731-740

Chapter 731: Lest she become proud.

"What's the matter? My eldest niece, just say it." Lin Jiayuan became serious when she saw Lin Xuezhu's serious expression.

Lin Xuezhu said: "Auntie must have heard that Mr. Wen is an upright official and has no financial resources. This time, in order to give our family a betrothal gift, we borrowed silver from our son. My husband and I were afraid of forcing him out, so we rewarded him. Fifty thousand taels of gold. Part of it was used as a betrothal gift, and part of it was used to prepare for the wedding. There was still some left to live on in the future, which was more than enough. Unexpectedly, this honest man put the fifty thousand taels directly into the betrothal gift and gave it to us. Back."

Lin Jiayuan looked happy and worried when she heard this.

She was happy that Mr. Wen was so sincere towards her, but worried that Mr. Wen would be poor again.

Lin Xuezhu continued: "People treat us sincerely, and we can't let them down. Therefore, among the dowry I gave to my aunt in the name of my father and mother, 20,000 taels of gold were reserved for Mr. Wen. So I used the dowry. Just bring it over in your name and hand it over to Mr. Wen. Auntie doesn't have to tell Mr. Wen the truth, just treat it as your sincerity and keep it for the expenses of the house. As long as you and your wife live a happy life, we will. The whole family was relieved. "

Lin Jiayuan was so moved that she almost shed tears after hearing this.

The eldest niece is so considerate and truly considers her!

Although she had heard about the Lord's affairs, she had no idea that in order to marry her, his family had gone to such an extent.

She is not stingy with her dowry, but judging from her experience in her last marriage, the dowry is still in her own hands, so she can have the initiative in everything.

Therefore, she did not intend to confiscate the dowry to Wen Mansion.

But I plan to take it out when Wen Mansion needs it.

Listening to her eldest niece's words today gave her a deeper understanding of Mr. Wen.

Even if such a man is really useful, he may not even ask for a woman's dowry.

In this way, she and Mr. Wen were actually at odds with each other.

"I understand. Don't worry, eldest niece. Since this is the case in the Wen family, I will pay attention." Lin Jiayuan said.

Lin Xuezhu nodded, "One more thing. Although my aunt wants to work in the Northern Chamber of Commerce, we cannot neglect the internal affairs of Wen Mansion. Mr. Wen has children, and they are not young, and most of them are married. We don't need to speculate maliciously. Others, but once my aunt enters the house, she must quickly stabilize her position. You must know that although my husband and I can protect our aunt, there are always times when we are beyond our control to handle the internal affairs of the house. It is firmly in hand, and the family is not worried. "

Lin Jiayuan nodded," I know this, and the eldest sister-in-law and the second sister-in-law also told me this. The wind should be good. At this point, I'm not too worried. "

Lin Xuezhu has already asked people to inquire about the family tradition.

If she hadn't found out the details of the Wen family, she wouldn't have rashly let Lin Jiayuan marry him.

It's just, "There's nothing wrong with Wen's family tradition, but when it comes to living a life, where the upper teeth touch the lower teeth, and there are too many people, there's no way there won't be conflicts," Lin Xuezhu said.

Lin Jiayuan thought for a while and said, "I just hope that Wen Mansion can be like our Lin Mansion, where everyone is in harmony from top to bottom.

" Lin Xuezhu smiled, "That's natural, but there are not many Lin Mansion in the world."

She Explained: "We people in the Lin Mansion, after going into exile, the external conflicts were higher than the internal conflicts. Everyone is busy surviving every day, and naturally we have no intention to engage in intrigues. As time goes by, this atmosphere will spread. Come down. The Wen Mansion is much better than some of the unhealthy officials in Beijing, but my aunt must be mentally prepared to avoid chaos. "

" I understand. Yuan nodded.

Over the years, as Lin Xuezhu's aunt, she has seen a lot of the ways her eldest niece does things.

She may not be able to understand all those methods, but at least she has a plan when things happen.

Besides, Wen Mansion is not a dragon's pond and a tiger's den, so it is estimated that such extreme measures will not be needed.

Lin Jiayuan had some concerns in her mind, knowing that once she got married, she couldn't relax.

The aunt and nephew chatted for a few more words, and then Lin Xuezhu went to find Wen Xiuqing.

After a few words of explanation, Lin Xuezhu returned to the palace in a carriage.

As soon as he stepped into the gate of Chunhua Palace, he saw Luo Hong coming up to him with a happy face.

"What are you so happy about?" Lin Xuezhu asked with a smile.

Luo Hong said: "The eldest prince has made great achievements in handling the case today. The emperor has commended the eldest prince. The little princess was also praised by the teacher of the Imperial College for Girls. I am happy that I have offended the queen and asked the queen to forgive me."

Lin Xuezhu listened . This news was also gratifying, so he asked: "Has Chongyu settled Fan Yangcheng's case?"

Luo Hong nodded, "It's been done. Everyone in the court who was involved with Guo Qian has been investigated by him. Chaotian. Today, the case file was submitted to the emperor. After he approved it carefully, he also asked the eldest prince how he planned to deal with the ministers involved in the case, according to the severity of each crime. After considering the severity of the sentence, the emperor felt that the eldest prince's handling was appropriate, so he left all subsequent matters to the eldest prince. Tomorrow morning, the emperor will announce the case and commend the eldest prince for his political achievements. "

Lin Xuezhu smiled. "Okay, be strict when you should be strict, and praise when you should be praised. Only then can you be a fair elder."

She paused and then asked: "Where is Joy? Why are you praised by your husband?"

"Sir, you praise me." The princess is very talented and can learn it no matter what she teaches." Luo Hong's pride was palpable.

Over the years, to put it bluntly, she has really treated Yuan Chongyu and Xi Le as her own children.

Seeing that these two children have great potential makes her happier than herself.

Lin Xuezhu was even more pleased.

Xi Le is a smart child. He didn't study hard before because he was too playful.

As long as she can learn in a down-to-earth manner, she will definitely have good receptive abilities.

Don't even look at whose child she is!

Lin Xuezhu said: "Let me tell you, Sir, I let Xi Le go to school. The original purpose is to let her study and understand. If she is the material, teach her more knowledge, and there is no need to restrict her."

" Yes, I will ask someone to bring the words over tomorrow," Luo Hong responded.

Lin Xuezhu asked: "Where's Xi Le?"

"She should be back soon." Luo Hong replied: "The messenger today said that the little princess was praised and very happy. She even answered two more questions from the teacher in class."

"Haha Haha." Lin Xuezhu couldn't help but laughed, "Xi Le has a simple mind and looks at others. If you praise her a few times, she will be happy for a long time. Just let the teacher encourage you, but don't encourage her too much. She was proud.

Chapter 732: Even if it is a persimmon,

Lin Jiayuan's marriage has to be squeezed. With the power of money, it is promoted faster.

However, no matter how fast it is, there are also cumbersome procedures in ancient times.

As the queen's aunt, even if she remarries, this set of procedures cannot be omitted, and she will only pay more attention to details.

Fortunately, the Lin family has a lot of people who can take care of it.

In addition, Lin Xuezhu considered that the Wen family did not have a matron, and it was inconvenient for Master Wen's eldest daughter to handle the marriage for her old father, so she sent several capable nuns from the palace to help with the arrangements.

With the joint efforts of both parties, a few months later, Lin Jiayuan finally put on her wedding dress and married into the Wen Mansion with grace.

On that day, Lin Chengzhang was quite tearful.

Even when his own daughter got married, he was not so moved.

He knew that his sister was a miserable person.

When they were suppressed by their direct descendants, it can be said that life was not easy for everyone.

In order to gain fame and support for his younger brothers and sisters, he neglected many things.

Now, all this is finally over.

The Lin family ushered in unprecedented prosperity.

His sister also found a good home.

In the end, all the hardships came to an end, and the last concern in his heart was put to rest.

This wedding will become a hotly discussed topic in Beijing for the next month.

The countless dowry alone is enough to dazzle people.

Wen Dafanzi was also a sensible person. On the second day after getting married, he handed over the affairs of the mansion to Lin Jiayuan.

Afraid that she would be too busy, she asked her eldest daughter to help.

However, the eldest daughter only has the responsibility to assist, but does not have the power to make the decision.

All decisions are made by Lin Jiayuan.

Lin Jiayuan also didn't expect that her husband would trust her so much.

She was embarrassed to ask for help. At the beginning, she discussed everything with her eldest daughter. Later, when she became proficient in the business, she began to handle it alone.

