She did not know when, but it started to drizzle outside the window. The pitter patter pattered on the banana leaves under the window, making a rustling sound. Two 'zheng zheng' sounds were heard, the sound of the zither in the rainy night. A faint and quiet singing voice was heard in the rainy night,
Bear to see the pink butterflies fly past the beautiful neighbors,
Then, he asked the branch secretly.
Rather disappoint the boundless meaning of the east wind,
For whom do you become ill, for whom do you frown?
The east wind gently calls the matchmaker,
The wedding dress in the deep courtyard has not been cut.
But it is difficult for others to understand,
Only waiting for Shi Lang to open his heart? "
The young girl was still wearing the wedding dress and sat shyly by the bed, waiting. But seeing that the sky was getting darker and her master did not seem to have any intention of coming over, Sheridan's heart started to panic. She did not have any intention of competing with Su San, who was like a brother to him. But although she was pretty and beautiful, Yutang Chun was a one in a million beauty.
Her status was not as good as Young-niang, and her beauty was not as good as Su San. The young girl's heart was soft and she was worried that Yang Ling was only forced by the Emperor to take her in, and that he did not like her in his heart. Sitting until the red candle burned out, Sheridan felt sorry for herself. She could not help but pick up the zither and sing softly. Listening to the bitter rain outside the window, her heart was filled with sorrow.
Yutang Chun woke up from her sweet dream. Hearing Cher's singing, she was so embarrassed that she wanted to hide her face. She quickly struggled to get up and help her master change his clothes. Yang Ling had already gotten up and put on his clothes. Seeing her weak and delicate appearance, he quickly pressed her smooth shoulders and pulled the blanket over her. He softly said, "It's raining. Don't catch a cold. Rest early."
Yutang Chun's delicate body was naked. It was a bit hard to get up like this, so she obeyed and lay down. Yang Ling's thoughtfulness made her heart warm. She sweetly pursed her lips into a smile and shyly nodded her head.
"Bear to see the pink butterflies fly past the beautiful neighbors …" The singing came again in the middle of the night. The flower picking butterfly hurriedly opened the door and walked out …
After having sex twice in one night, Yang Ling should have slept late. But at dawn, he woke up. Perhaps it was because he had gotten used to waking up early. Xue Li Mei, who was used to sleeping late and waking up early, was still sleeping soundly. Her sleeping posture was really not good. After a night of entanglement, she had wrapped the thin quilt around her body, revealing only a touch of pink on her chest. Two faint traces of tears still hung on her cheeks, which were lightly powdered.
Xue Li Mei knew that her looks and temper were not as good as Yu Tang Chun's, so in order to win her master's favor, even though she had just broken a melon, she shyly and timidly used all the foxy charms she had learned at the Shihua Pavilion. She only hoped that her master would be happy and that she would have a place in his heart.
Needless to say, just the little girl's tireless and persistent spirit was enough to move all the perverted gods in the world. If he had not seen her bleeding and her immature performance when making love, just by looking at her endless tricks, Yang Ling would have thought that she was an expert in the field of romance.
Sheridan's body was light and soft. She had a slender waist that could be held in one arm. Her skin was so delicate that it could be broken by the wind. Especially her pink and bright red skin, it was clean and barren. When she was aroused, her eyebrows would furrow and she would often cry tears of joy. Her pure face showed a strange seductive look, which actually made Yang Ling feel a kind of pleasure of bullying and abuse. This night of romance was really enjoyable.
※ ※ ※
Those that should have bloomed had bloomed. Those that should have opened also had opened.
When the Inner Factory was established, everyone in the inner court and the outer court paid attention. But the Inner Factory yamen could not take out the silver to buy land outside Xizhimen. They actually organized the Left Sentry Camp soldiers who had just been labourers in Tailing and had now become foreign soldiers to build a yamen on their own in the valley behind Gaolao Village. It was really laughable.
Dongchang was worried that Yang Ling would immediately take over the Revenue Bureau. Fan Ting and the four chief eunuchs of the Department of Rites gathered together and thought of all kinds of ways to make things difficult. But they did not see Yang Ling come for a long time. Surprised, they sent people to inquire. They heard that Yang Ling had recruited the famous and incompetent gatekeeper Yu Yong of the Imperial Bodyguard as the second-in-command. He was leading a group of soldiers and was contacting horse and carriage companies that worked long distances to form an intelligence agency for the Inner Factory.
