Prime Minister

Chapter 5 Solving the Case
Zhang Yue lives in Tongsong River, Shuinan New Street, and Ouning County, where there are frequent merchants and business exchanges on weekdays.

New Street is lined with two-storey houses with shingles or grasses.

Walking on the street and looking up, you can see the eaves are close together, the size is not empty, and the dirty water and garbage from the vegetable and fishmongers after closing the stalls are all under your feet, and the street is unpleasant.On weekdays, feces people only come here once every two or three days, and people on the street often dump the toilets everywhere.

Zhang Yue remembered that his elder brother, Zhang Xu, disliked the quarrels and disputes between the people in the streets and alleys, the short gossip from the parents, and even the sound of the street vendors would disturb his reading mood.After Zhang Xu entered school, he would rather live and eat in the county school. Even Zhang Yue, the younger brother, could not see his elder brother except during the holidays.

The Zhang family lived on the mountain side of Shuinan New Street. There were two firewood gates outside, surrounded by bamboo fences and grasses. The front of the house was facing south, and there were some sundries in the house, and a large urn was placed under the eaves.

Buildings that invade streets and occupy roads in this way and are connected with eaves are the most likely to catch fire, and they will all burn.Therefore, every household placed a large urn in front of the eaves, and the rainwater was in full bloom on weekdays.There are many rainy seasons in Jianzhou. The rainwater slips through the eaves and pours into the large urn for self-filling. The live fish that are usually bought can also be raised in the urn.

Zhang Yue couldn't help but be surprised when he got to the door, this house wasn't like this yesterday.

Yesterday, Zhang’s house had been evacuated, but today the door that was kicked by Zhao Yasi had been repaired. Baozheng and his neighbors came to help one after another. They were busy inside and outside the house. Also clean the house.

They are also these philistine neighbors that the second brother despises the most on weekdays, but when the Zhang family is in trouble, they are enthusiastic and thoughtful.The neighbors stepped forward when they saw Zhang Yue coming back.

"Sanlang, look at this quilt is tight."

Zhang Yue took a look, but when he saw the quilt with a hole in the corner of the quilt exposed, he quickly said, "Ms. Lin, this quilt is already available, so there is no need for too much."

The other party was reluctant: "Let Dalang Saburo build an extra layer, it's cold at night. I'm going to refuse."

"Yu's sister-in-law, I also have clothes." Zhang Yue quickly declined.

"Sanlang, I'm making a suit of clothes. You take it for a change first. What are you polite to me?"

Zhang Yue didn't like this style, but the other party chased and sent it: "You're welcome, Saburo will accept it."

The neighbors on the side all smiled and said: "Don't say no, it's been a neighborhood for so many years."

Zhang Yue remembered that the second brother once told him that after he was admitted to the county school and was appreciated by the county magistrate Chen Xiang, the neighbors and relatives who used to be close to the deceased all came together.

Sesame Da's old human feelings repeatedly mentioned that if he was a little impatient, it was regarded as disrespectful, and the other party's tone immediately became sour, and then he arranged his words in the market, such as "If you are appreciated by you, you will be arrogant." Promising, you can be ungrateful'.

After these words were passed into the ears of the family and the second brother, even Zhang's father and Zhang Shi said a few words about him, so he watched the second brother become an unfriendly person in the mouth of the neighbors day by day. Come.But Zhang Yue wanted to come to the so-called coldness and warmth of human relations. After thinking about it carefully, the second brother's escape from marriage was only one reason, and it was true that he ran away from home.

When Ye Zhang Yue didn't dare to go home, he decided to eat and sleep at Bao Zheng's house.Zhang Yue got into a fight with his eyelids after eating, so he stopped reading, and immediately went to bed as soon as he lay down.

Zhang Yue entered the space where he was last night again. He had planned to take out the two articles of Mencius that he had memorized yesterday and review them.

But after falling asleep, the scene of the day played back in his mind like a movie.