Miss Wen is a person who knows how to advance and retreat. She understands that she is still unmarried at an advanced age and still lives in her natal family, so there are many things that she should not take part in.

Before, there was no mistress in the house, so she took care of the household affairs. Now that she has a stepmother, she is happy to be free.

Lin Jiayuan thought about it and felt that it was not good for Miss Wen's body and mind to stay at home all day long, so she often took her with her when she went out.

At first, Miss Wen was not willing to meet people, but after walking for a long time, especially after meeting many women in the Northern Chamber of Commerce, her thoughts gradually changed.

Therefore, Lin Jiayuan handed over some of the affairs of the Northern Chamber of Commerce to her.

Miss Wen studied hard and quickly mastered many methods.

Gradually, the smiles on her face became more and more confident, and her relationship with Lin Jiayuan became like a biological mother and daughter.

Even Wen Xiuqing couldn't help but sigh, "When I heard that the eldest lady was squeezed out and abused by other beautiful ladies when she entered the palace, she always had a grudge in her heart. Xuezhu once thought about compensating her, but whether it was recruiting her husband or letting her go out to do things , she declined. For this reason, Xuezhu always felt regretful. However, she did not expect that Miss Wen could achieve what she failed to do. This is what Xuezhu is most happy to see."

Hearing this news, Lin Xuezhu was also pleased, "As the saying goes, words are not as good as words. Miss Wen used to tie herself to a place that she thought was safe and refused to contact the outside world, but now she doesn't know. The world has quietly changed, and it is different from what she thought in the past. Women should strive for self-improvement and live for themselves. Jing Lan and the others have taken a good lead. All women, as long as they are not stupid and stupid, will envy their wanton life. How can I not be touched or inspired!"

More than a month later, news came from the government that Lin Jiayuan was pregnant, and she was already more than three months old.

This is great news for the Lin Mansion.

Wen Xiuqing quickly sent someone to send a message to the palace. Soon, food and supplements were delivered from the palace and Lin Mansion to Wen Mansion.

Wen Dafanzi was beaming with joy, and his waist straightened even more when he walked.

However, Wen Dajun was happy, but other courtiers were unhappy.

One morning before the court, all the ministers were waiting outside the palace gate.

At this time, a minister said in a strange tone: "Master Wen, I heard that Mrs. Xuxian is pregnant. Congratulations."

Wen Daxizi knew that they had no good intentions, so he snorted as a reply.

The man saw that the big troll was ungrateful and continued: "I heard a while ago that Mr. Wen's eldest daughter-in-law is pregnant. Now it's better. In less than a year, Mr. Wen also has a son and a grandson. It's really It can be described as a double happiness. "

This is said harshly, even if the face of the big troll is thicker than the city wall, it is a bit unbearable.

When another minister saw that he was silent, he thought he had finally caught his weakness, and quickly followed up: "Master Wen is getting stronger and stronger, and it is really gratifying to have a son in old age. All the people in the court are as blessed as Master Wen, I'm afraid It's not much, Mr. Wen must cherish this blessing! "

When Mr. Wen heard this, he said, good guy, these people really have nothing to do, so they just stared at him, right?

A haughty sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth, he rolled his eyes, and pretended to be concerned: "Why, Master Ding is not alive?"

Master Ding was stunned for a moment, unable to react.

Wen Dafanzi continued: "I heard that an old man at seventy can still have a child. Wen is only over forty, so why can't he have a child? Could it be that Mr. Ding is not good at that and uses himself to save others? You didn't care about your decency and provoked Mr.

Wen outside the palace gate?

Just like a talkative woman in the market, she is neither knowledgeable nor polite! "I heard that the big trolls did not give in and continued to say," It is human nature to get married and have children, is it worth mentioning that they are all for officialdom? , why don't you focus on the government and focus on who will continue to have children? If you have this time, why don't you think about it, has the money owed to the treasury been paid? That's right, the debt collection day from the Ministry of Revenue is coming soon, has Mr. Ding collected all the money? "

What I said hit Mr. Ding's pain points.

He was really feeling unhappy recently because he had no money to pay off his debts, so when he saw Wen Datai's face beaming with joy, he wanted to say something bitter about it.

He had forgotten that he had never met an opponent in the court because of his mouth.

At this moment, I was robbed for nothing, I was completely humiliated, but I couldn't say anything to refute.

After all, what people hear from big trolls is true.

But he was still dissatisfied.

It was Master Fan who spoke first, and his words were even meaner than him.

Instead of trolling Lord Fan, Wen Datai took out his anger on him.

Is this just picking up the soft persimmons?

Wen Dafanzi didn't know what Master Ding was thinking. If he knew, he would definitely say: Don't worry, you have to pinch every persimmon. He just picked the soft ones and pinched them first.

Chapter 733: Forcing his son to admit

the words of this big cuckold, Mr. Pentin, first directly attacked his dignity as a man, and then directly attacked his dignity as an official. It can be said to be a double kill.

The other courtiers were silent upon hearing this.

Almost everyone owes money to the treasury, and no one feels particularly embarrassed about anyone.

But being ridiculed in public would be too embarrassing.

Looking at Master Ding again, he can't do it anymore. He owes a lot of debt. It's not too miserable.

No one said anything. Hearing that the big spray cleared his throat, he turned his attention to Mr. Fan's face again.

Lord Fan's heart suddenly sank and he secretly thought it was over.

Before he could think of a way to deal with it, he heard the big troll speak.

"Master Fan, if Wen Mou remembers correctly, Master Fan already has a grandson, right?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone was surprised. Only Master Fan, his face suddenly turned gray.

He was wrong. He shouldn't have ridiculed Wen Datai. He was confused.

However, it was too late.

Wen Dafan continued: "How did Wen know that Lord Fan's four-year-old grandson is actually Lord Fan's younger brother?"

As soon as this was said, the whole place was in an uproar.

At this time, the palace door slowly opened, followed by the eunuch's voice, "Please come in, my lords -"

Everyone was staring at Wen Daxiuzi with unfinished thoughts, wanting to wait for what he would say next.

Wen Dafanzi looked too lazy to say anything more, ignored everyone, and walked towards the palace gate.

My Lords: It is a crime to speak half-heartedly.

Everyone had no choice but to look at Master Fan.

Master Fan looked like he was sorry that his secret was revealed. He didn't dare to look at anyone at all. He walked in a hurry and followed Wen Daxizi in.

All the adults: Mr. Fan, please don't leave. Tell me clearly. What happened when your grandson turned into a younger brother?

Mr. Fan: Do you want him to say that his old and unattractive father defiled his son's concubine after getting drunk and gave birth to an eldest son?

This kind of scandal cannot be discussed with outsiders.

In the end, his son had no choice but to accept the cuckold and regard the child as his own.

And he was blessed with an eldest grandson, who was actually his half-brother.

Master Fan felt bitter, but Master Fan was also puzzled.

This matter is secret and only a few people in the house know about it. How did Wen Daxizi know about it?

Is it possible that Wen Datai has planted spies in his house?

Suddenly, Mr. Fan felt that there were countless pairs of invisible eyes hidden in the air, secretly monitoring all the actions of him and the house.

The sense of security accumulated over many years of being in a high position suddenly collapsed at this moment.

His status and prestige were all over now.

Master Fan's back was dancing, leaving everyone with a figure that was hard to describe.

Everyone chatted and entered the palace one by one.

Yuan Xiu: Why do you feel that a group of old guys were quite absent-minded when they went to court today?

What just happened outside the palace gate?

At the end of the morning court, all the ministers were reluctant to leave and lingered around Wen Daxizi.

Hearing that the big troll held his head high and his chest high, he fully demonstrated what it means to be proud of the spring breeze, and he did not care about everyone's eagerness for knowledge.

Lord Fan deliberately quickened his pace, wanting to sneak out before everyone else left the palace.

"Master Fan." Wen Dafanzi stopped him.

Lord Fan was agitated and wanted to pretend not to hear, but he was also afraid that once he slipped away, the big troll would talk nonsense to others.

After hesitating for a moment, he stopped and looked at Wen Dafanzi with resentment and helplessness, "Master Wen, why did you stop Fan?"

Wen Dafanzi said with a rare warm smile, "Wen Mou just wanted to remind you. Mr. Fan said, "The old man in the house has bad moral character. I'm afraid it will affect Mr. Fan's career. As ministers, I hope Mr. Fan will not forget the importance of being loyal to the king. "

This is ambiguous, Fan. The adults understood it.

