Ping An Biography

"Donghai (Wang Qinian) is not only a member of the fifth rank, but also has another position: the interview envoy of the Ministry of Rites. There is no rank." Hu Ying said to Zhang Ning, "There are more than 50 people with the title of interview envoy in various places, most of them are Juren, some have no fame. For you, this road is also a shortcut to the end."

Hu Ying's trick here is obvious, and he probably didn't intend to hide it.It's just that Zhang Ning and Yu Qian are good friends, and they are Lu Zhen's students. To Hu Ying, developing him is to build a bridge for the back road, even if it is a small wooden bridge, anyway, he has nothing to lose, so why not do it.But is the "shortcut to the south" he said really that good?Zhang Ning is not very optimistic about its future, the rank may rise faster, but they are all superfluous officials, the so-called one emperor and one courtier may be abolished one day; it will be a mess in Emperor Yongle It's true that the water is rising, it's because the matter of Jianwen has always been a shadow in Emperor Yongle's heart, will the next generation of emperors still care about this matter?

But Zhang Ning couldn't care about the future. He just wanted to get back the handwritten poem in the hand of "Peach Blossom Fairy" and eliminate hidden dangers. If he wanted to do this, he couldn't live in the capital at two o'clock and one line every day like he is now. The location can't do anything.If you can't solve this worry, you won't have a safe future. Maybe one day you will find out about that thing. What's the use of being a big official?

For example, fugitives who were not captured, many people finally chose to surrender, because that kind of mentality is like tarsus maggots, which makes people feel that they may lose everything at any time.

So Zhang Ning and Hu Ying had their own plans, one was willing to fight and the other was willing to suffer, and the talks went very smoothly.

Zhang Ning guessed Hu Ying's plan, but Hu Ying didn't know his real intention.So he learned a trick from Hu Ying and waited calmly. Sure enough, Hu Ying quickly proposed: "The interview envoy in Yangzhou has been transferred, and Peach Blossom Villa is an important clue. There is a shortage of people there. It can be done safely." To do interviews, go to Yangzhou to secretly check this line."

Zhang Ning couldn't get what he wanted, and immediately said happily: "Everything is subject to Hu Butang's arrangement."

The content of the conversation ended here, and Hu Ying didn't have anything extra to say, just confessed: "Donghai will handle the specific things, you just listen to him."

... Then Zhang Ning continued to work in the Department of Rites and Affairs, and did not mention the "high promotion" that Huang Shiren was concerned about.A few days later, Wang Qinian sent someone to call him over, maybe the errands had already been arranged. <Feng Dao: "From now on, you and I are colleagues."

In fact, wasn't he a colleague before?But Zhang Ning understood his meaning, clasped his fists and said, "Lord Wang, please help me."

"Ping'an's direct subordinates are Wu Yong and Zhizhong, the doctors of the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing. From now on, I will report all the matters related to the interview envoy to him, and at the same time, I will obey his orders." After the business is done, Ping An will be promoted to the promotion official of the Yangzhou government, but you don't have to worry about the government affairs of the Yangzhou government, because the government already has a promotion official. When you arrive in Yangzhou, you only need to hand over the official documents and receive official salary in the government according to your rank That is; the magistrate can't control you, and you don't have to listen to him, as long as you listen to Wu Yong."

There are some written rules in the official circles of the country. For example, people from Zhejiang cannot serve as officials of the household department, and local officials cannot serve in the provinces of their hometown. Yangzhou belongs to Nanzhili, and Zhang Ning is also from Nanzhili. Now he goes to Nanzhili Being an official, it is extremely irregular to be a redundant official, and the only meaning of a nominal official position in the administrative system is probably that grade.Yangzhou prefecture promotes officials, and they are seventh-rank officials. At first glance, it still fits the promotion rules. Generally, ninth-rank Beijing officials will be promoted to seventh- and eighth-rank officials when they go to other places.

Zhang Ning felt that he needed to ask some questions, so he said: "What should the lower officials do and what should they not do when they arrive at the place?"

Wang Qinian said: "Let's talk about what you shouldn't do first. Don't inquire about other interview envoys. You only need to contact Wu Yong at the top; don't mention the interview envoy's errands in front of your colleagues. Because there may be a small number of entanglements with Jianwen in the court." Officials who colluded with the party were found out a few years ago..."

Zhang Ning's eyelids twitched when he heard this, and he said to himself that I really didn't collude with Jianwen's chaotic party.

Wang Qinian went on to say: "Before you take office, I will give you a list. The contacts and details in the list are in your hands. You only need to show the contact person your seal, and you will arrange what you want to do in the future. Regularly report to Wu Yong the content of the work, financial accounts and other matters."

Zhang Ning nodded, and quickly understood the nature of this group of people. They were probably an intelligence agency with various spies working in secret.This thing is not a rare thing in the cognition of modern people, so the insights from the era of information explosion in his memory are still very useful, and he can comprehend things quickly.

He asked curiously again: "According to Mr. Wang, what are the Jianghu sects all about? There are scholars in the world, but can there be martial arts?"

"Wulin? Ping'an refers to martial arts conducted by the Ministry of War?" Wang Qinian was stunned.

