Chapter 583 Xu Jie Digging Wild Vegetables
The imperial court began to turn to the issue of land measurement at a very fast speed.

And Yan Shaoting has been completely free since that day when he had fun in the Xinghua Tower at the Goldfish Pond.

As for the fact that he went to the south of the city to have fun when he should have been working in the yamen during the day, it was naturally known to the censors, who reported it to the emperor.

Yan Shaoting immediately followed the rules, submitted a memorial to explain the situation, and stayed at home awaiting trial.

The result of his handling was soon revealed.

A six-month salary deduction.

Apart from this, there is no other punishment.

The censors were furious, and they had prepared their memorials and prepared their responses in advance when Yan Shaoting submitted his rebuttal. But Yan Shaoting took the initiative to plead guilty, and the emperor punished him immediately.

They were like punching cotton.

Afterwards, Yan Shaoting entered the palace in the morning as usual, and took the prince to farm in Wenhua Hall. Then everything became normal, he first had a meal in the palace, then rubbed his full stomach, walked back to the Ministry of Rites, and took a rest in the Shangshu Gong Hall.

All tasks of the Ministry of Rites were handed over to its subordinate officials.

At first, people thought that Yan Shaoting would make three big moves as a new official. According to past practice, everyone was waiting to see what Yan Shaoting would do in the Ministry of Rites.

Later these people finally understood.

Yan Shaoting really regarded the Ministry of Rites as a place to take a nap after finishing his daily teaching work for the princes.

Impeachment for doing nothing?

But when he was appointed as the Minister of the Six Ministries, he only had to deal with a few important matters personally, and the rest would be handled by the assistant ministers and doctors of each ministry. The Ministry of Rites was not a busy place, and Yan Shaoting, the Minister of Rites, could arrange the matters that he should personally take care of, and no one could find trouble or loopholes.

After a while, those in the court who wanted to catch Yan Shaoting had to give up.

As the matters concerning Dutian in the capital, southern Zhili and Zhejiang were explained one by one, and as the new borders of Hetao and Yinshan were established, the court officially entered a busy period. Yan Shaoting, who had been hiding in Wenhua Palace all day long to farm with the princes, was quietly abandoned by everyone.

Zhang Juzheng and Gao Hanwen are in Nanzhili and Zhejiang, so the court does not need to send anyone over now.

However, because of the incident of Wang Zhigao and others being convicted of five crimes in the new border area of ​​Hetao and Yinshan, the imperial court later issued an edict to promote Hai Rui to the rank of Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. The chief minister Gao Gong even strongly recommended Hai Rui at the court meeting, which led to Hai Rui's return to the Nine Borders to continue to review border military affairs. It seemed that this was to prepare for the Qing army after the land survey, and also to prepare for Hai Rui to be promoted to Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate to take over the department in the future.

And all this.

It also began to expand outward like ripples, with Beijing as its center.

It was September.

The sequence belongs to the third autumn.

The autumn colors have already been clearly seen in the north, the weather is getting cooler, the wild geese are flying south, and everything is resting. Thousands of miles away, the ancient Lingnan is still lush and green, with dense trees between the towering mountains, far from the mountains and forests in the Central Plains and the north, which have long been cut down for the people to use for heating and cooking.

Leizhou Prefecture is located at the southernmost tip of Guangdong Provincial Government, across the strait from Qiongzhou Prefecture.

The weather is so warm that people still wear short-sleeved T-shirts.

Although Leizhou is far away from the Central Plains and close to Qiongzhou, and its geographical location is considered remote, the terrain here is excellent, with plains as far as the eye can see. It is a rare fertile land in the entire Guangdong region, far from comparable to the mountainous areas in western Guangdong and northern Guangdong.

In the capital of Leizhou Prefecture, which is also outside Haikang County, there is a small area of ​​low forest.

The forest overlooks Leizhou Bay to the east and is surrounded by fertile fields with orderly paths. From the top of the mountain, you can directly see the fishing village on the coast.

It is also under this forest.

Looking from afar, I saw an old man wearing a conical hat, a half-sleeve sweatshirt on his upper body, loose trousers rolled up over his knees, a pair of backless straw sandals on his feet, and digging the ground with a hoe in his hands.

The old man seemed to have been working for a long time, so much so that sweat dripped from his forehead and face from time to time, mixing with dust and blending into the soil under his feet.

This is a tiny piece of wasteland that is being reclaimed and is surrounded by trees, shrubs and thorns.

not far away.

There are vast stretches of flat fields, and at this moment, countless people from Haikang County are harvesting their crops.

It was almost noon. The woman, Zhang, wearing a blue and indigo coarse linen dress and her hair wrapped in a square cloth of the same color, carried a bamboo basket and brought freshly prepared hot food and cold tea to the wasteland.

