As the saying goes, if you don’t be a leader, you don’t know that the firewood and rice are expensive.

Ren He worked as the head of the Nanyuan Commission for several months. Not only did he know how expensive the firewood and rice were, but he also realized that being an official was not as glamorous as it appeared, but was very tired and difficult!

The food and salary of the Hejian officers and soldiers should be allocated to the Zhili Grain Road. For the food and salary of more than 400 people, he had been to the Governor's Office and the Grain Road Office three times. Seeing that the clerks in the two yamen either refused or said that they would slow down, he was so angry that he slapped the table, saying that if the money and food were delayed, it would not only delay the rectification of the Nanyuan River Haizi, but could not make any contributions to the emperor, and may even cause a mutiny.

Perhaps the Lord Fantai and the grain road felt that dredging and rectifying the royal gardens were more important than preventing blockages in Tianjin, and they might also be worried that mutiny would occur in the capital and would not be able to escape the relationship. Finally, they gave a bunch of treasure money, six carts of iron cast and more than three thousand stones were mixed with soil and even moldy old grains.

Baochao and big money are not worth it, so you have to find a way to use it quickly and buy as much as you can. The old grain that people cannot eat can be used to feed livestock. After doing this, you have to call the civilians in the garden to repair several almost abandoned houses on the side of the schoolyard to store the grain, gunpowder, lead and other weapons purchased these days.

Ji Lu was too busy and had to go to the accounting department to apply for money and food for the Eight Banners Army, and to Shangsiyuan to apply for the Nanyuan stable chief, deputy, stable chief, armored man, and other personnel, and the Mongolian doctors to feed the horses, camels and mules in the stable.

As the autumn harvest is approaching, the most scarce thing in the capital is grain. Wang Qianli, Wan Shixuan and Temulun are busy with the money and grain that have been privately reclaimed in the garden.

As soon as Han Xiufeng came back, they rushed to the official office with Ronglu, Wang Qianli and Yongxiang to report on their official duties during this period.

"I have told Yuan Cheng, including Zhuzi and Tie Lock, that the harvest in the garden this year, except for those that should be transferred to the accounting department, all the grains must be left in the garden, and no grains can be flowed out!" Wang Qianli looked down at the account book and then said, "Because this money is not easy to change, we plan to convert the land silver or rent, and all those with grains should be converted into grain. This year, other places either drought or floods are caused. My Nanyuan is quite good in weather, and the crops are growing well for thousands of hectares. I guess I can get at least 1,500 stones."

Thinking of the soldiers stationed in Tongzhou, who can only eat one meal a day now, Han Xiufeng pondered: "If the people in the garden still have surplus grains, we can buy them at the market price."

"Second Master, you can rest assured. I've explained this a long time ago, otherwise I wouldn't have said that a grain of grain would not flow out just now." Wang Qianli thought about it and said, "Not only should we collect the grain in the garden, but I also went to say hello to several nearby farms. After the grain was collected, we would send someone to buy it. We would follow the market and never break the scale!"

"Report to the Fourth Master, the grain warehouse is being repaired and it will be completed in seven or eight days." Ren He couldn't help but bow.

"I'm relieved. The current food price is one per day. Sometimes we can't buy it if we have money. Only with the food in our hands can we not panic."

"Second Master, there is something that the official almost forgot to say."

"What's the matter?" Han Xiufeng asked subconsciously.

Ren He looked back at Wang Qianli and Ji Lu, and said respectfully: "Didn't you let the lower officials go to Miyun with money and raise some food in Miyun? This job was later handed over to Master Qingxian, and the lower officials never consulted him. A few days ago, Master Qingxian asked someone to send a letter to the lower officials, saying that the more than 3,000 stone grains purchased by Chunshang were a bit turbulent. He had hired someone to turn over and dry them several times, but if they were left like this, they would not be left for a few days. If they were put on it, they would be mould and moldy. How should the grain be disposed of? Please tell me."

Ronglu put down the teacup and whispered: "Fourth Master, foreigners have returned to Guangdong."

How could Han Xiufeng not hear what he meant? After weighing the pros and cons, he still looked up and said, "Okay, I'll send a letter to Qingxian and ask him to sell the old grain at a price. I will buy 3,000 stones of new grain while the autumn harvest is low. If the money is not enough, please take it first. If someone goes out of the mouth, he will take it to him."

"Selling old grain and buying new grain, new grain must be more expensive than old grain. Isn't it a loss to go in and out?" Ren He asked carefully.

"Buying grain is so much more expensive now than buying it in spring, so we still have to buy it? Brother Xingzhi, I know you are very careful in your calculations and want to save some money, but what we want now is to be prepared for any trouble. In comparison, money is a small matter."

"What the Fourth Master said is that after the Xiaguan returned, he would write a letter to Master Qingxian."

Han Xiufeng nodded with satisfaction, then looked at Ji Lu and asked, "Ji Lu, what do you say about the bean, rice and grass of camel horses and mules?"

Ji Lu hurriedly stood up: "Report to the Fourth Master, Shangsiyuan has transferred the Ministry of Revenue to the Ministry of Revenue for the Ministry of Revenue to allocate it, but when he went to the Ministry of Revenue, he was stuck. The masters of the Ministry of Revenue said that there were too many yamen waiting to apply for money and grain. The ones in front had not been completed, and the food and wages in Tongzhou Daying had not yet been settled. Let's wait first."

