Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 729 Five Hundred Strings of Cash? [Thank you! Bow again! 35k words owed]

The sky was covered with leaden clouds.

Looking up at the sky, you can't see the sun at all.

Although it was already past 9 a.m., the sky was still somewhat dark.

Moreover, there was a slightly damp smell in the cold air.

Even though there was no biting north wind today, standing outside for a while made my hands and feet feel numb with cold, and my whole body was quickly frozen through.

In Bianjing City,

Xingguofang
The neighborhood was filled with the mansions of nobles and officials, so the streets were naturally clean and tidy.

The trees along the roadside, stripped of their leaves, were trimmed quite neatly.

There are many wealthy and powerful families in the vicinity, so they don't mind burning coal.

Along the streets of the neighborhood, well-dressed servants, wearing earmuffs and with their hands tucked in, would occasionally walk briskly.

Whenever they smelled a strong odor of coal smoke near a house, these shrewd servants would glance at it sideways.

Back at his own front door, he'll chat with others for a bit.

Yongchang Marquis's Residence

Outside the Liang family gate,
It was getting late, but because of the cold, there was still a thin layer of white frost on the two stone lions at the entrance.

The gatekeeper, wearing a cotton-padded coat and earmuffs, his cheeks red from the cold, breathed on his hands.

After rubbing his slightly numb cheeks, the servant waved to an acquaintance who was approaching.

"Phew!" A puff of white breath escaped his lips, and a passing acquaintance remarked, "It's really cold today!"

"Who says otherwise! I feel like my nose is about to freeze off!" the gatekeeper of the Liang family said with a stiff smile.

Looking back, the passing servant raised an eyebrow, pointed behind him with his chin, and whispered, "I just passed by that house, and the smell of coal was really strong!"

The servant of the Liang family understood, and with a smile, he exhaled a puff of white breath and said smugly, "Is that so?! Speaking of which, this smokeless black charcoal isn't something that just any family can use freely."

The passing servant nodded with a smile and added, "By the way, I just passed by the northwest street corner and heard some idlers there say that early this morning, a large number of cavalrymen headed west and went straight out of the city!"

"Ah? A large cavalry force? That's almost certainly a noblewoman from the palace."

"I think so too! Riding a horse in this cold weather must be uncomfortable," a passing servant remarked.

After stamping his foot, the passing servant said, "Alright, I'm leaving now! In this awful weather, and I don't seem to have anything to do, I should go to the gatehouse to warm up."

"Okay, take care."

Waving goodbye to the passing servant, the Liang family servant looked at both sides of the street.

Just as I was about to walk back, I saw a horse-drawn carriage coming from the street corner.

"drive!"

"drive!"

Hearing the somewhat anxious shouts of the coachman, Liang's servant, disregarding the cold, curiously peeked over in that direction.

then,

In the eyes of the Liang family servant, the carriage was getting closer and closer to their door.

"Shut up!"

Seeing the carriage parked in front of his house, and the horse pulling it with its breath steaming in the air, the Liang family servant ignored the stares from those around him, called out to the gatekeeper, and hurried over.

quickly,

A servant boy ran towards the second gate of the inner courtyard.

Liang family backyard,

In the hall,
Liang Han leaned casually against the chair.

Looking at Madam Wu, who was sitting at the head of the table, he smiled and said, "Mother, don't worry! I've already had several hundred earmuffs delivered to the workers' shed by the river in the storeroom!"

"It didn't cost much money, but outsiders can see it at a glance, so naturally a good reputation spreads."

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family nodded with a smile: "Mother, I think what Liu Lang said makes sense, and he handled this matter beautifully."

Wu's other daughters-in-law also smiled approvingly.

Madam Wu tried hard to suppress her smile, frowned at Liang Han and said, "Sit properly! Look at you, you have no manners at all! Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you when you go out!"

Liang Han was unwilling, but she still sat up straight: "My son isn't stupid, he wouldn't sit like this in public!"

Madam Wu shook her head helplessly, pointing and saying, "If only you were this clever in your studies! Look at your Xu Jiajing."

Liang Han curled her lip indifferently, her face full of 'here we go again' expression.

Seeing this, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family quickly changed the subject with a smile, saying, "Mother, my husband has already established himself in the Dragon Guard Army. Did you see what happened around the New Year, and now we..."

Madam Wu nodded: "It's not just Xu'er's superior, but also the captains under him. Their future prospects are not bad either. We should send them some things before the New Year."

"What to give is up to you two to discuss. It doesn't need to be expensive; something that can be used often is best."

"Yes, mother."

The other daughters-in-law of the Liang family all looked at their eldest sister-in-law with envy.

At this time,

A housekeeper came in from outside, bringing with her a chilly breeze.

"What's wrong?" Madam Wu frowned and looked over.

