The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 572 Tea
"Uncle, let's not talk about whether you will come out of the mountains or not. If we continue to waste time like this, we will eat up all the food and spend all the money. We will have to eat dirt just like the people in Jieze County. The damn corrupt officials in the county have embezzled so much money from us! They rely on the fact that the emperor is far away and they do whatever they want..."

Kang Yingqian picked up the teacup, looked at his anxious nephew, and said calmly:
"Jingxiu, rats have existed everywhere since ancient times, from the pre-Ming Dynasty to the Great Qi Dynasty. The Supreme Emperor's wish for 'equality everywhere, and for everyone to be well fed and warm' is wishful thinking. Without support, if he acts too hastily, he will inevitably be retaliated against. Now, what I have to do is to help him correct his mistakes and restore order. Don't worry about these rats in Jize County. Let them run rampant for a few more days."

Lao Kang put down his teacup, leaned back in the armchair and closed his eyes to rest.

Kang Jingxiu was in a hurry and could not wait any longer. He moved closer to his uncle and whispered:

"Uncle, Jize County is not a place to stay for long. Let's escape. Peng Tianxing is seeking revenge and wants to drain the Kang family dry. He has a backer, Ma Shiying's men. We can't defeat him. Take the money and run away. Or we can go to Nanming and live the life of a rich man without fear."

Kang Yingqian glared at his nephew. "Nanming? I'm not someone like Song Yingxing. The Emperor has already shown mercy to our Kang family. Don't seek death. Jiangnan will soon be recovered by the Great Qi."

Kang Jingxiu echoed, but he had no confidence in recovering Jiangnan and unifying the country.

At present, the Great Qi is facing internal and external troubles, with huge deficits in the north and south. Both officials and civilians are rebellious. Not long ago, there was a big chaos such as forcing the emperor to abdicate. Even the common people know that those around the retired emperor have their own ulterior motives.

Let alone recovering Jiangnan, it is already a rare achievement to be able to maintain the current regime.

"There are two more medicine shops in South City, plus the six houses in West City. Sell them all. If all else fails, take out those jars of Baihao Yinzhen that you treasure and use them to open up your joints."

Seeing that his nephew was plotting against his Baihao Yinzhen, Kang Yingqian immediately stood up from his armchair and said angrily:

"Baihao Yinzhen, made in the 30th year of the Jiajing reign, costs three thousand taels per jin. You can't buy it even with money. Every slice you take is one less. If you dare to sell it, I'll break your legs!"

Kang Jingxiu knew that his uncle was heartbroken about those cans of tea, after all, they were his lifeblood.

Kang Yingqian loved tea. When he was the prime minister in Liaodong, there was an endless stream of officials who came to send him tea. There were all kinds of precious teas, and these cans of Baihao Yinzhen were the best among them.

"Uncle knows that Da Qi is in dire straits, yet he wants to jump into this fire pit. Sigh."

Kang Yingqian comforted his nephew, saying, "Wait a little longer, the Kang family's fortunes will soon change. I think the Daqi officialdom is about to change, and the emperor still prefers to use the elderly."

More than a decade ago, Old Kang became a trapped man, all his official posts were taken away, and everyone wanted to kill him. If it were not for the retired emperor's deliberate protection, the Kang family would have been wiped out long ago.

A pound of Baihao Yinzhen tea leaves could be exchanged for the lives of the uncle and nephew, but the uncle refused to do such a lucrative deal.

Kang Jingxiu was puzzled and came up with an idea.

"I wonder how Brother Guangxu is doing now? He has been with Emperor Wuding for several years and hasn't given us any news!"

"Nothing is wrong, that's a good thing. I'm thankful that Guangxu didn't cause any more trouble for the Kang family."

Brother Guangxu, of course, is not the Emperor Guangxu of the late Qing Dynasty, but Kang Guangxu, the only son of Kang Yingqian.

Kang Guangxu was in his twenties and was serving as an official in Shenyang. He was equivalent to a hostage of the Kang family in the court.

After Kang Yingqian lost power, the court greatly relaxed its surveillance of Kang Guangxu. However, Kang Guangxu was unaware of his situation and continued to bully the people. It was not until he lost his backing that he began to restrain himself a little.

"Forget it, let's not talk about him. This rebellious son will sooner or later bring trouble to this old man."

