In the third month, Emperor Zhengde displayed his might, kicking the six palaces of the internal court and punching the six ministries of the external court. He had just settled the matter of Tang Yixian choosing a consort when a handwritten edict was sent to the cabinet: "The Marquis of Mighty Martial, the Admiral of the Internal Works, the Dragon Tiger General of the Right Pillar State, Yang Ling is patrolling on behalf of the heavens, passing through Jilu, passing through Xuyang, to Nanjing, near Jiangsu and Zhejiang, floating in Jianghan, inspecting Sichuan and Gui, passing through Shaanxi and Jin, and reaching the Central Plains. Immediately issue the edict! "
At the docks of the canal, there were still three giant ships. Yang Ling took one thousand elite soldiers and another three thousand elite soldiers from the four armies to wait in Jinling. This long journey had patrolled almost all of China. Even though this was a smokescreen and the real destination was only Jiangzhe, Guangxi, and Sichuan, it would take at least four months to go back and forth.
They had just finished the farewell banquet and sent off Li Dongyang, Jiao Fang, Yang Tinghe, Liu Jin, Dai Yi, and a large group of internal and external court officials. Yang Ling walked to Han Youniang's side and gently wiped away the tears on her face. In a soft voice, he said: "Young-niang, don't be sad. This time, even if the Emperor does not issue an edict, when Xianggong hears about it, he will ask for an edict. Haha, didn't I tell you before that I was going to Jiangnan to send Lian'er back and at the same time inspect the Jiangnan sea opening? Right now, I've only gone to two more places."
The matter of investigating the rebellion of the vassals was too important. There were not many in the court who knew the truth, so Yang Ling had not mentioned it to Han Youniang. He held Han Youniang's hand and said, "I'm afraid this trip will take a few months. I've calculated that I can come back before you give birth. When I'm not around, you're the head of the family. Don't cry anymore."
Yang Ling looked behind Han Youniang's shoulder, Yutang Chun, Sheridan and Tang Yixian the three beautiful young ladies were standing there gracefully, wearing the same six silk skirts of the Xiangjiang River, the colour like jade.
Yang Ling raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Look at you guys, I'm just patrolling the world on behalf of His Majesty. Other people can't even think of such an imperial assignment. It's only been a few months, what's there to be sad about? With the matter of Jiangnan resolved, I don't need to leave the capital in the future. "
He saw Gao Wenxin standing a little further away. Her eyes were filled with resentment, but she did not approach him. He hesitated for a moment and finally walked over. Gao Wenxin was also dressed like a court lady. She wore a light green bikini. She had a tall and slender figure, and her skirt was as red as fire, like a newly bloomed pomegranate.
Yang Ling walked up to him and said in a low voice, "I'm leaving."
Gao Wenxin did not say anything. Her eyelids slightly drooped, two teardrops silently slid down her jade-like cheeks.
Since returning from Jiangnan, he had really neglected her too much. Could it be that it was wrong to let her move out of the Yang House to avoid a rift between brother and sister? As soon as Yang Ling saw the tears, his heart softened. He reached out to wipe her tears, but when his hand was still some distance away from her tender cheeks, it stopped in the air.
What is a normal man most afraid of? A woman's tears that make one's heart melt, that make one feel pity for her.
Yang Ling's mouth warmed up. He looked away and said, "Yang can't afford to delay your youth, and I can't let down your deep affection. Wen Xin, this time I really can't take you with me. When I come back, if Yang is really as Taoist master Zhang said and luckily survives the calamity of life and death, you must be a member of the Yang Family! "
Gao Wenxin's delicate body trembled. At this moment, she felt her heart beating rapidly. Her bright eyes were filled with shyness, joy, happiness, satisfaction, and surprise, as if she had waited for so long and had finally gotten what she wanted. Her eyes were filled with shyness, joy, satisfaction, and surprise.
Yang Ling did not hear Gao Wenxin's voice. He could not help but look down and just happened to meet her eyes.
Her eyebrows were like a slender green willow locked in a pond of spring water. Her eyes were like a bright moon lying in the spring water. Her eyes were filled with all kinds of emotions and they were so enchanting. They looked at each other and for a moment they were intoxicated. It was as if they were back on the surface of Lake Tai. The mist was boundless, the lotuses were like waves in the sky. When they looked at each other, the world stopped.