Hearing this news, Fan Ting almost choked with laughter. His cautious regard for Yang Ling was immediately swept away. If they were not enemies, he would have sympathized with Yang Ling. This action had really lost the face of the Factory Guards. Since Yang Ling did not dare to come knocking for the time being to take over the Revenue Bureau, there was no harm in being a bit more generous. Fan Ting gave the order to tell the foreigners in Dongchang not to cause trouble for the Inner Factory for the time being. They would wait and see if Yang Ling was tactful.
When the civil officials heard that the Emperor had set up the Inner Factory in addition to Dongchang, the West Factory and the Imperial Bodyguard, they all asked the three scholars to take advantage of the Inner Factory to mobilize all the court officials to denounce them and urge the Emperor to remove the Inner Factory.
Hearing this, Xie Qian was also moved. He secretly arranged a meeting with Liu Jian and Li Dongyang to discuss this matter. Liu Jian had heard of Yang Ling's weak actions and also did not think that the Inner Factory could become a serious threat. However, if they could mobilize the court officials' power to eradicate it, it was bound to make the East and West Factories and the Imperial Bodyguard have some misgivings and not dare to recklessly interfere in court affairs. Therefore, he also gladly expressed his agreement.
But Li Dongyang was silent for a long time and did not say a word. Xie Qian could not help but say with emotion, "Bin Zhi, I know that you have a good impression of this person Yang Ling, and even have great expectations of him.
We are all old, how many more years can we contribute to the court? If there are a few members of the younger generation with both ability and integrity who can properly assist His Majesty, we, this group of old officials, will not have let down the Former Emperor, will not have let down the common people of the world. But … Yang Ling and the group of court jesters around His Majesty are friends, and now he has obtained the position of the Inner Factory. It is clear that he has the ambition of a wolf. Do you still believe that he can be a good and loyal person? "
Liu Jian also said unhappily, "Bin Zhi, I know that you have great expectations of him. Although his ability is not as good as Yang Tinghe and Yang Yiqing, he is the person most favored by His Majesty. If he is loyal to the country, there is no harm in supporting him. Perhaps our court can be like the 'Third Yang Bingzheng' of the Xuande Dynasty, producing another 'Third Yang Gancai'. But now, listening to his words and observing his actions, although this person may not be a great evil, he is definitely not a good and loyal official. Don't let your emotions affect your decisions."
Li Dongyang smiled slightly and said, "Do the two of you think that I can't bear to ruin his future? Hehehe, I am just thinking, whether the court has the Inner Factory or no Inner Factory, which one is more beneficial? "
Xie Qian said disapprovingly, "Bin Zhi, are you muddle-headed? What do you think the Factory Guards have done to benefit the court, to benefit the people? Isn't it enough that there are two Factories and one Guard fighting for power and profit, do you want to add another vicious tiger? "
Li Dongyang laughed lightly and said, "Has Xie Daren forgotten that this tiger of the Inner Factory is eyeing covetously the Office of Tax Supervision?"
Hearing this, Liu Jian and Xie Qian's eyes suddenly brightened. Xie Qian had already blurted out, "Two tigers fighting …"
Liu Jian hesitated for a moment and said, "I think Yang Ling is avoiding in all aspects, not contending with Dongchang. The transfer of the Office of Tax Supervision to the Inner Factory is His Majesty's verbal order. With the Imperial Edict in hand, he still doesn't dare to speak to Wang Yue. Is Bin Zhi placing too much hope in him?"
Li Dongyang laughed aloud and said, "Lao Daren, if you look at Yang Ling's usual conduct, although he has the Emperor's favour, he still knows how to restrain himself. But have you forgotten his knowledge and experience at the scripture banquet? Unexpectedly, he made all the daren in the court who wanted to make things difficult for him speechless? This person's knowledge and scheming are not ordinary. The reason why I said I can't see through him is because he has the Emperor's favor. Originally, he didn't need to be subservient to the Shenji Battalion.
Of course, if he had wild ambitions and wanted to meddle in political affairs or send out a high-ranking military official, we wouldn't just stand by and watch. The strange thing is that he really seems to be at ease with the situation, without any ambition.
