Chapter 665 No Difference

In the last few days of the year, what came from the capital was not only the news that Shen Shixing, Wang Xijue and Wang Xijue had resigned, but also a letter from Zhao Zhigao.

The letter was included in the official documents sent to the county government and was sent through the official delivery system. After the county government saw it, it was delivered to Lin Daguan.

Although letters sent through this channel are difficult to keep confidential, so confidential matters will not be clearly written on them.

But we are all cultural people, and we can use many metaphors to make the recipient understand the message tacitly after reading it.

For example, in this letter, Zhao Zhigao talks about King Zhuang of Chu.

Therefore, Lin Daguan understood. Zhao Zhigao hinted that he wanted to play a big role and directly become the first assistant.

After all, the most famous jokes of King Chuzhuang are "Three years of non-flying, one soars into the sky; three years of non-flying, one will become a blockbuster", and "Ask the importance of Jiuding".

Official Lin couldn't help but murmur in his heart, why did Mr. Zhao become so radical? Who gave him the courage?

This was not something I instigated. In my own mind, it was enough for Zhao Zhigao to be a secondary assistant.

I don’t know if Old Man Zhao can succeed. I hope that even if he doesn’t succeed, he won’t be successful.

Lin Tailai didn't care whether Zhao Zhigao could become the first assistant, but he was worried that he wouldn't be able to keep his current position.

Just as I was thinking about Zhao Zhigao, I heard a report saying that Master Youqing of the Xu family in Songjiang had arrived.

So Lin Tailai temporarily put down Zhao Zhigao's letter, called his son Lin Jiuyi, and went to Yimen to greet him.

This Xu Youqing is the great-grandson of the original chief assistant Xu Jie, and he has known Lin Tailai for several years.

Previously, Xu Youqing worked as a shadow official in the capital and was bullied by Xing Shangzhi, the factory steward. Lin Tailai avenged Xu Youqing.

The year before last, Lin Tailai visited Songjiang Prefecture on an eastward tour and made an in-law agreement with the Xu family. He married his eldest son, Lin Jiuyi, to Xu Youqing's daughter, so now Lin Tailai and Xu Youqing are related as sons and daughters.

This time Xu Youqing heard that Lin Tai was coming back to his hometown, and it happened to be the end of the year, so he came to visit relatives.

Lin Tailai met Xu Youqing, then called his six-year-old eldest son Lin Jiuyi to come forward to pay homage, and then went into the hall and took a seat.

Xu Youqing observed his words and asked, "Jiu Yuan seems to have something on his mind?"

Lin Tailai said casually: "The first and second assistants have both resigned, and even I am a little unsure of the next move of the court.

Senior Zhao Lanxi, the fourth assistant, hinted that he wanted to surpass the third assistant Wang Jiaping and compete for the first assistant position. "

Xu Youqing: "."

Is it okay for me to hear such confidential things? Or does Lin Jiuyuan no longer regard himself as an outsider?

Official Lin explained in detail: "Actually, senior Zhao Lanxi does not need to be so anxious. I am sure that even if Wang Jiaping becomes the first assistant, he will never last long.

After all, Wang Jiaping's camp position was irreconcilable with the emperor's. It was okay to be the second and third assistants, but he really couldn't survive as the first assistant.

In any case, the emperor would not be willing to let someone who fully supported the Qingliu forces be the first assistant, and sooner or later he would not be able to stand Wang Jiaping.

So Senior Zhao only needs to sit back and wait until he becomes the first assistant, but Senior Zhao wants to take action now, and he is still anxious. "

Xu Youqing could only remain stunned and continued: "Not everyone is as far-sighted as Jiuyuan, let alone others who are still in the game.

In Zhao Lanxi's eyes, this may be one of the few opportunities in his life, so he naturally refuses to miss it. "

Lin Tailai said calmly: "Let's not mention these annoying things for now. No matter how the cabinet changes, it doesn't matter."

