Chapter 255: The agency plans a double happiness
Chapter 255: Double happiness comes after all the mechanisms are exhausted
Dudu Mansion, Chang Shi Fang. The room was surprisingly quiet. Zhang Gao, a member of the Cang Cao army, stood in front of the desk with a smile on his face, but his posture was somewhat stiff. Pei Xingjian smiled slightly and waited for him to speak.
For more than a month, Zhang Gao came here almost every day to report on the grain collection, but at this moment, he just felt that the room was extremely hot, and the familiar smiling face after several cases appeared. All very meaningful.
It was Pei Xingjian who spoke first: "Why don't you join the army and sit down and talk?"
Zhang Gao nodded subconsciously, then shook his head hurriedly, "No, no, I just need to stand and answer."
Pei Xingjian still looked at him quietly. Zhang Gao swallowed hard and said, "I'm here to ask the chief historian for advice. Now that there are less than ten days left before the day when the grain is due, when will the chief historian prepare to conquer?" Food? If we don’t make an announcement, I’m afraid it will be too late!”
Pei Xingjian smiled faintly, "So what if it's too late?"
Zhang Gaolai had thought of various answers before, but he never thought of this sentence. He was stunned for a moment before saying, "The military order is like a mountain. If it is, if it is delayed..."
Pei Xingjian still just smiled and asked, "So what if it's delayed?"
Zhang Gaogeng was stunned. So what if there was a delay? The person in charge of the food and grass this time was Governor Qu. If there were more than 20,000 stones of food and grass missing, Governor Su would naturally give a warning and even write a letter to the court for impeachment. Although the court may not be concerned about this. Removing Governor Qu from his official position would hinder his official reputation. However, what if Governor Qu, who has always been rigorous and steady, is really angry this time and would rather bear the reputation of being incompetent than let the high-ranking officials in Xizhou lose their money? Could this be the reason why the governor and the others are not impatient, instead of...
Sweat suddenly broke out from his high forehead. His hands clenched tightly together subconsciously, and he opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say.
Pei Xingjian already smiled and said, "Don't worry if you join the army, there will always be grain and rice. If you want to levy grain, I don't think it's necessary!"
rest assured? Zhang Gao felt that his heart was beating even more violently. Pei Changshi finally said the words "no need to collect food." He had half of the answer to what he wanted to ask today, but the answer only made his His heart became even more empty and uncertain, "There will always be food and rice." Did Pei Changshi have an ambush or was he deceiving?
Thinking of the repeated explanations from his brothers and uncles before coming here, he was heartbroken, raised his head and forced a smile, "Chang Shi, in fact, it is not true that there is no food in Xizhou. These days, the lower officials have also I heard that some large families collected some grain and rice because they were afraid of the spring famine after the grain requisition. Since there was no need to requisition grain, I thought that I could ask them. As long as the price was right, they would probably be willing to transfer the grain and rice. To the government.”
He looked at Pei Xingjian's face without blinking and held his breath unconsciously. If Pei Changshi is cheating, it will naturally go downhill. If he really has other tricks, you can see it now!
Pei Xingjian's brows were raised slightly, with a look of interest on his face, "Oh? There are other things like this. I'd like to thank Zhang Canjun for taking the trouble."
Zhang Gao couldn't help but feel relieved. No matter what, as long as the governor's office made up his mind not to requisition grain, he would still have to find a way to sell the grain and rice at home to the official warehouse. Otherwise, even if there is a spring famine next year, I'm afraid he won't be able to use so much grain. rice…
Pei Xingjian's voice continued leisurely, "It's just that in this situation, it's really difficult for these families to still save food and rice. How can we compete with the people for profit? These big families have Let them keep that grain and rice for their own use!”
Zhang Gao looked up blankly at Pei Xingjian's smiling face. The smile in front of him was obviously brighter and warmer than usual, but he suddenly felt that he was completely cold from head to toe.
…………
In Luoyangfang, the afterglow of the setting sun has not yet disappeared, and a row of lanterns with the word "happy" has been hung in front of the newly painted Su Mansion. It is a lively time when the man's relatives and friends gather, and after a hearty meal, they set off to encourage the bride. The high-ranking disciples in the courtyard, who were wearing gorgeous robes and jade belts, didn’t have much joy on their faces, and they didn’t even bother to take a second look at the delicacies on the table in front of them. Instead, they turned their heads from time to time to look at the wing not far away - their The patriarch and head of the family are all in that small room at the moment.
Su Nanjin was sitting in the side room. His ancient green robe made him look a little elegant. The black tasseled crown on his head shook from time to time. At this moment, his face was full of sneers, "So, Commander Qu and Pei Changshi doesn’t take this military order seriously?”
Zhang Huaiji shook his head with a heavy expression, "It's hard to say. Maybe the governor and Chang Shi have other arrangements. It's just to collect grain, but it will definitely not be collected. Pei Changshi is now unwilling to collect grain. Seeing that There are only a few days until the day of transporting food, so if this delays the affairs of the Protectorate..."