Yang Ling's eyes slowly moved to her full and soft lips. He could not help but think of the ecstatic kiss on the boat. Gao Wenxin seemed to feel it. She pursed her lips, her eyes slightly raised. She secretly raised her eyebrows, hinting at Tan Lang. Yang Ling's heart could not help but sway.
Tang YiXian's giggles came from afar and startled the pair who were staring at each other. Yang Ling turned back to look. Tang YiXian used her hand to cover her lips. Her eyes turned red as she smiled, "Big Brother, Wen Xin Jiejie, if you want to keep staring like this, I will accompany Young-niang Jiejie to Wu Zhong Fang Embroidery Shop for a walk before coming back. What do you think?"
For a moment, not only Gao Wenxin's eyes became dizzy, her cheeks flushed red. Even Yang Ling felt his face heating up. He glared at Tang YiXian and then said to Gao Wenxin, "Let's go. We'll go over."
Yang Ling started walking. Looking at his tall and straight back, Gao Wenxin suddenly said anxiously, "Husband, take care!"
Yang Ling's body shook. Gao Wenxin had already rushed past him and walked towards Han Youniang's group without looking back.
Tang YiXian came forward and held Gao Wenxin's hand. She giggled, "Wen Xin Jiejie, that scene just now was really touching!"
Gao Wenxin rolled her eyes at her. In the end, she couldn't help but feel the sweetness in her heart. She lowered her head and smiled. Both of them held hands and walked towards Han Youniang. Looking at their figures, they were really as charming as fairies floating in the wind.
※ ※ ※
The spring breeze caressed their faces and their skirts fluttered. Cheng Qiyun and Ma Lian'er, the two beautiful women, accompanied Yang Ling on his left and right. They held onto the side of the ship and watched the figures on the shore getting further and further away. The one in the green skirt was Yutang Chun and the other two. The one in the red skirt was Gao Wenxin and the one in the purple skirt was Han Youniang …
The figures gradually disappeared from sight. Yang Ling heaved a sigh of relief. He suddenly felt that the wind on the ship was stronger. He hurriedly said to Ma Lian'er, "Let's go and rest in the cabin. The wind on the bow and stern of the ship is not small. Don't stand here for too long and get caught in the wind."
Yang Ling accompanied Ma Lian'er into the inner cabin. He peeled some dried fruits for her and chatted for a while. Seeing that she had adapted to the ship, he told her to rest for a while before returning to the cabin. Cheng Qiyun sat leisurely, sipping her tea in a refined manner. Chu Ling obediently poured another cup of tea for Mr Yang before quietly retreating.
Cheng Qiyun tilted her head and said, "What arrangements does Master have for the journey?"
Yang Ling said without hesitation, "What tour of the Central Plains? It's just a pretense. Ji, Lu, Xu and Yang will not stop. Sail with the wind and use the oars against it. We'll travel day and night until we reach Jinling."
Cheng Qiyun anxiously said, "We still have to observe the situation first. The Emperor has already issued an edict to move Sichuan Commandant Qiao An to Fujian and Shandong Commandant Li Sen to be Sichuan Commandant. The Chengdu Guards Commandant has also been changed. It won't be too late to go after seeing what the Shu King's Residence has done."
Yang Ling nodded his head and said, "Of course. The secret agents of the Three Workshops and One Guard have already rushed to the Chengdu government. Dai Yi, Miao Kui, and Mou Bin will not dare to skimp on my requests. I'm sure they will be able to find out some information first."
Cheng Qiyun tilted her head and thought for a moment. Suddenly, she smiled and said, "This Liu Jin is really strange. His roots are in the internal court. As long as he firmly controls the internal court, the Eight Tigers working together will be enough to oppose Master. No one in the court can shake him. But he has handed over the Three Workshops and One Guard to Master and formed a grudge with Zhang Yong. Yet, he vainly wants to make friends with foreign officials to control the court. This is the wrong direction.
