Chapter 218: Tasks assigned by the treacherous minister

After this banquet, Zhao Xing officially took office. In the official office, Wan Qi Yong was appointed as the official, the captain was the commander, the captain was the commander, the official of the Kongmu was Shan E, and the official of the resignation Ju Chang and the official of the guest officer Wang Ge were established. The entire team was established.

This was the first time he had been the local chief officer and began to stand alone. The first thing he received was a complaint: Liao Xiaoxiao complained to Zhao Liren.

"Why did you use your own carriage to send Liu Jingniang? That fox is good at seducing souls and can't get rid of anyone who touches her? I heard that two good families committed suicide for her. Yangzhou calls her "Nine-tailed Demon Fox". Why did you let her get on your carriage?" Liao Xiaoxiao stomped her feet and complained dissatisfiedly.

"Nine-tailed Demon Fox, this nickname is good." Zhao Xing gently pushed away Liao Xiaoxiao's hand pulling her sleeve and asked curiously: "I wonder, what is this nine-tailed Demon Fox good at? Yesterday I didn't listen to her singing a song at the dinner. Why did Cai Jing be extremely humble to her? Could it be that they had a slap?"

Liao Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, "I've been to Yangzhou for March. I've been inquired clearly: Although Cai Yuanchang, Lord Cai is not good at character, he is extremely respectful to his wife, because this wife is Wang Jinggong's daughter. As for this nine-tailed demon fox, it is said that there is no man she can't coax her, so the Yangzhou official banquet and literati like to invite her. Although she is not good at singing, she is very good at flattering. With her, the whole banquet will not be unlucky.

It is said that many good families were also attracted by her and decided to marry her. I also heard that this person was hung high in a high banner, and there were constant cars and horses in front of the door. However, Lord Cai Jing never had the habit of staying in a brothel and would go home every day. The two of them were limited to official remuneration... By the way, I heard that the nine-tailed demon fox wrote good handwriting and painted a good painting. Those literati liked to let her write on the spot, which was also considered an elegant thing.

My husband, Jing Niang is the leader of Yangzhou. As Lord Cai, he dare not play casually. You should pay attention. This place is located in the hub of the world. The big news spreads very quickly, so don’t let people find a handle.”

Cai Jing's wife was Wang Anshi, and everyone in the Song Dynasty knew about this, because it involved an allusion. It is said that when Cai Jing was the prefect of Kaifeng, he held a banquet to celebrate. An actor came forward to celebrate, and the words he said were also famous throughout the ages. He said at that time: "The Chifu (referring to the prefect of the capital) today's worship is all based on the wife's nepotism!"

The actor ridiculed Cai Jing's current official position was obtained from his wife, otherwise he would not have been promoted so quickly. It is said that the actor mocked him in person, so Lord Cai could bear it. He laughed and rewarded the actor as if nothing had happened.

Cai Jing did not punish the actors at that time, not because he could not control the other party. At that time, Bianliang was under the jurisdiction of him, the prefect of Kaifeng, and it was no need to worry about dealing with a Bianliang actor. But the trend at that time was: the actors' jokes should not be serious, and once they were serious, their reputation would become even worse. Because the actors' mouths were talking from house to house, Cai Jing could only reward money to calm down the situation...

Since then, there is an idiom in Chinese: nepotism.

There is such a big-name woman in Cai Jing's family. Of course, he dare not outsource his mistress at will, nor will he dare to stay in a tile house.

Zhao Xing fully understood Liao Xiaoxiao's jealous reminder. The Song Dynasty stipulated that officials should not have any personal affair with official prostitutes. The only exception was Tai students. This group of students from the highest royal institution had no taboos, and local officials did not have this blessing. However, even Tai students, if they were close to prostitutes, their reputation would be very bad, such as Qin Guan, the former Tai student.

Zhao Xing thought for a moment and replied casually: "I didn't expect that Cai Jing was very self-disciplined in this regard... Since Jing's mother had been on that carriage, you would just come forward and send the carriage to her. How about it?"

Liao Xiaoxiao applauded and said: "It's great. This will cut off her thoughts and make people lose their opinions. Just do this, anyway, the carriage in Yangzhou City is not available."

