It was said to be an auspicious day on the 22nd day of the third month in the sixth year of the Qing calendar. Thus, after the imperial envoy arrived in Jiangnan, the palace treasury's first new year opening bid was chosen for this day.
The spring sunshine was bright and beautiful, and the gentle breeze brought warmth. The young masters and ladies in Suzhou all headed out for a walk. The grass on the wide road had not yet grown, and the birds had not yet flown, but they were already startled. Outside the city, there were green mountains everywhere and threads of green water, making it a good place for men and women to hook up. The air was filled with a fresh and beautiful smell.
Suzhou was another scene. South of the Jiangnan governor's manor was the palace treasury transport company's permanent Suzhou yamen. Regardless of whether it was the yamen of the various departments of Jiangnan Road or the yamen of the Suzhou government, they were all opened in this area. It was a place where the atmosphere of officials gathered. Usually, it was heavily guarded and the most important place to guard. Today, one could only see soldiers patrolling the two sides of the street, each holding a long spear in their hand. There were also bailiffs who forced themselves to be alert and vigilantly watched the movements of all sides in the thick spring sleepiness.
This large area had already been tightly controlled.
Every year on the opening day of the palace treasury, it was always like this. First, it was because the large merchants from all over brought too much silver. Second, it was because other than the officials of the transport company, there were also eunuchs sent by the Palace to supervise the opening of the palace treasury. The governor of Jiangnan Road would also be present to listen. At this time, the group of Imperial Censorate censors who had nothing to do all day could not be missing. There was too much silver gathered here today and too many high-ranking officials, so the issue of safety became the most important.
Fortunately, Suzhou was deep by the banks of the Yangtze River. The Qing Kingdom's military was powerful, so no power dared to make any probing moves. Even the thieves in Suzhou had long been chased out of the city.
It was a good time to collect money during the Qingming Festival.
…
…
As usual, the transport company had vacated a large courtyard. This courtyard was incomparably wide. Along the two sides of the main hall were a row of small rooms. It was said to have been the examination venue for students in the Jiangnan area in the previous dynasty. Later, when the Qing Emperor inspected the palace treasury in the South, he found that this kind of layout was suitable for holding bids. Thus, he set it here and formed the usual practice. Usually, this courtyard was empty in the highest area of Suzhou. It was loaned by the transport company to the governor's manor yamen to manage accounts. However, it was returned to the transport company yamen in March.
It had been renovated and cleaned since more than ten days ago. Now, the house was extremely bright and clean.
There were soldiers standing guard outside the house, and a few plain-looking guards stood by the side of the hall in the courtyard. The light in the hall was a little dim, and one could only vaguely see a row of four armchairs placed behind a table.
When the Suzhou branch of the Capital Xinfeng Restaurant on South Street ran out of jietang buns, the door to this house finally opened.
The merchants from various states did not panic. They ascended the stairs in an orderly manner, turning a blind eye to the vigilant gazes of the soldiers around them. After more than ten years, they had long understood this whole set of procedures.
Behind a merchant was often a family, as well as the political factions behind the family. The opening of the palace treasury was a matter of great importance, so the representatives who came today were all prominent figures in their families. However, there were not many of them. These merchants all brought their own attendants and accountants behind them. They also carried boxes, account books, and other related tools.
Walking in front of everyone was, of course, the representative of the Ming family.
Since last year, the Ming family had already handed most of their power to young master Ming Lanshi's hands. The old Ming master rarely showed his face in public. What shocked many of the merchants was that the old Ming master, Ming Qingda, had personally come to the large courtyard.
Ming Qingda narrowed his tired eyes and raised his hands in greeting to his colleagues. He stroked the long beard on his chin and walked proudly through the door.
The Jiangnan merchants faintly saw the Ming family as their leader. They quickly returned the greeting and followed behind him through the door. No one felt a glimmer of unease. Since it was the palace treasury bidding, of course, the Ming family would go first. Everyone did not understand why the Ming family would be so cautious today and even invite the old master.