His future is really … "Yang Ling shook his head and said," Don't underestimate the Emperor's trust. Among the Eight Tigers, Liu Jin is the most favored and trusted by the Emperor. As long as the Emperor's favor does not decrease, no one can think of toppling him. Actually, this plan of his is not stupid. If it weren't for the fact that among the court officials he wants to win over is a nephew of the Xu family of Jiangnan, and that the evidence of the Xu family's maritime smuggling is in my hands, and that the Xu family has decided to cooperate with me so that they can obtain greater benefits after opening the sea, so they secretly told me, I really wouldn't have guessed that this was his plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain. "
Cheng Qiyun smiled proudly, her eyebrows dancing as she said, "This is called the Heavens helping the worthy. We will beat him at his own game. We will have the Three Workshops and One Guard, Minister Jiao, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Punishments and the others deliberately show weakness and obey him. First, we will be proud of his troops and cause him to become even more arrogant. Once he causes the Heavens to be angry and the people to resent him, then Master will come and clean up the mess. You will definitely be able to topple him in one fell swoop, hee hee hee … "
Yang Ling glanced at her and said with amusement, "I haven't seen you so happy in a long time. I discovered … you only smile so cunningly and proudly when you are messing with someone."
"Uh …" Cheng Qiyun laughed dryly. She rolled her eyes at Yang Ling with some annoyance and said, "Are you praising me or mocking me? Ahem, then does Master think that the so-called rebellion of the King of Shu is just a bluff by Liu Jin? "
Yang Ling furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. Then he gently shook his head and said, "Even if he wants to transfer me out of the capital, he would not dare to fabricate such news. Besides, that letter was indeed personally written by Fan Ting. I have asked Dai Yi and he has also heard of this matter. It is said that … someone paid a high price to bribe a group of craftsmen from the Imperial Kiln Village outside of Suzhou to privately make hundreds of gold bricks, and the gold bricks went to Sichuan.
In this world, only the Imperial Palace and the Imperial Mausoleum can be paved with gold bricks. If not for the dream of becoming an Emperor, why would someone pay a high price and risk being beheaded to buy gold bricks? The Imperial Kiln is under the supervision of the Department of Rites. They could not produce any conclusive evidence to prove that it was the doing of the King of Shu. At that time, the Former Emperor favored the King of Shu the most, so this group of people actually covered up this news. It was only when Liu Jin sorted out the files of the Department of Rites that he discovered this matter. "
Cheng Qiyun stretched out her slender jade fingers and lightly tapped on the table a few times. She frowned and said, "The King of Shu has been a virtuous king for generations. Could it be that he is really conserving his strength and secretly has intentions of rebellion?"
The King of Shu was the eleventh son of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. He was known as the 'Scholar of Shu', Zhu Chun. Zhu Chun was enfeoffed in Sichuan. He developed agriculture and commerce, invested in education and fortified the borders. Since then, the people of Shu lived and worked in peace and became increasingly wealthy.
When the Prince of Yan was in trouble, Zhu Chun generously helped his Imperial Brother Zhu Di. If he wanted money, he gave money; if he wanted troops, he gave troops. Although Zhu Di's temperament was cruel, and he was also suspicious, he trusted and was grateful to this eleventh brother of his.
After Zhu Di became the Emperor, he rewarded his eleventh brother the most generously. His fief was several times that of the other vassal kings. The King of Shu has always been diligent in political affairs and loyal to the Imperial Court. He has been enfeoffed by the Emperor many times. Now, sixty to seventy percent of the land in Sichuan is the private property of the King of Shu and there is no need to pay tribute to the Imperial Court.
The Emperor of Hongzhi has praised the King of Shu many times. He also decreed that the royal family should follow the family example set by the King of Shu, Zhu Chun, and educate their descendants to be diligent and love the people. Under such circumstances, there is no evidence and the matter is related to rebellion. If it were Yang Ling, he would probably suppress the matter first.
Now, the eighth King of Shu, Zhu Binhan, is on the throne. He has two sons and a daughter. The son is Zhu Rangxu. Both father and son are virtuous and have never shown the slightest bit of ambition. Yang Ling thought for a long time but could not remember any case of the King of Shu participating in the rebellion during the Zhengde period. Even if the King of Shu had ambition, he must not have done anything major in history.
