Chapter 014 A slum-like house with thousands of households
"It's just Fuqianhu!"
Cheng Shijie stared at Gao Shen in front of him, speechless for a long time. As an old authority in an enterprise, it can be said that the deputy position is very difficult.
He was originally a technician at Hansteel Group, and he was promoted to assistant engineer in three years. Later, because he published many articles on metallurgical technical innovation in the Hansteel Science and Technology Newspaper, he was praised by Lu Rundong, the director of the fifth branch of Hansteel Group at the time. Note that he was promoted from assistant engineer to deputy director of the fifth branch office, officially a deputy section-level cadre.
But I have been working at the deputy section level for more than eight years and have not been promoted.
For some people, being an official, eating vegetarian food, and wearing cloth, but for Cheng Shijie, it is like being under one person, he is obsessed with everything, he can't say anything, and all his previous efforts are wasted accidentally. During his eight years as deputy director, he had three opportunities to be promoted to a full-time position. However, he was held back by others and put on the back foot, and all his efforts were ultimately wasted.
To some extent, a deputy position means getting a little more salary and doing the work of an employee. Even though Cheng Shijie is still the deputy director of the office in the Hanhai Steel Group, but in fact, he has done a lot of work and money. If you don’t make more money, you won’t have less responsibility.
If given the choice, he would rather return to a certain branch factory and become a full-time section director.
Cheng Shijie did not want to hang around in the late Ming Dynasty, but wanted to take advantage of the Wuqiao mutiny before it started to control an army and disrupt Huang Kong Youde's good deeds.
But the question is, what can a Dengzhou deputy Qianhu do? It is estimated that except for him, the ten hundred households in Dengzhou Weiyou Qianhu Office all have hereditary official positions. Even if he takes up the post, he can neither establish authority nor show favors. It can be said that he has done nothing.
"Cheng Yuanwai, don't you want this deputy Qianhu?"
"In no mood!"
Cheng Shijie said seriously: "If I had a choice, Cheng would like to buy a thousand households, so it would be a great help to Mr. Song!"
Song Kangnian muttered: "To be a deputy to the fifth rank of a thousand households requires 5,000 taels of silver, but to be a member of a thousand households, it may take 8,000 or 10,000 taels of silver!"
"give him!"
Cheng Shijie took out the big box containing crystal jewelry from the room: "Just take as much as you need!"
“It’s easier if you have money!”
After Song Kangnian was busy for several days, at this time, Cheng Shijie also began to understand Dengzhou Wei.
Of course, his biggest impression of the Dengzhou Guards was that Qi Jiguang was a Dengzhou Guardsman. Qi Jiguang was the hereditary commander of Dengzhou. He was a fourth-grade military officer, in charge of the security forces, and was responsible for all things related to farming.
In fact, the Dengzhou Guard is not an ordinary guard, because it is a reinforced guard.
As early as the ninth year of Hongwu (1376), Dengzhou "stood the island barbarians in the east, controlled Liaozuo in the north, connected with Wuhui in the south, and flanked Yanyun in the west. Wherever the ship could reach, it could relieve throats and prepare Japanese bases. Advocating for security, the key points on the ground are the "key to the north and south", so Dengzhou was upgraded to a prefecture, and the place where Dengzhou guards thousands of households was promoted to Dengzhou Guards.
The Wei Command Office is located in Dengzhou City and is affiliated to the Shandong Dusi of the Zuo Army Governor's Mansion. Its leading organ is the Dengzhou Guard Command and Envoy Department, which initially had jurisdiction over seven thousand-household stations including left, center, right, front, rear, center left, and center right, with more than 1,200 hectares of farmland.
The standing army included 1,276 Jingcao troops for spring garrison, 733 for autumn garrison, 820 Japanese capture troops, 250 city garrison troops, 114 garrison troops, and 18 garrison troops. Later, the Zhongqian Thousand Household Office was added. In the tenth year of Hongwu (1377), the Zhongqian Thousand Household Office was transferred to Fushan and was called Fushan Qianhu Office. It was still under the jurisdiction of Dengzhou Wei.
Dengzhou Guards has eight thousand households in the center front, front, back, left, center, right, center left, center right. The theoretical establishment is more than 12,000 troops. It is almost equivalent to the staffing slightly lower than that of other ordinary guards. Just like the Guide Guard in Guide Prefecture, the total staff establishment is 6,500.
Four days later, on the eighth day of August in the fourth year of Chongzhen, Song Kangnian got another confession.