Xu Youqing, who also had a chief minister in his family, was secretly frightened. When his great-grandfather Xu Jie, the chief minister, resigned from power, his grandfather Xu Fan was exiled from the army.

Lin Jiuyuan cannot be said to be indifferent to changes in the cabinet or even the replacement of the chief minister, but he does not seem nervous, as if it does not matter who he replaces.

This shows that Lin Jiuyuan has a solid foundation and is so confident that he is not affected by changes in the cabinet.

Lin Tailai pointed to Lin Jiuyi, the eldest son of the concubine, and said to Xu Youqing: "My son has grown up and is about to teach me a lesson. Can you recommend a famous teacher from Songjiang? You are his father-in-law, so please be considerate!"

Xu Youqing wondered why he had to look for a teacher specifically from Songjiang Mansion? Suzhou is full of celebrities, so why can't we find a suitable teacher?

Xu Youqing didn’t need to second guess, Lin Tailai explained straightforwardly: “Suzhou is too small to accommodate a bunch of children and grandchildren.

I think that Songjiang Prefecture has 5,000 acres of fertile land of my Lin family, 1,000 Suzhou Guards garrison, the business of Xinwu Club, and the seawall project of the General Engineering Bureau of Lin Group.

In the future, I want to give this son a military attaché position and divide the family into Songjiang Prefecture. This will also count as my Lin family establishing another branch in Songjiang Prefecture. "

Xu Youqing suddenly realized that it was no wonder he wanted to find a teacher from Songjiang for Lin Jiuyi.

This also increases Lin Jiuyi's background strength in Songjiang Prefecture, so it is best for this teacher to come from a famous family in Songjiang Prefecture.

"Yes! I'll look for a suitable one when I get back to Songjiang Mansion." Xu Youqing agreed.

Afterwards, the two parties had a candid exchange of views on the recent tax resistance trend in Songjiang Prefecture, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves greatly.

At this time, Zhang Wen, the Zuo protector, came in and reported: "The governor Zhao Shenlu entered the city today and returned to the procuratorate to settle in."

Lin Tailai said in surprise: "Does he think he can do it again?"

A dying fish that has been thrown on the shore, still wants to flop a few more times?

I don’t know who became the chief assistant in the capital in the end. The results should be out by now, but the news hasn't come through yet.

Let's celebrate the New Year first, and at the same time expect the enemy to be lenient and prepare for the situation in which Zhao Zhigao fails to compete for the first assistant.

Under normal circumstances, unless there is hatred of the level of murder of the father or the hatred of the wife, the New Year will be quiet.

The Suzhou Lin Mansion celebrated the New Year very lively, mainly because Lin Tailai returned, and the family of three generations and more than a dozen people were reunited, so naturally the whole house was celebrating.

And because of Lin Tailai's return, the number of people who came to pay New Year's greetings in person increased sharply, from the two archways of Jiuyuan Street to the gate of the Lin Mansion, it was blocked all day long.

The Lin Mansion had to open the Canglang Pavilion Garden to accommodate visitors.

According to the rules of the Lin Mansion, the first day of the New Year is the day for relatives to visit, the second day is the day for members of the Lin Group to visit, and the third day and after the third day are the days for local gentry to visit.

There was nothing to say about the first two days, but on the third and fourth days of the New Year, hundreds of gentry gathered in the front hall and front yard of the Lin Mansion, and it seemed that the front yard of the Lin Mansion had become the place for the New Year's party for all the literati in the city.

Mainly because the news that the two Suzhou people, the first assistant and the second assistant, both resigned from their posts spread, and the literati in the city were shocked, and everyone needed an occasion to express their feelings.

Everyone is discussing whether the Suzhou gang in the court will enter a low period again after the resignation of the two Suzhou assistant ministers, especially the chief minister Shen Shixing.

"Although the court still has Wang Tianguan of the Ministry of Personnel and Jiuyuan Zhenxian, there is still a lack of successors."