The head housekeeper curtsied and said, "Madam, General Gan's daughter-in-law has arrived."

"Hmm? What's she doing here? Please come in," said Madam Wu, frowning.

Liang Han, standing to the side, was full of doubt.

"Go and call Jing-ge'er's wife over," Madam Wu said again.

The headmistress should have left.

Soon, a woman with a worried expression walked in quickly.

As soon as she entered the house, the woman cried out, "Madam, help me!"

"What, what happened?! Sit down and tell me slowly!" Madam Wu hurriedly said.

The other daughters-in-law of the Liang family were also filled with surprise.

Before they could finish speaking,
The cotton curtain at the door was lifted again.

The eldest daughter-in-law of Liang Jing, the eldest son of the Liang family, entered with Wan Chunge.

As Liang Han stood up, she saw Wan Chunge, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.

After exchanging a meaningful glance, Liang Han quickly looked away.

After everyone took their seats, Liang Jing's wife sat down next to the Gan family members.

"Sister-in-law, what's wrong?" asked the eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family.

"Earlier today, for some unknown reason, a group of fierce imperial guards broke into our house and took our second master away!"

"My mother-in-law and aunt were quite frightened. My aunt was so frightened that she couldn't catch her breath. It took a while of pressing her philtrum before she woke up."

"It was Madam Gan who said urgently."

"What, what's going on here! What wrong has Second Master Gan done?" Madam Wu asked, frowning. "Or has he offended some powerful figure in the capital?"

Madam Gan shook her head and said, "No! It's just that after my second master was arrested, a captain from the Imperial Guard came to tell us that we should make up for the money he embezzled."

Upon hearing this, the Liang family members all frowned, their faces filled with expressions of 'This hasn't been done wrong?'

Looking at the Liang family members, Madam Gan asked in confusion, "They only misappropriated a small portion of the army's food, salt, and sugar; other families do the same!"

"It's not a big deal, is it? In any case, there's no need to send the Imperial Guards to arrest him directly, is there?"

Liang Han shook her head in disdain.

"Second Master Gan, how much money did you embezzle?" asked the eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family.

"My aunt said it was only a little over five thousand strings of cash."

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family was instantly choked.

After saying this, Madam Gan, holding onto the sleeve of Liang's eldest concubine's wife, looked at Madam Wu and the others, and said urgently:
"Madam Wu, your eldest son and your husband, Liang Jing, both got promoted thanks to my father-in-law!"

"Now, my family is in trouble. Please help us raise some money so we can ransom our people!"

Upon hearing this, Wu's daughters-in-law all gave their eldest sister-in-law a meaningful glance.

After hearing this, Madam Liang quietly straightened her sleeves and pulled the cloth from Madam Gan's hand, her eyes full of inquiry: "Mother, what do you think?"

With a look of concern on her face, Madam Wu looked at Madam Gan and said, "As her mother, I will always remember the help your Gan family has given to Jing'er!"

"If the Gan family is in trouble, my family will definitely do everything we can to help!"

"That's right. It'll be December in a few days, and as you know, that's when we spend money!"

"Name your price. No matter what, my family will squeeze out some money, even if it's difficult."

Madam Gan's face was full of emotion as she nodded repeatedly, "Madam is right! You're right!"

Then, seeing the expressions on the faces of the Liang family members, Madam Gan tentatively said, "Madam, what do you think?"

As she spoke, Madam Gan held up five fingers.

Madam Wu looked somewhat troubled, then turned to her eldest daughter-in-law and said, "Five hundred strings of cash. Xu-ge'er's family. I remember you still have some money to give as condolences to the widows of old friends?"

"Yes, Mother! There are over a hundred strings of cash."

Madam Gan: "Madam, this isn't..."

Madam Wu waved her hand and said, "Madam, please calm down."

“Jing’er’s family, your branch has received the greatest favor from the Gan family! I heard that my sister, Jing’er’s birth mother, gave you a bank draft worth over four hundred guan that was kept at the Daxiangguo Temple to earn interest?”

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family forced a smile and said, "Mother-in-law, no, no, right?"

"Could it be that I remembered it wrong?" Madam Wu looked a little embarrassed.

One of Liang's daughters-in-law said, "Sister-in-law, didn't my mother just tell the old women at home a couple of days ago that you also hitched up your carriage to go to the Xiangguo Temple?"

Seeing the looks on everyone's faces, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family quickly feigned realization and said, "Oh! I remember now! There was such a sum of money, it was..."

Before she could finish speaking, Madam Wu said to her other daughters-in-law, "If you all contribute one hundred strings of cash, I'll add another one hundred, making it seven hundred strings in total."

Madam Gan forced a smile and said with an embarrassed expression, "Madam, I meant five thousand strings of cash."

"This..." Madam Wu looked troubled and said, "I can scrape together five hundred strings of cash, but five thousand strings would require my master's approval. I can't make that decision myself."