"Where are the money and food garrisons of the Maqimen?"

"I've given this, but all I've given is treasure money."

"The Sushun family is not easy to be a family. Just Baochao is better than nothing." Han Xiufeng looked at Wang Qianli again: "Brother Bailing, whether it is the grain road of Zhili, the accounting department and the Ministry of Revenue, we have never expected them, so the food and salary of the army stationed in Majiamen and Heying was still paid from the public account. If you have money to pay money, but you don't have enough money to pay silver. If you send money like Tongzhou, where will the morale come from and how can the soldiers use their lives?"

"The subordinate officials obey the order, there are more than 50,000 taels in the public account anyway."

"Only fifty thousand taels left?"

"Fourth Master, you are not in charge of the family and don't know that the firewood and rice are expensive. Six or seven hundred people need money to eat, drink, defecate and urinate. This money is really like water when you spend it!" Wang Qianli said with a wry smile.

"Fifty thousand taels are only 50,000 taels. Let's spend it first. If it's not enough, then I'll find a way."

As soon as Han Xiufeng finished speaking, Wang Hedong bowed and said, "Fourth Master, I have a way to save money."

"Tell me, listen."

"Actually, I didn't think about how to save money. But the foreign guns were all shipped to the public. I always teach my brothers how to load and aim and cast them every day, but I don't use real guns to fire a few more shots, so that I don't let the brothers listen to the movements of the guns. I think this is not a solution."

"If you should be put, if you should be fired, if you should be fired, there are guns, gunpowder, and lead. Why don't you let your brothers practice?" Han Xiufeng asked in confusion.

"I want to fire a gun, but this is Nanyuan. Can I fire a gun here?"

Ronglu also smiled bitterly and said, "Fourth Master, I don't let him release it. The sound of firing a gun is too loud. Not only will it alarm the Qiu Ba stationed in the north, it will alarm the infantry yamen, and even Prince Hui."

Thinking that the land of Gyeonggi could not easily fire guns, Han Xiufeng subconsciously asked: "What should I do?"

Wang Hedong hurriedly said, "Fourth Master, Master Ronglu and I discussed it. We plan to take our brothers back to Gu'an with Yongxiang. No matter how hard we are, it's okay, and there is a barracks in our Heying there."

Wang Qianli thought this idea was good and couldn't help but smile: "No matter what you buy there, it's not as expensive as the capital. Going there can really save some money."

Han Xiufeng pondered and said, "It's okay to go to Gu'an, but it's not a joke to mobilize troops in the capital. I have to ask the emperor for approval first."

"So we have guns but we never dare to fire guns. We're just waiting for you to come back."

"This matter is decided, I'll submit a memorandum tomorrow morning."

Seeing that the business was almost done, Yongxiang, who had never had the chance to interrupt, stood up and said, "Fourth Master, I went to Tongzhou the day before yesterday and saw Long Ruyuan. Although that kid has become a success, he still looks nostalgic and respects you very much. Not only do he want to come to Nanyuan to see the brothers, he also bought a generous gift and asked me to bring it back to honor you."

Wang Qianli knew about this and couldn't help but smile: "The gift Yuer helped me accept it. I looked at the gift list. It was quite heavy. The several things added up to five or six hundred taels."

Han Xiufeng did not care about the slightest gifts, but asked: "Did the Monk King arrange errands for him?"

Speaking of this, Yongxiang said helplessly: "I thought the imperial edict asked him to go to Tongzhou to lead Yong, and he would be stationed in Tongzhou in the future. As soon as he took office, Senggelinqin let him first get familiar with the brave and brave people from Hubei, and planned to let him lead Yong to Tianjin in a few days to listen to Zhili Admiral Shi Rongchun."

Ronglu put down the teacup and said, "If he was stationed in Tongzhou, if something really happened, he and the Xiangyongs he led might be able to help. But if he went to Tianjin, he and the Xiangyongs he led would not be able to count on. Fourth Master, why don't you think of a way to tell Senggelinqin and tell him not to go to Tianjin and stay in Tongzhou."

Han Xiufeng pondered for a moment and shook his head: "Senggelinqin is trying to use good steel on the blade. How can you tell me to Senggelinqin to speak with him? What's more, because the emperor summoned him back to Beijing to give him an opportunity in person, he had an idea about me, so how could I interfere in military affairs again?"

"Where is the emperor?"

"The emperor's side is even worse." Han Xiufeng said helplessly: "Think about it, because the money and grain cannot be managed, the six or seven troops transferred from various places from Chunshang have sent back one after another in the past two months. The temporary recruitment of Yongzhuang has also been dismissed one after another. Our Heying camp has neither been sent back to Gu'an nor cut off. It is not easy to still be stationed in Nanyuan. How can we dig the corner of Senggelinqin with the emperor at this time?"

"Since there is no way, let's forget it, we have never expected him."

"Well, but I can't receive his gifts in vain. Yongxiang, haven't he gone to Tianjin yet, I'll go to the stable to pick a few horses to deliver to him tomorrow. In fact, he needs more foreign guns than horses, but we don't have many foreign guns, so we can only give him a few horses."

"Okay, I will go to do it tomorrow morning."
Chapter completed!