Occasionally, someone would think of the new head of the transport company in the palace treasury, the imperial envoy. They would also think of the young master of the Ming family communicating endlessly in secret this month. Only then did they faintly guess that today's palace treasury bidding would probably not be as smooth as in previous years, nor would it be as bright and joyous as today's spring scenery.
…
…
The two rows of rooms under the eaves had long been pasted with names. The families entered one by one. The Ming family was in the first large room on the left. They had brought the most people, a full 16 shopkeepers and waiters. Once they entered the room, there were servants arranged by the transport company to pour them tea, hand over warm towels, and some exquisite pastries.
Although it was the government that had opened the bidding, they knew that these rich people had to be well received. Using the words Fan Xian had said with a smile after learning of the previous arrangements, if they were going to kill a pig, they had to fatten it up first.
Ming Qingda sat steadily in his chair. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the light scattering through the courtyard outside. Before entering the courtyard, he had made eye contact with the merchants and knew that everyone's thoughts were the same. In the face of profit, no one was willing to raise the price, particularly those merchants. They did not dare to offend him.
Thinking of this, Ming Qingda's heart relaxed slightly. He asked in a low voice, "How much longer?"
Ming Lanshi stood obediently by his father's side. He lowered his body and said, "Soon." He stretched out a pair of white hands and brought the tea in front of his father. His hands were so clean it was as if they had never been stained with blood.
Ming Qingda nodded. Since the court was still inventing bids and no one in the world had the wealth to fight with him, there shouldn't be much difference from previous years. For some reason, his lips were still a bit dry. Perhaps it was because he was gradually getting older, and his energy was always lacking.
Thinking of this, a strange emotion welled up in the master of the Ming family's heart. His mother was already so old, why was her body still so healthy?
Ming Qingda unconsciously swept his gaze across and easily identified the families these rooms represented. Although he had rarely personally entered the market these years, his friendship with the older generation was still there. The families that had come today were all descendants of the second generation. Presumably, they knew that of the 16 palace treasury bids, the Cui family could fight for the ones the Ming family had vacated. As for the eight that the Ming family had set in stone, they could not move.
However, the door to the last room under the eaves was still closed. No one knew which family had sent in their bid, but the person had not arrived yet.
Ming Qingda took a sip of tea and moistened his throat. He furrowed his brows and said, "Whose family is B6? It's about to start, why hasn't the person arrived yet? "
Ming Lanshi was startled and was unable to reply. He had clearly investigated in detail, so why was that room still empty?
Some kind of warning sign began to grow in Ming Qingda's heart. After Fan Xian returned the 400,000 liang banknotes, he sank into silence. He didn't know what exactly the imperial envoy was thinking. He glanced at his son and said with slight anger, "When doing things, you have to be watertight. You haven't even checked the person clearly. What if something goes wrong later?"
Ming Lanshi's expression was slightly embarrassed. He could only admit his mistake, but he was not satisfied in his heart. These figures of wealthy families all had this bad habit of not saying what they thought. He probingly said, "Could it be a salt merchant … they have always done things strangely. Perhaps they are also envious this time."
Ming Qingda's expression was dark. He shook his head and said, "It's not a salt merchant. First, they gave us a promise. Second, Sir Xue also once gave me a promise."
This master of the Ming family looked at the empty room across from him. He looked at the tightly shut door and the faint coldness seeping through the glass window. A powerful unease welled up in his heart.
… …
"It is truly a pity this time." In the study of the Jiangnan governor's manor, an advisor sighed. "The Cui family has left six empty, yet it is not convenient for us to interfere. We can only watch as so much silver is divided up by the Ming family and those local rich landlords. It is truly a pity."
The governor of Jiangnan Road, first-level official Sir Xue Qing, wore a slight smile on his face and did not say anything.
The advisor sitting beside him also showed a look of pity and said, "Yang Jimei came a few times a few days ago. He was still hoping that you could help him put in a good word for him in front of Sir Fan junior … his family has been in the salt business for generations. Now, looking at the fat meat of the palace treasury, he is also hungry."
Yang Jimei was the largest salt merchant in the two Huai rivers, or rather, a salt smuggler. He had always carefully curried favor with the governor's manor.
