I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 66: Shen's mother comes to Beijing! Poor poor girl in the world
March 2nd, early in the morning.

With the enthusiastic help of several clerks, Shen Nian moved to the Editing Office of the Hanlin Academy.

Hanlin scholar Ma Ziqiang and Imperial Tutor Shen Shixing also specially sent some fine writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone for Shen Nian.

In the current editing office, in addition to Shen Nian, there are five other editors sitting there, namely Shen Yikuan, Huang Fengxiang, Wang Maode, Gong Jiachen and Sheng Ne.

Except for Shen Yikuan and Shen Nian who were daily lecturers in the imperial lectures, the official duties of other people focused on compiling national history and writing official documents.

Since they all lived in the same courtyard, Shen Nian was quite familiar with them and knew their temperaments.

Shen Yi Guan is a bit smooth and likes to make friends.

Huang Fengxiang, Wang Maode and Sheng Ne all devoted themselves to learning, and basically developed into historians and scholars in the future.

Gong Jiachen came from a family of officials. His great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all Jinshi. He was outspoken and very straightforward.

After Shen Nian got a promotion and a raise.

There is not much change in what is done, and it is still mainly based on the daily lectures of the young Wanli and the recording of his daily life.

……

at the same time.

The new Minister of Revenue Yin Zhengmao came to the capital. As soon as he arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, he was summoned to the cabinet by Zhang Juzheng.

In the duty room.

"Your humble servant Yin Zhengmao pays his respects to the Lord!" Yin Zhengmao bowed solemnly in a crisp voice.

Zhang Juzheng waved his hand, asking the clerk nearby to withdraw. He then quickly walked over to Yin Zhengmao, shook his hand, and said, "Brother Yangshi, it's been a long time since we last met. I miss you so much. Please sit down! Please sit down!"

The friendship between fellow townsmen and the same age is sometimes no less than that between brothers.

"I miss you very much, too."

Although Yin Zhengmao was also excited, he was not very polite. In the cabinet duty room, he naturally did not dare to call him "Uncle".

He sat down opposite Zhang Juzheng slowly after he sat down.

Zhang Juzheng slowly looked at Yin Zhengmao.

"Brother Yangshi has toiled for many years in Guangdong and Guangxi. His temples are already gray, showing how hard it has been. However, he looks quite healthy. It seems the climate in Nanjing is very nourishing!"

Yin Zhengmao is actually only one year younger than Wang Guoguang and is also over 60 years old. However, because he is often in the army and rarely works at a desk, he looks very good.

"Compared with you, my Excellency, I don't have a hard time!" Yin Zhengmao replied politely.

"Brother Yangshi has just arrived in the capital and is not familiar with many of its affairs. If you have any questions or needs, please come to me. Also, the censors may be biased against you, but don't worry. You are appointed by His Majesty. If you are wronged, His Majesty and the cabinet will seek justice for you!"

Hearing this, Yin Zhengmao quickly stood up.

How could he not understand Zhang Juzheng's real intention of talking to him?

"Your Excellency, I did some absurd things when I was young, and I know my reputation as an official is not good. However, I am now over sixty years old, so I should cherish my reputation."

"Now that I have been appointed by His Majesty and valued by the elders, and hold an important position, I will never dare to slack off."

"I promise Your Majesty and the Lord Minister that I will manage the Ministry of Revenue well. If anyone commits embezzlement, corruption, or abuse of power under my jurisdiction, the court will chop off my head!"

At this time, Yin Zhengmao had already enjoyed wealth and glory, and what he valued most was his reputation and career.

If you work hard next time, maybe you can even join the cabinet.

He did not seek to leave his name in history, but he hoped that he would not lose his integrity in his later years and be scolded by others.

him at the moment.

He had anticipated that after taking office, there would be a group of censors keeping an eye on him all the time.

Some people have even written down his past bad deeds.

When there is a new bad record, add it to the upper level, summarize it quickly, and submit it, and the results will be achieved.

He will never let those censors get what they want!
Zhang Juzheng was very pleased to hear Yin Zhengmao's solemn promise.

He paused, then bowed to Yin Zhengmao and said, "The Ministry of Revenue is the most heavily-burdened of the six ministries. I'll have to trouble you, Brother Yangshi, from now on!"

"My Lord, I cannot bear such a great gift, I cannot bear it!" Yin Zhengmao bowed quickly and said very humbly.

After a while.

Yin Zhengmao strode out of the cabinet with his head held high, feeling full of energy.

Appointed by the emperor and entrusted with great trust.

Naturally, he had to achieve something in the Ministry of Revenue and shut up those who insulted him.

……

On the fifth day of March, near dusk.

As soon as the office was dismissed, Shen Nian headed home because his mother, Li, had arrived.

Although Shen Nian has a new soul in the future, his memories are still there, and his love for this kind mother has not diminished in the slightest.

Shen's mother came to Beijing.

Naturally, she had to take care of Gu Yue'er, who was six months pregnant, and Shen Nian could also eat the Qiantang cuisine she had always wanted.

Masheng Hutong, Shen's House.