On the notice, the surname of Cheng Shijie of Luoyang County, Henan Prefecture was written. He was originally a hundred households of the Qianhu Station of Dengzhou Weiyou (deputy hundred households). In the winter of the second year of Chongzhen, he followed the Dengzhou Wei north to King Qin and shot and killed a Jian slave. A Mongolian Tatar, he was promoted to the rank of Deputy Qianhu of Youqianhu in Dengzhou, ranking from the fifth rank. In the third year of Chongzhen, he performed the autumn exercises of his department and was rated as above average. In the summer of the fourth year of Chongzhen, he was rated as above and above in the evaluation of his department, and his merits were recorded. Moved to Dengzhou Weizuo Qianhu.
At the same time, there are more than 30 large seals stamped on it, including the seals of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, the Left Army Governor's Mansion, the Shandong Command and Envoys Department, the Ministry of War, the Military Selection Department, the Officials Department, and the Kao Gong Department.
This is the basic situation of the Ming Dynasty's confession. I even remember the details of my resume, and even Cheng Shijie's appearance and height records.
"Well done!"
"It's my job!"
Cheng Shijie found the information and found that the Zuo Qianhu Office of Dengzhou Guard was not in Dengzhou City, but in Ninghai Prefecture. Ninghai Prefecture during this period had a quite large jurisdiction, equivalent to the later Muping District, Yantai City, and Jiabao Prefecture. In areas such as Rushan City, Weihai City, Laishan District, and Ninghai Prefecture, there is another county within eighty miles.
In the Ming Dynasty, one hundred and ten households were divided into one mile, equivalent to 8,800 households. There were more than 50,000 people in Gavinden County. Cheng Shijie could not find the detailed population figures.
However, before taking office, Cheng Shijie decided to purchase some grain, including vegetables, nearby, intending to show kindness first, and then depending on the situation, take down Dengzhou Weizuo Qianhu Station.
Seeing Cheng Shijie ambitious and ready to do something big.
Song Kangnian reminded: "My boss, Mr. Bu Qianhu, have you forgotten something?"
"What's up?"
"You should meet the superior!"
Song Kangnian introduced to Cheng Shijie the commander of the Dengzhou Guards, Jin Yousheng. Jin Yousheng was the hereditary commander of the Dengzhou Guards. He had been the commander of the Dengzhou Guards as early as the Yongle Dynasty.
Moreover, Jin Yousheng had a good personal relationship with Geng Zhongming. This time Cheng Shijie could move from Dengzhou Weiyou Deputy Qianhu to Zuo Qianhu, and Geng Zhongming's face was among them.
There are more than 12,000 sergeants in the Dengzhou Guard, and they also own 1,200 hectares of military land, which is equivalent to 120,000 acres of land. In other words, each person owns ten acres of land. But in fact, with more than 200 years of development, Dengzhou Guard has experienced famine in the sixth year of Zhengde, people's uprising in Dengzhou Guard, and rebellion by hungry people in Wanli 44 years. Military households in Dengzhou Guard also participated in the rebellion.
Nowadays, there are less than 6,000 people in Dengzhou Guard's eight thousand-household stations plus the directly affiliated troops. Half of the shortage is because there is no land and no food to feed them. Jin Yousheng can only let the military households fend for themselves.
When Sun Yuanhua was the governor of Denglai, he found that the Dengzhou Guards were no longer useful, so he recruited warriors and trained them into a new Denglai army. In Sun Yuanhua's eyes, the only role of the Dengzhou Guards was to sell him some money.
Since you are meeting your superior, giving gifts is essential. Cheng Shijie did not give money directly, but prepared a batch of good gifts. The first was the imitation Yanling knife purchased in later generations. This was the military sword of the Ming Dynasty. The workmanship of the knife Cheng Shijie bought was not as good as the one sold to Geng Zhongming. That batch only cost over a hundred yuan, but it was also made of high-carbon steel.
There are eight thousand households in Dengzhou Guard, but there is no deputy thousand households. They have seven handles, ordinary wooden scabbards, covered with artificial leather, and the quality is so-so.
As for the other four commanders and two governors, they are all fourth-grade military officers. They prepared the one for Geng Zhongming. Each handle costs more than 280 yuan and is made of high manganese steel. As for the two fellow commanders, they had high-quality Tang straight knives worth more than 300 yuan.
This kind of ornament with a metal scabbard, bright silver color and unicorn carving seems to have a different price. As for the sword given to Commander Jin Yousheng, it is also the same piece, but it is decorated with plastic and baked blue. Each sword costs more than 380 yuan.
As for the small officials below the commander, such as the experience department, the governor, the chief minister, and the warehouse ambassador, Cheng Shijie has not been left behind. Although they have small official positions and heavy power, they may not be able to accomplish things, but they can do bad things and use some tricks in receiving ordnance. , can embarrass Cheng Shijie.
