To say that Zhao Zhen was really good to Li Hao, he even specially summoned Li Hao into the palace after Li Hao removed his position as Marquis Yu, the capital of the palace.
Li Hao was given the privilege of entering the palace at any time, so that Li Hao could enter the palace directly without hindrance if he had something to do.
Of course, it was not just for this reason that Li Hao was allowed to enter the palace this time. By the way, he also told Li Hao the name of the new third envoy.
Chen Shengzhi, the former magistrate of Kaifeng Prefecture, was promoted to the post of Third Secretary. Li Hao was quite satisfied with this candidate.
After all, Chen Shengzhi was also a reformist and seemed to be familiar with Ouyang Xiu.
With him in office, although it is impossible to have the support that Ouyang Xiu had when he was in office, at least it will not hold him back.
After that, Zhao Zhen encouraged Li Hao a few more words and asked Li Hao to retreat.
However, Li Hao left Chui Gong Hall and was stopped by Gu Tingye before he could go far.
At this time, Gu Tingye completely forgot about how he asked Li Hao to help him in the first place, and swaggered like a cousin-in-law.
An angry Li Hao said, "Why are you so proud now? You and Minglan are not married yet. Do you believe that I can mess up this matter now?"
Gu Tingye said proudly: "Of course I believe you can mess up this matter, but do you dare!
Now that Minglan and I have both issued letters of appointment, if you make trouble at this time, I'm afraid the first one to tear you apart will be my aunt. "
Hearing this, Li Hao had to admit that what Gu Tingye said was right, and since he had been involved in it before, the matter was settled.
If they are causing trouble now, Wei will definitely kill them.
Speechless for a moment, Li Hao turned around and left, too lazy to talk to Gu Tingye again.
However, Gu Tingye came to see Li Hao for business, so he quickly stopped Li Hao.
Said: "Okay, no more joking, I have something to say to you."
After speaking, he looked around and saw Li Hao became serious.
The two of them walked to an open space in the square to talk as before.
Just listen to Gu Tingye say: "Do you remember Zhao Ceying's aunt? She is getting engaged to Zhongjinghou's little General Zheng."
Hearing this, Li Hao was a little stunned. After all this going around and around, Xiao Shen still married Xiao General Zheng. It was really fate.
But how did Zhao Ceying get in touch with the Zhongjinghou family? Li Hao was really curious.
But this matter is just a little strange at best, and there is nothing else about it. It is not worth taking it so seriously.
So he asked, "They just want to get married. What does this matter have to do with us?"
Gu Tingye explained: "Then if I tell you that the official family asked the Queen to facilitate this marriage, do you think it is important or not?"
Li Hao said: "Then this matter is different. Are you sure it was arranged by the officials and the Queen? How come I have never heard of this news."
Gu Tingye said: "I heard the news from Zhu Neiguan, and it is absolutely true.
The two families have already reached an agreement, but it has not been announced to the public yet, but there should be news in Bianjing City in the past few days. "
Li Hao was silent for a while and said: "It seems that Zhao Zongquan's position is becoming more and more stable, and the official's move is also adding fuel to his momentum."
Gu Tingye said: "I also think that should be the case. It just so happens that you and Zhao Ceying are familiar with each other, so you can move around more in the future."
These words reminded Li Hao of what Zhao Ceying had asked him to do. If Zhao Zhen's attitude changed, it would not be a bad idea to help Zhao Zongquan earn the crown prince's position.
Li Hao thought for a moment and then said, "Okay, I know about this. I'll talk about it when I go back and think about it first."
After that, he parted with Gu Tingye, and after leaving the palace, Li Hao went directly to Ouyang Xiu's house, hoping to ask him to give him some advice.
By the way, I would like to ask Chen Shengzhi about his immediate boss, whether he is easy to get along with.
When Li Hao arrived at Ouyang Xiu's house, he had not spoken yet.
Ouyang Xiu guessed the purpose of Li Hao's visit and said, "You know who the new Third Secretary is, so you came here to fight."
It depends on the situation. "
Li Hao smiled and said, "My nephew is really impressed by my uncle's clever calculations.