Xue Qing thought for a bit and then smiled. "Hungry? Who isn't hungry? Yang Jimei, that old killing talent … I asked him for such a good Hua Garden, but he stubbornly refused to give it to me. This time, he insists on going through my hands to give it to Fan Xian as a residence. Do you think I don't know what he is thinking? Does Sir Fan not know? "
As the Jiangnan governor, he controlled one-seventh of the world's military and civil affairs. His power was strong and powerful, and he had many eyes and ears. Thinking of something, he couldn't help but sigh. "Sir Fan will certainly have to give Yang Jimei some face in the future, but the matter of the palace treasury … he won't have much of a chance."
The advisor asked curiously, "What exactly is the imperial envoy thinking? Who exactly is he planning to give the six empty spots to? "
The smile on Xue Qing's face gradually faded. "Actually, there is no need to ask. Since the Emperor sent him to Jiangnan, these six spots will naturally be prepared by him."
He then smiled coldly and said, "Never mind these six spots, I think it will be very difficult for the Ming family to keep their own eight spots."
The advisor furrowed his brows deeply and said, "I just don't know which family Sir Fan junior has chosen this time."
Xue Qing smiled mockingly. He ruled over Jiangnan, so he knew what Fan Xian had done. He smiled and said, "I'm afraid none of you would have thought of that choice. This imperial envoy is indeed very powerful. He did not choose a spokesperson from among the merchants and instead poached someone from the wilderness. If that guy had swaggered into Sucheng on a normal day, I would probably have thrown him into prison and demanded some benefits."
The advisor did not know the inside story and laughed dryly. He was still a bit reluctant in his heart and probingly asked, "Concerning the matter of opening the palace treasury, did the imperial envoy … not say anything to you?"
According to the customs of officialdom, a fat piece of meat like the palace treasury could not be swallowed up by a single faction of officials, particularly since Xue Qing's position was high and deeply rooted in Jiangnan. No matter how arrogant Fan Xian was, he still had to show some goodwill to the governor's manor.
Xue Qing furrowed his brows slightly and shook his head. "Naturally, Sir Fan junior has mentioned this matter. Although he is young, he does things very smoothly. Minister Fan and Director Chen have taught him well … however, I had no choice this time and could only politely decline Sir Fan junior's good intentions."
"Ah?" The advisor cried out in surprise. Politely decline good intentions? As long as Fan Xian opened his mouth, this small good intentions would probably be worth at least a few hundred thousand liang of silver. When did the governor become so incorruptible and self-restrained? Had he learned to change his face?
Xue Qing smiled self-mockingly and stood up. "Although it is close, we should still leave first. Sir Fan junior is waiting in the courtyard, as is Guo Zheng, that white-faced old man. The eunuchs from the Palace are also coming with an edict. We can't be too slow."
He did not explain to the advisors who were even closer to him than his wife why he had politely declined Fan Xian's good intentions. Xue Qing knew that although the palace treasury appeared to be a contest between Fan Xian and the Eldest Princess, there was actually a deeper meaning behind it. Just how should the princes be ranked? This was already beginning to become a thorny problem.
Xue Qing's identity did not allow him to pick a side too early. Otherwise, the Emperor would be very angry. Thus, it was not convenient for him to partake in this feast of the palace treasury.
Under the protection of the guards, he walked out of the front door of the Jiangnan governor's manor. Xue Qing unconsciously turned his head and looked at the signboard in front of the manor. His eyes were dazzled by the newly risen sun. A powerful sense of unease welled up in his heart. The Emperor's actions these years had become increasingly strange. Everyone under heaven was looking at Jingdou and guessing at the future situation. For the Qing court, this kind of turmoil was definitely not a good thing.
If people's hearts were uncertain, what would the officials do?
Your Majesty, Your Majesty, what exactly are you thinking?
… …
The palace treasury opened. The merchants who had come to bid were already sitting in their rooms waiting. Fan Xian, who was in charge of this matter, was still leisurely drinking tea. The person drinking tea and conversing with him was a eunuch from Jingdou.
