A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 220 One-eyed Madam Lu

Near noon.

Wu Huaiyu returned to the Bureau of Economics and Economics again, but this time he did not come back alone.

Many people followed him, some carrying grain, some carrying copper coins, others carrying pots, bowls, ladles, pots, and even some carrying a lot of meat and vegetables.

Everyone was amazed to see the piles of money, food, meat and vegetables piled up under the corridor of the Bureau of Economics and Economics.

Zhang Chengde stepped forward, "This is?"

"I asked Mr. Pei for [-] yuan from the company, and some paper, ink, pens and inkstones. I went to Dongshi to buy some kitchen utensils and the meat and vegetables for today's business."

"Let's help each other, let's build a simple stove first, and make lunch."

In a short period of time, Wu Huaiyu not only brought back a lot of money and food, but even brought some officials and craftsmen from other yamen.

So everyone immediately got busy.

There is a pot, simply set up a stove for temporary use, arrange the picked firewood, light the fire, and boil water.

A few people over there have already fetched water to wash and chop vegetables there.

The first meal of the Bureau of Economics and Economics was simple, and officials and craftsmen worked together.

Cook millet porridge over there, and boil water in a pot here. Add some rice wine, ginger and scallions to the pork you bought to remove the fishy smell, then wash it and fry it in the pot first. Just boil it in water.

The stew is almost done, pour the yam and radish into it, throw some peppercorns, and stew until cooked.

"It's ripe, it smells so good."

After stewing for an hour, the meat is fragrant.

A group of people from the Bureau of Economics and Economics had already salivated. In order to wait for this meal, they didn't go to the Zuochunfang canteen to eat.

For Zhang Chengde, the crown prince who already owed debts to Beijing, it was a little bit of savings, and besides, the food in the cafeteria over there was not as delicious.

The lid of the pot was lifted, and the white yams and hob-cut radishes in the cauldron were soaked in the aroma of the meat, and the large slices of meat were already overcooked, just right.

Even the soup has a layer of yellow oil.

"Chopped green onions, sprinkle some chopped green onions."

These green-robed officials, officials in Jianggong uniforms, and brown-clothed craftsmen all surrounded the courtyard happily.

The noon sun shone in the courtyard of the Bureau of Economics and Economics, which made people feel warm.

The millet porridge was also thickened earlier, and even a layer of rice oil was formed on it.

Each person has a large bowl, filled with half a bowl of millet porridge, and then took another bowl, put a large bowl of stewed pork slices with yam and radish, and added two spoons of oil soup, it was delicious.

No cafeteria, no tables and chairs, it doesn't matter.

Everyone just squatted on the ground to eat, while eating and basking in the sun.

Warm body, warm stomach, warm heart.

Sitting on cold benches in Qingshui yamen every day, their hearts feel cold. Today's hot lunch made them feel a little warm.

Huaiyu was also very happy to eat.

In fact, a small official from Zuochunfang had come to inform him before, saying that he would go directly to the public kitchen for lunch. As a fifth-rank official, his meals were not only free, but also pretty good.

But Huaiyu still worked hard to get money and food, buy pots and pans, and buy vegetables.

"It's still short of sauce," Huaiyu didn't forget to comment, but Zhang Chengde was sweating from eating, and said bluntly that he was comfortable.

"Marquis Wu, will we all have public kitchens and canteens in the future?"

"Ah."

"Is it free?"

"Well, it's paid out of the company's money."

Hearing this, Zhang Chengde ate even more happily.

Huaiyu saw that he was at least a sixth-rank official. How could he be so poor that he couldn't even afford to eat.

Pei Ju had just drawn a hundred thousand yuan of corporate money, which was too little. Even if he lent out the one hundred thousand yuan, he could only receive eight thousand a month in interest.

The [-] Wen is not only necessary to pay officials' salaries, but also to set up a free canteen for lunch, which is not much at all.

But Wu Huaiyu is not afraid, the Bureau of Economics and Economics is one of the six bureaus of Zuochunfang in the Eastern Palace. With such a big signboard, how can it make the bureaucrats hungry?
Before Zhang Chengde and the others could not get along well, it was because of their scholarly thinking, and no one took the lead. Moreover, they were all from poor families in other places, not descendants of aristocratic families. This kind of powerless, let alone.

Wu Huaiyu is different, he still has some contacts in Chang'an, not to mention that he has also served in many yamen such as Shenjiying, Military Weapons Supervision, and Zhongshu Province.

This somewhat late lunch filled everyone's stomachs.

