Most foreigners looked similar to the Chinese, and it would be difficult to recognize them if they were thrown into a crowd. The two of them had come to China, and they saw that the Chinese looked similar, so they could not remember who Yang Ling was. Furthermore, Yang Ling's expression, demeanor, actions, and speech had an air of authority even if it was not pretentious.
However, when Yang Ling mentioned the philanthropist who donated three thousand taels of silver, the blonde man suddenly remembered. He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Ah! We recognize you. You are the eldest young master, the older young master. I am Yasan. Does young master still remember me? "
The other red-haired man also acted as if he had seen a relative. He smiled and said, "I am Yasan. I remember young master. You are … young master Yang."
The owner of the rice shop stood on the steps. Seeing that this young master with seven or eight family members was acquainted with these two beggars, his arrogance immediately diminished.
Even though Yang Ling remembered their faces, he did not remember their names. Now that he heard them say their names, he quickly smiled and said, "Yes, Priest Yasan and Priest Yasan, nice to meet you. I have something to ask the owner of this place. I'll invite you over for a chat later."
Yang Ling said and cupped his hands towards them. He walked up the steps and asked with a smile, "Shop owner, do you sell sweet potatoes here?"
Sweet potatoes had a poor taste and couldn't be used as a long-term substitute for food. Only the people in these poor areas could eat it. When the shop owner heard that there was business, although he felt that it was a bit strange for this young master to buy sweet potatoes with his temperament and appearance, he quickly smiled and nodded, "Yes, yes, young master, please come in. We sell sweet potatoes here."
The shop owner rushed back to the shop and took out a bag of sweet potatoes. He opened the bag and showed it to Yang Ling. Yang Ling couldn't help but be disappointed. The yellow and white tuber also seemed to grow underground, but it wasn't a sweet potato.
He shook his head and sighed. "Not this one. The shape is similar to this one, but the taste is very sweet. Some have red skin, some have white skin. Hmm … I've heard people call them sweet potatoes, or sweet potatoes. There's another kind of grain that's golden in color, probably … smaller than a fingernail."
Yasko and Fire Adept Yasan, who were standing to the side, couldn't help exchanging a surprised glance with Fire Adept Yasan interjecting, "Young Master Yang, these two things you mentioned seem very similar to something I've seen before."
Yang Ling suddenly remembered that corn and sweet potatoes originated from America. It seemed that they were introduced to China through Europe. He couldn't help but be overjoyed. He quickly turned around and said, "The priest has seen this thing before? Where have you seen it before? "
Asan shrugged his shoulders and said, "Oh, I've seen it a long time ago. According to Young Master's description, it should be this plant. Hmm … It was brought back from a faraway place by Captain Columbus twelve years ago. When we came to the East six years ago, it was already planted in large quantities in our country. We also brought back a lot of seeds."
Yang Ling grabbed his hand and said eagerly, "That's great! Do you still have seeds with you? I have a very important role to play. "
Fire Adept Yasan shrugged his shoulders and said, "We brought a lot of food when we came to the East, but when we escaped from India, we lost all of it. The rest of it was also eaten when we boarded a ship from Luzon to Ming Destiny."
Yang Ling was very discouraged when he heard this, but … he had indeed eaten it, and it was in the North. Could it be that someone else had brought this kind of thing? The rice shop owner had been listening to their conversation. At this time, he couldn't help but interject, "Young Master, I may have this kind of thing here. Would you like to see it? If you really want to buy it … "
Yang Ling hurriedly said, "Quick, show it to me. If it really is what I want, one tael of silver per catty, no … ten taels of silver per catty!"
When the shop owner heard ten taels of silver per catty, he immediately became spirited. He hurriedly said, "Young Master, please wait, I'll be right there." After saying that, the shop owner ran straight to the back of the shop. Yang Ling was even more anxious than the shop owner. He couldn't wait to catch up and see what was going on. He ran around the shop like a headless fly. Two waiters stood in the corner of the shop and looked at the rich man with awe.
After a while, the shopkeeper rushed back with a small bag of rice. He panted and said, "Young Master, please take a look and see if this is the thing."