"Master, it's time to eat."

Zhang stood beside the wasteland, looking at Xu Jie who was reclaiming the wasteland with a hoe.

This once high-ranking cabinet minister is now no different from an ordinary farmer.

Hearing his wife's call, Xu Jie stopped, looked up, and smiled: "I'm coming."

After saying this, he turned the hoe over and knocked it on the ground to shake off the dirt on it, then he picked it up and walked to the wasteland.

Then he sat down on the ridge of the field that had already been cultivated without any disgust.

Zhang took out the prepared food from the bamboo basket with a smile.

"Drink some water first."

Xu Jie did not object, and took the cold tea from Zhang and drank it all. Then he held the rough bowl and shoveled the rice and vegetables into his mouth.

However, Zhang didn't prepare much, and Xu Jie finished all the food in the bowl in a short while.

Then he drank some more water before speaking again.

"Prepare less food next time. I can't eat so much now."

Zhang nodded respectfully.

Xu Jie added: "This piece of land will be ready in two months. Next year, we will plant rice all over it, and the land next to it will be planted with sweet potatoes. This way, we won't have to worry about food next year."

Listening to Xu Jie slowly planning next year's farming, Zhang continued to nod in agreement.

Xu Jie added: "When we have enough eggs at home, we will send them to the family at the village head, so that when water is needed in the spring next year, our land will not be short of water."

Zhang replied, "Don't worry, I'm very familiar with the villagers over there, and there won't be a lack of water next year."

Xu Jie nodded, as if he was finally relieved.

He smiled and pointed to a spot where a ditch passed by.

"I was busy here today, thinking of clearing the weeds and dead trees near the ditch to facilitate water collection next year. Guess what I found?"

Zhang cooperated very well and showed surprise and curiosity: "What did you find?"

"Autumn vegetables!" Xu Jie's face was serious and full of pride. He said affirmatively: "There is a large area of ​​autumn vegetables, growing green and lush, just waiting for you to come. Let's dig them up together. We can eat fresh stir-fried wild vegetables in the next two days. Even if we can't finish them, we can pickle them and eat them in winter."

Zhang showed surprise on her face and followed Xu Jie who had already stood up.

really.

The two men saw that near the ditch, in an area that was originally blocked by weeds and shrubs, there was a large area of ​​thriving wild vegetables.

"Master is right! There are so many autumn vegetables that we can't finish them all in the winter!"

Zhang's face was full of surprise, and she had already walked into the large patch of autumn vegetables.

Xu Jie smiled without saying a word and followed him in.

A few moments.

The old couple squatted on the ground and happily dug wild vegetables.

Xu Jie dug the hoe deep into the mud and then lifted it up, and he was able to dig up the whole wild vegetable with the soil and roots. Zhang picked it up nearby, shook it gently, shook off the soil wrapped around the roots of the wild vegetable, and then put it into the bamboo basket with the roots.

Although the vegetable roots taste slightly bitter, they are also exceptionally crisp and tender, with a sweet aftertaste.

Xu Jie was digging in front and Zhang was picking up the grass behind. They were just like an ordinary pair of old farmers who were busy working for food and preparing for the coming winter.

When a whole patch of wild vegetables is almost dug up.

In the wasteland above the ditch, a young man wearing a Confucian robe that was starched and bleached and didn't fit him well walked over.

"Grandfather, there's a letter."

"She's from the capital." Xu Jie raised his head, turned around and looked over, smiling: "It's Yuanchun, Grandma is here, you go back first."

Xu Yuanchun responded and turned to leave.

Watching his grandson leave, Xu Jie's face showed a dazed look.

This is the eldest son of his eldest son.

The grandson has grown up, but the son has already passed away, his soul is broken in Beijing.

After a trance, Xu Jie picked up the hoe, took the bamboo basket from Zhang, put it on the hoe, and then carried it on his shoulder.

"Let's go, it's time to go back."

Zhang responded obediently.

The two men climbed up the ditch hand in hand, and as soon as they walked out of the wasteland, they saw an official in a green robe and two attendants waiting on the roadside.

"G… Master, have you finished your farm work?"

Xu Jie looked at the person who came and nodded.

The man continued, "It's a letter from the capital. Lord Li sent someone to deliver it, saying that it must be delivered to my teacher personally. That's why I rushed here from the government office with the person and the letter."

Xu Jie just nodded again, and then looked behind the man: "Let's go home first."

After saying that, he picked up his feet.

Behind that man, in front of Xu Jie.

In this rare mountain forest around Leizhou City, there is a vast mansion surrounded by lush trees.

Indistinctly, the house with red walls, green tiles, carved beams and painted buildings appears extremely elegant and quiet.

Xu Jie was in front, and Zhang followed closely behind.

The man who was the Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture followed at the back with the attitude of a servant, respectfully and carefully.

