On the first day of winter, Dai Kui and Chen Caozhi left Xie's manor together. They said goodbye at the small ferry under Cao'e Pavilion. Dai Kui untied the cable and boarded the boat. He cupped his hands and said, "Come on, Dai is sweeping the couch in the thatched cottage of Shanxi River."
To wait.”
Chen Caozhi bowed his head and said: "At the end of the month or at the beginning of the month, I will be visiting Mr."
Dai Kui said with a smile: "Don't do anything like that, Wang Ziyou. If you visit Dai on a snowy night, you won't see him." He smiled and said goodbye.
Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng galloped on horseback and arrived at the small town of Dongguan in less than half an hour. Xiaochan and others were already waiting eagerly and started on the road together immediately.
Xiao Chan said: "Xiao Langjun, today is your birthday. Let's ask the store to prepare leek leaf water cakes during the lunch break."
Ran Sheng said: "Brother and I have already eaten Shuiyin Cake at Xie's Manor."
Xiaochan said happily: "Zhu Langjun ordered people to prepare it, Zhu Langjun is really thoughtful."
Ran Sheng glanced at Chen Cao and thought to himself: "Earlier, the Xie clan guarded Cao'e Pavilion and said that Zhu Langjun ordered him to wait there. When my brother and I arrived at the village, he said that Zhu Langjun had gone to Zhu Langjun.
It’s really weird! Zhu Langjun is not at the village, but Mrs. Xie is at the village. I remember that at the beginning of the year in Wuyi Lane, Jiankang, Mrs. Daoyun asked my brother to help her negotiate - Brother
It is said that Zhu Langjun has a special status, what is the special method?"
Ran Sheng vaguely thought of something, but felt that it was too unbelievable. Then thinking about Zhu Langjun's appearance, physique, and daily words and deeds, Ran Sheng was convinced that he was not mistaken. Zhu Langjun was a woman. As for whether it was Mrs. Daoyun.
Not sure——
Suddenly a flash of inspiration occurred, and Ran Sheng remembered that Mr. Dai Andao said that Xie Daoyun had learned drums and painting from him. It was for this reason that Zhu Langjun did not dare to come out to see Mr. Dai!
Chen Caozhi saw Ran Sheng's expression was strange and asked, "Xiao Sheng, what's wrong?"
Ran Sheng said: "Nothing." He beat the horse in front and thought: "Looking at this, the Xie family girl must also like my brother. She even disguised herself as a woman and followed my brother. Could it be that my brother wants to marry two people? This seems difficult.
Well, it’s hard to marry one, let alone two! Although the Xie girl is not weaker than the men in talent, it would be better for me to marry Miss Lu——"
Ran Sheng was smart, and became even more thoughtful and studious after knowing his life experience. Chen Caozhi knew that Ran Sheng had guessed Xie Daoyun's identity, and frowned slightly, thinking: "It's nothing if Xiao Sheng finds out, but after Brother Yingtai behaves like this
It is inevitable that more people will see the flaw, which is troublesome."
The group had just left Dongguan Town three miles away when a member of the Xie family hurried over on horseback: "Chen Langjun - Chen Langjun's horse is too fast. The villain is chasing me all the way. My husband, please wait a moment.
She came quickly."
After Dai Kui returned to Shan County, Xie Daoyun could start his journey. Chen Caozhi originally thought that Xie Daoyun would arrive a day late.
Chen Caozhi said to the Xie family member: "You go back and inform your husband, and we will go slowly."
Half an hour later, Xie Daoyun arrived on horseback with two of her troops, while her bullock cart and entourage were still behind.
Everyone hurried on their way. It was already midnight when they arrived at Shanyin County. It was completely dark. They saw two people coming out of the county post. They were Jing Nu and Laizhen. Chen Caozhi was startled, thinking that something had happened in Chenjiawu.
What happened, I asked Laizhen Lai what happened?
Lai Zhen said: "Young gentleman, today is your birthday. My mistress sent me and I to give you winter clothes and new shoes."
Chen Caozhi asked: "Has sister-in-law come back from Huating?"