Since he's been hibernating and enduring like this, not revealing his edge, and now with great fanfare and enthusiasm, he's opening up the Inner Factory. I don't believe he'll let go of the hot post of Tax Supervision. "He smiled slightly and confidently said," Just wait and see. If my old eyes aren't blurry, Yang Ling's whimsical idea of allying with some inner factory's informant, most likely is deliberately showing weakness to the enemy. When his power stabilizes, he'll definitely fight with Dongchang over the fat meat of Tax Supervision. "
Xie Qian clapped his hands and praised, "Wonderful! Three parts of the world's taxes go to the Ministry of Revenue, seven parts to the Department of Rites. The power of the treasury being in the hands of the inner court is not something that people can rest assured about. Wang Yue is already advanced in years. Once she's gone, the future is unpredictable. If the Inner Factory and the West Factory fight for power and profit and both sides suffer losses, we can take advantage of the situation and make the power of taxation fall into the hands of the Ministry of Revenue. "
Liu Jian furrowed his white brows and said, "Binzhi's thinking is not bad, but Dongchang is a big tree with deep roots and power all over the world. Does Yang Ling have the qualifications to challenge the Department of Rites and challenge Dongchang with just the Emperor's favor and the insignificant Inner Factory?"
Li Dongyang chuckled and said, "He can't. That's why not only can we not ask the Emperor to remove the Inner Factory, we must help them both openly and secretly. The stronger the Inner Factory is, the bigger his ambition will be. But no matter how strong he is, he won't be able to deal a fatal blow to Dongchang, unless we give him a false impression that the outer court is on his side!"
Liu Jian clapped his hands and said, "Good! Old Xie, give the Inspectorate a call and tell the Imperial Censors not to cause trouble for the Inner Factory. At the moment, we must open the door wide and let the Inner Factory have the power to snatch the peaches from Dongchang. Hahaha, where profit comes, two peaches can kill three soldiers! "
In the last 20 years of the Hongzhi dynasty, the outer court had always suppressed the Inner Factory, so the three scholars seemed to have forgotten that there was another proverb in the world: Nurture a tiger and cause disaster!
※ ※ ※
Two months. In just two months, the power of the Inner Factory had grown far beyond Yang Ling's own expectations. He had originally thought that once the Inner Factory was opened, the Directorate of Rites, Dongchang, the Imperial Bodyguard, and the outer court civil officials would not turn a blind eye, and that there would be no end to the knives and swords.
So he invited Wu Jie and Huang Qiyin back to the capital on a fast horse, and set up the official positions of the Inner Factory. Wu Jie would be the Chief Head … Huang Qiyin and Yu Yong would be the Second Head, Lian Delu and the other two Imperial Censors would be the Third Head, Liu Biao and Yang Yiqing would be in charge of the Thousand Households, and the rest would be in charge of the Hundred Households, the Directorate, and other affairs. After everything was arranged, he followed the Emperor every day, prepared to rely on this big tree to deal with all kinds of possible attacks.
Unexpectedly, there was no sound from Dongchang, and the court civil officials and the Imperial Censor suddenly did not move, causing Yang Ling to worry for nothing. Although Wu Jie was not valued in the Imperial Bodyguard these years, he had always been responsible for the most arduous work of gathering intelligence, and could be said to be very experienced in this area.
Not only did Yang Ling transfer him back to the capital, but he also rose to the top in one step to be the Chief Head of the Inner Factory, second only to the Governor Yang Ling. Moreover, Yang Ling did not hide anything from him, who came from the Imperial Bodyguard, and dared to let him do everything.
Wu Jie, who had been ostracized and suspected for many years, shed tears of gratitude. In addition, he had saved Madame Yang's life, and believed that he had a very close relationship with the Yang Family, so he could be said to have spared no effort for the Inner Factory. The well-trained Shenji Battalion soldiers quickly integrated into their new roles under the guidance of him, Liu Biao, and Yang Yiqing.
Huang Qiyin received the imperial edict and entered the capital. When he heard that Yang Ling wanted him to take up a post in the Inner Factory, although this old man had been suppressed by the court for many years, he still had the proud character of a hot-blooded Imperial Censor, and unexpectedly refused. Yang Ling had long prepared for this. He invited the old man into a secret chamber and talked in detail with him about his general purpose of benefiting the people.
