Jinyi Town Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 216 Gone With The Wind

Hu Zongxian's old housekeeper, Ju An, confronted a dozen guards in brocade clothes in front of the carriage.

Liu Da chuckled lightly: "If the car is not loaded with stolen goods, why do you want to obstruct our inspection?"

Juan said angrily: "I've said it all, these things are very important to my master! Although you are imperial envoys, you are here to inspect the coastal defense in the south of the Yangtze River. To search the carriage of the governor of Zhejiang Province, you need the emperor's clear order!"

Liu Da clenched the Xiuchun knife around his waist: "My surname is Hu, have you ever heard that Jin Yiwei wants to search someone's carriage and needs a will? The Xiuchun knife in my hand is the will! Come on, give it to me." I'll take it!"

"Who dares!" Juan actually took out a Fran's short pistol from his waist.

Juan is the housekeeper and personal long-term follower of the governor of Zhejiang Province.It is not uncommon for such a person to guard his master with a short-handed gun.

Liu Da pulled out the Xiuchun Knife with a "chuckle" and said, "It's reversed! How dare you use the murder weapon in front of Jin Yiwei's people? This is a serious crime of treason!"

Hu An ignored Liu Da, but shouted at He Liu: "Master He, you are also my master's best friend. At this time, you should say a few words for my master."

He Liu was stunned.He really wanted to speak for Hu Zongxian.But Juan used his own life to protect the contents of the carriage, which made He Liu suspicious.

Could it be that, as Liu Da said, the nine brocade boxes were filled with banknotes and jewels?
Could it be that, as Liu Da said, Hu Zongxian is the same person as Wan Anliang?Seemingly clean, but actually clean outside and corrupt inside?

Liu Da said to He Liu: "Sixth brother. You are the official envoy of the imperial envoy, please quickly order us to inspect this carriage! Don't forget our mission to Jiangnan..."

He Liu was stunned: Yes, the task entrusted to me by the emperor is to investigate and deal with Hu Zongxian.If there's a lot of stolen goods in this wagon, then my errand will be done.

But Hu Zongxian has always been my best friend.One of the officials I admire the most. . .

He Liu was caught in a tangle.

At this moment, a voice came from the gate: "Let them check!"

The person who spoke was the owner of the nine brocade boxes - Hu Zongxian.

Hu Zongxian walked up to He Liu and coughed violently.

He Liu quickly patted Hu Zongxian on the back, and he was relieved.

Hu Zongxian managed to catch his breath, and said to He Liu, "Lao Liu, let your subordinates check the brocade box on the carriage."

He Liu bowed his hands to Hu Zongxian: "Hu Butang, offended! Check the carriage, I just want to shut up those who criticize you and suspect you of taking bribes."

He Liu beckoned, and Liu Da got into the carriage.He took out the brocade boxes one by one from the carriage and put them on the ground.

Liu Da laughed and said, "This brocade box is very light, and it must contain silver notes!"

Hu Zongxian said: "Master Liu, you will know whether the brocade box contains bank notes or not."

Liu Da opened the first box - he was dumbfounded!
The box was so golden, it turned out to be a box full of maple leaves!
Open the second box, it is a box full of withered pine needles!

The third box is a box full of yellow leaves of poplar trees!

Liu Da couldn't believe his eyes, he frantically opened all nine brocade boxes in one go.The nine brocade boxes are all dead leaves of trees.

Liu Da was furious and put his foot on those brocade boxes.A gust of cold wind happened to blow up at the gate of the yamen, and all kinds of dead leaves were blown up.Dead leaves blow in the wind.

Juan hurriedly reached out to grab the dead leaves, and cried, "You have lost your conscience! These things are all my master's thoughts!"

He Liu asked Hu Zongxian: "Hu Butang. You asked the housekeeper to bring nine boxes of dead leaves back to your hometown. What does this mean?"

