Chapter 249 News
The whole yard is filled with sunshine.

Li Hu was lying on a recliner under the stone steps in the hall, wearing a loose cotton robe, holding a letter in his hand. As he read it, he began to laugh.

Heshen’s character was not very good, but he was very reliable in doing things. In just over half a month, he had established all the connections, and the caravans could go to Shengjing City unimpeded.

This old guy is now the Minister of Military Affairs, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Doing business with him is equivalent to doing business with the Tartar royal family. Hey, is this considered aiding the enemy?
Li Hu suppressed his smile. The two sides were now trading with each other. Even the caravans from the Ministry of Internal Affairs were doing business with the Jurchens, and the business was grain.

There was no way around it. The Jurchens were short of food, and the merchants inside the Great Wall could make huge profits by simply transporting the food outside the Great Wall.

Li Hu shook his head. The emperor wasn’t in a hurry, so why should he be in a hurry?

Li Hu continued reading and smiled. This old guy really didn’t consider himself an outsider. He actually talked about some internal affairs of the Jurchen Tartars in the letter.

As the old saying goes, when you are well fed and warm, you will think about sex. Without external pressure, many people in the upper class of the Jurchens led a dissolute and extravagant life, indulging in drinking and having fun.

Uh, could it be that this old guy wants to use me to paralyze the Dashun Dynasty?
And about Fu Kang’an, this guy has been in bad luck recently. He was targeted by Qian Xiaosi’s younger brother and sons, and he almost had a Qing Dynasty version of the humiliation under the crotch. Hey, isn’t this Yongyan the later Emperor Jiaqing? Isn’t it said that this guy is an introverted person who does things according to the rules? How could he almost have a humiliation under the crotch for Fu Kang’an? !
But it is normal to think about it. For that position, the sons of Emperor Yongchang became enemies. It is not impossible for Qian Xiaosi’s sons to unite to deal with Fu Kang’an, the illegitimate son.

Go ahead and make a fuss, make as much noise as you can, it would be best if the Jurchens are wiped out!

After reading the last page, Li Hu folded the letter and closed his eyes.

The affairs of Duke Yansheng, the death of Concubine Xian, and the rumors of divine punishment made people panic.

The cabinet sent a message to all government offices, telling all officials in Beijing not to smoke or eat meat during the New Year holidays, in order to share the worries of the emperor and his father. Not smoking or eating meat was unrealistic, and even the cabinet members had to eat and drink at home, but no one dared to set up wine and sing opera, for fear that the emperor would be angry and the fire would burn them.

In short, this New Year was very awkward. I couldn’t drink or watch plays, I couldn’t visit relatives and friends, and I could only stay at home.

We had originally planned to invite generals such as Zhang Cheng and Wang Yaozu and their families to our home for a New Year’s dinner, but that all went down the drain.

There was a slight sound of footsteps, followed by a faint fragrance.

Li Hu closed his eyes and said, “Give me a leg massage.”

Xiangling, who had just tiptoed past Li Hu, stopped, stuck out her tongue, and said, “Oh.” Then she went under the eaves and brought a short stool.

Xiangling sat down next to Li Hu and gently massaged his legs.

Li Hu: “Use some strength.”

Xiangling hummed, and while massaging Li Hu’s legs, she said, “Second Master, do you think it will snow tomorrow?”

Li Hu: “Why are you asking this?”

Xiangling: “My mother said that if there is still no rain or snow tomorrow, there will definitely be a spring drought this year.”

Li Hu opened his eyes and sighed. This was an era where people depended on the weather for food. Without water storage tanks and mechanical irrigation, they could only stare blankly. If the drought lasted for three months, who knew what kind of trouble would arise.

