Chapter 391: Similar to Emperor Yingzong

A snowflake contains countless crystals, and a crystal has many facets, each of which reflects light, so the snow appears so white.

In the backyard of Yang's mansion, several beautiful maids carried baskets and scooped up the new snow on the surface of the treetops, put it in a steamer to melt it into water, and then filtered the snow water before bringing it into the study.

Inside the study, a wisp of smoke rises slowly from the incense burner, lingering in the air, carrying a faint fragrance, adding a touch of elegance and otherworldly atmosphere to this quiet space.

Yang Tinghe was holding a book in his hand, flipping through it calmly.

The person sitting opposite him was Jiang Mian, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and the account book Jiang Mian brought was obtained from the Ministry of Rites.

"Huangzhuang...Huangzhuang..."

Yang Tinghe gently put down the account book in his hand, his eyes flashing with admiration that was hard to conceal, "This Ou Jingyu is really a man of worldly talent. Even the imperial farm that competes with the people for profits can be transformed into magic in his hands."

"Lord Yang, this is not a simple matter!" Jiang Mian took over the conversation, with a hint of worry in his tone, "Your Majesty reorganized the Beijing camp to consolidate the country's foundation, and as much as 40% of this huge expenditure came from the imperial farm. The key is that this proportion is still rising, because the business of the imperial farm is getting bigger and bigger."

"At first, there was only one store in Beijing. Now, there are branches in Zhengzhou, Yingtian, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Fuzhou and Guangzhou. In addition, there are also plans to open branches in Wuchang, Nanchang, Changsha, Chengdu and Xi'an."

"Once the Honglu Temple has completed these arrangements, I estimate that the Weiyang Palace Royal Farm alone will be able to support the Beijing Army. As for the Renshou Palace Royal Farm and the Qingning Palace Royal Farm, although they only sell paper, their effectiveness is not yet apparent. But Ou Jingyu has spent more than half a year planning them, so I think they won't be too bad."

After hearing this, Yang Tinghe's expression became more serious. He had never thought that a royal farm could support the Beijing troops, but it was happening now.

What made it even more difficult for him was that as the reorganization of the Beijing camp began to show results, the influence of the Cabinet on His Majesty began to decline.

In this situation, Yang Tinghe couldn't help but think of Emperor Taizong who controlled the pinnacle of the Beijing Camp.
Emperor Taizong had Emperor Renzong and Emperor Xuanzong as his successors.

But what about Your Majesty?

Yang Tinghe couldn't help rubbing his brows. In his heart, His Majesty was a young man who grew up in the harem, neglected his studies, and had high aspirations.

So Your Majesty is not similar to Taizong, you are clearly similar to Yingzong!
But the Ming Dynasty could not withstand another "Tumu Incident".

"Thank you Jingzhi for the reminder. I will pay attention to everything to be safe." Yang Tinghe looked at Jiang Mian and said calmly.

Seeing that Yang Tinghe knew what was going on, Jiang Mian felt relieved.

In fact, no matter whether Your Majesty is similar to Taizong or Yingzong, it is not a good thing for the court officials. What they hope in their hearts is to meet an emperor who is benevolent, generous and loves the people like Renzong and Xiaozong.

But His Majesty is obviously unable to satisfy their wishes.
The charm of snow lies in its boundless heart, which gently embraces every inch of land. Everything is covered by its pure silver, without any omission.

I slept wrapped in a quilt on a winter night and felt the cold. I curled up and dared not move. I opened my eyes in the early morning and saw a strong light flashing through the gaps in the window lattices and curtains, which was very different from the past. I got up and opened the window, and saw a vast silver world.

The bamboo branches and pine leaves are covered with piles of white snow, and the forked buds and old trees are also edged with silver.

The rich and the poor alike are affected by it, and there is no distinction between carved railings, jade bricks, urn windows, and mulberry hinges.

The potholes on the ground, the dead branches and broken stems on the ice, and the rotten grass on the road are all covered by a cloak of snow thrown down by God. Snow is so selfless that it decorates beautiful things and covers all the filth, although it cannot cover it for too long.

