Chapter 447 Non-stick Pan is Here

“The people are angry.”

"The people are not ignorant, they are just helpless and powerless."

"The big guys are encroaching, the rich and powerful are exploiting, who can't see clearly?"

"But the common people only have the four powers, but they don't know how to use them."

"What can I do..."

Walking on the fertile fields beside Taihu Lake outside Yixing County, Changzhou Prefecture, South Zhili, Hai Rui's face was filled with sorrow and he felt helpless.

It was early summer and farming was busy. People would return home or hide in the shade at noon when the sun was at its hottest, and basically stay in the fields at other times.

In Hai Rui's sight.

The people of a distant village gathered together and hid under the woods and grass outside the village.

The people gathered together and talked angrily, holding a piece of paper with huge black words written on it in their hands.

Seeing Hai Rui approaching, guarded by Wang, Ma, Zhang and Zhao, the people immediately folded up the piece of paper with the huge black characters and carefully hid it deep in a wooden platform under the haystack.

"Governor, that's the notice we posted."

The four guards looked alert and spoke in low voices.

Hai Rui nodded: "I know, I know..."

The two sides are already very close.

The oldest person under the shade of the tree slowly stood up, hunched over.

"I have met the old man."

"I wonder what you are doing here?"

The arrival of outsiders.

It always makes the locals wary.

The four guards immediately opened their mouths and said, "My master is..."

Hai Rui raised his hand and interrupted the four guards from introducing themselves.

He smiled and bowed: "I just came all the way from Nanjing to visit my friends."

"Nanjing?"

"then you……"

Under the shade of the tree, someone looked curious, but was also interrupted by the elder.

The elder had a smile on his face, but his eyes were filled with vigilance. He pointed to a large house on the east side of the manor near Taihu Lake and asked, "Are you here to see our Master Lu?"

obviously.

The older man's eyes were filled with vigilance as he waited for Hai Rui's answer.

Hai Rui quietly looked at the young man who had been interrupted by the elder.

When the young man heard the name of Master Lu, hatred clearly flashed across his face.

Gain insight into the identities of these people and their relationship to this place.

Hai Rui smiled and asked, "Master Lu? Who is this person? We are not here to look for him."

The four guards are also smart.

One of them immediately spoke up: "My master is going to visit a friend in Suzhou Prefecture next door to you, but he is just passing through here to see the beautiful scenery of Taihu Lake in the east."

Following Hai Rui and the four guards' explanation, the old and young people under the shade of the tree all breathed a sigh of relief.

The young man glanced at the older man and then asked, "Excuse me, sir, you are from Nanjing. Do you know the governor, Mr. Hai?"

Hai Rui glanced at it and nodded, "Of course. Everyone knows about the upright and honest Lord Hai who stands up for the people..."

Although Hai Rui agreed with it, he was actually quite satisfied in his heart.

He has been traveling around recently, inspecting government offices in various places, but he has also heard the news spread by Yan Shaoting, Zhang Juzheng and others.

Sea blue sky.

Serve the people.

Lord Qingtian.

Although I was telling the truth, it made me blush when I heard it.

Hai Rui thought silently that when he returned to Nanjing, he would definitely treat Yan Shaoting and Zhang Juzheng to a good drink.

This end.

The young man had already taken out the piece of paper that he had hidden from the wooden table under the haystack and opened it to show Hai Rui.

"My dear, do you know this? It is said that Hai Qingtian said that we would return all the land that was taken away by others. Is this true?"

Hai Rui just glanced at him.

He knew exactly what was written on the paper.

Not many words, but the meaning is very simple.

We must stand up for the people and return all the land that was taken away from them.

Then countless copies were printed and distributed to various places by people from the Tax and Military Office and the Yingtian Governor's Office, spreading them to every village and every place, making sure that everyone knew about it.

Hai Rui nodded: "It is true. The Coast Guard Governor really wanted to do it this way."

Got the answer I wanted.

The young man immediately showed a happy expression, looking at the elders and the people around him: "I told you! I told you that Mr. Hai Qingtian was not lying to us! He really wants to help us get the land back!"

The young man was filled with joy and seemed extremely excited.

But the elders and most of the people around had tense and worried expressions.

The older man glanced at Hai Rui, who obviously looked like a nobleman.

He turned to look at the young man and said in a deep voice: "Could that Hai Qingtian be a god? We are so far away. Except for this piece of paper that we secretly hid, the others were taken away and burned by Mr. Lu's family. Mr. Hai is far away, but Mr. Lu is right in front of us..."