Thinking of this, Yang Ling felt slightly more at ease. He said to Cheng Qiyun: "In any case, we cannot go to Sichuan directly. This matter is not urgent. I will go to Jiangzhe first to see the situation of the preparations for the army stationing, the suppression of the pirates, the opening of the sea and other matters. After that, I will go to Guangdong to see if those red-haired people are the Frang Ji people who brought me the cannons from thousands of miles away.
With this period of delay and the Ministry of War secretly operating, I believe that the main generals in Sichuan and Shu have been replaced. The secret investigation of the Three Factories and One Guards should also have some clues. It will not be too late for me to enter Shu. "
Hearing this, Cheng Qiyun's heart was moved: His Excellency's first stop is Jiangzhe. When I reach Jinling, I will not be able to accompany him anymore. This time, I will go to Guangdong, then pass through Sichuan, Guizhou, Shaanxi and Jin to return to the capital. In this life, the best ending for me is to continue staying in the inner court and forever be his' subordinate '.
There is no such thing as a 'match made in heaven' in this world. Even if they have feelings for each other, if no one takes the initiative to point it out, if no one takes the initiative to fight for it, in the end, won't they just brush past each other?
"I … I …" Cheng Qiyun suddenly felt that her heart was beating a little fast and her throat was a little dry. She really wanted to blurt out her feelings to Yang Ling. But when she raised her head and saw Yang Ling, she suddenly remembered their identities and her unbearable past. She could not help but feel sad and only silently picked up her tea and took a sip.
When the tea entered her mouth, there was a faint bitterness.
At night, there was a slight chill on the ship. Other than the soldiers who occasionally walked back and forth, most of the people on the ship had already fallen asleep.
On the deck, a beautiful woman with a lazy hairstyle, without a cloak or even a piece of armor was silently pacing back and forth. Her clothes fluttered in the wind, her figure swaying, refusing to fall asleep for a long time …
※ ※ ※
Yang Ling was carrying the banner of inspecting the world on behalf of the Emperor, but the journey was very urgent, he did not stop at Jilin and Lu. Other than picking up rice, meat and vegetables along the way, he travelled day and night, catching the officials in Jilin and Lu who were preparing to receive the imperial envoy unprepared. The magistrate of Shandong Qingzhou, Luo Shaohua, rushed to the relay station on horseback. He originally wanted to secretly report to the imperial envoy that the Director of Rites, Liu Jin, was running amok and that the people of Qingzhou were already showing signs of rebellion. But he did not expect the imperial envoy to travel in such a hurry. By the time he arrived at the relay station, the imperial envoy's official ship was already a hundred miles away. Magistrate Luo could only look at the water and sigh, dejectedly rushing back to Qingzhou.
The ship arrived at Zhenjiang in Jiangsu. During the journey, Ma Lian 'er's body was not feeling well. Seeing this, Yang Ling had to temporarily stay in Zhenjiang and asked a famous doctor in Zhenjiang to prescribe a few medicinal meals for her. After two days, the unhappiness in Ma Lian 'er's chest had slightly subsided. Yang Ling heard that Zhenjiang has many famous flowers, the scenery is also excellent, so he took Ma Lian' er and Cheng Qiyun on a tour of Zhenjiang, thinking to continue the journey the next day.
Zhenjiang magistrate Xiao Hongzhu was a person who followed the trend, the imperial envoy did not rest at all during the journey, but stayed in his Zhenjiang prefecture for three days. Xiao Hongzhu was so happy that he danced with joy. He personally led the county magistrates to the inn to pay their respects, and then every day he visited to inquire about food and drink, it can be said that he was extremely caring.
He heard that Mr Yang wanted to tour Zhenjiang and did not want to make it public, so he arranged for a large ship in the local area and also sent someone to be a guide to lead Yang Ling and the others on a tour.
Yang Ling hired a sedan and had people carry Ma Lian 'er. The others walked up the mountain, sightseeing all the way until they arrived at Jin Shan Temple. This Jin Shan Temple was built at the foot of the mountain and always had a lot of incense. The temple was lofty and very dignified, cymbals tinkling in the temple, and there was a sacrificial altar in the main hall.
