The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, Chapter 43: Tang Fan Sickness and Sui Zhou care

The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty. 《成化十四年》Chengnian Shisi Nian
The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, Chapter 43: Tang Fan Sickness and Sui Zhou care

The atmosphere that seemed like it was still going on was quickly broken.


The men following Eunuch Wang did not dare to disturb their own boss and others eye contact, Little A-Dong has no such scruples, she came out of the Tang Fan house, still holding bowls and chopsticks, see this scene, very curiously surprised: "How come you stand here, are you not gonna go in?"

Eunuch Wang then dusted off the non-existent dust on his clothes, smiled at the Sui Zhou with a meaningless smile, and crossed him, and walked into the house.

Seeing that Sui Zhou didn't follow in, A-Dong felt it was a little strange: "Brother Sui, won't you go in, who is that man, coming with such a big faction?"

Sui Zhou shook his head, didn't speak again, looked at the Western Depot man who was standing guard outside the house, turned around and left.

And then there's what happened inside the house.

Anyone who is a beautiful man can't stay exactly the same when they are sick.

Tang Da-ren is naturally no exception, at this time he was covering his mouth with a pad to sneeze, while busy pushing his nose, seeing Eunuch Wang a face of disgust standing three feet away from him, cannot help but say: "Wang Da-ren came, I don't know what to do?"

His voice has a strong nasal tone, and his eyes are a little red, white as jade skin reflecting the slightly messy sideburns, although he is not as neat and dashing as usual, but so one look at the past seems to have a really weak sense of beauty.

--Provided Wang Zhi didn't see him sneezing and snorting just now.

Eunuch Wang suddenly came to Tang Fan, and again he turned his back on the Master if the house mysteriously closed the door, and threw out the master from his house, it was certainly not just to visit him.

Hearing Tang Fan ask this, he said, "Didn't you hear the news in the Imperial court?"

Tang Fan said, "I've been sick for the past few days, I've been resting at home, I have to sleep for at least eight or nine hours in twelve hours a day, where do I have time to ask for news, what happened?"

Wang Zhi skimmed his mouth: "I sent a petition to His Majesty for a military expedition, and as you expected, it was rejected."

Tang Fan nodded, no look of surprise on his face.

Wang Zhi was a bit resigned, he is young, these two years he has been in charge of the Western Depot, outside the palace training, his vision is very good, on the courthouse calculations and machinations, he will not be any worse than Tang Fan, but although he has the idea of external military merit, and always want to lead the army, in military affairs, the level is just average.

He dragged his chair to the door and sat down, "What doorways are there in here, you tell me. Why were you so sure His Majesty wouldn't agree to the expedition?"

Can you not sit so far away, I just caught a cold, not the plague.......

Tang Fan looked at him somewhat breathlessly, “The Hetao Plains is important, everyone knows it, but the Hetao Plains is easy to attack and difficult to defend, it is destined to be difficult to hold even if it is taken by the Imperial court, the Imperial court is unwilling to spend so much effort to get a piece of land that they will not know when it will be taken away again, once this account is calculated, they feel that the loss is not worth the gain, this is one of the reason."

“The second one is, even if it is powerful, it has no willingness. Now that the court is no longer the same as it was before the change of Tumu Forts, look at the court, who will take the initiative to mention the resumption of the forts after their rebellion? Even His Majesty himself, I'm afraid, is only thinking about one thing more than one thing less. With this move, Wang Da-ren is naturally going to hit a wall."

Wang Zhi frowned, "But you also suggested before that I go north, but now I can't get a military expedition, so what military merit is there to take?"

Tang Fan said in a deep voice, "It is not that the Hetao Plains should not be recovered, but we should not be in a hurry, this is a big battle, it takes time, place and people to have a sure grasp of victory, now that none of the three is consistent, how can we talk about recovering the Hetao Plains? The situation in the north is changing, with the Oirats and Tartars being strong and weak, but what remained unchanged was the constant threat to the north of the country. That's why Yongle Emperor moved his capital to the Imperial capital that year, so that future generations of sons could always be alert to the fact that they were facing the northern captives and defending the northern frontier of the Great Ming."

