Chapter 251: Everyone takes what they need and changes overnight

Chapter 251: Everyone takes what they need and changes overnight

Chapter 251: Everyone takes what they need. Great changes overnight

Nana looked at Zhang Minniang's face and couldn't help but feel a chill in her back. After being silent for a while, she whispered, "Madam, you have been working hard for a long time. Do you want a drink of water to moisten it?"

 Zhang Minniang looked outside the curtain and nodded slowly, "Okay."

The autumn night in Xizhou was already quite cool. Zhang Minniang slowly drank the glass of water in her hand, as if she was sipping the most delicious wine in the world. Soon, the warm porcelain cup became cold between her cold fingers. Go down.

The door curtain was finally raised suddenly, and Zhang Huaiji stepped in. As soon as he entered the door, an uncontrollable smile appeared on his face, his eyes sparkled, and he whispered, "Min Niang!" For a moment, it seemed that he couldn't think about it. He paused when he came up with the right words.

 Zhang Minniang gently put down her cup and stood up, "Brother, what are your orders?"

Zhang Huaiji rubbed his hands and laughed, "Master Su, I beg you to marry me." He added hurriedly, "He used to have a wife in his family, and he was weak and sickly. He only had one daughter at his knees, who had a bowel movement early. I thought about marrying another wife here in Xijiang, but they were originally in Yizhou, so there was no decent family. That’s why I have postponed it until today. I sincerely want to marry you as my wife. She wanted to find a concubine for Min Niang no matter what, but she didn't expect that the young master of the Anxi Protectorate turned out to be an equal wife!

 Zhang Minniang only had a look of surprise on her face, and then she frowned, "Equal wife? Brother, can it be that Young Master Su himself can make the decision on this matter?"

Zhang Huaiji nodded and said with a smile, "Don't worry, brother, I've asked. The Protector of Su has been urging Young Master Su to find a lady from a famous family, so that he can have a more noble legitimate son. Before Young Master Su came to Xizhou, Da Duhu said that if there was a suitable person, the decision could be made. Although he could not come in person due to the upcoming war, Master Lu who came to Xizhou with Mr. Su this time was a descendant of the Lu family of Fan Yang, Su Dadu. He is a good friend of Hu’s for many years, so he can preside over the wedding! Since Director Lu has a relationship with our family, this is truly a predestined marriage, a match made in heaven!”

Seeing that Zhang Minniang was just lost in thought, he couldn't help but grinned, "Minniang, you have finally achieved all your hard work and got what you wanted!" However, he saw Zhang Minniang suddenly shook her head gently, and Zhang Huaiji couldn't help but be shocked, and her voice broke. A little sharper, "Why, you are not happy? Mr. Su made it clear that this flat wife is a serious flat wife, not just a name like the Qu family, although she is slightly lower than the married wife. , but he also wants to enter the genealogical ancestral hall! Mr. Su sincerely admires me, can you possibly..."

Zhang Minniang hurriedly bowed and said, "Brother, I have misunderstood. How dare Amin be greedy? I just don't quite understand what Mr. Su is here for? Why did Daduhu have such a comprehensive arrangement before he came to Xizhou?" ? Is he here to supervise food supply or to get married?" She glanced at Zhang Huaiji and lowered her voice, "Brother, I can arrange it for Amin, but there are some things that are very important, so we have to do it early. planned.”

Zhang Huaiji couldn't help but be stunned. He was overjoyed just now. He only controlled his expression and the speed of his speech, so as not to let Mr. Su look down on him. However, he did not expect that if Su Dadu sent Mr. Su to Xizhou Even before that, he had made arrangements for his marriage in Xizhou. The meaning behind this...

Zhang Minniang lowered her eyes and sighed softly, "Speaking of food supervision, I heard that tomorrow is the day for food delivery. Although Amin doesn't ask about foreign affairs, he heard a lot of complaints and angry words today. Everyone is watching. Brother, our Zhang family and Zhi family, have you ever thought about how we can provide food for tomorrow if we agree to this today?"

There seemed to be a deep coolness in her soft voice. A gust of autumn wind blew in from outside the curtain, and Zhang Huaiji's fiery face gradually became cold.