Yang Ling hurriedly rushed over, took the bag from the shop owner's shoulder, and put it on the counter. His heart was beating fast. When he opened the bag and saw the yellow corn kernels, which he had never cared about in his previous life, Yang Ling almost cried. He grabbed a handful of corn kernels and held them in his trembling hands. He was more excited than if he had found a bag of gold.
Yang Ling murmured, "This is it, this is it."
When the shop owner heard that this was what Yang Ling wanted, and that half a bag of corn kernels was worth more than a hundred taels of silver, he was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth.
At this time, a child ran out of the room holding a boiled sweet potato. He shouted, "Father, why are you carrying the bag of rice? Grandma told me to ask, what is ten taels of silver per catty? "
The shop owner didn't have time to answer. He quickly took the sweet potato from the child's hand and handed it to Yang Ling. With a fervent look, he said, "Young Master, is this the sweet potato you were talking about? My family cooked a big pot. If you like it, I'll sell it all to you. "
"What? All cooked? "Yang Ling looked at the boiled sweet potato in the shop owner's hand. He wanted to cry but had no tears. He painfully shouted," All cooked? You … you didn't keep a few pieces? "
The shop owner smiled apologetically, "Not all cooked … there are still a few pieces left, but they have been roasted. You are a person of status. I saw that the smoke and fire were really ugly, so I didn't dare to say it out loud."
"You …" Yang Ling wanted to kick him. He hatefully said, "Tell me, where did you get this from? If I can find the seller, I'll give you a hundred taels of silver."
At this time, a laugh was heard. "I'm a drunkard. I didn't think that there would be a melon addict in the capital. Who is it that likes eating sweet potatoes so much?"
The curtains to the door were lifted, and a bearded man with a smile walked out of the room. He came face to face with Yang Ling, and when the two of them looked at each other, they could not help but be stunned, and said in unison, "It's you?"
The man was surprised and happy. He smiled and said, "So it's young master Yang. We really are fated to meet."
When Yang Ling saw that the bearded man was one of the four great scholars of Jiangnan, Zhu Zhishan, he couldn't help but say, "Young master Zhu? Why are you here? "
As Zhu Zhishan approached, the smell of alcohol hit him. It seemed that this Scholar Zhu was really addicted to alcohol. He laughed and said, "Young master Yang is really generous. For the sake of eating a few pieces of sweet potatoes, you are willing to spend so much money. Hahaha, the owner of this shop is my cousin. These western wheat and sweet potatoes are grown in my family's garden. I brought some for my aunt and family to try. Young master Yang, do you like them? "
Yang Ling's heart fell to the ground. Since he had found the seller, he was no longer in a hurry. In short, he definitely wouldn't let this Zhu Zhishan go. After exchanging a few words, he carried the bag of corn that Zhu Zhishan called western wheat like a miser and invited Zhu Zhishan and the two Western missionaries to a restaurant.
When Zhu Zhishan heard that there was wine to drink, he immediately agreed. The group arrived at a large restaurant. Yang Ling ordered his subordinates to keep an eye on the bag of corn. Then he, Zhu Zhishan, Pyro, and the others entered the restaurant and found a private room to sit down.
As soon as they sat down, Yang Ling couldn't wait to ask about the origin of the sweet potatoes and corn. It turned out that Zhu Zhishan came from a family of officials. His father was a high-ranking official in Shanxi. Later, he retired and returned to his hometown.
Zhu Zhishan passed the imperial examination at the age of 33. After that, he didn't make any progress for more than ten years. Although his desire for fame was strong, because he was getting older, he didn't dare to have too much hope for an official career. So he bought a house in his hometown in Suzhou and started a rice business, becoming a rich man.
Two years ago, there was a family of Han people who moved to Southeast Asia a hundred years ago. Because they offended the local nobles, they fled back to Ming Destiny. They took care of Master Zhu's orchard and planted some crops that they brought back from Southeast Asia in the orchard.
Although those things weren't delicious, they were rare. Zhu Zhishan often transported them to the rice shops in various places to sell. Because people had never seen those things before, the sales were not good. But occasionally, there were people who liked to try it, and the price was much higher than normal food.
When Yang Ling heard that Zhu Zhishan was raising these high-yield crops as a rarity, he couldn't think of the great significance it had for the people of Ming Destiny. He couldn't help but reprimand, "Brother Zhu, these are not melons or fruits. They are extremely high-yield crops. If they were widely planted in Ming Destiny, who knows how many people could be saved. You only raised them in a small orchard, it's really a waste."