After all, Huang Qiyin was no longer the Imperial Censor who had passed the Imperial Examinations and remained in the Inspectorate as a teenager, ignorant of the sufferings of the people. He no longer had the dignified scholarly spirit of a dignified emperor who cherished his own feathers. In his heart, if he could do something for the people, it was not a big deal even if he stayed in the Inner Factory and damaged his own reputation. Moreover, who in the capital now remembered him, a proud youth who had fallen headfirst into a remote and desolate land for nearly thirty years?
In two months, the Inner Factory had not only successfully established a foothold in the capital, but its tentacles were constantly extending in all directions with the capital as the center. This strange speed had finally attracted the attention and panic of Dongchang and the Department of Rites.
Even Yang Ling did not expect this pestilence-like speed to spread. He had originally wanted to first open up a transportation line from the capital to Jiangnan by water and land. When he had an outstanding profit at the end of the year, he would set an example for other merchants, and then take advantage of the situation to fully expand the Inner Factory's sphere of influence.
Even so, he did not dare to be optimistic. Merchants were naturally in a weak position when interacting with the government. They could not work with the Inner Factory without the slightest suspicion, and the Inner Factory could not use its power to force them into a public-private partnership. How could it be easy to establish credibility and win the trust of these cautious and suspicious merchants?
But Yu Yong, a descendant of the Holy Roman Empire who came from the Rhine, was truly a businessman. He brought his people to visit several of the largest shipping and carriage companies, and none of the owners refused his offer. "Our Inner Factory will help you transport goods, merchants, and customers, and you will calculate the average annual profit for the past five years. If the profit is less than this number, we will not take a single cent. If it is more than this number, we will split it fifty-fifty. This year? For the second half of this year, we will not take a single cent and help you for free. "
How could the owners of the shipping and carriage companies, who had suffered from illegal exploitation but had no one to complain to, not know the enormous profits contained in this? The Inner Factory's offer was so generous that it could make one laugh even in one's dreams. How could they not agree?
Yu Yong only visited four companies and did not need to go any further. On the small country roads of Gao-Lao Village, which was a paradise from the outside world, there was an endless stream of owners who had heard the news. In just half a month, all the carriage and ship companies in the capital and nearby cities had signed a contract with the Inner Factory. The Inner Factory's influence rolled along the canals and official roads like a snowball, spreading to all parts of the world.
When he heard the news, Yang Ling nervously ran to Yu Yong and asked, "The Imperial Court only pays the soldiers until the end of the seventh month. For the remaining five months, what will the thousands of people in the Inner Factory eat and drink?"
Yu Yong nodded and bowed, his face full of fear. "Reporting to Superintendent, our people have used their carriages, so we can't go back empty-handed, can we? We had people bring the specialties of the capital all the way to Huzhou. Unlike other merchants who helped us sell the goods, when we arrived, we could make a net profit of five hundred taels.
We also used the fifteen hundred taels of silver to order silk and ship it back to the capital through Jinling. We could make another eight hundred taels of silver. The round trip took a month, and the one thousand taels of silver became two thousand three hundred taels of silver. Superintendent, you have ordered us not to evade taxes. Otherwise, we could just do some tricks and pass the tax card in two boxes, and we could make an extra three hundred taels of silver. One month later, the Imperial Court stopped paying our soldiers. We have already used the one month delayed payment to make three months' worth of money. Milord, there is no need to worry. "
Hearing this, Yang Ling did not say a word. He turned and left. When he saw Dafang Huang, who was in charge of internal affairs, he only said, "Old Huang only needs to take care of the accounts. Leave the money and grain to Yu Yong."
* * *
In the room of Eunuch Wang Yue, the four chief eunuchs and Fan Ting sat below. They all had different expressions on their faces, and the atmosphere in the room was unusually heavy. Eunuch Wang dipped his finger in some water and rubbed the corners of his dry eyes. He said with a trembling voice, "You guys, you don't have to be so worried, right? Speaking of which, this Yang Ling has a deep relationship with us. Although his power is developing rapidly, he has never had any ideas about our Eunuch and Dongchang. Aren't you guys making a mountain out of a molehill? "
Ever since Dai Yi narrowly escaped death in the Fengshui case of the Emperor's mausoleum, he hated Wang Yue to the core. He also had a grudge against his former good friend, Fan Ting. He and Yang Ling were both the supervising ministers of the Tailing Mausoleum and had some friendship with each other. More importantly, there was a major secret between them that tied their lives together. With this secret, he could ride on Yang Ling's boat and share his blessings, but if there were misfortunes … then he would politely decline.