"Yes, there are not many Suzhou people among the current vice ministers and governors, and there are no Suzhou people among the senior officials of the Hanyuan poets. There is obviously a lack of stamina."

"Previously, there was Prime Minister Shen as the face of Suzhou. Now that Prime Minister Shen has left the country, the problem of no successor has been exposed all of a sudden."

"The reason for this situation is that when Prime Minister Shen was in office, the censors kept an eye on our Suzhou folks and caused trouble.

As a result, our Suzhou officials have been suspected of forming a party behind the back of the chief minister, and it has been difficult to get promoted. The right vice minister of the Ministry of Rites That's how Xu Xianqing was dismissed from office. "

"Isn't there Zhao Yongxian, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites in Changshu County?"

"Don't mention Zhao Yongxian anymore, this is obviously not the way of the villagers."

"It's a pity that Wang Tianguan is old and in poor health. I don't know how long he can hold on. If Wang Tianguan can't hold on anymore, then we in Suzhou will really have no one at the top."

"So now we can only hope that Lin Jiuyuan will hold up the sky for the villagers."

Sitting in the middle of the hall, accepting the villagers' "worship" in turn, Mr. Lin suddenly found that he had unknowingly become the hope of the whole village.

Several old villagers unanimously requested that Jiuyuan Zhenxian give a New Year's speech to everyone on the spot to boost the morale of the whole city.

Lin Tailai declined several times, but at this time, a yamen runner holding a document squeezed in under the leadership of the left protector Zhang Wen.

Lin Tailai opened the document and smiled to everyone: "The third assistant Wang Jiaping also resigned, and our old friend Zhao Zhigao from Lanxi in Suzhou became the first assistant."

The Suzhou scholars were still very familiar with the name Zhao Zhigao, after all, Zhao Zhigao served as the governor of Jiangnan for a year and a half a few years ago.

A person who became the governor of Jiangnan only four years ago, now he has become the first assistant?

Lin Tailai then said in public: "You can rest assured, although the first assistant is not from Suzhou, it is no different from before, because I am still here!"

Everyone believed it and regained confidence in the future. Everyone here knew how Zhao Zhigao became famous.

In fact, Mr. Lin was also quite surprised. He didn't expect that old man Zhao could overthrow Wang Jiaping in a few days. Did he underestimate the fighting power of old man Zhao?

However, with old man Zhao as the first assistant, he didn't have to do anything deliberately, just wait for the governor to come.

In the governor's office, Governor Zhao and Suzhou prefect Tu Shufang sat opposite each other.

Governor Zhao felt like he was being treated like a clown, because among all the officials in Suzhou, only Prefect Tu came to wish him a happy new year.

Even the military officers of Suzhou Guard, who should have respected the governor the most, did not come.

"Is the tax grain collected after the autumn of the whole prefecture only 70% of the quota?" Governor Zhao asked coldly.

Prefect Tu smiled bitterly and said, "There was a flood last year, and 70% of the money and grain was considered qualified."

Governor Zhao said dissatisfiedly, "But my decree requires 90%!"

Prefect Tu wanted to say "unrealistic", but for the sake of being in the same camp, he forbeared for the time being. He just replied, "The counties below only have these, no more."

Governor Zhao said bitterly, "Aren't these incompetent county officials afraid of punishment from this court!"

Even the governor's authority is not taken seriously. This place really needs to be thoroughly rectified!

The government decrees are no longer issued by the Procuratorate, what else are you fantasizing about? Prefect Tu advised: "Don't always focus on Suzhou Prefecture, the situation in Songjiang Prefecture is more tense."

At this time, the master rushed in and shouted: "Something is wrong! Wang Shanyin also resigned, and Zhao Lanxi became the prime minister!"

Governor Zhao was stunned for a long time. Was it not others who saw him as a clown, but he really looked like a clown?

I just moved back to the city's prosecution office for a few days, and even Wang Jiaping left?

If I had known earlier, I would continue to live in the Snake God Temple and not return to the city!