What he did not say was that thanks to the fact that the capital is now Beijing, not Nanjing, or else, as is the habit of the present-day Emperors, who enjoy themselves in the south, and careless about the north will not know how many times the gates will be opened and how many times the land will be usurped by Oirats or Tartars, now for the sake of the safety of Beijing, at least they can have a sense of crisis being nearly the troubled lands, and will work harder to make sure they do not lose the Beijing as well.

Tang Fan added: “Therefore, although it is important to recover the Hetao Plains, it is not the only thing that must be done; you should know that since the Tumu Forts Rebellion, we have lost more and won less, and our morale is low. Many people think we can't win anyway, so they just cower and don't come out to support the idea of war, and when they can't, they bribe the Tartars with gold and silver or let them go into the city and plunder for a while, and when they're done, they're satisfied and leave. But it is a military honor for Wang Da-ren to strike fear into the Tartars and to harass them when they dare not."

Although the Ming Dynasty army was large, it was there, unable to move at any time, with conspicuous targets, whereas the Tartars, who were nomads, fought guerrilla attacks, and when they came, they killed and looted, and when they finished, they left; they dared not come when they met the strong opponents, and when they met the weak opponents, they went up and loot and leave, and they would not stay in the border cities, and it was very difficult to deal with them.

That's why the Great Ming failed to come up with a way to stop these people, a swarm of flies come in a big way, as soon as you hit, they are scattered again, after a while come again, you people just stand there, you become a target that is big, the flies can find you at any time, what are you to do then?




The only way to do that is for you to be so thoroughly powerful that the flies won't dare come near you when they see you.

But if the Great Ming wants to be strong...then first it has to change all those dry-food-eating ministers in the court for another round, and then if it's possible, it also has to brainwash the Emperor so that he doesn't have such a messy life.

So without taking care of these people, Wang Zhi wanted to go and recover some parts of the Hetao Plains, and that's just impossible.

Wang Zhi wanted to get a watermelon to eat, but Tang Fan told him that the watermelon was not yet ripe and he could only eat a grape, so he was not very interested in the grape.

The first time Tang Fan saw him, he was speechless: "Eunuch Wang, forgive me, if the Hetao Plains is recovered so well, how wise and powerful a man, he would have taken it back a long time ago, where is our turn? Isn't it a great achievement to defeat the Tartars? Besides, the court doesn't have the money to support you to collect the Hetao Plains right now?"

Wang Zhi stood up: “That's it! I just don't want to stay in the capital, and I've been fighting with Shang Ming for three cents an acre of land, and it's really boring to not do something big, so as not to come to the world in vain."

Tang Fan reminded, "When people go cold, they are most afraid of slanderous rumors, so don't hurry going only to wait for Eunuch Wang to come back, HisMajesty and Noble Consort Wan will have forgotten about you."

In his opinion, Wang Zhi, although there are many problems, but there is a comparison between the superior and the inferior, he still has some view of the big picture, and is not like Shang Ming kind of eunuchs only know how to eliminate dissent and curry favor with the emperor, no matter what the motive, just because he can help hide the matter of Yuanliang, avoid Noble Consort Wan to pursue the prince, is much better than some officials in the dynasty.

That's why Tang Fan was willing to come to terms with him and mention him.

Wang Zhi waved his hand: “That I understand."

He then said, "But then again, you're young, and you have a small official position, how can you know the situation in the Northern Territory like the back of your hand? Although if one doesn't go out and still knows the world, there aren't many people like you in the dynasty, I think that Pan Bin, although he has been an official for so many years, may not be able to explain things as you do so."

Tang Fan laughed and said, "If you don't go out, how can you know everything? When my parents died early, I went out to study with the just-acquired Xiuqai merit, south to Yunnan, north to the desert, I was reading 10,000 books, traveling 10,000 miles, one step at a time, out of the footsteps."