Zhu Zhishan stroked his beard and blinked his pair of mung bean eyes. He was a little puzzled by Yang Ling's distressed look.
In fact, not to mention that he was an unemployed scholar, he did not even think about the problem of increasing the yield of crops. Even in the history books, after corn was introduced to China, for decades, many farmers only planted twenty to thirty corn in their backyards and kept it as a rarity for their children to eat. They never thought of using it to replace existing crops, not to mention those years when the government did not pay attention to it and did not record it.
When he was young, he stayed at his grandmother's house in Shandong's Pingyuan County. Yang Ling heard his grandmother say that after eating sweet potatoes, there would be grain for half a year. It was common for corn and sweet potatoes to produce a few thousand catties per mu.
Moreover, it was very adaptable. It was drought-resistant, weather-resistant, and had few pests and diseases. It could be cultivated in mountains, slopes, and newly cultivated land. It didn't compete with rice and wheat for land. If it was cooked and dried, it could be stored for a few years. It was even more durable than rice.
Thinking of these advantages, Yang Ling couldn't help but feel very happy. He also felt a little apologetic to Zhu Zhishan. If it wasn't because he wanted to lift the trade ban and was brought up by Li Dongyang, he would have ignored it. Not to mention Zhu Zhishan who didn't have to worry about food and clothing and didn't do production.
Yang Ling felt that his tone was a little harsh. He couldn't help but said embarrassedly, "I was impatient and spoke rashly. Brother Zhu, please don't blame me."
Zhu Zhishan picked up the cup and drank it like a whale drinking water. He smiled and said, "It's okay. Brother Yang cares about the people. I should be ashamed." He looked at Yang Ling suspiciously and said, "But … forgive me for being presumptuous. Brother is so concerned about the national economy and the people's livelihood. Could it be … that you are the son of an important person in the court?"
Yang Ling smiled awkwardly. He didn't know if this Scholar Zhu would leave in a huff if he told him his identity. But now that he had a use for him, he couldn't hide it. He hesitated for a moment and said, "I am surnamed Yang. My name is Ling. I am the Commander of the Emperor's Bodyguards. I am in charge of the Editing Factory."
Zhu Zhishan was shocked. The Master Yang who was drinking with him at the same table and modestly called himself "little brother" was the Emperor's most favored Mr. Yang? He stood up in fear and cupped his hands. "So it's Mr. Yang. Please forgive me for my lack of manners."
Yang Ling stood up in surprise and said, "Brother Zhu, please sit. You and I feel like old friends. Why are you so formal? Uh … "He looked at Zhu Zhishan and said tentatively," I don't have a good reputation among the scholars. I thought that Brother Zhu would leave in a huff after hearing my identity. Brother Zhu doesn't mind my reputation? "
Zhu Zhishan was also stunned when he heard this. He then recalled some of the rumors he had heard about Yang Ling, and could not help but laugh. "Those rotten scholars have a 'unique' eye for people, and I do not have that kind of insight. Not to mention that you have a good reputation among the people, just by looking at how you are willing to lower yourself to a servant, and how you are willing to make friends with a scholar like me, and how you are willing to put in so much effort to provide food for the people, how can your magnanimity, conduct, and character be lacking?"
Zhu Zhishan and Tang Bohu were dissolute and cynical. They belonged to the strange group of scholars and similarly did not accept the orthodox scholars. They had suffered from their own hardships and had known Yang Ling before. They had seen his words and deeds, so naturally they would not be confused by the rumors of the scholars.
Hearing this, Yang Ling felt like he had met a friend. He pulled Zhu Zhishan to sit down and poured him a cup of wine. The two clinked lightly and drank. They looked at each other and smiled, feeling a great sense of closeness.
For the sake of their faith in God, Asan the Firelord and Yasi the Firelord, these two poor fellows, had been hungry and full in this foreign land. Now that they had a sumptuous meal with great difficulty, they only cared about filling their internal organs.
