Two days later, Xuanfusi found a house for Ma Kuo, located in Anyuanfang, not far from the Henan government office. Cui Qing brought his soldiers and personally came to help Ma Kuo move.
Although he had only been in Luoyang for two or three days, Ma Kuo also knew that Cui Qing was someone close to Wang Xiaolie and had an extraordinary status. He walked out the door in person and said, "The governor is so busy with his official duties. It's really unworthy of him to help me with such small things."
Cui Qing said with a smile: "Xuanfu gave special instructions. Who dares to neglect it? Defense, these are the chores I do every day. I should come here."
Ma Kuo didn't want to say anything, but he just refused to let Cui Qing work and patrolled with him.
Cui Qing was from Hedong. The imperial army was defeated and was later taken in by Wang Rudai. He always does things in a discreet manner, and no one pays attention to him. But later on when Wang Xiao hunted in the east and west, Cui Qing made many meritorious deeds, but never claimed credit. Later, he was spotted by Wang Xiaolie and recruited to work by his side.
As Wang Xiaolie's personal bodyguard, it is very important to keep a low profile. And when it comes to confidential information, your mouth must be extremely tight. Cui Qing did a good job in these two aspects. Wang Xiaolie had many officers and generals under his command, but many people could not feel his presence. But everyone knows that this person should not be underestimated.
After the great victory in Shaanzhou, Cui Qing was promoted to governor of Yaojun, and his official position was similar to that of other governors. It's just that Wang Xiaolie's subordinates are still accustomed to calling him control, and only outsiders like Ma Kuo would call him governor.
Two large elm trees were planted in front of the door. They were as thick as one person could hug, with lush branches and leaves. The cicadas chirp continuously above, tearing up the summer.
Watching the soldiers move in and salute the door, Cui Qing said: "It takes time and effort to repair the ownerless houses in this area. This house is a little small, so don't worry about defense. After a few days, the new official residence is built, and then we can move there." Enough."
Ma Kuo looked at the house and said: "It's great. When I was in Rongzhou, there were several thatched huts and a clump of bamboo. Not to mention simple, every time it rained, it would rain heavily outside and little inside the house. It’s really annoying. This house is not too small and is in good repair. It’s not much better than that time.”
Cui Qing said: "Defense has really suffered over the years."
Ma Kuo sighed and said nothing.
During the Miao-Liu Incident, Zhu Shengfei kept Zhao Gou safe at home, while Lu Yihao mobilized troops and horses to fight against the thieves outside. The two of them made many contributions. As a privy councilor, I accepted the decree and sent an envoy to the Miao and Liu armies on the orders of the prime minister. Where did I go wrong? It's just that Zhu Shengfei, who was involved in this kind of cowardice, was definitely disliked by Zhao Gou and was demoted afterwards. He also became a sinner because of his association with thieves. Who can you tell me about yourself?
Ma Kuo traveled thousands of miles from Guangxi and couldn't bring much with him. Otherwise, he would have moved it all in a short time.
After entering the house, Ma Kuang said: "The governor has worked hard. It's getting late. The governor has a glass of thin wine and lets me express his feelings."
Cui Qing said: "I have come a long way to defend myself, and I have been demoted for many years. I am afraid that I am short of money. Xuanfu specially ordered me to pay a hundred guan for you to use these days. I will withhold it when the salary is paid next month. We are here As a rule, officials are not allowed to give gifts to each other, and defense should not be exposed to outsiders."
After saying that, he took out a stack of huizi and handed it to Ma Kuo.
Ma Kuo is indeed short of money. He was not polite and put the meeting away.
Cui Qing added: "Fang Fang moved to his new home today. It's time for the family to have a good reunion and celebrate. What's going on with me here? It's getting late. Let's go back. Fang Fang can go in and tidy up. Yes. Yes, there are two soldiers around the defense. Come over tomorrow and arrange accommodation for them."