Wang Zhi was really impressed by him when he heard it and moved slightly.

Although he was not a frail woman, he was also alone. In a peaceful and prosperous world, there would be robbers and bandits on the road, and the wandering soldiers on the road would have natural and human calamities, run into a cold fever, also underserved, how does one find a doctor in the wildness, just as well, since orthodox years, the country has frequently riots and uprising, for someone like Tang Fan with a scholar body, if he gets a careless involved in it, he may be directly killed by the chaotic soldiers, regardless of which side he is on.

But Tang Fan not only didn't die, but he lived on, and even got a scholarship and became an official.

The story of the hardships he encountered and how he was able to overcome them is certainly a wonderful one, just by writing it.

Such an official is naturally not comparable to those who only know how to study and read, and who, after becoming an official, only spend their days in office.

In this world, those who go through trials and tribulations may not be able to become great vessels, but those who become great vessels have to go through trials and tribulations without exception.

Eunuch Wang had long felt that Tang Fan was no different from the others on the sidelines, and now he was even more certain that he wanted to make more investments in Tang Fan.

Whether it's a political investment or emotional investment, in short, making friends with this person will definitely benefit him in the future.

After the two had finished talking, Wang Zhi was ready to get up and leave.

He was in a joking mood, so he smiled ambiguously at Tang Fan: "I see that you usually pretend to be a dashing man, but you don't look like a man who knows how to live a full life, how come when you are sick, just a big man and a little girl are waiting for you.

Tang Fan said: “Avoid a strike, wine is wearing intestinal drugs, color is oyster, I’m afraid that my bones will be shattered before I can recover from the cold. But if Wang Da-ren has the heart, he can do me a favor."

Wang Zhi asked, "What's the favor?"

Tang Fan was a little embarrassed: "Well, you see I've been sick these days at home, can't even get out of the door, I've heard there's a new batch of books coming up in the bookstore, I can't bother Sui Zhou or my younger sister to go out and buy this for me, and may I ask Wang Da-ren to send someone buy me some books to send over, bored in sickness I have to pass the time."

Wang Zhi wondered: "What book, it can't be the Lustful Spring Palace?"

Tang Fan almost didn't choke on him: "Do I look like such an immodest person!"

Wang Zhi didn't even think: "Not like that."

Tang Fan looks pleased.

Wang Zhi also said, "But people should not be profiled based on what they say."

Tang Fan: "......."

Tang Fan is in a bad mood: "It's either a picture of the Spring Palace or a book on the romances, with all those fairies and ghosts and bizarre anecdotes.

Wang Zhi laughed badly: "Well, for the sake of you helping me a lot, how can I help you with this little thing?"

He also didn't know when to come forward, picking Tang Fan’s chin in one hand and looking left and right.

"If you don't become an official in the future, you'll be able to sell some books on the street, and I'm sure you'll have some big girls and daughters-in-law to patronize you, and your business will be good!”

Tang Da-ren finally couldn't help but roll an indecent white eye: "If that day comes, I'll definitely go to the Western Depot entrance and sell it!"

As soon as the words were said, the door was pushed open.




Sui Zhou came in with medicine, and coincidentally saw Wang Zhi standing tall, pinching Tang Fan's chin with one hand so that the latter had to raise his head slightly, but his body was still sitting on the bed, coughing, with two blushes in the cold white, his hair disheveled and his clothes untidy, and they were so close together that they looked very reminiscent of some strange place.

More noteworthy is that the Ming Dynasty eunuchs are actually not as effeminate as many people think, and there is no shortage of tall and majestic Han sons-type characters, if not bearded, one would not have been found at all.

Although Eunuch Wang is not fierce in appearance, his figure is definitely not in line with the word "soft and thin and weak".

In contrast, Tang Da-ren, because he was a civil official and was sick, he looked at the past and saw the strength and weakness.

