The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

After receiving the imperial edict, Wei Yinghong naturally wanted to treat the imperial envoy to a meal. He was accompanied by Lin Ruhai, the next prefect, Huang Weizhong, the prefect of Jinan, and other officials in the prefecture. The meal was enjoyable and everyone at the table was happy.

But the words they talked about didn't make much sense. They were just some conversational remarks following the lively momentum. The real conversation was left to the evening, at the family banquet held in the back hall of the government office.

Tonight is the last time Wei Yinghong lives in the government office as the magistrate of Yangzhou. Starting tomorrow, he will hand over duties to his friend Lin Ruhai. If everything goes well, he will leave Yangzhou for the capital in the afternoon or the day after tomorrow.

At the family dinner in the evening, not many people attended. There were only three people, Lin Ruhai, Huang Weizhong and Dong Qing. Pei Huaizhen was originally invited, but the mountain chief had been in poor health these days, so he asked someone to deliver the message to him at the ferry.

This meal took more than half an hour to eat. Only then did Wei Yinghong get up and send Dong Qing and Huang Weizhong away.

Lin Ruhai waited until he came back from outside and already skillfully took out a set of chessboards and placed them on the table.

You know how to choose your time. Although Wei Yinghong was bad at chess, he was very addicted. Seeing his friend's behavior, he took the initiative to roll up his sleeves and sit across from Lin Ruhai.

Next time I want to play chess with you, I don't know when it will be.

As parting was imminent, Lin Ruhai also rarely expressed emotion. He deliberately pushed Heizi in front of the other party, indicating that he would give way today.

Wei Yinghong didn't refuse, smiled, picked up a sunspot and dropped it. He didn’t drink much at the family dinner in the evening, and he was in high spirits at the moment. “As you said, won’t we be reunited in the capital in a few years?”

Lin Ruhai smiled and accepted his friend's blessing, his move was very casual. For Lin Ruhai, chess friends like Wei Yinghong are really not worth the trouble. Is Your Majesty too impatient?

Wei Yinghong felt a bit at a disadvantage. After several moves, he had to take a long exam before he had time to reply: Dong Qing told me privately that I heard that the grassland tribes were a little restless. I didn't know that they Do you want to make a small fuss, or are you forced by Tsarist Russia on the other side and prepare to fight us hard? (Note 1)

However, His Majesty's patience is indeed becoming increasingly limited. At this juncture, the layout of Yangzhou is even more critical.

Lin Ruhai recognized the other party's judgment. After all, the two of them had been painstakingly planning the layout of the famous Yangzhou since the disaster began. Wei Yinghong was suddenly transferred to the capital at such a critical juncture. It can only be said that the party struggle within the imperial court has become increasingly fierce.

And when Dong Qing said at the banquet tonight that the positions of Yangzhou Censor and Yangzhou Academic Affairs have not yet been determined, he was also giving them a subtle hint that His Majesty was in a tug-of-war with the Emperor's old ministers over this matter.

What do you think we should choose between censorship and academic administration?

Lin Ruhai's strategy is very good, but his decisiveness is slightly inferior to Wei Yinghong's. This is also a common problem among most smart people. They see too many gains and losses in their eyes and tend to complicate simple problems.

Just like the chess game in their hands, they have been fighting in the corner. However, Wei Yinghong suddenly dropped the sunspot on Tianyuan, and Lin Ruhai couldn't figure it out.

What kind of mess is this? ! Lin Ruhai kept frowning, thinking about the meaning of his friend's move.

Of course it's the salt policy. Wei Yinghong secretly screamed in his heart that it was terrible, why this move was wrong, but he continued, Only with money can we have military pay, and with military pay can we stabilize the armies everywhere, and the world will not be in chaos.

This is the same as when we run a weaving workshop. After all, money is never too little. If there is going to be a war with the grassland ministries next year, then the Yangzhou salt merchants cannot afford to lose anything.

Lin Ruhai agreed with Wei Yinghong's judgment. After casually mentioning a few sunspots on the corner, It seems that the students from Yangzhou will have to suffer.

If the position of academic administration is to be handed over to the opposing faction, it will be difficult to predict the future college examination situation.

It doesn't matter, it will only last a few years. Wei Yinghong's words had a clear meaning.

Lin Ruhai nodded tacitly. Indeed, the Supreme Emperor is now nearly seventy years old. As long as His Majesty can stabilize the army and rely on a group of incompetent civil servants, when the Supreme Emperor dies, who else will be able to hold the title of father and son over His Majesty's head.

The rest are just clowns. Time is on their side after all.

However, Lin Ruhai thought of something. Should he take advantage of the fact that the new academic administration's foundation was not stable to push Chen Heng to pass the college examination first?

His original plan was to take Chen Heng with him and teach him personally for a few years. Then jump all the way to the meeting in a few steps. But if you are a person who is the Supreme Emperor in academic affairs, like Chen Heng, who has such a close relationship with his family, you may be made things difficult for him in every possible way.

After all, the college examination is different from the provincial examination. It is a major event controlled by the academic administration of the government. In the latter, the imperial court personally appoints officials to serve as the examiners of the provincial examination. The prefect also does not have much power to interfere with the college examinations. This has nothing to do with rank, just different powers.

