Before leaving Beijing, Qiao Songnian always thought that Songjiang Prefecture was a famous fishing and rice land and a prosperous place. I wonder how happy it was to make up for the lack of Songjiang Prefecture, and the relatives and friends in the capital even congratulated each other. So much so that when he left Beijing, he gave more gifts than when he left Beijing.

As a result, after taking office, I found that Songjiang Prefecture was rich but had high taxes. The Huating, Lou County, Nanhui, Qingpu, Fengxian, Jinshan and Chuansha Hall were all deficits. Because of the taxes, there were very few that could last for two years. In the past few decades, nearly 100 prefectures and county halls were almost completely removed because of the taxes. There were only a handful of people who could be promoted from magistrates to magistrates or even prefects.

There is one county that is not deficient. Since the "support of the sea ban", commercial groups in various coastal provinces have gone to operate handicrafts, cotton spinning, sand ships and other industries, which can be called "the capital of the river and sea, and the southeast". However, as the patrol of Su Song's army and the road preparation yamen moved to Shanghai's county town, Shanghai went directly to the Daotai Yamen for major and minor matters, and did not come to the prefectural Yamen to report, so gradually became a "direct-level county" of the Taoist Yamen.

It would be fine if there was a deficit. Those magistrates who had finally been in office also collected food and consumed, which made the world angry and people complained, and even forced the people to rebel... Although Qiao Songnian had just been in office for a few days, he had already found that this was a mess and it was difficult for him to do as a magistrate.

But no matter whether it is easy to do or not, or whether it can be a long-term leader, since you have taken office, you have to be a director. In the morning, you listen to the report from a few magistrates and summoned local gentry in the afternoon. I thought that tomorrow will be the fifth day of the August 2nd, which is the day for the Spring and Autumn Festival. I would lead the professors of the Ministry of Education, instructors and students from the city of the Ministry of Education to worship together. After meeting the local gentry, I discussed the matter of the autumn festival with the Ministry of Education.

He was so busy that he was exhausted. After finally finishing his work, he was about to go to the signing room to rest for a while. His friend, Master Xu, walked into the flower hall with another letter.

"Uncle Xu, whose letter?" Qiao Songnian stood up and asked.

Master Xu presented a letter, and then presented a silver note with a denomination of 800 taels. He sat down and smiled and said, "Young Master, you must not have thought of who wrote this letter."

The signature on the envelope is famous and mysterious, but when you take out the letter and open it, Qiao Songnian is happy: "It turns out to be Han Si from Chongqing Guild Hall!"

"The letter was brought by your fellow villager, Mr. Wu from the Shanghai Branch of the 'Risenchang'. This silver note was also what Mr. Wu respected you."

"Where is the shopkeeper Wu?"

"He waited in the gatehouse for more than an hour, and saw that you were so busy, so he took his leave first and said he would come to see you another day." Master Xu was originally the Changsuan of Qiao Bangxian, the chief clerk of the Criminal Department. He had been in the capital for more than ten years and often helped Qiao Bangxian deliver letters to Huang Zhongyin and other colleagues. He even went to the Chongqing Guild Hall more than once. When he thought of Han Si, he couldn't help laughing and said, "When I left the capital, I heard from the Huang Jingshi and the others that Han Si was just a member of the sixth-grade state. I didn't expect that now he is a deputy of the Lianghuai Transportation, a fifth-grade deputy. Young Master, his official fortune is not ordinary!"

"There are supporters of Huang Jingshi and others in Beijing, and Guo Peilin in Taizhou. He is a successful person. Is his official career successful?" Qiao Songnian looked at the letter and laughed and scolded: "It's so mysterious and not well-known. He said he was coming to Shanghai to get grain, and the ghost knew what he was here to do."

Master Xu was stunned and pondered: "The bandits not only occupied Jiangning, but also divided the troops to fight westward. The waterways were blocked and the Huai salt could not be transported out... Master, could he be selling salt in Shanghai, right?"