Lu Qingyan on the side suddenly jumped in with a smile, "Excuse me, may I ask, how much surplus grain do you have in this granary? Is it enough for 30,000 dan?"
Everyone in the room immediately nodded hurriedly, "Of course!" They originally had a surplus of more than 30,000 shi, and in the past month or so, they managed to collect some at a high price. Now they have more than 40,000 shi, and they are going to lose it. …
Lu Qingyan laughed and said, "That's great. If the military rations are sufficient, the young master will not be able to interfere in the local government affairs. But since the military rations are not enough and Pei Changshi doesn't collect the food, is it possible that the young master can't share the worries of the governor? Military rations Fund raising is such a big deal, how can we allow someone to act selfishly?”
Everyone looked at each other and let out a long sigh. As expected, Mr. Su has an idea! Even if the benefits gained in this way are not as good as the original plan, there will be no loss in the end.
Zhang Huaiji frowned slightly, "What if Chang Shi could bring grain from another place?"
Lu Qingyan glanced at him in surprise and laughed, "Where is the place next to it? Where can there be more than tens of thousands of grains in Western Xinjiang? In a place farther away, could Pei Changshi let the eagle carry the grain back? Milai?"
Su Nanjin laughed "ha", but the others in the room just laughed dryly. Lu Qingyan was a little puzzled. Before he could ask any questions, Su Nanjin said, "Since you elders are worried, I will talk to the Lord tomorrow." I will go to the Governor's Mansion and buy food immediately from the instructor's warehouse. From now on, you are all Nan Jin's elders, and Nan Jin will definitely not make things difficult for the elders! Please feel free to invite everyone to have a drink today." Everyone looked at each other, and then a smile appeared on their faces. Will Mr. Su go tomorrow? Maybe it’s too late!
Su Nanjin stood up with a smile and said, "Dear elders, please come to the main room and take a seat."
As soon as the door opened, I saw the patriarchs filing out, with relaxed smiles on their faces. The atmosphere in the yard immediately relaxed. However, before the laughter could be heard, a servant hurried in. , "Master Qi, Prince Qu is here."
Su Nanjin paused, squinted her eyes and smiled, "I'll greet a rare visitor right now!" He lifted up his robe and walked out.
Zhang Huaiji and others looked at each other. They were in a dilemma for a moment and could only stand in the courtyard. As they stood, the high-ranking disciples in the courtyard naturally couldn't sit still and stood up one after another. Not long after, they saw Qu Chongyu and Su Nanjin walking in side by side. Qu Chongyu was wearing a scarlet robe and was radiant. The smile on his face was indescribably relaxed and freehand. However, Su Nanjin, who had been smiling just now, now had the same expression as the robe he was wearing. , and his smile was as stiff as a biscuit that had been lying in the wind for half a month.
Zhang Huaiji and several clan leaders were immediately shocked. They didn’t care much at the moment and walked up to receive the gift with smiling faces. Qu Chongyu returned the favor with a thoughtful smile, his smile was full of joy, and everyone's backs suddenly felt cold.
Master Lu’s heart also sank, and he stepped forward with a smile and said haha, “It’s really rare for the prince to take time out of his busy schedule to come here.”
Qu Chongyu's eyes paused on his face for a while, then he nodded and smiled, "I'm not busy today. Chongyu came to visit this time, firstly to congratulate Brother Su on his great happiness, and secondly to inform Brother Su and the chief registrar. With a sound, the convoy sent by the Governor's Office to purchase grain from other places has returned and will arrive in Xizhou in the near future. Xizhou will definitely not miss a grain of military rations. Today is a good day for Brother Su. This is the time to use this news. Add some joy to Brother Su."
The yard suddenly became silent. Qu Chongyu's eyes passed over everyone's faces one by one. The smile on his face was as gentle and joyful as the spring breeze. He strolled to the table and picked up the wine glass, "When Chongyu heard the news for the first time, he felt happy in his heart. It's not easy to hide anything. I would like to invite Brother Su to join you in the fun. It is such a beautiful time and it is a double happiness. It’s time to drink and sing, so please invite me.”
He raised his head and drank it all in one gulp, threw the glass away, and hugged Su Nanjin, "Brother Su, drink slowly, Chongyu excuses himself." After saying that, he turned and left with a smile, and the last ray of the setting sun shone on his back, outlining a The circle of pale golden light and shadow stung the eyes of everyone in the courtyard.
Seeing that Qu Chongyu's back disappeared outside the door, the whole yard was still silent, some were dumbfounded, and some looked ashen. It was Lu Qingyan who was the calmest. Looking at Su Nanjin, whose face was blue and red and whose fists were clenching, he didn't know what to say for a moment.
…………
In the main room of the Zhang Mansion, before the festive lanterns from the previous night could be taken down, the heads of the Xizhou family who had gathered here more than a month ago sat together again, with the gritted expressions on their faces no different from that night. , the target of his anger turned out to be Zhang Huaiji sitting in the main seat.