So Yang Ling began to build his own power and developed abnormally fast. For him, there were only advantages and no disadvantages. So when he heard Wang Yue's disapproval, Dai Yi immediately joked, "That's right. Old Fan, aren't you being too alarmist? Look at the people he uses. Other than a few illiterate soldiers, what other capable people are there?
There's only a dissatisfied old district magistrate, Wu Qianhu, who collects leather goods outside the Great Wall all year round, and that Yu Yong … haha, I heard that his daughter has blonde hair, blue eyes, and is extremely enchanting. Yu Yong wants to betroth his second daughter to Yang Ling as a concubine, and that's why he's a second-in-command in the inner factory. Yang Ling uses Wu Jie, an Imperial Bodyguard, and Yu Yong and Eunuch Wang are relatives. Do you think Yang Ling will harm us? "
Zhang Shou smiled darkly and said, "Eunuch Dai, it's because we think like this that we let go of the best opportunity to suppress him. Now that his wings have grown, I can see that he has great ambitions. He doesn't seem like someone who knows his place. The Tax Supervision Department controls seventy percent of the court's taxes. Once you control it, not only will you immediately be below one person, above tens of thousands of people, but even some of the powers in the outer court will have no choice but to submit to him.
On the road of power, as long as you stand on the crest of the waves, even if you don't want to, you will have to climb to a higher place. Otherwise, you can only sink, and you won't even be able to keep everything you have now. Will Yang Ling not have designs on the Tax Supervision Department? Haha, young and successful, in the prime of his life, do you think he will retreat in the face of the current? Wait until he has accumulated enough power. Old fellows like us who are in the way will become thorns in his eyes, and he will pull us out one by one! "
Fan Ting said to Wang Yue, "Gong-gong, what Zhang Shou said is correct. Liu Jin and Gu Daeyong have served the Emperor since he was the Crown Prince. Their words carry a lot of weight. When the Emperor first ascended to the throne, they were still well-behaved, but now they have gradually begun to have ideas. Ma Yongcheng has become the head procurement manager of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Wei Bin is in charge of the Office of Ceremonial Affairs, and Zhang Yong is in charge of the Department of Imperial Horses.
Liu Jin and Gu Daeyong are envious, and they have been inciting the Emperor to give them good jobs all day long. People are not satisfied. Don't look at how they are not successful right now. If they want money, they want power, and if they have power, they want even more power. There are many people eyeing the chairs of the Department of Ceremonial Affairs. They have a deep friendship with Yang Ling. I have always been worried that Yang Ling has not made a move yet. Is it because he is colluding with them and plotting something? "
Hearing this, Wang Yue's heart was moved. He hesitated for a moment, then swept his eyes over the faces of his trusted aides one by one, asking, "What is it? There is really someone who dares to overturn our plate? En … then what do you guys think we should do? We are all working for the Emperor. You and Miao Kui are chattering non-stop. Just looking at you makes me annoyed. Don't tell me you are going to start fighting with Yang Ling again? "
Li Rong, who had been silent all this time, slowly said, "Eunuch Wang, if we don't make a move now, they will make a move against us. You, Elder, are kind and benevolent. We also don't want to fight to the death with the internal affairs and let the outside court see us as a joke. I have an idea that can dampen Yang Ling's spirit and make him not dare to be so insolent. What does gonggong think?"
Wang Yue happily said, "That's good, that's good. Quickly say it." Li Rong took out a card from his sleeve. With a smile, he said, "Gonggong, my idea is very simple. Loosen the reins only to grasp better!"
Fan Ting anxiously said, "I say, don't keep us in suspense. Quickly tell me, how do you want to loosen the reins only to grasp better?"
Li Rong slowly said, "Hand over the Department of Taxation to Yang Ling."
As soon as he said this, Fan Ting and the other chief eunuchs were shocked. Even Wang Yue stared with wide eyes. Li Rong slyly said, "Didn't you notice that after the news of the Department of Taxation being transferred to the internal affairs got out, the tax paid by the various tax supervisors decreased by more than half? Even the regular tax payments are being delayed and hesitant to pay?"
