In the bright morning sunshine of early spring, Zhang Yanling was sitting on the porch of Youtang Villa, squinting and admiring several blooming peach blossoms in the yard.
These peach trees are all wild. When building the courtyard, Xu Youtang specifically asked to keep them. Xu Youtang likes peach blossoms, so even though the shape of these peach blossom trees is not very beautiful, Xu Youtang ordered people to make them out of stones.
The stone fence was fertilized last winter. Unexpectedly, this spring, these peach blossoms bloomed brilliantly and beautifully.
"Brother, I'm ready. Let's go."
Wearing a light yellow dress and a floral jacket, the elegant and charming Xu Youtang came out of the house, carrying a huge package in his hand, and said to Zhang Yanling.
Zhang Yanling looked Xu Youtang up and down with a smile and touched his chin.
Xu Youtang turned around and said, "What? Brother, do you think I look bad?"
Zhang Yanling said with a smile: "That's not true, Tang'er looks good in anything she wears. It's just that today I'm going to take you hunting in the Western Mountains. I'm afraid it's not convenient for you to wear a skirt. You should dress more neatly, do you understand?"
I want to ride horses and climb mountains.”
Xu Youtang was stunned and said: "If you didn't tell me earlier, my work would have been in vain. Humph!"
Xu Youtang stomped her feet and turned around to go in and change her clothes. Zhang Yanling smiled and shook her head. Xu Youtang is really a little confused. He said that he would take her to Xishan for hunting, but she didn't know how to dress more neatly. When it comes to making smelting utensils, she
He is very eloquent, but in other respects he is a little confused. He often makes some nonsensical jokes.
Recently, Xu Youtang has been stationed here. The construction schedule is very tight, and Xu Youtang is the nominal general manager of the Wild Dog Ridge Arsenal, so he naturally has to supervise the progress. In addition, Zhang Yanling requires that the production of thirty bird guns be completed as soon as possible.
, Xu Youtang must supervise and guide manufacturing here. From smelting fine steel to making parts, only Xu Youtang can control the entire process and quality.
Xu Gao was supervising the construction project of the Tailing Mausoleum of the late emperor. The imperial court decreed that the construction should be completed before June. Therefore, Xu Gao almost no longer had a home after the new year. He lived and ate at the Bijia Mountain construction site. This provided Xu Youtang with permanent residence.
Conditions are provided for this.
Of course, Xu Youtang is still unmarried and hangs out every day, and Mrs. Xu does not agree. So in order to dispel her worries, Zhang Yanling went to the door to explain to Mrs. Xu. At the same time, she also invited Mrs. Xu and Xu Youtang to come and stay at Xishan Manor.
for a while.
In fact, Mrs. Xu knew about the affair between her daughter and the Marquis. Mrs. Axiu of the Marquis's house mentioned it years ago. Xu Gao was not at home at that time, and Mrs. Xu knew about it. Mrs. Xu was naturally completely aware of the matter.
Agreed, but she couldn't be the boss of her husband and couldn't agree.
This time I stayed with Xu Youtang in Wild Dog Ridge for more than ten days. I saw that my daughter was indeed busy with business, and everyone on the entire construction site respected her very much. At such a young age, her daughter was already the manager of such a large construction site.
She nodded her head for everything. Mrs. Xu felt proud and relieved at the same time, so she stayed for a while and then left.
For more than a month after the New Year, Xu Youtang was indeed very busy. Zhang Yanling saw it. So yesterday, Zhang Yanling stayed here and while they were making love warmly in bed, she felt some wounds on Xu Youtang's arms and ankles from accidental bumps.
extend
Zhang Yanling felt very distressed and guilty. In the middle of the night, Xu Youtang talked in her sleep about firearms manufacturing, which made Zhang Yanling feel that Xu Youtang's nerves were too tight. So today she planned to take Xu Youtang to Xishan for hunting and outing to relax her.
While Zhang Yanling was waiting for Xu Youtang to dress up again, there was a rapid sound of horse hooves on the green brick road at the foot of the hillside. The sound of horse hooves came straight to the door of Youtang Villa. When Zhang Yanling stood up and looked towards the door, he saw
When we arrived, three or four riders dismounted at the gate of the courtyard and entered the courtyard.
"Yanling, Yanling! Are you there?" the visitor shouted loudly.
Zhang Yanling was greatly surprised when he recognized the person who came. It was none other than his brother Zhang Heling and several followers. The pampered Zhang Heling was usually spotless, but at this moment, he was as gray and distraught as if he was mourning for his heir. He almost came when he walked quickly.
He fell to the ground, but fortunately the servant beside him helped him.
"Brother, why are you here?" Zhang Yanling asked in surprise.
"Something big has happened, something big has happened." Zhang Heling panted heavily and sat down on the chair, panting.
Xu Youtang happened to change clothes and came out, and was stunned in surprise.
Zhang Yanling said: "Tang'er, go make a cup of tea."
Xu Youtang hurriedly went back to the house to make tea. Zhang Heling waved his hand and said: "What kind of tea should I drink? I'm in such a hurry, what kind of tea should I drink? I'm almost dying of anxiety, but you feel at ease, hiding here and enjoying yourself."
Zhang Yanling frowned and said, "What happened? Did the sky fall?"
Zhang Heling said: "It's almost the same. This time our brothers may be in trouble."
Xu Youtang brought the tea out, Zhang Yanling took it in his hand and handed it to Zhang Heling, saying: "Brother, don't be anxious. Speak slowly after drinking tea. Even if the sky falls, you won't be in a hurry."
