Lord: Start with a book of Water Margin

Chapter 328 Imperial Order
Wu Yong said, "I have come up with a plan these days. On the way from Lai Yong'er to Qingzhou, I have set up three tea stalls and prepared knockout drugs. We are just waiting for them to stop by and rest."

"The master just doesn't want the birthday gift to be sent to Bianjing, and he doesn't want to offend Song Gongming and his gang. It's not easy to rob and kill them, so he can only use wits. Lai Yong'er is resourceful, and Song Qing is cautious. With these two people, this plan may not succeed."

Zhao Zhen smiled and said, "I don't need his two hundred thousand strings of gold and pearls, but I can't let Cai Jing get this money. Wake up these corrupt officials. Don't even think about spending the money that they have extorted from the people."

Gongsun Sheng said: "Your Excellency is right. Although many heroes died in the past two years, the birthday gift was blocked. If we can rob this batch of wealth this year, Liang Shijie will not dare to be so blatant in the future."

Zhao Zhen said, "In this case, please trouble Brother Duan Jingzhu to go and accompany Brother Shi Qian and keep him informed. Xuejiu should arrange for someone to report the news to Lai Yong'er."

Duan Jingzhu responded, and without taking a rest, he immediately said goodbye to Zhao Zhen and left.

Zhao Zhen said, "Don't be so anxious. It won't be too late to rest for a day before going on. I still have something to ask my brother."

"Please speak, sir."

Zhao Zhen said, "Brother, I am in charge of the horse farm now. There are not enough mares for breeding in the farm. I thought it would be a good time to arrange for a few brothers to go to the north to buy some horses. In addition to the mares for breeding, we also need to buy some war horses. Now the cavalry has just enough horses for one person. If one is damaged, there will be no war horses to replace it. Brother grew up in the north, I wonder if you have any connections?"

Duan Jingzhu said, "Sir, most of the Liao horses are short and have little endurance, so they can only be used as light cavalry. I have been in the north for many years and I know a few small tribes. As for horses, there are some good horses in the northeast between the white mountains and black waters, in the territory of the Jin Kingdom. The Jade Lion of Zhaoye was stolen there."

Gongsun Sheng also said after hearing this: "It's easy to buy horses in the north, but if you want to cross the border, you need the cooperation of the locals."

Zhao Zhen nodded: "I have talked to Brother Shi Xiu before. I was thinking of using Brother Yang Xiong's connections, but now it is no longer possible. We can only act according to circumstances."

Duan Jingzhu said, "I steal horses, three or five at most at a time. I know a few mountain paths, but I don't have a very good way to deal with a large number of horses crossing the border."

Wu Yong said: "The results of the birthday gift will be known in the next ten days. When the time comes, please ask Duan Jingzhu and Shi Qian to come with you. I saw that the senior official bought a lot of old tea. Tea in the north is expensive, so we can use it to make a deal."

Duan Jingzhu listened and said, "Yes, Youyan is not bad. The food is similar to Shandong and Hebei. Further north, the Khitan people eat more beef and mutton, and they pay special attention to tea. Tea is considered an indispensable commodity in life. There is a saying in the grassland area that 'one cannot live without tea for a day'. If it can be sent to the grassland, one stone of tea can be exchanged for three or four horses."

"On the grassland, tea is more popular than gold and silver, and few people can refuse it. Although it is the breeding season for cattle and horses, cattle and horses that cannot be bought with gold and silver can be exchanged for tea."

Zhao Zhen said, "Brother, since you already know the tribal leader, after the birthday gift is settled, you, Shi Xiu and Shi Qian will select soldiers and go there disguised as horse traders."

Duan Jingzhu nodded in agreement, and several people sat in the hall to discuss the birthday gift. At night, Zhu Wu, Xiao Rang, and Pei Xuan were called in, and the three heroes pondered for a long time. The conclusion was still: as long as Liangshan County did not personally take action, the success or failure depended on Qingzhou Lai Yonger's group. In order to clear themselves, Shi Qian and Duan Jingzhu could only secretly pass on the news without showing their faces.

