Ping An Biography

After chatting a few words about tea, Xie Juan didn't bring up the topic of accounts anymore, and just said: "When I learned that Mister is going to visit Yangzhou, my subordinates made some preparations and prepared a yard in the north of the city. Mister will come to Yangzhou soon." There is no need to worry about daily life. There is a wonderful thing about this place. You can go directly to Baoyang Lake (Slender West Lake) by boat along the Beicheng River. Many salt merchants, talented scholars and beautiful ladies on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal live here. The pavilions and gardens are constantly being built, and now the scenery is beautiful and the style is full of style, which is indeed a good place in Yangzhou."

"The matter here has been handed over. I have to go to Nanjing to meet Shangfeng. I won't live in Yangzhou for a while, so you don't need to be so troublesome." Zhang Ning said deliberately.But he didn't express that he would refuse. Now the relationship between the upper and lower is not very familiar with each other. He dare not ask for money directly, but his mind in terms of basic necessities of life is not a big problem.

At the same time, he was also thinking about going to see Wu Yong, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing. Gift money is indispensable. Although he had just taken office, he had to show favor within the scope allowed by the bad rules. The money had to be paid out of his own pocket. .Wu Yong's favors are paid out of his own pocket, and the housing and transportation expenses here are borne by his subordinates. With the expenses of the hatchback, it can still be sustained.

Because Xie Juan took the initiative to bear the board and lodging, Zhang Ning's tone eased a lot: "I'm here to meet two people this time, Hengyong (named by Xie Juan) counts as one, and the messenger Zhan Zhuli, where are they?" ?”

Now that Cousin Xie has started to compromise, Zhang Ning doesn't want to always speak in a critical manner, and expresses his closeness in words.Everyone is doing errands in an organization, and compromise and cooperation should be the main theme.

Xie Juan said: "I didn't expect Mr. to come to hand over official duties so soon. Zhan Zhuli hasn't shown up recently. This man likes to drink, maybe he's drunk somewhere right now."

Zhang Ning frowned slightly, but said: "It's good for people who can drink to socialize together."

Xie Juan chuckled: "He just loves to drink, he would drink three times a day, but unfortunately he can't drink enough, he would fall down after three bowls, he was as drunk as a pig."

Due to alcoholism, Zhang Ning felt unreliable towards this unmasked messenger and assistant.He had no choice but to say: "That's all, I'll see him when I come back from Nanjing."

"Originally, the subordinate should do his best to be a landlord and find a few celebrities from Yangzhou to accompany him to clean up the dust, but..." Xie Jun said with some regret.

Zhang Ning hurriedly said: "No need, the relationship between you and me doesn't need to be revealed in front of outsiders, we are here to deal with business, and we can save as much as we can. That's it for today, because there is nothing to arrange for the time being, everything will wait for me to see you from Nanjing Let’s talk about it after reaching the peak.”

Xie Juan said: "It's not necessary to host a banquet according to Mister's wishes, but it's still necessary to clean up the dust. The subordinates asked someone to prepare a few small dishes and a pot of thin wine, and pay off Mister as a favor."

"That's fine. Don't have too many dishes. If there is a big table left, you will be surprised." Zhang Ning nodded, just as dinner was settled, and a few small dishes must not be too bad. He is more calm in mixing food and drink .

They talked about some specific personnel matters in the tea room, and when the time was almost up, Xie Juan took Zhang Ning to the back garden.There are not many people coming and going here, but the scenery is good. With a small artificial lake as the center, there are rockeries, stone bridges, pavilions, houses, flowers and trees, and the scene is like a garden.

The two walked through the corridor while talking, Xie Jun pointed to the garden and said, "My own people in Biyuan usually live in this garden, but it is not specially for us. For friends and hospitality, you can afford the money but the environment also has requirements, drinking and drinking tea must have some scenery, haha.”

"Just drink tea?" Zhang Ning asked with a casual tone.

Xie Juan was stunned for a moment: "Since Mr. asked, we can't hide it from you. Of course, it's not just drinking and tasting, so how much money will you get in? Besides, those talented people are here to have fun, but how can they just recite poems without water?" Have fun? In fact, whether it is a scholar in Confucianism or a rich man in the salt industry, three things are unavoidable, and the playing methods are different."

Zhang Ning asked with interest: "Which three things?"

Xie Juan had an obscene smile: "It's all about voice, sex, and gambling. If you have money, you can change your tricks, and everything remains the same."

Zhang Ning said: "Da Ming can't help but swear, but he forbids gambling. If you keep using it, you know you are breaking the law. When we report the accounts, aren't we going to cheat?"

"Nobody checks. The prefectural government never touches our Biyuan. No matter when the officials chase those gambling houses in the streets and alleys, Biyuan has always been calm." Xie Jun said bluntly. "Maybe some officials who just came down don't understand, but the petty officials in Yangzhou know something about our background. Besides, these things have been banned repeatedly. Many salt merchants, silk merchants, and medicinal materials merchants are involved in this. We only allow them to make money. We Why not take a share too?"

Zhang Ning said solemnly: "After all, we are working for the imperial court, and we must be self-disciplined. However, it is not a bad thing to be able to reduce some funds for Hu Butang. It is not easy for Hu Butang to ask the Ministry of Finance for funds, because the Ministry of Finance cannot get detailed accounts. They are also quite critical."

