Travel back in time and become Chongzhen, watch me turn the tide

Putting aside Hou Fangyu's doubts, at this moment, the second hall of the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion seemed peaceful, but in fact, undercurrents were surging.

The three salt merchants who had come this time were the most prominent among the Lianghuai salt merchants, and they were also their leaders. During this period, Shi Kefa had had many interactions with them, repeatedly asking them to contribute money and labor, but they always pretended to comply and never made a clear statement.

How could these people easily express their opinions? You have to know that Shanxi has now fallen into the control of Li Zicheng, and the Qing army has even entered Beijing. The future situation is very uncertain.

For these salt merchants, the key issue wasn't who controlled the imperial power; the most important thing was ensuring their own tangible interests. With the empire in chaos, it was uncertain which of the various factions, the Southern Ming, the Dashun, and the Qing, would ultimately dominate. Their wisest option was to wait and see, rather than fully supporting the Southern Ming.

However, today's events had alarmed the salt merchants. Wang Zheng, in particular, upon learning Chongzhen and his companions had returned to the Governor's Mansion, began to suspect Shi Kefa's deliberate actions. He immediately contacted Zhang and Liang to discuss countermeasures, leading to their visit. To ensure complete certainty, they even summoned the eunuch Qu Shangzhong, who had been selecting concubines in Yangzhou, to test Shi Kefa's true intentions.

"Eunuch Qu, masters, I wonder what brings you here?" After Shi Kefa sat down, he asked straight to the point. His tone was calm, but revealed a sense of majesty.

"Sir Commander, my child was beaten in the street today, and the assailant finally entered the gate of the Commander's Mansion. I have come here to ask for justice from you, Sir Commander." Wang Zheng stood up and saluted. There was a hint of anger on his face, but he tried to maintain a respectful attitude.

"Oh? Someone in my house beat your son?" Shi Kefa said lightly.

"That's right! This man not only beat my son, but also beat the head constable Wang Zhi, and even injured several constables," Wang Zheng said with a frown, his words full of dissatisfaction. "I hope you will uphold justice."

"What's the matter?" Shi Kefa asked, his eyes fixed on Wang Zheng.

"It was a beautiful girl selected for His Majesty who ran away, and I went to catch her, but for some reason there was a misunderstanding..." Wang Zheng explained, his eyes flickering.

"Why would the beautiful girl selected for Your Majesty run away? Doesn't she want to?" Shi Kefa said in a deep voice, his face becoming serious.

"This..." Wang Zheng was speechless after hearing this. After a moment of thought, he said, "According to my son, in order to make her more well-rounded, she was arranged to learn music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, and poetry. I think she can't bear the hardship..."

"How can a woman who can't even bear this little hardship enter the palace?" Shi Kefa's face darkened and he said sternly, his eyes revealing dissatisfaction.

"Sir Shi, this woman is both talented and beautiful. She ranks first among the selected beauties in Yangzhou," Qu Shangzhong spoke at this time, with a flattering smile on his face. "Your Majesty will surely like this woman. We cannot let her live among the people!"

"Hmph!" Shi Kefa turned his gaze to Qu Shangzhong and snorted coldly, "Eunuch Qu, when did His Majesty order the selection of concubines? Why didn't I know about it?"

"This..." Qu Shangzhong was speechless for a moment, and his face became a little embarrassed.

The Hongguang Emperor, under the guise of a "grand wedding," searched for beautiful women, but this could not be done openly. After all, the Ming Dynasty had lost its capital, so there was no official decree, let alone the approval of the officials. It was simply the palace eunuchs who carried out the search in the emperor's name. If the local officials cooperated, it would be fine. If not, the matter would be brought to the attention of the Hongguang Emperor, who would not dare to openly support it.

"I haven't seen any imperial edict, nor have I received any notification from the authorities. Where did this selection of concubines come from?" Shi Kefa, a man of integrity, said with a sullen face, "Eunuchs must have an imperial edict to leave the capital. May I ask why Eunuch Qu has come to Yangzhou, and what is the order?"

Shi Kefa's words were like a string of cannonballs, each one compelling.

"I..." Qu Shangzhong originally relied on his status as the emperor's eunuch and felt that Shi Kefa would not dare to do anything to him. But when he saw Shi Kefa frowning, he couldn't help but feel panic in his heart, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"The world is in chaos and the country is in crisis. You eunuchs do not think about sharing the worries of His Majesty, but instead encourage His Majesty to pursue pleasure and indulge in singing and dancing. You are worthy of death!" Shi Kefa said coldly, his eyes revealing anger and disappointment.

"This..." Qu Shangzhong wanted to argue that it was the intention of Emperor Hongguang, but he had no decree in his hand, so his words were empty!

Now is not the time of Wei Zhongxian. Although he is close to the emperor, he dare not offend an important official of the court like Shi Kefa. Seeing him angry, Qu Shangzhong couldn't help but wipe his cold sweat and his body trembled slightly.