The palace treasury was the property of the royal family. According to the rules, it had to be jointly supervised by Taichang Temple and the internal court. Since Fan Xian himself was a junior official of Taichang Temple, Taichang Temple did not send anyone else to Suzhou for unnecessary matters. It also saved him a lot of trouble.
However, a senior eunuch had come. At the same time, it was a big problem.
"Eunuch Huang speaks reasonably." Fan Xian placed the teacup on the table and smiled slightly. "I also think that it is better to stay put than to move. Everything should be done according to the old rules."
This senior eunuch from the Palace had a very high rank. Otherwise, he would not have been entrusted with such a heavy responsibility. He had a fat head and big ears, and the fat on both sides of his cheeks were piled together. Hearing Fan Xian's words, he smiled insincerely and said, "With you in charge of this matter, I am at ease."
This eunuch had always been deep in the inner palace. Although he knew of Fan Xian's great name, he thought that he had the Emperor's orders and was not afraid of him. On the contrary, he had been in Suzhou for a few days, but Fan Xian had not invited him to his manor for a chat. This fact of being ignored made Eunuch Huang feel uncomfortable in his heart.
In the conversation earlier, Eunuch Huang had brought Fan Xian a piece of very bad news. More accurately, he had passed on the empress dowager's verbal order for Fan Xian to manage the matter of the palace treasury. He had to follow the old rules and not mess around.
Do not mess around? The old rules?
Fan Xian smiled coldly in his heart. Naturally, this meant that what should belong to the Ming family should belong to the Ming family. The rest could be slowly dealt with by himself. It looked like after the Eldest Princess returned to the capital, the empress dowager's heart ached for this young daughter. She had pulled a long face and used so much face.
He knew that the empress dowager was warning him not to go overboard in his actions. He had to leave some living money for the members of the royal family to spend. Thinking of this, Fan Xian couldn't help but want to laugh. He thought to himself that his Emperor was known as the Emperor of a generation. How come he was living more and more these years? How could he allow his mother and sister to send the family business to his sons' manor?
Of course, he knew that the Emperor was not a simple person. However, he was becoming more and more confused as to why the Emperor had created such a chaotic situation.
"If you want great governance, you must first create great chaos?" he unconsciously furrowed his brows and said.
"What?" Eunuch Huang asked curiously.
"Nothing," Fan Xian smiled and said. "I have troubled you to pass on the edict."
Eunuch Huang coughed and said with slight arrogance, "It is because the empress dowager trusts a servant like me. Of course, I also have to thank Sir Fan junior for giving me this face."
Fan Xian didn't reply. He only smiled and looked at Eunuch Huang's pig-like face. A moment later, he said, "Your face?"
Eunuch Huang was startled.
Fan Xian smiled slightly and said, "Eunuch Huang, in front of me, it is best if you put away that act. Old Yao, Old Dai, and Old Hou … know how to conduct themselves better than you."
Eunuch Huang was furious but then immediately shocked. The three people Fan Xian mentioned were all powerful eunuchs in the Palace. Although Old Dai had long lost power, other than the head eunuch Hong Zhu who had recently been transferred to the Eastern Palace, Old Yao and Old Hou all had more face than him. Fan Xian saying this meant that even Eunuch Yao and Eunuch Hou had to be respectful in front of him. What did he think he was?
Eunuch Huang was shrewd and restrained his anger. On the contrary, he smiled and replied, "Sir is right." In his heart, he looked down on Fan Xian. Such a young and powerful official who made enemies everywhere would probably not last long in the future. Furthermore, he was, after all, close to the empress dowager. His identity was a bit special.
Fan Xian gave a not-quite-there smile and said, "Eunuch Huang, in Suzhou, it is best if you behave yourself."
Eunuch Huang lowered his face and replied, "Imperial envoy, what are you saying?"
"You speak in Jingdou," Fan Xian said darkly. "What I hate the most is when someone uses the empress dowager to pressure me. Other people are somewhat afraid of you, but that does not include me. After you return to the capital, you can go around talking about it and see what kind of situation it will be."
