Seeing Xue Liangfu's eyes fixed on him and his tone firm, Liu Siwu knew that he couldn't hide his feelings. He glanced around and saw no one, so he smiled slightly, took a step forward, and whispered: "Young master said that he can hide it from everyone in the world. I can't hide it from Mr. Xue, as expected" He glanced at Li Jian and whispered: "The young master left a letter for Mr. Xue. I planned to give it to you after the funeral ¡± Hu Wanli is really not dead! This sudden good news made Xue Liangfu a little unable to control himself, and he couldn't help but swayed slightly. Li Jian quickly stretched out his hand to support him and whispered: "This is in the General Military Mansion. Mr. Xue must not lose his composure." Xue Liangfu had a look on his face. He was so surprised, but couldn't say a word for a long time. Hu Wanli faked his death. There must be a huge plan involved behind this. He couldn't guess what the plan was, but it was worth the huge price Hu Wanli paid. There must be a big plan, and he could vaguely guess some clues without asking. Hearing that Xue Liangfu and the others wanted to see her, Xu Qingman slowly walked out of the mourning hall and met the three people in the west wing. After reading the Jinling News, she pondered for a while and then said: "It is rare for the emperor to be so generous. It concerns you. The reputation of the young master and the Hu family must be restored. You don't have to worry about this. Just prevent the people below from being deceived by the court's clever words." "Yes, madam." The three of them stood up and bowed. After the three people who were waiting left, Xu Qingman stood up and walked to the door, saying: "Call the fourth aunt." Chun'er, dressed in mourning clothes, with red and swollen eyes and a haggard face, walked in, knelt down and said: "Madam - ¡ª" "No need to be polite, just sit down." Xu Qingman handed her the Jinling newspaper and said, "The imperial court named the master Jinghai Marquis, and specified that Lin'er should attack the Marquis" Hearing this, Chun'er was shocked. Since ancient times, heirs and elders were established, and Hu Wanli's will established the elder. She was indeed flattered, but unexpectedly, things happened in just a few days. After quickly reading Jiajing's edict, she immediately realized that this matter was difficult. She raised her head and glanced at Xu Qingman before she said softly: "Are you following Madam's arrangements?" "This is about the reputation of the master and the Hu family, so we must accept it Xu Qingman said slowly: "Don't worry about it. Since the master has made a will, no one dares to change this. What we care about is the master and Hu." The reputation of the family is not the title of the imperial court. No matter how bad things happen in the future, Hua'er will still have the title of a county prince. "The kings of the vassal states of the Ming Dynasty all have the title of a county prince. Chun'er knew this very well. After hearing these words, she immediately felt relieved and hurriedly knelt down and said, "Mrs. Xie." "Go." Xu Qingman sighed softly and said, "Hua'er is still young. , take care of your body. Don't hurt your body by crying." "Thank you, Mrs. Come on, I wonder where he is now? The twenty-first year of Jiajing, the second month of spring. A cavalry team of more than 60 riders walked slowly on the rugged mountain road. In front of the cavalry, there was a large flag with the words "Taishengchang" written on it. This is a new horse caravan that has only appeared in the past three or four years. It mainly travels between Fujian and Jiangxi. The journey is through steep mountains and ridges and is not peaceful, but no one has ever provoked the "Taishengchang" caravan. Hu Wanli is riding a date-colored Yunnan horse. He was walking listlessly in the middle of the horse team. The scenery on both sides was really good, but it would be boring if he saw too much, and it was not easy to ride a horse for a long time. Although his riding skills were acceptable, he rarely rode for a long time on weekdays. , during this period of time, I was bumpy on the horse every day, and the oily skin on the inner thigh was worn out, and it was shaking and burning. Just as he was bored, Wu Zishun urged his horse to follow him. He jumped off the horse and took the reins from the guards. As he walked, he said: "The young master's family has entered the boundary of Jianchang Prefecture in Jiangxi. Not far ahead is Mazui Ridge. There is a place there." The pass - Touling Pass, belongs to the Super High Inspection Department. After passing Touling Pass, you can take a boat down the river to Nancheng. " Hu Wanli nodded and said: "They say the road to Shu is difficult, but I don't want to go to Fujian. The road is more difficult. Instead of taking a boat, we will go directly to Nancheng by land. I want to survey the route on the spot." Instead of entering Jiangxi from Zhejiang, he chose the more difficult road from Fujian to Jiangxi, and did not take the main post road from Fujian to Jianchangfu. , in order to survey the marching route along the way. He knew that Lishui and Feiyuanshui were both small rivers, and the return from Nancheng was a