in his eyes.
Zhu Hejian also received news not long ago that Huo Zhengyuan wanted to drive the "United Shipping Company" to cause trouble, make the conflict between the wealthy Jin gentry and the eunuchs of Huangzhuang public, and further intensify the conflict between the two parties.
After receiving this news, Zhu Hejian was naturally surprised.
The accident that Huo Zhengyuan encountered was due to Zhu Hejian's behind-the-scenes plan. He originally wanted to intimidate Huo Zhengyuan so that Huo Zhengyuan would never dare to act rashly again, and then completely eliminate the variables of the "Zhao Party" power.
Unexpectedly, after Huo Zhengyuan encountered this accident, not only was he not frightened, but his life changed drastically and his courage greatly increased. He changed from his previous cautious and cautious style of just watching from the sidelines, and turned into a resolute and courageous person.
In this way, Zhu Hejian not only failed to eliminate the variable of the "Zhao Party" force, but made the variable of the "Zhao Party" even more uncontrollable.
Zhu Hejian hates this unexpected situation - if the world cannot run according to his own ideas, it means that his methods are not strong enough and his intervention in the world is not powerful enough! The only way is to run completely according to his own ideas.
The world is a world that satisfies oneself.
Therefore, one of the intentions of Zhu Hejian's banquet tonight is to test Huo Zhengyuan's temperament changes, and at the same time, he also wants to do his best to prevent Huo Zhengyuan's plan to use the "United Shipping Company" to make things worse.
On the other side, feeling Zhu Hejian's eyes scrutinizing, Huo Zhengyuan couldn't help but tremble in his heart, but on the surface he had no fear, he just shook his head and sighed: "Alas! Xiaguan has indeed been in bad luck recently. Not only did he encounter an incident the evening before yesterday,
In an accident, five followers who had followed Xiaguan for many years were trampled in a trample accident. They were either tragically killed on the spot or seriously injured. Moreover, Xiaguan had three other followers who were hit by floods on their way to Nanjing last night.
Either drowned on the spot, or disappeared...
Hey! When Xiaguan left the capital to serve as the patrol envoy to the southeast, he only had ten followers with him. Now only two people are lucky to be safe... If these two accidents were not accidental, Xiaguan might not have
You should mistakenly think that someone is deliberately targeting the official and intimidating him!
Alas! Although Xiaguan's close followers suffered heavy casualties, it was not a big deal after all. However, there was a young scholar named Jiang Zheng who had been traveling with Xiaguan in Nanjing during this period. He was not only Zhao Cabinet's staff, but also a young scholar named Jiang Zheng.
He is also a disciple of Yang Xun and Yang Daru. He was also seriously injured in the trampling accident the night before yesterday. He is still unconscious and his life or death is uncertain. Therefore, the subordinate must do something, otherwise he will not be able to explain to Zhao Gechen and Yang Daru!
"
Huo Zhengyuan believed that whether it was the trampling accident he personally experienced or the flood that broke out outside Nanjing last night, Zhou Shangjing and Zhu Hejian both had suspicions and motives, but in comparison, he still suspected Zhu Hejian more.
, so Huo Zhengyuan also had a hidden agenda when he expressed his stance at this time.
However, Huo Zhengyuan also did not expect that after hearing his words, Zhu Hejian did not show any abnormality. He just shook his head and sighed along with Huo Zhengyuan, feeling sorry for the heavy losses of those around Huo Zhengyuan, but everyone behind Zhu Hejian
The guests suddenly became restless.
I saw a royal eunuch wearing the attire of a seventh-grade eunuch. He immediately took a step forward and said with a sneer: "The two accidents that the great scholar Huo and his entourage encountered, and the trampling accident the night before yesterday, maybe
It was indeed just an accident, but the flood outside Nanjing last night may not have been just an accident!"
As the eunuch showed up to express his position, several other eunuchs from the Imperial Palace around him also started to make noises, either in a strange way or with a hint, all suggesting that the flood outside Nanjing last night was intentional.
for it.
Moreover, when these Huangzhuang eunuchs expressed their opinions and hints, they all deliberately stared at Song Chengren next to Huo Zhengyuan. They seemed to think that Song Chengren was the mastermind behind deliberately destroying the dam and causing floods to submerge the Huangzhuang!
At the same time, among the guests at tonight's banquet, there were also many wealthy gentry families in Southern Zhili. After seeing this, they also expressed their opinions one after another and sternly refuted the intentions of the eunuchs of Huangzhuang.
As the conflict broke out again between the eunuchs of Huangzhuang and the wealthy gentry families, the situation quickly became chaotic.
Seeing this situation, Song Chengren suddenly had a bad premonition in his heart. He first raised his hand to stop the noise of the noble gentry, and finally turned to stare at the eunuch of Huangzhuang who stood up first to speak, and asked: "
Jiang Dawei, what exactly do you want to say?"
It turned out that the seventh-grade eunuch who was the first to speak out was Jiang Dawei, the eunuch in charge of the largest imperial estate in Nanjing.
The flood that broke out outside Nanjing last night also made the imperial village under Jiang Dawei's rule bear the brunt. Thousands of hectares of fertile farmland were flooded. There will be no harvest this year, and several people were drowned.
With a co-operating eunuch and a tenant farmer in the imperial village, it is no wonder that Jiang Dawei became so angry at this time.
After hearing Song Chengren's question, Jiang Dawei became even more emotional. He raised his finger and pointed at Song Chengren and cursed loudly: "You old dog, you still have the nerve to ask what we want to say? The flood last night was because of you, this old dog."
It was caused by the dogs sending people to dig up the dikes!”
After hearing this, Song Chengren's expression changed slightly and turned cold.