Wang Xiaolie's subordinates were all assigned personal soldiers according to their official positions. These soldiers are under unified management, and are paid salaries by the government to serve the officials. Instead of being like before, the court paid money and officials hired themselves.
These personal soldiers are clearly meant to do various chores for officials, and are somewhat similar to servants. But there are people above them to take care of them and pay them, so they will naturally obey the orders from above. The main reason for doing this is to prevent officials from cultivating their own power.
After explaining everything clearly one by one, Cui Qing took his soldiers and left. Ma Kuo went straight to the street entrance and then turned around.
Sitting down in the main hall of the house, Ma Kuo watched the begonia flowers in the yard fade and bear small fruits. Under the crabapple tree, several peonies are growing lushly, a vast area of green. The sweet-scented osmanthus tree in the west has not yet bloomed, and a kitten is playing among the branches and leaves.
The wife and her son were busy here and there, tidying up here and decorating there. They were very busy.
Sighing, Ma Kao said: "I haven't had such a day for many years."
The lady came out and said: "This house is very spacious, and it has new furniture. It couldn't be better! We have moved into a new home, and it's time to celebrate tonight. Governor Cui just sent money, so you can Go out and buy some groceries and come back."
Ma Kuo said: "I have lived for decades and I don't know how to buy groceries."
The wife turned around and shouted to her son: "Da Lang, take the money and go out to buy some vegetables! If you don't mean to be stingy, buy more wine and meat!"
The son came out of the house and agreed happily. He walked up to Ma Kuo and looked at his father without saying a word.
Ma Kuo smiled, took out the money Cui Qing gave and gave it to his wife. He said: "Women still need to take care of money at home, what's the use of me holding it?"
The lady took the money and clicked it. Said: "A full hundred guans! Under Wang Xuanfu's rule, huizi are as useful as copper coins, unlike other places. I heard people say that you can also deposit huizi in the bank and get interest!"
As he spoke, he took out a small stack of five ounces of money and handed it to his son.
Dalang took the money and said with a smile: "Five guan, you can eat well tonight! Mom, I won't return the remaining money to you. After moving to Luoyang, my family also has a lot of money to spend."
The lady said: "I won't pay it back, I won't pay it back. You have been wandering north and south with your father in the past few years, and you have also suffered. It is best to settle down and live in Luoyang."
Dalang agreed and ran out happily.
Ma Kuo had two sons and three daughters. The eldest man is already married and has children, and the second man is fifteen years old. Among the daughters, the eldest and second sisters are already married. Only the second sister is only thirteen years old and still lives at home.
This large family lives entirely on Ma Kuo's salary. In the past few years, Ma Kuo, as a criminal official, had a meager income and a very difficult life. After living freely, he only briefly worked as an official in Wu Min's office for a few months, and the economy did not improve much. To get one hundred guan of money today is a long time coming.
The lady put the money away and asked Ma Kuo: "How much salary will you get per month as an official here?"
Ma Kuo said: "I actually asked people, it's about two hundred and twenty guan a month. But here in Xuanfu, everything is paid in real money, there is no deduction, and no silk is given. What's more important is that , they are all distributed with full money, unlike in the industry, which always only gives out 600 coins."
The lady couldn't help but be overjoyed after hearing this. Said: "More than two hundred dollars a month, it is enough money, real money, but the family can't use it all. It is said that officials under Wang Xuanfu have the richest salaries, and it is really not a lie! I hope this life can be stable, Stop running around here and there!"
Ma Kuo nodded, with infinite emotion in his heart. If you sacrifice yourself for the country, you will naturally remain committed to it. But if possible, who doesn’t want to live a stable and prosperous life. Literally speaking, Wang Xiao's salary is no more than the imperial salary. But if you pay real money, cash, without any discount, the money you get in your hands will be much worse. Especially for lower-level officials, their salaries are already small and their expenses are high. Wang Xiaolie's income has more than doubled.