Whoever came over to see it, would think that it was Eunuch Wang who was flirting with Tang Da-ren.

Under Sui Zhou's cold stare without a word, Wang Zhi let go of Tang Fan and patted him on the cheek again, as if affectionately saying, "Come back to see you some other day and get well."

Tang Fan: "......."

He always felt like there was something wrong with this misleading tone?

In the face of Sui Zhou’s cold and powerful aura, Wang Zhi turned a blind eye to it and said, “General Sui Baihu is a very good man, he is a medicine man and a caretaker, if this continues, Tang Da-ren will not have to marry a wife in the future?"

Without waiting for Tang Fan to react, Wang Zhi just laughed and walked out in a big way.

Without waiting for Tang Fan to react, Wang Zhi laughed and walked out.

He spoke this really gawking paragraph, full publicity and arbitrariness, if it was spoken today not only it will be seen as female molestation, but also to a large dignified man likened to a small young married woman, they would have long been on the bitter, but it was Tang Fan who didn't take it seriously, and Sui Zhou was too lazy to care about him, so he let the Western Depot Governor go...

The unlucky one is Tang Da-ren.

As soon as Wang Zhi left, he was taught a lesson.

Sui Zhou said to him with a cold face, "Wang Zhi is a man of indecisive temperament, and it is difficult to distinguish between good and evil; he is not worthy of friendship."

Although Tang Fan agreed with his assessment of Wang Zhi, he said, "His Majesty now favors eunuchs, and their influence is hard to change, but there are only a few who are strict and self-respecting like Huai En, and the emperor prefers those like Liang Fang, Wang Zhi, and Shang Ming, who are able to pamper his own heart. So even if it's not Wang Zhi, it'll be Li Zhi, Zhang Zhi, but it's still good to do something for the good of the country and the good of the people if you can slightly guide him on the right path."

Seeing that he had it in his heart, Sui Zhou stopped saying anything and handed the medicine to him.

Tang Fan: "......."

He smiled apologetically and said, "Look, can we talk about this, I'm almost well enough to get better, so why don't we save this medicine?"

He mouthed off that he's almost cured of his illness, and actually coughed there.

Sui Zhou was quick and straightforward, saying, "Drink it yourself, or should I pour it on you?"

Tang Fan without saying a word, took the bowl, pinched his nose and drank it down, eyebrows and eyes all furrowed into a ball, and even Sui Zhou handed him the cinnamon sugar, also waved his hand sickly, not interested.

Although foodies like to eat as much as one loves to eat, that certainly doesn't include bitter medicine.

The two were talking without a word when they heard someone outside calling for the door, and Sui Zhou got up and walked out.

To say Sui Zhou this three people family leader in the house is actually not a small thing but the whole family in addition to his own, Tang Fan and A-Dong makes three people, there is no other resident abound, the issue of cleaning house fell to hired short workers, those short workers in the capital city have their own place of residence, cleaning and going back, and does not delay the master's home place, so much so that now even a housekeeper does not have to open the door also have to open the master's home personally to open, but this way also seems comfortable, like Sui Zhou and Tang Fan these kind of people do not like to be bound, of course, do not like to watch people not so close to their eyes all day wandering around the place.

When Sui Zhou went out, he didn't come in again, and Tang Fan was a bit surprised to see A-Dong sneaking in.

Tang Fan cackled: "Can't I let you in here? Why did you make this appearance?"

A-Dong grinned, "Brother Sui Zhou’s cousin has come to the door again."

The man was a big man with a loose temperament and no old grudges with the Zhou girl, so naturally, he would not look at the other with displeasure. The reason for the little temper he had that day, was not due to jealous but because just experienced the East Palace case, saw the death of so many people who should not have died, came back to see A-Dong and Sui Zhou followed Zhou Family cousin Yan Yan (in fact, there is no Yan Yan, purely subjective and one-sided view of Tang Da-ren), so the heart inevitably has a kind of lonely feeling of loneliness.

