Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 820: Officialdom is like business
In the west courtyard of Luo Yunhou Mansion,
In the hall,
Zhang Jinyu asked tentatively, wanting to understand the purpose of Mr. Li's visit. Although officials in Jiangnan are well paid, not everyone can go there.
Seeing Marquis Luo Yun's caution, the eldest son Li Chaosheng couldn't help but pursed his lips and smiled;

"Your Majesty, don't be afraid. I came to your house to ask for something. Lord Jing is currently serving as the Inspector General of Jiangnan, responsible for converting farmland into mulberry trees. Your Majesty also knows that the number of looms in the Suzhou Weaving Bureau has increased to 10,000, and the demand for silk is huge.
At present, there is not enough raw silk in Jiangnan. Converting fields into mulberry trees is like trying to catch the moon in the water. I don’t know when it will be completed. So I would like to ask you to find a place outside the Great Wall to plant mulberry trees and store some raw silk for backup. Of course, if you need to buy it with silver, someone will pay for it, and I will guarantee it.”

These words were said with such sincerity that Li Chaosheng could not help but go to the door to ask for help. The news from Jiangnan was that although there had been some progress in various counties, the people's farmland had yet to be planted with mulberry trees. The season was approaching, and raw silk needed to be produced by silkworms, and mulberry leaves needed to be eaten. Mulberry leaves grow on mulberry trees, so how could they get the leaves if the trees were not planted?

It can be regarded as a backup plan to remedy the situation.
Zhang Jinyu's eyes widened in disbelief. How could the Jiangnan issue involve the areas outside the Great Wall? Besides, mulberry trees for silkworms prefer hot and humid weather, and it is somewhat dry and cold outside the Great Wall. How could they do this?

"Brother Li, maybe you remembered it wrongly? It's cold outside the Great Wall. How can we grow mulberry trees? We need to build a greenhouse to raise silkworms, otherwise they will all freeze to death."

"Haha, my Lord, don't joke. Pingyang County is a little cold, but Pingyao City is close to the interior of the country, with many fertile fields. Although the climate is cold, it is not that severe. There are still mulberry trees in one season. As long as the number of acres of land is expanded and a farmhouse is built, it will be fine. I wonder if my Lord can provide 100,000 bolts of raw silk."

Li Chaosheng had already consulted his staff at home and reported the matter to his father. Outside the Great Wall, only Pingyao City fits the bill. After all, before the Jurchens came, the most fertile land was the manor outside Pingyao City.

However, as soon as the Jurchens arrived, the noble families inside the Great Wall immediately sold their farms at low prices. So, raising some mulberry leaf silkworms was a piece of cake. Now that Marquis Luo Yun had taken in so many refugees from inside the Great Wall, it was a piece of cake.

Seeing the eldest son's understatement, Zhang Jinyu could no longer sit still. What did he mean by expanding the farm? One hundred thousand pieces of raw silk would require at least 40,000 mu of mulberry trees, plus food for the people and horses. It would be difficult to do this without money or food. He wanted to refuse outright, but when he thought about the fact that he already had disciples, and the other party was not taking it for free, but giving him silver, this deal was a sure win.

As for land and servants, Zhang Jinyu had no shortage of them. There were so many refugees and no one wanted the land. It would be fine to plant some crops. Maybe he could plant more and weave some silk at the Suzhou Weaving Bureau in Jiangnan and sell it. With this, he could make ten times the profit.

Thinking of this, I felt a little tempted. After all, not everyone can use the Weaving Bureau.

"Since you have spoken, it is not impossible. However, you also know that although the border area has been initially stabilized, the Jurchens have not really retreated. From time to time, there are still tribes coming to raid the ancients. Mulberry trees are easy to grow, but raw silk is not. Suzhou weaving is the best in the world. I just don't know what you should discuss in the future."

Seeing that Marquis Luo Yun was hesitant, Li Chaosheng knew what the Marquis meant. Who wouldn't want the silk brocade from the Weaving Bureau except for the Shu brocade? It would just make the weavers work harder.
"Haha, don't worry, sir. I will take as much raw silk as you have. As for the rest, sir, don't worry. The Weaving Bureau will also make it convenient for you. As for how to discuss it in the future, sir, don't ask too much. I can arrange for you to be a local official below the prefect, and I will also consider higher positions."

Li Chaosheng had already offered a price, and it was quite sincere. Zhang Jinyu thought about it and felt that he would not suffer any loss, but would have another way to make money, and some local official positions, so he nodded and agreed.
"Okay, since the eldest son is so forthright, I cannot lag behind. I will certainly provide you with 100,000 rolls of raw silk per year."