Zhang Yue suddenly saw that when he was leaving from the carriage and horse street, a person seemed to be following him.

Then when he and Peng Jingyi went to the teahouse, the man looked around at the door again.Zhang Yue searched his memory for a while and found that yes, wasn't this person a guy from his own Shuli shop before?

How could he sneak up behind him?
After breakfast the next day, Baozheng discussed with Zhang Yue: "At the beginning, Zhao Yasi was in a hurry, and your elder brother planned to sell this house to Zhao Yasi. It sells well."

Although there is a big difference between the sale and the sale, there is a big difference.

A mortgage is a mortgage. The other party buys the right to use the house with a sum of money, and when the owner is rich, he can buy it back with the same money. During this period, the buyer is equivalent to using the house for nothing.

In this way, the buyer does not have to pay rent, and can live in vain except for the loss of interest.The seller is able to raise a cash flow while still owning the house.Zhang Yue heard a move in his heart, but still asked, "Didn't eldest brother go to Jianyang to seek help from his father-in-law?"

"Although Zhao Yasi promised to pay you back the money within a month. But if Dalang can't raise money in Jianyang, let's sell the house first, so that the price will not be too hard."

"According to the righteous view, how much is the sale value? How much is the sale value?"

At the beginning, Zhang Yue never understood why the Zhang family had to live in a small building outside the city because there were pavilions in the city and [-] mu of land in the countryside.But when he heard about the price others paid for the building, he couldn't help it.

Such a two-story building cost 150 guan when I bought it, and this is not a river house in Linxi.It is no wonder that housing prices in the Song Dynasty were extremely high. Even the dignified prime minister Kou Zhun couldn't afford a house in Bianjing, and he was known as "the prime minister without land".

Bao Zheng smiled and said, "How can I speak freely."

Zhang Yue asked with some doubts in his heart, "What does Yi Baozheng mean?"

Baozheng said: "Let's find the buyer first, and see the price. As for the unconventional ones, whether to sell them or not, we'll have to wait for your elder brother to come back from Jianyang."

Zhang Yue thought to himself that Bao Zheng was a good intention, then remembered the knowledge he had seen in the forum in the previous life, and then said: "According to the laws of our Great Song Dynasty, it seems that before selling the building, we must ask our relatives and neighbors, first ask the family, and then ask the left Neighbors."

Baozheng smiled and said: "It's like selling, but you don't need to ask your relatives and neighbors if you want to sell."

Zhang Yue understood.

It is very troublesome to sell the house. It is not up to the landlord to decide whether to sell the house or not. Ask your relatives and ask them to sign and sign to agree to the sale. As long as one person does not agree, you cannot sell.Even if relatives agree, you have to ask your neighbors before you can sell it to others.Therefore, there are far more houses in the Song Dynasty than selling houses.

"It's still a good room."

Bao Zheng smiled and said, "Extremely! Having said that, most of our neighbors live here."

"Oh?" Zhang Yue didn't understand.

Baozheng explained: "Most of our buildings and houses in this street are the products of the Huanghua Temple on the mountain."

"The monks of Huanghua Temple are merciful. Not only do they charge extremely low rents for the stores in the Shanxia stores, but they don't urge them to rent, and they even lend them the capital to do business."

Zhang Yue nodded, the imperial court exempted temples from tax, and temples also served as social relief in this era.

Of course, those who live here must also abide by the rules of the temple and provide convenience.For example, when monks come to rest and drink tea, they need to provide help, and shopkeepers on the street are not allowed to sell wine and meat to monks on the mountain, otherwise they will take back the house and recover the capital.

"You can know Huanghua Temple, and then go to Fangya to sell it. However, the monks of Huanghua Temple always like to be anxious. Besides, I am familiar with the superintendent and deputy temple of Huanghua Temple. I promise you to eat. No loss."

Zhang Yue thought for a while and said, "Big brother went to Jianyang to explain everything to me to obey Baozheng's orders. Since this is the arrangement for safeguarding integrity."