With a long sigh, the older man turned around and looked at Hai Rui, forcing a smile on his face that was covered with years and vicissitudes of life.

"If you want to go to Suzhou, you can go east to Taihu Lake and then take a boat by the lake. This way you can avoid the hardship of traveling by land."

Say it.

The older man looked at the sky and the sun, then took a few gulps of water from the can, then carried a shovel and walked into the rice field nearby.

The farmers around also walked into the fields with dull looks on their faces, carrying their farm tools.

In a few days, the early rice will be filling with grain.

Then, after adding water and allowing the sun to dry for a sufficient period of time, you can harvest the early rice, plant the late rice, and wait for the autumn harvest.

The young man holding the propaganda notice of the Yingtian Governor's Office looked at the other people who walked into the fields, and could only sigh silently, then folded the notice in his hand and hid it.

The creases on the paper became deeper and deeper.

The young man also picked up a hoe, walked past Hai Rui, but stopped.

He put down his hoe and bowed like the scholars he had seen before.

"My dear, does your family occupy a lot of land? Will you listen to Hai Qingtian and return the land to us?"

After finishing speaking.

The young man showed worry on his face and quickly bent down and picked up the hoe.

"I said something wrong, please don't take it to heart..."

After saying this, the young man rushed into the rice field to weed and consolidate the ridges.

Hai Rui stood in the shade of a tree, looking at the fields that were becoming bustling as the sun set, his face becoming more solemn. "After all, the people are afraid, and they don't want to or dare to trust the government and officials..."

"But they can't hide the anger and expectations in their hearts!"

"We must use some means to find opportunities to let them vent their anger and hope to be satisfied."

"In this way, the credibility of the government and the court can be restored, and our dynasty can hope to usher in a prosperous era."

Hai Rui muttered silently, lowering his head to look at the location of the official notice that was hidden by the local people.

The four guards kept their mission in mind at all times and asked quietly, "Does the governor want to follow what the people here say and take a boat to Suzhou City?"

Hai Rui shook his head: "No."

The four guards looked puzzled.

According to the plan, they also have to visit Suzhou Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture again.

Hai Rui explained with a murderous tone, "We will turn around and return to Nanjing now!"

……

Nanjing City.

In the West Garden of Zhongshan Wuning Palace.

Yan Shaoting never expected that Yang Zongqi, the Nanjing Governor-General and Minister of Grain Reserves, would come to visit him.

What he didn't expect was even more.

In addition to Yang Zongqi, who had been secretly colluding with various parties in Nanjing to stir up trouble and confront himself, there was another person who arrived almost at the same time.

Liu Wan followed beside him with a smile on his face: "Fortunately, this West Garden has several gates facing the outside. Yang Zongqi was at the South Gate. The Governor of Zhejiang was outside the West Gate, so the two of them didn't bump into each other."

Yan Shaoting, who was heading towards the west gate, had a curious look on his face.

He didn't expect that Zhao Zhenji would come to him at this time.

This Governor-General of Zhejiang and Governor of Zhejiang moved directly to Hangzhou, Zhejiang after he stepped down from the post of Governor of Yingtian.

When he was in the capital before, Hu Zongxian had said several times that with Zhao Zhenji in charge of the Zhejiang Governor-General's Office, he saved a lot of trouble in pacifying the Japanese pirates in the five southeastern provinces.

Count it up.

Zhao Zhenji was indeed a capable minister.

Yan Shaoting was thinking about the reason why Zhao Zhenji suddenly came to visit him, and asked, "Where did Yang Zongqi arrange for him?"

Liu Wan replied: "I asked someone to take him to Mudan Terrace first. Since he came to ask for help, I have to wait even if I am anxious."

Yan Shaoting nodded and glanced sideways at Liu Wan who came out of the Beijing camp.

But with some common sense, he could actually see the purpose of Yang Zongqi's trip.

I haven't figured out yet why Zhao Zhenji came to my house today.

Not long after.

Yan Shaoting had already arrived at Huanbi Mountain Villa in the northwest corner of the West Garden.

As soon as I walked in the door.

A short but lean and capable man, wearing a red robe and a black veil on his head, with a resolute face and a delicate short beard, was looking at Yan Shaoting who was blocking the door with two shrewd yet worldly eyes.

This person is Zhao Zhenji, the Governor-General of Zhejiang and Governor of Zhejiang Province of the Ming Dynasty!
"I've heard for a long time that Young Master Yan is a talented young man. Today I see that he is indeed handsome!"