When Shen Nian walked to the gate, he smelled a strong aroma of food.

As he walked inside, he smiled and said loudly, "Mother, as soon as I smelled it outside, I knew it was you and Aunt Liu!"

Gu Yue'er, Xiaotao and Aji hurried out to greet them.

Immediately.

A beautiful middle-aged woman came out of the house and said to Shen Nian with a smile: "Change clothes, wash hands, and eat."

"Hey!" Shen Nian replied crisply.

There was also a shorter woman standing beside them. She was Aunt Liu, who had been serving Shen's mother. The two of them came with a merchant caravan from Hangzhou and would be staying here from now on.

"Hello, young master!" Liu Ma shouted happily.

Before Shen Nian was born, she had already started serving Shen's mother.

Next to Liu Ma was a young man about ten years old, thin but with regular features. His hands were a little dirty, obviously from burning firewood. He also timidly called out to Shen Nian, "Hello, Master!"

"Who are you?" Shen Nian asked with a hint of doubt.

If my mother were to hire a new employee, she would never hire such a young and thin boy.

Mother Shen continued, "His name is Mu Sheng. I picked him up on the road. His story is quite complicated. I'll tell you later."

"Okay." Shen Nian nodded and smiled at Mu Sheng, then went to change clothes and wash up.

……

A moment later, in the front lobby restaurant.

Shen's mother, Gu Yue'er and Shen Nian sat together, eating, drinking and chatting.

Soon, Shen's mother talked about Mu Sheng's origins.

Yesterday afternoon, Shen's mother met Mu Sheng on the outskirts of the city. He collapsed in front of a carriage due to excessive hunger and thirst. After Shen's mother ordered people to give him some food and water, the latter told her about his experience during the conversation.

Mu Sheng, whose full name is Li Mu Sheng, is from Liaodong. He was eleven years old. Due to the floods in Liaodong last year, his parents died at the end of the year. He went to live with his thirteen-year-old sister Yu Run, who worked as a maid in a wealthy local family. However, he found that his sister had just been sold to the capital.

He followed the group of refugees, begging along the way, and after several months he arrived at the capital. However, because he was a beggar, he was not allowed to enter the city at all.

Shen's mother is a kind-hearted person and can't bear to see others suffer.

In Qiantang County, she often distributed porridge and clothes, and was a well-known living Bodhisattva in the local area.

When she encountered this matter, she wanted to take care of it and see if Shen Nian could help her find her sister.

When encountering such unfair things, Shen Nian naturally has to help.

In this world, the lives of the lower-class people are worthless and their lives are truly miserable.

...The meal is over.

Shen Nian called Mu Sheng to his front.

Shen's mother, Gu Yue'er, Liu's mother, Aji, and Xiaotao were all there.

"Musheng, what does your sister Yurun look like? Can she read? Does she have any talents?"

"My...sister was chosen to be a maid because she was pretty. She...she couldn't read, but the master not only taught her to read, but also...she also taught her to play the piano, the flute, and paint!"

Hear this answer.

Shen Nian frowned slightly and asked, "Were you chosen when you were seven or eight years old, and then you rarely have the chance to go home?"

"Yeah." Mu Sheng nodded.

Shen Nian thought for a moment and said, "Mu Sheng, can you accurately describe your sister's appearance?"

"Should... should be able to."

"Okay, describe your sister to Aji later. Aji is good at drawing. Draw her, and I will do my best to help you find your sister!"

"Thank you, young master!" Mu Sheng knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Shen Nian.

Shen Nian looked at Aji, who immediately understood and quickly helped him up.

Shen Nian asked again, "You said you came to the capital with the refugees from outside the city. How many refugees are there outside the city?"

"There are one or two thousand people, most of them are from Liaodong," Mu Sheng replied.

Shen Nian looked puzzled.

Last year, Liaodong suffered drought in the first half of the year and floods in the second half, resulting in countless refugees. Although the court allocated silver for relief, it was clearly not enough.

He could understand the refugees.

However, there were one or two thousand refugees gathered in the suburbs of Beijing, but no one reported it, as if the cabinet was completely unaware of it.

This is a little strange.

Soon, Shen Nian figured it out.

The Wucheng Bingmasi must have been worried that the refugees would cause trouble, so they used violence to disperse them and even underreported their number.

If only seventy or eighty people were reported, it would not alert the cabinet at all, and no official would report the matter to the meeting.

"Aji, go and paint the portrait with Mu Sheng, then have a good rest. Just give it to me tomorrow."

After the two of them went out.

Shen Nian sighed deeply and said to Shen's mother, "Mu Sheng's sister must have been raised like a skinny horse!"

The families in Guangling who kept concubines were commonly known as "raising skinny horses", which meant they took daughters from other families and raised them.

Generally speaking, they would select or trick the seven or eight-year-old daughters of poor families into being adopted or kept as maids.

If a woman is good-looking, smart and handsome, the family will be supported by teaching her music, chess, calligraphy and painting, as well as dressing herself up. She will also be taught how to be charming in bed according to the "Ruyijun Chuan" (i.e., erotic paintings).

