Song Dynasty Iron Armored Army

Chapter 27
The two sat down, and Chai Jin said: "Shopkeeper Zhou, the burden on you is about to increase. Find two more shops as soon as possible, both in prosperous areas, with large yards and warehouses, you can rent or buy."

Zhou Fu asked: "What is the proprietor planning to do, to open a shop?"

"Yes, a chariot and horse business, and a daily necessities business." Chai Jin arranged to say.

"Okay, owner, I'll do it myself tomorrow, and I'll settle it once I find a suitable one," Zhou Fu said.

"There is a new magistrate of Su in the mansion, you follow me to pay a visit, and make sure you are familiar, otherwise business will not be easy in the future."

"Okay, do you need me to prepare a gift?" Zhou Fu asked.

Chai Jin said with a smile: "There is no need to prepare presents, I am prepared, let's set off right away."

The government office was not far from Zuixianlou, so Chai Jin brought Zhou Fu, Chai Yong, and a coachman with him.The three rode on horses, and the coachman drove the carriage, and soon arrived at the government office.There is still a difference between the so-called Fuya and the Yamen. The Fuya refers to the place where the magistrate lives, and the Yamen is the place where he works.

Chai Jin's visit was a private visit, so naturally he had to go to the government office, and the office guards at the gate stood upright holding water and fire sticks, with their nostrils facing the sky.

As soon as he saw a luxurious carriage, he didn't dare to neglect, walked over and asked, "Where are you from, what's the matter?"

Zhou Fu went over and cupped his hands, and said, "Chaijiazhuang, Chai Jin is here to pay a visit to the prefect of Su." As he spoke, he handed over Chai Jin's gilded nameplate.

The yamen servant thought it was a pure gold name card, and said with a smile: "It turns out that Officer Chai has arrived, and later, wait for me to go in and report."

After finishing speaking, the yamen servant ran away. The mansion is not small, and it takes a mile to go from the gate to the guest room. After waiting for more than ten minutes, the yamen servant came back, followed by a man like a master, and said: "My surname is Qin, Master Su's steward, is here to welcome Mr. Chai."

This butler is not young, with a medium build, a satin dress, a thin face, and a goatee. He looks about 47 or [-] years old.

Chai Jin saluted and said: "It turned out to be Steward Qin, and Chai Jin from Chaijiazhuang, who came here specially to pay a visit to Master Su. This carriage is going to be given to Master Su. Please let the housekeeper let you in."

When Steward Qin saw the carriage at the door, he was amazed at the time. It was the first time he had seen such a beautiful carriage in half his life, and it had four wheels.It's not easy to take a closer look because of my identity, but the overall feeling is that this car is great.

Butler Qin said, "Okay, Mr. Chai, let's go in first."

At the entrance of the living room, Master Su, the magistrate, was waiting with a smile on his face. He cupped his hands towards Chai Jin from afar, and said, "Officer Chai, I was just about to visit you some time, but I didn't expect you to come, come in and drink tea."

Chai Jin saw that Mr. Su, the magistrate, was much younger than expected, he looked about 25 or [-] years old, with a slender figure, a face like a crown jade, red lips and white teeth.Even though he was wearing casual clothes, he still looked very dignified.

Chai Jin bowed his hands and saluted, and said with a smile: "Master Su is young and promising, he is really a pillar of the Song Dynasty."

"The high officials have praised you, Su is a humble scholar. Come on, please come inside." Lord Su led Chai Jin and Zhou Fu to the living room.

Master Su's full name is Su Can, his father is Su Zhe, his uncle is Su Shi, and his grandfather is Su Xun. The whole family is also an important family in the civil service system of the Song Dynasty, second only to Wang Anshi's family and Sima Guang's Sima family.

Even if Cai Jing is in power today and the power is in the hands of the government and the public, the Su family is still full of protégés and old officials.

Mr. Su is well-trained in literature and elegant in speech and conversation. Chai Jin can't tell what kind of way he is, but it is generally estimated that the prefect of Su came here to be gilded. You must know that Cangzhou Mansion is a border land where prisoners are exiled. place.

The two chatted for a while, and Chai Jin said: "Master Su can come to Cangzhou and let the people of Cangzhou see the dawn. Finally, we are looking forward to a good day. Your Excellency has worked tirelessly to serve the people. The skilled craftsmen in my village will do it." I bought a carriage for adults to travel, and please don't dislike clumsy craftsmanship."

Mr. Su saw the carriage just now, but he is the magistrate, so he has to hold on to the airs, so if he saw it, he had to pretend he didn't see it.Immediately said with a stern face: "I took office because I was entrusted by the emperor. How can the ruling party receive a gift from you?"

Chai Jin said with a smile: "Master Su is serious. Just like what His Excellency said, you came to Cangzhou to do practical and good things for the common people, so it is impossible to sit in the government office all day long. You must go deep into the urban and rural areas. In the field, it is very hard to be exposed to the wind and rain, but with this carriage, my lord can avoid the suffering of wind, sun, and bumpy driving. Moreover, this car is not a gift, but a payment. My lord rides in my family's carriage. It has increased the popularity of my Chaijiazhuang carriage. This is called an endorsement fee."

Su Can was very surprised when he heard it, and said: "I have been wandering all year round, studying here and there, and I have never been in a carriage that is not bumpy. Don't boast about it as a senior official of Dachai."

"Master Su is joking. You are the parent officer of Cangzhou. I am not comfortable talking nonsense in front of you. The car is outside, please go out and have a try. After running around on the street, you will know whether it is bumpy or not. .” The Chai family said with a smile.

Butler Qin whispered beside him, "The Chai family's carriage looks extraordinary."

"Oh, to be praised by the housekeeper so much, I must go and have a look." Master Su said as he left the living room and came to the yard.After a closer look, I was immediately amazed by the carriage. The four-wheeled carriage, fully enclosed carriage, touched the frame of the carriage with my hand, and it turned out to be iron, and the spokes were also iron. Only the black thing on the outside did not know what material it was made of.

After opening the car door, there are two rows of seats facing each other. Su Can bends down to get in, as if sitting in a pile of clouds. The chair is too soft.The space inside the car is spacious, Lord Su waved his hand and said, "Old Qin, you come up and sit down too, it's really comfortable."

Su Can touched the window with his hand, and said in surprise: "This is actually transparent glass, how can it be so transparent." The surprise in my heart was indescribable, this is too exaggerated.

Chai Jin smiled and said: "My lord, you can experience the quality of this car by riding it on the road once. It's not just a good-looking car, practicality is the key."

"Okay, then I will inspect the night in Cangzhou." Immediately, six government servants were called, four of them cleared the way in front, and two of them stood behind.Chai Jin and Zhou Fu followed from a distance, and the carriage drove slowly on the street.With rubber wheels, springs and bow steel plates for shock absorption, the car is very stable without any bumps.

When the people saw the yamen servants, they knew it was the magistrate's carriage, and they all exclaimed, this carriage is too beautiful.

A wealthy fur merchant sighed, "Tsk tsk, this is called a carriage. In contrast, my cart should be called wood."

Another person said: "If you like it, buy one. It's made in Chaijiazhuang. I heard that the price is not expensive."

"Alright, I'm familiar with Chaijiazhuang shopkeeper Zai Zhou, I'll go ask him tomorrow," said the fur trader.

(End of this chapter)