countercurrent, which was not suitable for large troops to march, so naturally he would not covet this enjoyment. After hearing this, Wu Zishun calculated in his mind, and then said: "If the young master's family travels by land, it will be three hundred miles away, and it will take seven or eight days at least." "It doesn't matter." Hu Wanli said casually, Although this road is difficult to walk, it is better than safety. There are few patrols at the guard stations along the way, which is not conducive to the movement of large armies, and small groups of troops cannot stop them at all. He had considered this when planning to build the cavalry a few years ago. question. After pondering for a while, he said: "After all, it is uneasy to control the bandits on this road in the hands of the underworld. Once something happens, not only will there be people along the way to respond, but also to supply food, grass and ammunition, it is more reassuring to control it in your own hands. , try to clean it up, but don¡¯t use Dongxing Port¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Yes, Shaodong¡¯s family,¡± Wu Zishun responded solemnly. Nancheng - Jianchang City, the seat of Prince Yi's Mansion, is one of the earliest eighteen counties established in Jiangxi. It has always been the key to "controlling the five ridges and defending the frontiers of the seven states, and defending the crown of the seven states. The land is unique, the mountains and rivers are beautiful, and the forest is beautiful." It has a beautiful valley and is surrounded by mountains surrounded by water. It has the reputation of "defending seven Fujian and containing hundreds of Guangdong". In addition, it is one of the main post roads from the capital to Fujian and Guangdong. With prosperous commerce and trade, it has always been very prosperous. Ten days later, Hu Wanli and his entourage finally arrived in Nancheng. They entered through the east gate and went straight into a house. This was a house recently purchased by the shopkeeper of Guangjuyuan Bank. It was not only quiet, but also newly decorated. When Wu Zishun opened the door, he whispered: "Master, this was specially rebuilt. There is a tunnel leading to the outer house." Hu Wanli smiled and said, "Why use the tunnel? It's not us who are rebelling, it's King Yi who is rebelling. ." King Yi rebelled? Wu Zishun couldn't help but was slightly startled. King Yi Zhu Houye was content with himself, but he didn't seem to have any intention of rebelling. Moreover, the current vassal king was not like the one at the beginning of the founding of the country, with neither real power nor military strength, since King Ning rebelled. The court's surveillance of local vassals has also been greatly increased, making it almost impossible for the vassal kings to rebel. He reacted quickly, and then he realized that Hu Wanli was trying to force King Yi to rebel so that he could have a chance to replace him. And it does not make the world suspicious, but it is not easy to force King Yi to rebel. This requires King Yi to be ambitious, but also to make him feel completely sure. Otherwise, how can these vassal kings take risks? Early the next morning, the spring rain continued to fall. When Wu Zishun entered the main hall of the backyard holding an umbrella, he saw one of his guards combing Hu Wanli's hair, while the other was arranging breakfast. He couldn't help but smile and said: "Master, I'm afraid I'll be in Nancheng for a while, so I'll buy some maids. Last night, Shopkeeper Zhao of Guangjuyuan insisted on sending some maids over. There are no maids in such a big courtyard, which will inevitably make people suspicious. I don¡¯t want local ones.¡± After washing up and having breakfast, the two guards offered tea and then left. Wu Zishun then opened his mouth and said: "Master, King Yi of Nancheng built Nancheng. This is the second generation. King Yiduan Zhu Youbin is frugal by nature. He eats vegetarian food and chants Buddha's name every day. He is good at reading history. He loves the people and respects scholars. He has no intrusion. Good reviews, now Yi Wang Zhu Houye has the style of his father. More importantly, this Zhu Houye has no heirs It will be difficult to force him to rebel. " No heirs? Hu Wanli really didn't pay attention to this problem before. Without heirs, Zhu Houye had no reason to rebel. Rebellion also means making wedding clothes for others, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty of forcing Zhu Houye to rebel. After thinking for a while, he smiled and said: "Without heirs, how difficult is it to have brothers and sisters? If he doesn't think about himself, how difficult can it be?" For the sake of King Yi¡¯s lineage? What¡¯s going on with his brothers? ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s impossible for King Yi not to think about his lineage. After thinking for a moment, Wu Zishuncai said, ¡°Old King Yi has four sons, Zhu Houye. Prince Xiyi, his second son Zhu Houxuan was granted the title of Prince of Chongren, his third son Zhu Houhuang was granted the title of Prince of Jinxi, and his fourth son Zhu Houyi was granted the title of Prince of Yushan, all near Nancheng. " "Huh, this is the second generation, there are so many more princes. , In another two generations, even the entire Jianchang Prefecture will not be able to support the Yiwang lineage." Hu Wanli shook his head, and then said: "Last year, I asked you to send people to purchase rice in several counties of Jianchang Prefecture. Granary, how is this going? " "Go back to Master." Wu Zishun said quickly: "We only started purchasing in the winter last year. The amount collected was not large. However, the granary was built quickly. Two were built in Nancheng and the other four counties. They built one each, following the young master's instructions, and they were very inconspicuous. " Hu Wanli thought for a moment, and then said: "Now is the time for spring plowing, so we will increase our efforts to purchase rice, and strive to increase the price of rice during the lean period. In addition, find a way to give the newly built granary to Prince Yi and the three other palace stewards or people around the princes. It must be done without leaving a trace. At the same time, a group of soldiers must be mobilized to attack the nearby dangerous places. The number of people should not be too large, two battalions are enough, and they should be divided into batches and come from different directions. " This is to push Yi Wang Zhu Houye to death. Wu Zishun secretly thought that the increase in rice prices would inevitably attract the attention of local officials. , if you follow the clues, you will notice the newly built granary, which involves Prince Yi's Palace and the other three palaces. When the time comes, the soldiers pretending to be bandits will make some moves to store grain and troops. When the time comes, King Yi Zhu Houye was full of words and could not defend himself. He nodded hurriedly and said: "I will explain it now." After thinking for a while, Hu Wanli said: "Also, let's inquire about it., what are the hobbies of Yi Wang Zhu Houye and the other three princes, their respective personalities, and we can prescribe the right medicine to prevent others from noticing, are you sure? " "It's easy. "Wu Zishun said in a relaxed tone. Over the years, he has placed many people in Jianchang Mansion. Several well-known shopkeepers in Jianchang Mansion are all from Dongxing Port, and Dongxing Port has no shortage of people. Money, and the continuous import of overseas rare treasures and novelties, as well as various Xiaoliuqiu specialty products, naturally makes it easy to grow a business, and those overseas rare treasures and novelties The special items are all luxury goods, and the target customers are naturally the various princes. It is effortless to inquire about these basic information. Hu Wanli nodded slightly and said: "The price of rice in Jinxi, Chongren, and Yushan has also increased. Build a granary on the ground. " Are you planning to bring in all of King Yi's lineage? Wu Zishun didn't think much and said quickly: "Yes. " After Wu Zishun left, Hu Wanli stood up and walked to the window, looking at the still falling spring rain, and walked to the study in disappointment. Jiajing was a suspicious and cruel master, who used calculated calculations with intention but no intention to force benefits. It is not difficult for the Wang family to rebel. The reason why they want to force King Yi to rebel first is to disrupt the situation. The more chaotic the situation, the better! In this way, he can take advantage of it. If he follows the rules and sneaks into Prince Yi's palace first and then rebels, then The difficulty is not that great. Not only is the possibility of being exposed, it is also difficult to deal with the Yiwang lineage. After all, there are many people who are familiar with Yiwang Zhu Houye. If you force Yiwang Zhu Houye to rebel, you can not only fish in troubled waters, but also kill people with a borrowed knife. Merely forcing them was not enough. When King Yi's lineage was desperate, they also sent people to show the banner of Dongxing Port and actively contact them, so that they could embark on this path of no return without hesitation. Not uncommonly, Zhu Di was the only one who succeeded, but this successful example greatly stimulated all the vassal kings in the Ming Dynasty. Since Yongle, there were many vassal kings who were eager to try, not to mention those who were not brave enough but practical. After Zhu Di, there were Zhu Gaoxu, King of Han, Zhu Gaosui, King of Zhao, Zhu Chixiu, King of Anhua of Ningxia, and Zhu Chenhao, King of Ning of Nanchang. The reason why the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty dared to rebel frequently was not only because of Zhu Di, a successful and glorious predecessor, but also because of Zhu Yuanzhang. The ancestral teachings of the emperor said, "There are no honest ministers in the court, and there are traitors and traitors in the court, so the kings can raise their guards and enter the capital." The king of Qing is sideways and diligent. " When Zhu Di dared to risk the disapproval of the world, he used the banner of "Qingjun side" to accuse Qitai and Huang Zicheng of being traitors. He led King Qin's army to capture Nanjing and burned the palace. He burned Emperor Jianwen to death and successfully usurped the