Zhao Xing's carriage is a light travel carriage. Although it is a two-wheeled carriage, it has steel frames, shock absorbing springs, etc. The thin carriage wall is shiny with paint, and glass is inlaid on all sides. The carriage door on the side is very sealed. When you close the door, you will never hear the sound of parts in the carriage even when you walk on the bumpy road.

However, although the carriage is good, as Liao Xiaoxiao said, Yangzhou is a water city with rivers crisscrossing. The most convenient way for people to travel is a boat, not a carriage. Because the streets are narrow, the carriage is inconvenient to rotate and cannot cross the bridge...

Liao Xiaoxiao gave the carriage that Jingniang had directly to Jingniang, showing her irreconcilable attitude. After receiving the carriage, Jingniang smiled like a flower: "My wife Liao, I heard that she married into Mr. Zhao's family. Although she looked beautiful, she also treated her wife as a low-dressed young man at home. Even Chen, the side room, might be pleased by her sisters. Why did she become tough today? I don't know how to share the same illness."

The madam followed the words of Jing Niang and said immediately: "I had heard that Lord Zhao is a wealthy man in Hangzhou. Now after looking at his carriage, I realized that what he said is true. Jing Niang, I heard that the chassis of his carriage is made of light steel, black and shiny, and there is no sound when walking. Daughter, if you don't like this car, please give it to your godmother? I'll also take the carriage of Zhao, Hangzhou, to show it to my sisters."

Jing Niang shook her handkerchief and said blamingly: "Mom only saw the chassis of the car, but she had not seen the colorful glass windows inlaid on the car. When I was in the car yesterday, I found that the colorful glass inlaid on the walls of the car was as clear as water. Looking out through the glass, the street view was revealed and it did not deform at all.

I guess, the glass on these four walls alone would be worth thousands of yuan. Does my mother want it too? However, this was given to her by Lord Zhao for her daughter. If she sat on it... Hehe, I heard that Lord Zhao had a nickname, known as "Jingjiehu". I heard that he captured hundreds of bandits in Fuyang, and all of them were beheaded... My mother was not afraid that he would get angry, so she sat on her own."

The madam curled her lips and replied, "You only know that Lord Zhao has a nickname of 'Jingjiehu', but you don't know that he is also called 'can't provoke'. Last night you went to tease this tiger, and someone else was knocked unconscious and carried it in. It scared my mother so much that she was sweating. Daughter, Zhao Hu, you dare to provoke him too. Now that his female tiger is showing her power, why don't you just go down and let go!"

Zhao Xing ran to defeat the Lujia Stone Fort in Fuyang fortress. Although he threw it behind the boring battle, it caused great influence in the world. After this battle, Zhao Laohu became the most famous person in the world. The bandits from the four realms were unable to enter Hangzhou, which prompted Hangzhou Caoshi to break out quickly...

Hangzhou is not far from Yangzhou, and the convenience of water transportation conveys the news to Yangzhou. Whenever Hangzhou merchants talk about Zhao Laohu, they speak pride, but the news will distort as the news spreads. For example, the initial attack on Zhao Xing's castle caused Zhao Xing to launch a counterattack, turning into the Lujia Fort in Huliangshan, which caused Zhao Laohu to offend. As a result, Zhao Laohu led several village heads and a small group of soldiers entered the Lujia Stone Fort that could not be broken for a hundred years, calling the wind and rain, and using thunder in the palm of the hand to destroy the entire castle...

The old madam, Jing Niang is a low-level figure, and it is impossible to know the whole truth of the incident. In order to fight for the car, these two people, you say a few words and I say a few words, and the more terrifying it is. However, the old madam was the first to quit. She shrank her neck and said yearningly: "Daughter, tell Lord Zhao that he would often come to our house when he has time. Now Yangzhou is raving too much, and he asks endlessly, so Lord Cai doesn't care. But who Zhao Laohu is? The rapping nest in Beijing is buried in his hands. If you let Lord Zhao sit for nothing, you can also let the group rapping a while."