In the past, several officials from the Bureau of Economics and Economics came to Maoshang Yamen early every day, and soon after noon, they left the Yamen and went home. They were monks and beat the clock, and they also drank tea, read books and practiced calligraphy in the Yamen.

Today Wu Huaiyu not only drew cakes for everyone, but also ate a delicious meal of yam and radish stewed pork slices.

After the meal, he assigned another task to everyone, asking them to go to various yamen in Chang'an, and even the families of the rich and noble families to persuade them to donate books, and even donate pens, ink, paper and inkstones.

"Remember, be polite. When you go out, you represent not only the Bureau of Economics and Economics, but also the Eastern Palace."

"We have to guide, but we have to respect other people's wishes, not force them."

At first, Zhang Chengde and others were quite embarrassed when they heard it. This is no different from monks asking for alms. After all, they are also officials who have passed the imperial examination.

But Huaiyu said that it was related to everyone's salaries, even food subsidies, etc. Zhang Chengde gritted his teeth, "I'll go!"

"Zhang Wenxue's attitude is very good. We can't just put on airs. Isn't this the correct attitude to do things? Do you want to have a cup of tea and a book every day, and then spend your time here waiting to die day after day?

We have to move. If there are no conditions, we have to create conditions. "

"Let me tell you that we not only need to restore the collection of books in the East Palace, but our goal should be even greater. For example, we will fill the Chongwen Hall with books, and one day, let Your Majesty set up a new Chongwen Hall and set up a bachelor's degree. , to teach students, just like the Xiuwen Museum in Menxia Province..."

When Huaiyu proposed that the officials of the Bureau of Economics and Economics can get back books, paper and pens, and even money and food when they go out, and they will be given priority in paying miscellaneous expenses, or even New Year's rewards, and those who can't get back can only wait. When there is surplus in the game, it is their turn. After hearing this, everyone has the determination to fight hard.

The first workshop Huaiyu restored was the cooked paper decoration workshop. Books were sorted, copied and bound. The paper used generally had to go through the cooked paper stage. Buying raw paper and cooking it by yourself would naturally save a lot of money. For personal use, it can also be processed into cooked paper for takeaway, which in turn makes profits to subsidize the Department of Economy and Economics.

Originally, not long after noon, everyone was going to go home.

But today, all the people who were full were very excited, and expressed that they would roll up their sleeves to do a big job. They did not take a walk after dinner to digest food, nor did they drink tea or read a book. They all put on their coats and went out to visit.

Huaiyu made some arrangements for the aftermath in the bureau, and went out too.

He's doing this very seriously.

"Ziyu will follow me in a while."

Wu Huaiyu felt that Zhang Chengde could deal with him, so he deliberately cultivated him so that he could manage the Economic and Economic Bureau in the future.

The first stop of Huaiyu's almsgiving was to visit the Eighteen Scholars of the former Prince of Qin's Mansion, and the first one was naturally Fang Xuanling, who is now the Ling of Zhongshu and the concubine of Zuo Shuzi.

This bachelor is now the prime minister. Although the Fang family in Licheng is not a powerful family with a county surname, the Fang family can be regarded as a powerful noble family. Fang Xuanling's mother is from the Tibetan house of Li's aunt in Longxi. His wife is Fan Yang Lu.

He even got married with his good friend Du Ruhui's family, and appointed Jingzhao Du's daughter as his fiancée for the eldest son Fang Yizhi.

Fang Xuanling's father was also a famous calligrapher.

His family has a large collection of books and is also very famous.

Wu Huaiyu directly visited Fangfu.

Fang Xuanling's family lives in the south of the imperial city, Wubenfang to the west of Pingkangfang, and he commutes very close to get off work, so he doesn't have to get up early in the morning.Wubenfang is also where the Guozijian is located. Apart from many nobles and nobles, the most people in this workshop are naturally scholars.

That area belongs to the school district, and it is also close to Pingkangfang, which is equivalent to the Qinhuai River Confucius Temple area in Nanjing during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

But I heard that Fang Xuanling was afraid of his wife, so he would definitely not dare to go to Pingkangfang Sanqu, listen to operas and drink flower wine.

As the prime minister, Fang Xuanling was very busy and had no time to take concubines.

Huaiyu and Zhang Chengde came to Fang's house and handed over the famous card. The doorman saw that Prince Shouyanghou was washing horse Wu Huaiyu, and he didn't neglect. He invited him to the doorman for tea, and then went to report.

Fang Xuanling hadn't returned home yet, so Mrs. Lu invited them to meet in the past.