Su Nanjin was still sitting in the yard. The wind was a bit chilly, but he loosened his collar so that his hot chest could cool down faster. Lu Qingyan was indeed a mastermind, but he would not have expected that what the Dunhuang Zhang family would give was not a concubine or a daughter from a side branch, but an out-and-out direct daughter, and she was also a stunningly talented woman with a far-reaching reputation. There is no need to compromise for the sake of the big plan! Her appearance and demeanor are really like those noble girls with the fifth surname who caught a glimpse of them in the splendid curtains of Qujiang when she was young. However, at that time, the girls with the fifth surname were nothing more than a mere appearance to a general and disciple of the Han clan like him. Spring dream, now...

The shadow of the lamp swayed and footsteps sounded. Su Nanjin hurriedly raised his head and saw Zhang Huaiji striding over. His face was quite serious. His heart skipped a beat and he felt inexplicably nervous.

Zhang Huaiji sat down opposite him, his face slowly relaxed, and he smiled and said, "It's a little late tonight. If you are interested, you might as well ask Master Lu to come and meet with my father tomorrow."

 It’s done! Su Nanjin breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but smile all over her face. Suddenly, she remembered Lu Qingyan's instructions. She calmed down, thanked her with a smile, and asked casually, "How do I remember that the Governor's Mansion is going to acquire various companies tomorrow?" As someone who has a lot of food left in his family, he is probably the first one in Xizhou to pay for it, but I wonder if your father and brother Zhang can spare the time?"

 Sure enough, so! The smile on Zhang Huaiji's face did not change, but all kinds of feelings were mixed together in his heart. His father had already acquiesced in Min Niang's matter, but could he pay the food... He stood up with a smile, "Ziyu, if not Reminder, I really almost forgot, please wait a moment and let me ask my father."

Su Nanjin nodded and smiled with determination, "Thank you, Brother Zhang."

With the sound of Zhang Huaiji's hurried footsteps, the small courtyard returned to silence. The autumn wind blew the curtains, bringing with it the sound of bells and drums in the distance at the second watch. Su Nanjin looked at the room with candlelight, picked up the cup in front of her, and slowly drank a glass of water that had turned cold. Director Lu is right, the beauty is his, and Xizhou will also be his. He doesn't have to worry, he still has many chess pieces that he hasn't shown yet!

 After the second watch, the front yard was still a lively scene. The female singers serving the wine had changed, and they were playing and singing more cheerfully. Someone read the drinking order loudly, "'How can you be wise if you choose not to be with others? Each of the upper and lower families will drink five points of wine!' Good order, it is indeed a good order, do you two hear it? Drink quickly, drink quickly!" There was a sudden burst of laughter.

Wang Junmeng glanced at the two seats that had been empty for more than half an hour, feeling secretly anxious. A descendant of the Zhi family next to him was already a little drunk. He patted his shoulder and sighed, "Da Lang, I had a great time drinking today. The food, wine and scene were great! It's such an exquisite banquet today." It’s really rare. Back then in Gaochang City, didn’t we all drink and sing like this day and night? We had tables full of gold and silver, and we were full of beauties. That was a good day!”

Wang Junmeng immediately wanted to roll his eyes. How old were they when the city of Gaochang was destroyed? How old were they, drinking sweet syrup and singing nursery rhymes? Still full of beauties! What do you want a beautiful woman to do, maybe use her as a wet nurse? Why doesn't he remember what he was like in Chang'an? That’s serious and unforgettable!

This descendant of the Zhi family was still complaining endlessly to himself. Why did he manage to see a stunning beauty in Kou Ma Store last time, but she was paid a high price by Hu merchants? "Nowadays, there are more and more no rules in Xizhou City! Those cheap merchants, unexpectedly, You are more generous than us, and you dare to steal people from us!"