throne. Now Jiajing is originally With the vassal heir and Yan Song being a famous treacherous official in the Ming Dynasty, King Yi's lineage was forced to a dead end. With the support of Dongxing Port, the inspiration of the ancestors, and the precepts of the ancestors, they did not fight to the death. How strange! It¡¯s April in the blink of an eye, when the young crops are growing vigorously, and it¡¯s also the most difficult period of the year for farmers. The price of rice in Jianchang Prefecture and the following counties has been rising, from less than five yuan per stone to seven yuan per stone. , it is expected that the price of rice will rise during the lean period. However, as long as there is no famine, in ordinary years, the price of rice in this season is only six yuan per stone at most. Now it has risen to seven yuan per stone. Of course, the people are complaining. , which naturally aroused the vigilance of local officials. Rice is the most important trading commodity and consumer goods. For a long time, the price of rice has been the basis of the price in the trade market. These days, there is no price index, and the price of rice is the standard of the price index. , the level of rice prices directly affects local stability and economic prosperity. With such a rise in rice prices, local officials naturally dare not neglect it. This is not only related to the performance of local officials, but also directly related to their career prospects. Even life, if the price of rice continues to rise, causing unrest or riots, the consequences will be unimaginable. At the Jianchang Mansion Office, the prefect Zhao Shiqing stared at the frightened Nan County Magistrate Wei Mingyuan in front of him, and scolded sternly: " The price of rice has risen to seven cents per stone and you didn't come to report it. What have you been doing so long ago? " "grown ups. "Wei Mingyuan explained with an aggrieved expression: "In times of recession, it is normal for food prices to rise. I didn't care at first. The price rose to six cents per stone. I thought it would stop there, but in the past few days, it has happened. The price is one per day. The lower official not only sent a group of government officials to inquire around, but also paid private visits incognito. The reason why the price has risen so fast in the past few days is actually because a group of merchants are hoarding it and the rich gentry are reluctant to sell it. " "So Easy? "Zhao Shiqing narrowed his eyes and glanced at him, and said solemnly: "You came up with such a result during a private interview incognito? Why are wealthy gentry households reluctant to sell? Why do merchants hoard? It¡¯s only April, and the price of food has risen to 6 cents. What¡¯s the reason? " At this point, he slammed the table and shouted: "Are you going to wait until the price of food rises to one or two and one stone, and wait until the hungry people come to the city to grab food, before you get anxious? ?"Xiaguan will conduct an in-depth investigation immediately." Wei Mingyuan quickly bowed and said, "Xiaguan, please retire." "Come here," Zhao Shiqing shouted. "What are your orders, sir?" Zhao Shiqing said in a deep voice: "Immediately send someone to Luxi, Xincheng, Nanfeng, and Guangchang to investigate the price of rice." "Yes, sir." When he saw his followers, he turned to leave. Zhao Shiqing also called He said: "When we come back, nearby Fuzhou, Jinxi, Chongren, and Ninghuang are also sent to have a look." In just a few days, rice prices from various places have been reported back. In addition to the five counties of Jianchang Prefecture, Jinxi Prefecture of Fuzhou Prefecture Rice prices in Chongren and Chongren counties have also risen sharply, but they have not yet exceeded the 7 cents mark. The impact on rice prices in , Chongren and Ninghuang counties is not great, only around 6.5 cents. This made Zhao Shiqing a little puzzled. Jianchang Prefecture has had good weather and no insect infestations this year. Why has the price of rice risen so much? Just when he couldn't figure it out, an official letter from the Jiangxi Chief Secretary and a private letter from the Fuzhou Prefect arrived at almost the same time, asking about the reason for the unusual rise in rice prices in Jianchang Prefecture. This made him even more irritated, because in just a few days, rice prices had risen again. Two points, according to this trend, by May, it will have to break through one or two major levels. "Sir." He came in and reported: "Lu Shunbo, the magistrate of Nanfeng County, is outside asking for an audience." "Let him come in." Zhao Shiqing said in an annoyed tone. He was impatient to see Lu Shunbo, who was less than 30 years old, and had to kneel down and bow when he came in. He waved his hand and said, "How much is the price of rice in Nanfeng now?" "Back to you, sir." Lu Shunbo said and glanced at the door. Seeing this situation, Zhao Shiqing said politely: "Tea." After hearing the footsteps fade away, Lu Shunbo said: "Sir, I am here today because of the increase in rice prices" As he spoke, he lowered his voice and said: "The official inquired, and the people who bought the rice in large quantities were from the palace."