Ever since the emperor gave the six-month period and ordered the ministers to return the money to the treasury, his attitude has always been cautiously positive.

Other timid adults have already started raising money, but he acts like a normal person every day.

He did this not because he was not afraid of the emperor dealing with him.

However, since he became an official, there has been nothing too out of the ordinary.

When money was tight, he went to the treasury to borrow money, but he never took advantage of his position for personal gain.

Therefore, he felt that even if he defaulted on the money, the emperor might not be able to find a reason to punish him, so he planned to wait and see the news before making any decision.

Even if the Ministry of Revenue wants to collect money from house to house, it will either come from the person with the highest official position or the person who owes the most money, but it is impossible to get his turn first.

He can act according to his circumstances. If the news is too tight, he will first raise some money and then bargain.

If the thunder is loud but the raindrops are light, then he will simply cry out and get by.

Who would have thought that the secrets in the family have already been exposed.

At this moment, he finally figured it out. It was not because Wen Daxizi was angry for a moment that he revealed his old background.

This was clearly the empress trying to warn him through the mouth of the big troll.

Since the emperor and empress knew such private things in his house, they must also know many things that he thought were secret.

Moreover, the empress found out that he had the idea of ​​defaulting on his debt, and planned to use him as a raft to scare the monkeys.

After thinking about this, Mr. Fan broke into a cold sweat all over his body.

It seems that the emperor and empress not only want to collect the debt this time, but also plan to use this as an opportunity to rectify the court.

Master Fan thought of this and quickly handed over to Mr. Wen, "Thank you Mr. Wen for reminding me." Then he hurried back to his house.

The first thing I did when I returned home was to ask the accountant for the account books and take stock of the properties, farms, and shops in the mansion.

Everyone in the house felt a sense of crisis when they saw him busy alone.

I thought he had committed something and wanted to take stock of his belongings and run away.

No one else dared to ask, but Mr. Fan's father dared.

I think back then, Mr. Fan was also an official, so he was naturally different from the housewives who had never seen the world.

He was supported by others and came to Master Fan's study. After dismissing the servants, he closed the door and asked, "Son, what happened? Why are you so panicked? Is there anything you can tell your father?" Let's see if my father can give you some advice. "

Master Fan was so focused on looking at the accounts that he didn't even know someone was coming in.

It was a good thing that the old man didn't speak, but as soon as he spoke, Lord Fan's eyes suddenly burst into flames.

This old and disrespectful guy, who cares about his grandson's concubine, has caused such a scandal, how dare he say anything about his plan?

In normal times, he must put filial piety first. Even if the old father did such a scandal, he would force his son to admit this cuckold.

However, at this time, he was faced with the dilemma of either clearing his property or clearing his official career. However, the instigator was still ignorant and brazenly planning for him. How could he not be angry?

Chapter 734: Very Unfriendly to Fan Mansion

Master Fan was resentful in his heart. Seeing his old father's sanctimonious look, he couldn't bear it anymore.

He thought for a moment about Wen Da Zhi's usual behavior of trolling people, and said, "Dad, do you know that my child was criticized by the imperial censor because of you, and he can't even keep his official position?"

Father Fan's eyes were shocked and confused. He was confused and asked: "Son, why did you say that?"

At this moment, in Master Fan's eyes, this old guy was just pretending to be confused.

He said without any scruples: "Of course it's because of you and your wonderful grandson-in-law! Dad, you said you are so old, why can't you walk when you see a woman? To put it another way, what kind of woman do you want? No, I have to get involved with my grandson's daughter-in-law. If this matter spreads, I will be the laughing stock of the entire court. Now that Master Censor Wen knows about it, he has even revealed it in front of other courtiers, causing me to lose face and even the official. It can't be done."

"Is this Mr. Wen sick?" Father Fan was furious, "Where did he find out about such a secret thing? Why would he want to know about such a secret thing? "Make it public?"

"Are you blaming others for not exposing your scandal?" If this happened to Mr. Fan himself, he would definitely hold the same opinion as his old father.

I heard that the big sprayer was full and took care of the affairs of their family's inner house.

But today, it was not him who made the mistake, but he had to bear the consequences. It really hurt only when a knife was cut on himself.

Lord Fan was furious, "If you don't want others to know, you have to do nothing yourself. If you are disrespectful and do such a scandal, you should be mentally prepared to be exposed. It's just that you are embarrassing yourself, and you have to implicate me. It's really He doesn't care about the honor or disgrace of his family at all."

Father Fan was so ashamed.

He is a very double standard person. He can do scandalous things himself, but others cannot criticize him.

Normally, he would teach his son a lesson like an elder.

Unexpectedly, his son blamed him for affecting his career, and he couldn't refute it at all.

The son, as an official, is the hope of the whole family.

Not only in terms of salary, but also in terms of connections.

It is said that when one person attains enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, the younger members of the family still have to rely on their sons to support them.

What should I do?

Father Fan's legs softened and he happened to sit on the chair.

Then, there was a long sigh.

Mr. Fan was so angry that he shivered. He looked at the account book in front of him, and the more he looked at it, the more heartache he felt.

This was the wealth he had accumulated through his hard work for most of his life, and it was going to leave him in a few days.

Heartache, it hurts so much.

After a while, Father Fan spoke, "Son, now that the matter has come to this, do you have any countermeasures?"

Mr. Fan was still angry, "What other countermeasures can there be? Mr. Wen knows about this, which means that the emperor also Got it. Now that the emperor wants me to pay back the money I borrowed from the treasury over the years, I can only pay back the money first."

"What?" Mr. Fan stood up and

asked , "How much?" : "Not much, that is, put all your family resources into it. If it's not enough, think of another way."

"What?" Father Fan was like a repeater, still using an unbelievable tone.

Master Fan said angrily: "You have to hold a birthday party every year, a small one every year, and a big one every ten years. In order to hold birthdays in these years, I have borrowed a lot of money from the treasury. There are also those poor relatives in the clan. , in order to save face, you agreed to anyone who asked you, and ended up dumping all the trouble on me. Now, I have to pay back all the money I borrowed. Think about it, my monthly salary is only a few dollars. , Can you bear to be so squandering? It's okay if I put all my family's money into it. If I can't pay it off, where do you want me to turn it into money?"

Listening to these words full of complaints, Father Fan also became angry. Why, I spent all the money at home, but you didn't spend it? Didn't you borrow some money from the treasury to expand the house last year? How much can I spend on a birthday? In order to gain access to the Duke's palace and allow your son to marry the Duke's granddaughter, I don't know how much do you pay as a bride price? "

The old man is also aggrieved.

Raising a son for old age, raising a son yourself and becoming a high official, isn't this a great achievement?

What's wrong with spending some money on him?

Filial piety comes first among all good deeds. I have only heard of people who use their whole family to support the elderly, but I have never heard of people who think that the elderly spend too much money!

After listening to his father's words, the blood all over Mr. Fan's body rushed to his forehead.

He couldn't care about anything and yelled at his father: "Aren't all the things I did for the whole family? Is it wrong for me to associate with the Duke's Mansion? I'm expanding the mansion. Am I living alone?" "

Father Fan was stunned for a moment by his roar, then he covered his heart and fell to the side.

Master Fan immediately woke up and thought clearly about the stakes in his mind.

Dad's matter has become a laughing stock.

If my father is forced to do something bad because of this matter, Wen Datai will have to charge him with unfilial piety.

Being unfilial was a serious sin, a sin he couldn't bear.

Master Fan calmed down and shouted to the door, "Here comes the doctor, call the doctor quickly!" When

the boy outside the door heard the sound, he immediately ran to call for someone.

After a while, several people rushed in from the door and helped Father Fan to the couch.

After a cup of tea, the doctor ran in panting.

The boy followed in holding the medicine box.

The government doctor quickly diagnosed the pulse and administered acupuncture.

After a while, he said to Mr. Fan: "The old man is so angry that he is attacking his heart. When people wake up later, I have to give instructions and don't let anyone irritate the old man again. The old man is so old and can't stand that."

" Got it." Mr. Fan said solemnly.

Knowing that his father was fine, he felt relieved.

He just hates this world where filial piety comes first. No matter what kind of bastard the father is, a son must be unconditionally filial.

It's hard to talk about it, let alone punish it.

Only that old guy can cause trouble, and he has to follow behind to wipe his ass?

