Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

"The eunuch is back!"

A shout from the top of the building caused chaos in Guochuan Town.

The officers guarding the place and the tax collectors at the column all complained incessantly, completely stopped what they were doing, and organized everyone to go and greet him.

There is a war on the front line, and officials from both sides of Shaanxi are busy collecting military supplies.

Of course, Fang Mao, that dead eunuch, would not dare to blackmail the Shaanxi transfer envoys and Changping envoys. Once trouble was caused and the military plane was delayed, Tong Guan would most likely kill him directly.

As a result, the local petty officials and important tax towns in Shaanxi were in trouble!

Take Guochuan Town as an example. Fang Mao asked for 500 yuan, which was nearly one-seventh of the total tax for the year.

Jia Zhongfu and Cao Shu, one responsible for guarding the gate and the other responsible for collecting taxes, were both kneeling by the road, waiting to welcome the eunuch passing by.

The team in front was getting closer and closer, and Cao Shu gradually opened his mouth: "Quick... look!"

Jia Zhongfu was kneeling on the ground with his head buried in greetings to the eunuch's ancestors. After hearing this, he also raised his head and looked forward: "Who is so bold as to tie up the eunuch?"

But it was Deng Chun who walked at the front with a stick in hand to clear the way.

Several security team members from Daming Village escorted Fang Mao and urged him on his way. The eunuch was still tied up. Only his legs could move and he walked staggeringly.

Cao Shu observed carefully: "Except for Fang Mao, the other eunuchs were not bound, and all the sergeants in front of the palace were also there. The leader should be the man in common clothes in front. Not only did he capture the imperial envoy, he was also able to command the eunuchs and the imperial army! "

Jia Zhongfu was extremely shocked and said: "Fang Mao was ordered by the emperor to conquer a stranger. I heard that the stranger was the father of Tanhua Lang. Could that man in commoner be Tanhua Lang's father?"

Cao Shu exclaimed: "As expected of a stranger, he really has some tricks!"

Zhu Guoxiang took out the confession to look at it, walked to the front and asked: "Is the head of Guochuan Town there?"

Cao Shu quickly knelt forward and replied, "The little one is here."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Why are you kneeling down to me? Quickly stand up and speak."

Everyone stood up quickly, and Jia Zhongfu asked, "May I ask, sir, what's going on?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "The eunuch is cunning and deceiving the emperor. I have arrested him. This man extorted 500 guan from Guochuan Town. Is it true?"

Cao Shu rolled his eyes and replied, "It doesn't matter. Sir, please be more careful."

Zhu Guoxiang sneered: "Do you think I want to covet those 500 yuan? Just take the money back and sign the receipt."

The security team members of Daming Village took out gold and silver worth five hundred guan.

Cao Shu couldn't believe that he could actually get the money back. Is there anyone in the world who doesn't love money?

Cao Shu said, "May I ask your name, sir?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "My surname is Zhu and my first name is Guoxiang."

Cao Shu asked again: "Who is Tanhua Lang's father?"

"Exactly." Zhu Guoxiang nodded.

Cao Shu confirmed that Zhu Guoxiang was the stranger that the emperor wanted to recruit, and quickly flattered him: "Five hundred strings are not worth anything, so Xianggong Zhu can just use it."

Zhu Guoxiang scolded: "This is court tax, how can it be used privately? Sign and take the money away quickly!"

When Cao Shu saw that Zhu Guoxiang did not seem to be faking it, and that he had a majestic appearance and an upright attitude, he couldn't help feeling ashamed of himself. He shrank back and flattered him: "Mr. Zhu is selfless and selfless. I'm really ashamed of myself. Please wait a moment."

The guy asked the tax collector to get pen and ink, write a receipt and get the money back.

Zhu Guoxiang took everyone to the town to rest, and the business travelers who were waiting in line to get their tax cards began to talk about various speculations.