To Kang Yingqian, the nephew standing before him was more reliable than his son, whose life or death was uncertain. Guangxu was the flesh and blood of the neighbor Wang. Although Kang Yingqian had always treated him as his own son over the years, he was not his own flesh and blood after all. However, Guangxu's son had always caused trouble for his father. Fortunately, Kang Yingqian was far away from the center of power and no longer had to worry as much as before.

"Go to sleep first, get some rest early, we still have to do it tomorrow..."

Before Kang Yingqian finished his words, there was a noise outside the yard. Kang Jingxiu jumped up reflexively, leaned against the window, and looked out cautiously.

Kang Yingqian trembled and said, "Are you here to collect grain again?"

"I don't know. My nephew can't say for sure."

Kang Jingxiu peeked outside, but couldn't figure out what was going on after a while.

In the past two years, the gentlemen of Jieze County, big and small, have come to the Kang family every now and then to ask for money and grain, and even antique calligraphy and paintings have been damaged by them, under the pretext of providing relief to disaster victims and abolishing private property. Most of the family fortune that Kang Yingqian had accumulated in Daqi (about three million taels) was confiscated by the Suoyi Guards more than ten years ago to enrich the national treasury, and the remaining fortune was divided up by these local tyrants in Jieze County.

"Is Military Supervisor Kang at home? Please come out and receive the order!"

Kang Yingqian walked out of the courtyard tremblingly. The incense table had been set up, facing the direction of Liaodong, and three incense sticks were burning, emitting curls of smoke.

In the dim light of candlelight, the eunuch Cao Bianhun of the Imperial Household Department looked calm as he faced the uncle and nephew of the Kang family.

Kang Jingxiu helped his uncle kneel on the ground, and old Kang kowtowed four times in front of the incense table.

Cao Bianhun slowly unfolded the imperial edict. It was about two feet wide and more than three feet long, with two auspicious clouds gleaming brightly in the candlelight.

Cao Bianhun glanced at the two of them and read aloud:

By the Will of Heaven and Earth, the Emperor proclaims: "I decree: 'I believe that the virtues of heaven and earth are united, and the merits of the style are great and nurturing. The internal and external order is complete, and the country is prosperous and harmonious. Rituals are prepared here. Education flourishes from this. Since ancient times, the rule of sage emperors has relied on virtuous ministers. When the ruler and ministers are in harmony, the state is governed. Regarding you, Mr. Kang, you are loyal and pure in mind, steadfast and unyielding. Although wronged and framed, you have fought bravely for the country. Undeterred by resentment and slander, you are truly a loyal and good minister. I hereby decree that Kang Yingqian be restored to the position of Minister of Revenue, concurrently Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, and Governor-General of Ji and Liao. All military and political power within his jurisdiction will be vested in him. In case of undecided matters, you do not need to seek permission, but may exercise discretion... I decree this!"

Kang Yingqian felt as if in a dream. After Eunuch Cao finished reading, he knelt on the ground for a long time without standing up.

Cao Bianhun hurriedly rolled up the imperial edict and handed it to Kang Jingxiu, who was kneeling beside him. He personally stepped forward to help Kang Yingqian up and said in a gentle voice:

"Lord Kang, right now there's a civil uprising in Liaodong and rebellion in Huguang. The Emperor Retired is in Shenyang and is thinking of you every day. You, must make a comeback!"

~~~~~~
At the end of September in the fourth year of Taichu, the retired emperor summoned Kang Yingqian back to Shenyang and restored him to his original post.

On the day Kang Yingqian left Jieze County with the eunuch who announced the imperial decree, the county magistrate Hu Zhenji and the chamber of commerce manager Peng Tianxing came out of the city to see him off.

The two officers personally escorted Kang to a place five miles north of the city. Peng Tianxing offered gifts and money, and Hu Zhenji bought Kang a beautiful, skinny woman to accompany him—officially a nurse, of course. Kang Yingqian, already sixty years old and having not taken King Kong Powder for a long time, politely declined their offer.

The people of Jieze County are living in misery, like babies waiting to die of hunger and cold, and fish waiting to be slaughtered.

The two rats knew that their time was up and they could not escape death, so on the night Kang Yinggan was leaving the country, they had a big banquet and got drunk, and then hanged themselves at home.

(End of this chapter)