I studied in modern times

Chapter 739 Dividing the spoils
The next day, Lu Huiqing changed into casual clothes and disguised himself as a merchant coming to Beijing from other places.

For convenience, he only brought a few trusted Yuan Sui with him.

These people had followed him since the beginning of Fuyan Road, and had killed his personal soldiers who had gone in and out of the Western bandits' territory seven times.

His most trusted aide, Li Kui, disguised himself as his doorman.

The group left their residence and headed straight for the neighborhoods in Bianjing City that had relatively poor public security in the past.

And where was the most chaotic place in Bianjing city?

Lu Huiqing subconsciously chose Jing'anfang as the first stop.

However, when he arrived near Jing'anfang, he was dumbfounded.

This area, once the most chaotic wing in the inner city of Bianjing, has now been blocked by high walls.

A track extends from Jing'anfang.

Standing on the roadside, you can see coachmen driving draft horses, pulling a long carriage filled with various bricks and tiles, heading towards Jing'anfang.

When Lu Huiqing arrived at Jing'anfang, he saw a huge gate full of luxury facing Ma Xing Street.

On the lintel of the gate, there is a plaque with the four characters "Bian Jing Academy" written in regular script in gilded fonts!
Looking inside from the gate, you can see two three-story buildings at the entrance opposite the gate.

On one side of the gate, there is a flag.

There were words on the flag. Lu Huiqing walked closer to take a look. As an official, he had the habit of looking at things - reading directly from the end, so that he could see the signature, the signatory, and the official definition of the document.

And at the very end of the flag, there were four words written: [Fu Dao Feng Xing]!
When Lu Huiqing saw these four words, he heaved a sigh of relief: "This is an official document!"

Li Kui also came over and said, "It is indeed an official document!"

What is an official document?

Any official document containing the four words [Fu Dao Feng Xing] is considered an official document.

In official circles, official documents have the dual characteristics of being compulsory and imperative!

It is an official document sent from a superior to a subordinate.

Generally speaking, these are orders issued by a specific person or department within a certain time limit.

This is Bianjing! Ordinary official documents must at least be issued by the Shangshu Province.

The recipients of its promulgation are officials.

In the officialdom of the Song Dynasty, almost no one would make the contents of official documents public.

So, this is unusual!
Lu Huiqing perked up, raised his head seriously, and read carefully from the beginning.

"The Kaifeng Prefecture Street Office is in charge of the affairs of the Bianjing Academy:..."

"According to the imperial decree issued on February 15, the second year of Yuanyou, Kaifeng Prefecture sent a report to the capital, saying that the elementary school and primary school of Bianjing Academy have been completed and passed the test. The elementary school has one three-story building with 12 rooms... The primary school has two three-story buildings with a total of 26 rooms... There are also 29 teacher's quarters. The capital sent Wang Zhen, a doctor of the Ministry of Works, and Li An, a doctor of the Ministry of Rites, to review the details and confirm that the materials used in the school and teaching buildings are in compliance with the regulations..."

"According to the imperial decree, the opening days of the elementary and junior high schools in Bianjing Academy have been set, starting from the day of Guichou to the day of Gengshen this month..."

"Anyone who has purchased a place in the Bianjing Academy can bring their Kaifeng Prefecture Land Coupon to see the details within the deadline!"

The last part is the four characters [Fu Dao Feng Xing] in regular script and the signature under it.

On this flag, one can clearly see that the signatories include the Shangshu Youcheng, Zhongshu Shilang Deng Runfu, Kaifeng Prefecture's Acting Governor Cai Jing, and the Street Office's Jia Zhongmin's signatures.

Lu Huiqing could no longer conceal the astonishment in her eyes as she watched all this.

Because the language used in this official document is too simple.

It is so simple that it doesn't seem like the writing of the Song Dynasty government at all.

However, its format and signature are the most standard official documents of the Song Dynasty.

This shows what?
Of course Lu Huiqing knew.

It was possible to let these scholars and officials write official documents in such simple and easy-to-understand language and have them make them public.

It can only be the will from the highest level!
The political implications of this made Lu Huiqing's heart begin to beat.

He is indeed a maverick.

But at the same time, he is also a person who is very good at catering to and guessing the intentions of his superiors.

As he was thinking about this, an official from Kaifeng Prefecture happened to walk out of the gate.

When the official saw Lu Huiqing and his party, he stopped for no apparent reason and asked with a bow, "My dear officials, are you the owner of the first phase of the Bianjing Academy?"

Lu Huiqing shook her head: "No, I'm just curious..."

When he was in Hedong, he had always been paying attention to the affairs in the capital, so he knew about the Bian Jing Academy.

He even knew that the Bian Jing Academy made a lot of money.

