At night, Gao Zhang, who had been busy outside for another day, strolled home and had a family dinner with his parents. The family of three began to enjoy themselves together again.
As a result, after a while, the housekeeper Fukang came to report. Chen Shilang from the Ministry of Rites and an official named Zong came to visit. They said they had something important and wanted to see him.
Hearing this, Gao Qiu subconsciously looked towards his son Gao Zhang.
It was not until his own son left that Gao Qiu stroked his long beard and whispered.
"This Zongze, being able to get to know our Zhang'er, and having Zhang'er take the initiative to help him, makes my husband want to make some friends."
"It's a pity that in the eyes of those scholars, I, Gao Qiu, am just a lucky minister."
This remark was naturally made out of emotion. In the eyes of those scholars, only serious scholars who relied on the imperial examination to become officials were serious officials.
An old man like him from Qiandi, no matter how big his position is, is still nothing in the eyes of those officials.
The wife, Mrs. Huang, naturally understood what her husband meant, so she gently held her husband's strong arm and spoke softly.
"Husband, why should you care about what those people say? It's just that you have never been as lucky as our Zhang'er."
Hearing this, Gao Qiu almost burst into laughter and nodded in agreement.
Also, although I was a bit unlucky and failed to pass the imperial examination and become an official, my son became a world-famous prodigy. What else could he be dissatisfied about?
What's more, although this boy is young and behaves in a way that doesn't look like a child at all.
It seems that the luck of Lao Gao's family has been gathered into him.
#####
"Brother Rulin, what are you doing?"
Gao Zhang never expected that when he invited Zong Ze into the room, the big boss would bow to the ground.
"Shilang Chen told Zong everything, but Zong never thought that you and I had only met once.
But dear brother, you have been running around all your life for Zong's affairs, and you even went as far as to persuade officials. Zong really can't repay this kindness. "
Zongze looked at the overly young Gao Zhang in front of him and was so excited that he was speechless.
After listening to Chen Shilang's story, I realized why my destiny was completely changed after getting drunk. It was precisely because of the prodigy champion in front of me.
Being able to work so hard for a stranger like him, how could Zongze not be moved.
If Gao Zhang hadn't been too young, he might have been older than his father, Gao Qiudu.
Zongze could not wait to put in three sticks of incense and become brothers of different surnames with the eleven-year-old Gao Zhang.
After sighing with emotion, Gao Zhang was also sincerely happy for Zongze to become the magistrate of the Song Dynasty. This was at least an official position that Zongze had not held in another historical time and space.
"Actually, if Brother Rulin doesn't come to look for me today, I'm afraid that in two days, I will go looking for Chen Shilang. Please ask Chen Shilang to take me to see Brother Rulin."
"Why is this?" Chen Shilang asked curiously. Gao Zhang was definitely not looking for Zongze to hear Zongze's gratitude to him. There must be something wrong.
“My little brother, after I heard that Brother Rulin had become the magistrate of Dengzhou, I checked it out.
Only then did I realize that Dengzhou is the most promising coastal place on Jingdong East Road in the Song Dynasty. "
These words made Zongze raise his eyebrows and couldn't help but become interested. "What my dear brother said is true. Zong used to work in Jiaoshui County in Laizhou, which is across from Dengzhou. He is quite confused about this place in Dengzhou."
It was not until the fourth year of Tang Wude's reign (621) that Dengzhou was called Dengzhou. After the Tang Dynasty, with the establishment of the tribute system and trade between China and neighboring countries.
Dengzhou gradually became an official port for tribute or trade from the Korean Peninsula and Japan to the Central Plains Dynasty.
Since the Tang Dynasty, Dengzhou has been an important seaport in northern my country and an important coastal defense area.
For Zongze, this is definitely a place with great potential.
Listening to Zongze talking about the military and political affairs of Nadengzhou, including maritime affairs, it was easy to understand.
It is enough to show that this Zongze is indeed a big man who can leave a great name in history. Not only did he fight in the Jin Dynasty, he called him grandpa, but he also had his own opinions on the administration of officials.
Gao Zhang couldn't help but be startled when he heard Zongze mention that traders from Japan and Korea would secretly import large amounts of smuggled salt from the seaports around Dengzhou.
"Dengzhou now also produces salt?"
"No, no, no, no salt is produced in Dengzhou. What the merchants in these two countries buy is salt from private traders in Binzhou."
"Binzhou has been boiling the sea into salt since ancient times to supply the places in Hebei. During the reign of Renzong, the Liao Kingdom was also boiling the sea into salt and selling the salt to the places in Hebei. During the reign of Renzong, the places in Hebei were not allowed to trade salt privately..."
As a result, the salt boiled in Hebei began to be exported, and it even gained international popularity: Korea and Japan.
"...Dengzhou doesn't produce salt?" Gao Zhang suddenly raised his hand and slapped his forehead, his eyes shining and he said "Ouch".
Immediately, Zongze and Chen Shilang were stunned on the spot.
#####
Gao Zhang suddenly remembered something. In ancient times, people boiled salt to make a living, and the method of drying salt seemed to have never been popular.
It has always required a large amount of fuel to be boiled, which is why there is a saying of boiling the sea into salt.
However, Gao Zhang did remember that when he went for a stroll in Xiangshan County in Zhejiang Province, he had seen the salt-drying method, an intangible cultural heritage at that time.
There are even special notes on the records of Xiangshan’s salt-drying method in historical books.
As far as Gao Zhang knew, the Jiaodong Peninsula area has strong winds, sufficient sunshine and not very abundant rainfall, so it is definitely more suitable for drying salt than the Zhejiang area.
In this case, anyway, tell Zongze about this method, and then have a good discussion with Master Hunjun to see if we can expand the government-run international trade projects.
After all, Gao Zhang was prepared to use government channels for money-making trade and book trade. Of course, he must also make some money. If he doesn't make money, how can he develop?
"The method of drying salt? New Tang Book? Is there such a wonderful method in Xiangshan County under Taizhou?"
After leaving the Gao Mansion, Zongze felt a little dizzy, and Chen Shilang beside him clicked his tongue.
Unexpectedly, Gao Zhang was so knowledgeable and well-informed. What was important was that there was such a simple and convenient way to prepare salt.
But having said that, this Dengzhou is not Hebei Road, and the government-run salt is still the first priority.
However, if Nadengzhou could really make good use of the vast beaches to make salt from the sun, for the Song Dynasty, this would be equivalent to another important source of salt.
Another point is that Gao Zhang told Zongze that the Japanese country is rich in high-quality copper and silver. If the salt that the Japanese country urgently needs can be exchanged for the other country's copper and silver.
Whether it is the Song Dynasty or the Japanese country, each can be regarded as getting what it needs.
(End of chapter)
