marquis of jingan

Chapter 398 ask a question

In only two or three days, the second and fourth groups of the Dibao Division left Jiankang one after another, heading towards Taizhou and Guangzhou.

These two places are one of the coastal cities where the Japanese infestation is relatively serious, and they are also relatively representative. As long as the Dibao Division has a foothold in these two places, it will be able to radiate other regions from these two places in the future.

Of course, their main task in the early stage is to gain a firm foothold in the local area, and then they can do other things for the Dibao Division one after another.

With the departure of two teams from the Mansion News Agency and the need to create eight new teams, Shen Yi has been really busy for a while, basically going to work at the Mansion News Agency every morning, meeting a group of people, and sometimes going out to the intelligence office I went to my station to see the actual situation, and I had to go home after dark every day.

After four or five days of busy work, the formation of the eighth group began to be on the agenda. To the surprise of the insiders of the Dibao Department, the candidate for the eighth group leader was not the deputy leader of the other two groups, but a young man in his early 20s. A young man named Lin Sheng.

Lin Sheng was recruited by Shen Yi himself when the mansion newspaper department was recruiting last year.

This man is a scholar, a native of Jiankang, but he didn't go well in the scientific examination and only passed the county examination. The Mansion News Agency recruited people, so they came to sign up.

At that time, he thought that the Dibao Division was recruiting civil servants and doing things like writing articles for the Dibao. In fact, most of the intelligence personnel of the Dibao Division used this name when they were active outside. According to Shen Yi, It is "reporter".

However, at that time, the mansion department was full of writers, so he was assigned to the first group selection of the mansion department. Because of his thin body and lack of physical strength, the inner guard coach of the first group almost screened him out. It was Shen Yi who personally tested him and recruited him into the newspaper department.

In the next few months, he has been in the team of the Mansion News Agency, and he has not held any position. However, this Lin Sheng, wandering around Jiankang City alone in the past few months, found out that there is something wrong with him. Less intelligence.

Moreover, this person has read books. Compared with other people in Di Baosi, he is very educated.

He even wrote a letter to Shen Yi, the letter mainly contained some articles, two of which were published in the residence newspaper.

After five days of busy work, Master Shen finally got busy with the matter at hand. He stretched his waist and walked out of the door of the study.

Behind him, followed a slightly thin young man, who was bending over slightly, smiling all over his face: "Sizheng, you asked me to form eight groups, and I have to pay for it. This afternoon, my subordinates will go to the accounting office of Sili. I paid the money, and they said that without your note, they won't give you a penny..."

With both hands in his sleeves, Shen Yi glanced angrily at the subordinate who was actually a few years older than him, and said, "Didn't I pay you 1000 taels of silver? The eighth group has just started to build. The people were transferred from each of the other three groups, and it took only a few days, and it was all over?"

Lin Sheng is a handsome scholar, he looks very good-looking, he said with a sad face: "My lord, didn't you tell me to recruit as many people as possible to fill the vacancies left by the second group and the fourth group? In time, the selection of people by subordinates who forgot to eat and sleep had their legs broken, and only twenty suitable people were found."

Shen Yi turned his head and glanced at him, and said in a muffled voice, "How did more than 20 people spend 1000 taels of silver?"

Lin Sheng lowered his head and said, "Sizheng, my subordinates think that since we want to engage in intelligence, we shouldn't be too rigid. When the masters taught us, they also said this, so I thought Arrange some people from the eight groups to all walks of life, and even go to the homes of some princes and nobles, and let them hide inside first..."

"You also know that some industries are not easy to get into, and some big families want to get in and become servants, they have to spend money with the steward..."

"Besides, we let people hide in those big families, and the monthly money can't be lower than those given by those big families, otherwise, who will do things for us..."

Speaking of this, he bowed his head to Shen Yi and said: "Also, the brothels and Chu houses by the Qinhuai River, the subordinates are also arranging people to go in."

"You also know that the monthly salary of the manpower in these places cannot be reduced. If the salary is reduced, they will simply go to work with others..."

