Outside the Xuande Gate, several people wearing silk and satin appeared to gather around the Dengwen drum and exchanged heads.

One of them said: "Peng Yuanwai, are you from the capital, or do you come to beat the drum and submit a book by the way." We outsiders, where can we figure things out in the capital? I don't know what to do with this drum. ”

A black-faced middle-aged man known as Peng Yuanwai said with a calm face: "What's the point of beating the drum?" This drum is set up here for the people of the world to beat. Changing the tea method allows you two tea merchants to benefit the most, and they are directly handled, so they naturally know better than others. You just beat the drum, and when an official asks, you just say it. ”

After listening to the words of the drummer, the others still hesitated, and no one stepped forward.

At the feet of the Son of Heaven in the capital, there are many rules, and a few members are naturally overlords in their hometowns, and when they arrive in the capital, they become dirt buns, and they are extra careful in their every move. The more Peng Yuanwai said that beating the drums could go straight to the sky, the more cautious these people were.

The drummer couldn't help but be a little impatient, and said to everyone: "The Son of Heaven loves the people and is very willing to listen to the people's suffering, what are you worried about?" When I think about the time of Emperor Zhenzong, let alone beating the drum, the Son of Heaven is out of the palace, and you can invite a car to drive on the royal street! Every time the Son of Heaven comes out, the streets are crowded, my dad was so bold back then, he once stopped the royal car, and it was okay to have nothing to do! What are you worried about? ”

When the others heard this, some people asked, "Why did the old drum officer invite the car to drive?" Have you been wronged? ”

"What a grievance! My dad is just curious, I want to see how the Son of Heaven looks and what the crown robe looks like! ”

Everyone listened to Peng Yuanwai's words and was in an uproar. It turned out that this excuse could be used to stop the royal car, and the people of the capital were bold enough.

When Zhenzong was in the alliance of the Yuanyuan, he always felt that he had lost face, and he was particularly close to the people before the East and West worships, and every time he went out of the palace, there were people who invited the car to drive with all kinds of strange excuses, and Zhenzong was cordially received. Later, it became more and more intense, and the excuses used by the people became more and more unbelievable, such as just wanting to see the face of the sky, and stopping the emperor's honor guard, so that for a period of time, Zhenzong had to use heaven to go out of the palace and walk a short distance on the royal street. In the end, I was so annoyed that I set the rules, and the subjects were not allowed to invite cars to drive casually, but to follow the procedures.

Specifically, whether the people of the capital have grievances or suggestions to write to the state, they must first go through the two channels of the Dengwen Drum Institute and the Dengwen Inspection Yuan, and only when these channels are not passable, they are allowed to invite cars to drive.

As for the people of other prefectures and counties, they must first go through the local government, and if the prefectures and counties ignore them, they will sue the transfer envoy, and the transit envoy is obliged to hand over the letter to the people, and they must send it to the capital in a real seal. This road does not work, and then the next level is to enter Beijing to beat the drum, the transfer envoy should give the pleadings, the post house should provide food and lodging, and then the procedure will be the same as that of the people in the capital.

Inviting a car to drive is to block the emperor's way to sue the emperor, at least in this era, it is still one of the legal appeal channels, and it is the last resort, but now it is forbidden to appeal beyond the level.

The two Huai tea merchants want to go to the book to change the tea law, and it is said that they must first pass the two Huai magistrates and come up one level at a time. Peng Yuanwai didn't know the consequences of beating the drum, so he repeatedly shirked it and let the tea merchant knock it himself.

The sun rose, the front hall began to pass through the court, a large number of idle officials out of the imperial city, at a glance saw the crowd around the Dengwen drum, there were good things to surround them, standing aside to watch the excitement.

Seeing that there were officials watching, several tea merchants from other places were even more panicked and at a loss for a while.

In the end, a thin middle-aged man was impatient, gritted his teeth, strode forward to pick up the drumstick, stepped on the lunge, raised his arm, and struck the huge Dengwen drum with a drumstick.

"Knock-" A dull drum beat wafted in front of the imperial city.

"Knock! Knock! Several petty officials who gathered around to watch the excitement applauded.

Since the queen was deposed, although many officials have written against it in the follow-up, it is a result of not reporting. These days, the capital is really a bit dull, and these people who come from nowhere knock on the drums, and they want to be lively for a while.

These petty officials don't do anything, they go to the court every day, and then they have nothing to do, not to mention that many people often don't go to the court. People will always have problems when they are idle, and they especially like to watch the excitement, which is the case with these idle petty officials.

Nie Guanqing, who was sentenced to the Wengu Academy, had just returned from His Royal Highness the Vertical Arch, and there was still some distance from the yamen, and he couldn't help but tremble in his heart when he heard the sound of drums not far away.

A few years ago, because of the rise in the price of heavy snow, the drum was knocked once, and the result was a stir in the capital, and the charcoal households in the line were almost caught, and now the aftermath is still unsettled. This time, someone beat the drum again, I don't know what it was for, but don't cause so much trouble like last time, the current boss Sun Zude is not as responsible as Fan Zhongyan.

Hurried to the gate of Dengwen Drum Courtyard, and saw many people gathered outside the door, Nie Guanqing stopped first to adjust his breath, and then walked forward steadily.

Outside the crowd, Nie Guanqing coughed in a deep voice and said loudly: "Which one knocks on the drum?" For what? ”

A tea merchant saw Nie Guanqing's appearance, and it was no different from the officials who were watching the excitement, so he said, "What kind of official is here?" We just beat our own drums, so why bother? ”

The officials who watched the excitement around laughed together, and looked at Nie Guanqing embarrassed.

Nie Guanqing lifted his official hat and said in a deep voice: "I am an official who is in charge of the Dengwen drum, are you beating the drum not to let me come out?" ”

Only then did the tea merchants know that the main owner was coming, and they hurriedly stepped forward to salute: "I have seen the officials!" ”

Nie Guanqing saw the people who gathered around to watch the excitement, and said to the tea merchant: "You come with me to the yamen!" ”

After speaking, he walked into the Dengwen Drum Courtyard first.

The tea merchants looked at each other, and finally looked at Peng Yuanwai together.

The drummer said in a deep voice: "The official has spoken, and he won't go in together!" ”

After speaking, he mixed in the crowd of tea merchants, and followed the officials who came out into the Dengwen Drum Courtyard.

When he arrived at the official hall, Nie Guanqing sat down and asked the tea merchant standing in the hall: "How many of you, why are you drumming?" Are they the people in the capital or from other counties? But what grievances do you have to sue? Or is there something else? ”

A tea merchant was pushed out by everyone, stepped forward and saluted: "Shangguan, the little ones are Huainan tea merchants." Now that the solar term has passed the beginning of spring, look at the rain, and it is almost the season to harvest tea. In the township, the little ones heard that the tea law was going to be changed this year, and they waited left and right and did not see the news, and they were uneasy. Only then did we come to the capital, write to the court, and revise the tea law! ”

Hearing this, Nie Guanqing's brows furrowed. Recently, news about changing the tea law has come out from time to time, but I didn't see any specific action, but I didn't expect the Huainan tea merchants to jump out first. (To be continued.) )