Hearing Yang Ling's words, Yasan exclaimed, "You are Mr. Yang? The most favored minister of Emperor Ming Destiny? Oh … God has appeared. God has led me to you and brought me the gospel. "
Yang Ling laughed and said, "I dare not. You two priests are flattering me. I have been busy with official business and have not had the chance to talk about what I promised you. But you two can rest assured. Since the foreign monks of Hu Guo Temple have given you the cold shoulder, and your development here has not been very smooth, you might as well move to the West City and live in the inner court for the time being. I will build a house for you later."
Once Yang Ling's lifting of the ban on trade was successful, his goal was not only to do business with Dongyang, Luzon, Ryukyu, and other places, but also to the West. Those distant countries that were about to set foot on the hegemony of the sea were also countries that Ming Destiny now refused to deal with, and they would play an important role in history.
These missionaries from Frang Ji were proficient in both Chinese and Western languages. Coupled with their relatively high status, they would be a very good platform for communication in the future. In such an era, a competent communication intermediary could play a great role. As the saying goes, make the best use of people and things, how could he waste them?
Hearing Yang Ling's words, the two missionaries could not contain their joy and quickly stood up to thank him. They had been in China for a long time, and the Chinese were very particular about reciprocity. They understood the etiquette.
Yasko hurriedly said, "Thank you, Sir Yang. When it comes to the cultivation and cultivation of this crop, I … know a bit about it. I know how to grow it in wetlands and mountains. If Sir wishes to promote this crop, I am willing to help you."
Yang Ling was overjoyed. He did not expect the person in front of him to be an expert in botany. Zhu Zhishan had ready-made grain seeds and experienced growers. With the guidance of this expert, it would be much more convenient.
During Ming Destiny's time, there was already a warm cellar for winter planting, which was specially used to plant vegetables for the royal family. Due to the small amount of land, diseases and pests could still be controlled. Yang Ling could not bear to see this happen, so he immediately rushed back to the manor with these people and immediately began to make preparations.
Yang Ling thanked him and turned to Zhu Zhishan and said, "Brother Zhu, is there anything important that you have come to the capital this time?"
Although Zhu Zhishan was unrestrained and unrestrained, and boasted of being a distinguished scholar, he seemed to have reached a realm where riches were like floating clouds and power was like a dog. At the end of the day, which man did not want to achieve success and fame? He could not make further progress in his scholarly career, so he wanted to recommend himself as an official with his status as a Juren.
This time, he had come to the capital to find an elder who worked in the Ministry of Works. He had wanted to ask him to act on his behalf, but the situation in the court had changed, and many officials were watching from the sidelines with cold eyes.
The elder knew that Grand Secretary Li was in a delicate situation, and he did not want to ask for Liu Jin from the inner court. This matter had originally been hopeless. Now that he had gotten to know this young man was actually the powerful Yang Ling, he could not help but start to think again.
Zhu Zhishan's black face reddened and he said embarrassedly, "This … when I came to the capital, I wanted to find an elder to work for me. After spending half my life studying poetry, I can't be a merchant for the rest of my life, but …"
Yang Ling suddenly understood and laughed, "I see. Brother Zhu is one of the four great scholars of Jiangnan, so you must have a good mind. As for not being good at stereotyping, how can you hide your talent and knowledge?"
He thought for a while and slowly said, "I can recommend you to be a county magistrate. In the future, your achievements will be outstanding, and promotion will not be a problem. I wonder if Brother Zhu is willing to accept this position?"
"Accept?" Zhu Zhishan was already overjoyed. Not to mention that he was a Juren, even if he was a scholar of the court examinations, it would be a rare opportunity to start as a county magistrate. Most people would either take on a backup position or retire in the Hanlin Academy. How could they have such an opportunity?
Zhu Zhishan hurriedly thanked him. Yang Ling also discussed with him about transporting another batch of corn and sweet potato seeds from his hometown to the capital. Zhu Zhishan naturally agreed.
Yang Ling knew how many corn seeds the Zhu family had, but it was very easy to grow sweet potatoes in a warm cellar. They planned to grow them in large quantities and plant them widely in the spring.
Although he had great power, he did not have any say in local politics. He did not know if anyone in the court would obstruct the promotion of the new grain, but it was always good to be prepared.
They parted happily and sent Zhu Zhishan off. Yang Ling accompanied Ya Si and Wu Qi back to the Huguo Temple. He called for the missionaries to pack up and go to the Inner Factory of Gaolao Village. It was getting cold. The missionaries who had just returned from preaching and begging for alms were shivering in the empty hall. When they heard the news, they ran out happily.
