Chen Ping laughed, said no more, and welcomed the Liu family and his son in.
as expected.
At this time, there were already many people in the banquet hall of Liangzhou Mansion. At first glance, they were all the princes and county magnates in Liangzhou. At this time, the Liu family and his son walked in with different looks in their eyes, but seeing how polite Chen Ping was to them, they could only stand up and welcome them in various ways.
"Mr. Liu, please come and be fine!"
"Mr. Liu, are you seriously injured?"
Liu Zheng and Liu Zheng also said hello one after another, and then found a seat to sit down.
"Mr. Liu County, your seat is over here."
Unexpectedly, the butler in charge of the dinner chuckled and pointed to a seat next to him.
Everyone was shocked when they saw it. Suddenly, a strange atmosphere arose and filled the whole place.
Of course, the seating arrangements in Liangzhou Mansion are also particular. In Liangzhou, there are a total of three governors, one is Chen Ping, the governor is Baiya, and the other is Chenzhou. However, the other two governors are still subordinate to Chen Ping. I heard that Chen Ping will be promoted to the post this year. Liangzhou governor. The rest are also county magistrates. In the Longyan Dynasty, such non-king titles were worthless, and they were actually affected by the enfeoffment system.
However, the seat Chen Ping prepared for Liu Dahao at this time was actually on the same level as the other two prefects.
This is a bit meaningful.
The others looked at each other, Chen Ping, what does this mean? A few days ago, they were clamoring to deal with Liu Dahao. Today, this is... Could it be that this is deliberately to embarrass Chen Ping?
Liu Dahao was even more frightened: "Master Chen, you must not do it, you must not do it!"
Chen Ping chuckled and said, "Why not? Liu Xianhou took office in Yinzhou only three months ago. He has made outstanding achievements and is famous far and wide. Especially the financial revenue and expenditure announcement, which won my heart! A role model for the world, dedicated to the cause. There are not many good officials who serve the people anymore!”
These words were sonorous, powerful and sincere, but Liu Zheng was dumbfounded. He wondered what kind of medicine Chen Ping was selling in his gourd.
"Yeah yeah!"
"Marquis Liu County has made great contributions and deserves it!"
"sit down!"
Upon hearing this, other county magistrates followed Chen Ping's lead.
Liu Dahao looked at Liu Zheng with a bitter look on his face, but he had already scolded Chen Ping eight hundred times in his heart. He was just a county magistrate, sitting in the position of state magistrate. Wouldn't this be a slap in the face in public, making these people hate him to the core?
Liu Zheng smiled coldly in his heart. He had known that there would be no good banquet in Liangzhou Mansion, but he didn't expect that Chen Ping would take action as soon as he came in. He could only nod at Liu Dahao, who then wiped his cold sweat and sat down. . Liu Zheng was also sitting next to him, planning to see what Chen Ping would sing tonight so that he could cope with it easily.
After Chen Ping sat down, he raised his glass and laughed: "Every year, Liangzhou Prefecture reports on work. Although it is called a work report, it is just a gathering for everyone! Although Liangzhou is troubled by the Huns on the border this year, the weather is generally smooth. I should be grateful for the emperor's grace. The world is at peace!"
Everyone stood up one after another and agreed with a roar.
"The emperor's grace is great and the world is at peace!"
After one drink, the atmosphere became lively, with beautiful women dancing in the hall, and the sound of silk and bamboo playing.
A county magistrate nearby applauded and laughed: "Today's Fengming Tower float sang "Dragon Flame in the Prosperous Age", which fully expresses the grace of the prosperous emperor. I heard that the lyrics and music were composed by Mr. Liu, what a great talent!"
Everyone also praised it.
Liu Zheng could only raise his glass again and take a sip of his drunken Yinzhou.
As soon as the song ended, Chen Pingcai looked at Liu Dahao again and said with a smile: "Liu County Marquis has several decrees that are famous all over the world and have outstanding results. I have followed the instructions of the crown prince in the capital. The crown prince will not hesitate to praise them when he hears them. I am afraid that soon, Then Liu County Marquis will be given the title of Zhou Marquis!"
"What?"
Liu Dahao was stunned.