Zhang Heling was indeed thirsty, so he took a few sips of the tea cup and drank it dry. After taking a few breaths and holding back the crowd, he told the story of the memorial to Li Mengyang, the head of the Ministry of Household Affairs.
Zhang Yanling frowned and her expression became grim.
"These bitches have finally bitten us. Yanling, they attacked us. As soon as I got up this morning, Li Zhong came to deliver a letter and told me about it. I thought he was joking. Really.
Damn it, how did Li Mengyang know about us, the Zhou family, and the things in my house?
They also said that one of my former servants, Li Dahei Luocao, became a robber. Doesn’t that mean that I communicated with the robbers? Now they want to kill us. Yanling, you have to think of a way quickly.
.Tell me, what should I do?" Zhang Heling said in panic.
Zhang Yanling frowned and was silent.
Zhang Heling shouted: "Yanling, you have to make an idea. If you don't think of a way, it will be too late. By the way, let's go back to the capital together, go to the palace to beg the second sister, and beg the emperor. Also, your father-in-law can also help, Xu Guangzuo
You won’t watch us die.”
Zhang Yanling said in a deep voice: "Brother, please be patient and don't be so panicked."
"Can I not panic? This is imminent. What if the emperor plays the song accurately?" Zhang Heling shouted.
"Brother! Can't you just let me think about it? Don't make any noise, okay?" Zhang Yanling shouted.
Zhang Heling was stunned and stopped, crying and silent.
Zhang Yanling frowned and thought quietly. This incident really happened suddenly. Zhang Yanling did not expect that such a thing would suddenly happen. Regarding the frequent memorials in the outer court in recent times to admonish the emperor's behavior, and Liu Jian's report on the shortcomings of the inner court.
, Zhang Yanling knew it all.
Since cooperating with Liu Jin, Zhang Yanling no longer has to inquire about these information herself. Liu Jin will let others inform him. For example, Liu Jin notified Zhang Yanling as soon as possible about Liu Jian's memorial.
Zhang Yanling didn't pay attention to these things at all. He was preoccupied with the Wild Dog Ridge matter. Liu Jin told himself these things, which was nothing more than conveying an attitude and telling Zhang Yanling that he abided by the agreement between the two parties and exchanged information. Liu Jin was disappointed
There was no intention of asking Zhang Yanling to help find a solution.
Liu Jian's memorial finally came to nothing. Zhang Yanling thought afterward that this method of coping was most likely Liu Jin's idea. Although Zhu Houzhao was smart, he was young after all. Zhu Houzhao probably couldn't come up with such a tricky coping method.
.Liu Jin is indeed capable of making clever responses so quickly.
Now the memorial concocted by Li Mengyang is very different. Before, Liu Jian's memorial was aimed at the issue but not the person, and it could be said that it was out of public interest. So Li Mengyang's memorial is mainly aimed at people.
This memorial is not only fiercely worded, but also extremely sinister, especially the accusation that Zhang Heling's servant is a bandit, which indeed implies that Zhang Heling is suspected of collaborating with bandits. This accusation is extremely despicable and sinister. Not to mention this
whether something is true,
Even if it is true, no one can control other people's behavior. What's more, that Li Heizi was just a thug in Zhang Heling's family a long time ago. He was dismissed a few years ago. Take this person as an example, that's
Obviously he wants to throw shit on the Zhang family.
"Brother, you just said that this memorial also involves the eunuchs around the emperor? Is it Liu Jin and the others?"
"Yes, it is said that Liu Jin, Zhang Yong and his gang of eunuchs who followed the emperor from the East Palace blocked the officials from meeting the emperor and asked for bribes. This has nothing to do with us, Yanling, we have to consider our own affairs now," Zhang Heling said.
Zhang Yanling suddenly laughed.
Zhang Heling said: "Brother, are you scared to death? Can you still laugh at this time?"
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Brother, don't worry. This matter is not a big deal. Just keep it in your mind, I will handle this matter, and there will definitely be no problems. You only need to do what I say from now on."
.”
Zhang Heling said in astonishment: "Is this...serious? Are you sure we are fine? The emperor will not play it accurately? Will he not punish us?"
Zhang Yanling said: "Don't worry, I won't let these guys who are looking for trouble succeed. It's okay to offend others. How can we let them succeed if we provoke them? This time we have to give those guys in the outer court some color."
.Let’s go back to Beijing now. I’ll take care of everything.”
Zhang Heling looked at Zhang Yanling doubtfully.
Zhang Yanling turned around, pulled Xu Youtang into the room, and said softly: "Tang'er, I'm sorry, I have to go back to the capital to do business. You also heard that if someone provokes us, I have to go back to the capital to reward them with their big mouths.
.Hey, I was going to accompany you to relax today, but it seems I can only go there for a few days."
Xu Youtang said hurriedly: "It doesn't matter. If you have important things, you have to take care of them. However, you have to be careful. Although I didn't understand what was going on, I felt that there seemed to be some trouble. The Grand Marquis was so panicked. Is everything going to be okay?
?”
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Don't you believe what I say? If I say it's okay, it's okay. These guys think they have covered the sky with one hand. They have to wake up. Don't worry, Tang'er, I'm going."
Xu Youtang said hurriedly: "Okay. Brother, you must be more careful. If you can tolerate it, then be patient. It will be over."
Zhang Yanling said with a smile: "You can't tolerate it with these dogs. You have to slap your mouth hard. I won't say anything anymore. I have to rush back to do something. Come on, let me hug you."
Xu Youtang blushed and looked outside the house. Seeing that no one had come in, he stepped forward, hugged Zhang Yanling, kissed him, and whispered: "Go quickly, it's time for the Grand Marquis to wait."