The entire Wangjiazhuang is in a lively mood, because the freezing weather has not yet thawed and spring has begun, so running water mats cannot be set up on the streets. The Wangjiazhuang is indeed big, but it cannot accommodate thousands of people in the entire village. So only some factory foremans brought their families to the house for dinner, while most of the other people gathered in people's homes down the hillside.
The Wangjiazhuang was enveloped in the aroma of wine and food. The adults sat on the clay stove designed by the Wang family craftsmen, using round briquettes with countless round holes as fuel, and eating pork on the hot fire. , mutton, green onions rolled into fresh pancakes, drinking strong liquor, laughing and cursing.
The restless little kids ran around in groups in the village, going to this house to have a bite, to that house to pick up a few pieces, and of course they couldn't miss a trip to the mansion on the hillside. They are not afraid of senior officials, because the person who always talks to them with a smile gives them warmth. Their parents always say that they should remember the kindness of senior officials, and they should repay them even if they are just cattle and horses. In the past, when they were still unfamiliar, they would run away when they saw high-ranking officials. Because the teachings from their parents put an undue weight on their little hearts, they were at a loss what to do and were even more afraid of making the high-ranking officials unhappy, so they could only stay respectful and distant.
However, the official said that as long as he read the books of sages well and exercised well, that would be his reward. We're all going to be like cows and horses anyway, so what's there to be afraid of? Let them just play around, as long as they don't harm anyone. As time went by, the children discovered that the senior officials were indeed kind and kind, the rough guys in the mansion were also kind, and the maids and servants in the mansion were not deceitful, so they started to let go a little bit. . Even in the Wang family mansion, I am not afraid. They are all uncles and they are all very familiar with each other.
Although the officials don't like the noise caused by children gathering and playing, they always feel happy when they see it. It is also the simple atmosphere that he tried his best to create, so that the children of this generation in Wangjiazhuang can be free from the influence of the outside world. In this way, when they grow up and leave home, they will feel that the outside world is extremely depressed and they will not feel free. As a result, it develops in two directions, one to adapt to the environment and the other to maintain itself. With their small arms and legs, they are unable to change the environment. But he will help keep his children and change the environment.
Ignoring the little kids who were chewing bones and sticks with their mouths full of oil, the official listened to his brother-in-law who was sitting at the table talking about the situation of the Hu family.
It’s not that special. Landlords all follow the same development model, swallowing land, raising people, and then swallowing land again. They maintain a very high enthusiasm for the land. Although they are also engaged in business, they do not have large capital or new technologies. They still engage in buying and selling to make a profit. The profits are certainly not low, but their development is also limited. In today’s terms, taking advantage of regional disparities and reselling different specialties from different regions to obtain price differences is a fiercely competitive Red Sea.
Relying on the weather, the output of specialty products is unstable, and the resulting price fluctuations are a huge test for the judgment of the person in charge. No one can win all the time. Just one mistake will result in bad goods and huge losses.
However, although the Hu family is also greedy, it is human nature and is still within the scope of reason. They do not use their family wealth to get rich. Their main business is still farming, and they achieve steady growth in wealth by exploiting tenants, which is a safe bet. Therefore, they do business in a regular manner, with profits and losses. Overall, their business over the years has been a small profit.
There is nothing wrong with being law-abiding. This is how the Hu family is. The business that three generations have built up little by little has a solid foundation and a solid foundation. It is just that there is no way to get rich. Moreover, Zhujiazhuang was so powerful that he was often bullied, which Hu Cheng said was a bitter cry.
After listening to his complaints, Wang Yan nodded: "Brother, there is no need to worry. Now our two families are married, and the affairs of the Hu family are the affairs of my Wang family. Go back and increase the scale of pig farming, and in addition, we will work with my Wangjiazhuang Similarly, everyone in your Hujiazhuang raises chickens, ducks and geese. It doesn’t matter if you invest more in the initial stage. I can share some goods with your Hujia and give you some distribution shares on Liangzhe Road. If Liangzhe Road is rich, it’s better to earn more. In this way If you come, you will definitely be able to meet the expenses of Hujiazhuang. In the coming year, my Wang family will buy everything for your Hu family, and your life will definitely be much better than before."