"Mr. Zhao," after all, Jing Niang was still self-aware. She pointed to the carriage and said, "I don't know if this carriage is not my hand. I heard that the person who sent the carriage said that Lord Zhao did not bring his wife to Yangzhou this time. It was Liao. You said that everyone Liao's attitude is that which female lady in Yangzhou dares to jump... Alas, it's a pity that a good family. I heard that Lord Zhao can write poetry and compose music, have a wealth of wealth and serve as an official, and he is also very good at fighting. Several wives and concubines run courts, and each of them has a good fortune. How can I get to know such a good family late?"

Jing Niang talked about Zhao Xing here, but Zhao Xing was not idle on the other side. He was busy taking over the position of pacification envoy.

Originally, Yangzhou had clear levels of official ranks, including officials with roads and officials of states. However, because of the existence of Cai Jing, the tycoon of several levels, the official ranks of governments were completely disrupted. Cai Jing himself served as the shipping envoy of the four routes, so the official ranks of the nearby roads were all disrupted. Not only that, Cai Jing also served as the governor of Yangzhou, so the official ranks of the prefecture of the state were also disrupted by him.

Zhao Xing is now the seventh-rank Jiangdu Ling. Ouyang Xiu once served as the official title, but Jiangdu, as "Yiguo County", is too low. Zhao Xing is at the most embarrassing time in the officialdom. He served as two general magistrates. According to his qualifications, a small county magistrate needs to be transferred to the prefecture. However, Yangzhou is under pressure, Cai Jing, so he obtained another official title of recruiting and comforting envoy. This official position belongs to the first level of the "Road" and is from the sixth-rank. For Zhao Xing, it is equivalent to a disguised promotion, which means that he has touched the threshold of senior officials.

The fifth rank is a threshold for ancient Chinese officials. After being promoted to the fifth rank, they can continue to move towards a higher position. Moreover, there is a big difference between the fifth rank and the lower rank officials: an official who reaches the fifth rank and violates the law again requires "eight discussions", that is, as long as there is a reason, he or she can be fined for any serious crime of treason, or the crime can be reduced by one level as appropriate; if there is no reason to reduce the crime, officials will create reasons.

Recruiting the rank of comfort envoys is an official title that exceeds the rank of the rank of the defense state. In the non-defense state, the official title is lower than that of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the rank of the

At present, Zhao Xing, the whole Song Dynasty, was the least concerned about the changes in his position. He was recruiting the yamen to accept the visits of his subordinates casually, and brought the commander into the yamen to serve as the judge, and then began to "check" the troops in Hangzhou.

"There are ten commands of the imperial guards in this state, three thousand troops; there are five commands of the Xiang army, seven thousand troops; the Xiang army includes four commands of the navy. Sir, the above are all the troops in this state." The remaining troops and horses Lu Yu explained to Zhao Xing calmly: "There is sufficient food and grass in Yangzhou, and the shortage of troops in this unit is not large. In addition, if there is a major event, the nearby Gaoyou Army can support it."

Another next to him added: "The so-called big thing is just harassment by the bandits in Taihu Lake. Yangzhou is a water transport hub. Some bandits often come out of Taihu Lake and rob merchant ships. They gather and disperse, and when they encounter large army encirclement and suppression, they scatter into the lake and pretend to be good people. The army is dispatched, and they are useless to spend money and food. In addition, the search is not good. Generally speaking, as long as the bandits are not too much and the merchants are willing to spend money to buy peace, my Yangzhou navy will turn a blind eye."

Zhao Xing nodded gently. Yangzhou is such a rich place, and it is not too burdened by the people. He vaguely remembers that after the Jin soldiers headed south, the entire north fell, but Yangzhou was still resisting, relying on these two thousand soldiers.

Yangzhou is a city with a tradition of resistance - no, strictly speaking, it is a city with a tradition of resistance to the invasion of the Manchus. In the Song Dynasty, it was the most brave to resist the Jin army. When the Ming Dynasty fell, it spared no effort to resist the Later Jin Dynasty, so it suffered a "Ten Days of Yangzhou" massacre. In theory, it is often said that merchants are the type of people who like to compromise the most, but Yangzhou, a city of merchants, laughed at this theory fiercely.