Zhang Ning hurriedly said: "I'm just asking, it is said that people in the Jianghu have martial arts everywhere."

"That's true." Wang Qinian nodded and said, "There are several sects in Jianghu, one is the legal monks and Taoists who have the imperial court certificate, such as Shaolin and Wudang Mountain sects, who spread Buddhism and Taoism; the other is the White Lotus Sect, Some cults in Mingjiao and chieftains are illegal persons that have been expressly banned by the court, or they deceive people to seize property by force, or plot rebellion with ulterior motives; there are also Jiangyang robbers who gather in mountains and forests or hide in big rivers, lakes and islands to kill people for profit Looting goods, calling for help and calling for help; smugglers of smuggled salt, illegal human traffickers, and gangsters who force women into prostitution; the most common ones are merchant gangs and guilds. They often form gangs to take care of each other for the sake of profit and transportation safety. Because the government The refugees cannot be effectively controlled, so some legal sects and business gangs are protected by the government, and they have their own set of rules, which can just make up for the lack of laws."

"All the hustle and bustle in the world is for profit." Zhang Ning sighed slightly, "Jianghu knights are no exception, most of them are for profit."

Wang Qinian smiled and said: "That's right, the true Baidao makes the world peaceful and peaceful, and the court and society, and the knights are mostly local tyrants."

Zhang Ning said in his heart: Come on, it's as if you are so white... In terms of appearance, he is still quite white, and a little fat.

Wang Qinian spoke happily, pondered for a moment, and then said in a low voice: "Actually, there is also a kind of people who call friends and form 'bangzhong', those book clubs and academies, that is, people in the scholarly community. Be careful with them, maybe There are some former students and former officials in the court, who offended the gangsters and don't know who did it."

"Thank you, Mr. Wang, for your guidance." Zhang Ning bowed.

Coming out of Wang Qinian's study, Zhang Ning thought to himself, it turns out that chivalrous people don't have much status in the eyes of people here, and the only one who has written their biographies since ancient times is Tai Shigong.

When the official appointment document from the Ministry of Officials came out, Zhang Ning suddenly felt the haste of the schedule, and was rushed by the order between the lines.It turns out that the devolution of the capital officials must leave immediately, and they are not allowed to return after leaving the capital... It is like being kicked out.The reason for this explicit regulation is also nonsense: some officials in the capital have been poor for a long time, and when they heard that they were going to be transferred, they wanted to get rich, and then let go of borrowing money to buy things and even married a concubine to go on the road. Pay off debts; in order to make officials a little bit more clean, there is such a rule that treats the symptoms but not the root cause.

Anyway, I don't have any luggage, and I have paid half a year's rent for the yard I rented in Zhutao Hutong, and I don't have time to find someone to return it, so let it be left there.

No one came to see him off, and Hu Ying and Wang Qinian ignored him, probably for the sake of keeping his identity secret;Just when he felt that the itinerary was a bit bleak, someone knocked on the door suddenly. When he opened the door, it turned out that Huang Shiren brought a group of scribes to see him off.

"Oh, I didn't go to the Secretary's Office to say hello to my brothers after I was promoted! Are you trying to save us?" Huang Shiren immediately handed over a red envelope, "We are colleagues, we don't need to save on these etiquettes. !"

"Why is this so embarrassing?" Zhang Ning wanted to decline, but Lao Huang stuffed it into his arms without saying anything.Then the clerks of the Department of General Affairs also handed over greeting cards and a little "small meaning".

Everyone is really straightforward, they don't even buy two fruits, and give money decisively.

"Everyone, hurry up and sit down, have a cup of thin tea, and go to the Juke Restaurant to talk about it later." Zhang Ning said reluctantly, "It's hard to say goodbye when we meet, I don't know when I will meet you again .”

He is not familiar with the major restaurants and restaurants in the capital, so he only knows a Juke restaurant. Last time Luo Yaoniang invited him there, and the environment and dishes were okay.

Just as he was thinking of Luo Yaoniang, he saw her figure appearing in the alley, just getting off the carriage.Seeing a group of people bowing and bowing at the door, she stared blankly at Zhang Ning and said, "Hey, Zhang Siwu has been an official for only two months, and he has made so many friends. I thought there was no one to see you off." Woolen cloth."

All the officials turned their heads to look at this beautiful girl, wondering, when a person whispered: "The daughter of Mr. Zuo Yude and Yang's family." Everyone suddenly realized.

"It's not a coincidence, so I'll go back first." Luo Yaoniang frowned, and put the gift she had taken out back into her sleeve.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Ning said, "I've taken it all out, but I have to keep things."

Luo Yaoniang said angrily: "Our family is not well-off, you have so many friends, do you still need money? Forgive me!"

The officials present were very unaccustomed to this kind of "courtesy", and they all looked at each other in amazement.

At this time, Huang Shiren said: "I think we will skip this meal, and drink this farewell wine and feel melancholy. When I return to Fengchi safely, my brothers will definitely host a banquet to wash away the dust!"

"Siwu Huang is right. It's more pleasant to receive someone than to give them away." Everyone agreed with interest.

Zhang Ning believes that, of course, there must be one exception. If he comes back in a prison car, he may not be able to have a welcome feast for everyone. It is estimated that there will be no one in sight.