Daming: Old Zhu, we agreed not to rush!

"Xiao Liu, is there a stall selling lantern cakes nearby? I want to try them."

On the bustling street, Su Jing asked Xiaoliu beside her.

Although it is very far away from the capital, it is a very prosperous place and a serious water town in the south of the Yangtze River.

The large plains are covered with river networks, creating countless fertile fields.

If the fields are good, they will naturally be rich in grain. If the grain yield is high, the people's lives will be prosperous.

This is the truest portrayal of the living standards of the people under the feudal dynasty.

"Uncle, have you been to Wenzhou Mansion?"

Xiao Liu turned his head, looking surprised.

Su Jing smiled and said, "How do you say this?"

Xiao Liu immediately said: "This Dengzhan cake is a specialty of our area. I heard that uncle is from the capital, and there is no Dengzhan cake in the capital."

"I see, what you said is quite right. Only here can you taste the most authentic lantern cake."

Su Jing nodded, recalling in her mind the memories of when she came to Wenzhou in her previous life.

It is naturally very different from now.

Only delicious food can transcend time and be passed down forever.

"So, uncle has really come to our place?"

Xiaoliu asked while leading the way.

"That's it."

Su Jing looked around and looked at this ancient city carefully.

How well the governor of a place is doing can be reflected from the living conditions of the common people.

This Wenzhou Prefecture is really good.

When I praised Zhao Rongzhen, I just made a rainbow fart without even thinking about it.

Now it seems that the boast was not wrong.

"Uncle, lamp cake."

Xiaoliu bought two lantern cakes and handed one to Su Jing.

Su Jing took it: "How much? I'll give it to you."

"Uncle, no need. Mr. Fu Cheng just gave me money. You are a guest, how can I let you spend money?"

Xiao Liu said immediately.

Su Jing was really surprised now. This Zhao Rongzhen was really very meticulous in his work.

The salary of an ordinary servant is not much, so it still hurts to spend some money to go shopping with me.

That's why Su Jing offered to give money. Unexpectedly, Zhao Rongzhen had already thought about it.

However, that's all. Everyone knows what's going to happen, so you have to try again.

Su Jing smiled and said: "I didn't expect Mr. Zhao to be so polite. I don't know how much money he gave you to entertain me."

After all, as Uncle Ren Yuan, and coming here with the prince, as long as he is capable of doing things, these should be basic.

"Three liang, Mr. Fu Cheng has told me, if you give back more, you will make up less."

Xiaoliu was also an outspoken person and answered immediately.

Three taels!

Su Jing chuckled and said: "Isn't three taels of silver too little? Even if you withdraw more and make up less, I'm afraid you won't have too much silver."

In terms of common people, three taels of silver is indeed a lot.

But after all, he was not a commoner, and Zhao Rongzhen was a fourth-rank official, so a few or two seemed to be very few.

"No! Mr. Fu Cheng said that Uncle Ren Yuan is not the kind of person who is extravagant and wasteful. Three taels of silver will only be enough and not less. Mr. Fu Cheng is very good at judging people."

Xiaoliu's words once again aroused Su Jing's curiosity.

He added: "Oh, I see that Mr. Fu Cheng didn't say a few words to you just now. Why does it seem like he has told you everything."

Xiao Liu smiled and said, "That's because Mr. Fu Cheng is very knowledgeable about things. Just now when you and His Royal Highness were resting in the inner hall, Mr. Fu Cheng already gave me instructions."

Good guy, it’s really not that simple!

This Zhao Rongzhen, Su Jing felt a difficult atmosphere.

At the beginning, the strange behavior of Wenzhou Mansion, the strength of Zhao Rongzhen in the government office, and the hesitation of Meng Song all made Su Jing feel that something fishy could be found out in Wenzhou Mansion with just one investigation.

But now listening to what Xiaoliu said, Su Jing felt that Zhu Biao was probably going to get nothing.

"Is there any interesting place in Wenzhou Prefecture? The more people there, the better. Take me to see it."

Su Jing changed her topic and wiped out the lantern cake in her hand in just a few strokes.

"Of course there is. Uncle, please come with me."

Xiaoliu immediately took Su Jing forward.

……

the other side.

At the Wenzhou Mansion Granary, Zhu Biao and others were already there, and the large warehouses were erected very neatly.

The roads between the granaries are extremely clean, and it seems that they are well managed on a regular basis.

The troops guarding outside were also very vigilant, standing guard and not showing any signs of carelessness.

Zhu Biao was not surprised. After all, he had left an hour for them to prepare. If he couldn't do this, it would only mean that Wenzhou Mansion was extremely bad.