Having said that, Zhang Yue still borrowed a piece of Gaoli paper and wrote a title on the door for selling the house and posted it in front of the house.

The next day, a deputy temple and a supervisor of Huanghua Temple went down the mountain and asked the Zhang family to appraise the building.

He didn't lower the price either, but offered 120 guan to sell the house, but the pawn sale could only offer [-] guan.Regardless of whether it is pawned or sold, the brothers of the Zhang family can continue to live here, as long as they pay [-] yuan a month for rent.

Zhang Yue was quite satisfied with the price, but he still haggled for a while as a habit.He said that when his family bought 150 guan, Shuinan New Street was not so prosperous.

In addition to living in this house, the front yard has been remodeled in half and then expanded as a store.Shuinan Xinjie belongs to the city near Guocao, and merchants do not have to enter the city to trade here, and they can be exempted from the residence tax.

After hearing Zhang Yue's words, Fu Si didn't say much, but agreed to increase the price of the sale to 150 guan.Zhang Yue was overjoyed, but he still told the deputy temple that he had to wait for Zhang Shi to come back from Jianyang.

Then Baozheng entertained the deputy temple and was convicted in Shuinan Xinjie to eat vegetarian food.

The restaurants in the Song Dynasty are very interesting. The first floor is called the hall, and the second floor is called the mountain.Everyone sat in the hall, just in time to see the scenery of Nanpu River.

In the distance, the green stream is like a mirror reflecting the mountain scenery, and there are more than a dozen bamboo rafts in the lower reaches of the stream, which are going upstream.

The scorpion took the bamboo pole and tapped it left and right, and berthed at the Shuixi wharf. This is a collapsed house, and you can rent the paved mansion in the city and the goods of the passenger warehouse.Before the house collapsed, a few bare-armed men pushed a few peace cars back and forth repeatedly to transport goods.

The deputy temple said to Zhang Yue: "Erlang is extremely talented. He knows ten by hearing one, and he is the most wise person the old monk has ever seen in his life. At first, the old monk had intended to transfer him to Buddhism, but unfortunately Erlang did not agree, and the old monk was very It's a pity!"

Just the second brother of this pit brother?
Zhang Yue asked: "Master, the second brother is also missed! Dare I ask Master if there is a Wu surnamed Sishang from Huzhou recently to come to the temple to give incense?"

There are a large number of monks' rooms in Huanghua Temple for pilgrims from afar, and sometimes for homeless believers.

Seeing him asking, the deputy temple said truthfully: "It is true, this Wu Tanyue has suffered many disasters. He has lost a lot of money in business in the past few years. A few days ago, he was going to Fuzhou to sell silk. Burning fire. Because there is no shelter, I borrowed the monk's room to stay for a few days."

"Oh, does this U Thant Viet still live in the temple?"

"I heard that I will stay for two days, waiting for a good friend to return to Huzhou. Why do you have an old relationship with this Wu Tanyue?"

How old is it.

Zhang Yue nodded and smiled and said, "My second brother has an old relationship with him. Hearing this is very sad, I should give up the visit, it is better to see each other and fight."

"Also, it's better not to see this sentence when we meet and fight."

After the deputy temple left, Baozheng asked: "Sanlang, what are you asking about this Wu Sishang? The yamen has been sentenced, do you still want to go to other people to get the money back? Don't do anything else, or Zhao Yasi Then I will deal with you again."

Zhang Yue nodded when he heard the words: "Thank you Baozheng for the reminder. Yes, there is a guy in our store who seems to be in his 20s and has a birthmark of a big copper coin on his right face. Does Baozheng have any impression?"

This person is exactly what Zhang Yue saw in his dream.

Baozheng smiled and said: "Isn't this Qiao San who lives in Pingbuzhou? I remember that when his parents gave birth to him, he wanted to do nothing. Later, it was your grandfather who saw the poor and took a thousand money to help him, and then let him live. Come down. Later, he became a young man without a livelihood, and it was your family's eldest son who did good deeds to take care of him as a buddy and live in the store. "

Zhang Yue was stunned, thinking that there is still such affection.