"Okay, Lord Marquis, this is settled. The documents for Jiangnan's appointment will be sent to your house tomorrow. In the future, our two families should visit each other more often. It's getting late, and I won't delay Lord Marquis' happy day. So I'll take my leave now."

Seeing that the matter was settled, Li Chaosheng did not linger any longer and stood up to say goodbye. Zhang Jinyu did not try to keep him and also stood up and saw him out the door.

Seeing the eldest son leave, Zhang Jinyu turned around and hurried back to the West Courtyard, instructing Ning Bian;

"Ningbian, send a message quickly and ask Wu Yayu to arrange for people to build greenhouses in Pingyao City and plant mulberry trees to raise silkworms. At least 200,000 rolls of raw silk will be needed. Ask her to take care of it. Also, ask Military Advisor Xiao to keep an eye on this matter and find out where in the south the refugees can be accommodated."

"Yes, Lord, I will obey your order. However, Lord, these tens of thousands of acres of mulberry fields are easy to cultivate, but the raw silk is not easy to preserve. It needs to be shipped out in time. Winter comes early outside the Great Wall. Should we transport it inside the Great Wall if we have a place to store it?"

Ning Bian took out a pen and paper to record. This time, he needed to use a secret pigeon to send a letter. He also knew that raw silk was delicate and difficult to store. This reminder obviously made Zhang Jinyu frown. That was true.
"You are right. Raw silk is delicate and difficult to store. So, once Zhuangzi's raw silk comes out, we don't have to wait and go straight into the pass. Don't we have a place to stay at the southern end of Shuoyang? Ask Kong Zongjian to renovate the palace and store the raw silk there. If needed, we can transport it to the canal. If that doesn't work, build a simple dock by the river as a backup."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

At this point, the two men finished their discussion and it could be considered a no-cost business. If it went well, the one million taels of silver a year would be enough to cover the expenses of the secret agents inside the pass and the food and wages of the soldiers. Otherwise, they would have to get silver from outside the pass, which would be too troublesome.

inside the hospital,

The three people who were late also entered the yard one after another. They clasped their fists and greeted each other, then they knocked on the door reluctantly and waited.

The two people who were still discussing inside immediately fell silent.
"come in,"

"Thank you, teacher."

The three men entered the house one after another and performed the ceremony. Xu Changwen was in front, Gao Wen was beside him, and Jia Lan was behind him. They kowtowed three times.

Zhang Jinyu was quite speechless. It was almost noon and it was almost time for dinner, and you guys just came.

"Okay, get up."

"Thank you, Master."

The three of them thanked him and quickly stood aside.
No matter what, there are only these three people who can be officials, so I might as well find a tall one among the short ones.
"You three will pass the imperial examination this year. The joint examination will be held in March, and the palace examination will be held in autumn. If you can take the exam, then take it. If you can't, then so be it. As for official positions, I have already chosen them for you: a county magistrate and a county magistrate. You can consider them as training. Although Jia Lan is young, you will stay in the Imperial Academy. You will have to walk your own path in the future. In everything you do, think about the teachings of the saints and don't ignore the people of the world."

"Thank you for your cultivation, Master. Although I come from a poor family, I still remember the teachings of the sages in my heart. I dare not disrespect the people of the world. When I serve in a place, I must treat the people well."

"Thank you for your cultivation, teacher. I will never bring shame to you."

Xu Changwen replied solemnly, followed by Gao Wen, which made Zhang Jinyu feel a little uncomfortable. Did his words sound a little too harsh? However, it was his first time as an official, so he should be cautious. He nodded and responded.

"That's good,"

Then he looked at Jia Lan. This boy was still so shy. He was too young.

"Jia Lan, you don't have to worry about these things. The Imperial College is full of teachers. Learning more is the real thing."

"Yes, teacher, I understand."

Jia Lan replied seriously, and just like that, Zhang Jinyu briefly explained the situation to the three people and sent them away. He was still thinking about how to arrange the affairs in the capital and Jiangnan.

As soon as I thought about it, I forgot about the marriage certificate.

But said,

To Mr. Feng Yongwen,

After Feng Yongwen returned home yesterday, he drank with Meng Li in the restaurant. He was happy and a little drunk. After returning home, he slept until dawn.
I woke up at the end of the morning hour. When I woke up, I realized that I had missed something important. I was afraid that the Marquis would blame me, so after changing my clothes,

He went out to the front yard and instructed his nephew Feng Yuancheng to deliver the marriage certificate to Marquis Luo Yun first. If the marquis was not there, he would directly put his fingerprints on Xu Changwen and sign the marriage certificate.

