As a rule, before the Qincha left Beijing, the emperor would receive the opportunity to meet and give the opportunity, but this time the three Qincha were all directly on the road, and the emperor did not see any of them, which seemed to be a bit of a cold bystander.

The day after receiving the decree, Wang Xian said goodbye to his wife in tears and led the guards out of Beijing. This trip to Shanxi, which is related to the fate of the crown prince and grandson, is based on Wang Xian's jīng, Xianyun, Wu Wei, Erhei, Mo Wen, Xu Huaiqing and others all set off with him.

Thousands of people crossed the Yangtze River, then from the land to the north, this is the end of October, the Beijing division can still feel the cold, the more north the day is colder, eight days later to Henan, the river has frozen, but for the soldiers who have conquered Mobei, this is simply not a matter.

More than 1,000 horses galloped on the vast plain of Central China, roaring and singing along the way, quite a thousand horses rolled Pinggang, how enjoyable

But Wang Xian and the others also clearly found that the further north they went, the more difficult the people's lives became, and the dilapidated thatched huts, the people who did not cover their bodies, and the yellow muscles were not the same as the people in the capital and Zhejiang.

"When I went out on the expedition before, I walked along the Grand Canal, and I saw the people in ragged clothes and vegetables, and I thought that the people of Shandong were so bitter." Wu Wei said sadly.

"After all, Jiangnan is a land of fish and rice, and no matter how difficult it is for the people, they will have something to eat," Xu Huaiqing sighed: "It is not good in the north, the land is barren and low-yielding, the people work hard, and it is very difficult." ”

"It is said that the emperor has overdrawn the people's strength too much over the years, and the people are no longer able to continue, and they didn't believe it at first, but now they know that what Lu Dao said is true." Mo asked that depressed face to express his current mood, which is really suitable.

"Fortunately, the emperor also realized that now the life of the four seas is right now, and he can rest with the people." Wang Xian said softly.

"Not necessarily." Erhei said in a muffled voice: "I heard Kuaixiang say that the palace has issued an order to order all craftsmen in the capital to go to Běijīng, and it is said that a Forbidden City will be built that is much larger than the current palace." He took a sip and said, "I don't understand, the emperor already has tens of millions of mansions, so why do you still need to repair them?" Can you live there? ”

"It's just a matter of talking between brothers, but don't mess with others." Wang Xian glanced at him and said.

"But I think you're too worried," Seeing that everyone expressed their high opinions, Xianyun couldn't help but speak: "Before the emperor, he built the canal, built the běijīng, compiled the Yongle ceremony, went to the West, and cut down Annan...... There are more places to use money, but there has been no major mess, and it is impossible to crush a palace? ”

Everyone was speechless for a while, but Wang Xian said lightly: "Of course, a palace can't crush the Ming Dynasty, but the money used to repair the palace can crush the Ming Dynasty." ”

After listening to Wang Xian's words, everyone became more and more confused, and he had to further explain: "The reason why the emperor was able to accomplish the great cause that several generations of emperors could not accomplish was because of a secret weapon. ”

"What secret weapon?"

"This." Wang Xian took out a piece of paper from the page of his boot and said.

"Treasure money?" Everyone couldn't help but be disappointed: "It's too hard to wipe your buttocks." ”

"That's the secret." Wang Xian said expressionlessly: "From the consistent banknotes to the consistent money, to the current consistent banknotes are only worth more than a dozen yuan, the reason for the sharp depreciation is that the imperial court in order to cope with the huge expenditures, the great cause of the emperor to issue treasure money indiscriminately, is based on the wanton plundering of hundreds of millions of people's family wealth in more than 20 years."

"Yes, my family was originally a wealthy businessman, but after the corruption of the money law, the original family wealth was not even successful, and he had to come out to serve as a soldier to eat food." These words aroused a strong resonance from Zhou Yong, and Wu Wei also nodded: "Twenty years ago, the family of rich merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is now gone. ”

"The over-issuance of banknotes without reserves is the naked plundering of people's wealth." Wang Xian sighed and said: "It's just that when the people's strength is exhausted, this road will not be able to go on......"

Everyone now understood what Wang Xian meant. During the Hongwu period, the treasure banknote can also be used for hundreds of yuan, but now it is only worth a dozen yuan, and a slightly older one like this one is too hard to even wipe the buttocks. At the same time, in order to protect the status of the treasure bank, the Yongle Emperor repeatedly banned gold and silver, and ordered the violators to kill their heads and fill the army, and all the family property belonged to the whistleblower, and the people were not allowed to abandon the treasure money and use gold and silver instead, what is the difference with robbery?

But now the people would rather barter than accept the treasure money that has been depreciated, which is the deadliest response to the Yongle Emperor

"During the Yongle period, the expenses of the imperial court have always been two to three times the annual income, and this difference is all made up by over-issuing treasure money." Mo asked the face and said miserably: "In this way, when the people abandon the treasure banknote, it is the bankruptcy of the imperial court."

"When will the people abandon their treasures?" Young Master Xianyun asked with difficulty.

"It's almost ......" everyone struggled to burst out two words, and then fell into a long silence.

"Okay, it's Zhengzhou ahead," Wang Xian woke up everyone for a long time: "You can't starve to death at any time, let's do a good job."