After receiving the news of the flood outside the city, Zhou Shangjing and Song Chengren both had a premonition and believed that the flood was most likely the deliberate act of the seventh prince Zhu Hejian. The reason why Zhu Hejian deliberately caused the flood was not just
He wanted to stir up the situation and create an image of the eunuchs of Huangzhuang as victims, and he must also want to take the opportunity to blame the wealthy gentry families in southern Zhili.
As the head of the Jin gentry in Jiangnan, the Song family was naturally the most likely target to blame.
For this situation, Song Chengren had been mentally prepared in advance, so it was not particularly unexpected.
But what Song Chengren couldn't accept was that Jiang Dawei had no respect for him and directly called him "old dog". Naturally, he was very angry.
On the other side, Zhu Hejian also looked dissatisfied.
But Zhu Hejian was dissatisfied not because of Jiang Dawei's rude words, but because Zhu Hejian was testing Huo Zhengyuan at this time, but Jiang Dawei interrupted the topic and changed his attention.
Of course, there was still a matter of superficiality, so Zhu Hejian immediately turned around and walked quickly to Jiang Dawei. First he raised his hand and slapped Jiang Dawei hard twice, and then kicked Jiang Dawei to the ground.
Then, Zhu Hejian showed anger and scolded him sternly: "Senior Song, was he a former important minister of the imperial court and the head of the Jin gentry in the south of the Yangtze River? It is also something that you, a humble domestic slave, can offend? Now, kneel down to Senior Song immediately."
Apologize, otherwise I will never forgive you!"
But perhaps it was because of the heavy losses suffered by Huangzhuang under his rule that Jiang Dawei was furious and lost his mind at this time. Or maybe it was because Jiang Dawei had already received certain promises, so he was emboldened and acted deliberately...
All in all, after hearing Zhu Hejian's stern reprimand, Jiang Dawei not only did not back down, but instead stiffened his neck and retorted directly: "Your Highness, our family is not convinced! Our family is not convinced! It was obviously the Song family who dug up the dam, so
The emperor's estate was flooded. This matter is already a proven crime. Why can't our family speak out? No matter how high Song Chengren's status is, his deliberate destruction of the royal estate should be an unforgivable crime. How can you protect him!
?”
Then, another elderly eunuch standing not far from Zhu Hejian also stood up and spoke.
This man was wearing the attire of a fourth-grade eunuch. He was tall and thin, with a gloomy temperament. Although he was nearly sixty years old and had gray hair, he still had a straight back, bright eyes, and a strong aura when he raised his hands and feet.
In the entire southern Zhili territory, there was only one eunuch of the fourth rank, and that was the Nanjing garrison eunuch Xicheng.
"Your Highness, please calm down! Although Jiang Dawei's statement is somewhat inappropriate, it is also excusable. He is the eunuch of Guanzhuang, responsible for managing the royal farmland for Your Majesty. He has made outstanding achievements over the years. He is regarded as the leader in the southern Zhili territory.
The emperor's imperial estate pays the largest amount of money and grain to the internal funds every year, which can be said to be diligent and loyal. Now that he sees serious losses in the royal estate he manages, he is naturally furious..."
In a few words, Xi Chengcheng described Jiang Dawei's vicious offense against Song Chengren as an impulsive expression of loyalty.
Then, Xi Cheng turned to stare at Song Chengren and said in a cold voice: "Master Song, there is something I need to let you know. Not long ago, the Jin Yiwei who went to the flood site to investigate the situation had sent news, saying that they could confirm
, the flood last night was caused by someone deliberately destroying the dike, and a body was found nearby. This body was also drowned in the flood, but he was still holding a hand tightly when he drowned.
The shovel was most likely involved in the excavation of the dam. The most important thing is...
It was found out that the body was not that of the people nearby, but that of a tenant farmer of your Song family. That’s why Jiang Dawei suspected that it was your Song family who deliberately dug up the dike at night and flooded the imperial village! But he didn’t know that
What is the explanation for this matter, the head of the Song family?"
After seeing Xi Cheng's appearance, Zhu Hejian shook his head and sighed, as if he didn't want to see such a situation happen, but he also took the opportunity to turn around and look at Song Chengren, no longer forcing Jiang Dawei to kneel down and apologize to Song Chengren, and slowly
Said: "I believe that the destruction of the dam and the submergence of the imperial village had absolutely nothing to do with the Song family head. There must be some misunderstanding here. I also believe that the Song family head will be able to prove his innocence and explain the matter clearly... But everyone just
Instead of sitting in the front yard blowing the cold wind, let’s go back to the hall and sit down to talk!”
After speaking, Zhu Hejian began to greet the guests back to the front hall of Zhanyuan.
Seeing this situation, Song Chengren didn't panic at all. He just turned to look at Huo Zhengyuan and whispered softly: "Sure enough, there is no good banquet... This dinner is clearly a Hongmen banquet for my Song family!
"
Huo Zhengyuan also turned to look at Song Chengren and promised in a low voice: "Senior Song, don't worry, I will advance and retreat together with you on this matter!"
In Huo Zhengyuan's plan, it is best for the fight between Zhou Shangjing and Zhu Hejian to be evenly matched and both sides lose, so naturally he will not let Zhu Hejian easily overthrow the Song family.
Song Chengren smiled and nodded slightly, then followed Zhu Hejian and walked side by side towards the front hall of Zhanyuan.
…
PS: In the past few days, Chongzi’s family members have been infected with influenza A continuously. Everyone is feeling listless and suffering from abdominal pain and diarrhea. Please pay attention to your health. Also, because you have to take care of your family, there is only a small chapter today.