Zhao Zhen was quite helpless about this. He had all the strength but couldn't use it, which made him feel very frustrated.

The next day, Zhao Zhen went to the vegetable field, took out a shovel, and turned over a row of vegetable fields in one breath. Looking at the turned field, Zhao Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.

If it wasn't for keeping Gongsun Sheng, I wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to plan the birthday gift. For me, running Liangshan County with peace of mind is more important than a windfall. It's just that from the ranking of the graduates, the Taoist profession seems to be much better than my profession as a manor owner. There must be something I don't know, which is why I value Gongsun Sheng so much.

From the current perspective, Gongsun Sheng is indeed a good man. He does not seem to care about money. I wonder if Master Luo has any instructions that require him to rob the birthday gift.

Shaking his head, without thinking any more, Zhao Zhen changed a hoe and hoeed the cotton field. This cotton field, if planted well, will be a treasure mine in the future. One piece of cotton cloth is worth 15 strings of cash. Even if one mu of land only produces one stone of cotton, it can produce ten pieces of cloth by spinning and weaving. In total, one mu of land can earn 150 strings of cash.

I just don't know if this batch of cotton will still be fire cotton after it sets seed. If it is, I will have a second gold mine with stable output besides the four-bearded carp.

After finishing hoeing the fields, Zhao Zhen saw that it was still early, so he said hello to the farmer who was still tending to the grapes, put down his hoe, and returned to his residence on the mountain.

Seeing this, Cheng Wan'er quickly asked Qingzhu to bring some cooled mung bean soup, and Zhao Zhen took it and gulped down a bowl. Cheng Wan'er wiped Zhao Zhen's mouth with a handkerchief and said, "My husband, it's so hot, why do you have to suffer in the fields? It's enough to have the farmhands take care of it."

Zhao Zhen smiled and said, "Even the government has the custom of tilling the land personally, so how can I, a small county magistrate, not be able to till the land?"

Cheng Wan'er also laughed and said, "The current official's ploughing ceremony is just a show, he doesn't really go to the fields. I saw it with my father."

After hearing this, Zhao Zhen suddenly said, "My lady, I heard from Brother Hua Rong that when he was in Qingfeng Village, Liu Gao's wife was given the title of Gong Ren. I am now a county magistrate after all, so why haven't I been given the title by the government?"

"What are you talking about, sir? Liu Gao is just a village chief. How can he be given the title of Gong Ren? You can ask General Hua if he has ever seen her wearing a crown and robe. He is just talking nonsense. With the rank of a village chief, he can be given the title of Ru Ren, which means he has connections."

"Officials are Jijilang, Jijisheren, Shiyushi, Zuoyousiyuanwailang, Youwendian and Migexiuzhu, Kaifeng Shaoyin, Kaifengfujianguan and Tuiguan, Shaofu, Jiangzuo, Junqi Shaojian, He'an, Chenghe, Cheng'an Dafu, Lingtailing. Only the mothers and wives of officials above Fengzhilang and Tongzhilang are eligible to be given the title of Ruren. Military officials above Zhenweixiaowei and Zhenweifuwei, and above Xunjuefeiqiwei are eligible to be given the title of Ruren."

"Although there have been some abuses in recent years, my mother is only a Yiren. According to the eight ranks of women of external rank, namely Madam, Shuren, Shuoren, Renren, Gongren, Yiren, Anren, and Ruren, she is already the sixth rank, and she also receives an annual salary."

"If my husband can make great contributions, I can get a title in advance. Or if my husband can become the head of a prefecture, I can also be awarded the title of Ruren like my mother."

Zhao Zhen asked: "Is this also the case in Jimi County?"

"I don't know about this."

Zhao Zhen nodded and said, "Well, I will write a letter and ask Lord Taishan. Jimi County must be different from ordinary counties. There are no thieves in Jizhou Prefecture now, so I won't think about merit. As for expanding the territory, we can try."

As they spoke, Zhao Zhen and Cheng Wan'er entered the study together, each wrote a letter, sealed it, and sent it to Dongping Prefecture.

(End of this chapter)