"Mr. Zhao is here to visit me. I am sorry that I failed to greet you. I hope you can forgive me."

Almost at the same time.

Yan Shaoting and Zhao Zhenji spoke in unison.

Then, the two looked up at each other, both with smiles on their faces.

Yan Shaoting took the lead and extended his hand to invite him: "I think the minister is about to enter the city today, so he came to the West Garden immediately, otherwise it is impossible for me to have no news at all."

As he spoke, Yan Shaoting's eyes flickered as he looked at Zhao Zhenji, who looked shrewd and was known as a non-stick pan.

He had already figured out the other party's purpose for coming here.

Zhao Zhenji smiled, nodded slightly, and placed his hands on his legs: "Little Yan's plan is very clever, just as Little Yan's words said. As soon as I entered the city today, I asked where Little Yan was, and then I came straight here."

Yan Shaoting had a smile on his face, but he snorted in his heart.

If Zhao Zhenji were to say that he only knew that he lived in West Garden after entering the city, he would definitely not believe it.

But now that they said so, I had no choice but to accept it.

He bowed slightly, called out to the outside to serve tea, and then said: "The minister is so anxious, could it be that something happened in Zhejiang? I am a small person and my words do not carry much weight, but if the minister encounters any problems, I am willing to help with all my strength."

Zhao Zhenji's heart sank suddenly.

Although it was only the first time that he met Yan Shaoting, he already realized how cunning he was after just this first meeting.

You are not even given a chance to speak!
Zhao Zhenji immediately collected his thoughts, changed his expression, and said with a smile: "Speaking of which, the fact that I can now sit in the position of Governor-General of Zhejiang and Governor of Zhejiang Province is thanks to Elder Yan and Little Elder Yan. If it weren't for the fact that Minister Hu was promoted to the capital and left this position vacant, and Elder Yan and Little Elder Yan had strongly recommended me to the emperor, I'm afraid I would still be sitting in the position of Governor of Yingtian."

After saying this, although Zhao Zhenji had a smile on his face, his eyes were looking at Yan Shaoting with exceptional calmness.

His words have two meanings.

one.

Regardless of his past with the Yan family, and regardless of how outsiders view him, now that he has obtained the position of Governor-General of Zhejiang and Governor of Zhejiang, he is grateful for the role of the Yan family in this matter and also recognizes this favor.

Secondly, although he appreciated the favor, he also understood that the Yan family did this in order to push Hai Rui to the position of Governor of Yingtian, so everyone understood the reasons behind it. If they wanted Zhao Zhenji to thank them and give something in return, it would naturally be impossible to have no bottom line, but to repay the favor in equal measure.

Old fox!

Yan Shaoting couldn't help but feel emotional. Although he had been prepared for a long time, he didn't expect that Zhao Zhenji was really as famous as his reputation said, and was even more famous!
But he just had a slight feeling in his heart.

Although he was smiling under Zhao Zhenji's gaze.

Yan Shaoting said, "I'm afraid that Minister Zhao's visit to Nanjing this time was not just to express his gratitude in front of me. My grandfather and I recommended Minister Zhao to the emperor because we thought he was suitable and had no other ideas. However, Minister Zhao is indeed capable of the important task. Minister Hu mentioned Minister Zhao many times in Beijing and praised him. In this way, my family also made a good recommendation, and the emperor will naturally trust him more."

As soon as these words came out.

Even Zhao Zhenji couldn't help but change his expression slightly.

I am still talking about accepting the favor from the Yan family, but they are already saying that they don't care about this favor at all.

His Yan family was simply recommending him for the country.

Even if he wanted some benefit, it was only the emperor's trust.

Just when Zhao Zhenji was a little dazed because of the accident.

Yan Shaoting was already holding the teacup that had just been brought in, and looking at Zhao Zhenji with squinted eyes.

"Zhao Butang is a smart man."

"The boy is not stupid."

"Since Zhao Butang was entrusted by someone and was loyal to him, and rushed to Nanjing Fu and went straight to the West Garden as soon as he entered the city, why would he bother to talk about irrelevant things?"

Zhao Zhenji's face was tense.

He was somewhat caught off guard. He had just come to pay a visit to Yan Shaoting and within a few moments had ended up in this situation.

However, Yan Shaoting had already taken two sips of tea and put down the cup.

He stared at Zhao Zhenji with sharp eyes, measuring the fluctuations in the expression on the other's face.

"Zhao Butang."

"Since you are here to intercede for me, why don't you first explain the conditions they have set for me?"

…………

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(End of this chapter)