These people could leave as they pleased. Other than two bags of grain and a few tattered quilts, they had nothing else. Yang Ling hired a large carriage and took them out of West City. When they arrived at Gaolao Village, he first took them to the Editing Factory in the back of the mountain.
The Inner Factory was now in full swing. Huang Qiyin and Wu Jie were busy with internal affairs, and Huang Qiyin and Wu Jie were busy with opening up new territory. The arrangement of personnel, training, allocation of materials, the setting up of intelligence collection and analysis organizations, as well as the accounting and use of the large amount of income brought in by the carts and horses. All these complicated matters were very important. If any of them went wrong, it could affect the normal operation of this newly developed organization.
The two chiefs were busy dealing with official affairs all day long. Sometimes they didn't even have time to go home. In contrast, it seemed that Yang Ling was too idle. However, as the person in control of the overall situation, Yang Ling believed that he only needed to control the direction of the development of the Inner Factory, handle all aspects of interpersonal relationships, fight for more convenience and policies for them, and give them enough space to play. If he personally handled everything, he might not be a good leader. Therefore, he let them handle the daily affairs.
Yang Yiqing accompanied Yu Yong to the south. Liu Qianhu was training a group of newly recruited foreigners in the same way Yang Ling trained special scouts when he was in the Shenji Battalion. These young and strong ordinary farmers were easier to train than the veterans, and they were also more loyal. Now, this batch of 300 people had begun to show results.
Yang Ling's idea was to widely recruit people from all walks of life to be the collectors of intelligence. They would pass information through carriages and horses. However, intelligence transfer agencies must be set up everywhere.
He learned from the shortcomings of the Imperial Bodyguard's peripheral intelligence system, which was slow to transmit information and did not distinguish between important and urgent ones. He set up personnel to sort and analyze information in the various intelligence transfer agencies, and then send it to the capital according to the degree of urgency. This greatly increased the efficiency.
At the same time, he insisted that these collection personnel be mainly recruited ordinary people and temporary informants. Each intelligence transfer agency set up a small but capable rapid response force, and formed a separate system to deal with all kinds of emergencies. The personnel trained by Liu Biao belonged to this group of personnel, and they were also the direct core members of the Inner Factory.
Seeing Yang Ling come in with a few shabbily dressed perverts, Liu Biao hurried over with a few others. Yang Ling smiled and waved his hand to stop him from saluting, then looked at the recruits who had already begun to have the temperament of soldiers and fired their firearms.
Most of these soldiers had learned martial arts and had a certain foundation in cold weapons, so the factory focused on training them in the use of crossbows and firearms. These soldiers raised their guns and fired horizontally. Bang, bang, bang, bang! In the midst of the smoke, some of the human-shaped targets set up dozens of meters in front of them were shot down.
Yang Ling nodded approvingly, and Liu Biao couldn't help but reveal a reserved smile when he saw Yang Ling's expression. The Fire Warrior Asan saw this and asked curiously, "Sir, aren't the firearms used by your soldiers a little too clumsy? Not only is it time-consuming and laborious to reload, but the range is also not far. "
Hearing this, Liu Biao and the others were not convinced. He glanced contemptuously at the yellow-haired, blue-eyed foreigner. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't figure out the relationship between this foreigner and the Factory Supervisor, he would have reprimanded him.
Hearing this, Yang Ling couldn't help but be moved. The problem of the firing speed and range of the flintlock had always been the bottleneck that prevented it from playing a greater role. But Yang Ling didn't know much about firearms. He had once mentioned some of the principles of modern firearms and bullets to the firearms craftsmen in the Shenji Battalion, but the level of technology and gunpowder at that time was obviously not enough.
Yang Ling had been forced to develop the rocket launchers of The Hive Gang, so that in close combat in the city, one of his troops would be able to fight against ten, and he would be able to defeat the many. Hearing Yasan's words, he suddenly thought, "Could it be that this missionary knows how to make more advanced flintlocks?"
Yang Ling turned around and asked with a smile, "What do you think, Mr. Priest?"
