Section 11: The Hero's Initial Display of Power

  Just as the Imperial Guards were about to seize him, Jin Jie almost fainted.

  "Slow!" Zhu Qiyan waved his hand: "Let him go to the Yushu House to wait, declare Shang Shuang, Yang Ning, and Yu Qian enter the palace. Urgent summons!"

  The emperor told him to wait in the imperial study, Jin Jie was very suspicious if he had misheard. In this life and death situation, his sweat had already soaked through his clothes, it was really too stimulating.

  The young emperor saw a small opportunity to show off his grand vision and also gain popularity among the people. Since he ascended to the throne, he had been looking for an opportunity to make those unfavorable remarks about him in the folk disappear, after all, his own elder brother, the Taishang Emperor was still under house arrest in the South Palace.

  This thing is great! It's really fantastic!

  Urgent recruitment, don't say you're at home for the New Year, even if you're taking a bath or wrapped in a quilt, you must rush into the palace immediately.

  Shang Xiang, a famous minister of the Ming Dynasty, was a genius who governed his family with filial piety and the country with benevolence and righteousness. Yang Ning, currently serving as Minister of Rites, may not have a renowned name that will be passed down through generations, but he is now the Minister of Rites, which is reason enough for him to enter the palace.

  Yu Qian, the last one, Ming Zhi Yue Wu Mu!

  The young, only twenty-three-year-old Jingtai Emperor Zhu Qizhen felt for the first time since ascending to the throne that he had a real opportunity to establish a great reputation among the people, and he absolutely would not let this chance slip away.

  Xiao Taijian Jin Jie, as a party involved in this matter, was honored to have the qualifications to enter the imperial study.

  The eunuch had no chair, but he was given a soft cushion to kneel on, which was already a great favor.

  Bai Menghu's plan book had been read by Zhu Qiyu, and after the three ministers arrived, they sat together to review this plan book. Finally, Shang Lu came out and asked: "Your Majesty, I have a question before commenting on this proposal."

  "Ask away!" Zhu Qiyan even stopped the banquet, it can be seen that he is very concerned about this matter.

  Shang Yan asked Jin Jie: "Jin Gongshi, this official is not clear. Why is the article's meaning profound, but it's written so crudely, and it uses charcoal instead of a brush?"

  "I said I didn't understand eight-legged essays, so he wrote it this way. At that time his hand was injured and couldn't hold a pen."

  "Who is he and why did he give you this article?" Shang Xiao asked again.

  Jin Jie wants to answer what, beforehand Bai Minghe has taught once already.

  Jin Jie recalled the words White Crane had taught him and replied, "This man is called White Crane, a scholar from Guanzhong. He has pawned his floating ticket with the eight village heads of Balian Village in Lishui County to resolve the deadly feud that has lasted for over twenty years."

  He swallowed hard and continued:

  "It's these villages that have no water for spring irrigation, often fight and even kill each other over it. I happened to be passing by, so I told him, if the Emperor wants to reward me, this good-hearted man has done something for the people, the Emperor is a kind ruler who loves his people like his own children, I'll get him that abandoned quarry, which will help solve the water shortage problem for these 32 villages."

  Jin Jie said a sentence: "Emperor Gong is loving his people like his children", Zhu Qizhen was very satisfied and delighted.

  Jin Jie spoke up to this point, and Yu Qian interjected a sentence.

  "Your Majesty, the matter of the 8 li and 32 villages in Lai Shui County has been reported to the county and prefecture for many years, with many deaths and injuries from armed fights. There have also been magistrates who wanted to resolve it, but so far none have succeeded. Since there are floating tickets, this is a good deed for the examinees of this year's imperial examination. Although his method is somewhat childish, he has not thought about how an official can help him obtain that mountain land."

  "It's probably a desperate move made in a moment of urgency, a case of desperately seeking any cure!"

  Jin Jie was a clever eunuch, and at this time, he received Bai Minghe's guidance. Jin Jie shouted again: "The emperor loves his people like his children, and there must be a way to help him save the people."

  "Slap yourself!" Zhu Qiyan said calmly. Jin Jie hastily slapped himself several times on the face.

  "Shang Gong and Yu Gong are talking, can you let me interrupt?" Although it was a reprimand, Zhu Qiyan still had a hint of a smile on his face.

  The two ministers exchanged a glance, their reactions almost identical: The Emperor was still too young.

  There's nothing more to say, Yu Qian signaled Jin Jie to continue.

  "He said that since there is a reward for oneself, one must make some contribution, so he wrote this thing."

  Shang Mou asked some more details, and Jin Jie had previously discussed with Bai Minghe, so he answered naturally without any mistakes. Even these two famous people of the time couldn't say that there was anything wrong with what Bai Minghe did, except for handing this thing over to the eunuch. They just thought that Bai Minghe was young and impulsive in his desire to save people.

  If there's anything wrong, it's just that they were so desperate for a cure that they believed in an eunuch. Another mistake is that as a holder of the imperial examination degree, his writing should be extraordinary, but he produced something crude and unrefined. Even if it has deep connotations and is extremely clever, without good writing, this thing will still be considered inferior.

  "You may withdraw now, you have done a good job this time, and I will reward you."

  Jin Jie was just a eunuch, after Emperor Taizong of Ming suppressed the eunuchs' clique and the civil officials regained power, Shang Lu naturally looked down on a small eunuch.

