Chapter 2348 The Bearded Emperor

There were no traces of torture on Wang Yuan's body, but he was as afraid of the man who tortured him as a tiger.

He was panting as if he had been forgiven. When Fang woke up, he wanted to shout angrily, but the man glanced at him.

Just one look made Wang Yuan give up his plan of scolding.

"Say it."

Fang Xing nodded to the man who tortured him, expressed his appreciation, and then began to ask questions.

There is an extra document on the side to record.

As a clerk in the East Factory, you must have the ability to continue working without changing your expression even if you are standing in a pool of blood, otherwise it will be dereliction of duty.

After Wang Yuan finished explaining intermittently, the man nodded apologetically to Fang Xing, and then tortured him again.

Amid the screams, the clerk began to check the names one by one, turning over and over again and asking questions. If there was something wrong, the screams would immediately rise a few levels.

Half an hour later, the roster was finally checked.

"Please help me make a copy for Uncle Ben."

The clerk looked at Chen Shi, who nodded.

Later, Fang Xing left with the roster, and Chen Shi went to see An Lun.

An Lun looked through the roster, his brows furrowed for a moment and then relaxed with disdain.

"They are all people who form cliques and seek personal gain. With this roster, they will not be reused in the future."

That was not what Chen Shi was concerned about. He asked tentatively: "Father-in-law, what is Fang Xing doing with the roster?"

An Lun shook his head and said, "This is not something we should get involved in. Be careful of getting into trouble."

Chen Shi felt that An Lun was too kind today, a bit like Sun Xiang back then.

No one wants Shangguan to have a bad temper and like to punish his subordinates, so this is good news.

An Lun suddenly waved his hand, and Chen Shi bowed to leave. When he went out, he saw a Fanzi standing outside the door who had disappeared for a long time.

After he left, Fanzi came in and reported: "Father, Yan Chunhui is very low-key and humble in Fuzhou. Everyone speaks well of him."

An Lun rubbed the already cold tea cup and asked, "How strict is the guard?"

Fanzi felt that An Lun didn't wake up: What grade of official is Yan Chunhui? Do you dare to say that the security is tight?

And what is he afraid of?

"My father-in-law, Yan Chunhui works like his colleagues in the office, and sometimes he even goes out to have fun."

After finishing speaking, An Lun did not respond. Fanzi was exhausted both physically and mentally from rushing back to the capital from Fuzhou. After standing for a while, he looked up carefully.

An Lun was looking at the teacup in his hand, his slightly drooped eyes filled with melancholy or sadness.

…

There is more of a Chinese New Year atmosphere in the capital, and every store without exception has sent its clerks outside to solicit customers.

Fang Xing dismounted and felt the atmosphere. At the same time, he also looked at the dazzling array of products and wondered whether his family would like them.

He saw the dried bamboo shoots in the south, and also saw the various kinds of sugar made from the cane sugar in Cochin in the south, and they were in different shapes. The animal candies were the most popular, and a few adults laughed as they watched their children choose.

Fang Xing walked over and took a look, and even smelled the candies.

The shopkeeper praised: "Customers will know they are experts at first sight! This cane sugar has a strong flavor. As long as you know the industry, you don't need to look carefully. You can tell the authenticity by just smelling it. Nowadays, some people use those miscellaneous sugars to pass off as cane sugar. What a bad idea!" "

The children looked at Fang Xing curiously, and then looked at their parents with trusting eyes.

Then there's the embarrassment.

Although everyone's life is much better now, if it weren't for the holidays, no one would come to buy the expensive cane sugar. Their parents haven't even made up their mind yet whether to buy some back.

Fang Xing smiled and said, "There will be more and more in the future, and it will become cheaper and cheaper."

Then he picked out some animal-shaped candies and left.

"Is it really going to be cheaper?"

Several parents were asking the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper specializes in the cane sugar business and has a deep understanding of the details, but he doesn't understand the general trend as well as Fang Xing.

"Yes. Sugar cane has been grown in the West. In the future, it will be turned into cane sugar and sent back by ship. It will definitely be cheaper."

"Western! Now I hear they are very respectful.

"

"Yes, the Ming Navy has just defeated the Thai-Spanish coalition. There is no opponent on the sea. Who dares to be disrespectful!"