Mr. Fan thought about it again and again and said to the doctor: "Today's matter, let's just say that the old man ate the wrong thing and is not feeling well, so that no one will talk about it."

The doctor understood it as soon as he heard it and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, little one. Just write a prescription and let the master take the medicine according to the prescription."

Mr. Fan felt relieved now.

Seeing that his eldest son and daughter-in-law had arrived, he simply told them what was going on here, then he held his account book and continued to collect money.

But there was one thing he didn't expect. A person's illness could be concealed, but the prescription could not be deceived.

The Fan Mansion sent someone to the drugstore to grab two doses of sedative and tranquilizing medicine. This matter was soon known to those who were interested.

Before he went to court again, various speculations had already spread in Beijing.

But no matter what kind of speculation it is, it is very unfriendly to Fan Mansion.

Chapter 735 If you love to fight, you will win.

If you talk about the affairs of Mr. Fan's house, it doesn't matter in normal times.

Mainly at this moment, governments are at the cusp of raising money to repay debts to the national treasury.

Everyone hoped that something would happen to someone else's house to divert the emperor's attention so that he would not focus on his own house.

Therefore, various speculations about Fan Mansion spread.

The most reliable one is almost a guess.

One has to admire the reasoning ability of these melon-eating people.

Just when everyone was showing off their magical powers and became a mess.

The "debt collection group" headed by Lin Chengzhang is also ready.

Except for some people who have a good attitude towards admitting their mistakes and say they will take the initiative to repay their debts.

The rest are the focus of the debt collection team.

These people, who know they should pay back the money but do not, either simply cannot make up the money, or they plan to become deadbeats.

The deadline given by Yuan Xiu had passed, and Lin Chengzhang ordered a team of people from the Ministry of Household Affairs to start collecting debts from house to house.

According to Lin Xuezhu's arrangement, the debt collection group also invited a theater troupe.

The troupe made up a tune and sang it as they walked. Being poor for a while can't help but sighing , and being down for a while can't help but be timid. Even if

you are short of money, you have to borrow money from everywhere. If you are in debt, you have lost your sacred heart. Life can be compared to the waves on the sea. Sometimes it rises and sometimes falls. If you owe money and pay back debts, you must always be worthy of heaven and earth.

One-third of it is destined by nature, and seven-tenths of it depends on hard work. Only by hard work can you win... The tune from a thousand years later echoes magically. In the streets and alleys. Passers-by gathered to watch.

Even passers-by who don't know why hear this lyrics will understand that this song is sung to debtors. When the debt collector arrived at the first house, the troupe spread out and stood outside the high wall of the house in the directions of southeast, northwest and northwest.

Open your voice. The people inside the high walls immediately enjoyed a debt collection concert with surround sound. Before the troupe had finished singing the first song, the housekeeper came out and opened the door.

Behind the housekeeper stood the owner of the house, Mr. Wan. Seeing Lin Chengzhang, Mr. Wan hurriedly stepped forward and said with greetings: "Sir, Mr. Lin is here to visit my humble abode. I'm sorry to welcome him from afar. Please come in quickly. The house has already prepared silver coins. I'm just waiting for Mr. Lin to count them."

Just kidding, as soon as this song came out . Who can bear it, ridiculing them for their poverty and desolation, and accusing them of not paying back their debts? How can he still want this old face? Lin Chengzhang nodded to the official behind him, and the official immediately gave a signal to the troupe.

The troupe understood and withdrew from this house and headed to the next one. Master Wan watched the troupe walk away with his own eyes, and he breathed a long sigh of relief. His face was saved. Fortunately, he was timid and collected enough silver in advance. Otherwise, he would have to have a hard time today.

He enthusiastically brought Lin Chengzhang into the house, and while serving tea, he chatted with Lin Chengzhang. Lin Chengzhang's attitude was very cordial, but his words were businesslike, "Master Wan, I have a tight schedule and heavy tasks, so I won't stay too much in Master Wan's house.

I will meet Master Wan another day." Master Wan understood, He said quickly: "Okay, okay, Mr. Lin is a busy man, and Wan will not waste Mr. Lin's precious time. Please come here." After saying that, he led Lin Chengzhang to the back hall. In the middle of the room, five items were neatly placed. Big box.

In each big box, there are 20,000 taels of silver. Lin Chengzhang immediately ordered the people from the household department to come forward to count. After weighing the hundred thousand taels that Mr. Wan owed, there were still a few hundred taels left.

Lin Chengzhang paid back all the taels, and the main thing was to take care of business. Master Wan accepted the pitiful few hundred taels and had to keep busy with compliments. "It is said that Mr. Lin is the most fair, and now that I have seen it, it is indeed true. The title of the household department is really accurate.

Thank you so much, Mr. Lin." Unfortunately, his heartache was palpable, and even though he wanted to compliment him, his tone was also I couldn't help but feel a little desolate and lonely, as well as unspeakable regrets.

Lin Chengzhang smiled professionally and retorted: "Master Wan still respects the etiquette and abides by the law, and does not lose one tael of money that should be paid back. It is a blessing for the court to have ministers like Master Wan." Master Wan felt sour in his heart, listening to Lin Chengzhang's words The words always felt a bit sarcastic, but he didn't dare to say anything, so he just smiled and accepted the "compliment".

Lin Chengzhang came out of Wanfu and went to the next house, Chengfu. At this moment, the troupe had been singing in surround sound outside the Cheng Mansion for almost an hour, and their throats were a bit broken. Master Cheng sent people to stop them several times, but they only listened to Lin Chengzhang.

Even if their mouths were covered, they had to hum as much as possible. As a result, Mr. Cheng was exhausted both physically and mentally. I was deliberately waiting for Lin Chengzhang's arrival at the door, but I couldn't afford to lose this person. I had no choice but to cover my ears and squat at the door, ready to greet him at any time.

When Lin Chengzhang arrived, Master Cheng rushed out as if he had been granted amnesty and met Neng Yili Di. As soon as the two of them met, Mr. Cheng said: "Mr. Lin, I have prepared some silver coins and please ask Mr. Lin to take a look. Those opera singers also asked Mr. Lin to show your respect." Lin Chengzhang nodded and motioned for someone to pass on the message to the opera troupe.

Stop for a moment and rest your throat. Mr. Cheng's ears became quiet and he immediately said: "Mr. Lin, as soon as the emperor's decree came out, the subordinates immediately raised money.

However, in recent years, there have been many things in the family and the expenses have been high, and there is still a shortfall of 20,000 taels. Mr. Lin, please Look, can you please take a moment? " This person is dishonest, Lin Chengzhang snorted in his heart.

Before he set off, his eldest daughter had planned his route. She knew where he could save some face and where he needed the troupe's attention. Now it seems that there is nothing wrong with the decision to let the troupe sing for an hour in front of Cheng's house.

Mr. Cheng deserves it. Lin Chengzhang was puzzled: "Master Cheng, I am doing things according to orders. If Master Cheng says this, it will make things difficult for me." Master Cheng also felt uncomfortable in his heart.

His family has property and 20,000 taels of silver. If he keeps it in his hands for a year, he can earn several thousand taels. Therefore, after he collected all the cash in hand, he did not want to sell off his property. He could delay it for a while.

He was sure that the emperor would not kill him just because of this. Besides, as far as he knew, there were several adults who planned not to repay their debts. He paid off most of them and was no longer at the bottom.

He thought he could get away with it. As a result, the loss of face at this moment made him regret his original decision. But now that the matter has come to this, what else can he do, he can only bargain hard.

"Master Lin, I beg you to be lenient. It's not that I won't pay it back, but it will take some time. You see, the weather is very cold, and the expenses in Xiaguan's house are also high. I really can't raise the money. Let's do this. , next autumn, after the tenants in Xiaguan Zhuangzi pay the grain, Xiaguan will return the remaining money in full. Do you think this will work? "

Chapter 736:

Good guy, you have to pay a lot of money. Mr. Cheng has been paying lip service to you, so he has postponed the debt until next year.

It's a pity that Lin Xuezhu made an explanation to Lin Chengzhang before he set off.

The first family went to Wan Da's family, which had collected enough money, to give the courtiers a good start and let them see that the court would not make things difficult for those who cooperate well.

The second family, Mr. Cheng, went to hide the traitor. They came to scare the monkeys and show the courtiers what the price would be if they didn't cooperate.

Lin Xuezhu said that there is no room for negotiation in repaying debts. If a precedent is set, others will not be able to pay back the money.