Eunuch Huang raised his head in anger. How dare an official be so disrespectful to the empress dowager? Did Fan Xian really not want his life anymore?
Fan Xian had his reasons for saying this. With a cold expression, he swept out his sleeves and turned down a side corridor toward the main hall of the manor. Throwing down one last sentence, he said, "Understand your own identity. Your surname is not Hong!"
Other than Eunuch Hong, what else was there in that chilly Royal Palace that Fan Xian feared?
…
…
Fan Xian stood coldly on the stone steps in front of the main hall. The merchants in the rooms under the eaves on both sides quickly came out and bowed to him.
His gaze stared straight at the main door. He didn't even glance at the Ming father and son in the primus room closest to him.
The large door was pushed open with a creak.
A line of silent people slowly walked in. This group of people did not carry the usual aura of wealth and nobility of merchants, nor did they have the smell of officials. Instead, they were filled with a sense of bloodthirsty wilderness.
When this group of people stood in the middle of the courtyard, it was like a few vicious wolves had suddenly appeared among a flock of sheep. There was a deer's tail on top of a cake. It appeared out of place and extremely abrupt.
The person in the lead was the commander of the Jiangnan water bandits, Xia Qifei.
Xia Qifei was wearing a light green washed silk, but it still could not hide the iron-blooded aura on his body. Although his expression was calm, his slightly narrowed eyes still revealed a glimmer of excitement and nervousness.
Xia Qifei raised his hands in a salute toward Fan Xian and said, "Sir envoy, I have come late."
"Not late," Fan Xian said coldly. "As long as you came, it's fine."
…
…
The big merchants in Jiangnan often had shady businesses. Furthermore, they also relied on the power of the local wilderness in many places. As the leader of the Jiangnan water bandits, Xia Qifei actually had some secret dealings with these merchants and even the Ming family.
Therefore, there were some people who had seen Xia Qifei's true appearance. Today, when he led his subordinates to stand in the courtyard, there were people with sharp eyes who immediately recognized him. The whispers gradually rose and gradually turned into countless exclamations of surprise!
Even water bandits had come to the palace treasury to bid!
The large merchants looked at Xia Qifei in the courtyard with faces full of terror. They couldn't resist glancing at Fan Xian standing on the stone steps. No matter how they thought about it, they could not understand this matter.
Water bandits doing business? Then what would they, the merchants, do? Were they going to be mountain bandits? This world … ever since Sir Fan junior's name had appeared, it seemed to have become strange and motley, and difficult to grasp. What these Jiangnan merchants were more curious about was, even if Xia Qifei went around robbing, how could he gather so much silver? However, since these Jiangnan water bandits had already entered the door of the palace treasury, presumably they had at least paid the security deposit … if water bandits could make so much money, then why did they still need to work so hard to do business?
Standing in the doorway of the room closest to the stone steps, Ming Qingda narrowed his eyes and looked at the last person to enter the courtyard. In a quiet voice, he said, "Who is this person?"
"It should be Xia Qifei," Ming Lanshi said next to his father's ear. "The leader of the Jiangnan water bandits. I've had some contact with him in the past, but I've never seen him in person. I don't know what's going on, but he's also here today to join in the fun."
Ming Qingda's eyes narrowed even more. It was almost impossible to see the deep coldness in them. They only heard him faintly say, "Looks like … this person is a chess piece the imperial envoy planted in advance."
At this moment, Xia Qifei slowly turned his head and met the gaze of the Master of the Ming family. He smiled slightly. His smile was very sincere … revealing boundless enmity and blood-thirsty desire.
With Fan Xian's help, the Seventh young master of the Ming family, who had his mother killed and his property stolen, finally had the opportunity to stand upright on the stage for revenge.
(The chapter is called the door of the palace treasury. This is the name I thought of when I wrote the first chapter of the year of Qingyu. I've finally written this chapter. It feels very good, hahahaha.)
(To be continued, if you want to know what happens after, please log on to WWW. CMFU. com. There are more chapters. Support the author. Support original reading!)
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