"That's that, that's that." Xie Jun said with a smile, "An adult who has seen the market in Beijing can speak."

When you arrive at a pavilion called "Mei Pavilion", you should be there.Going upstairs to take a seat, Zhang Ning found that the windows are hollowed out, which are called borrowed view windows.The advantage is that you can watch the wintersweet by the lake very well, but there is no glass to cover it at this time, and it is a bit chilly to sit in the wind in winter.There are more than a dozen dishes on the round table, and several jugs of wine are warmed on the clay stove next to it. The room is clean and elegant, and you can enjoy plum blossoms quietly. It is indeed a good place to eat. <An ordinary smiling face, the fingers holding the wine jug are as white as peeling onions, and the movements of pouring the wine are gentle and graceful, serving such a person will directly increase people's appetite.

Xie Juan smiled at Zhang Ning's gaze, and said: "Just now when I mentioned those three things, our Miao Ge is also well-known in Yangzhou City, and ordinary people outside may not be able to see each other if they have money. Come on, Miao Ge Mr. Zhang pours wine."

Oh, and a nameji?But Zhang Ning has never heard of it, probably "little famous" refers to it.Zhang Ning smiled and said: "In this way, it is a kind of blessing to be able to drink the wine poured by Miss Miao Ge herself." Anyway, it's just a play on the occasion, but luckily Luo Yaoniang's wife is not in Yangzhou, otherwise it will be so bad Uncover tiles in the house?

"My lord favors the little girl, I take the liberty to toast you first." Miao Ge said softly, without any affectation, and covered his small mouth with his red sleeve and drank a glass of wine.

Zhang Ning was inconvenient to refuse, so he drank the wine she had poured, and praised: "Miao Ge speaks nicely, and this wine is not bad."

"Thank you for your love." The woman saluted slightly, and said with appropriate shyness, "This wine is called Nv'erhong. It has been buried in the ground for 18 years, and now it is unearthed for adults to taste."

What I said... Zhang Ning was also hooked for a while|Itching, is it tasting wine or tasting people?

He remained calm, turned his head to Xie Jun and said with a smile: "Miao Ge does have some female history skills."

<The four great talents from Suzhou and Hangzhou came from Hangzhou. Let’s hold a poetry meeting in Biyuan and let them write poems for her to enlighten her. The value will be very different. "

Zhang Ning nodded approvingly and said, "Heng Yong is really good at business."

Xie Juan picked up the wine glass: "Where is it? It's just a normal way."

Sure enough, wine is a good thing. After drinking two glasses of wine, they seem to be closer to each other.The two of them talked about the beautiful girl next to them, but in Xie Jun's eyes, this girl was just a valuable commodity. Zhang Ning observed her expression deliberately, and found that she was not unhappy at all... Maybe people themselves are commodities , Being useful to others is precious, and what is even more sad is that wanting to be used is worthless.

The atmosphere was just right, a middle-aged man in long clothes in his forties came up, when Zhang Ning looked back, he cupped his hands and said, "I've seen Master Zhang."

Xie Juan said: "The shopkeeper Gu is here, and I just come to accompany him. I can't drink, I'm afraid I won't be able to enjoy myself with my husband."

"The villain is late for the ceremony, and I will punish myself with three cups." Shopkeeper Gu's speech was rather blunt, and he took three cups of wine from the flagon when he came up, and his eyes were a little red in an instant. Not much alcohol.

Thinking that the accountant shopkeeper also belongs to the category of accountants, Zhang Ning and him are still colleagues from a certain point of view, and his heart relaxes slightly, knowing that even if the shopkeeper Gu is making false accounts, he is still taking risks on both sides, and at least one share will be shared. That role is not easy anyway.Zhang Ning said, "You can drink a lot. Since that's the case, Heng Yong and I don't care about it. I'll accompany you if you drink three glasses."

"You have suffered from my apology, please use it slowly, and leave." Shopkeeper Gu bowed, turned his head and left.

"Hey..." Xie Juan said hastily with an ugly face, "This guy has a bit of a weird personality, but he can be regarded as a useful person if he is reliable in his work. You don't need to be as knowledgeable as him."

Zhang Ning nodded: "It's okay, I'm not a fussy person."

Although shopkeeper Gu's visit somewhat affected the happy atmosphere, Zhang Ning didn't mention the matter of checking the accounts.

After dinner, Xie Jun wanted to send him to the house he had prepared in the north of the city to stay. Zhang Ning was actually not drunk, so he accepted the kindness logically because of the smell of alcohol.Originally, it would not cost much to live in an inn temporarily, but it was not normal for him to live in an inn as an official in Yangzhou. Since Biyuan had to pay for board and lodging, he accepted it calmly.There should be horses in the house, and there is no need to pay for the trip at that time. If you want to go from Yangzhou to Nanjing, it is very inconvenient to go to the post station to pick up the horses without the official documents issued by the Yangzhou government.

They took Zhang Ning back to his residence in a carriage, accompanied by a young woman, probably from Biyuan.That Miao Ge was slightly provocative at the dinner table, but Xie Jun didn't need to let her come, Miao Ge is a woman who can keep a good price, so there is no need for her own people to waste money like this.

Zhang Ning also rejected the girl who was sent over. If a newcomer is free and free|piao, the influence will not be very good, and she will lose her identity.