Therefore, let alone twenty thousand taels, even if it is two taels, there is no room for default.

Lin Chengzhang looked serious and said: "How many years has Mr. Cheng owed money to the treasury? Over the years, whenever he has the idea of ​​repaying his debt, he has already collected enough money. I am afraid that if the emperor does not say that, Mr. Cheng will not think about repaying the debt. Right? Now that the emperor has given him half a year, Mr. Cheng still hasn't paid, so I have to suspect that Mr. Cheng is deliberately defaulting. "

Lin Chengzhang has always been restrained in court.

He knew that his daughter was a queen, and a capable queen at that.

Although loved by the people, some courtiers were quite controversial about her.

As a father, he cannot share the burden for his daughter, nor can he cause trouble for her.

Therefore, his style of doing things, known for being calm and measured, has never been so sharp.

This also led to Mr. Cheng being quite shocked after hearing what he said.

How come this kind of trolling method of bringing up old things without caring about them is so similar to the big trolls?

Is it possible that Master Lin learned how to troll people from his brother-in-law?

After the shock, Mr. Cheng was speechless.

What others said was true, so how could he refute it?

Lin Chengzhang looked at Mr. Cheng very seriously and said: "The emperor gave me half a month to return all the money owed to the treasury. Even if I give Mr. Cheng time to relax, it cannot exceed half a month. If Mr. Cheng is It's really not worth the money, so there are two ways here. Mr. Cheng can choose one of them. "

I heard that things have slowed down, and Mr. Cheng seems to have a chance to regain his dignity.

He asked: "Please show Mr. Lin, what are the two methods?"

Lin Chengzhang said: "First, the money borrowed by Mr. Cheng from the treasury will be calculated according to the bank's interest. The part that is paid back The interest will be calculated until today. The interest on the unpaid twenty thousand taels will continue to be calculated until the day when it is paid off. In this way, Mr. Cheng can still be given half a year to continue raising money. "

When Mr. Cheng heard this, Almost fainted.

If he doesn't repay the total of these 20,000 taels of silver, he will have to pay back all the lent taels of silver with interest in half a year. How much more money will he have to pay back!

Mr. Cheng said with a pale face: "Mr. Lin, isn't it a bit difficult to get down?"

Lin Chengzhang sneered, "Isn't Mr. Cheng embarrassing the household department and the emperor? If Mr. Cheng borrowed money from the bank, he would have been in trouble all these years. How much should be paid back with interest? You don't have to do the math for Mr. Cheng, right? Now Mr. Cheng owes money to the treasury. The emperor is merciful and doesn't ask Mr. Cheng to pay interest. Mr. Cheng doesn't even want to pay back the principal, right? Is it too much to bully others? "

The implication is that if you take advantage of me, if I am shameless, I won't give you any face.

Mr. Cheng was robbed so pale that his old face was thrown to the ground and rubbed again. Feeling ashamed, he could only say reluctantly: "What about the second method?"

Lin Chengzhang said: "The second method is for the Queen to show mercy and repay the truth. An official with no money came up with the idea."

Master Cheng subconsciously felt something bad when he heard that it was the Queen's idea.

This woman would do nothing if she didn't take action. When she does, her moves are both destructive and cruel. While destroying other people's bodies, she also messes with their mentality.

Ordinary people can't stand it at all, let alone officials with status like them.

I heard Lin Chengzhang say: "The Northern Chamber of Commerce is busy and short of manpower. If Mr. Cheng really doesn't want to pay off the debt, he can send someone from his family to work for the Northern Chamber of Commerce to pay off the debt. As for Yueyin, we will follow the rules of the Northern Chamber of Commerce and ensure that no Taking advantage of Mr. Cheng. But there is a time limit for repaying debts in this way. It must be paid off within one year. Otherwise, as I just said, all debts will be paid off with interest. "

Mr. Cheng heard this . I'm not surprised at all.

Sure enough, it was that woman's method.

Twenty thousand taels of silver. How many people does his family need to send to earn that little monthly silver?

If we want to talk about loss, it is still the queen's loss.

It seems that he was given two ways to ease the situation, but in fact, he had to pay more for each method.

Master Cheng let out a long sigh, feeling that he might as well repay his debt obediently.

In this case, it is necessary to sell off the family property.

Mr. Cheng said with heartache: "Mr. Lin, I really have no money. Even if I want to sell my property to pay off my debts, I still need a buyer. I'm afraid half a month is not enough."

This time, what he said was In fact, there is no intention to delay.

The emperor and the empress are like a ghost seeking death. If he pays off his debts as soon as possible, he may be able to live a few more years.

If you continue to struggle with them, I'm afraid you'll be pissed to death.

After hearing this, Lin Chengzhang said: "This matter is simple. Master Cheng's family property can be handed over to the Northern Chamber of Commerce for valuation, and the Northern Chamber of Commerce will purchase it collectively. In this way, it can be paid off within half a month."

If it weren't for Lin Chengzhang's. The official position is higher, and he is also the head of the country. Mr. Cheng is about to roll his eyes.

After working hard all his life, he finally made a wedding dress for the queen?

The emperor is in charge of the treasury, and the queen is in charge of the Northern Chamber of Commerce. These two families have changed their hands and emptied the wealth of all their courtiers, right?

Seeing Mr. Cheng's eyes flying wildly, Lin Chengzhang guessed what he was thinking and said behind him, "Do you remember clearly what Mr. Cheng said and did just now?"

His words fell to the ground, holding a pen and notebook to take notes. The person brought by the official Lin Chengzhang finally walked out and replied: "Master Lin, I have remembered everything clearly."

Lin Chengzhang nodded and explained to Master Cheng: "This person is not from my household department, but from The Hanlin Academy has specially appointed officials responsible for recording. It is related to the reputation of the treasury and the Lords. It will avoid disputes afterwards, and it is also to facilitate the emperor's access to the files. Therefore, a special person is assigned to record the words and deeds of this official and the Lords. "

Master Cheng heard this . , immediately his eyes darkened.

Co-author, those words he bargained for just now were all recorded?

Yaoshou!

In other words, one day when the emperor rises and picks up this file, he will know how negative his attitude is in repaying debts?

Haha, so to speak, he will not get any benefit from this situation today.

The money that should be paid back should not be missed at all, and it also left a bad impression in front of the emperor.

This, this, this is a huge loss.

Chapter 737: Fake Accounts

Mr. Cheng calmed down, thought about it carefully, and found out who planned the whole thing.

To be able to come up with such a sinister trick is definitely not something that an upright man like Mr. Lin would do.

The mastermind behind this is probably the queen.

Although there was resentment in his heart, Mr. Cheng was completely convinced.

With his official position and background, he is far from being able to oppose the royal family.

If you drag it around, you will lose more, so it is better to give up.

He said: "Then as Mr. Lin said, I will inventory my family's property someday and then deliver it to the Northern Chamber of Commerce."

"How long will it take Master Cheng to complete the inventory?" Lin Chengzhang asked immediately.

Focus on one without leaving any room for delay for the other party.

Mr. Cheng felt aggrieved, but he still kept an eye on it.

Everything he said was recorded.

If this time is said to be long, the emperor will definitely think that he has many properties in his name.

In this way, his sin of not repaying his debt will have to be added one more level.

Even if the emperor doesn't punish him, I'm afraid it will leave a worse impression on him.

Master Cheng gritted his teeth and said: "One day is enough."

The implication is that there is not much property, and it will not take long to count.

Lin Chengzhang nodded and said to the scribe behind him: "Arrange the people from the Northern Chamber of Commerce to come to discuss this matter with Mr. Cheng the day after tomorrow."

"Yes." The scribe recorded these words seriously.

Mr. Cheng was heartbroken by the record-keeper's every move, and he didn't want to say anything more.

It feels like the more I say, the more mistakes I make, and the more things the emperor can grasp.

Lin Chengzhang took the people and counted the money that Mr. Cheng had prepared to repay the debt, and then took the people to the next house.

Mr. Cheng sent Lin Chengzhang away and took out all his family's land and house deeds in disgrace.

He looked at his family's property and couldn't help but feel like a knife.

This is the wealth that has been saved through so many years of hard work!

Gold and silver are easy to squander, and farms and shops are what make money.

What a pity...

Mr. Cheng picked out the farms with poor output and the shops in remote locations first.

Tomorrow, people from the Northern Chamber of Commerce will come and take out these bad things first.