Wu Huaiyu originally thought that Mrs. Xing Guogong, who was born in the Lu family of Fanyang, should be a very elegant lady, just like the women he had seen Zhang Chuchen, Changsun family, Yang family, and County Lord Li.

But when he met, he was taken aback.

Lu Shi is actually one-eyed.

He couldn't help thinking of a folk legend, but it was just a joke before, but he didn't expect it to be true.It is said that when Fang Xuanling was young, he was a talented scholar. Later, he was admitted as a Jinshi in the Sui Dynasty. He started as a Yuqiwei and served as a sesame official like a county captain.

During the time of turmoil, Fang Xuanling married his fiancée Lu Shi, but shortly after the wedding, he suddenly contracted a serious illness. When he couldn't afford it, he saw that he was about to die at a young age, so he called his wife Lu Shi.

He said that his wife Lu Shi was still young, and he hoped that she could remarry after his death.

At that time, it was common for young widows to remarry.

But who would have thought that this Fan Yang Lu family was from a famous family, these old gentry clans are generally more polite and have a strong personality, when they heard what her husband said, they cried and refused.

Fang Xuanling said a few more words, but she actually pulled out a hairpin and directly dazzled one eye.

Although Xiahou Dunba's eyes were fierce, they were shot by others, but Lu Shi blinded one eye himself.

Huaiyu is good at medicine, so he can tell at a glance that Lu's eyes are injured and blind, not cataracts or something, so he stared a few more times for a while.

Lu Shi is quite magnanimous.

"I heard that Wu Erlang is very skilled in medicine, but I'm afraid that Wu Erlang won't be able to rejuvenate my eyes."

"Please forgive me, madam, it's really rude."

"It's nothing to look at. I heard that Wu Erlang came today to search for books for the East Palace? I don't know what kind of books he wants? Erlang just ask, as long as the Fang family has it, he will definitely donate it to the East Palace."

Facing Mrs. Lu who is so majestic, Wu Huaiyu stopped paying attention to her hurt eyes, and briefly explained the situation, "We want to restore the collection of Chongwendian in the Eastern Palace. There is no limit to all kinds of books, as long as they are not yet available."

Mrs. Lu beckoned to the housekeeper, and directly asked for a hundred volumes of books, another three hundred dollars for paper, pens and ink, etc., and finally had to donate another hundred thousand dollars.

"Ma'am, it's too much. We just want to do something practical this time, but we dare not accept so much from Ma'am."

The two sides debated a lot, and finally Huaiyu accepted the Fang family's hundred volumes of books, plus a hundred knives of paper, and some pens and inks,
Mrs. Lu finally gave [-] yuan.

Huaiyu read the hundred volumes of books, and they were all excellent books. Books from the Tang Dynasty were very valuable. Paper and ink are also very expensive, so the price of a volume of about [-] words often reaches several thousand or even tens of thousands of dollars.

The books that Mrs. Lu took out were very well copied, and they were obviously rare books, which probably cost more than ten thousand dollars a volume.

Huaiyu accepted this generous gift, and specially wrote a note with the seals of the Bureau of Economics and Economics and him Wu Huaiyu stamped on it.

After winning the first battle, Zhang Chengde blushed with excitement, "Hundred volumes of handwritten manuscripts, [-] sheets of paper, [-] coins, and so much pen and ink, Mrs. Lu is really generous."

Huaiyu just smiled, although Madam Lu is generous, but there are reasons for it.

Naturally, this was not for Wu Huaiyu's face, but for the Bureau of Economics and the East Palace. No matter how young the prince was, he was still the prince. Although Fang Xuanling seemed to support Wei Wang Li Tai in history, he definitely didn't stand in line now.

They come out to represent the East Palace. If they are willing to accept, Mrs. Lu is willing to give not only [-] yuan, but also [-] yuan and millions of dollars. As the new emperor's first confidant or prime minister, Fang Xuanling has no shortage now. money.

"Let's go to Duke Cai's Du Mansion,"

Du Ruhui is also the crown prince Zuo Shuzi and Minister of the Ministry of War. Du Ruhui's family background is much stronger than Fang Xuanling's.

Although the six surnames in Guanzhong only rank at the bottom, which is worse than Webster's, they are already the first series of elite families in Guanzhong.

If you ask them for some books, it must be no problem.

Even paper, pen and ink, money and food, etc., the Du family will definitely not give less.

"Marquis Wu, if we are like this, will we be impeached by the official censor?" Things were too easy, but Zhang Chengde became a little worried again.

People who come here and there to ask for books, paper, ink, money and food, what if they are impeached.

(End of this chapter)