Lin Ruhai told Wei Yinghong his thoughts. The latter smiled and nodded, took out a secret letter from Dong Qing, handed it to his friend, and said: Your Majesty wrote it in his own hand. I didn't have a chance to show it to you at noon. Please take a look. What’s at the end of the letter?”

Seeing the proud look on Wei Yinghong's face, Lin Ruhai opened the secret message. In the private letters between their monarchs and ministers, His Majesty's words were quite casual. He was concerned about the family situations of several subordinates, so he focused on encouraging Wei and Lin for their performance in this disaster relief.

At the end of the letter, His Majesty made a few strokes of appreciation for Public Security Shu and added: I love him very much for his talent. I hope Wei Qing and Lin Qing will teach him well.

Lin Ruhai couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He gave such a high evaluation to His Majesty. He was a little surprised, but he wasn't too surprised. After all, he was one of the few people who knew the whole story of Public Security Shu.

Well, let me just say I'm lucky. Wei Yinghong rubbed his hands excitedly, When he takes part in the general examination in the future, I will try to be his examiner, hahahahaha. In the future, when he sees me, he will also You have to call Master Wei.

This was a joke in private, but Wei Yinghong was indeed qualified to say this. When he went to the capital, he only served as the left minister of the Ministry of Rites. But the Minister of Rites is already over seventy years old, and he should retire in one or two years at most.

When he entered the capital at his age, he had no choice but to call Wei Yinghong Grand Uncle.

Thinking of this, Lin Ruhai chuckled. It's just that it's hard to say who has better luck between him and Wei Yinghong right now, and it's even harder to say in the future.

By the way, what are you going to do about Huang Wendong's salt merchants?

After Wei Yinghong played chess, he asked another question while holding tea.

During this period, Xu Mazi and others were in prison, and they recruited everything they could. After revealing that several salt merchants in Yangzhou City were also involved in the matter, Wei and Lin planned to kill them as a warning to others.

By the way, you can also raid a house and add extra income to the Yangzhou government office.

Wait. Starting tomorrow, Lin Ruhai, the prefect of Yangzhou, will give birth to his son. We'll see what the new academic administrator wants to do after he takes office.

But I can't see this excitement anymore. Wei Yinghong shook his head regretfully, I think that boy Chen Heng hasn't given us a complete explanation about the weaving workshop. After I leave, remember to arrest that boy. Come and give it a good hammering.”

Lin Ruhai coughed lightly and said with a strange expression: I know what's going on.

Wei Yinghong was busy thinking about the move, but he didn't notice the strangeness in Lin Ruhai's words, and said: By the way, when I leave the city, remember to bring Chen Heng to see me off.

What are you doing? Lin Ruhai suddenly became alert.

I think this boy is promising in his conduct and work. Whether it's his willingness to give away a hundred taels to others, or his efforts to create a newspaper, or to resettle the refugees, I like him very much. I'm going to let him see Qi Jun and Shuer, they may have taken a liking to each other.

Aren't those two in your family older than him?

What's wrong? Wei Yinghong disagreed and said arrogantly: In the future, many ministers will be father-in-law. Is it possible that he has been wronged?

You're quite smart in your calculations. Lin Ruhai gritted his teeth secretly after hearing this.

That's not the case. Wei Yinghong didn't hear the backlash in his words and just said proudly, He has caught His Majesty's eyes, how can his future career be any worse? Ruhai, I can say it first, he is my first If you like it, you can’t snatch it from me.”

Wei Yinghong didn't want to experience Pei Huaizhen's regret again.

…………

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The next day, we were sent off to the dock in Yangzhou.

Lin Ruhai and Wei Yinghong, who had already put on their new official robes, said goodbye here. The nearby officials who came to see him off felt warm in their hearts when they saw the old and new Shangguan had such a deep relationship.

It's good to have a good relationship. They are all officials promoted by Wei Yinghong. Master Lin will definitely remember this old relationship and treat them well.

While the colleagues who were seeing him off weren't paying attention, Wei Yinghong pulled Lin Ruhai in front of him, Why didn't you call that kid?

Sir, who are you talking about?

From today onwards, Wei Yinghong is the official Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites, and Lin Ruhai has to be called the Master of the Ministry of Education in public.

Okay, Ruhai, how dare you pretend to be confused with me!!!

Master Bu Tang, you'd better get on the boat quickly. Lin Ruhai laughed.

Lin Daiyu on the other side was rarely brought to the scene by Lin Ruhai. She was holding handkerchiefs between the two and said with tears in her eyes: I can't believe that I have to say goodbye to my two sisters like this.

Thinking of the days and nights spent together over the past few years, the past is still vivid in my mind. Wei Qijun and Wei Shu were also very sad and only held sister Lin's hand, Good sister, don't worry. If you miss us, just write to us. If you come to the capital to visit in the future, remember to come see us.

You two sisters, please take care of yourself all the way here.

Good sister, you have to take care of yourself too.

Ah ah ah, it has been polished for a long time. If there are any typos, I will correct them tomorrow.