The queen wanted to harvest him in the name of debt collection, so he gave her some junk goods so that she could not make money.

Just as he was thinking about it, he saw his eldest son walking in.

"Father." The eldest son saluted.

"Son, you also know the situation in the house. My father is sorting out the farm and shops. People from the Northern Chamber of Commerce will come to collect them tomorrow." Master Cheng said.

The eldest son looked at the house deed in his father's hand and felt sad.

He steeled himself and said, "Father, when people from the Northern Chamber of Commerce come tomorrow, are you ready?"

"Isn't this preparation." Master Cheng said, "My father plans to sort out the bad ones first and give them to the Northern Territory." The Jing Chamber of Commerce will pay off the debt. As long as we manage the remaining good things, we can still live a good life."

The eldest son shook his head and said, "Father, these are not enough."

"What do you mean?" .

The eldest son said: "Tomorrow when people from the Northern Chamber of Commerce come, they will definitely value these house deeds. Father, think about it, what is the standard for valuation?"

Mr. Cheng said: "The farm naturally depends on the output, and the shop naturally depends on the output. It depends on the profit."

After saying that, he also understood. He looked at his eldest son with admiration in his eyes, "You mean..."

The eldest son nodded.

There was a tacit understanding between father and son.

Mr. Cheng hesitated, "What if someone finds out?"

The eldest son didn't take it seriously. "The people who farm the land are different, so the yields are naturally different. The people who operate the land are different, and the profits are naturally different. We have handed over the things, but what should we do? Yes, that's a matter for the Northern Chamber of Commerce. As long as the settlement is clear tomorrow, the rest will naturally be out of our hands. Is it possible that you can still ask for our help?"

Mr. Cheng thought for a while and it was indeed the case. This truth made him happy immediately, and he quickly called the accountant over.

The accountant is an old man in his fifties. He has been in charge of the accounts of the Cheng Mansion for more than thirty years. From a young apprentice to now being in charge of his own affairs, he is Lord Cheng's most trusted servant. Naturally, he has done a lot for Lord Cheng. Less bad debts.

"Master, why are you looking for a young man?" The accountant was very respectful.

Mr. Cheng pushed the house deed in his hand forward and said, "Are you familiar with these farms and shops?"

The accountant took it, looked at it, nodded and said, "These are not very profitable properties in our house.

Mr. Cheng was satisfied with what he knew and said, "From now until tomorrow morning, can you turn these unprofitable industries into profitable ones?" The accountant was stunned for a moment ,

then understood. , hesitantly said: "What do you mean, sir... to make false accounts?"

Mr. Cheng put his index finger to his mouth and shushed.

The accountant vaguely understood something in his heart. He took a few steps back timidly, with reluctance in his eyes.

The crime of deceiving the emperor, if found out, the nine tribes will be destroyed.

A person like the master cannot bear such a serious crime, let alone a small person like him.

Seeing that the accountant didn't reply for a long time, Mr. Cheng showed displeasure, "Why, you don't want to?"

The accountant hesitated and said, "Master, this is a risky matter."

Mr. Cheng's face was full of displeasure, "If you don't take the risk, will we be put in danger? " Give away all the money in the house? You are the accountant and you know best. How much money has been sent out in the house these days, and now even this farm shop can't be saved. Do you want to watch the whole house drink from the northwest wind? "

The accountant is still silent? language.

Master Cheng saw that he was unwilling to follow the rules, so he threatened: "Back then, your son was sick and had no money to treat him, but he took money from the government account. You don't know how you looked at me. I was watching you secretly make up for the money. Don't tell me." You're just worrying about it. If I really care about it, I'll send you to the Yamen, and at worst, you'll get dozens of punishments, and at worst, you'll be sent to jail."

The accountant was shocked.

He is not a greedy person, and he would not have made such a move if the matter was not urgent.

He didn't expect that the master would know about this, and he had to bear it for so many years, and only now did he bring it out!

Master Cheng continued: "I am not saying this to threaten you, I just want you to think about it carefully. If the mansion really runs out of money, it will not only affect us as masters. Your daughter is also working in the mansion. , Madam also assigned a servant for her. If all your money is gone, your family's life will also be affected."

The accountant understood this.

He is the accountant and knows the finances of the house best. The master will not touch him easily.

But he also has a daughter and son-in-law, and the life and death of these two people is in the hands of the master.

The accountant gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, master, I won't sleep tonight, and I will settle the account with you."

Master Cheng nodded with satisfaction after hearing this.

Chapter 738 The white-haired man sent

Lin Chengzhang, the yellow-haired dog, out of the Cheng Mansion and headed to the next Niu Mansion.

His daughter had warned him about this house in advance, saying it would be difficult to collect debts.

He also understands Master Niu as a slippery and greedy person.

I originally took the imperial examination route, and worked hard for many years from the local area to the capital.

Unexpectedly, after entering Beijing, he was gradually fascinated by the extravagant life in other ministers' houses. He forgot his original intention and began to amass money and indulge in pleasure.

This kind of person is usually more difficult to deal with than a real dude.

Because I have lived a hard life, I am always afraid of returning to poverty after becoming rich, so I am even more reluctant to spit out the things I get.

Lin Chengzhang was mentally prepared, but he was still shocked by Niu Fu's saucy maneuvers.

In front of the gate of Niu Mansion, there is a plain white area, with white lanterns and white flags. You can tell at a glance that there is a funeral in the manor.

Lin Chengzhang was horrified.

Generally, when a close relative dies in an official's family, the death will be reported to the emperor.

Officials all take bereavement leave, which is human nature.

However, he never heard that someone died in Niu Mansion!

Yesterday, Master Niu attended the morning court with a normal expression.

Could it be that he was the person who died last night or this morning?

Lin Chengzhang stretched out his hand to stop the troupe from singing, rather hesitantly.

Isn't it a bit disrespectful for him to come to collect debts when someone's family dies?

But here you are, even if you don't collect debts, you should still come to express your condolences.

Lin Chengzhang thought for a while, asked his men to wait outside, and entered Niu Mansion alone.

The Niu Mansion is also plain white.

Lin Chengzhang was thinking as he walked. He remembered that Mr. Niu's parents had both died, so what about this funeral...

the loss of his wife?

Losing a child?

Alas...

At this time, a concierge came out to greet the guests.

Seeing Lin Chengzhang, the concierge smiled and said, "Is this Mr. Lin?"

Lin Chengzhang thought that he would come to collect debts today, and wanted to have Mr. Niu to explain, so the concierge guessed who he was and nodded.

The concierge said: "Master Lin, please come inside. The master is waiting for you."

Lin Chengzhang followed the concierge and quickly arrived at the mourning hall.

In the mourning hall, the mourning shed has been set up, and all the funeral items have been prepared.

But apart from him, there were no guests.

He heard a man and a woman crying, very sad and miserable.

Lin Chengzhang couldn't help but feel moved in his heart.

I glanced behind the screen and saw that the coffin was very small, not an adult's coffin.

He couldn't help but feel a little sad and sentimental.

Mr. Niu is nearly fifty years old. This child's coffin is either Mr. Niu's old son or his grandson.

But, he hadn't heard that Master Niu had an old man!

Seeing that only Mr. Niu and his wife were in the funeral hall, Lin Chengzhang thought to himself, wondering where the other people in Niu's house had gone. Why were only the old couple keeping watch?

Lin Chengzhang put on three sticks of incense and said to Mr. Niu: "Mr. Niu, I'm so sorry!"

Mr. Niu wiped away his tears and said: "Thank you, Mr. Lin."

Lin Chengzhang said: "Mr. Niu's family has experienced changes. How can it happen?

Mr. Niu said, "I thought, this is not a big deal, so I don't want to disturb the emperor and your lords. It's just that I'm really sad and I can't help but cry here. " Master Lin laughed. "

Lin Chengzhang felt strange that such a big thing as the death of a person did not alarm others?

Then he asked, "Who is Mr. Niu's son who suffered the accident?"

Mr. Niu wiped his tears and said, "He is the son of my husband and wife."

Lin Chengzhang was shocked.

When did Master Niu and his wife have a son?

He couldn't help but glance at Mrs. Niu.

I heard that Mrs. Niu was married to Mr. Niu before he became famous. She was considered a child bride. She was married to take care of Mr. Niu who was going to take the imperial examination. Therefore, she was eleven years older than Mr. Niu.

Mr. Niu is approaching fifty, and Mrs. Niu will be approaching sixty.

This...can still give birth?