He Dachun angrily said, "This group of snobs. If we didn't recommend them, would they be able to get such a lucrative job? Now they are sailing according to the wind. Everyone is waiting to see what happens. They are murderers who will be hacked to pieces! "
Li Rong chuckled and said, "They can be half-hearted toward us, much less a Yang Ling whose background is unknown? Bo Deyi, the tax inspector stationed in Jiaxing, has sent me a secret note. The three tax inspectors stationed in Suzhou and Hangzhou in Southern Zhili have privately collected double the official tax, and all of it has been used for their own purposes. Moreover, they seem to have other illegal activities. I originally wanted to give them a warning, but now there's no harm in making use of it. "
He saw that everyone was a bit confused and quickly explained, "We will immediately hand over the tax supervisor. As soon as he takes over, he will immediately send this notice to the Emperor through a foreign official. He is the Governor of the Tax Department. Should we handle this case or not? If we handle it, which tax supervisor in the world hasn't done illegal activities? They will all be bitterly disappointed. We only need to give them a little poke and they won't be able to collect taxes. This year, the court has spent money like water. If they can't collect taxes, the court won't have money. Without money, what can they do?
If he can't control the Department of Taxation, what will they do then? Ha ha ha … if he doesn't care and lets those people do as they please, the internal court's eunuchs will have the right to report and expose them. The officials of the external court won't be able to stand it. If we hand over some evidence, what will he do? Besides … I heard that the three tax supervisors stationed in Suzhou and Hangzhou have close ties with the King of Shu. As long as Yang Ling sticks to them … "
The King of Shu, Zhu Rangxu, was the wealthiest among the vassal kings. The land of Shu was rich and fertile. Seventy to eighty percent of the land was concentrated in the King of Shu's household. This vassal king was rich and imposing. Could Yang Ling afford to offend him?
Fan Ting excitedly slapped the table and said, "Good! This is a wonderful plan. We can let Yang Ling know how powerful we are without any bloodshed. Eunuch Wang, don't hesitate anymore. Strike first and gain the upper hand! "
※ ※ ※
The river surged. In the vast sky, a flock of wild geese flew past. On the plains on both sides of the river, the crops had already begun to ripen. The hardworking farmers, their backs tanned from the sun, waved their sickles in the fields. Beads of sweat fell onto the fertile soil.
A gentle breeze blew past. On the white ripples of the river, bursts of bold and unrestrained singing could be heard. Fishermen laughed as they cast their nets into the water.
The Grand Canal reached the capital in the north and Hangzhou in the south. But because the direction of the river along the way was not fixed, the Grand Canal did not run directly from north to south. Instead, it connected the navigation system of the rivers in various places. Along the way, it zigzagged, sometimes heading south, sometimes heading east.
A red-painted single-masted clipper was sailing against the current at an extremely fast speed. This was a courier boat that could carry about sixty people. At the same time, it had a cargo hold that could carry important goods. This type of courier boat was equipped with eight to twelve long oars. It was commonly known as a centipede boat.
All the fishing boats and merchant boats hurriedly moved to the side when they saw the red messenger boat. According to the rules of the government, all boats on the river had to give way to courier boats.
The boat sailed past a triangular stretch of beach. Suddenly, someone shouted, "Sir, there are three giant boats in front. Inform the bilge to slow down and give way."
Inside the cabin, Shandong's Dezhou River Transport Deputy An Datong, who was having fun drinking by himself, staggered to the bow of the boat and scolded jokingly, "What the hell, what kind of boat is this? And you still want to f * cking give way? You're a serial fart. "
The courier at the bow of the boat blushed and said, "Sir, but this boat, we … we have to give way to them!"
"Huh?" Sir An hurriedly leaned on the side of the boat and looked forward with his drunken eyes. On the wide river in front of him, there were three four-masted giant boats, one in front and two at the back. Each boat had twelve sails and was sailing with the wind. The bottom of the boat was stirred up by the waves. There was a white line behind the boat. From afar, it looked very imposing.