Zhao Xing had no intention of interfering with the troops under Yangzhou. He just briefly flipped the list and completed the military command in Yangzhou. Then he bowed to several officials: "Actually, everyone who has dealt with me before, my concubine has run a loach stack. Bandits often come to harass her. Thanks to everyone's care, I will not say anything when I meet today."

Lu Yu's eyebrows jumped and asked, "So, that 'Fast Beast Loach' is the adult's property?"

Then, the officials smiled with understanding.

Zhao Xing's Loach Stack emphasizes the rapid flow of goods. In order to prevent harassment from bandits, he often spends money to ask the Yangzhou navy to escort. The Yangzhou navy is all large ships, and this large ship cannot be idle. Sometimes he will bring a little short-distance cargo, such as transporting some small items from Huangzhou to Yangzhou.

With this relationship, the Yangzhou navy's eyes looked at Zhao Xing with a much more friendly look. Lu Yu also smiled and said, "My Yangzhou navy's ship is really slow to climb, but he has always been complained by Lord Zhao's family. Now, he will complain in the future and go directly to Lord Zhao, because now, Yangzhou navy is also Lord Zhao's navy."

Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

Lu Yu continued to ask: "Sir, I wonder, how did your loach shop give the name "Flying Beast". Although this name is majestic, it is a bit inappropriate."

Zhao Xing held the teacup and looked at everyone with a smile. He found that the handsome woman sitting below was squirming silently. He smiled and said in his stomach: "It was originally called 'Velcro', but the word 'Dragon' is not easy to use, so..."

Of course, these words cannot be said randomly.

Shuai Fan's lips moved for a long time and interrupted, "Since Yangzhou warships are moving slowly, why don't they replace them?"

The officials looked embarrassed. They basically ignored Shuai Fan's words. Lu Yu turned his face to Zhao Xing and asked casually: "I heard that the adults are going to preside over the Yangzhou Peony Association. I wonder if this is the case?"

Zhao Xing held the teacup and said with a smile: "The ancients said: Fireworks are in Yangzhou in March, and the March Flower Fair in Yangzhou has been civilized for hundreds of years. It is a great honor to be able to organize this Yangzhou Flower Fair in person, and we also have to rely on everyone here to help you."

Shuai Fan unwillingly pulled the topic back: "The water in Yangzhou City is shallow. I think it is much faster to reduce the oars of the loach boat, put them on the stern, and row by hand through the streets and alleys. Haven't you ever thought about changing to a few fast boats?"

Regardless of everyone's embarrassment, Shuai Fan continued: "I know that a large oar boat and a large oar boat are only more than a thousand stakes. However, the warship can be loaded with the oars and can shuttle freely in the small river, without the need for a boatman or a paddler... Are you also carrying the cargo with you? One thousand stakes, I guess I can earn it back in a year.

There are bandits near Yangzhou, so some merchants must be willing to let the navy's ship escort cargo, especially valuables. The navy has this advantage, so why not use it?"

Zhao Xing's face was calm, but he was already a little dissatisfied. This handsome and straightforward style was very straightforward, but the advice he gave to others was to compete with Zhao Xing's loach shop. He shook his cup and was about to find an opportunity to speak. Lu Yu had already replied: "Ship judge, you don't know that my navy carried some goods along the way, but only some cargo. Because the navy had restrictions on flood land, the warships could not cross the border. Moreover, the navy's warships could not help but order them, and the whole ship was mobilized..."

Lu Yu then looked at Zhao Xing and added with a smile: "In the past, we carried the goods of the high-ranking officials, but because they were not delivered in time, they were complained a lot by the high-ranking officials, hahaha."

After hearing this, Shuai Fan touched her head embarrassedly and stepped aside and stopped talking.

The title of civil servants recruiting envoys was a tradition of the rule of civil and military officials in the Song Dynasty. However, most civil servants did not understand military affairs and generally did not interfere in internal military affairs. Zhao Xing did not intend to break the unspoken rules of the officialdom. After a few words, the servants presented the second Chen Tang. After drinking the soup, the officers began to say goodbye.

