Huangming

Chapter 81 The Essence of a Pure Stream, A Fallen Nobleman (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

"Wenru, don't scare yourself."

Qian Qianyi stepped forward and embraced Liu Ruyan's slender waist. The latter's delicate body trembled slightly, her eyebrows furrowed, but she did not break free in the end. She could only lean against the arms of this drunken and romantic scholar, letting his restless hands do as he pleased.

hiccup~
Qian Qianyi let out a burp.

He held Liu Ruyan's hand and stroked the jade ring along the palace sash, his drunken eyes glancing sideways at Yang Lian as he laughed: "Wenru, do you remember the Huai'an dike breach in the thirty-fifth year of Wanli? Li Xiuwu, despite twelve impeachments from the river management department, insisted on implementing the 'ship sealing method,' where ships passing through locks had to be branded with official seals, and grain bags mixed with red clay as a mark. Just by doing this, he reduced the number of drifting ships by at least 30%!"

He dipped his fingertip in wine and drew circles on the stone table, his cheeks flushed, looking dissolute, but his eyes were very clear.

"Furthermore, in the 40th year of the Wanli reign, when Chen Daoheng was clearing silt from the Zhanghe River, he had the clerks of the Tongzhou granary hung from the mast and whipped, forcing those parasites at the canal to kneel down and make up for the deficit of 80,000 shi!"

Liu Ruyan let out a soft gasp as she was being rubbed, but Qian Qianyi seemed oblivious, picking up a crab claw and tapping it against Yang Lian's wine cup:
"These two true Buddhas are now living in Nanjing in their old age. Since you, Yang Dujian, want to emulate Hai Gangfeng, why not learn from Hai Rui's past practice of 'using the old system to break the old abuses'? Tomorrow I will write a letter to ask for their 'Memorial on the Abuses of the Grand Canal.' You take the coffin money of the former Grand Canal Governor to Tongzhou. Perhaps some of their former subordinates are still useful."

He suddenly leaned close to Yang Lian's ear and whispered, "No matter how ruthless the million canal workers are, can they be more ruthless than 'Yang Gangfeng,' who wields the 'Grain Transport Regulations' like a weapon?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Lian's eyes sharpened, and her back straightened unconsciously.

"Wonderful!"

"A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study!"

Yang Lian raised his wine glass and said to Qian Qianyi, "I respectfully accept this cup."

"Hahaha! That's exactly how it should be!"

Qian Qianyi snatched the celadon teapot with a handle and poured the wine, without even taking a wine cup, and began to drink it ravenously.

But he didn't drink much; most of the wine was spilled on Liu Ruyan.

"Happy, happy!"

His eyes were glazed as he looked at the beauty in his arms, whose clothes were soaked with wine, and he couldn't help but lick his lips.

Liu Ruyan's moon-white jacket, soaked through to become a semi-transparent gauze, clung tightly to her water-red waist, outlining the contours of her butterfly-shaped shoulder blades. The jade rings wrapped in the sash of the Ruixiang Palace rose and fell beneath her wet clothes with her rapid breathing.

"This servant has been impolite."

She hurriedly covered herself with a plain silk shawl, unaware that the wine-stained shawl only made the cinnabar mole under her collarbone more clearly visible.

Watermarks meandered along the gold peony pattern on the main waistband, spreading out in varying shades of cloud patterns on the dark blue horse-face skirt.

"Master Liu, how about we meet on the Magpie Bridge tonight?"

Qian Qianyi's eyes were blazing with anger; he was so enraged that he could barely contain himself.

The owner of Tianxiang Pavilion frowned deeply, utterly disgusted with Qian Qianyi. She thought to herself: He's called a romantic and talented man, but he's nothing but a lustful glutton.

Liu Ruyan felt a slight pain from the needle pricking her lower body and quickly stood up, saying, "Sir, you must know the rules of the Jiaofangsi (a type of entertainment venue), right?"

The tickets for the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) were only valid for banquet halls within the Jiaofangsi; private residences were prohibited from hiring prostitutes or bringing official prostitutes from outside.

If this were true, it would constitute patronizing a prostitute, which, according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, would punish the offender with eighty strokes of the cane and dismissal from office for investigation.

"Rules are made by people. As long as Lady Liu is willing, what's wrong with me risking my life to accompany the beauty?"

Clear flow, clear flow.

Liu Ruyan was already fully aware of the true colors of these men.

On the surface, they speak in a dignified and respectable manner, but in reality, they are all incredibly lecherous and have all sorts of perverted fetishes, each one more perverted than the last.

Do one thing before others and another behind others.

If she were not famous, she would have had to submit to him to protect herself, but he is no longer a virgin.

She frowned slightly, and said in a delicate voice, "Please have some self-respect, sir!"

Qian Qianyi snorted coldly and said, "You're asking for trouble! You dare not obey me? Be careful I don't ruin your reputation by writing a book. If you have no one to associate with you, what good are your mastery of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? You'll only be able to make a living in a brothel!"

