After Wu Qian and his party left Canglang Pavilion, they followed the waterway towards Zicheng where the government office was located.
At this time, Wu Qian was standing on the bow of the ship, his face very calm, and he didn't seem to care about the setback just now. He just looked at the scene in the city and sighed at the changes in things and people.
"Günter, it must have been more than ten years since the last time you and I visited Canglang Pavilion."
"It was the first month of the third year of Jiaxi. I accompanied Dong Weng to enjoy the plum blossoms. It has been sixteen years now."
The person who answered was an elderly scribe in his fifties, Wu Wenying, Wu Qian's friend and aide, whose nickname was Junte. He was also a famous poet in the world of poetry. He had no luck in the examinations or officialdom. He had never passed the imperial examinations in his life, most of the time. They all live in Pingjiang City. They used to serve as Wu Qian's staff when he was the magistrate. Now that Wu Qian was resurrected, he invited him to his side again.
"Back then, you composed a poem to congratulate the bridegroom. I still remember it in my heart." Wu Qian sighed and started to read the poem.
"The trees are full of clouds.
Visit the traces of the heroes of ZTE and secretly trace the past.
The battleship Dongfeng saves money and dreams of breaking away from the hometown of China.
Xuan Xiaozhu and Wu Palace idle land.
The moon shines brightly on the outside and the crane returns at night, sighing that the flowers and bamboos were like this then!
Dew on the branches splashes clear tears.
The small clusters of Aotou are walking in the spring parade, walking on the green moss to find the secluded villa, asking whether the plum blossoms have bloomed?
Sing a new song on the edge of plum blossoms again, prompting the cold shoots and frozen pistils.
I agree with Dongjun.
The present is different from the past, the two of them are speechless, facing each other in the changing water.
With this hatred, I will remain drunk. "
As the east wind blew across his face, Wu Qian's voice became more melancholy and desolate, and he vividly expressed in his words that he was worried about the country and that it was not as good as it used to be.
The officials and gentry who filled the garden just now were all well-dressed, elegant and decent, chanting poems and songs, talking about natural principles and morals, but in their hearts they were all selfish!
This made him fall into confusion for a moment. What happened to the scholar-bureaucrats of the Song Dynasty! ?
"Günter, your words of "the future is different from the past" are a true prophecy. "
"Ha... Dong Weng, are you regretting that you didn't support the official Duan Ping's entry into Luo?" Wu Wenying said bluntly.
Wu Qian smiled bitterly, "Gunt, you really didn't save any face for me. At that time, I felt that the imperial court was not ready to regain the lost territory, and I also felt that the white land in the Central Plains was difficult to hold on to. I should wait and wait for preparations." I had to be more prepared before launching the Northern Expedition, but now that I think about it, I was indeed wrong..."
Wu Wenying shook her head, "Dong Weng, even if you supported the government back then, it would be difficult to change the outcome. After so many years, you should be able to see that so many people opposed it back then, but their reasons were different from Dong Weng's. Some people are conservative, but more people are unwilling to give military men a chance to rise, nor do they want the officialdom to become strong after success, nor are they willing to spend money and food to contribute to the country."
"Why were they defeated back then!? Were they really unable to defeat the Mongols? I don't think so. In the battle of Luodong, our soldiers used infantry formations in the wild to fight against the invincible Mongolian cavalry. They persisted for several days, and their combat power was so great The Mongols were also greatly surprised. In the end, in a national war, only the troops from the two Huaihe Rivers and one area could be mobilized, and there was no support and cooperation from other friendly forces. What was even more outrageous was the lack of logistics and lack of food and grass..."
Wu Qian didn't understand, but he didn't want to think deeply, so he could only remain silent at this time.
Wu Wenying seemed to have a rare opportunity to vent the anger in her chest, and continued, "Han Zhongwu and Yue Wumu are both heroes of the ZTE, but Gaozong was not the master of the ZTE. Although today's officials are slightly less talented, they were once high-spirited. , had the ambition to rejuvenate, but it was a pity that there were not many ministers of the renaissance among the gentlemen in the dynasty. Due to the defeat of Duanping, the official family fell into decline and became increasingly decadent. Whose fault is this!?"
These words almost poked the backbone of the scholar-bureaucrats, and Wu Qian was also a member of the scholar-bureaucrats, but he could not be angry, and he could only feel ashamed.
After being silent for a while, Wu Qian seemed to have thought of something, and his mood improved, "Gunt, what do you think of King Yan? Is there any sign of ZTE?"
"King Yan?" Wu Wenying shook his head slightly, "I have only met him a few times, and his deeds are just hearsay. I can't say I know him well, so it's hard to lie... But I feel that King Yan is decisive, but he is short-tempered. It is very similar to the early years of the official family, although they want to make a difference
But in the end, they will be bound by reality and end up mediocre..."