Hu Cheng held up his hands in gratitude and raised his glass: "Thank you, sir. I would like to propose a toast to you."
Wang Yan bumped into him with a smile, and after drinking a drink, he continued: "Also, I took a look at the nursing home you brought this time. Although they are brave people, they are fighting in their own way without any rules. The combat effectiveness is too poor. So after you go back, you should pay close attention to the nursing home and other young and strong training matters. There are many strongmen on the way south. If there is an accident on the way, the loss will be huge. In this way, I will Send some instructors over to help you train young men and strengthen your fighting power. Can't your family also produce thousands of young men? As long as you obey the orders and follow the instructors to train, you can wipe out the Zhu family's three thousand young men in just one year. Just waiting."
Hu Cheng waved his hands repeatedly: "The officials are joking. Although my family and the Zhu family have some differences, in the final analysis, we are helping each other and advancing and retreating together. We have no intention of embarrassing the Zhu family."
"Shura Martial God"
"It doesn't matter whether the Zhu family is destroyed or not. What matters is whether we have the ability to destroy them."
After saying this, Wang Yan ignored Hu Cheng, turned around and started drinking with Wu Song and others.
The affairs of the Hu family were trivial, so if there was no need for him to worry about it, the old butler who had been eating and drinking at the table would take care of it. It's just that he is the uncle after all, pretending to take care of his concubine in order to show that he cares about me, or for his own convenience.
Of course, on the other hand, after all, they are in-laws. Regardless of ancient or modern times, this relationship is very close, and they can definitely be regarded as one's own. It can be used if you give it a try. You have to use people, no matter who you use.
After eating and drinking, and ignoring a group of rough guys who were shouting loudly, the official took a shower and wandered back to the main room.
In the past, he and Jin Lian's family slept in the east room of the main house, but now a concubine came to the same room, so Jin Lian and her children moved to the east wing. In addition, the house next door to her was prepared for Hu Sanniang. Who goes to bed, who goes to the main room...
As soon as I entered, I heard the laughter coming from inside. However, when I heard the little maid in the hall calling "Master", the laughter stopped abruptly.
When she walked into the room, she saw Jin Lian taking the little one from Hu Sanniang's hand: "Okay, sister, it's time for me to leave. I won't disturb you." After that, she turned around and left with the child in her arms. She looked at the door. The high-ranking official, whose clothes were disheveled and easy to take off, rolled his eyes angrily. When he passed by, he grabbed the little boy's feet and gave him a kick.
Wang Yan understood Jin Lian very well. After all, such an outstanding man always wanted to be monopolized by others. Although she had made preparations before, when the day came, Jin Lian still felt uncomfortable. She simply expressed her dissatisfaction in the hope that the high-ranking officials would feel owed the favor in the future. Jin Lian was good.
After laughing, watching Jin Lian leave, the official turned around, poured a glass of water, and said to Hu Sanniang: "Did Jin Lian tell you all the rules of our family?"
Hu Sanniang hummed and said nothing.
She stretched her fair neck, stared, and met the smiling gaze of the high-ranking official without any dodge. She looked energetic and aggressive on the face, but her hands were unconsciously holding a brocade handkerchief, and her knuckles turned white, revealing her inner nervousness.
"You've just arrived. You're not familiar with anything. It doesn't matter. Just get used to it slowly. You've also met Jin Lian. She's not a jealous woman. She's easy to get along with. You'll know if you sisters get in touch with each other more." Seeing that she was still the same Without saying a word, the official nodded and said with a smile: "In that case, let's take a rest early. We must not let down such a good time and beautiful scenery."
After that, he put down the cup, and without saying a word, he took off his brocade underwear and threw it on the clothes hanger aside, revealing a strong body with colorful embroidery.
As the official walked forward, Hu Sanniang nervously ducked back. When the official's hand touched her shoulder, she punched her.
"Murder your husband?"
As he spoke, Wang Yan calmly grabbed her wrist, locked her legs together to lock his long legs, then grabbed her other hand, and pressed it up...
No matter how hot the pepper is, she is still a woman. When you marry, you must obey your husband. This is the unified creed of women in this era. So after the initial discomfort, Hu Sanniang became the second wife of the Wang family very well.