Yang Ling saw that it was too noisy with people coming and going, so he led Lian 'er and Cheng Qiyun to the back of Jin Shan Temple. There was a pavilion built there to look at the sea. Climbing up high, the waves of the Yangtze River were like silver silk across the sky, the water and the sky connected. In the vast mist, sails could be faintly seen, ducks flew in the air, boats and birds could not be distinguished in the distance. To the left of the temple was a Diaoyuanji, which made the landscape even more picturesque. The cool spring wind blew, making one's mind feel at ease.
Yang Ling was dressed as a young master of a rich family. Ma Lian 'er and Cheng Qiyun were as beautiful as flowers, dressed in silk, just like the young madams of a noble family. The man was handsome, the woman was pretty, and they all had excellent characters. There weren't many people here to begin with, and this attracted even more attention.
Yang Ling, Cheng Qiyun, and Ma Lian 'er were leaning against the railing to look at the sea when they suddenly heard someone shout, "Ridiculous, did your family build this pavilion? I can't go up? "
Yang Ling turned his head to look and saw a green-robed scholar was about to go up the pavilion. Wu Hanchao and the others were disguised as green-robed servants and spread out in the surroundings. Seeing that the scholar was about to go up, a few of them immediately flashed out and blocked his path.
Wu Hanchao looked up and down and saw that the scholar was about forty years old, his face was fair and clean, with some wrinkles on his face, between his brows there was a hint of wildness, he looked like a scholar who was not very proud of himself. In his hand was a roll of white paper, he politely smiled and said, "Gongzi please wait a moment, that pavilion is not big, and my family's gongzi also brought women. Gongzi is a scholar, you should know that it is not convenient."
The scholar saw two flower-like beauties from afar, floating up to the Wang Hai Pavilion. Their every move revealed a seductive charm, even with his eyes that had seen all the beauties in Jiangnan, he had rarely seen one. Immediately, his heart itched and he hurried over to take a closer look. If he was not allowed to go up to the Wang Hai Pavilion, how could he give up?
The scholar let out a cold laugh and straightened his back. He was about to take out his scholarly title and reprimand Wu Hanchao, but as he moved, his facial features were no longer blocked by Wu Hanchao. Yang Ling saw the scholar's face and was shocked. He quickly called out, "Hanchao, stop, quickly invite him over."
As Yang Ling was speaking, he couldn't help but lift his gown and walked down the pavilion to welcome that person. He said with a smile, "Brother Bohu, it really is fate that brings us together from thousands of miles away. Hehe, why are you here?"
When the green-robed scholar heard this, he was startled and carefully looked at Yang Ling a few times. Suddenly a look of surprise appeared on his face, he pointed at him and said, "You … you are Yang …"
Yang Ling knew that he had a close relationship with Zhu Zhishan and had exchanged letters with him, so he must have long known of his identity. He quickly stepped forward and pulled him back, interrupting his words and said with a smile, "It is little brother. Hehe, brother Bohu, please come, the scenery of Suzhou and Hangzhou is not enough, does brother Tang still want to come to Zhenjiang to admire the flowers?"
Tang Bohu laughed dryly and said, "Uh … this … it's really hard to explain in a few words!" As he said this, he looked shiftily at the graceful couple in the pavilion.
This fellow specialized in drawing erotic paintings to make a living. Other than drawing enchanting bodies, the expressions of the beauties were extremely charming and were greatly appreciated by the wealthy gentry of Jiangnan. Actually, the appearances of the beauties in the paintings were not completely fabricated by him. Every woman with different charm was looked at by Tang Bohu with his pair of eyes, the posture and charm of that woman would always be remembered by him, so when he drew erotic paintings, he could use them in his paintings. Therefore, the beauties in his paintings all had their own characteristics and were never repeated.
Tang Bohu was Wang Yan, Lord Wang's student, but in the past he was involved in the leak of the examination questions and was forever banned from being an official by the Emperor. Because of this, even Wang Yan, as a high-ranking official in the court, was unable to help him even if he wanted to.