Wu Qian smiled and said, "The reason why Jun Te thinks that King Yan is impatient is because he ordered me to see Xie Tang?"
Wu Wenying paused and did not shy away from saying, "Indeed, this move seems to be a way to shock the mountain, but it is actually useless. Instead, it will let Xie Tang and others see that King Yan is strong on the outside and powerful on the inside, and I am afraid they will become even more unscrupulous. In my opinion, the most important thing for King Yan is The best choice is either to strike with a thunderous blow and catch them off guard, or to hide one's strength and bide one's time, make concessions for the time being, and make peace with the powerful people. After the current crisis is over, it is not a bad idea to implement the Jingjie. But this is the only way to alert the snake. This move will only be counterproductive. Maybe King Yan is young and cannot see the way in this, but Dong Weng should understand, why not dissuade King Yan?"
"This is not about knocking on the mountain to scare the tiger. In fact, the purpose is to scare the grass and scare the snake. The first purpose is to show the enemy's weakness, and the second is to lure the snake out of its hole and lure the tiger away from the mountain!"
"Huh? What does Dong Weng mean by this?"
"Hahaha, as the Buddha said, you can't say it! Gunter, just watch carefully in the next few days and have a good look at the methods of our hairy highness."
On this day, Gusu City restored its scene of "the city and rivers are full of rows, and the streets and lanes are full of people all night long." Even late at night, there are still bright lights everywhere.
It wasn't until all 100,000 shi of grain was sold out that the people had to go home.
Those who bought the food felt much more at ease. Those who didn't bought it were not too disappointed when they heard that food would be delivered tomorrow.
On the next day, hundreds of grain ships arrived as scheduled and were still selling at the same locations. People had already been waiting at these places early, and they were crowded and crowded.
The grain ship docked at the dock, and the sergeants took out the grain packages from the cabin, stacked them on the side of the ship, and started selling them directly.
A wooden sign with big characters was hung high, "Each household's first purchase will be worth two coins and one stone, and starting from the second time, five coins and one stone will be given."
There was an uproar in the crowd, and there was some restlessness.
"Why did the price increase? Didn't you say that this was cheap food sent by King Yan to alleviate the food shortage? Fifty cents per liter, how can it be so cheap!?"
"Is it possible that King Yan is as evil as those female businessmen?"
"Oh! You are so ignorant. Isn't it written above that the first purchase for each family is two guan, and then five guan are required. You don't even look at the grain stores in the city. Even if they don't have one today, People come to buy it, and it still goes up to one hundred cents a liter!"
"Even so, the imperial court's money and grain did not come from the strong wind. King Yan must have bought grain from other places at a high price and shipped it over. Five guans and one stone are already very conscientious. Do you want to buy it or not? Don't delay us."
"Anyway, let's buy one stone first. It will be enough to make porridge and eat for the family for a month."
As a result, the objections gradually subsided. Although the price of grain, which was three times the usual price, was indeed expensive, compared with grain merchants, it was much more cost-effective and the quantity was more abundant.
Under the command of the sergeant, the common people lined up in four or five twisted queues, went to the side of the boat one by one, and handed over copper coins or money, as well as household registration.
Zhao Mengxi was dressed as an ordinary soldier and was one of the people in charge of the transaction. He took the money and household registration and began to check. After they were correct, he took out a piece of paper with words and grids printed on it, glued it to the back of the household registration, and covered it. Seal the stamp, then write a date in the box, stamp it and hand it back.
A bag of rice is exactly one stone, so there is no need to weigh it and it is given directly to the people.
Speaking of which, one stone is almost as much as one hundred and fifty kilograms in later generations. Fortunately, the prime-age labor force of this era can carry it. If they really can't carry it and can't find helpers, these sergeants will step forward with a smile. Help and move it to their car and boat.
Many people were also curious about this scene and started talking about it.
"Hey, why do these Qiubachi guys look different from the ones I've seen before? Not only are they not fierce, but they are very kind to us and talk softly, just like the clerks in the store."
"Don't talk about guys, now the guys in the grain store are looking at people with their noses, and their tails are raised to the sky..."
"Oh, what a sin. The little soldier who paid the bill is literate and looks like he has tender skin and tender flesh. He is so young.
He’s not that old, he’s about the same age as my boy. Why did he join the army? His life is ruined..."
"That's right, there's no way to hammer nails into the iron, and no way to make a soldier out of a good man."
"Haha, don't you know this? These young men are not ordinary soldiers. They are the personal guards of King Yan, and maybe they are nobles of the clan."
"The clan!? They were all born with a silver spoon in their mouths. They can have a bright future by just reading a few books. Why do they want to become soldiers and suffer hardships without making any profit..."
"You know nothing. You said you are King Yan's personal guard, how can that be the same!? Who is King Yan? He is our future official, and the people around him are destined to flourish in the future."