After the person left, Zhao Xing looked at Shuai Fan and rebuked casually, "Brother Shuai, I have been in the officialdom for a few years and have only learned six words: do more and talk less. Because there are many taboos in the officialdom, I can speak randomly and I will cause trouble if I don't do it well."

Shuai Fan respectfully thanked Zhao Xing's teachings and paused. He asked unwillingly: "I heard that the adults formed a 'utility army' in Mizhou. I don't know if I can do the same in Yangzhou."

Zhao Xing smiled and shook his head: "The situation between the two places is different. Mizhou is barren. It is a new situation to form a utility army to create a new situation. It is to benefit the people of Mizhou. But Yangzhou is different. Yangzhou has become a hub of the world for hundreds of years. Since the establishment of the self-destruction, the possible profits in every corner of Yangzhou have been occupied.

We are outsiders. Once we intervene too much, we will be snatching food from others. If we really want to do that, we may not stay for a long time.”

Shuai Fan thought for a long time and bowed indifferently.

Next, Zhao Xing devoted himself to the preparations for the Peony Association. This work is a bit criticized because Cai Jing forced the wealthy family to contribute the precious peony varieties in his family. Although the best flowers will be selected at the Peony Conference to give the owner an honor, not everyone likes this honor.

The most varieties of peony in Yangzhou are Zhu Cong, Ding Jian, Yuan Zongxi and Xu Yu. These four families have been controlling the first few peony conferences since the early Northern Song Dynasty. The most famous one is the Zhu family. This aristocratic family has a 10,000 acres of peony garden. The "Yangzhou Peony Book" compiled by Wang Guan, the former Jiangduling, Wang Guan, has included hundreds of precious peony varieties in the Zhu family.

Zhu Ding and Yuan Xu's participation in the Shaoyao Club was a swaying force, which was also a show of their wealth. However, it was a bit unworthy for other families from small families to participate in this Shaoyao Club, because the honors of the top few people had nothing to do with them, and attending such a meeting would require time and manpower. Their reluctant attitude made Zhao Xing very troubled.

How can people who participated in the Peony Club be profitable and so enthusiastically participated? Zhao Xing spent all his efforts on this, but in desperation, Zhao Xing consulted with his three subordinates to discuss it.

"You can sell tickets," Shuai Fan suggested first: "Let the people who watch the peony club pay a few big money. Yangzhou Flower Club is so famous, they will definitely be willing."

Wan Qi Yong and Shan E were still pondering, and Zhao Xing smiled bitterly: "The gardens in the Song Dynasty do not charge tickets, and I have never heard of the opening of the Royal Jinmingchi. The gardens in the folk dare to collect tickets and don't want to live anymore."

Wan Qiyong explained: "Yangzhou and Hangzhou have a custom of flower parties. Every spring, the gardens of rich families will be open for a few days, so that people can enjoy them. I have never heard of anyone who collects tickets. Even if the official does not say anything, the neighbors will scold them to death. This is not enough to do, and it is not embarrassing enough money."

Zhao Xing said to himself: "It is not possible to participate in the auction of peony, and the famous peony species are controlled by those four people. The flowers that the people participate in the competition cannot be sold at a high price. That little money is not enough to make trouble, no wonder the people refuse to do so."

Seeing Zhao Xing's gaze turning to himself, Shan E shook his head and said, "Don't ask me, I only know water conservancy. I came with you because I wanted to be an official near Taihu Lake. It might be beneficial to renovate Taihu Lake."

"I have it!" Shuai Fan slapped his legs and shouted: "Auction stalls, subsidize the stall fees for the flower farmers."

Zhao Xing nodded gently: "Let's make this first, I hope we will come up with a solution then."

After the discussion, the few people walked out of the government office and took a slow walk along the alleys of Yangzhou. An old man rushed past Zhao Xing with a large group of ducks. The ducks were croaking, and the white hair floated on the green waves, and a lonely boat with a straw raincoat was a beautiful pastoral scene.

Wan Qiyong saw Zhao Xing looking at him and explained, "He drove the ducks to the capital. Every spring, duck farmers in Yangzhou drove the ducks into the lake like this. By the end of autumn, their ducks arrived in the capital. The ducks along the way were fattened and sold in the capital."
Chapter completed!