The giant ship was three times larger than the express airship. The first ship had just turned the bend in front of them, and they could see that the ship was gorgeously decorated. The high walls on both sides of the ship were densely packed with dozens of small doors with oar racks. Three tall flagpoles were erected at the bow of the ship, and in the middle was a yellow flag embroidered with a golden dragon pattern.
An Datong was shocked and sobered up a little. Only members of the Royal Family of Ming Destiny or imperial envoys had the right to fly the Heavenly Yellow Dragon Flag. Whose boat had arrived?
There was a flag on each side of the dragon flag. The one on the left was a large triangular flag, crimson like blood. In the middle was a black silk embroidered with a flying tiger pattern. It looked like a military flag, but there were some differences. On the flagpole on the right was a large dark green flag with a large "Yang" character.
Although Sir An did not know who had arrived, he knew that the other party's authority was far above his courier boat. He was so frightened that An Datong raised his leg and gave the courier's butt a kick. He scolded, "F * ck you! Hurry up and tell them to slow down! Someone! Someone, quickly turn the rudder and give way! "
The Centipede Speedboat hurriedly steered to the side and watched as the giant boat passed by. The waves it set off made the Centipede Speedboat sway from left to right. An Datong stood at the side of the boat and looked at the boat in confusion. He mumbled, "To the palace? What kind of divine being has left the capital? "
On the first ship, the cabin curtain was lifted, and an elegant and handsome Young Master dressed in a light yellow robe and a Young Master's headband walked out. His face was like a crown of jade, and he had delicate features. A purple Ruyi jade pendant hung from a jade belt on his waist, and it swayed slightly along with his footsteps, making him seem like a handsome tree that stood out from the crowd.
On both sides of the bow of the boat, a dozen or so foreigners wearing pointed hats and green clothes with podaos hanging from their waists saw him come out. They immediately knelt down on one knee and said, "Greetings, Factory Supervisor Daren!"
This Daren was the highly sought after Inner Factory Supervisor Yang Ling. He puffed out his chest and felt a cool, fresh wind blowing in his face. He couldn't help but feel refreshed. Yang Ling waved his hand to call them up. He asked, "Where are we now?"
One of the foreigners stepped forward and said, "Replying to Factory Supervisor Daren. Thirty li ahead of us is the Twelve Cities of Dezhou. The Commander of the Dezhou Guards, Daren Liu, has just sent a military message. Commander Liu is already at the docks to greet Daren."
The curtain of the cabin door was lifted, and a tall maid wearing a dark green dress walked out of the cabin. A cool breeze blew, causing her clothes to flutter, and the cloak behind her shoulders made her look like she was flying in the wind. This maid's hair was combed into two buns that symbolized her unmarried status. Her waist was tied so tightly that it looked as if it would break in the wind. The light gown in front of her chest was blown tightly against her body, revealing the outline of her beautiful and full breasts.
Although she was dressed like a maid, this woman walked over with light steps. Her movements, gait, and temperament made her look like she was a peerless beauty. Many young ladies of noble families would feel inferior when they saw her.
In the crook of her arm was a black cloak with red edges. She walked to Yang Ling's side and draped it over his shoulders. In a gentle voice, she said, "Daren, it's almost dusk. The wind is strong and cold. Don't stand at the bow of the ship in case you catch a cold."
Yang Ling turned his head to look at her. Ever since Gao Wenxin left the capital, her journey had been full of scenery. Seeing this girl who had never left the capital before, she couldn't help but feel happy. At this moment, her bright eyes were filled with joy.
Yang Ling smiled. "It's okay. The cabin is stuffy and I always lose to you in chess. Coming out to see this beautiful scenery is relaxing and happy. It's just that you're wearing too thin. Why don't you go into the cabin? If I'm sick, you can come and treat me. If you're sick, I don't know what to do."
Hearing this, Gao Wenxin smiled sweetly. Her slender hands tightened on the cloak but she still followed behind him. Yang Ling gazed at the dusk that had turned to gold in the distance and let out a long sigh. "There's still a long way to go. Jiangnan is the wealthiest in the world. Sixty or seventy percent of the world's taxes are collected. The three guarding eunuchs were reported for corruption at the same time. It just had to be one day after I took over the Tax Supervision Department. This is clearly a difficult problem that the Bureau of Rites has given me. I hope that this time, the problem can be easily solved. Otherwise … Jiangnan is unstable. How can I control the Tax Supervision Department?"
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