Waiting until we arrived at the house.

Xu Jie did not enter through the main gate, but walked in through the side door.

After entering the yard, which seemed to be an idle courtyard, Xu Jie put down the hoe and bamboo basket, said something to Zhang, and watched Zhang leave first. Then Xu Jie turned around and looked at the Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture who followed in.

If he didn't speak, the other party naturally wouldn't dare to speak either.

The few of them walked silently towards the depths of the house.

After walking for a while, graceful maids began to appear around, as well as servants guarding various places.

Waited until we were near the front yard.

A maid had already brought a pair of cleaner and more comfortable cloth shoes and knelt on the ground to help Xu Jie change them.

Continuing to walk forward, Xu Jie's half-sleeve sweatshirt was replaced with a loose robe.

Enter the side hall in the front yard.

As soon as Xu Jie sat down, a basin of warm water was brought to him.

He sat on the rosewood chair, leaned back and stretched out his legs. Two maids then knelt on the ground, pressed Xu Jie's feet into the water, and rubbed them gently.

The other two maids knelt upright on both sides and began to beat and massage Xu Jie's legs.

After the transaction, a maid pressed Xu Jie's shoulders and neck.

The Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture watched everything silently, bowing slightly, not daring to overstep the mark.

"Tea, sir."

Wait until a maid came in from outside, brought a cup of fragrant tea, and knelt down to present it to Xu Jie.

Xu Jie hummed, took the teacup, took a sip carefully, and placed it on the coffee table beside him.

At this moment.

Then he looked up at the Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture standing in front of him.

The man immediately understood, took out the letter he was carrying from his sleeve, lowered his head and held it in both hands to present it to Xu Jie.

At this moment, clear music was also coming from the compartment next to it.

While Xu Jie opened the letter and lowered his head to read it, the Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture swallowed his saliva and found an opportunity to speak in a low voice.

"The latest news from Beijing is that the court, under the strong push of Prime Minister Gao Gong, has begun a pilot program of measuring farmland in Southern Zhili and Zhejiang. However, although the land measurement was strongly promoted by Gao Gong, the pilot program in Southern Zhili and Zhejiang was proposed by Yan Shaoting."

After finishing speaking.

The Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture looked up at Xu Jie who was still reading the letter, and said slowly, "The prince has recently started to study outside the palace. Yan Shaoting is the chief official as the Prince's Guardian and Minister of Rites. The emperor has issued an oral order, allowing Yan Shaoting to take the prince to cultivate land outside the Wenhua Palace."

Xu Jie still didn't say anything and continued reading the letter.

The Leizhou Prefecture's deputy governor continued in a low voice, "Also according to the news from the capital, Yan Shaoting has been appointed as the chief examiner for the next spring examination, and will preside over it together with the cabinet minister Gao Yi."

In the hall, Xu Jie still didn't speak, still lowered his head to read the letter, but his brows showed a little solemn.

Seeing that this mentor, who still possessed great influence even though he had been dismissed from all official positions and exiled here, still did not speak a word.

The Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture could only wipe the sweat off his forehead, and then continued: "Although the Yan family did not intervene in the border army dispute, I think they used Hai Rui to convict the governor of the three borders, Wang Zhigao and others. Now Hai Rui has gone to the nine borders. After thinking about it, I think this is probably the Yan family using Hai Rui to clean up the nine borders so that they can plant their people. In this way, the nine borders will be controlled by the Yan family and the Jin Party in the future."

until now.

Xu Jie still remained silent.

The Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture also seemed to have spoken out, and continued to speak out his own judgment: "Now, Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou and others have gone to the Nine Borders, and even Tan Lun, who originally went to Zhejiang from the capital, has been re-recruited back to the capital. If this continues, the power of these people in the capital and the Nine Borders will become even greater. I think... I think..."

"Why?"

at last.

Xu Jie's voice was heard from the hall.

I don't know when he put down the letter, looked up and silently stared at the Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture.

No reason.

The Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture felt the pressure was too great. He dared not raise his head at all and bent his head even more.

Although the mentor in front of him no longer holds any official position in the court.

But he knew clearly that the strength of his mentor had not been affected much.

Even if the Xu family in Huating was confiscated, as long as the mentor was willing, he could get millions of money and food.

As long as he opened his mouth, the officials of a prefecture and a county would obey his orders.

And all this.

This is because behind my mentor are the clean stream of the entire Ming Dynasty and the gentry of the entire southeast.

He met the Tongzhi of Leizhou Prefecture, who was not very successful in officialdom and had only had a relationship with him as a teacher when he went to Beijing for the imperial examination.

A smile gradually appeared on Xu Jie's face.

But it was a biting sneer.

Silent and chilling.

"It would be better if they all went to the capital!"

…………

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(End of this chapter)