Wang Jun Meng Zheng was very impatient after hearing this. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Zhang Huaiji and Su Nanjin coming out of the backyard and sitting down again as if nothing had happened. The people at the same table also continued to talk and laugh as if nothing had happened. Zhang Huaiji smoothly picked up the topic. , Su Nanjin drank the wine in one gulp, with a relaxed and comfortable smile on her face. Wang Junmeng's heart sank slightly, and he thought about going over to talk. Most of the people at that table were the clan chiefs and eldest sons of various surnames in Xizhou, and his father was also among them. He didn't dare to make a mistake, but while hesitating, he saw Su Nanjin drink two more glasses of wine, so he stood up and said goodbye with his arms folded. Everyone left a few random words, and Zhang Huaiji sent him out all the way.

After a long time of burning incense, Zhang Huaiji walked back slowly, with a look of calmness and determination between his brows. He didn't know what he said after he sat down, and in the blink of an eye, everyone in the room moved to his side. The noise of the crowd completely covered up their voices, and one could only see that the expressions on the usually very solemn faces became more and more solemn. Some looked hesitant, some gritted their teeth and frowned. After discussing for a long time, the expressions of several people were all confused. They became somewhat similar to Zhang Huaiji, and then they all stood up and left.

As soon as they left, most of the people in the courtyard had no choice but to put down their wine glasses. Wang Junmeng absentmindedly said goodbye to his colleagues and friends who were sitting with him, and followed his father to leave the Zhang Mansion. As soon as he entered the house and before he could figure out how to find out about his father, Wang Fu said in a deep voice, "Da Lang, follow me to the study!"

Wang Junmeng's heart skipped a beat, and he was already seven points drunk. He hurriedly followed his father into the study. However, it was only after a long while that he heard his father's somewhat rigid voice, "I will pay you the food tomorrow, so you can find a way to avoid going out."

Wang Jun Meng raised his head in astonishment and called "Father". The king's father waved his hand to stop what he was saying, "Today, all the families in Xizhou have agreed that the grain and rice they pay tomorrow will not exceed 500 shi. You and Yulang have different feelings, and Jing Niang... but the more so. , The more our family can’t take this risk, otherwise how can we gain a foothold in Xizhou in the future?”

Wang Junmeng came back to his senses and his face turned a little blue, "Father, please forgive my son for not fully understanding. Without the governor, our family can't even come back to Xizhou, so how can we stand on it? Furthermore, what is Yulang? Temper? If he loses his face in public like this, I'm afraid the Wang family may not be able to gain a foothold in Xizhou in the blink of an eye!"

The royal father glared at him fiercely, "Haven't these fathers ever thought about it? It's just that things are different now than in the past. In the past, Xizhou was headed by Governor Qu, and Yulang had his own means to punish us. But now, he has offended the governor of Anxi." It’s unclear whether he can protect himself. Can he still have the final say on matters in Xizhou?”

Wang Junmeng's eyes widened, "Father, do you mean that all the families in Xizhou will now join forces to deal with the governor and Yulang together with the Su family and his son?"

The prince's father's face suddenly darkened, "What are you talking about? How can we deal with the governor? We just want to teach Qu Yulang a small lesson! He usually treats the common people and merchants very well, but now the Qu family has With the people of Xizhou, it doesn't matter if each family pays one or two more stones, but he turns around and makes things difficult for us! We have saved these grains and rice with great difficulty, and instead of making some profits for ourselves, we have to help the common people fill holes. , how can anything be so cheap!”

Wang Junmeng couldn't help sighing, "It's not like my father doesn't know how much grain and rice Pei Changshi has purchased in the past two months. How much surplus grain can there be in Xizhou? This time the household tax is three times that of previous years. If every family is asked to pay One or two stones of grain and rice are fine for a wealthy family, but for the poorer ones, their rations will be short. Those of us with ancestral property in the fields still have a lot of surplus grain for wine making. But now that rice wine is heavily taxed, the price will rise. Double the price. There is plenty of fruit wine in Xizhou. Can we still sell rice wine? Can we keep these grains and rice to prevent them from getting moldy? "