"OK OK."

Shen Yi stopped, glanced back at this courageous scholar, lowered his eyebrows and said: "It's getting late today, you go back and write a list of expenses, and send it to my study tomorrow, and then..."

Master Shen looked serious. He looked at Lin Sheng and said, "You can send people to hide in other people's homes, but you have to be smarter. If there are no errands, let them work in other people's homes in a down-to-earth manner without any action."

His face turned cold: "Also, the mansions of officials above rank five need to report to me with my consent."

Lin Sheng said with a hippie smile: "Si Zheng, don't worry, all the subordinates understand."

"Tomorrow, my subordinates will write you detailed expenses..."

………………

The next day, Shen Yi approved another 1000 taels of silver for the eight groups.

At this moment, the second round of expansion of the Dibao Division has been laid out. Shen Yi spent the whole morning reading a few manuscripts of the next issue of the Dibao in the Dibao Division. At noon, there was nothing to do. Done.

After taking a nap on the small bed in the study room of the newspaper office in the mansion, Master Shen left early for the first time in a long time, and clocked out of get off work.

Hmm...no need to check in.

After get off work, he went for a stroll around Dongshi Street, and went to Penpot Alley on purpose. When he passed by Huangshizhai, he took a look inside. Apart from shopkeeper Wu, there were a few new faces in Huangshizhai. But Xu Fu was not seen.

This is not surprising, Xu Fu is about to become an imperial merchant, he probably has a lot of things to do, a Huangshizhai is not enough for him to stay here every day.

However, there was another familiar face in Huangshizhai.

Surnamed Zhang Mingming, he is the second child among Xu Fu's five friends.

After Zhang Yi found out about Shen Yi, he invited him in very enthusiastically, shouting one after another. Shen Yi went into the shop and looked around, and found that Huangshizhai not only sold inkstones, but also started to sell some paper and brushes.

Shen Yi bought a knife of Huanxi paper at the cost price, and chose two brushes, then held them in his hands, and walked towards Zhang's house in the north of the city.

Because there was nothing to do, and Shen Yi had a whole afternoon, he walked slowly to the door of Zhang's house.

After arriving at the Zhang family, he reported his name to the porter, and soon a young man of the Zhang family invited him in.

To be precise, it was Zhang Jian's own younger brother, slightly younger than Shen Yi, named Zhang Lu.

Knowing that Shen Yi came to visit the old Xiangguo, Zhang Lu first went to ask, and soon came back and led Shen Yi to the backyard of the Zhang family. Zhang Xiang, dressed in a blue cotton coat, was sitting under the pavilion painting landscapes.

Shen Yi didn't dare to disturb, and waited for more than half an hour before a landscape painting was finished. The old Xiangguo added his own seal, turned to look at Shen Yi, and said with a smile: "Let Ziheng wait for a long time, This painting is simply given to you.”

Shen Yi put a Huanxi paper in his hand on the table, and said with a smile: "I have heard that the old Xiangguo is a master of both calligraphy and painting, and today it is here."

"What kind of mastery of calligraphy and painting."

Zhang Jing put down the brush, and the maid at the side brought hot water. He washed the ink on his hands and smiled heartily: "When I was in Zhongshu, I could admit this flattery with the cheek. Now that the tea is cold, what can I say?" Calligraphy and painting are both excellent, that is, I am shameless."

Shen Yi looked at this landscape painting and felt sincerely: "Leaving aside the identity of the prime minister of Zhongshu, the old Xiangguo's paintings are also excellent."

Zhang Jian waved to the servants and grandson Zhang Lu beside him, signaling them to back down, then looked at Shen Yi, smiled and said, "Ziheng didn't come here today to flatter him, right?"

Shen Yi shook his head.

"One is to visit the old Prime Minister."

"Second, I want to ask Xiangguo a few questions."

Zhang Jian frowned and sat down: "Let's listen."

Shen Yi looked serious.

"The junior wants to know, how many casualties did the Qi people suffer after fighting with the Qi people for more than half a year last year?"

(End of this chapter)