Ever since Yasan learned his identity, he knew that whether or not he could gain the approval of the imperial court of Ming Destiny and openly preach in Ming Destiny depended entirely on this man in front of him. So he took the first step and immediately began to explain.
But his Chinese was limited. He had no problem speaking common language, but when it came to professional jargon, some of his words became unintelligible. Yasan was impatient. Seeing a foreigner next to him carrying a gun, he asked for it and held it in his hand to explain to Yang Ling.
The gun used by the Ming army at that time was also called the Flintlock Gun. The structure of the Flintlock Gun was very simple. Generally, it required two people to fire it. One of them loaded the gun with gunpowder, then inserted an iron or lead bullet, and then used a red-hot wire or charcoal to ignite the gunpowder in the Flintlock Gun.
Naturally, this kind of firing method was not suitable for the chaotic battle on the battlefield. Later, it was changed to be operated by one person. Not only was the firing speed slower, but the soldiers had to hold the gun in one hand and the igniter in the other, making it impossible for them to aim accurately.
Yasan's method was to ignite the gunpowder with a stick that could burn slowly. It only needed a very simple firing mechanism, so it was not difficult to modify.
In this way, the soldiers could hold the gun with both hands, greatly increasing the accuracy. Moreover, the special extended barrel could be loaded with more gunpowder, and the fired projectile would produce a rotational force, greatly increasing the shooting range and speed.
Most of the veterans around Liu Biao who taught guns also worked as craftsmen. As soon as they heard Yasan's method, the disapproving look on their faces was immediately swept away.
Yang Ling still did not quite understand the mechanism Yasan was talking about, but judging from the looks on the faces of the craftsmen, he knew that Yasan's method must be feasible.
After listening to the theory of the Flintlock Gun, Yang Ling suddenly had an idea. He could not help but say to Yasan, "Priest, if we can make some improvements to the match and install a small flint to ignite the gunpowder with the sparks produced by friction, I'm afraid the firing speed will be much faster. Moreover, it can also be used on rainy days. Do you think it's feasible? "
There were some things that were not impossible, but they could not be thought of. As soon as Yang Ling's words came out, not only Yasan widened his blue eyes, but also those military craftsmen who had just understood the theory of the Flintlock Gun were shocked. They immediately thought of its feasibility and great value.
Like a fish out of water, Yasan opened and closed his mouth for a long time before he exclaimed, "My God, I'm so jealous! God has given you infinite wisdom. I think … I think it's not difficult to modify these things. You will have an invincible team of flintlocks."
Yang Ling was also very excited. He clenched his fists and took a deep breath after a long while. Then he said to Liu Biao, "Arrange the best accommodation and treat these priests well. They are my good friends."
Yang Ling turned to Yasan and said with a smile, "Priest, you can live here without worries. The nomads in the north often invade the territory of Ming Destiny. I really hope that you can help my soldiers make better weapons to protect our homeland and land.
In return, I promise that I will spare no effort to help you and your priests. I will allow you to preach in Ming Destiny, so that the Gospel of God can be spread to the most powerful and civilized land in the East. I will even donate to you to build a magnificent church. "
The Fire Warrior Asan almost cried when he heard this. The few missionaries looked at Yang Ling with tears in their eyes. They were extremely touched. They had come to this foreign country with the Pope's decree and entrustment, but in the past few years, they had been living a miserable life.
Religious fanaticism and poverty made them neither willing nor able to cross the ocean and return to their homeland. But now, they only needed to pay a small price to improve the Flintlock Gun, and they could get the full support of a powerful figure in Ming Destiny. What else could they be unwilling to do?
It was as if they could already see a solemn and holy church standing in the East, and the Pope himself putting on the red robe for them.
Yang Ling sent these treasures to the best accommodations and chatted with them for a while over tea. He was eager to dig out a few more shipbuilding and navigation experts from these few people. Unfortunately, other than the Bible, the rest of them mostly studied chemistry and philosophy. Yang Ling had no plans to let them write books at the moment, so he changed the topic and chatted about the local customs of Portugal.
Although Yang Ling's knowledge of Portugal was limited, for these priests, it was like meeting an old friend in a foreign land. While they were chatting, a foreigner suddenly came into the room and whispered something to Liu Biao. Liu Biao came up and said, "Your Excellency, your old housekeeper has come to look for you. It seems that there is something urgent."