It is true that senior officials are tolerant of women. After arriving here, Hu Sanniang's martial arts training time was changed to the afternoon because she couldn't get up most of the time in the morning. After having a simple breakfast, she would wander around with Pan Jinlian, who was taking care of the child, looking here and there to get familiar with the situation at home. Hearing is false, seeing is believing. She only heard about how powerful the Wang family is, but has no idea in her heart. Now she knows what the Wang family's background is.
I also understand better why this can be regarded as a robbed marriage, but the Hu family still happily sent her as a concubine with gongs and drums, and why the humiliated Zhu family did not dare to let go of a fart and even gave her more as a gift. A generous gift.
After understanding this, she felt naturally comfortable. Being able to practice martial arts freely and with occasional guidance from high-ranking officials can be regarded as a fast progress. Wangjiazhuang was very lively and there were many strange things in the factory. She quickly adapted to life here and enjoyed it very much.
Wang Yan was also happy that she could be at peace. After all, they were just two women, and he was also worried about the dirty backyard. Now that he is like this, he is comfortable. And on a dark and windy night, Jin Lian and Sanniang became close and good sisters, sleeping together under the quilt and sharing the same bed. Fortunately, the bed is big enough and can be used freely.
The life of a high-ranking official has settled down again. He practices martial arts, reads, and writes every day. He is not shy with his two concubines. In his free time, he goes to see various matters in the factory. Letters come and go with the fast carriages and ships. Outlining the empire in shadow.
In fact, for his sake, as long as he doesn't seek death, nothing will happen. After all, his main supporter is Zhao Ji, His Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty. He himself is very cautious and will never interfere with the affairs of the court. He only focuses on sending money to Zhao Ji and solving the worries of the officials. What a good person, absolutely great. Song Chi was a loyal minister.
Originally, he thought that having him send a lot of money would save the people trouble, but he underestimated Zhao Ji and the conduct of those officials. It's normal to think about it, there's no reason to think it's too much money. Even if Zhao Ji does not cause harm, those officials will still cause harm. Nothing else, for the sake of political performance, for the promotion, for the money, under layers of pressure, it is still the same. This is the corruption of officials throughout the Song Dynasty. Without top-down reforms, it is impossible to achieve a bright future based on the current system and the ethics of officials.
Moreover, he not only did not look for trouble or get involved in it, but also solved it. In his hands were several pieces of handwriting given by Zhao Ji, as well as some calligraphy by celebrities. Every now and then, he would make a picture of his own calligraphy and send it to Bianjing to communicate with Zhao Ji. The words between the lines were full of flattery, which made Zhao Ji's mood beautiful. It was a great help to the courtiers. After all, Zhao Ji was happy, they were relaxed, and everyone was happy.
Of course, it didn't cause trouble. After all, Cai Jing, Tong Guan and other Zhao Ji losers were already very nervous. How could they be willing to accept someone who could lick them again? However, he was really cautious and had no flaws. This group of people could not find an excuse for the attack. The other thing is that even if he finds an excuse, he doesn't dare to act casually. Even if he says something trivial to Zhao Ji, he will think it over again. It's true that they can make money, but they are really not as good at it as Wang Yan. I don't accept it.
After all, they were harming the place, but Wang Yan was helping the place and promoting development. They are not fools. Even if they don't know about attracting investment or promoting the development of regional economy and upstream and downstream industries, they can still see the good and bad effects of Wang Yan's development model on the local area. In Yanggu County, from Zhong County with less than 2,000 households to Qin County with more than 3,000 households, it was not easy to upgrade the county magistrate to one level.
Therefore, they were equally careful not to conflict with Wang Yan and to maintain peace with each other.
This is also the case, no one is looking for trouble, and he himself is not looking for trouble, so he can enjoy the happy life of a landlord at home peacefully.
During this process, Jinlian and Hu Sanniang became pregnant and gave birth one after another, and Jinlian gave birth to another son, named Qinghe. Jinlian asked blankly if this child was also short of water. The official explained that the name was chosen after the eldest son, and Jinlian was from Qinghe, so he was named like this. Jinlian nodded in agreement and gave her second son the nickname "Xiaohe"...