"I will report this matter to His Majesty, so you don't have to get involved." After scolding Qu Shangzhong, Shi Kefa turned to look at Wang Zheng and said, "Boss Wang, although you are just a businessman, this matter of family and country concerns everyone. I understand why you came to me today. You can go back for now. Within three days, I will give you justice..."

Shi Kefa's tone was firm and unquestionable.

"Commander-in-Chief, that..." Wang Zheng wanted to argue a few words, but was forced by Shi Kefa's momentum and could only speak awkwardly with a helpless expression on his face.

"I told you I'd give you an answer within three days." Shi Kefa's face darkened and he said, "Why? You don't believe me?"

"I dare not, I dare not!" Wang Zheng waved his hands repeatedly. Although he was dissatisfied in his heart, he did not dare to be presumptuous anymore.

At this point, the momentum of these people was completely suppressed by Shi Kefa, and they no longer had the courage to launch an attack and demand vengeance that they had when they first arrived. This was especially true of Qu Shangzhong, who had boasted before arriving that Shi Kefa would also give him face, but upon arrival, he was reprimanded and didn't even have the courage to refute.

"Commander-in-Chief, is this a good idea?" Seeing Wang Zheng and the others leave in disgrace, Hou Fangyu grew a little worried. "Eunuch Qu was sent by His Majesty to select concubines, so he must be a favorite of His Majesty. Although he didn't say anything at the moment, I'm sure he won't say anything good about you after he returns... And those family heads will definitely be resentful. Now that the military garrisons are short of food and wages, they need these salt merchants to help. Now..."

"Alas..." Shi Kefa sighed. Wasn't that what he was thinking? But there was nothing he could do. Emperor Chongzhen had already spoken, and the emperor's will could not be disobeyed. He only hoped he wasn't just being tempted by beauty...

"Commander-in-Chief, this Mr. Zhu..." Hou Fangyu was deeply grateful to Shi Kefa for taking him in. Although he had gotten along quite well with Mr. Zhu over the past two days, his assertiveness today might cause Shi Kefa unnecessary trouble, so Hou Fangyu felt somewhat resistant to Chongzhen.

"Chao Zong, you will know Mr. Zhu's identity in two days." Shi Kefa interrupted Hou Fangyu and said, "You are very talented among young people, but you are still a little immature in your conduct. You must learn to keep some words in your heart and work hard with Mr. Zhu..."

Shi Kefa was deeply impressed by the young man before him. Hou Fangyu's grandfather, Hou Zhipu, and father, Hou Xun, were both members of the Donglin Party. Hou Xun was dismissed from his post during the eunuch party's attack on the Donglin in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. Hou Fangyu was renowned for his talent at a young age. Influenced by his predecessors, he joined the Fushe Society at the age of twenty and waged war against the remnants of the eunuch party. Shi Kefa had a personal motive in recommending him to join Chongzhen. This was to pave the way for him, but he couldn't share his earnest intentions with him at this time.

----

Yangzhou's gardens are renowned, and the Governor's Mansion is no exception. Shi Kefa's meeting place also boasts a small, magnificent garden. As Qu Shangzhong, Wang Zheng, and others were passing through this garden, Chongzhen happened to be enjoying the scenery.

Yangzhou gardens possess the grandeur, solemnity, and majesty of northern gardens, while also embodying the agility, grace, and refinement of Jiangnan gardens. Their diverse architectural features offer a unique style. Their most striking characteristic is their emphasis on stacked stones. Not only do they feature renowned stones from around the world, but many scholars and renowned stone stackers frequently design and build private gardens in Yangzhou. This is why it's said, "Yangzhou is renowned for its gardens, and its gardens are renowned for their stacked stones."

Today he originally wanted to see the prosperity of Yangzhou, but he didn't expect to encounter the incident with Wang Wan'er, so he was unable to go. Chongzhen felt depressed, so he brought Wang Chengen to this small garden to enjoy the scenery and relax, but he didn't want to meet Qu Shangzhong from afar.

The two sides met from a distance. Although they had not met before, they now knew each other's identities. Wang Zheng had just been scolded by Shi Kefa, and now he could only suppress his anger.

But when Qu Shangzhong saw Chongzhen, he was stunned. He just felt that he looked familiar, but when he saw Wang Chengen behind Chongzhen, he was shocked!

"Let's go. Lord Shi just said that he would give us an explanation. We should not cause any trouble here," Qu Shangzhong pushed Wang Zheng in a panic, urging him to turn back quickly.

His voice trembled slightly, his eyes filled with fear and anxiety. But when he reached the end of the garden, he couldn't help but glance at Chongzhen and Wang Chengen again. His eyes were filled with shock and panic, and his steps became a little unsteady, as if he had witnessed something extremely terrifying...