Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 8 Let Me Say I'm a Child Prodigy
Zheng Shuqing is very efficient in his work.The court officials responsible for the management and planting of red lotus rice were invited by him to the Lotus Pond Villa.Not only that, Zheng Shuqing also took out all the delicacies he had packed at the bottom of the box, which made Fang Chongyong look stunned.

What surprised him was not only the delicious food, but also the person in charge of the red lotus rice field, who had only met during the day... Gu Kuang!
At that time, I thought that this old man Gu Kuang was very easy-going and talked a lot. Who knew that he was actually a central official, even a minor official, who was directly under the imperial court!
The same rice feeds all kinds of people. The ancients were honest and did not deceive me.

"Gu Tunjian is laughing at this. They are all unremarkable meals."

Zheng Shuqing pointed to the sumptuous dishes on the table and said politely.

"No, Commander Zheng is so polite. This kind of food is not common on weekdays."

Gu Kuang was very talkative and had a gentle personality. He pointed at the rice in the bowl and introduced to Fang Chongyong: "Fang Langjun doesn't know something. This is called crystal rice. As the name suggests, every grain is as clear as crystal." Whether you can pick out a bowl of rice from a good fight of rice is another matter. Each one must be carefully selected and cannot be careless.

Just this bowl of rice will cost at least ten pieces. "

Fang Chongyong picked up the bowl and looked at the bowl of "crystal rice" in front of him like a country bumpkin. Apart from being beautiful, it was almost the same as ordinary rice. He didn't know how to describe Zheng Shuqing.

A bowl of rice costs ten thousand yuan!What's the price of riding a horse?

Even if one penny is equal to one yuan, this bowl of rice is worth 1 yuan. What kind of rice costs 1 yuan a bowl?
Zheng Shuqing's luxury refreshed Fang Chongyong's perception.

"Although the grilled lamb chops are simple to make,...this sheep is from Hedong. The shipping cost is very expensive, not to mention that after delivery, you have to raise it well and maintain the condition of the sheep. This feeding costs a lot of money. Alas, I don’t even know how much money was spent on this dish. The sheep from Hedong just smell and taste different.

Without the smell of mutton, today is a good day. "

Gu Kuang sighed, also sighing with emotion at Zheng Shuqing's generosity.He has traveled widely across the country and is now serving as the warden of Hongliandao, a farming land.But red lotus rice can be grown but not eaten. If someone reports you for stealing red lotus rice, it will be a serious crime of deceiving the king.

Gu Kuang usually eats very ordinary food, including local specialties from Kuizhou.

Fang Chongyong looked helplessly at Zheng Shuqing, only to see that Governor Zheng waved his hands lightly, with a calm expression, as if he regarded money as dung.

"This flying knife is also very good. You can see that the knife skills are very good. The fish fillets are as thin as cicada wings. I don't have such knife skills anymore. I have to practice for more than ten years."

Gu Kuang continued to introduce Fang Zhongyong.

"It would be great if we could get carp from Luoyang. The fish in the Shu River are very rustic, so we can only make do with it."

Zheng Shuqing said very "reservedly".

When it comes to treating guests, what you eat is secondary, who you eat with, and whether or not you save face are the most important!

For example, today, he has a lot of face!
Fang Chongyong thought about the first meal he had when he came to this world, and unconsciously felt ashamed of himself.

This is the luxurious taste from Chang'an!

Gu Kuang then introduced the other dishes on the table one by one, even a simple watermelon dish, the workmanship is extremely exquisite.And there are so many varieties, there are twelve dishes on the table for three people to eat!
"Mr. Zheng invited you to a banquet today. Could it be that he wanted to share some red lotus rice with you?"

After drinking for three rounds, Gu Kuang asked while burping. The relationship between them seemed to be much closer, and there was a hint of teasing in his words.

"Gu Tunjian was joking. The red lotus rice is a tribute, and all of it must be handed over to the emperor. If there is no reward from the emperor, how can we share the red lotus rice privately?"

Zheng Shuqing waved his hand and directly denied Gu Kuang's speculation. Seeing Fang Chongyong calmly nodding slightly, he continued: "You and I are officials in Kuizhou City, so we should be close to each other. Today's banquet is just about talking. Fengyue, let’s not talk about official business, let alone Hongliandao.”

Zheng Shuqing said very proudly.

"Your Majesty is a cheerful person, but this kind intention is disrespectful to me."

Gu Kuang put down his guard and started eating and drinking. After drinking until midnight, he was already drunk and unconscious, lying on the couch in the study to rest.

Zheng Shuqing opened his misty eyes, with a faint smile on his face, looked at Fang Chongyong and said: "The matter is done, you can start doing what you want to do!"

"It's easy to talk about. Please copy this poem with your left hand."

poetry?
Zheng Shuqing was a little confused for a while. Although he was "tested by alcohol", he had drunk a lot after all, and his mind was not as clear as usual.

"When the autumn comes on September [-]th, I will kill a hundred flowers after the flowers bloom. The fragrance of the sky spreads through Chang'an, and the city is full of golden armor."