Several small businessmen from Yangzhou quickly became directors of the information center. They boasted: "This Mr. Zhu is the father of Tanhualang. We all call him Mr. Yuanzhang. Who among the three counties of Yangzhou?" Don’t you know the name of Duke Yuanzhang? He created Junzi Tea and taught the people immortal food. Now many big households are planting sweet potatoes and corn. By next year, even ordinary people can plant it, and the mountains can harvest several kilograms of food."

Another small businessman from Yangzhou said: "The father and son of the Zhu family are both conscripts. Tanhualang was recruited last year, but he did not want to be one of those lucky enough to get an official position. He insisted on relying on his ability to take the imperial examination and passed the exam in one fell swoop. Duke Yuanzhang also I resigned from the official service and did not go to Tokyo to serve as an official. I would rather stay in Yangzhou and teach farming methods."

"Isn't it stupid to not be an official?"

"What do you know? This is called treating wealth as rubbish! They are all true gentlemen."

"If they become officials, they will have two good officials, which is better than all corrupt officials."

"This makes sense..."

Jia Zhongfu and Cao Shuma followed and asked their men to prepare wine and food.

But I heard Zhu Guoxiang say: "You don't need wine, just some meat. I will pay for the meal."

Jia Zhongfu said quickly: "A few meals are not worth much."

While the meal was being delivered, they sent someone to inquire about the specific situation.

Those eunuchs and imperial guards began to talk nonsense one by one.

He had long been dissatisfied with Fang Mao, and asked why Mr. Zhu was being bullied.

Besides, Fang Mao made Mr. Zhu very angry. When Mr. Zhu shouted angrily, Fang Mao was so frightened that he knelt down and begged for mercy. They were also drunk sober and felt that they had done something wrong before, so they joined forces to tie up Fang Mao.

In the evening, Jia Zhongfu and Cao Shu got this information and looked at each other in surprise.

Jia Zhongfu said in shock: "Xiangong Zhu must be a master of Taoism. I'm afraid he really knows Taoism. Otherwise, how can he make the eunuch kneel down with an angry shout? Can he wake up the emperor's eunuch and let them tie up the superior?" "

Cao Shu nodded and said: "It must be so. The officials knew that Zhu Xiang's justice was mysterious, so they sent people to conquer. Fang Mao is ignorant and dares to offend a noble scholar. He deserves great misfortune!"

That night, they helped contact the ship and sent Zhu Guoxiang to board the ship and leave the next day.

Zhu Guoxiang left some food money and gave it casually, but it was not enough.

No matter whether the meal money is enough or not, it is still admirable.

Cao Shu said: "It is a blessing for us to meet such an honest and upright scholar."

Jia Zhongfu watched the ship go away, feeling filled with emotion.

The two of them are usually greedy and would blackmail businessmen, but this does not prevent them from admiring honest people.

Guochuan Town is an important commercial hub. Various stories about Zhu Guoxiang spread rapidly with business travel, even reaching Guanzhong and Hehuang.

And the rumors are getting more and more mysterious. It seems that Zhu Guoxiang can call the wind and rain, and an angry shout can make the bad guys change their past.

The same thing happened again in Xiegu Town.

Since then, it has been repeated continuously, and the stories of the eunuchs and the imperial guards have become more and more rounded, filling each other's loopholes.

They talked so much that even they themselves began to believe it...Who wants to admit that he was captured by a farmer holding a hoe?

If someone scolds someone and changes his ways, it will at least give him more face if word spreads.

When he came to Guanzhong, Zhu Guoxiang's route was slightly different from that of Ju Ming. He went to Chang'an.

Because officials in Chang'an were also blackmailed by eunuchs.

Except for local officials such as Zhuan Envoy and Chang Ping Envoy, only Yongxing Zhijun did not give any money.

Hearing that Zhu Guoxiang had tied up the eunuch and returned the gold and silver along the way, Xi Dan, the magistrate of Yongxing, took the initiative to visit.