"Then, Madam, shall we wait a moment? I'll ask my lord again when he returns to the manor?"

While everyone was speaking,
Liang Han had already gotten up and was walking outside. After taking a few steps behind the cotton curtain, Liang Han saw his personal servant, Diao Che, walking quickly towards him.

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry!"

After Liang Han finished speaking, Diao Che hurriedly stepped forward and said urgently, "Young Master, news just came that His Highness the Crown Prince left the city early this morning with the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family!"

"They're supposedly inspecting and dredging the canals within the city!"

"Your Highness, Your Highness?" Liang Han asked urgently, his eyes darting around. "Did those two go to the camp of the Xiangjun Kaihe Army?"

Diaoche nodded emphatically: "I've been there, they said they just left!"

After hearing this, Liang Han immediately turned around and walked towards the hall.

Seeing Liang Han return, everyone in the room looked over curiously.

Upon approaching Madam Wu, Liang Han whispered a few words to her.

"Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince personally issued the order?" Madam Wu said, glancing at Madam Gan.

"Huh?" Madam Gan also looked bewildered.

Half an hour later,

In the bleak and cold atmosphere,

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Gan family, looking bewildered, was escorted to the second gate by the eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family.

Before parting, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family said, "Sister, quickly tell your mother-in-law to send a message to General Gan in the north!"

Watching Madam Gan leave, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Liang family said to the head housekeeper beside her, "We should also talk to the master!"

Liang family inner courtyard,

Madam Wu shook her head in disdain and said, "The dredging in the city, the garrison of one battalion, was rewarded with two months' worth of expenses, which is only worth seven or eight thousand strings of cash."

"This Second Master Gan actually dared to embezzle more than five thousand! He's truly insatiable!"

"call!"

The inner city of the capital

Along the canal,

Zhao Fang exhaled a puff of white breath, looked at the simple laborers' shed in the distance, which had no coal for heating, and said, "It's really cold today!"

“Your Highness is right! I think it might snow again,” Xu Zaijing said, looking at the gloomy sky.

Zhao Fang nodded, looking at the laborer leader kneeling not far away, trembling uncontrollably, whether from the cold or fear, and said, "Send him to Kaifeng Prefecture and let Lord Gu interrogate him properly."

"I must find out who gave him the audacity to mistreat my people like this!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The imperial guards standing nearby bowed in response.

Xu Zaijing and others accompanied Zhao Fang to inspect seven or eight camps, some of which were for local militia and others for civilian laborers.

There were good and bad aspects to it; the Xiangjun camp was dealt with quite roughly, after all, there was military law in place.

Zhao Fang usually handed over the local laborers to the Kaifeng Prefecture for disposal.

Subsequently,

Looking at the dredging workers standing in the canal, covered in mud, their eyes filled with admiration and gratitude, Zhao Fang sighed with a hint of shame.

After waving to the laborers, he walked toward his mount.

Get on the horse,

Zhao Fang looked at the eaves and corners of the houses in the distance and said, "Let's go and take a look at the Great Xiangguo Temple."

“Your Highness, the vanguard of the Imperial Guards did not go to the Great Xiangguo Temple. I am afraid that going there rashly will cause trouble,” He Guan, who was standing to the side, bowed and advised.

"Am I not even allowed to visit a temple in the capital of this dynasty? Besides, aren't you all here?" Zhao Fang asked, frowning.

"go!"

With that, Zhao Fang lightly nudged the horse's flank and rode towards the Daxiangguo Temple.

Xu Zaijing and the others hurriedly followed.

After a while

In the Great Xiangguo Temple,
A middle-aged monk glanced at Zhao Fang, Xu Zaijing, and the others who were walking towards him, then lowered his eyes, his gaze filled with regret.

After staying in the hall for a while, Zhao Fang left the Daxiangguo Temple.

Instead of following the canal, the group bypassed several camps and headed directly towards the outskirts of the inner city.

As a result, several camps were set up along the inner city riverbank, where people waited and waited but the prince never arrived.

We exited the inner city through Lijing Gate.

Zhao Fang led the group on a 15-minute ride and arrived at the canal.

It was already noon.

It was the time when the laborers were eating.

Along the canal, some families had set up stoves and were cooking rice porridge, the aroma of which wafted faintly through the air.

Xu Zaijing and Zhao Fang and others rode over on horseback, and the commotion attracted the attention of the crowd on the riverbank.

"Let's go try it."

Zhao Fang shook the reins and led the horse toward the stove by the river.

Xu Zaijing didn't say anything, and hurriedly followed on horseback with the others.

Seeing the attire of Xu Zaijing, Zhao Fang, and the cavalry behind them, the more than one hundred laborers lined up along the riverbank automatically moved aside without anyone having to give them a word.

"Shut up!"