Now that he saw his good friend Zhu Zhishan was an official, and he also heard that Yang Ling was the most favored person in the Emperor's palace, the dead thought resurfaced. If Yang Ling was willing to intercede on his behalf, perhaps the Emperor would be willing to take back the Former Emperor's punishment. Thereupon Tang Bohu packed his luggage and went on a sightseeing tour, painting to earn money, all the way to the capital. He wanted to pay his respects to his benevolent master Wang Yan and ask him to introduce him to him. Adding to the fact that he had met Yang Ling once, perhaps Yang Ling would be willing to generously help him.
How could he dare to say that he saw Yang Ling's womenfolk's unique charm and charm and wanted to draw them in erotic paintings to sell for a good price? Thereupon he rolled his eyes and said with an awkward smile, "Student was originally going to the capital to pay my respects to Daren, but I passed by Zhenjiang and was looking at the sea while composing a poem. I was just about to go back to this pavilion to draw a painting of the sea when unexpectedly I met Daren. Why did Daren come to Jiangnan?"
Yang Ling said, "I am under the Imperial Edict to inspect the world. Tang Xiong came to the capital to see me, is there any important matter? There is no hurry to discuss this matter. Since we have met, let's drink and eat together in a while. It won't be too late to discuss the details then. "
He pointed to the white paper in Tang Bohu's hand and said, "Is this the poem Bohu Xiong composed?"
Tang Bohu's poem 'Peach Blossom Nunnery in the Peach Blossom Dock' was famous throughout the ages, with an air of immortality and elegance. Although in the eyes of the people of that time, Tang Bohu was nothing special, but he had been embellished by generations of scholars. In Yang Ling's eyes, he was indeed a rare genius. If Tang Bohu had any new works published, he would be the first person in the world to see it. It was indeed a wonderful thing, therefore he could not wait to ask.
Tang Bohu modestly smiled and said, "Exactly!"
The two of them entered the pavilion. Yang Ling introduced Cheng Qiyun and Ma Lian 'er to him. His peach blossom eyes were dazzled by the sight of this beautiful couple. The two of them had lived in Jiangnan for a long time and had heard of Tang Yin's great name. Hearing that this down-and-out scholar in green was actually the number one scholar in Jiangnan, the two of them could not help but become solemn and quiet.
Yang Ling impatiently took the paper in Tang Bohu's hand and slowly opened it. Tang Bohu reservedly smiled and said, "This is a poem that student has just casually composed, to mock myself. I have let daren see a joke."
Who would dare to say that the Great Scholar Tang's poem is not good? Ma Lian 'er and Cheng Qiyun hurriedly came over to take a look. They saw the words written on it, "I asked who are you? So you are me. I originally did not recognize you, but you want to recognize me. Yi! I cannot do without you, but you cannot do without me. A hundred years after you and me, you will not have me. "
Such a simple tongue twister can also be called a poem? It was actually composed by the number one scholar in Jiangnan. Cheng Qiyun and Ma Lian 'er could not help but burst out in laughter. On the other hand, Yang Ling had seen many modern poems and did not find it strange at all. Instead, he was surprised by Tang Bohu's creativity. He was actually able to compose a poem that had the same charm as the vernacular poems written five hundred years later.
Cheng Qiyun and Ma Lian 'er stopped laughing and pondered for a moment. Suddenly they felt that something was not right. The two of them carefully thought about it and felt that this seemingly simple and straightforward poem actually had an endless aftertaste. The more they thought about it, the more interesting it became. The two of them did not dare to look down on it anymore and could not help but look at Tang Bohu with admiration.
Yang Ling also felt that the mood of this poem was very wonderful. He suddenly thought of a modern poem and thought that even if Tang Bohu had such an innovation, he was still an ancient person. If his poem was more straightforward than his, he would definitely not be able to accept it, so he might as well make a joke out of him. So he changed a few words in the poem and said to Tang Bohu in a serious manner, "Without a doubt, your poem is the best poem in the world."
Tang Bohu saw that he knew what was good and was already flattered. Now that he heard such a high evaluation, he happily clasped his hands and said, "Daren is praising me too much. This student really does not deserve it."
Yang Ling laughed and asked, "What do you think of this poem of mine?"
"Huh?" Tang Bohu stared blankly for a long time before his tongue became smooth. He stammered, "Which poem? Daren composed a poem? Please recite it, Bohu is all ears. "
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