Lai Zhen said: "Young mistress just returned from visiting Miss Lu in Huating the day before yesterday. She ordered Uncle Jing and I to come to Shanyin to meet the young man. We also received gifts and letters from Miss Lu to the young man."
Chen Caozhi returned to the post house and came to show off the winter clothes that Ding Youwei had sewn for Chen Caozhi. He also presented Lu Weirui's letters and birthday gifts. Lu Weirui gave him a pair of jade bis, made of the finest mutton-fat jade, white and flawless. , crystal clear.
Lu Weirui was obviously very happy in the letter. She said she was overjoyed that Ding's sister-in-law could visit her. She also met Run'er, who was extremely cute. She also hoped that Chen Langjun could go and see her again when he comes to Beijing next year -
…
The next morning, Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun went to see Dai Shu, the internal historian of Kuaiji, and told him about meeting Mr. Dai Andao in Dongshan. Dai Shu asked Chen Caozhi what was the result of going to Yuyao to lobby the Yu family? Chen Caozhi told the truth. , Dai Shu thought for a moment and said: "Shu Ning Gong is devoted to writing history books. He should know the reasons for the rise and fall of aristocratic families in the past dynasties, and he should be able to make decisions. Huan Da Sima was not the prime minister of the king at that time, how could Shu Ning Gong not know about it."
When the county magistrate Lu Chu learned that Chen Caozhi had returned empty-handed, he thought that Chen Caozhi had hit a wall with Yu Yu. He secretly laughed to himself. He wanted to see what else Chen Caozhi could do.
On the afternoon of the third day after Chen Caozhi returned to Shanyin on November 3, Yu Xiao's father asked to see Dai Shu. Chen Caozhi was also present at that time. Dai Shu said with a "haha" smile: "Cao Zhi's lobbying has achieved great results, Yu Father Xiao will definitely have good news when he comes here."
Yu Xiao's father entered the county government office and paid homage to Dai Neishi. He then paid homage to Chen Caozhi and thanked Daoyun, and said to Chen Caozhi: "Brother Chen, in ancient Su Qin, Zhang Yi was not as good as Brother Chen." After that, he ordered his men. He presented a stack of books and said: "This is part of the family register of my Yu family. There are 700 household registers here. Together with the 300 hidden households that were handed over earlier, the Yuyao family will hand it over during this time. One thousand households.”
Chen Caozhi cupped his hands and said, "Brother Yu, I'm tired."
Dai Shu was overjoyed. The Yu family, the largest family in Kuaiji County, suddenly handed over 700 hermit households. When the news spread, no one in Kuaiji would dare to hesitate and wait and see. In the next half month, there would be a steady stream of orders from the county to surrender their hermit households. Absolutely——
Less than a moment after Yu Xiao's father handed in the books, Lu Chu knew the news. He was so angry that he ordered a small official to invite Yu Xiao's father to see him. Yu Xiao's father went to the county magistrate's office to see Lu Chu. Lu Chu's face was gloomy. Holding back his anger, he asked: "Your uncle must have received my letter. Why did your sect act without permission? Where did you leave the other nobles in Kuaiji?"
Yu Xiao's father was also a very arrogant person, so he couldn't stand Lu Chu's lecturing tone and said: "Lu Juncheng, my Yu family is the largest family in this county. The scholars and common people in Kuaiji are all staring at my Yu family, and the two local envoys are also looking at me." Keeping an eye on my Yu family, the King of Pengcheng was arrested for running away with fifty households. How can I, the Yu family, dare to stop Tu Duan? If a big trouble is really going to happen, does Lu Juncheng have a plan to protect my Yu family?" Yu Xiao's father was mocking Lu. Chu could not protect his trusted official Zhang Lun.
Lu Chu was so angry that he turned blue and said angrily: "The interests of our Jiangzuo gentry are ruined by cowards like you!"
Yu Xiao's father sneered and said, "Let's see how the tyrannical Lu family handles this earth-cutting situation! Farewell."
After Yu Xiao's father left, Lu Chu paced back and forth in the hall and ordered someone to invite He Zhu and Wei Bo to discuss the matter.
At noon, He Zhu and Wei Bo came to Lu Chu's apartment one after another. He Zhu was shocked and angry when Lu Chu told him about Yu's surrender of 700 hidden households, but Wei Bo remained calm.