Baozheng said: "Yes, it just so happened that Qiao San was there the night the accident happened."

Zhang Yue got up and said, "Promise me to go out."

"Didn't your brother tell you to study at home before going out, and find a scholar in the future? What are you doing running outside all day?"

Zhang Yue sighed: "In this situation, how can we afford a scholar to teach me to read. I want to go out and see what work I can find?"

Cao Baozheng was stunned when he heard the words, then nodded and said, "You're more sensible. You should share more with your elder brother. Sooner or later, this hurdle will pass. With such ambition, I am also happy for you!"

Zhang Yue smiled, but Baozheng still didn't understand himself.

He has a principle in his life. It's okay to offend me on weekdays, but those who have received my favor still dare to do this, and will use all means to kill you.

Zhang Yue immediately went out, then crossed the Shuinan Bridge and entered the city, first followed the instructions of Baozheng and went to Qiao Sanjia.

When he arrived at Qiao San's house, Zhang Yue knew that his family was in a bad situation, but he still didn't expect it.His wife and children were so hungry that they couldn't walk by the door. From her mouth, they learned that Qiao San's family had already run out of food. Yesterday, Qiao San managed to borrow some money to buy food on the street, but he hasn't come back today.

Zhang Yue knew that there must be something strange about this, so he took some money to buy something to eat for Qiao San's wife and children, and then, in the midst of their thousands of thanks, hurried to the teahouse where he met Peng Jingyi yesterday to get the file.

"At the beginning of May, Guisi Chen, silk merchant Wu Ping and his staff on Tuesday, porter Zhang Ma, brothers Zhang Yu, and Chen Dang entered the city from the north gate. After inspection by the city gate official Xu Youding, there were a total of six loads of raw silk, and the actual tax was 510 two. Qian, after entering the city, Wu Ping and his buddy Guo Wu stayed in Jiazi Room on Tuesday, while the other three porters lived in Tongpu.”

When Zhang Yue saw this, he paused for a while, and the Song Dynasty collected 510 thousand yuan in taxes.The 200 taels, that is to say, the value of six tans of raw silk is more than [-] yuan. This is how it was calculated.

"The kitchen stove in the south of the night inn suddenly caught fire. Wu Ping and his buddies only got away, and all their belongings and Liudan Lake Silk were caught on fire."

The dossier is very simple, and there seems to be nothing suspicious.

Peng Jingyi said: "After reading it, so that you can give up."

Zhang Yue tapped the tea table repeatedly with his fingers, and said firmly: "No, the key to overturning the verdict still lies with Qiao San."

"What?"

Before Peng Jingyi understood, Zhang Yue said, "I already have this case in mind."

Peng Jingyi laughed, and then said, "I've been in the same class as you for all these years, but I didn't see that brother, you still have this ability. I turned it over last night and didn't understand it."

Zhang Yue couldn't hear what Peng Jingyi was saying: "As long as you find Qiao Sanzi, you can find out. But when Wu Sishang leaves, it will be too late to regret it."

Peng Jingyi said as if he was helping people to the end: "Well, if you don't help you once, you won't give up. Then I'll ask Second Uncle to help you find Qiao San."

Immediately, Peng Jingyi brought Zhang Yue not to the yamen, but to the county market.

The market is in full swing, but the government can't help it.

The laws of the imperial court only allowed the three major festivals of New Year's Day, Winter Solstice, and Cold Food to keep the world open for three days, but it was not allowed on weekdays.However, this market is openly closed, and it is still built in the most prosperous part of the county.

Zhang Yue came to the city, but saw floating sheds built on both sides of the street, and people gathered in front of the stalls in the east and the west.

Zhang Yue took a closer look at the things he had learned, including oil clothes, tea, wine, and porcelain. There were even children's toys, fructose, etc., and even fish and vegetables.