It was only the third year since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and thousands of officials had been killed. The brainless ones should not be left alive now.

"Sun Tongpan, please quickly introduce the situation to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Meng Song urged Sun Zhaoxiang.

On the carriage, he was constantly asked questions by Zhu Biao, and his whole mind was confused.

Meng Song knew too little about the actual government affairs of Wenzhou Government.

Nine out of ten of Zhu Biao's questions could not be answered at all, and the remaining one was still hesitant.

After finally arriving, Meng Song didn't want to be asked any more questions, so he directly summoned Sun Zhaoxiang, the general judge.

"Yes, Lord Meng."

Sun Zhaoxiang immediately began: "Your Highness, the Wenzhou Prefecture Granary was built in the first year of Hongwu..."

"No need, just take me in and take a look."

Zhu Biao directly interrupted Sun Zhaoxiang's words and immediately asked Sun Zhaoxiang to open the warehouse door and inspect the warehouse directly.

Zhu Biao had heard enough of these things during his last inspection, and now he didn't want to hear them at all.

The most direct way to inspect the granary is naturally to look at the grain in the granary.

"Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Sun Zhaoxiang didn't dare to delay, so he immediately took out the key and opened the door of the granary.

When Zhu Biao saw Sun Zhaoxiang taking out the keys, he immediately asked: "Do you have all the keys to the warehouse doors?"

"Reporting to His Majesty the Crown Prince, all warehouses have two keys. One is in the hands of the minister, and the other is in the hands of the warehouse manager. Only I and them can open this warehouse. This is specially made to prevent theft from the warehouse. .”

Sun Zhaoxiang answered quickly, but the door did not open quickly.

Zhu Biaodian nodded slightly: "Yes, this is good."

When I inspected granaries in other places before, there was no such detailed division of keys.

Although granaries are important, they are different from warehouses containing silver. They are large in number and large in size.

There are really only a few people who can take the safekeeping of keys so seriously.

"What His Highness said is that this matter was specially requested by the Prime Minister. He said it was for safety. Even if it is troublesome, it is necessary."

Sun Zhaoxiang turned sideways and through the door could see the large grain barrels neatly arranged in the warehouse. At this time of the Ming Dynasty, grain storage was like this in granaries. A large warehouse was built, and large grain barrels were used to hold grain in the warehouse.

Generally, grain barrels are three to four meters high and have a radius of about one meter. The particularly large ones are two meters long, but not much.

There is a grain opening under the grain barrel, and the grain is discharged through this opening.

Next to the grain barrel, there is a ladder, which is used to climb up to the top of the grain barrel to fill the grain, and it is also used for inspection.

Generally speaking, the top of the grain barrel is tapered.

Zhu Biao walked into it and took a visual look. In this warehouse alone, there were about seventy or eighty such grain barrels.

"That's it, put some food and I'll take a look."

Zhu Biao found a grain barrel at random and asked directly for food.

Sun Zhaoxiang was very fast. He immediately found a bamboo basket and put it under the food outlet, and then opened the food outlet.

As soon as the opening was opened, the grain immediately slipped out and the dust immediately flew up.

Just by looking at the speed at which the rice comes out, I know that the grain barrel is absolutely full.

"Sun Tongpan, you don't know how to remind His Royal Highness to leave."

Meng Song raised his hand, covered his mouth and nose and said: "Your Highness, Hui Da, I will block it for you."

After all, food is harvested from the land. Even after processes such as drying, there will still be a lot of dust mixed with it.

It is very common for ash to appear when feeding grain.

"I didn't think carefully, so please forgive me, Your Highness."

Sun Zhaoxiang immediately bowed his head to apologize, feeling regretful in his heart.

He was used to the dust and didn't think about it at all.

Zhu Biao said calmly: "Nothing, just a little dust, nothing compared to food."

He is not a pampered prince, he can even do farm work.

Zhu Biao had no intention of avoiding this bit of dust.

"His Royal Highness is so magnanimous, why don't you quickly show the grain to His Highness!"

Meng Song urged again.

"Yes Yes!"

Sun Zhaoxiang immediately closed the food outlet and handed the bamboo basket filled with food to Zhu Biao.

The grain in the granary is all rice, which has not yet gone through the peeling process.

This is the place where food is preserved. Naturally, it can be stored longer with the skin on.

Zhu Biao became increasingly disgusted with the prefect Meng Song.