Now things have changed since long time ago, Tang Fan, of course, cannot really be as jealous as the children, or even stop friends cannot be close to the Zhou girl, listening to A-Dong say this, he said with a lazy laugh: "A-Dong ah, you are not jealous of people can be close to your big brother Sui ah? If you like Sui Zhou, when you grow up in a few years, I'll mention it to your brother Sui and see if he'll take you as a concubine, but you're like bean-sprouted now, it's no use just whispering to me here!"

Although she is usually naive and lively, she is a maid from a big family and she cannot really not know anything about the inner house. “I'm not jealous of Sister Zhou! I was worried about you!"

"What do I have to worry about?" Tang Fan puzzled.

A-Dong said, "Just think, what would you do if Brother Sui really married Sister Zhou?"

Tang Fan, how clever a person normally is, at this moment it sounded completely incoherent: "What do I do, the more you say that, the more out of tune you really are!"

A-Dong gave him a blank look, ''Big brother, why are you so stupid when you get sick! If Brother Sui and Sister Zhou are married, then Sister Zhou must be living in the house? How can we live here when we'll have to move out? So of course I care ah, big brother you are not going to make big money out of nowhere, of course I hope we can stay here as long as possible so that you can also save some more money ah!"

Don't look at A-Dong's young age, she is also very good at calculating these sorta things and speaks in a logical manner.

Tang Fan said in a deep voice, ''In your eyes, your big brother, I'm just so useless? Moving out, you think we're going to be in a lot of trouble?"

Tang Fan said sadly, "No? Big brother you salary is so little, but you also so like to eat, every day eat so many things, we will eat to poverty, how are we to do then, you buy me rice every month to buy noodles with your meager salary money, I am all meticulous with it, we now own a yard and are planting some fruits, and then go out to buy some meat, and can also leave a few taels a month, if you were to marry a wife in the future you will have to you move out, this few teals will not be possible to save what are we to do then?"

Tang Fan really wanted to roll his eyes again, I'm so angry, I'm so moved.

I'm sure this girl cares so much about Sui Zhou and Zhou's girl, that's what this is about?

Tang Fan touched her head and said gruffly, "Just put your heart back in your stomach, we won't end up on the street, besides, even if I end up on the street, you won't recognize me as a big brother?"

A-Dong shook her head vigorously.




Tang Fan said, “That is it then isn’t it? I have a meal, have your morsel of food. Besides, you cannot underestimate out old Tang Family, my parents did not die without fame, let the Tang Family in Shaoxing, although the family fortunes have gone down, finally leaving a lot of good things, that being said, and then not, I have a sister married to Xianghe County of it, to the time we go over she is.”

He was originally a casual consolation A-Dong, his sister married out, as usual she is to the husband's family, Tang Fan is also an official in the capital, how could he run to the sister's family to live.

But the little girl still listened and was happy and smiled: "Well, big brother, then I will never blame you for eating more, you should eat more only, you are sick this time, no meat on the face, do not know if I didn’t know you I would say you were a refugee!"

Tang Fan went to pinch her face: "If you keep talking nonsense, you don't have to wait for your big brother Sui to get married, I will directly kick you out first!"

The two were fooling around when a voice came from the doorway: "Who wants a wife?"

When they looked at the sound, they saw Sui Zhou coming to the door, and coincidentally heard a half-word.

He was also followed by the Zhou girl and her family's maid.

Sui Zhou said, "Cousin heard that you were ill, and thinking of having a confrontation with you that day, specially asked me to bring her here to see you, and also to apologize to you."

In these days, although there are men and women, they are not so strict as to be meticulous, like Tang Fan, who is a good friend of Sui Zhou and has already shown his face in front of Sui Zhou family, and now Sui Zhou is accompanied by Sui Zhou, Zhou's girl does not bother to meet, in comparison, in the south, the manners are stricter, and in the north a little more tolerant.