Ou Zanghua's carriage was pressing down on the snow, making a "squeaking" sound, which was very relaxing to listen to.

In this kind of weather, even Mu Gaoweng, who has lived in the northern frontier all year round, has to be extremely careful to avoid the wheels slipping and scaring the important people in the car.

Today is the last day of the eighth year of Zhengde Emperor. Emperor Zhengde needs to stand guard for the last time, so this early morning court session has to be arranged.

While waiting to enter the palace, Ou Zanghua raised his eyes and glanced around, and immediately found the Minister of Rites Tian Jingxian. However, the old man looked a bit tired, and it was obvious that he had forced himself to come.

Ou Zanghua walked over and took the responsibility of taking care of the old minister.

This scene made the Nine Minor Ministers, including Liu Kai, the Minister of Taichang Temple, Peng Li, the Minister of Taipu Temple, and Yang Tan, the Minister of Guanglu Temple, look at each other in amazement, and then revealed funny expressions.

Who would have thought that the Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites, which were at loggerheads last year, would become sympathetic to each other this year.

In the early morning court that followed, Ou Zanghua always stood beside Tian Jingxian, lending a hand from time to time to help the old man share some of the burden.

As each incident was resolved, an imperial censor suddenly raised his hand, indicating that he had something to report.

After waiting for permission, the censor walked out of the team, knelt on the ground and bowed, saying: "Your Majesty, I, the patrol censor Song Lian, report to you! Because the Renshou Palace Royal Farm and the Qingning Palace Royal Farm have been buying piglets and chicks in the surrounding counties in the past six months, the price of meat in many counties such as Daxing County, Wanping County, Tongzhou, and Zhuozhou has skyrocketed by nearly one-fold, making a large number of people face the embarrassing situation of having no meat to eat at the end of this year, which has caused the people to mourn and lose their minds."

"I dare to say that the duties of the Honglu Temple are mainly to manage the courtesy of foreign envoys and the solemn rituals of court meetings, and they may not be able to handle the complicated and detailed affairs of domestic affairs. This situation may be due to this."

"In order to ensure that the management of the imperial farm is more appropriate and that the people's livelihood and national economy are taken into consideration, I implore your Majesty to transfer the management rights and responsibilities of the imperial farm to the Shuntian Prefecture government."

"Shuntian Prefecture is well-known for its good governance and consideration for the people. It will surely make the management of the imperial farm more orderly, which will not only demonstrate the royal grace, but also benefit the people's well-being. It is truly a best of both worlds."

Yang Lian, the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, who was standing leisurely not far away, heard these words and suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Song Lian in disbelief.

Although Yang Lian was an academic bureaucrat, he always read the Six Classics when writing and lectured on the Great Learning.

He has always kept his distance from the twists and turns in the court, unwilling to get involved in them, but if the trouble was inexplicably directed at him, he would not be easily provoked.

So as soon as Song Lian finished speaking, Yang Lian stood up, bowed and saluted, and said, "Your Majesty, I govern 24 counties including Daxing County, Wanping County, Tongzhou, and Zhuozhou. I have never slacked off in protecting the peace and nurturing the people. I heard in the court that the people's homes have no meat to offer to their ancestors. This is my failure in governance, and I cannot escape the blame. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

The left and right Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple, who were originally preparing to stand up and criticize, were stunned for a moment when they heard what Yang Lian said, and then they almost couldn't help laughing out loud.

The governor of Shuntian Prefecture didn’t even know that the people had no meat to offer sacrifice to their ancestors. Where did you, a censor, hear such rumors?

At the same time, Yang Lian also told Ou Zanghua that he knew nothing about this matter and was innocently implicated, but now that things have come to this, he has to bear the blame. If you want to do something, go after the person behind this plop, don't go after him.

Ou Zanghua stood beside Tian Jingxian, watching his nose and his heart, not taking this matter to heart at all. After all, he was not the one who was anxious now.

As expected, Liu Jing, the councilor of the Tongzhengsi, stood up and accused Song Lian of ignoring the facts and making irresponsible reports, and said he should not continue to serve as the inspector, thus reigniting the flames.
(End of this chapter)