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Yang Lian said, "Forget it, I'll just accept it. Women and petty men are the hardest to deal with! There's no need to stoop to the level of a courtesan. Let's go!"

He had a big meal today, satisfied his cravings, and also found a way to break the deadlock in the matter of inspecting the canals. He was very content.

Qian Qianyi, still concerned about his reputation, snorted coldly and left.

"If the service is inadequate, I'm not paying!" That's how confidently one can act when it comes to getting something for free!
Tonight he's going to Cuiyun Pavilion to find a Yangzhou slender horse to gallop through the night. Liu Ruyan, you'll have your day to beg me!
. . .

The Donglin Party members indulged in a life of debauchery and decadence in the brothels and entertainment districts.

Meanwhile, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty was still reviewing memorials in the East Warm Pavilion.

Zhu Youxiao's neck was a little sore from sitting for several hours in a day.

Zhang Yun'er frowned slightly, pouted her lips, and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you take a rest? How can you possibly finish reviewing all these memorials?"

Memorials piled up like mountains; after reviewing one pile, another arrived.

Zhu Youxiao closed his eyes, lay back, and stretched.

After reviewing memorials continuously, my head was indeed feeling dizzy.

However, for the new emperor, this was also the fastest way to familiarize himself with the court and the Ming Empire.

of course
He doesn't have to be a beast of burden forever.

After all, dealing with state affairs at such a high intensity all the time might take a toll on one's health.

Once he is familiar with state affairs, he can select one or two trusted ministers to set up a small agency in the Qianqing Palace to handle state affairs.

恩~
How about calling it the Grand Council?

Once power is regained, there is no reason to return it.

However, the thought of the sordid power struggles gave Zhu Youxiao a headache. He took Zhang Yun'er's hand and placed it on his temple.

The latter skillfully massaged Zhu Youxiao, her fair and delicate hands gently supporting him. The emperor's head rested on the soft cushion of his thigh, inhaling the faint fragrance of the young girl, which relieved his fatigue.

Before long, the voice of a eunuch could be heard outside the East Warm Pavilion.

"Your Majesty, Marquis of Dingyuan Deng Shaoyu, Marquis of Yongkang Xu Yingyuan, and Marquis of Fengcheng Li Chengzuo are waiting for your instructions outside the pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao opened his eyes, which had been dozing, and slowly got up. He gestured for Zhang Yun'er to leave the room, and then said softly to the outside of the room, "Let them in."

soon.

Three people, dressed in luxurious python robes and carrying agarwood incense, stepped into the East Warm Pavilion.

Marquis Dingyuan, Deng Shaoyu, wore a black cloud and wild goose embroidered badge with a gold-threaded and pearl-encrusted leather belt underneath. The tassel of his jade crown hung down beside his taut chin. As he bowed, he secretly wiped the sweat from his palms onto his crimson knee-high heels.

Marquis Yongkang, Xu Yingyuan, wore a peacock-patterned brocade robe that shimmered with each step. However, he suddenly froze when he caught sight of the mountain of memorials piled up on the imperial desk. His arm trembled slightly in his sleeve, whether from excitement or fear, it was hard to tell.

The youngest Marquis of Fengcheng, Li Chengzuo, had only recently inherited the title under imperial grace, and he could not hide the shrewdness in his eyes.

Beneath his dark blue brocade robe with its over-the-shoulder python pattern, a silver fish-shaped pouch was faintly visible, and the seven-treasure pendant on his belt jingled with his rapid breathing.

"Your subject Deng Shaoyu (Xu Yingyuan, Li Chengzuo) respectfully wishes Your Majesty peace and prosperity."

"I am at peace, rise." Zhu Youxiao's eyes gleamed as he carefully examined the three nobles.

The eunuchs brought over three small stools. After the three nobles expressed their gratitude, they dared to sit on the stools, but their nervousness was palpable.

No wonder they are.

This is because these three nobles were all impoverished nobles, and were fundamentally different from powerful nobles like the Duke of Yingguo and the Duke of Chengguo.

The progenitor of the Marquis of Dingyuan, Deng Yu, was a famous general in the early Ming Dynasty. However, after the Wanli era, no prominent figures emerged from the Marquis of Dingyuan's lineage, and they were marginalized from important military positions.

Now, the family's wealth has been embezzled, leaving them financially weak and unable to maintain the dignity of a noble family.

Even this noble robe was obtained by pawning his family's possessions.

Marquis Yongkang is a descendant of Xu Zhong, a meritorious official in the Jingnan Campaign. However, due to the family's long-term absence from warfare, they have gradually lost their military influence. Now, as the Marquis Yongkang, he serves as the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and has to grovel before the eunuchs.

Li Bin, the ancestor of the Marquis of Fengcheng, was a famous general during the Yongle reign, but the Marquis of Fengcheng's family also declined.

Furthermore, Li Chengzuo had brothers vying for the title, and in the end, it was the emperor who personally appointed him to inherit the title of Marquis of Fengcheng.

Now that each family is in a precarious situation, how can the three of them remain calm and composed in front of the emperor?
(End of this chapter)