Among the low-pitched discussions with suppressed anger, the voice of the head of the Zhi family was particularly sharp, "Nephew Zhang Xian, it was you who kept telling everyone that without our grain and rice, Xizhou would not be able to raise 130,000 shi no matter what. For military rations, the only way the governor can go is to collect grains, and once we collect grains, we will be able to double the profit of the grains we have saved. How about now? "
After a sleepless night, Zhang Huaiji's eye circles were obviously blue and his face was pale. He couldn't help but smile bitterly after hearing this: How are you now? Now there is a steady stream of grain trucks coming to Xizhou from all directions including Liuzhong, Tianshan and Puchan! As if overnight, thousands of grain trucks and 50,000 to 60,000 shi of grain and rice emerged from the ground. Look at this, after handing over the military rations, there will still be 20,000 to 30,000 shi of surplus food left for Xizhou, enough to deal with the coming year. Spring famine and spring plowing. And the grain and rice they worked so hard to store in the granary are used to make wine, and they have to pay a higher tax than the price of the wine. If they are sold, how can they still get a little price now?
Just looking at the angry faces in front of him, he couldn't help but said, "My nephew is indeed careless about things, but who could have imagined what is happening now? Uncles here, have you ever thought about it?"
There was a sudden silence in the room. Indeed, when the news of the grain collection came that day, they calculated clearly over and over again that Pei Changshi had almost collected the remaining grain on the border of Xizhou, and in addition to Xizhou in recent years. They found out clearly that the grain they had saved in the house was exactly fifty thousand shi. Plus the grain requisition three times that of previous years, it was only one hundred thousand. After all, it was still a lot short. At that time, there was only more than a month left for Xizhou. Several nearby state capitals were requisitioning grain, so there was no food to buy. If you went to Shazhou and other places to buy grain, you would be separated by more than a thousand miles and there would be no food. It’s impossible to get it back in three months! Therefore, they did not even think about going to other places to collect grain, but who could have expected that Pei Changshi would quietly send out such merchants three months ago! No wonder these people had disappeared without a trace in the past three months. By the time they noticed this, it was already too late.
The silence in the main room only lasted for a while, and someone sneered, "We are just farm workers. We are not familiar with Pei Changshi. We just joined the army and you have worked with him for seven years, but you don't know his methods?"
Zhang Huaiji's chest suddenly became more clogged: He had asked himself this question countless times since yesterday - it was just six or seven years of peace and quiet, and he was used to seeing Pei Changshi's gentle smiling face, why did he put it like this? Did he forget all about the methods he used when he first came to Xizhou?
Wang Junmeng's father also turned his head and looked outside uncomfortably. His son had said more than a month ago that Pei Changshi probably had his own way to solve the problem, but he was afraid that it would be them who would be cornered. This rebellious son, now he is living happily in the Prince's Mansion with Lady Jing, but he is letting himself and the Wang clan wallow in this quagmire! Yesterday, I sent someone to ask him to go home to discuss how to resolve the matter. Before he could speak, the rebellious son knelt straight down and said, "It's all my son's fault. If my son had known that Chang Shi had laid such a plan, that day Even if he was killed head-on, he still had to stop his father from getting together with those people and going against them. It was too late to say anything now. The father also knew the prince's temper. He was very angry this time. Who is he? Even if his father beats his son to death, he will not show any pity. He is afraid that he will turn around and let Jing Niang remarry. Brothers share weal and woe..." What else could he do besides falling down in anger?
The king's father was thinking, but the clan leader had turned to look at him, "The only plan now is to ask Brother Wang to come forward. Your eldest son is the best friend of the eldest son, so Brother Wang must let the eldest son show up to the eldest son. It’s nothing more than asking for a favor, as long as I can ask the prince to lower the wine tax in Xizhou, then we people will have a way to survive! "
The king's father suddenly shook his head like a rattle, "Brother, what you said is wrong. The rebellious son is just an official, what can he do? After all, your third wife is the concubine of the prince and the wife of the governor, why bother to give up?" "Stay close and seek distance?" Are you kidding? Although the traitor's words are hateful, the truth is not bad. Qu Yulang's anger is not gone, and everything he says is in vain. Governor Qu, on the other hand, might be able to speak better.
Everyone's eyes were focused on the face of the head of the Zhi family, but they saw that the face turned darker by three points in an instant.
After a long while, the clan leader just "hummed" and said, "My sister, don't mention it!" However, because he was in a state of confusion that day, he forgot to inform her. Later, he lost his job in salt affairs at home and wanted to ask her for help. In fact, she actually said that since her family had already considered her dead, if she still worried about these matters, wouldn't she be betraying all their hard work? Now that I am looking for someone for this matter, I am just humiliating myself!
Everyone's hearts suddenly became cold. As they looked at each other, someone outside the door said urgently, "Alang, Mr. Lu wants to see you."
Oops, it’s another four thousand words, and I’ll continue to ask for pink...
(End of this chapter)