Hu Zongxian smiled wryly: "Oh, think about me, Hu Zongxian was a Jinshi in the 17th year of Jiajing, and I worked in nine places in the 24 years of my career. Some dead leaves. These dead leaves can be regarded as a commemoration of my being an official in various places. When I die, I plan to let these dead leaves be buried with me. It is not in vain for me to be an official for half my life."

He Liu had mixed feelings in his heart.Hu Zongxian's incorruptibility is indeed hard to find in ancient times.Sending these maple leaves back to his hometown shows that Hu Zongxian has made up his mind to die.

He Liu was ashamed, guilty of being suspicious of Hu Zongxian just now.

He Liu admired and admired Hu Zongxian for sacrificing his life for the long-term stability of the court.

He Liu regrets, regrets Hu Zongxian's character of "repaying the kindness of knowledge and encounter with spring".For Yan Song's kindness to him back then, he did not hesitate to sacrifice himself to the Yan Party.

Hu An yelled at Liu Da: "My surname is Liu, I'm a nun! These things are what my master has been thinking about all his life! He has been an official for 24 years, and he didn't save any gold or silver. He only saved these nine boxes. Ye Zi. It’s all right now, it’s all gone with the wind! Blind your dog’s eyes! You actually suspect that our master is corrupt and broke the law? Do you know that the sum of all the silver on our master’s body does not exceed 50 taels?”

The embarrassing general Liu Xiuchun put the knife on Juan's neck: "Insulting the imperial envoy is a death penalty! Except for the emperor, no one dares to insult Jinyiwei like this!"

He Liu quickly scolded Liu Da: "Put down your knife! In front of Hu Butang, you have no right to use the knife!"

When Liu Da heard this, he had no choice but to put the Xiuchun knife back into its sheath.

At this time, the imperial envoy He Liu was doing something.He actually knelt down on both knees and kowtowed to Hu Zongxian: "Hu Butang, I made a mistake. Let your nine boxes of human treasures go with the wind. I kowtow to you and confess!"

There is gold under the man's knees, and he only kneels to the king, relatives and teachers of heaven and earth.Except for the heaven and earth monarchs, relatives and teachers, there are at most a few Qi Jiguang who prick their ears and kneel down to their wives.

In the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there has never been a precedent for imperial envoys kneeling down to local officials.

However, He Liu kneeled willingly.Kneeling a good official for the country and the people does not lose his status as the governor of Beizhen.

Hu Zongxian helped He Liu up, and said: "Forget it. Gone with the wind, let's go with the wind. In fact, people live for a lifetime, why is it not like these dead leaves floating in the sky? Wherever the wind blows, the dead leaves will fall. Both the person and the leaf can decide where it comes from. Neither the person nor the leaf can decide where to go. The fate of a person is destined by the sky. Do your best and obey the destiny.”

Hu Zongxian hunched his body, and with Juan's support, he walked to the nine brocade boxes and picked up a maple leaf: "Oh, if I remember correctly, this leaf was made when I was working in the capital 19 years ago. I picked it on the top of the West Mountain. I was so young and strong at that time. But now, I am old and only have white hair. It is already deep winter, and the leaves of the maple trees on the West Mountain should have already fallen. ?”

He Liu is a man with a heart like a rock.Hearing Hu Zongxian's words, his nose was sore.

Hu Zongxian said again: "Lao Liu, today is the Laba Festival. New Year's Eve is a big reunion, Mid-Autumn Festival is a mid-autumn reunion, and Laba is a small reunion. My three sons are not in Hangzhou. I invite you and your wife and miss to have a meal of Laba porridge Let's go, eat in the dining room."

Hu Zongxian walked into the governor's office, followed by He Liu.The sun was rising, and the sun was shining on Hu Zongxian.His body is bent like a seven or eighty-year-old man.The gait is also very faltering.

He Liu knew that the 50-year-old man in front of him had exhausted his body for the sake of millions of people in the south of the Yangtze River.

The world is so big, can't it accommodate this upright official and powerful minister in front of him?

He Liu suddenly felt very sad.

(End of this chapter)