Yang Ling was a little surprised. He stood up and said, "He's coming in."
A moment later, Housekeeper Gao came in hurriedly. When he saw him, he said happily, "Master, you are really here. There is a guest in the house. You should go back quickly."
He had sent someone to guard the door, waiting for the old master to return. Later, he received news from his family that the old master's sedan chair did not pass through the door and went straight to the back of the mountain. That was why he rushed over impatiently and found Yang Ling here.
Yang Ling asked curiously, "Who is it?"
Housekeeper Gao opened his mouth and looked at the people in the room. Yang Ling understood and excused himself to the priests and left the room. Housekeeper Gao pulled his sleeve and said nervously, "Master, the Emperor is here. He has been in the house for a while."
Yang Ling was shocked when he heard this. He asked hurriedly, "Your Majesty? How long has he been here? Is he still in the house? "
Steward Gao's expression was a little strange as he said, "His Majesty has been here for almost two hours. When he heard that you were not in the residence, he … he walked around the central hall for a while. Furen came out to accompany him for a chat. He was bored of waiting and barged into the rear courtyard. This old servant did not dare to stop him."
Yang Ling understood immediately. At that time, etiquette was very important. The backyard of the Yang Family was the residence of the women. Even Housekeeper Gao would not step into it. Guests could only meet in the central hall. Unless they were close friends, there was no reason for them to go to the women's residence in the backyard. It was no wonder that the old housekeeper was in a dilemma.
Based on Yang Ling's understanding of the young Emperor, he knew that the young Emperor was very casual. Sometimes, when he was having fun, he would joke around with Liu Jin and the rest, arms around each other's shoulders, not behaving like an Emperor at all. He did not care about such customs. Furthermore, the current Zheng De was just having fun, and he was not the filthy and incapable ruler that the rumors made him out to be. How could he be rude to his wives and concubines?
However, the old housekeeper's behavior showed his loyalty to him. Yang Ling comforted him and said, "I know. The Emperor is young and does not like to be restrained. He does not pay much attention to these customs. I will go back immediately."
When Yang Ling returned to his room, he told Liu Biao to take good care of the priests. He did not even have time to see Wu Jie and Huang Qiyin. He took his leave and walked out of the inner yard.
The Zhengde in Yang Ling's memory was a handsome, elegant, and amicable Emperor in folklore. Most of the Qing Dynasty emperors who traveled incognito were based on the story of Zhengde. As for the Emperor Zhengde in the official history of the Qing Dynasty, he was a muddle-headed, lecherous, and even somewhat perverted Emperor.
The Zhu Houzhao that he had personally come into contact with now looked similar to most young people in modern times. In today's Confucian era, children as young as seven or eight years old were familiar with the knowledge of the Sages and could speak eloquently. The actions of this little Emperor, who was the focus of the nation, were naturally absurd.
Seeing the old butler at the side, looking even more anxious than him, Yang Ling could not help but find it a little funny. If this was the modern era, Zheng De's actions would not be so shocking, would they? Zhu Houzhao had seen Yutang Chun's beauty with his own eyes and had never been moved by her. Was he afraid that he would have designs on his wife and concubine?
Thinking of this, Yang Ling's heart suddenly turned upside down. He remembered that there was Dai Louer in his backyard. This woman was extremely utilitarian and was naturally seductive. With her amicable methods, if she wanted to seduce a sixteen or seventeen year old boy, wouldn't it be easy?
From the situation of the two of them getting to know each other during this period of time, he could see that her schemes were extraordinary and her methods were ruthless. Right now, the little Emperor was at a stage where his ears were very soft. If she saw the Emperor and wanted to climb up and seduce him …
If the Eight Tigers were to do evil, he could still keep them in check. If Cheng Qiyun obtained the Emperor's favor, with this woman's methods, perhaps she could bewitch the little Emperor to the point that he wouldn't even recognize his own father. If she became the person who slept beside Zhengde and had the intention to do evil, then wouldn't a demoness appear?
Thinking of this, Yang Ling's heart also became anxious. He could no longer sit in the sedan chair calmly and leisurely go down the mountain. He hurriedly called over a foreign leader and said, "Quick, bring me a horse, I want to go down the mountain immediately."
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