Thinking of this, Li Hu looked at Xiangling again. Her mother Feng was now helping Nanny Wang manage the affairs of the harem. This was a miserable woman. Before she lost her daughter, she had lived a stable and happy life for half her life. Unfortunately, life is unpredictable. She lost her daughter, her home, and her husband one after another. Although it is unknown what kind of life she has lived in these years, she can understand the solar terms and agricultural proverbs, which shows that her life in her mother’s home is not very good.

At this moment, Li Hu caught a glimpse of a figure coming in from the moon gate of the yard.

Li Hu looked and saw that it was Xiangling’s mother, Feng.

Feng came over and said softly, “Second Master, the girl asked me to ask you, what do you want to eat tonight?”

Li Hu sat up and said with a smile: “Tell your girl that I will be over to talk to her in a while and ask her to prepare tea and snacks.” Feng: “Yes.” and walked out.

Seeing Xiangling staring at Feng’s receding back, Li Hu pinched her cheek and said, “Go ahead.”

Xiangling shouted happily: “Thank you, Second Master! Second Master, I will massage your legs again tonight.” After saying that, she chased after Feng with a smile.

Li Hu smiled.

At this time, Li San came in holding a box.

Li Hu stood up and went over to meet him.

Li San: “Second Master, it was sent from Shandong.”

Li Hu took the box and looked carefully at the seal on the painted seal in the sunlight. After confirming that there was no problem, he turned and walked towards the bedroom.

He sat down at the desk, picked up a trowel and pried open the lacquer seal on the box, opened the box, took out a letter, tore open the seal and read it, then pulled out a collection of poems from the pile of official documents, and began to flip through the collection according to the numbers on the letter paper, while picking up a pen to write down the translated words on the blank letter paper.

After a long while, Li Hu put down his pen, picked up the letter, looked at the content on it, and a smile appeared on his face.

After a hundred days of healing, Bai Hongzhi’s leg was finally healed. It seemed that he was planning to go north to Liaodong and cause trouble in the Jurchens’ territory.

Li Hu smiled, thinking that everything would be fine if he escaped to the Jurchens’ territory and he wouldn’t be able to do anything to them?
After packing up his things, Li Hu stood up and walked out, saying to Amber who was sitting on the kang in the warm room embroidering, “I’m going to your Miss Lin’s place.”

In the duty room

The Fourth Prince sat at his desk with his eyes closed. His cheeks were flushed and he looked extremely excited.

Jia Yucun came in in a hurry. Seeing the Fourth Prince’s expression, he was startled at first, then walked over and asked softly, “Your Highness, why did you call me here so urgently? Is there something important?”

The Fourth Prince then opened his eyes, tried his best to calm his excited emotions, picked up a piece of ink paper on the desk and handed it over.

Jia Yucun took the ink paper with both hands and was shocked again after taking a look at it: “The Second Prince is going to be sent to the clan residence and have to keep vigil for the virtuous concubine? Your Majesty is going to give up the Second Prince?!”

The fourth prince’s eyes sparkled: “Considering the position of Concubine Xian in father’s heart, she should not be buried in the West Hill.”

There was also a gleam in Jia Yucun’s eyes. It seemed that the first person to be eliminated had appeared.

“I’ll tell you one more happy thing.”

The fourth prince became excited again and said excitedly: “The emperor ordered the crown prince to attend the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heaven tomorrow.”

Jia Yucun was surprised. Even though the sun was shining brightly during the day, it was still very cold in the morning and evening, especially at night. To participate in the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, one must get up at the end of the hour of the Ox, rush to the Temple of Heaven and Earth before the hour of the Rat, and wait in the cold wind for the ceremony to begin. It would take several hours in total. Not to mention the prince, they couldn’t stand it!

What does your Majesty mean?!

At this moment, the Fourth Prince’s confidant hurried in and whispered something in the Fourth Prince’s ear.

Jia Yucun pricked his ears and seemed to hear the three words “Grand Emperor”.

The Fourth Prince immediately stood up and said to Jia Yucun, “I have something to go back to the mansion for.” Then he hurried out.

(End of this chapter)