Upon arriving near the porridge shed and its stoves, Zhao Fang reined in his horse and looked with some curiosity at the old woman sitting by the roadside, her eyes half-closed.

Zhao Fang glanced at the old woman's cloudy eyes and knew immediately that her eyes were damaged.

Although her eyesight was impaired, the old woman skillfully used needle and thread.

"Such a loud hoofbeat! Where did that gentleman come from?" the old woman said to Zhao Fang.

Zhao Fang turned his head to look at the large pot not far away, then turned back to look at the old woman and the stack of new shoes in front of her, and said, "Grandma, I'm here to eat porridge! What are you doing?"

"Making shoe soles!" the old woman said with a smile, holding up the needle, thread, and shoe sole in her hand.

After dismounting, Zhao Fang walked over, picked up a pair of shoes, and said, "Your needlework is beautiful! I'd like a pair! How much?"

He glanced at Xu Zaijing, whose expression seemed a little strange, and then tugged at his clothes, asking, "Fifth Brother, do you have any money on you?"

"Huh?" Before he could turn around, Xu Zaijing answered, somewhat puzzled.
The old woman waved her hand with a smile, revealing a toothless grin, and said, "Young sir, this old woman's shoes are not for sale! If you want them, just sincerely pray for the two emperors, the crown prince, and the crown princess!"

"Peace and safety! Everything goes smoothly!" The old woman closed her cloudy eyes, clasped her hands together, and smiled.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fang froze on the spot.

After taking a deep breath, Zhao Fang nodded: "Okay! The old man keeps his word!"

Then, Zhao Fang silently recited a few words in a sincere tone.

"Young man, you are truly sincere!" the old woman exclaimed with a smile.

"Old man, your ears aren't deaf!" Zhao Fang said with a smile.

"Even if your eyes are bad, your ears will be sharp! Young master, try on these shoes and see which pair fits you best."

"it is good!"

After a while,
Zhao Fang walked over with a pair of shoes, completely satisfied.

Seeing Xu Zaijing's expression, Zhao Fang laughed and said, "Jing-ge'er, what's wrong? Why do you look like that?"

Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "Your Highness, I know the person who is distributing porridge here."

"You know him?" Zhao Fang looked surprised, glanced at the porridge distribution area, and then looked Xu Zaijing up and down, saying, "What, are you afraid I'll misunderstand?"

As he spoke, Zhao Fang glanced at the old woman not far away.

Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "Yes! I didn't expect such a coincidence either."

As Xu Zaijing was speaking, a couple who were distributing porridge handed their large iron ladles to a servant and walked over.

"Young Master Xu, what a coincidence! What brings you here?" Aunt Wei approached and greeted him with a smile.

Aunt Wei then turned to Zhao Fang: "Greetings, young master! My mother's cooking skills are perhaps a bit lacking!"

Zhao Fang smiled and shook his head: "The old man may be blind, but he's not blind at heart! His skills are excellent!"

"Greetings, Fifth Young Master! Greetings, Young Master, and all the officers!" Minglan's uncle, Jiang Shangfeng, followed behind his wife and bowed with a smile.

“Now that Jing-ge’er knows him, I’m even more relieved! I’m hungry too,” Zhao Fang said with a smile.

"This way, please!" Aunt Wei said with a smile, gesturing for everyone to enter.

The voice just fell,

Not far away, groups of cavalrymen rode their horses and came one after another, raising some dust in the distance.

This sight left the laborers and Aunt Wei and her husband on the riverbank completely stunned.

Aunt Wei glanced at Xu Zaijing every now and then, her eyes full of doubt.

"Why do you look at Jing-ge'er like that, madam?" Zhao Fang asked with a smile, his hands behind his back.

Aunt Wei smiled sheepishly and said, "Young master, I've been in the capital for several years and I've never seen anything like this before."

"Yes, did you come with Young Master Xu?" Aunt Wei asked tentatively.

Zhao Fang gave Xu Zaijing a wink and laughed, "That's right! I'm just joining in the fun!"

As he spoke, Zhao Fang walked to the side and sat down at a table that someone had vacated.

After Aunt Wei served them hot porridge, Zhao Fang finished it while being watched by hundreds of cavalrymen in the distance.

After expressing his gratitude, Zhao Fang led Xu Zaijing and the others onto their horses and continued along the canal towards the outer city in the southeast.

dismount,

When inspecting the first camp along the way, Xu Zaijing explained a few words to Zhao Fang.

"Oh? So, that Madam Wei is a relative of the Sheng family, and the shop manager of Lady Gu?" Zhao Fang asked with a smile.

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Yes, Your Highness."

In a good mood, Zhao Fang smiled and nodded repeatedly: "Okay!"

After saying that, he smiled and patted Xu Zaijing on the shoulder, saying, "Let's go in and take a look."

(End of this chapter)