Hu Sanniang gave birth to a daughter, and the high official named her Qingya. Hu Sanniang pouted at Lao Gao, but Jin Lian was very happy because she could not give birth to a son. Although they have a deep love for each other as sisters, it does not stop her from taking pleasure in others' misfortunes. There's no way around it. Not to mention this era, but in many places a thousand years later, women who give birth to sons are straight-backed. Jin Lian, who gave birth to two sons in a row, smiles even more charmingly.
Of course, Wang Yan did not forget his master during this process. Every two or three months, he would go to Beijing to stay for three to five days, licking Zhao Ji's presence, and then having a tryst at night. Zhao Ji was still sighing because he was careless. For some reason, as soon as the senior officials came, Master Li became listless and about to fall ill. The senior officials only said it was a coincidence...
But he still went his own way. Zhao Ji wouldn't think about it anyway. No one could catch him when he acted in the middle of the night, so he had nothing to fear.
In the Bianjing Palace, Zhao Ji stood in front of a huge map with his hands behind his back, looking northwest and northeast for a while, silent and full of thoughts.
Wang Yan cupped his hands and said, "There is no need for the officials to worry. Privy Tong has commanded well, and the generals Zhong and Zhe are good at fighting. Successful reports are coming from the front frequently. In this war, we, the Song Dynasty, will definitely be safe."
Zhao Ji ignored it, but turned his attention to the Liao Kingdom in the northeast, and said without looking back: "Do you know the situation of the Wanyan family?"
"I know that I heard that Wanyan Aguda only had more than 2,000 soldiers and horses to rebel against the Liao Dynasty. The Liao army was defeated steadily. In just a few months, they conquered a vast territory in several states. The minister's caravan returned The news says that Wanyan Aguda is preparing to start the Yuan Dynasty and found the country. This ambitious man is really my strong enemy."
"Well, your caravan is good, but the news is delivered too slowly. The news from the Imperial City Division yesterday is that the country has been founded in the Yuan Dynasty. The name of the country is Jin, and the garden is established to take over the country. Doesn't this mean to take over the Liao Kingdom? Although you I have never been an official, but I have a strategic mind. What do you think of the Song Dynasty and the Jin Kingdom attacking the Liao Kingdom together?"
Wang Daguan knew that Zhao Ji already had an idea. He had even sent someone to contact the Jin Kingdom, otherwise there would be no maritime alliance behind him. It seems now that Lian Jin attacked Liao was indeed a good idea.
The Jin Kingdom was newly rising, while the Liao Kingdom was old and declining. Moreover, the soldiers of the Jin Kingdom were capable of fighting and were as powerful as a cannon. Before the Liao Kingdom invested much energy, they drove away the defenders and reinforcements from all over the Liao Kingdom.
However, the current size of the Jin Kingdom was not worthy of the attention of the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty. Their idea is very simple, that is to hold back part of their energy on the northern front, and let the Jin Kingdom attack the Liao Kingdom on the other side. In this way, the two sides attack and destroy the Liao Kingdom, and they can take back the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun that they have cherished for decades. . They did not expect that the army of the Song Dynasty would be so useless and that the Kingdom of Jin would develop so quickly, which would lead to a series of events in the future.
Although he knew that Zhao Ji would most likely not listen, Wang Yan was determined to say what needed to be said: "Thank you for the compliments from the officials, so I dared to share some of my thoughts. The Jin Kingdom was newly established, and the soldiers were strong in combat. If I were big The Song Dynasty was trying to contain the Liao Kingdom in the north. Maybe the Jin Kingdom would really take advantage of the situation, or it might be possible to overthrow the Liao Kingdom. But if that happens, the officials and the Liao Kingdom would be in ruins for hundreds of years, internally corrupt, and not enterprising. .
However, the Jin Kingdom, a rising country that destroyed the Liao Kingdom, has an extremely strong desire to develop, and its soldiers are rich in battle formations. Most of them are veterans of hundreds of battles and have strong combat power. By then, wouldn't this Jin Kingdom be like this? Is my Song Dynasty another big problem?