Peng Jingyi and Zhang Yue came to an official wine shop in the market.

Jiuwangzi was in front of the eaves and opened the reed curtain, but he saw a lot of people in the winery.

Several people on the left and right of the wall were busy cutting meat and steaming rice. In front of the large wine vat half-buried on the ground, one person was busy sifting wine and pouring bowls.

Zhang Yue knew that the guys in the Guanjiufang were all the long-named Yaqian.These long-named Yaqian are all first- and second-class households who serve as the children of good families.They should serve for the government to run the official wine shop, and all the surplus goes to the government, and if they lose money, they must pay for it from their own pockets.

As for the wine table, a large group of people fought and gambled, and several low-level prostitutes sat beside them.

Zhang Yue remembered when Wang Anshi reformed and put money in young crops.The local officials saw this and lured ordinary people to go to the government to run restaurants while giving money to scattered young crops.As a result, many people lost their Qingmiao money and returned home with nothing, and they also carried government debts.This is not a forced sale, but from ancient times to the present, the money of the rich is always the hardest to make, but the money of the poor is easy to make.

Peng Jingyi asked Zhang Yue to wait outside, and entered the inside by himself. There were a lot of copper coins and scattered silver wattles on the big table inside. One of the two calligraphers was counting, and the other was taking a notebook.

Peng Jingyi knew that at this time every ten days, his second uncle would come to this residential house next to the market to check the accounts and share the money.

"Second uncle!" Peng Jingyi called out.

Peng Cheng, the Wei of Pucheng County, said, "Who did you bring here?"

"Second uncle, it's my classmate Zhang Saburo. He asked me to ask second uncle to find a guy named Qiao San in his family. Would you like to help me?"

Peng Cheng turned around and said, "You brought him here, why are you talking about this?"

Peng Jingyi said: "My nephew thinks that Zhao Yasi is involved in this matter, and the second uncle has always been at odds with him?"

Peng Chengdao: "You dare to interfere with the affairs of the second uncle and Zhao Yasi?"

Peng Jingyi lowered his head and said, "Zhang Saburo promised that if he recovers the money, he will take half of it as filial piety. This is a great effort for you, second uncle. Isn't it beautiful to earn this hundred dollars for nothing?"

Peng Cheng took a sip of wine and asked, "How much money is it?"

Peng Jingyi said, "What does the second uncle mean?"

Peng Cheng shook his head and said, "You didn't mention the most important thing."

"Second uncle, nephew is stupid."

Peng Cheng sneered: "This chapter is your classmate and friend, shouldn't you help your friend?"

Peng Jingyi…

Peng Chengdao: "I often tell you that you can't be a person, but you must cherish the relationship. If Zhao Yasi wants to get married to the Zhang family, it's a relationship. No matter how well you say it on the face, you have a small and broad mind in it. "

"But Zhang Saburo is different, the gang must help, this is the fate. Take a step back and say that when others are in trouble, let's take action. First, in the eyes of outsiders, we are righteous, and second, it is better than icing on the cake if Zhang Erlang is in the future. When you are successful, Zhang Erlang didn't look down on you at that time, but Zhang Saburo will definitely remember you."

When Peng Jingyi heard this, he nodded again and again: "Second uncle said so, but he still values ​​Zhang Erlang. I really don't know what is worth paying attention to someone who can even run away from marriage."

Peng Cheng put his beard and said, "What do you know? Second uncle, I believe in Chen Lingjun's way of looking at people. Besides, Zhang Erlang was too arrogant in the past, so how could I lower my figure."

"A few days ago, Zhao Yasi sent a confidant to Fuzhou Mingcha to make an unannounced visit, but there is no news so far. Zhang Sanlang is right. I am Zhang Erlang. I will never go to Fuzhou at this time. Even if you can see through the sky, what can you do?"

Ps: Thanks to the book friend when the history really became the second ally of the book.

(End of this chapter)