And it seems that half of the money earned is used to promote education.

The official chuckled as he heard this, and took out a stack of brown leather paper from somewhere on his body, "Would you like to learn more about this Bianjing academy?"

"This is a mansion at the foot of the Imperial City, beside Ma Xing Street, a rare and high-quality residence!"

"After buying it, not only can our household registration be moved to Bianjing, but our students will also have a good place to go to school!"

He pointed to the three-story buildings behind the gate and asked, "Did you see that, sir?"

"That's the elementary and middle school buildings of the Bianjing Academy!"

"After the beginning of autumn this year, both schools will open!"

"Those who come here to teach will at least be specially recommended Jinshi!"

As he said this, he clicked his tongue: "The specially recommended Jinshi may not be as good as the real Jinshi who are listed in the Chongzheng Palace or wear flowers at the Qionglin Banquet... but they are also tribute scholars from prefectures and counties all over the country, and they are all well-educated people who have gone through thousands of troops and horses!"

"With such great scholars teaching, the students of the official will surely become talented. Not to mention, the students of this Bianjing Academy will all have places in Kaifeng Prefecture Academy in the future!"

“These are things that money can’t buy!”

As Lu Huiqing listened, the corner of his mouth twitched.

It would be fine if he was specially recommended as a Jinshi.

What the hell is the quota for Kaifeng Prefecture School?

It should be noted that the Kaifeng Prefecture School has always been the private domain of the powerful and wealthy in the capital.

He took the paper handed to him by the official and looked at it, his eyes almost popped out.

Because the price was clearly written on the paper - the lowest price per square foot was fifty strings of cash!
One square foot is fifty strings of cash!
Is this still the lowest price?

Looking at other houses, the smallest one here is one thousand square feet!
In other words, it’s 50,000 kan per set!
Lu Huiqing swallowed.

He has been an official for so many years and has accumulated quite a bit of savings.

But in such a hurry, it would be difficult to get him to take out 50,000 strings of cash!

On the Chu paper, the most expensive house costs one hundred guan per square foot, and the smallest house is two thousand square feet!

That’s 200,000 strings of cash for one set!

So, he couldn't help but ask, "Why is it so expensive?"

"Haha..." The official chuckled, "You don't know, but now all the wealthy families in the prefectures and counties all over the country are traveling to Beijing day and night just to buy houses in my Bianjing Academy!"

“Is this house not expensive?”

"To be honest, sir..." He lowered his voice, "Last year, the lowest price for housing in the Bianjing Academy was thirty strings of cash per square foot, and the highest was only fifty strings of cash per square foot!"

"Now, it has doubled!"

“So, if you buy it, you earn it!”

"Please think about it carefully!"

As he said this, he handed a name card to Lu Huiqing: "If you have figured it out, you can use this name card to come to Kaifeng to find me..."

"However, you need to hurry up... otherwise all the houses in Phase II of Bian Jing Academy will be snatched up!"

"By then, I'm afraid I won't be able to buy it anymore!"

Lu Huiqing held the business card, hummed, and then looked down at the name on it: Gao Dunfu, Left Street Inspector of the Street Administration and Inspector of the Bian Jing Academy.

A petty official!
Moreover, he looked like an old man in the capital. Lu Huiqing thought for a moment, bowed slightly to Gao Dunfu, and said, "It turned out to be General Gao in person!"

"I dare not! I dare not!" Gao Dunfu waved his hands repeatedly: "I am just a minor official in the Street Office, I don't deserve your respect!"

"If you would be so kind as to call me 'Inspector Gao'..."

But his face was already full of smiles.

Lu Huiqing said calmly: "I have just arrived in Beijing not long ago, it is really difficult for me to know the situation in the capital..."

"I am fortunate to meet Inspector Gao Daozuo today. It is truly fate!"

"I would like to ask the inspector to do me the honor of introducing the situation in the capital to me!"

"Of course, I won't treat the inspector unfairly!"

As he spoke, Lu Huiqing skillfully took out a handful of copper coins from his bosom and stuffed them into Gao Dunfu's hand.

Gao Dunfu was slightly stunned, then took the coin and said with a smile: "Master, you are praising me, how dare I not appreciate it?"

"I wonder what you want to ask?"

Lu Huiqing chuckled: "This is not the place to talk... Inspector Gao, please follow me to a nearby tavern to talk..."

Gao Dunfu thought about it and then examined the entourage around Lu Huiqing.

He had been hanging around in Bianjing City for more than ten years, and his eyesight had already been honed.

How could I not know that the 'Mr.' in front of me was probably a big shot in some prefecture or county?

Apart from anything else, there was an air of solemnity and murderousness emanating from those followers.

He had only seen this kind of smell in the officers and soldiers of the First Dragon Commander.