"Yuancheng, bring your pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and make sure to sign the marriage certificate and bring it back!"

"Yes, uncle. I will go to the Marquis' Mansion right away. If the Marquis is not here, I will go directly to Xu Changwen and make sure this matter is done well. I won't let him regret it."

Feng Yuancheng knew that his uncle was still concerned about this matter. Since the person had been chosen and the Marquis was the guarantor, he would help his uncle get it done no matter what.

Seeing that his nephew agreed, he felt much better after being in a daze for the whole morning. He sent him out of the house early. The commotion in the courtyard made Mrs. Feng come out from the back hall and yelled;

"What's going on? You're making so much noise in the yard. How did you handle yesterday's incident? You got drunk, and it's not just us mother and daughter who are worried to death. Have you resolved Taiying's issue?"

"Oh, Madam, I was just about to tell you that I have arranged Taiying's affairs, and the Marquis will be the guarantor, so it will be foolproof."

Feng Yongwen's face flushed. This time, she had chosen a good husband. Although he came from a poor family, he was quite an extraordinary person, and he was truly upright.

When Mrs. Feng heard this, she could no longer hold back. She had already chosen her son-in-law and had not revealed a single word yesterday. She was so anxious that she dragged Feng Yongwen into the house.

As soon as she entered the room, before she sat down, Mrs. Feng asked,
"Quick, tell me, who did you choose this time? Have you seen him?" "Madam, don't worry. He is the first place in this provincial examination, Xu Changwen from Sizhou. I have seen him in the examination room and also talked to him in the Marquis' Mansion. Although he is handsome, he is also an upright scholar. The Marquis will guarantee it. We will exchange the marriage certificate today. There is no escape."

Feng Yongwen sat down and took a breath before briefly explaining Xu Changwen's background. When Mrs. Feng heard that he was a poor boy who didn't even have a place to live in the capital, she frowned.

"Although he is a good person, he is just a poor scholar who doesn't even have a place to stay. If Taiying goes there, won't he be wronged? Why didn't you choose a son of a wealthy gentry?"

Seeing his wife complaining, Feng Yongwen waved his hands. He said, "He has long hair but little knowledge. Even if he is rich, what's the point of having no official position?"
"From a woman's point of view, after becoming an official, you still have to worry about not having money. With the help of the marquis, you have a clean family, so why do you have to think so much? The gentry are not as good as the rich, but they are better than the poor. However, you may not be able to become an official in three lifetimes. If you don't want to, I will send someone to bring Yuan Cheng back."

Seeing that Lord Feng was getting anxious, Mrs. Feng dared not complain. She just sat there, thinking about her own things.

In front of the Marquis's house,
Coincidentally,

Feng Yuancheng rode his horse directly to the mansion. When he arrived at the gate, he saw Xu Changwen saying goodbye to Jia Lan in front of the mansion.
He quickly dismounted from his horse, and ran after him, shouting;
"Uncle, uncle, this way, this way."

Hearing someone shouting, Xu Changwen stopped, turned around and asked in confusion;

"May I ask, brother, who are you calling next?"

"Oh, sir, I am the steward of the Feng Mansion. I have brought you the marriage certificate. Please sign it."

Feng Yuancheng did not wait for Xu Changwen to say anything more. He took out the ink and two marriage certificates, and directly pulled Xu Changwen's fingers to press them. Then he took out the ink-dipped pen from the package and handed it over.

Before Xu Changwen understood what was going on, he was forced to put his fingerprints on the document. He then opened the marriage certificate and saw the name of the couple, Feng Taiying, with her birth date written on it. He had an idea and picked up a brush to write down his name and birth date in two copies.

As soon as he finished writing, Feng Yuancheng took back the marriage certificate and got on his horse.
"Son-in-law, the marriage is settled. The wedding date will be determined by the time you decide. I will return to the mansion to report."

He waved his whip and left, leaving Xu Changwen somewhat at a loss. Gao Wen beside him looked envious and sighed;

"Brother Xu, you have finally made it. Can I take a look at the marriage certificate?"

As a reminder, Xu Changwen quickly put the marriage certificate into his arms, turned around and left, saying,
"Brother Gao, let's have a drink together when we get back."

"Hey, wait, Brother Xu, wait."

Jingnan,

Linshan County,

Outside the city,

The densely packed Taiping Religious army came from far and near in a huge crowd, with a cloud of dust all over the sky. The front army, the left army, and the right army actually bypassed the city and went north, leaving only the rear army to surround the city, leaving the east gate alone.