When Zheng Shuqing saw the seven-character quatrain written on the paper, he was sober that his back was wet with cold sweat.

"This... that... this..."

He was incoherent for a while, and he was so frightened that he couldn't speak clearly.

"Gu Tunjian has the talent to know the world, but it is a pity that the court cannot reuse it. Over time, he felt unfair. After drinking, he wrote a poem complaining about his injustice. But he knew that this was an anti-poetry, so he wrote it in a handwriting that was not his own. "

Fang Chongyong looked at Zheng Shuqing and asked word for word: "Do you think we should have a good talk with Inspector Gu Tun after he wakes up?"

"Talk about what?"

Zheng Shuqing's brain froze, and he answered the question subconsciously.

"Of course it's about the red lotus rice, otherwise what else can we talk about?"

Fang Chongyong smiled slightly and said: "Gu Tuen Supervisor only needs to submit a letter saying that a lot of red lotus rice was burned by the Liaoren mountain fire. This year's output is only [-]% of previous years. It must be a very interesting thing!"

Zheng Shuqing was so frightened that his whole body was shaking. He forced himself to calm down and asked, "Wouldn't he be dismissed from office?"

"Planting red lotus rice also requires experience. If you change someone, maybe the land will be damaged? If someone releases this poem again, I am afraid that the emperor of Chang'an and those princes will not think so."

Fang Chongyong took out another piece of paper and saw it written on it: "It is noon on the day of hoeing, and the sweat is dripping from the soil. Who knows that every particle of the meal is hard work."

The title is "Meeting Gu Tuen Supervisor on the road working hard in the red lotus rice field and feeling sentimental."

The meaning of the whole poem is: ah, when I was passing by Red Lotus Rice, I saw Gu Kuang planting Red Lotus Rice in the farmland, and I felt as follows, Balabala.

Zheng Shuqing looked at Fang Chongyong as if looking at a monster, and muttered to himself: "You are really a child prodigy!"

"Otherwise, wouldn't Commander Zheng feel it yet?"

Fang Chongyong felt that he had acted monstrously, but Zheng Shuqing didn't feel disobedient at all when he accepted it.

"But what do you want red lotus rice for? Sell it? To whom?"

Zheng Shuqing still didn't understand Fang Chongyong's brain circuit.

You said sell these red lotus rice, it can indeed sell for a lot of money.However, it is impossible to count on ten yuan for a bowl of rice!Hundreds of hectares of red lotus rice can't be sold for [-] guan.

Because all transactions are conducted in private, and it cannot be publicly revealed, it is inevitable that the price will be lowered.

"The secret must not be leaked. Telling it in advance will not work. However, Master Shijun's meal today is really not in vain. As long as Gu Kuang accepts my proposal, then more than half of this matter will be done."

Hearing what Fang Chongyong said, Zheng Shuqing opened his mouth, and finally said nothing, but let out a long sigh.

This kid writes anti-poems one after another. Is he really Fang Youde's son?
Zheng Shuqing vaguely remembered that Fang Youde was Li Longji's confidant when he was Qianlong.

His son's anti-poetry writing was so literary!
Could it be that Fang Youde's wife did something to feel sorry for him and gave birth to a child with someone else?
At this moment, Zheng Shuqing's heart was in chaos.

……

Gu Kuang woke up with a hangover and a splitting headache.It has to be said that Zheng Shuqing's treat for this wine has great stamina.

As soon as he woke up, he saw Zheng Shuqing and Fang Youde looking at him, their eyes full of meaning.

"Gu Tunjian, oh, how could you...at least not!"

Fang Chongyong said heartbrokenly.

"What's wrong with me?"

Gu Kuang looked confused. He had just woken up and didn't know what happened.

"Hey, Inspector Gu, even if you are dissatisfied with the court officials, you shouldn't write such things after being drunk. You...why did you do it!"

Zheng Shuqing joined Fang Chongyong, both of them had the same expression and demeanor.

"What's wrong with me?"

Gu Kuang intuitively felt that something was wrong.

Fang Chongyong directly handed the article "Golden armor all over the city" to the other party.

Gu Kuang, who was still a little confused, suddenly felt no longer sleepy, or he was frightened and woke up!

As a poet, even a poet who has written famous poems, how could he not know what this poem is alluding to?If word spreads, the consequences will be disastrous!

"But this is not my handwriting."

Gu Kuang was not stupid, and quickly noticed the strangeness of the matter.

"It is indeed not Gu Tunjian's handwriting, but...it can definitely be written by Gu Tunjian. Of course, it could be just a misunderstanding."

Fang Chongyong insisted on the word "misunderstanding".

Emotions are lurking here, Gu Kuang felt last night that Zheng Shuqing invited him to dinner because of Red Lotus Rice.He was an open-minded person, so he sighed helplessly: "Okay, okay, just treat me as a donkey. After the autumn harvest, I will give you a few stones of red lotus rice. That's okay. After all, Governor Zheng took great pains for the meal last night."

While laughing at himself, Gu Kuang satirized Zheng Shuqing's tricks.