The large area in Guanzhong is sometimes called Yongxingjun Road, sometimes called Jingzhaofu Road.

Chang'an and its surrounding areas were sometimes called Yongxing Army and sometimes Jingzhao Prefecture.

Yongxing Zhijun can be understood as Chang'an Zhifu.

Xi Dan came to express his condolences with food and wine. When he met, he said, "Sir, you are really a master. He tied up the eunuch in a fit of anger!"

Zhu Guoxiang said with a smile: "Anyone who commits injustice will be punished by his own death. The eunuch who betrayed his relatives and abandoned his relatives was actually caught by his subordinates."

Xi Dan laughed, not believing Zhu Guoxiang's lies at all.

He was also blackmailed by Fang Mao. He was scolded angrily at that time, but why didn't the eunuch's subordinates wake up?

Zhu Guoxiang must have used some means.

Xi Dan was not only effective in governing the place, but also had a strategic vision. When he was young, he could write in his imperial examination policy: "It is easy to win, but difficult to defend. If you know how to gain it, you must know how to defend it." Ask Shenzong of the Song Dynasty to be cautious in launching wars. You can't go to war easily without thinking about how it will end.

When he was an official in the central government, he not only impeached the eunuchs, but also prevented Song Huizong from changing the throne to the queen mother.

He was demoted to serve as an official in Chengdu. He used gentle methods to improve the economy and people's livelihood, and completely quelled the Sichuan rebellion without spending a single soldier.

Then, he continued to be demoted...

Xi Dan was not optimistic about this campaign to conquer Xixia because the Song army was poorly prepared.

When he was an official in Sichuan, someone induced the two states of Dali to annex themselves.

Xi Dan knew very well what was going on here. Once he accepted the land of the two states, he would inevitably go to war with Dali. It is difficult to win. Even if we win, people's livelihood in the southwest will inevitably be in decline, and they will also fall into a long-term war. The simultaneous war between the southwest and northwest will surely drag the Song Dynasty into a financial black hole.

Therefore, Xi Dan decisively refused to join in, offending all the civil servants and military officers who were eager to perform meritorious services to death.

Cai Jing also felt that he had lost his contribution to opening up new territories and wanted to kill Xi Dan.

That night, Xi Dan and Zhu Guoxiang had a long talk.

First, we talked about people's livelihood and economy. I heard that Zhu Guoxiang had brought some new crop seeds, so he asked to buy a few kilograms of corn and sweet potatoes, which he wanted to promote in Guanzhong.

As we chatted, we talked about the Battle of the Northwest.

Xi Dan worriedly said: "Judging from the current war situation, it is impossible to destroy Xixia quickly. The best result is just to occupy a few important places. It is naturally important to expand the territory and win the battle. But after winning the battle, what? It is more important to defend the new land. It is nothing more than building cities, immigrating, solidifying the border, and opening up wasteland. But in recent years, the people of the solid border regard the government as enemy bandits. Some people flee back to their hometowns, and some defect to Xixia. How can they defend the territory? "

Zhu Guoxiang said: "There is still something wrong with the civil affairs."

Xi Dan said: "I have been hated by the officials. They don't listen to a word of what I say. Sir, you are conquered by the officials. If you are favored by the officials, please remember to advise your majesty. It is easy to open a border, but to defend the territory. It is not easy. Ministers who are skilled in civil affairs must be dispatched to carefully explore the newly acquired lands before making long-term plans. Otherwise, there will be sudden gains and losses, loss of troops, loss of generals, waste of money and food, and it will be nothing but empty joy."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I will definitely advise the officials. As for whether the officials will listen or not, there is no way to make a promise."

Xi Dan said: "It would be good if I could give you advice. Alas, let's do our best to obey fate."

This old minister is worried, but he has no way to deal with the situation. It is even difficult for him to keep his current official position.

The next day, Xi Dan personally escorted Zhu Guoxiang to board the ship. When the official ship was no longer visible, he coughed and trembled and returned to the carriage.