If a woman is of average appearance, teach her arithmetic, accounting, and business skills. If a client marries her, he can make her the manager.

Those with inferior appearance were required to learn skills such as needlework, cooking, and arranging fruits.

These "skinny horses" who were classified and trained were destined to be concubines and maids of wealthy families in this life.

Nowadays, the skinny horse business is booming.

This was mainly because the custom of taking concubines was prevalent among scholars and businessmen.

Many scholars would take concubines after passing the imperial examinations and regard it as a symbol of status.

This trend has become the current fashion.

The best skinny horses are from Yangzhou.

In addition to his appearance and skills, Yangzhou Skinny Horse has been instilled with the concept of "being content with being humble and serving the mistress" since childhood, so he will not cause internal conflicts in the family and seize the mistress's power.

Next are Qingyuan, Nanjing, Gusu, Jingzhou and Jianyang, all of which are known as the hometowns of national beauties.

As for the women of Yan and Zhao, most of the wealthy men in the capital dislike them, and some even say they have five bad qualities: greed, laziness, cunningness, lust, and clumsiness. (Don't criticize, it's not my opinion, there's a story behind it)

Just now, Shen Nian asked about her appearance and skills in order to confirm whether his sister was being treated as a skinny horse.

This black industry is extremely profitable.

For those who are good-looking, the foster family can send them away for four or five taels of silver, and the latter have no choice at all. However, if they are sold to the Hakka people, they can be sold for four or five hundred taels of silver.

Shen's mother naturally knew what "thin horse" meant.

"Mu Sheng's sister might have been sent to the capital at the end of last year. Can she still be found and rescued?"

Once sold, it may not be in the capital anymore.

They may even change their names, making it extremely difficult to find them, like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Shen Nian thought for a moment and said, "Given her age, she might not have been sold yet. If she hasn't been sold, it will be easier to find her. Next, I'll think of a way."

She was only thirteen years old, and had been sold to the capital for only three months at the end of the year.

It is very likely that it is still being "cultivated" somewhere.

What you need to know——

The competition in the current skinny horse industry is very fierce, especially in Beijing, where the requirements are very high.

If you can't play a few famous songs and recite a few articles and poems, you really won't be able to sell it at a good price.

Yangzhou skinny horses are quite famous, but they are scarce.

Some merchants then found women from other places, spent about half a year to train them quickly, and sold them as skinny horses from Yangzhou.

Mu Sheng’s sister may be one of those being “cultivated”.

If Shen Nian could find out her whereabouts, the chances of rescuing her would be greater.

Shen Nian thought about it and decided not to ask random questions.

Once the enemy is alerted, the person may be sent to another place.

Suddenly, he thought of his relative Wu Qingbo who was also fond of this, but he immediately shook his head.

According to Wu Qingbo's financial resources, he must be a buyer rather than a seller. In addition, he would definitely buy a pure Yangzhou skinny horse rather than this quick-bred type.

Shen Nian thought about it carefully and felt that the person most likely to understand people doing this kind of business must be the factory guards.

No shady business in the capital can be hidden from them.

Feng Bao, the ancestor of the Censorate, would not have participated in this kind of business, because he had many more profitable businesses than this one, and he liked elegance and romance, and sneered at vulgar things.

Soon, Shen Nian thought of a suitable person to ask.

……

Then, everyone went to rest.

Although Shen Nian's house has only one courtyard, it has three main rooms, six east and west wing rooms, plus an ear room and a back house. It is more than enough for four or five people to live in it.

In the bedroom.

Gu Yue'er leaned in Shen Nian's arms and said, "Mu Sheng's sister is so pitiful. Those daughters of poor families who were deceived and sold are so pitiful!"

Shen Nian nodded.

"The world is corrupt, and money is everything! If I find someone in the same situation as Mu Sheng's sister, I'll save them together!"

……

Note 1: "Guangling keeps concubines, commonly known as raising skinny horses, which means taking other people's children and raising them as if they were their own. There are many beautiful women in the world, but the ones who must be in Guangling are taught by nannies in spring, kept in the boudoir, and taught etiquette. The best ones are good at playing piano, chess, singing, and reciting poems. The best ones are good at calligraphy and painting, and the next best ones are also embroiderers. As for serving the eldest son and giving way to their peers, they are very cautious in their advances and retreats, and do not lose their sense of propriety, so as not to cause quarrels and waste men's energy. Therefore, servants are found in Guangling." Source: Guangzhiyi by Wang Shixing of the Ming Dynasty.

Note 2: "In ancient times, it was said that there were many beautiful women in Yan and Zhao, but this is no longer the case. Yan alone, although Shanyou has slender white hair and small feet, his women are wild. Datong women are beautiful but many of them are reluctant to move away, which is probably the custom of the capital. In addition, Qingyuan, Jinling, Gusu, Lin'an, Jingzhou and Jianyang and Xinghua in Fujian are all places with beautiful women, and their merits and flaws are not concealed. It all depends on who you meet." Source: "A Collection of Ming Dynasty Notes and Novels, Volume , Part of Humanity".

(End of this chapter)