Lu Chu told He Zhu that Wei Bo should not panic. There are still twenty days before the review deadline. Countermeasures must be figured out within these twenty days. The Kuaiji nobles must not bow to Chen Caozhi. The Yu family handed over so many hidden households.
You will definitely regret it.
Wei Bo Weiwei saw that Lu Chu had nothing else to do, so he left first.
After Wei Bo left, He Zhu immediately scolded Yu Yu Laogui for being fatuous. He actually handed over 700 hidden households without consulting him in advance. It was really unreasonable!
He Zhu asked Lu Chu what should he do now? The day before yesterday, Lu Shi sent a letter from Jiankang, asking the Yu family, He family, and Wei family to ignore Chen Caozhi. When the deadline comes, they can each hand over dozens of hidden households to deal with it. Kuaiji
The wealthy gentry have hundreds of manors and villas. How can Chen Caozhi inspect them one by one? But now because the Yu family has turned to Chen Caozhi, the Kuaiji gentry alliance has basically collapsed. Moreover, the time limit is urgent, and it is impossible to go to Lu Shi again.
Ask about countermeasures.
Lu Chu said: "Don't worry yet, Dao Fang, have the people you sent to Qian Tang come back?"
He Zhu said: "I guess I should be back in the next two days. I have been away for eight days."
Lu Chu said: "If we can catch Chen Caozhi, I will tell my father immediately. My father has the right to remove Chen Caozhi from his post."
He Zhu said: "I will send someone to Qiantang again, and there will be news back in the next two days."
The people sent by He Zhu had not yet received any news. In the afternoon of the same day, the Shanyin Wei family handed over the books of four hundred hermit households to Chen Caozhi, and then sent Lu Chu and He Zhu to the point of dizziness with anger. He Zhu said bitterly
: "Very good, now I, the He family, am the only one left to support me. Chen Cao's Yu family, Wei family, Kong family, and Xie family all went to visit me. I, the He family, are the only one missing. It seems that they want to use me, the He family, to establish a family."
Awesome."
Lu Chu said: "The Zhu family in Wu County and I, the Lu family, are still at peace so far. Jia Bizhi is helpless in Wu County. There is no need to rush. The most urgent task now is to collect evidence of the Qiantang Chen family's crimes."
He Zhu said: "I will go back to the village first and come to see you as soon as there is news."
In the evening of that day, He Zhu brought a Dianji and three bankers to Lu Chu's apartment. The Dianji and the three bankers were the capable men sent by He Zhu to Qiantang. They rushed back from Qiantang in the afternoon.
.
He Zhu asked Na Dianji to report the details of his trip to Qiantang to Lu Chu. Dianji said respectfully: "Well, Master Lu Juncheng learned that the villain arrived at Qiantang with these three villagers on the 26th of last month.
The villain was originally from Qiantang, and was quite familiar with Qiantang. The villain also had a cousin who was an official in the county office. Knowing that he was entrusted by Lu Juncheng and He Sheren, how could he dare to take the lead without doing a small job?
I and four others went to secretly visit the former Chu family, a tenant of the Lu family——"
This dianji also wanted to explain to Lu Chu the enmity between the Chen family and the Chu family and the Lu family in Qiantang. Lu Chu waved his hand and asked him: "Did the Chen family's number of shade households change before and after this earth-cutting event?"
Dianji said: "The villain knew the seriousness and investigated the matter first. However, the Chen family in Qiantang did not take advantage of this land loss to expand their shelter. There was no gap to take advantage of this. However, the Chen family only had less than forty people three years ago."
The farm property has now expanded to 200 hectares. The villain did not believe that there was no violation of the law, so he immediately searched carefully and found that many farmers had sold their own land to the Chen family at a very cheap price.
He gave it to the Chen family for nothing, and became Chen's tenant. The villain asked the tenants, but they were told that they were willing. The villain didn't believe it, and inquired in many ways, but it was the Chen family who promised the farmers that if there was a natural disaster or drought, the Chen family would take over.
Those tenants will make up for the tax on their fields so that they will not go bankrupt because they cannot pay the tax——"