Lin Chengzhang glanced at the coffin again. Seeing the size, he estimated that Master Niu's son was less than one year old.

In other words, did Mrs. Niu give birth at the end of last year or at the beginning of this year?

Why is there no news at all?

"When did Master Niu have such a young son?" Lin Chengzhang asked.

Mr. Niu choked and said, "You're not young anymore. You're already sixteen. It's the end of your life."

At this time, Lin Chengzhang was no longer calm.

Did Mr. Niu and his wife take the wrong medicine?

What are you talking about?

Seeing his frown, Mr. Niu explained sadly: "Wangcai was raised by Xiaguan and his wife since he was a child, and he is no different from his biological son. Wangcai left yesterday, and Xiaguan and his wife cried all night, thinking about it. She looked so cute, but I couldn't bear to let him go like this, so I set up a memorial tent in the house and planned to pay homage to him. "

Wangcai...

Lin Chengzhang's face remained calm, but he was furious in his heart.

Co-authored by Niu Mansion to hold a funeral for a dog with great fanfare?

Fortunately, he still burned three sticks of incense religiously!

Just as he was about to question, he saw Master Niu's bulging eyeballs bursting into tears again, and he looked sincere.

Lin Chengzhang was speechless when the words came to his lips.

Now that things have happened, he still doesn't understand. This Mr. Niu clearly wants to default on his debt.

You can tell he did it on purpose, he looked really sad.

Besides, it is ridiculous for people to treat dogs as their biological sons, but is it illegal? It's not illegal.

Faced with this situation, Lin Chengzhang didn't know what to do.

Just when he was extremely confused, he heard footsteps behind him.

Lin Chengzhang looked back and saw his troupe coming in.

Under the leadership of the troupe leader, all the troupes were crying and looking very sad.

Under the watchful eyes of Mr. Niu, his wife and Lin Chengzhang, the troupe arrived in front of the funeral, prepared a little, and then started howling at the top of their lungs.

"Master Niu's good son, why did you leave? What will you do if you leave your biological father and mother behind? You are really sent away by someone with gray hair..."

At this point, everyone stopped.

It's like pressing the pause button.

The class leader looked apologetic and asked Mr. Niu and his wife, "May I ask you two mourners, what color dog is your son?"

Mr. Niu and his wife were confused and subconsciously answered: "Yellow."

The troupe leader nodded, winked at the troupe, and continued howling, "It's just a white-haired person giving a yellow-haired dog... When you leave, don't you care about your old parents? What happens when they miss you? What to do? I hope you have a spirit in heaven and come back to visit your old parents from time to time, so that they will not be lonely in their old age..."

You know, these opera singers are full of energy.

In ancient times, there was no amplification equipment. Relying on the wisdom of the ancients, the most they could do was to make fuss about the architectural structure of the stage and auditorium to make the sound more concentrated.

Therefore, if an opera singer wants to be heard by everyone in the audience, he must have real skills.

Not to mention, it was the entire troupe who was howling in mourning.

When they spoke, the neighbors could hear them.

Chapter 739 Master Niu

is unfilial. Lin Chengzhang expected it to be true. Master Niu and his wife did come up with this trick specifically to default on their debts.

They had agreed in advance that as soon as Lin Chengzhang mentioned the matter of debt collection, they would burst into tears and couldn't control their grief.

Unexpectedly, a theatrical troupe appeared out of nowhere and started mourning in their house.

This howl can be heard by the neighbors.

One mouth is like a dog's son, another mouth is like an old father and mother.

It sounds quite sad at first, but the more you listen to it, the more it becomes less and less interesting.

The words of the dog son are meant for Mr. Lin to hear!

If they continue singing like this, the whole capital will know that they have a dog son.

However, Mr. Niu and his wife are quite thick-skinned. Otherwise, how could they not repay their debts and come up with such a damaging trick.

Seeing that they were unable to get in, the leader of the troupe withdrew from the mourning team and whispered to Lin Chengzhang, "Master Lin, the Queen has asked the children to mourn here. Master Lin goes to work first, and this is the place." Leave it to the kids."

After hearing this, Lin Chengzhang knew that it was his daughter's idea again.

The emperor and empress had secret guards all over the capital, and the news must have reached the palace before they arrived at Niu Mansion.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be a big deal, and my daughter's countermeasures would come so quickly.

To be honest, Lin Chengzhang quite sympathized with the troupe.

The good troupe members first became debt collectors, and then became mourners, taking too many jobs that were not theirs.

I will give more rewards to others later.

Lin Chengzhang nodded, patted the theater team on the shoulder, and went to the next house.

The rest of the day's debt collection went smoothly.

Except for Niu Mansion, which operates in a particularly arrogant manner, the other families are all within Lin Chengzhang's control.

In the morning of the next day, as soon as Yuan Xiu sat down in the main hall of Qinzheng Hall, he heard the courtiers in the hall talking.

"Your Majesty, I would like to report that Lord Niu is holding a funeral ceremony for a dog in the palace. He has invited a team to mourn from morning to night, which has disturbed the neighbors. I didn't sleep all night last night, and my legs were shaking when I went to court today. Again. If this continues, I'm afraid I will die," someone said.

Another person agreed, "I agree. Your Majesty, everyone understands that no one is born, old, sick or dead. But looking across the whole capital, no official has ever mourned like this after losing his parents or elders. Mr. Niu just did it for a life." It's really unbelievable that the dog has caused such a fight. I'm deeply affected by this, so I'd like to ask the emperor to make a decision."

After the two men finished speaking, Wen Dashouzi stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I want to impeach Mr. Niu.

" At that time, Mr. Niu felt really miserable.

Not to mention that his neighbors didn't sleep all night, even in his house, the chickens and dogs were restless and noisy all night long.

Those opera singers have really good voices. They howled all day and all night without any signs of weakness.

He wanted to ask the servants in the mansion to drive out the opera singers, but they took out the token given by the Queen.

He also said that if any accident happened to them, the queen would never spare anyone who hurt them lightly.

It's obviously the Queen's handiwork, but can he tell the truth?

No way!

Who doesn't know that the only person sitting on the throne who cannot touch is the queen.

What happened to the officials who opposed the queen in the court before?

It's either a decree or a fine. If it's serious, the person will be found out.

He wants to default on his debt, but he doesn't want to lose his official position!

Master Niu was full of grievances, which reached its peak when he heard the word "impeachment" said by the big troll.

He said aggrievedly: "I dare to ask Mr. Wen, what crime did the lower official commit that deserves to be impeached by Mr. Wen?"

Hearing this, the big troll stared at him arrogantly and said loudly: "Sir Niu is a criminal. The crime of unfilial piety."

Phew!

Those in the court who could not bear it laughed out loud.

How come you are holding a funeral for your dog son and showing filial piety?

Master Wen is really capable of talking nonsense.

Co-authored by The Dog Son is not a dog son, but has become a dog father?

Wen Dafanzi didn't care about other people's reactions and directly took out his own book.

Eunuch Quan took the fold and placed it in front of the emperor.

Wen Dafanzi said: "This is the funeral ceremony details of Niu Mansion when Mr. Niu's father passed away. As far as Wei Chen knows, Mr. Niu did not invite any mourning group to bid farewell to his old father. But now, Mr. Niu has If you hire a mourning team for a dog, wouldn't it be a more grand funeral for a dog than for an old father? In this case, is Mr. Niu unfilial?"

Seeing his serious nonsense, other officials thought it was wrong? Makes some sense.

Yes, it is outrageous for Mr. Niu to hold a funeral for his son.

It is even more outrageous to hear that the big troll is impeaching Mr. Niu for being unfilial.

Is this using the outrageous to defeat the outrageous?

High!

Everyone looked at Yuan Xiu.

Yuan Xiu pondered for a moment, nodded slightly and said, "I think what you said is quite reasonable."

The courtiers suddenly showed a look of understanding.

This statement is not surprising.

Yuan Xiu continued: "Master Niu, do you have any words of rebuttal?"

"The mourning team is the emperor..." Master Niu was so anxious that he almost told the truth.

But when he saw the emperor's slightly narrowed eyes, he swallowed back the second half of his sentence.

Wen Dafanzi said: "Master Niu, these days it happens that Master Lin is going to various governments to recover the money owed to the treasury. Has Master Niu paid back the money he owes?"

These words were straightforward, and Master Niu fell silent.

Hearing that the big troll turned to Lin Chengzhang and said: "May I ask Master Lin, has Master Niu's debt been paid off?"