The minister believes that our Song Dynasty still has to focus on the war against Xixia. If this battle can destroy Xixia and gain its territory, it will be of great benefit to our Song Dynasty and will not harm us at all. In terms of population, supplies, and the most important horse farm, our Song Dynasty has always lacked war horses. After destroying Xixia, the problem of horses no longer exists. If we, the Song Dynasty, can develop a powerful field cavalry by then, it will not be too late to go north to recover our Youyun Sixteenth Prefecture.
Moreover, when our Song Dynasty is facing off against Xixia, we can also keep an eye on the Liao and Jin war situation at any time. If one side becomes stronger, we will help the other side. Such a balance will weaken the strength of both sides. When our Song Dynasty regains Xixia, it may not be impossible to win in one battle. country. In this process, we can also do business with the Liao and Jin countries. The Song Dynasty is rich in products and has many scarce products from the two countries. We can even sell them the backlog of weapons in their arsenals and produce a new batch. Stronger, the whole army changes its uniforms. Skills can benefit both countries, and can also strengthen the national power of the Song Dynasty, getting the best of both worlds. "
He didn't lie to anyone. If the Song-Xia war that was currently going on continued, it would be entirely possible to destroy the Li clan. As long as the Song Dynasty does not interfere in the war between Liao and Jin, and does not distract the energy of the Liao Kingdom, although it may not be able to defeat the Jin Kingdom in the end, the Liao Kingdom will be abolished after all, and the same ignorant king and treacherous ministers will be in power. But it can be done by prolonging the war and delaying the rise of the Jin Kingdom. In this way, the Song Dynasty is pulling out of the middle, which is a good thing.
After all, Song and Liao bordered on each other, and Jin and Liao bordered on each other, with the Liao Kingdom in between. Therefore, there is no such thing as a collapse of the deflection frame. As long as the Liao Kingdom is not stupid, it will not take the initiative to attack the Song Dynasty, and the Jin Kingdom cannot do so. The other two places, Tubo and Dali, are relatively peaceful and there will be no war. The general trend is with me. How great.
Zhao Ji turned around after listening, because he also understood that it seemed more feasible to destroy Xixia and then advance north than to attack Liao with Jin. Because the Great Song Dynasty could not defeat the Liao Kingdom, but the current northwest battlefield against Xixia is indeed going smoothly.
He frowned in thought, and after a long time he asked aloud: "How long will it take...?"
"If the war in Xixia goes well, it can be destroyed in six years. It will take three years to build a strong field army with combat effectiveness. If we continue to consume the Liao and Jin countries, we, the Song Dynasty, will recover after the war. After these nine years, I am afraid it will still be It will take three to five years. If everything goes smoothly, it will also take five years to destroy the Liao Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty. Based on this calculation, it will take more than twenty years to achieve it."
"Twenty years..." Zhao Ji couldn't help but let out a long sigh, turned back and continued to stare at the map.
Wang Yan knew that this boy was settling a small score with that person.
It is now the fifth year of Zhenghe, 1115 AD, Zhao Ji is thirty-three years old, and he is 80% counting on whether he can live another twenty years. At the same time, we must also consider various situations during the past twenty years, because there is always something to consider that did not go well.
In fact, he was completely over-concerned. The Song Dynasty was not weak. The reason why it couldn't do this or that was still a problem at the top. And when he said twenty years, he also considered the conduct of these monarchs and ministers. As long as the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty are more effective and reliable, this time can be shortened by two years.
"Zi Yan, the method you mentioned is indeed feasible, but it takes too long... That's all, that's all, I won't say it anymore, I won't say it anymore." Zhao Ji turned around and drank tea, motioning to Wang Yan to do the same, and waved. He waved his hand to tell Wang Yan not to be polite, and then said: "I want to tell you something interesting. There are fallen scholars parading in Yingtianfu Academy with swords, saying that today's scholars are too weak to live up to the arrogance of the Confucian scholars of Qin and Han Dynasties." He shouted It is necessary to bring back the ancient times, where all Confucian students were brave, mounting their horses to kill the enemy and dismounting to govern the country. It was said that the Song Dynasty was bullied by foreign enemies and the imperial army was incompetent. It was necessary to gather a group of like-minded people to go into battle to kill the enemy, so a group of passionate scholars were gathered. Zi Yan, you are a man capable of both literary and martial arts, how do you view this idea of 'retroduction'..."