Liu Zheng also frowned, and others were even more envious and jealous. They all raised their glasses to congratulate Liu Dahao. Regardless of whether it was true or false, this was the fourth state marquis title in the entire Liangzhou. Who wouldn't envy him?
Chen Ping continued to smile and said: "I think that several of Yinzhou's decrees have been vigorously implemented in Liangzhou! Yuna's financial disclosure has brought the people back to their hearts and should be promoted in the overall situation. What do you think?"
As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked.
"Sir, you must not do this!"
"Kezhou is an agricultural state and county. If there is no agricultural tax, how can we still pay for it?"
"Yes, I am Wuzhou..."
Everyone is complaining.
Chen Ping got up in arms when he heard the case, with an angry look on his face: "What do you mean, if County Marquis Liu can do it, you can't do it?"
At this time, everyone looked at Liu Dahao angrily, blaming this guy for putting them on the fire grill, which looked disgusting.
Liu Zheng sighed deeply when he heard this. There were many twists and turns in this ancient officialdom. He could tell that Chen Ping did this deliberately to arouse public outrage. Knowing that his father was unable to deal with it, Liu Zheng quickly stood up, clasped his fists and said, "Mr. Chen, I think you are right. Only by adapting to local conditions can we cure the root cause! Yinzhou was originally an ungovernable place, so it was possible for my father to vigorously rectify it. Liangzhou Other states and counties have already stabilized their income and expenditure, so we must not disturb their balance!"
Others followed suit.
Chen Ping then suppressed his anger and chuckled: "That's true, but no matter what, it is okay to disclose income and expenditure, right? There is no need to mention this matter again, it must be popularized!"
Liu Zheng still wanted to speak.
"Sir, you must not do this!"
At this moment, a fat prefect next to the Liu family and his son shouted and knelt on the ground, with a look of sorrow on his face: "How can you let me, Baiya, announce the income and expenditure? My lord, you also know that Baiya's income and expenditure are complicated, and even The accounts are not in my prefect's mansion, this and this..."
"What?"
Chen Ping was immediately furious: "A dignified prefect, but he can't get the accounts? What's the use of you? Someone's here..."
Everyone was shocked and tried to dissuade him.
Zhang Chengjiang, the prefect of Baiya, was lying on the ground, wailing and complaining bitterly about the current situation of Baiya. The Baiya Army was so powerful that the prefect's mansion was like a mere embarrassment. With 20,000 elite soldiers, he didn't even dare to let go of a single thing in the face of the Baiya Army. Even in Baiya Prefecture, many businesses that should have been under the control of the prefecture have been taken away by the Baiya army... Which of the three heads of Baiya does not have a higher status than him as the prefect?
As a prefect, how dare he announce his income and expenditure?
I'm afraid that when the time comes, we will be suppressed by the White Cliff Army!
"Marquis Liu, you must not do anything! This matter is really difficult. You have to help me speak!"
"Marquis Liu County!"
Everyone was stunned.
A dignified state marquis actually knelt down to beg for a county marquis. This made Liu Dahao look panicked and he didn't know how to respond.
There was complete silence.
Chen Ping's face was even more serious as he looked at Liu Zheng.
Liu Zheng suddenly couldn't laugh or cry.
By co-authoring this article, Chen Pingrao created a large circle to tell himself a few things: First, I, Chen Ping, want to make peace with you, and it is not impossible for you to marry my daughter. Second, I have asked the prince for you to have a place to come over, and I will arrive today. But... Third, if you want to be worthy of the title of Marquis of this state, you must become the enemy of the Baiya Army! In other words, you can't stand on the side of the queen, you should choose to hug the prince's thigh tightly!
As an official of my Liangzhou Prefecture, you should know what is good and what is bad.
If not, you and your Liu family may offend the entire Liangzhou Prefecture and more than thirty prefectures and counties in the future!
"snort!"
"You are a dignified governor, but you are actually afraid of that bandit army!"
"How dignified!"
Everyone was trembling.
If you are not afraid, why don’t you send troops to destroy it? Of course, they would never dare to say this.
"In that case, let's discuss it later!"
Chen Ping glanced at Liu Dahao and said lightly.