"Our Songjiang Prefecture is the attraction of Zhejiang salt. If he really sells it to Shanghai, it will be lively." Qiao Songnian put down his letter and thought about it, then shook his head: "It is unlikely that selling Huai salt to Shanghai. After all, there is little transportation and no understanding of the danger of Huai salt. If there is too much transportation, where will Zhejiang salt be sold? Even if he dares to do this, Guo Peilin will not agree. If the matter is reported to the court, it will be a good intention to do the wrong thing."

"What did you come to Shanghai to do that day?"

"Maybe they are really here to get food, or they may be here to find foreigners."

"Looking for a foreigner?" Master Xu was shocked.

Qiao Songnian smiled and explained: "Uncle Xu, think about it, the Huai Yan sewage was not completely lost, it was just that the waterway was blocked and the salt could not be transported out. If you find a ship that could transport the salt to Huguang, wouldn't the danger of Huai Yan be solved?"

Master Xu blurted out and said, "The foreigners dare not stop the ships of the ships!"

Qiao Songnian didn't think that the dignified Vice-Chengdu of Lianghuai Transportation came to Shanghai to buy grain for the stove owners of Lianghuai Salt Field. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the second speculation was closest to the truth. He couldn't help but smile: "As long as he could hire more than a dozen or twenty foreign ships, the number of salt they had in the Lianghuai Transportation Department could not transport out, but the foreigners were just two-faced and three-handed. This relationship was not that easy to fight."

"Disposing with foreigners is not a trivial matter."

"So he dared not show off, so he made it mysterious. Think about it carefully, Guo Peilin is so lucky. He can meet Han Si who is both familiar and reliable when he goes out to Jiangsu. Han Si happened to be donating. Even if the matter of finding foreigners to hire foreign ships is leaked, he can stay out of the matter, and Han Si is not afraid of being ruined."

If Qiao Songnian's words were spread, nine out of ten people would not believe them.

Mr. Xu believed it deeply, because he had seen the world for so long in the capital. He knew very well that as long as he negotiated with foreigners, he would become the target of public criticism and would not even have a good end. Negotiation first requires friendship. If you get too close to foreigners, those clear streams will impeach you for "losing your national system" and even accusing you of "two hearts".

As long as there is a slightest bit of negotiations with foreigners that does not conform to the rituals of the Qing Dynasty or makes a little compromise, it is to "lost the power and humiliate the country", and it is difficult to tolerate it without killing the law of heaven; if the negotiations with foreigners fail and foreigners take the opportunity to cause trouble, there will be no good results.

In short, if you want to be an official in the Qing Dynasty, if you can do not deal with foreigners, you will not deal with foreigners, otherwise you will be criticized by thousands of people, be ruined, and even be infamous for thousands of years!

Because of this, the former prefects of Songjiang, the governor of Jiangsu and the governor of Liangjiang were all kept away from foreigners. The reason why Wu Jianzhang was so steadily was not that he was outstanding and diligent in doing things, but because his lack of weakness was very fat but no one envied him. At least the officials who entered the imperial examination were not stupid enough to snatch and fight.

Thinking that Han Si came to Shanghai and was likely to be arguing about the world and seeking negotiations with foreigners, Master Xu said worriedly: "Young Master, no matter what, it is an old acquaintance. Are you reminding him?"

"Han Si is so smart. He wouldn't have thought of anything we can think of? Besides, the letter said that he was here to handle grain. How could I mention this awakening?" Qiao Songnian thought about it and then said, "Then it is the business of the transport merchant. Even if the news of asking foreigners to help transport salt leaked out, he would definitely have a way to stay out of the matter, otherwise he wouldn't have such a mysterious thing."

"That's right, he should have come prepared."

"We don't have to guess or worry about what he came to Shanghai to do. The Confucian teaching he mentioned in the letter, please remember to help you ask during the autumn festival tomorrow."

"Help that tribute student named Ren find an errand in the imperial school?"
Chapter completed!