Everyone responded in unison, looked up, and sure enough, they saw that the people in front of them were gradually prosperous, and there was a yellow city wall in sight.

The guards were stationed at the post station outside Zhengzhou City, and Wang Xian brought more than a dozen people into Zhengzhou City in civilian clothes. At this time, Zhengzhou was only a scattered state under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Prefecture, and its status and prosperity were far from being comparable with later generations. However, it is also the hinterland of the Central Plains, the thoroughfare of all directions, and it looks much better than the prefectures and counties on the way.

Wang Xian and the others were not in the mood to go shopping, so they inquired all the way to a secluded alley in the west of the state city, looking for Shi Longtan, the former head of the Jin Dynasty who lived here.

According to the address given by the grandson, everyone found the third house in the alley, and before they knocked on the door, they smelled a strong smell of medicine from the crack in the closed door.

Erhei stepped forward and knocked on the door, and after a while, a crisp female voice asked, "Who?" ”

"May I ask if this is Mr. Longtan's house?" Erhei asked angrily.

"Who are you?" The door opened a small slit, revealing half of a pretty face full of jǐngti.

"Oh, we are from Kyori, and we have come to visit Mr. Long on the orders of my master." Erhei said, handing a dragon-shaped jade pendant in.

"Wait a minute." The woman took the jade pendant, went in and opened the door for a while, blessed everyone, and said softly: "My father is in bed and can't greet him, please forgive me." ”

"That's a big deal." Erhei looked at this woman, with black braids, a slender figure, and a face that was not national and fragrant, but another beautiful and moving, with slightly thick eyebrows, and even more heroic. Unprecedentedly, his face was hot, and he looked a little cramped.

Wang Xian and the others wanted to laugh at him, but the girl's father was sick, so he had to hold back his laughter and enter the courtyard. This small yard is very clean, but the medicinal materials are dried in the dustpan, and the pots of medicine are boiled on the charcoal stove, which makes people know that there are patients in this family.

When I entered the north room, I saw a middle-aged man lying on the kang with a withered appearance, with gray hair and blank eyes, looking much older than his actual age, his eyes rolled, and his lips moved a few times.

"My father asked," or his daughter explained, "are you from the East Palace?" ”

"Yes, I was sent by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince," Wang Xian nodded, looking at the middle-aged man with a sickly face: "You are Longtan Long Changshi?" ”

The middle-aged man pointed to the first drawer of the cabinet, and his daughter opened the drawer, took out an official notice and handed it to Wang Xian, Wang Xian saw that it was the twentieth year of Hongwu, and appointed the Tai student Longtan as the right long history of the Jin Palace, so he no longer doubted, handed it back to the girl, and asked, "Why did your father suddenly fall ill?" ”

"My father's health was not good, and he had so many things to do this year, and as soon as he came back from the capital, he fell ill." The dragon girl said with tears in her eyes.

Everyone sighed when they heard this, and they all said that they were yellow now, and they were so sick that they couldn't bear to go to Shanxi, even if they asked him something.

That Long Tan seemed to know what they meant, his lips moved a few more times, and his daughter said: "What my father means, if you have anything, just ask me, I know everything." ”

"This," he really didn't know what to ask her, so Wang Xian had to tell the truth: "Actually, we came to ask Mr. Long to be a guide for us." Afraid that the other party would misunderstand, he hurriedly explained: "But before I came, I didn't expect Mr. Long to be so sick." ”

"Is it the imperial court that wants to rehabilitate His Highness?" Miss Long's eyes lit up.

"This ...... You need to act on the opportunistic. Wang Xian said vaguely.

However, this has made Miss Long seem to be a different person, and she took the initiative to ask: "I will go to Shanxi for my father and you."

"You ......" the men suspected that they had misheard.

"It's me" Miss Long straightened her chest and said crisply: "I grew up in Shanxi, and my father never hid anything from me, but I know the people and things in Shanxi." ”

"That won't take you on the road either." Erhei muttered.

"What's wrong with the woman, you don't treat me as a woman." Miss Long said: "No one will recognize me when I wear men's clothes." ”

"That's right." Erhei's huge head is like a chicken pecking rice.

"Don't mess around," Wang Xian coughed, "Your father won't agree." ”

Who knew that Long Tan nodded slowly, pointed at his daughter, and then pointed at Wang Xian, the meaning couldn't be clearer - let her go with you

"A few adults don't know," Seeing the surprised faces of a few people, Miss Long choked up and said: "My family has been deeply favored by two generations of princes, even if they are broken bones, there is no way to repay them, and my father became angry because the prince was framed and deposed, and he was unable to rescue him. Now that I have the opportunity to rehabilitate the prince, my family will do it even if they have their lives" She looked at her father and said: "Now that my father is bedridden, it is my duty to be a daughter, please be sure to agree" After speaking, Wang Xian knelt down and kowtowed vigorously.

"My lord......" Erhei was so moved that he almost shed tears, winked at Wang Xian, and begged him to agree to her quickly.

Wang Xian sighed and said, "Then what about your father?" ”

"With my mother and my brother here, my father will always take care of me." Miss Long was overjoyed and said: "Wait a minute, my lord, I'll tell my mother to go" Saying that she didn't give Wang Xian a chance to regret it again, she went into the room like a gust of wind.