Keep drinking, keep watching singing and dancing.
By the time the Liu family and his son returned to the post house, it was already midnight.
"My son, what should I do as a father?"
Liu Dahao was worried.
Liu Zheng took a deep breath and said, "Dad, Chen Ping, please don't get attached to me."
Liu Dahao thought deeply: "Dad, how could I not know this guy's temperament? He is an expert at killing donkeys! How could I still fall for this thief? Bah!"
What Liu Zheng was thinking was that Chen Ping wanted the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce to fight with the Baiya Chamber of Commerce, which was not in line with Liu Zheng's blueprint for the next development. After all, if he can really get the title of Marquis of the State this time, Liu Zheng will return to Yinzhou and start a salt transportation business... In ancient times, this was definitely a business of beheading and losing heads! But it is definitely a very profitable industry! Even faster than any soap or perfume, you can get money faster.
But Liu Zheng has never dared to do it. First, because states and counties are not qualified to make salt privately, only to sell it.
Second, Liu Zheng knew that once this thing was built, it would definitely attract the attention of many people. Previously, Yinzhou did not have enough power to protect this kind of workshop. Even after getting the title of Marquis of the State and really taking Yangzhou into his pocket, this business cannot be too rampant... Official salt, official salt, can only be made by the imperial court, and the lower government can only sell it.
Therefore, in this case, Liu Zheng naturally wanted to cooperate with the official Baiya Army.
Not Liangzhou Prefecture!
He didn't want to give Chen Ping any more clues so that he could kill donkeys and slaughter fat sheep at any time! The most important thing is the advantage in territory. Yinzhou is located in the far west of Liangzhou, and Baiya is in the northwest. In other words, Baiyazhou is right above Yinzhou, with only two states and counties in between. If Liu Zheng opens up this line and sells refined salt through the Baiya Army, then everyone in Yinzhou can be guaranteed to have enough to eat, let alone agricultural taxes and commercial taxes.
Coupled with Chen Ping's previous move to suppress Liu Dahao, the two families already had an indelible hatred. How could Liu Zheng believe him?
"So, my son, we should still please the Queen! Then Zheng Yueru should be taken down!"
Liu Dahao's next words made Liu Zheng roll his eyes again.
The next day.
It is the Lantern Festival, and it is also the day when the Queen comes back to visit her relatives. Since early in the morning, Liangzhou City has been heavily guarded and the atmosphere was tense. Liangzhou soldiers have one post every three steps and one sentry every five steps to prevent any possible assassination.
Early in the morning, Zheng Yueru came to Liu Zheng with a bitter look on her face: "Brother Liu, you were a little rash yesterday. Yueru thinks that "The Dragon Flame" should be performed best tonight! Hey, Xiao Ruozhi from the Orchid Fragrance Class prepared a palace dance all night, which I heard is comparable to "The Dragon Flame in the Golden Age"!"
Liu Zheng looked indifferent: "Who said I was going to play "The Golden Age of Dragon Flame" tonight?"
"ah?"
Zheng Yueru was stunned.
To welcome the empress, don’t you need the "Prosperous Dragon Flame"?
Isn't that just for the princess?
Liu Zheng chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I, Fengming Tower, will definitely win the first prize tonight!"
The two then walked to the street. The Queen officially returned to Liangzhou. With the Lantern Festival, today will certainly be the most lively day. The two walked for a while and found that the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce's trademark was still everywhere on the street.
The effectiveness of advertising is growing day by day.
Report from the front, the empress will arrive in Liangzhou at noon. After resting for an afternoon, she will come to attend the oiran party.
Therefore, at this time, the streets were crowded with people, all waiting for the imperial concubine to arrive from Liangzhou.
At this moment, a hearty laugh rang out.
"Mr. Liu, what a coincidence that we meet here!"
Liu Zheng had a headache, it was that Du Biao again!
With a smile on his face, Liu Zheng turned his head.
Du Biao had already approached and said with a smile: "Mr. Liu, are you interested in joining me to honor the Queen?"
Liu Zheng gave a wry smile, is this coming directly to the public?
Zheng Yueru also took a deep breath, and immediately her face changed drastically, as if she had figured something out.