"No, Gu Tuen Supervisor doesn't have to give us red lotus rice. You just need to write an official document to the court and tell them that half of this year's red lotus rice is damaged, that's all. You can't give it directly to the emperor, you have to go to the official post of the court , just deliver it layer by layer.

As for the possibility of a lot more, it doesn't matter at all, those can't be sent to the hands of the emperor.Of course, if you want to intercept it yourself. "

Fang Chongyong made a very strange request to Gu Kuang.

Gu Kuang can hand over all the red lotus rice, but in the official letter, it must be written that he only received half of the rice, and the other half was damaged by wildfires. The specific amount is subject to receipt.After the red lotus rice is delivered to Chang'an, someone will make sure that the real quantity of red lotus rice matches the quantity in Gu Kuang's official letter.

For the extra money, no one would ask Gu Kuang why he wrote it out. He would just black out the extra stuff and eat it himself or resell it.The quantity finally delivered to Li Longji was the same as the quantity in Gu Kuang's official document!
And with so many people meddling in the Hongliandao line, how could they possibly hold Gu Kuang accountable for his mistakes?
When the time comes and things get serious, isn't it necessary to find out a bunch of people after checking?Who is clean under the ass?

"Your request is weird, so that's okay."

Gu Kuang waved his hand indifferently. He did not give away the red lotus rice, which meant that he was not derelict in his duty. Fang Chongyong's request did not cross his bottom line.

"This poem will be posted in Kuizhou Prefecture and widely publicized. Gu Tuenjian has no credit, but his hard work is still there."

Zheng Shuqing handed the song "The Day of Hoeing Harvests in the Noon" to Gu Kuang and said.

"I understand, your Majesty must have had no choice but to do so."

After reading the poem, Gu Kuang asked with emotion that he had forgiven the two people in front of him for tricking him.

"Gu Tunjian doesn't need to ask more questions, his duty is to do it as a last resort."

Zheng Shuqing said apologetically.

Gu Kuang nodded slightly, bowed his hands to Zheng Shuqing and saluted, then took his farewell cleanly and left.

After he left, Zheng Shuqing valued Fang Chongyong and asked helplessly, "I'm going to meet Wei Qing soon, what are you going to tell him?"

"I have my own clever plan, and it won't work if I say it in advance."

Fang Chongyong continued to lie and refused to tell the whole plan.

"If you were my son, I would have killed you long ago."

Zheng Shuqing sighed.

"How about it's not too late to find a foster father now?"

Fang Chongyong teased,

Zheng Shuqing laughed and shook his head, among the few children in his family, there is really no one who can compare with Fang Chongyong.

The two of them came to a certain compartment in Fengxian Building together, and saw Wei Qing, who was elegant and well-dressed, already sitting on a high stool in front of the desk, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

As soon as he saw Fang Chongyong and Zheng Shuqing, he quickly asked them to come and sit down.

"Today Commander Zheng is feeling cold and unable to speak. I will do all the work for you. Commander Zheng can nod to indicate this."

Fang Chongyong winked at Zheng Shuqing and said.

Lord Inspector nodded quickly, and then tapped Fang Chongyong's arm with his index finger, the meaning couldn't be more obvious.

"Then follow what happened yesterday, what kind of help does Mr. Zheng want from the court?"

Wei Qing asked with a smile, he was talking about Zheng Shijun, but he was looking at Fang Chongyong.

"We want full jurisdiction over Kuimen Jiangguan!"

Fang Zhongyong said decisively.

Wei Qing was stunned. Zheng Shuqing already controlled Jiangguan in Kuizhou, but what did this full jurisdiction mean?How can the power that has already been given be given again?
"What is full jurisdiction?"

Wei Qing asked in confusion. Although he had read a lot of books, he was still essentially a musician and singer.

"What are the rules at Jiangguan in Kuizhou? Governor Zheng can decide it with just one word. That's it."

Fang Chongyong said calmly.

"The imperial court has its own tax laws..."

Wei Qing always felt that something was wrong, but couldn't tell.

"To put it simply, Commander Zheng will decide the rules of Jiangguan in Kuizhou from now on. After collecting the 30 in taxes, Commander Zheng will go to Chang'an to report on his duties. By then, the rules of Jiangguan in Kuizhou "If the imperial court thinks it is useful, it can be continued. If it thinks it is not useful, it can be changed at any time."

Fang Zhongyong described it concisely and comprehensively.

Wei Qing suddenly realized that Fang Chongyong wanted to change Jiang's tariff rate. This was indeed what he meant. Before setting off, Li Longji specifically asked him to raise the tax rate slightly in order to raise money.

"That's fine. Although it's an outrageous request, I can accept it first here."

Wei Qing nodded slightly and said.

"Then thank the angel."

Fang Chongyong said respectfully.

As if he was worried that Zheng Shuqing might act recklessly, Wei Qing emphasized: "It's not impossible if you change the tariff rate, but you should proceed with caution."

"Don't worry, we will never do anything random. Zheng Shijun can swear to God on this."

Fang Chongyong brazenly took over for Zheng Shuqing.

(End of this chapter)