So he nodded slowly, intending to make a good relationship.

Lu Huiqing then took Gao Dunfu to a nearby foot inn with an elegant room and asked for a secluded room.

Then, I asked Gao Dunfu a lot of questions here.

……

Two hours later, when Lu Huiqing walked out of the tavern.

Some of the doubts in his mind were resolved.

But more doubts were swirling in my heart.

He brought his men and, as Gao Dunfu had said, came to a military shop on Ma Xing Street and waited quietly.

As Gao Dunfu said, in the evening, a man who looked like an officer came to the military shop.

When he arrived, the listless soldiers in the barn immediately became excited.

From a distance, Lu Huiqing could still hear the joy in the soldiers' shop and the laughter and scolding of the officers.

The officer stayed in the barn for only a moment and then left.

After the officer left, the follower Lu Huiqing sent to eavesdrop near the military shop also came back.

"Lord..."

"What is that person here for?" Lu Huiqing asked.

The attendant bowed and said, "My lord, I was lying in the corner behind the military shop and heard that man say that he was here to deliver the salary for the beginning of this month..."

"Everyone in the military shop got 200 coins each... The patrol inspector even got 500 coins..."

"I also heard that person admonish me: Be careful and don't break the rules. Those who break the rules will be punished by exile three thousand miles away to Lingnan!"

Lu Huiqing heaved a sigh of relief: "Gao Dunfu didn't lie to me!"

He looked towards the place where the sun was setting, dyed everywhere with red clouds.

For some reason, Lu Huiqing felt goose bumps all over her body.

Although, Lu Huiqing has always loved money.

Apart from being bloodthirsty, cruel and tyrannical, the most common criticism he received from the outside world is greed!

He also suffered many setbacks when it came to money.

For example, in the second year of Yuanfeng, his mother died, and the late emperor showed special favor to him and approved 50,000 strings of cash for funeral expenses.

But Lu Huiqing thought it was too little!

He asked the late emperor for an additional 15,000 strings of cash.

This matter caused a lot of controversy at the time, and countless imperial censors impeached him for his greed.

But he disagreed and instead wrote a letter to protest with confidence.

When Lu Huiqing was an official, he never minded if his subordinates were a little greedy or took a little.

Because he knows that only when the people below him can benefit from it will they work hard.

This is based on his understanding of human nature—human nature is evil!
Yes, Lu Huiqing was a supporter of Xunzi.

However, the current situation in Bianjing City gave him goosebumps all over his body.

He seemed to be able to see a ruthless hand looming over the city.

According to Gao Dunhou, the reason why the clerks and soldiers in the city of Bianjing could resist extorting others was because of this.

Because they have money to earn!

All the major guilds in the city of Bianjing would take out a sum of money every month and hand it over to the Kaifeng Prefecture.

Then it will be distributed by Jia Zhongmin from the Street Office and Zhang Xi from the Shop and House Office.

Whether you go up or down, you can get a sum of money on a regular basis.

The guild paid 70% of the money, and the foot traders paid 30%.

It seems to be a variation of the warehouse law led by Lu Huiqing during the Xining Reform.

In fact, it is completely different.

Because the people who paid for it were the wealthy families in Bianjing City.

It's not easy to get their money.

If you take the money and don't do anything about it, once you are discovered, you might be stuffed into a sack and thrown into the Bian River!

Although Lu Huiqing doesn't know now, what kind of power makes those wealthy merchants who usually find it difficult to pay even a penny willing to pay so much money?
But he knew that the wool comes from the sheep.

Those wealthy merchants in the guilds will definitely find ways to get back the money they paid for the foot traffickers with interest!

Thinking of this, Lu Huiqing couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He was considered to be well-informed.

But these things happening in the city of Bianjing were still things he dared not even think about.

He murmured in a low voice: "In order to prevent the clerks from oppressing the merchants, the nobles are allowed to suppress the clerks..."

"But who will suppress the nobles?"

Who are behind those guilds in Bianjing City?

Lu Huiqing knew it clearly in his mind.

Once the power of the nobles grew, they even began to control the public security inside and outside Bianliang.

Can the officials in the palace sleep peacefully?
Aren’t you afraid that there will be ambitious people following Taizu’s example?

The weather is getting cold, put on more clothes!
Even if the nobles had no ambitions, once their power grew, they would begin to infiltrate Kaifeng Prefecture.

Can an official in the deep palace still have the final say?

Thinking of this, Lu Huiqing turned around and instructed Li Kui behind him: "Si He, go to the capital to ask for me tomorrow..."

"Let's see when is the next time I'll be paired up?"

He had to ask about this matter individually to see whether the government knew about it or not.
(End of this chapter)