Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 37 Strange Things in the Capital
"Can you really eat until you're full?" Someone asked bravely.

"Yes. As long as your group does the most and the best work, you can eat first, and you will eat until you are full."

With these words, I must work hard tomorrow.

"Take back the bowls and chopsticks given out today and keep them safe. You will have to figure out what to do if you don't have them in the future."

On their first day here, they had a full meal and a bowl. The servants were all surprised.

"From now on, forty miles to the east, you have only dug three miles of wall foundation." Wei Fangyun looked at the people around him, "Changqing, can you really do it?"

"Uncle, the approval has been issued. It's too late to regret now." Meng Changqing said, "Besides, whether I can do it depends on you. If all the items and laborers arrive in time, it can be completed."

Wei Fangyun sighed, and the white mist drifted away in the direction of the wind. "To tell you the truth, it is almost impossible to recruit 5000 slave laborers in such a short period of time. You have also seen that in two days, more than [-] people were recruited from each county. They said they were recruiting, but less than half of them were captured. Come."

Meng Changqing clasped his hands in front of him, "Does uncle have an estimate of how many people can be given to me?"

Wei Fangyun didn't answer, and Meng Changqing knew that he had no clue at all.

Meng Changqing continued: "If the construction period is delayed due to insufficient laborers, either the wall will be destroyed and people will die, or the soldiers will use their bodies to build the wall. What do you think your Majesty will choose?"

"Wait another three days." Wei Fangyun made a decision, "If the number of slaves is too different, we will call in all the soldiers who are not on duty in Hongjia County."

"This move is too risky." Meng Changqing said, "If the Yan people have spies in Hongjia County, they may ignore Jiewan's harassment and insist on attacking our Daliang. In this case, Hongjia County will be in danger."

Wei Fangyun: "Tell me your opinion."

"If the time comes when it is necessary to mobilize troops, we can mobilize troops from Weishan County.

Although the soldiers at Weishan Pass are resisting Jiewan, and the subsequent troops stationed have to be replaced at the front at any time, at this moment, our location is very close to Weishan County, just across the city wall.

After the city wall on my side is built, the soldiers can follow the wall directly to the foot of Weishan Pass.

If reinforcements are needed at Weishan Pass, the soldiers will come and go in time. "

Wei Fangyun added: "Each county has a fixed number of troops stationed, and they cannot be used unless it is absolutely necessary. If I don't report and use them privately, causing any pass to fall, I will be an eternal sinner."

"How dare Changqing let his uncle take such a big risk? If he really has to, he will definitely wait until his uncle reports to the court."

Meng Changqing bowed to Wei Fangyun, "Uncle, come to my county government office and sit down."

"Lead the way."

Meng Changqing led him all the way over, "Are these tents covering the holes you dug?"

"Yes, uncle, watch your step."

Meng Changqing took the lantern from Xi Bei's hand, walked in front to lead the way, went down the steps, lifted the door curtain, and quickly lit the candle inside.

Candlelight illuminates this small hole.

There is a curtain on the right side of the entrance, and in the corner on the left is a charcoal basin that is about to go out. In the middle is a desk made of wooden boxes. There are a lot of things on the table. It is not really tidy. Apart from a large number of In addition to pen and ink books, there is also an abacus.

There is a piece of paper hanging on the wall behind the desk.

There were dozens of small grids drawn on the paper, and inside the grids were patterns he couldn't understand.

Meng Changqing first went to the corner and added a few pieces of charcoal.Wei Fangyun stood beside the door curtain for a while, "Is this your county government office?"

"Just have a place to stay for the time being." Meng Changqing wiped the stool behind the desk with a cloth, "Uncle, please sit down."

Wei Fangyun took off his cloak and sat down. "What is this?" he asked, pointing to the paper on the wall.

"I made the countdown. Starting from tomorrow, every day that passes, I will cross off one box."

Wei Fangyun nodded, "You are successful and willing to endure hardships.

Before you arrived in Liangzhou, I was worried that you might not be able to get used to the life in Liangzhou, but after all, you are the son of General Meng. "

Wei Fangyun looked at Meng Changqing in front of him, "You are willing to live in this wilderness and be willing to encircle the real Beishan County for Daliang. Your heart is good. I also hope that you will have enough luck to do this. Make it happen.”

Meng Changqing took the teapot from the charcoal basin and poured Wei Fangyun a glass of water.

Wei Fangyun took the cup and took a sip, then said to the soldier by the door curtain: "Go and see if the goods have been unloaded outside?"

After the soldiers were ordered to go out, Wei Fangyun said to Xi Bei on the other side of the curtain, "Brother Xi, come and sit down too."

Xi Bei stepped forward and said with a smile: "If Master Wei opens his mouth, I won't be polite."

"There is no need to be polite, my brother." Wei Fangyun put down the cup in his hand and said to Meng Changqing, "I received a letter from the capital today."

"Letter from home?" Meng Changqing couldn't help but ask.

"It's a letter from my wife." Wei Fangyun continued, "The letter mentioned that since you left Beijing, the Xiao family has sent letters to the mansion one after another, inviting my wife and daughter to enjoy plum blossoms.

I am only a fifth-rank official, and I am a foreigner. Who among the powerful people in the capital can take a fancy to my family?
I had never received a banquet invitation before, but now the Xiao family came to visit.

You should know better than me that the Xiao family is the natal family of the imperial concubine. The empress has been dead for many years and the imperial concubine has always been respected in the harem. In recent years, many courtiers have speculated that the emperor wants to make the imperial concubine his queen, so the head of the Xiao family is a serious person. Uncle Guo.

How could a family like that be interested in a family like mine? "

Meng Changqing stood up and apologized, "Changqing has caused you trouble."

"Sit down and talk." Wei Fangyun put his palms on the table, "My wife has always been weak, and her children must be filial and wait at the bedside. Therefore, my wife declined the previous banquets. Unexpectedly, the Xiao family sent many medicinal materials. , if my family refuses again and again, it will offend the Xiao family."

Meng Changqing looked at Wei Fangyun, she couldn't figure out what he meant now.

After saying this, it was difficult for her to tell which side this person was on.

"My wife had a hard time making a decision, so she planned to write to me to ask. But on the day she wrote the letter, the Xiao family, who used to visit her every day, suddenly stopped coming. She asked someone to go out to inquire, and then she learned that the Xiao family was preparing a plum blossom banquet for many days. It can’t be done.” Wei Fangyun asked Meng Changqing, “Do you know why?”

"I do not know."

Wei Fangyun took a breath, "You don't know, and I don't know either. The situation in the capital is unpredictable. With my fifth-grade official position, if I get involved rashly, I'm afraid my body will be destroyed. But the emperor has issued a secret decree, and I And thanks to your father’s favor, the Xiao family knows that they can’t afford to offend you, so they have no choice but to offend you.”

"Changqing is blessed by his uncle. It is difficult to repay this kindness. If my uncle uses me in the future, Changqing will never refuse."

"There is nothing to repay. I am repaying your father's kindness." Wei Fangyun said, "There are many ministers like me in the government now. They still remember your father and brother's devotion to serving the country with their lives. They remember that you are the General of Dingbei. Son, but how long they can remember this love depends on you, Changqing."

(End of this chapter)