Prefect Tu shook his head, got up and left the governor's prosecution office.

This governor is completely finished. What else can he say to a dead person?

The people in the jurisdiction are pointing fingers at him, officials at all levels do not obey orders, and the central government has no support. From public opinion to practical affairs, it is not easy for a governor to get to this point.

When serving as an official in a local area, you must take government affairs as the foundation, and you cannot fight for the sake of fighting.

Governor Zhao's biggest failure was that he only had Lin Tailai in his eyes and completely ignored everything else, which led to him being surrounded by enemies on all sides.

There was silence in the court, fearing that they would disturb the dazed Governor Zhao.

Suddenly, another officer from the Biaoying came to the court and reported: "Someone is outside the door to wish you a happy new year."

Governor Zhao gradually came to his senses. Who in Suzhou City is so friendly that he would come to wish you a happy new year at this time?

The officer replied: "Sun Long, the eunuch of Suzhou and Hangzhou, brought a few boxes of silver, saying it was tax silver."

"Get out! Let him get out!" Governor Zhao was broken.

Originally, he wanted to stir up trouble in the city and then "move the contradiction upwards", but now this idea has also been extinguished.

There are no people of his own in the cabinet, and it would be suicide to stir up trouble.

The only thing he can do is to order the Biaoying officers and soldiers to guard the court strictly and continue to endure like this.

As long as nothing happens, he can lock himself up in the court until the end of his term.

It has to be said that Governor Zhao's mentality is like an ostrich burying its head in the soil.

After the first month of the year, the court, which had gradually resumed normal operations, issued an imperial edict to the Suzhou Procuratorate, strictly ordering Yingtian Governor Zhao Canlu to go to Songjiang Prefecture to quell the anti-tax trend within one month.

At the same time, because of the tight transportation capacity this year, 500 officers and soldiers were transferred from the governor's camp to escort the white grain used by the palace to the north.

The ruling system of the Ming Dynasty had not collapsed yet. The governor disobeyed the imperial edict and could only be dismissed and punished.

Governor Zhao could only lead the remaining hundreds of soldiers and march eastward along the Wusong River to Songjiang Prefecture.

The distance between Suzhou and Songjiang Prefecture was too close. Although Governor Zhao drove slowly all the way, he still entered the territory of Songjiang Prefecture two days later.

Now, after two years of opening up and construction, in order to connect with the upcoming era of maritime trade, several river ports have been built in the Wusong River, especially in the newly dredged lower reaches.

Qinglong Port, not far from the junction of Suzhou and Songjiang Prefecture, is one of them, and it is also a relatively prosperous one.

After the fleet of Governor Zhao arrived at Qinglong Port, it was difficult to move forward.

Because there were dozens of boats connected on the river, completely blocking the river.

And the road on land was piled with wood and stones, forming a temporary fortress, completely blocking Governor Zhao's way into the heart of Songjiang Prefecture.

Looking at the few hundred soldiers left under his command, Governor Zhao ordered to turn around and withdraw to Suzhou.

But on the way here, at the border of Kunshan County, both the waterway and the land were tightly blocked by angry rioters.

So the governor and his entourage of hundreds of people were trapped within a few miles of the junction of the two prefectures, and they were in a dilemma.

After being trapped for several days, the governor jumped into the river to commit suicide, but was rescued. Since then, he has been seriously ill and resigned from office.

The people of Suzhou said that their emotions were very stable. This kind of drama is not new, and it is no different from before.

Lin Tailai, who was inspecting the Humble Administrator's Garden, heard the news and asked with some concern: "Where did the governor jump?"

Zhang Wen, the left protector, replied: "The governor jumped into the river in Songjiang Prefecture."

Lin Tailai breathed a sigh of relief and said thankfully: "It's good that it's not in Suzhou. I feel relieved. Otherwise, I can't explain it clearly."

Then he instructed: "Send the best doctor in Suzhou. Don't let people's hearts be chilled."