These accessories are mainly made of crystal, including bracelets, necklaces, crystal ingots, etc.
These things can fill three large cars.
On August 12, the fourth year of Chongzhen, just after dawn, Cheng Shijie was woken up by Yang Yunniang.
He hurriedly washed up, and then with the help of Yang Yunniang, he put on the blue official robe.
The Ming Dynasty had strict clothing hierarchies, and civil servants embroidered birds to show civilization: the first-grade crane, the second-grade golden pheasant, the third-grade peacock, the fourth-grade cloud goose, the fifth-grade white pheasant, the sixth-grade heron, the seventh-grade oriole, the eighth-grade oriole, and the ninth-grade oriole. Enjoy quail. Military officers embroider animals to show their ferocity: first- and second-grade lions, third- and fourth-grade tigers and leopards, fifth-grade bears, sixth- and seventh-grade tigers, eighth-grade rhinoceros, and ninth-grade seahorses; miscellaneous duties: magpie training; Feng Xianguan : Haechi.
There is a word called robed beast, which generally refers to officials.
Cheng Shijie's official uniform is Xiong Zhi, a fifth-grade official.
According to the rules of the officialdom, even if Cheng Shijie spends money to buy an official position, he cannot take up the post directly. Instead, he needs to go to the command and envoy yamen to take office. After taking office, there must be a process of apprenticeship and career assessment. The cycle can be long or short, as short as one or two. Days, it could be March or May, or as long as one or two years, I may not be able to officially take office.
After having breakfast, Cheng Shijie took Shen Mingyu, Song Kangnian, and his two adopted sons, Cheng Shi and Cheng Hu, and set out together. He also hired six helpers and a group of eleven people went to Dengzhou Guards to command the Si Yamen.
Arriving at the gate of the Yamen, a young general riding a horse dismounted, cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Song."
"This is General Geng, the governor's military officer!"
Geng Zhongming's attitude was not arrogant, because Song Kangnian gave him a favor and sent out these swords. Geng Zhongming became good friends with the eight generals, two deputy generals and ten guerrillas of the Dongjiang Army. .
Everyone advanced and retreated together, but Huang Long, the commander-in-chief of the Dongjiang Army, was a little afraid and did not dare to force Geng Zhongyu too much, so he put the matter aside for the time being.
"I have met General Geng!"
"Come with me!"
Geng Zhongming came here this time to support Cheng Shijie for Song Kangnian's sake.
Geng Zhongming is now a third-grade Chinese Army Staff General, and is on the same level as Jin Yousheng, the commander of the Dengzhou Guard. Although they are on the same level, Geng Zhongming serves as Sun Yuanhua's Chinese Army Staff General, and his relationship with Sun Yuanhua is closer. Jin Yousheng had to give Geng Zhongming face.
Geng Zhongming was in front, and the concierge and guard did not stop him. With Geng Zhongming's tiger skin, Cheng Shijie performed his duties very smoothly.
In fact, the entire Dengzhou Guard does not look like a commander's yamen at all. Including the commander Jin Yousheng, they are all fat. Two commanders are colleagues, four are commanders, and the two governors all weigh less than 200 kilograms. of.
"I pay my respects to Commander Jin!"
Cheng Shijie directly gave the prepared sword and a set of crystal teapots to Jin Yousheng.
Jin Yousheng was overjoyed to hold the sword.
Geng Zhongming introduced Cheng Shijie to the officials of Dengzhou Wei Yamen, and excused himself to leave on the pretext that he was busy with military affairs.
Cheng Shijie, led by Song Kangnian, visited officials at all levels in the commanding envoy Si Yamen, and handed over the swords of seven other Qianhu envoys to the governor Yang Shi.
As the saying goes, eat other people's mouth softly, and take other people's hands short.
Like a boy who spreads his wealth, Cheng Shijie distributes crystal ornaments or swords in the commander's yamen, and soon becomes mingled with officials at all levels in the commander's yamen.
No one gave Cheng Shijie a hard time when it came to the internship, especially Huang Zuxin, a fellow commanding officer, who took Cheng Shijie directly to Dengzhou Weizuo Qianhu Station.
Huang Zuxin rode a horse with more than 20 servants and cavalry. It was a pity that Cheng Shijie did not know how to ride a horse. He could only ride a carriage to Ninghai Prefecture, two hundred miles away.
Two hundred miles is one hundred kilometers. In later generations, it only took one or two hours to drive. However, in the late Ming Dynasty, it took four days to travel.
However, when he arrived at Weizuo Qianhu Office in Dengzhou, Ninghai Prefecture, Cheng Shijie was stunned.
Where is this Qianhu Office? It's just a slum!