  What Baimenghe gave was a detailed plan, which is a plan to let the common people eat vegetables in winter, the art of winter storage.

  The focus is on the large-scale winter storage of radishes and Chinese cabbage, as well as the opinion paper on rationed distribution.

  The winter storage technology is a merit, and the common people buy according to their tickets in proportion, which is another merit. In some cases where materials are in short supply, distribution is at a price that benefits the people, and the excess part is naturally priced several times higher.

  This point can be used not only for winter cabbage but also on salted fish.

  Let's talk about eating vegetables this winter!

  In the Ming Dynasty, there was a dish in winter called "huotan nuancài" or "fire-forced sprouts", with limited varieties and astonishingly high prices.

  This technique already existed in the Han Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, Empress Wu Zetian ordered peonies to bloom in winter and called them "charcoal-roasted peonies".

  These are all top-notch aristocrats who have the opportunity to enjoy them, ordinary people simply don't have a chance.

  Chinese cabbage and radish already existed in the Yuan Dynasty, but in the early years of the Ming Dynasty, they were still in a state of pickled vegetables for winter or dried vegetables for winter. The real winter storage did not truly exist until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, which was at least two hundred years after the Jingtai era. So the plan proposed by Bai Minghe is very practical.

  What is most valuable? In the desert, a bottle of water is worth more than gold.

  After Emperor Taizong of Zhu Qiyan had put his own elder brother under house arrest and became the emperor, what he needed most among the people was prestige. This method of winter storage vegetables, in peaceful times, would be just a small suggestion, and it would be enough to praise it orally. But at this time, it is a good thing that cannot be bought with ten thousand pieces of gold.

  At this time, Dizong Zhu Qiyu had already thought of the topics for the imperial examination in the palace.

  It's just starting from people's livelihood, showing oneself as a good emperor who loves his people like his children.

  "Your Majesty, I request an imperial edict to summon Bai Minghe into the capital!" Yang Ning, who had not spoken until now, finally found his chance to speak. Compared to these two beside him, although he was the Minister of Rites, he was just a ordinary official who couldn't stir up any waves.

  Yang Ning wants to summon Bai Minghe into the capital!

  When Yang Ning said this, Yu Qian immediately said: "It's not possible. This trip to the capital will take a long time. Bai Minghe risked his own qualification for the imperial examination to solve the spring plowing problem for the 32 villages, it is a great kindness." After speaking, Yu Qian bowed to Zhu Qizhen: "Your Majesty, I request an order to go to Taisui to observe Bai Minghe's son!"

  Yu Qian had to go himself, and Dai Zong Zhu Qiyan had no reason to stop him.

  He only said a few words of concern about the cold weather and taking care of his body. However, Shang Bian spoke with Yu Qian on the way out of the palace, telling him to take a good look at Bai Minghe and see if he was a talented individual who could be cultivated.

  That afternoon, documents were sent down from the imperial court.

  Xiao Taijian Jin Jiesheng was promoted, directly skipping the 8th rank and becoming a 7th-rank leader monitor. However, there is currently no vacant position available, so for now he remains working at the wine vinegar noodle shop.

  When the difference returns to normal, there is nothing for him to do. His rank has already reached the same level as the head eunuch of this wine vinegar face bureau, and he naturally becomes a idle person who only takes money without doing anything.

  Jin Jie went to see Jin Ying and told him about these things. Jin Ying only said one sentence: "This person is for fame, you are for profit, it's also a trustworthy friend!"

  Having no less power than the eunuch Wang Zhen, Jin Ying, also a high-ranking eunuch, had been through many things. He was imprisoned because he supported the current Crown Prince Zhu Jianshen.

  On the other hand, Yu Qian personally went to find Bai Minghe, holding three things in his hand. One was a plan book written by Bai Minghe and re-copied by someone else. Two were the deeds of land awarded by Zhu Qizhen, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, as well as several gold bars. The deed was not just one mountain head, but all the mountain heads within ten miles of Fangyuan, which would all belong to Bai Minghe if he wanted them.

  The last one is an examination question prepared by Yu Qian.

  It's not asking you to write eight-legged essays, just ask Bai Menghua what is people's livelihood. Can't write, can say.

  He brought only a few people from his hometown, one charioteer and two bodyguards. As the Minister of War, a second-grade official, he had only these four attendants when he went out, which was indeed too simple compared to those ministers who were preceded by a large retinue.

  However, he is Yu Qian!

  Arrived at Xiaquan Mountain, there was an additional stone tablet at the mountain entrance, which was obviously newly carved and erected. The red cloth on the stone tablet still hung there, and the remains of firecrackers were still on the ground. The font on the stone tablet was Wei Bei Ti, with the three characters "Qingyuan Mountain" written in a style that seemed to have a feminine touch, looking elegant and refined.

  Walking into the mountain, Yu Qian, who is now 52 years old, still has a strong body.

  Less than two miles into the mountain path, there are people pulling ropes on the side of the waterway, and boats are constantly going upstream. It's called a mountain path, but it's not that kind of mountain that requires climbing high, here is still at the foot of the mountain, on the east side of the mountains.

  Less than a mile further on, the sound of horns rose and fell in waves.

  Kokutō, Yu Qian saw a young man in a green shirt sitting on a rattan chair, holding a book with his left hand and writing on the sand tray with a branch held in his right hand, but his eyes were on the book without looking at the sand tray.