Lin Chengzhang understood and said: "Master Niu is so sad that his son passed away. I really can't bear to see Niu. With tears streaming down his face, the Lord bypassed Lord Niu's house and went to the other house first.

"Oh." Wen Daxiuzi said thoughtfully, "So, why would Lord Niu make such a fuss? " Are you delaying on purpose because you don't want to pay off the debt?"

As soon as these words came out, Mr. Niu's already bulging eyes suddenly became even wider.

The main purpose of his trick is to make Mr. Lin, who is mute, eat Coptis chinensis and not be able to express his suffering.

If Mr. Lin dared to ask him for money, he would cry until the sky darkened, which made Mr. Lin have a reputation of being ruthless.

But the big troll is a bastard who can say anything.

He had the nerve to take care of things that he shouldn't have to do, but the emperor didn't reprimand him.

Master Niu said quickly: "I don't dare, the lower official."

Wen Dajiezi snorted coldly from his nose and said: "Don't dare? When will Master Niu plan to repay the debt?"

He didn't care about the pain of losing a son. He, the emperor, Shi's purpose is to do things that ordinary people cannot do, to incite hatred and take the blame.

If you have too many lice, you won't be itchy, and if you don't have too many cows, you won't be itchy.

Master Niu was suddenly speechless.

To put it plainly, he has no sense at all.

Wen Da Tuzi continued to be aggressive, "In other words, how long does Mr. Niu plan to hold a funeral for Gou's son? Shouldn't he have to do seven or forty-nine days of rituals? If that's the case, Wen Mou must do a good job Impeach Mr. Niu for being unfilial. "

Chapter 740

It is impossible for Mr. Cheng to be dishonest and do seven or forty-nine days of rituals for dogs.

Even officials in the capital who are not of sufficient rank cannot perform such rituals for their own father.

If Mr. Niu is really brave, then the charge of unfilial piety is real.

At this point, Master Niu can only give in.

He trembled and said: "I'll pay you back tomorrow, sir. I'd like to ask Mr. Lin to come again."

"It's easy to talk." Lin Chengzhang said politely, but his eyes were very serious.

At a glance, people will know that what the big troll said is true. This awesome man is just playing tricks to default on his debts.

It's also a debt, and I'm not happy to pay it back obediently.

Why do they all pay it back, but some people don't want to?

That's not fair.

The treasury is so rich that they can't just contribute, all the debtors must be paid back to them!

In an instant, the ministers looked at Master Niu with eyes full of gloating.

Can you hide for a while? Can you hide for a lifetime?

He also wanted to be clever under the emperor's tricks, but he was really clever but was misled by his cleverness.

Master Niu, however, felt uneasy and wandered off throughout the morning.

Most of his money was used for imprinting.

Originally, the emperor had greeted them half a year in advance, so he had time to prepare.

But he couldn't bear to keep his money there without making a profit, so he lent it out again.

Thinking of delaying it for a few days and waiting for him to recover the principal before repaying the debt, it would not delay anything for the court, and he could still earn some interest.

But he didn't expect that the court didn't want to wait for one more day, and forced him to tell the debt repayment date in the court.

But he still has half a month to recover his usury.

Mr. Niu was so upset that he went to talk to Lin Chengzhang as soon as he came down from court.

"Master Lin, can you give me a few days' grace to repay the debt?" Master Niu was afraid that others would hear him, so he specially whispered in Lin Chengzhang's ear.

Lin Chengzhang paused and looked at Master Niu with a scrutinizing gaze.

At this time, all the ministers who were busy going to court knew what had happened between the two people, and they all opened their eyes and pricked up their ears.

Lin Chengzhang said: "What does Mr. Niu have to hide? We just agreed on the deadline in the court, but why do we regret it?"

Mr. Niu dared to say that he had loaned money.

If this matter was revealed, he would be completely banned from serving as an official.

So he hesitantly said: "I'm the official, I haven't collected the money yet."

Lin Chengzhang didn't believe this.

However, his mission this time is to collect debts, and for other things, he doesn't want to cause more trouble.

Everything will have to wait until the money owed to the treasury is recovered before we can make long-term plans.

So, Lin Chengzhang said: "Master Niu, if you haven't collected the money, you can go and ask Master Cheng. I went to Master Cheng's house yesterday, and Master Cheng didn't collect the money. I have already compensated him." This is the method."

With one word, he kicked the ball to Mr. Cheng.

Master Niu was only thinking about his usury, and he didn't care to distinguish after hearing this. He immediately said goodbye to Lin Chengzhang and went to chase Master Cheng.

Mr. Cheng was in a hurry and was rushing to the mansion.

Last night, the Northern Chamber of Commerce sent someone to deliver a message, saying that they would send someone to the Cheng Mansion to discuss the purchase of the farm and shop after the next court session.

Before Mr. Cheng went to court in the morning, he asked someone to check with the accounting office. At that time, the false accounts had not been completed.

He was worried that the accountant would not be able to make it in time, so he thought of going back to his house to have a look.

If someone from the Northern Chamber of Commerce comes, he can delay for a while.

Master Cheng was upset when he was caught up by Master Niu.

He thinks Lord Niu is just a piece of brown candy.

I wanted to just say a few words and send him away, but Master Niu was too anxious and used him as a life-saving straw. He refused to give up without asking for everything.

Master Cheng was very annoyed and just about to leave Master Niu, he suddenly stopped.

He had an idea...

"Master Niu, this matter is of great importance. Why don't you and I go to the Cheng Mansion and explain it in detail?" Master Cheng narrowed his eyes and said.

His attitude made Master Niu even more certain that there was something fishy about debt collection.

I'm afraid not, is there any other way to secretly seduce Chen Cang?

Master Niu was so happy that he quickly called to the coachman and followed Master Cheng's carriage to the Cheng Mansion.

Along the way, countless possibilities floated through his mind.

In the end, he felt that the solution to this matter must be to bribe Mr. Lin.

Mr. Lin is in charge of the household department. He has no final say on how much money is in the treasury and how the accounts are written.

Even if Mr. Lin embezzled money from the treasury, who would know?

With so much property in the treasury, can the emperor personally go and count it?

Moreover, Mr. Lin is the emperor's father-in-law. The emperor trusts the empress and must obey his father-in-law.

Since Master Lin asked him to find Master Cheng, Master Cheng must have a way to bribe Master Lin.

It's just that there are too many people and it's not convenient for Mr. Lin to tell him directly.

Thinking of this, Mr. Niu felt at ease, and his eyes showed an unconcealable disdain.

It seems that people are all the same, and no one in a position of power can avoid seeking profit for themselves.

Master Lin is no exception.

hehe.

Mr. Cheng changed his orders at night and was no longer in a hurry. He asked the coachman to slowly drive the carriage to the mansion.

When I arrived at the door of the house, I saw the housekeeper waiting anxiously.

Mr. Cheng slowly got out of the carriage.

The steward hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Sir, the people from the Northern Chamber of Commerce are here."

Lord Cheng nodded and gestured to the steward: "Master Niu is here to visit. You need to settle down first. I will arrive soon."

The steward didn't know why. But the master said so, so he could only do as he was told, and led Mr. Niu to the small living room outside the master's study.

Mr. Cheng went to the main reception room of Cheng Mansion.

The person coming from the Northern Chamber of Commerce is Jing Lan, which was specially ordered by Lin Xuezhu.

She knew that Mr. Cheng was dishonest, and she was afraid that the people she sent out would not be able to outsmart this old guy.

But Mr. Cheng didn't know Jing Lan, nor did he know that she was the vice president of the Northern Chamber of Commerce.

Just seeing that she was a woman made me feel a little more at ease.

He concealed the contempt in his heart, cupped his hands and said: "Girl, I'm sorry, I just went down to court. An adult wanted to discuss matters with me, so he followed me to the house. The government is urgent, can you please wait a moment, girl?" ? I will talk to the girl again after my discussion with that gentleman is over? "

This reason is too high-sounding for Jing Lan to refuse.

Even though Jing Lan knew that there was something fishy in Cheng's house, she had to nod her head and said: "Master Cheng is busy first, while the little girl is sitting and drinking tea, waiting for Master Cheng."

Master Cheng turned and left with a smile on his face.

Jing Lan glanced at his back, her face expressionless, but she secretly cursed: It seems that Lord Cheng didn't take her seriously.

Otherwise, how could he say goodbye and leave without even asking for a title when meeting for the first time.