"Yes! Things have calmed down outside the Great Wall, and the sea has become stable. There is no one as powerful as the Ming Dynasty in the past dynasties."

"In the past, those people called Ming Dynasty Mighty, but we just listened. A few days ago, I passed by the military camp and heard the Ming Ming Dynasty being called Mighty and Mighty during the drill. For some reason, I felt my body was getting hot, and I wanted to go inside and join the soldiers. Practice, and then go to the battlefield and shout this sentence.”

Seeing the proud faces of several customers, the shopkeeper joked: "I have also gone to sea, to Xiaoliuqiu to see the sugar cane fields. That time I happened to encounter a fleet sailing to the West. Oh my God! That ship was full of pavilions. The entire sea was filled with ships and sails, and nothing else could be seen. At that time, I felt that it was really good to be born in the Ming Dynasty. "

"Yes! We will still be Ming people in the next life!"

…

Fang Xing was called into the palace carrying the candy.

Zhu Zhanji's beard was getting longer and longer, which Fang Xing looked a little uncomfortable with.

"Why are you looking at me like this?"

Zhu Zhanji has finished handling political affairs and is enjoying tea.

Although the position of emperor was so tiring that Fang Xing was put off, the enjoyment of some rare resources was enviable.

Fang Xing took a sip of tea. He didn't feel any astringency and his mouth was full of fragrance.

He was thinking about whether he could get half a pound of this tea to drink at home, so he casually said: "In my impression, you have always been dark-faced and beardless. Now that your beard is so long, I always feel something is wrong."

This is the wrongness caused by the change of status, and the two of them knew it very well.

Fang Xing was used to the young man who was hanging around in Fangjiazhuang, the grandson, and even the unhappy prince later.

It's just that he became the emperor. The gap brought about by the change of identity made people think of the past and couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Zhu Zhanji smiled and said: "Not growing a beard always lacks majesty. I wanted to fix it, but Duandan didn't pull my beard firmly last time, and I fell down. I might as well grow a beard."

Is there the pressure of state affairs and the pressure of the ministers in this almost childish decision?

Fang Xing didn't say anything, thinking about the experience of the young man who gradually stepped onto the supreme throne.

It's not easy!

A whole country is placed on the shoulders of one person, how much pressure can that be?

Fang Xing felt that he could not bear it, so what about Zhu Zhanji?

Zhu Zhanji smiled and said, "Huang Huai has submitted a memorial, saying that he has almost recovered and is unwilling to waste time at home, so he is ready to come back. I am wondering! Is there an afterlife after this person's death? If not, is it worth it to be busy and busy in this life? If those people also think so, then where do they get the spirit to work hard and not rest until they are old?"

This topic is rather casual, but since it was raised by Zhu Zhanji, Fang Xing had to think about it.

Where did his emotion come from?

Fang Xing thought it must have come from seeing the files of the rebellions in the south.

Even if the land they had surrendered was taken back, the gentry who rebelled could still live a comfortable life.

So what were they doing this for?

"Some people say that those who rebelled were greedy, but I don't think that's entirely true."

Zhu Zhanji said with some regret: "People are born ignorant, and as they grow up, they feel that they can poke a hole in the sky. It is so refreshing to point out the mountains and rivers and express their feelings directly."

The emperor is tired!

He needs a rest!

Fang Xing was about to make a suggestion, but Zhu Zhanji continued: "Gradually people start to get old. When you have children and grandchildren, you will see them being born and growing up like you did. Brother Dehua, you feel very lost! You feel that sooner or later you will be like those old people with wrinkles on their faces. Just thinking about it makes you feel that there is nothing left in this world to linger on."

Fang Xing felt that he had heard the sigh of an emperor who wanted to become a monk.

He knew that Zhu Zhanji had many things and anger that he could not tell others, so he could only hold it in himself.

So he felt that he should do something.

"You are tired."

Fang Xing asserted: "When people are tired, they tend to be depressed, feel hopeless, and look around in gloom."

"You have withstood the pressure. Throughout history, there is no emperor stronger than you."

Zhu Zhanji suddenly laughed and said, "As expected, you understand me. Under pressure, I do feel tired."