"Furthermore, His Highness King Yan seems to attach great importance to warriors. Not long ago, Wujiang was attacked by rebels. Later, King Yan spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide pensions to the injured and wounded soldiers Minzhuang. Each person had hundreds of dollars in money alone. Guan, he was also rewarded with fertile farmland, and not only that, he also built a cemetery for martyrs, built a shrine, and erected a monument."
"Building a temple and erecting a monument? Is this what we ordinary people can think of? Tsk, tsk, so to speak, serving as a soldier for King Yan is really a good thing."
"That's for sure. Think about it, are those nobles from the clan inferior to ordinary people like us? They are all willing to serve as soldiers for King Yan, so that's for sure! I don't know if King Yan's personal guards are still recruiting soldiers. , maybe my boy can try his luck."
"I'm afraid that's a bit difficult. Look at the sergeants on this ship. They are either majestic and mighty, or they are smart and literate. People probably look down on your boy."
"That's not certain. My boy has attended a private school for four or five years. Even if he doesn't get the top prize, he will definitely be enough to be a soldier..."
Some of the people's talk drifted into Zhao Mengxi's ears along the wind. He just smiled knowingly and admired King Yan even more.
In the past few months after entering the army, after experiencing beatings and tempering, he no longer looked like he had escaped from exhaustion before, but looked more shrewd and capable.
King Yan often said that the country cannot be defenseless for a day, and maintaining national security is the sacred mission of the military. Therefore, the honor of the military is the highest and should be respected by the world!
But today, most people in the world look down on soldiers. There are reasons for the unhealthy world and the reasons for the soldiers themselves. If we want to change the world's view of soldiers, we must first start with ourselves and establish a good image in front of the people.
Not demolishing houses if they freeze to death, and not plundering if they starve to death are the most basic requirements for soldiers.
King Yan said that as a soldier, you should be as ruthless to your enemies as in the harsh winter, while you should treat the people as warm and gentle as the spring breeze, so as to establish a good relationship between the army and the people. ..
In short, when you go out to perform tasks, you must greet the people with a smile, be kind and patient, help as much as you can, treat the people as your relatives, and avoid conflicts easily!
Now it is not only the Eastern Guards who have to abide by these regulations, but other imperial troops transferred to the command of King Yan, including the first part of the Ma Army led by Cao Lie, the 10,000-man Dianqian Division led by Xue Jin Shihuai, the Fenghua Army, and the local garrison in Pingjiang. The Forbidden Army is slowly implementing these new regulations.
Therefore, the more and more troops there are, and the economic working groups are spread all over the country, but there are very few military-civilian conflicts, which has attracted praise from the people.
Zhao Mengxi quickly processed the transaction. More than an hour later, more and more people were buying food. This was not their first time.
In fact, Zhao Mengxi didn't understand. When the food was limited, the number of times he bought food should be limited. At least there should be some extra time. However, King Yan thought of limiting the amount of food purchased by each household, and also came up with the idea of limiting the amount of food purchased by each household. I tried the method of recording in the household registration, but I forgot to set the time limit and just increased the price, which seemed a bit inappropriate.
But this is not something he can worry about. Let's do his own thing down-to-earth first.
As noon approached, more and more people were buying food. The queue stretched from the dock to the streets and seemed to be endless.
Especially those at the back, most of the household registrations they hold have records of food purchases.
"Brother, you bought food yesterday, why are you here today? I heard it's not the first time, but
It costs five guans and one stone. "
"Hey! Who would be dissatisfied with the abundance of food in this day and age? It's safe to exchange all the remaining money at home for food while you can buy it. It's better than buying ten thousand dollars and one stone in the future."
"That's true, but I'm not doing this for myself, I'm buying it for the owner of the workshop..."
"Oh, I bought it for my boss too. Brother, how much does your boss give you for running errands?"
"Three hundred coins, after buying it, you can work for a day. Not only is it easy, but you also have more money..."
"Brother, aren't you stupid? What can you do with three hundred cents? You can just go to the grain store and buy three liters of rice."
"What can we do? It's an income after all. Besides, if our boss asks us to do it, we have to obey, otherwise we will lose our jobs."
"Hey, it seems we are smarter. It's not impossible to buy it for our boss, but we don't need money. If you buy one stone of rice, just give us a bushel."
"Ouch, why didn't we think of it? Yes, yes, yes, after we buy it, we will tell the owner this when we go back. Otherwise, if we don't give him the rice, we will treat it as if we bought it ourselves. We are short of it anyway!"
Subsequently, these words spread more and more widely, and the people who bought rice for others became enlightened and expressed their intention to follow this.
It's just that they didn't notice that the people who first said this method had left their original positions and continued to promote it in another place.
These people are actually the inspectors of the Imperial City Department. This kind of inciting public opinion and fanning the flames is exactly what they are good at.
In order to let the people have more food, Zhao Mengqi took great pains.