The royal father glanced at him indifferently, "That's why this rice cannot be sold! You must know that the 130,000 stone grains and rice in Xizhou will be handed over to the army in more than a month. Now all parts of Xijiang are During the grain collection, there is no grain or rice to buy. If we send people to other places, how can we get back in two or three months? If we don’t sell grain, Qu Yulang will have to collect grain again in Xizhou. Those who are short of rations will People still have white stacks and money, so why don’t they buy rice? From tomorrow on, our rice shops will not sell rice. As long as Xizhou’s rice is short, the price of food will double and triple. What's the difficulty? Nowadays, none of us are demolishing the east wall to repair the west wall. Do we really want to miss such a God-given opportunity and live in the face of those merchants? "

Wang Junmeng stared at his father dumbfounded, and then said after a while, "You...Father, don't forget, if the price of rice rises like this, how will your son, who is the county magistrate, explain to the governor?"

The king's father smiled coldly, "I know you are the county magistrate. I asked you to stay away tomorrow, but I don't want you to really let go. Our family has a granary that was built together with the Qu family. You can go and clean it tomorrow. I took out a thousand kilo of grain and rice from that warehouse and sent it quietly to the Qu family's granary! Is this an acceptable explanation?"

Wang Junmeng was startled, shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Father, I'm afraid your idea may not work. Qu Yulang is afraid that he won't be able to harvest even one of these thousand stones of grain and rice! The one he values ​​most is Mirror Girl. Now that we have even abandoned Jing Niang and sided with the Su family and his son, how can he spare us in the future? "

The prince's father suddenly became anxious and said angrily, "Then what do you think we should do? That Mr. Su came fiercely, and in just two days, he made the Zhang family follow him wholeheartedly. How sophisticated is his method? Now the Protector of the Su Palace is here again He is in charge of more than 20 prefecture-level military towns in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. He sends out troops when he says it, and levies food when he says it. How powerful is he? Apart from other things, even if we all handed over the food this time, let the governor hand over this. As for the next time, if he just follows the gourd's example and make another expedition, Governor Qu will have no choice but to resign. At that time, what should we do? Should we follow him back to Chang'an, or should we go back and beg Su? The father and son of the family are so noble? Don't forget that you are the husband of Jing Niang and the legitimate son of the Wang family. There are so many Wang family members behind you!"

"If Qu Yulang and Pei Shouyue were really capable, they would be able to resolve this incident without our help! If they can't even do this, why should they fight against the guards of the capital? And why should we bury them with them!"

Wang Junmeng was silent for a long time and sighed deeply, "Father, son, let me be bold. Even without our help, Pei Changshi and Yulang will be able to settle this matter. But what will happen to us people is hard to say." Very... Needless to say Yulang's scheming methods, and that Pei Changshi, what was it like when he first came to Xizhou, and what was it like a year later, if his father has not forgotten, he still has to think twice before he acts! "

The royal father lowered his head and paced back and forth in the room for a few steps. In the end, he gritted his teeth and stood firm, "It's not that I haven't thought about what you said. It's just that as the saying goes, it's better to offend a gentleman than a villain. ! Although Qu Yulang has a bad temper, he always has some affection for us people. As long as we don't treat Jing Niang badly, he can't kill us all! Pei Changshi is even more tolerant, and Yulang was so difficult at the beginning. Isn't he still friendly now? But what is the first thing Su and his son do after taking office, and what is the first military order? How can they not hold grudges if Yulang is the one? If they are remembered by such people, then there will be no peace!"

Wang Junmeng closed his eyes and let out a long breath, "Now that my father has made up his mind, my son just wants to ask again, even if the friendship between such high-ranking families in Xizhou is not as deep as ours, how can they change their relationship overnight?" Suddenly, they all turned towards Su?"

p.s. According to the documents unearthed in Turpan, the people of Xizhou were very wealthy at that time, and their households were divided into nine classes. The so-called lower households also had houses, cattle, horses, and slaves at home. As for the levy of grain from the upper household to the lower household mentioned in this article. The household tax rate for one stone of grain levied per household is also based on the information in the document. Therefore, farmers in the Tang Dynasty, at least those in Xizhou in the early Tang Dynasty, lived a very good life!

This chapter has 4,600 words, so I should forget about it and add half an update. I’d better continue to ask for pink.

　　

　　

 (End of this chapter)