Before the new army's general Wu Shiming could figure out what was going on, he heard that many people outside the city were preparing siege ladders. They were about to attack the city.

"Attention all commanders, the enemy is preparing for battle, archers are ready,"

At the command, the generals on the city wall began to shout, and the archers took three steps forward, drawing their bows and getting ready.

It didn't take long.
Under the city,

Right Guardian Du Shaoqing, who had already become impatient, waved his hand and shouted;
"Don't wait, attack the city, Han Douming will lead the troops to supervise the battle, and anyone who retreats will be killed."

"Yes, protector."

Han Douming, the leader of the Five Elements Banner, clasped his fists and accepted the order, then led his troops to line up and supervise the battle. The Taiping sect members three miles outside the city, with red cloth wrapped around their arms, shouted and rushed over under the command of the hall leaders.

"Kill!"

"Kill it!"

The crowd rushed over like a tide, their imposing manner making the defenders on the city pale and trembling slightly. Even the generals swallowed their saliva.

The enemy troops at the foot of the city came quickly, a group of them carrying ladders rushed over, and when they were still a hundred steps away, the commanders of the camps shouted;

"Archers, get ready, shoot a hundred steps ahead!"

With a loud shout,
Arrows were shot out from the city walls one after another, falling like a rain of arrows. The screams of the bandits below the city were endless.
"Archers, prepare, scatter, set, release."

After several rounds of arrow rain, the originally densely packed crowd on the ground became much smaller. Unfortunately, the bandits kept pouring in from behind, and it seemed that they could not be killed. After a while, ladders were erected under the city, and the Taiping Sect people climbed on them like locusts, and a close combat began.

On the top of the city, fierce fighting broke out.

And inside the city,
Zhou Yongxiao was obviously a little surprised. The Taiping Cult people came in a hurry and attacked the city before they could stabilize their position. Although it would be useless if many of those refugees and bandits died, they were too hasty. Wang Ziteng had just arrived.

"Report, sir, your highness, there is a secret letter from outside the city."

Just when the people in the pavilion were confused, a message came back to their senses. They looked over and saw a captain running over in a hurry, kneeling on one knee, holding a secret letter in his hand. Kou Zijing hurried over to take it and handed it to His Highness.

Zhou Yongxiao checked the seal and found it was intact. He tore it open and saw that it was written by the leader of the Taiping Sect, Chu. It stated the plan for the next few days. So they would attack the city for three days first. It would be more brutal and no flaws would be found.
If Wang Ziteng's troops move, we will act according to the plan. If not, and Wang Ziteng does not move, Your Highness will be asked to give up Linshan County City in three days to lure the snake out of its hole. As long as Wang Ziteng goes south, he will not be able to escape.

Zhou Yongxiao narrowed his eyes and thought for a while. He actually underestimated the leader of the Taiping Sect, Chu. This man was ruthless and decisive, like a great hero. Thinking of this, he kept an idea in mind.

"Teacher, this is written by the leader of the Taiping Sect, Chu. It will take three days to attack the city. If it is fierce enough, it will lead to Prince Teng to send troops south. If there is no action after three days, Linshan County will be ceded and the plan will remain the same."

The governor Yu Shiyuan looked a little unhappy. After all, it had come to this. However, he couldn't trust the Taiping Sect completely. He took the letter and read it carefully. He found that it was indeed a decisive person.

"It seems that this leader Chu of the Taiping Sect is definitely planning to take over Wang Ziteng's group. I don't know what he relies on. This letter clearly reveals the Taiping Sect's wolfish ambitions. We must be on guard in the future."

As a reminder, Zhou Yongxiao nodded.

"Teacher, don't worry. How could we not be on guard against them? According to the agreement, a way out was left in the East City, and the students also arranged for people to meet them outside the city. If the Taiping Sect wanted to cooperate peacefully, they would not take any action. Sect Leader Chu is a smart man."

Zhou Yongxiao was not worried about these. With the ability of Master Chu, he would not fail to see this. The basis of cooperation is mutual trust. If even this cannot be achieved, then what is the point of cooperation? Therefore, he dared to bring the army to the north of the city and set up camp, apparently preparing to face Wang Ziteng head-on.

"That's good. After this battle, as long as we inflict heavy damage on Wang Ziteng's troops, the imperial court will not have any more reinforcements heading south in a short period of time, and the soldiers in the Beijing camp will not be dispatched easily."

Yu Shiyuan touched his gray beard, feeling extremely complicated!

(End of this chapter)