The Zhou girl also did not seem as sharp as on that day, in front of her cousin acted rather shy, the obvious eye can see her heart for this cousin, only the person concerned remained pale, and do not know how much in the end now.

Tang Fan laughed, "Miss Zhou is polite, that day was also a misunderstanding caused by the unknown identity, now that the misunderstanding is resolved, naturally, it will be fine. But now that I've contracted the cold, I'm afraid I'm too sick, so please don't stay long."

Zhou Xiuyue nodded, said a few more polite words, she was obviously not very comfortable with the smell of medicine in the house, she did not even sit down, only stood at the doorway with A-Dong also said hello, and then excused herself and left.

As a host, Sui Zhou naturally had to deliver guests.

As he walked towards the gate, Zhou Xiuyue said with a bit of a petulant expression: "Cousin, it's almost winter, why don't you accompany me to the Yunju Temple to incense on a better day?"

Although Sui Zhou was somewhat aloof, it could not resist being a tall, heroic man with an outstanding appearance and a bright future, and the Sui Family was naturally filled with matchmakers who came to the house to propose marriage, but the parents of the Sui family were not allowed to be in charge of the youngest son, and a verbal agreement between the Sui Family and the Zhou Family was made, so it was shelved on hold.

Now the Zhou Family uncle returned to the capital with his family's youngest child, partly to take care of his old mother and partly for the sake of his children's family affairs.

In fact, Zhou Xiuyue’s father had already found another candidate, and the other's man father was serving in the Hanlin Academy and was also studying in the State Prison, which was a family of intellectuals, and was after all different from a Jinyiwei like Sui Zhou.

Ever since she was born, the Zhou Family has always wanted to be close to the noble family, the family connected to the Empress Dowager Zhou, and the people in the high places.

Of course, as far as Sui Zhou himself is concerned, he feels like he was not the cousin of the Zhou Family and it is not necessary to make things bigger.

The relationship between the two people was only in their childhood, and there are not so many years between the two people who vow to marry each other.

It was just that Zhou Xiuyue still seemed to have an unspoken affection for Sui Zhou, so she came to the door three times and twice, wanting to test his cousin's mind.

The two minds were not on the same page.

The woman was unable to take the initiative to invite, but Sui Zhou shook his head: "No, this time Tang Fan is sick, A-Dong is too busy to come, I have to be at home to look after some things."

Zhou Xiuyue bit her lower lip: "What about if I get a maidservant from the family to come and help take care of him?"

Sui Zhou said lightly, "Never mind, don't go to all this trouble, you should go with your uncle and his family. I have heard that your uncle is interested in finding a marriage for you, and I am sure that the man will be of good character.”

Zhou Xiuyue's face was instantly embarrassed as she gave Sui Zhou a vicious glare and dropped the sentence, "You're so damned!"

Turned and headed out the door in a huff.

The Zhou Family servant girl was following them, and when she saw that the two seemed to be talking in a whisper, she moved away from them for some distance with good intentions.

When she saw that her master was suddenly and inexplicably furious and left with a flung of her sleeve, she was too busy to catch up.

Sui Zhou watched the person go far away, even his expression did not change much, and turned around and went to Tang Fan's house.

When the medicine took effect Tang Fan had fallen into a deep sleep.

A-Dong whispered, "Big brother just slept for a while, Big brother Sui, what do you want to eat at night? I'll make it."

Sui Zhou nodded, "Whatever you cook is fine, just turn around and heat up the leftover congee you just ate."

These two days are busy taking care of the patient, and the patient can't eat too many foods, A-Dong is too lazy to refute, she said yes, and went out.

As soon as she left, there were only two people left in the house.

One sleep, one wake, one standing, one sleeping.

Tang Fan has been sleeping longer than he's been awake these days.

Sickness comes like a mountain and goes like silk.

The room was quiet, with only Tang Fan’s long breaths falling together.

Sui Zhou tucked him in and stood quietly for a while again.

It wasn't until outside A-Dong knocked on the door and called for him to eat that he turned and left.






- The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty -




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