But this was not the time to question Meng Song. He squatted down, grabbed a handful of rice, put it in his hand, rubbed it carefully, looked at it, and didn't forget to pick it up and smell it at the tip of his nose.

Meng Song and Sun Zhaoxiang were both very nervous, worried that something would go wrong if something went wrong.

However, the two worries were in different directions. Meng Song was simply afraid that something would go wrong.

Sun Zhaoxiang was afraid that Zhu Biao was too young and didn't know much about the quality of the food, so he would ask some inexplicable questions.

"The grain is full and the fragrance of the rice is still there. Last year's old grain can be preserved to this extent. You are a good general."

Zhu Biao nodded and said calmly.

Meng Song and Sun Zhaoxiang both had relaxed expressions on their faces. If there was no problem, that would be the best.

"Your Highness, food is a major concern of the country, so I naturally don't dare to be careless."

Before Sun Zhaoxiang could say anything, Meng Song had already paid tribute to himself.

It seems that he knew that his answers to those questions on the way here were really bad, and he wanted to make up for it.

"This is my duty. I dare not accept such praise from His Highness the Crown Prince."

Sun Zhaoxiang restrained himself a lot and was not excited at all by being praised.

The advantages and disadvantages of both can be known at a glance.

Zhu Biao didn't even look at Meng Song, and continued to say to Sun Zhaoxiang: "Sun Tongpan, don't say this in a hurry, the granary hasn't been inspected yet, next one."

While talking, Zhu Biao selected another grain bucket and continued the previous operation.

In such a warehouse, Zhu Biao looked at the situation in ten grain barrels, and this was the end.

Meng Song, an old man, was tired from following Zhu Biao. He didn't expect that this was how the prince checked the granary.

I didn't check any of the grain books and accounts, I just kept looking at the granary.

"Your Highness, it's almost done."

Meng Song wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Zhu Biao.

"Bring the ladder here."

Zhu Biao ignored it and continued to greet Sun Zhaoxiang.

Sun Zhaoxiang also understood that Zhu Biao really wanted to check the granary, so he immediately moved the ladder.

This frightened Meng Song, and he immediately said: "No, Your Highness! You are worth a thousand dollars, so you must never do this!"

Although the probability of falling when climbing a ladder is very low, Zhu Biao is the prince, and Meng Song doesn't dare to bet on this probability at all.

If something happened to Zhu Biao in Wenzhou Mansion, he would definitely be the unlucky one.

"Sun Tongpan, bring the ladder and send someone to help Magistrate Meng out. He is old and should have a good rest if he can't bear it any longer."

Zhu Biao issued the order directly, and Sun Zhaoxiang executed it decisively.

Whether it was Zhu Biao's majesty as the prince or Meng Song's lack of prestige as the prefect.

Anyway, Meng Song was taken out quickly.

Sun Zhaoxiang was holding the ladder below, while Zhu Biao climbed up the ladder, went directly to the top of the grain barrel, opened the lid, picked up the drill on the side, and carefully inserted it to check.

This time I selected ten more grain barrels and checked them carefully before giving up.

Visiting a warehouse, Zhu Biao was still in a good mood.

At least the grain barrels I saw were of good quality, and there were no empty barrel tricks.

This situation is much better than Zhu Biao had previously expected.

Although he came for inspection, he didn't want to find out the problem. After all, the Ming Dynasty's granary was in good condition, and only then could he, the prince, be safe.

"Your Highness, do you want to take a rest?"

Sun Zhaoxiang looked at Zhu Biao, half of his body covered with sweat, and felt great admiration.

The weather in June was extremely hot, and the temperature in the granary was even higher. Zhu Biao was climbing up and down, sweating a lot.

Zhu Biao smiled and said: "Why, Sun Tongpan, do you think that after I check this warehouse, I will not take care of other warehouses? I tell you, don't take any chances. Let's go to the next warehouse."

Zhu Biao casually wiped the sweat from his forehead. His trousers had already been rolled up and his cuffs were tied up. He looked very smart.

"I don't dare. I just think that His Highness the Crown Prince shouldn't work too hard."

Sun Zhaoxiang bowed his head and said.

"Hard?"

Zhu Biao paused for a moment, and then said to Sun Zhaoxiang: "Sun Tongpan, go out and look outside. The soldiers standing guard, their foreheads and bodies are all covered with sweat."

"Compared with them, my hard work is nothing. Stop talking and just follow my order and open the door."

Zhu Biao's words fell into Sun Zhaoxiang's ears, and they were really shocking.

Before, he didn't have much impression of the Ming Prince, and he was just a general judge.

But now, he felt differently. (End of chapter)