I really wanted to ask about Chen Shengzhi's personality when I came here today. It happened that my uncle was also very familiar with him. "
Ouyang Xiu said: "It's true that I know him well, but do you know how I met Chen Shengzhi in the first place?"
Naturally, Li Hao couldn't answer this question, so he asked, "I really don't know this. Is there some origin?"
Ouyang Xiu didn't hold back any more, and said directly: "I know Chen Shengzhi, and it was the Prime Minister Han who introduced him to him. The two of them are inseparable."
For Li Hao, this news is really unfortunate. Now Li Hao can hardly tell whether Han Qi is an enemy or a friend.
As a result, his immediate boss became his person, and he had to be more cautious in doing things after that.
Ouyang Xiu then explained: "So you should take your next step slowly and don't get too involved in the salt tax reform for the time being, especially don't touch the system reform.
Let’s test Chen Shengzhi’s ideas first, and then see how to do it. "
Li Hao naturally understood the meaning of Ouyang Xiu's words, but he was still a little unwilling to do so.
Ouyang Xiu also noticed this and said, "Don't be anxious about this for the time being. Your wedding is just around the corner, so you can spend more time on it.
You are marrying the only daughter of a British father-in-law, so the scene will naturally be dignified and solemn, and the decorum cannot be lost. "
Li Hao replied: "Of course I know this, so my mother asked Mrs. Song to help with it. There should be no problem.
But when it comes to marriage, there is one thing I really want to hear from my uncle. "
Then he told Ouyang Xiu what Gu Tingye said.
Then he said: "Since the officials intend to support Zhao Zongquan, then should I find an opportunity to talk to the officials about what Zhao Ceying said.
After all, judging from the official's attitude, they may not agree with it. "
After Ouyang Xiu heard this, he denied it and said: "It is not appropriate to force the officials to declare the crown prince when the prince's position has already been established.
Otherwise, Mr. Han will do it himself, and it won’t be your turn.
Helping Zhao Zongquan may bring considerable benefits in the future, but it is not worth making the officials suspicious, otherwise both parties will be displeased. "
Li Hao still agreed with Ouyang Xiu's judgment, so he stopped thinking about it.
When Li Hao returned to the Salt and Iron Department later, he made all his subordinates anxious and adjusted the direction of the salt tax reform.
Because the basis of the interrogation and selling system is the transshipment departments in various places, the most important Huainan East Road transshipment envoy today is Chu Dongyang.
For the time being, Li Hao did not intend to go head-on with this disciple of Mr. Han.
So the goal was first set on salt field management and salt production methods, and secondly on studying the salt diversion system.
After all, the distribution rights of Yanyin have now been vested in the Salt and Iron Division. Li Hao does not mind making more attempts while trying not to touch the local area.
So Li Hao organized people to see if they could directly develop the salt-drying method of later generations.
Replace the current boiling method to reduce the cost of salt production and reduce the price of salt while ensuring profits.
Of course, Li Hao is not completely clear about the specific steps of the salt-drying method, but as a leader, Li Hao only needs to put forward ideas and let others improve them.
Anyway, the facts of later generations have proven that this direction was correct, but at best the process was a little tortuous.
Moreover, the sun salt method itself does not have much technical content. As long as you understand the idea, it is not too difficult to do it.
Just after Li Hao's change of thinking was completed, the news that Chen Shengzhi became the third envoy was announced.
At the same time, there was also news circulating in Bianjing about the marriage between General Zheng, the youngest member of the Zhongjing Hou family, and Zhao Zongquan's wife and concubine. It also showed that the marriage was decided by the empress.
This suddenly made Bianjing City lively, and many people felt that Zhao Zongquan was worthy of seeking refuge. For a time, there was an endless stream of people coming and going from his prince's residence.
Of course, most of them are officials with low grades and no real power. As for the others, they are still waiting and watching.
And for others, the location of Quanzhi Kaifeng Mansion is even more eye-catching.
After all, two consecutive terms of power in Kaifeng Mansion were directly promoted to the Third Division. Obviously, this position is a Feng Shui position.
Just when they were working hard to gain knowledge of Kaifeng Mansion, Li Hao suddenly had a new idea.
Zhao Zongquan wanted to contribute his own efforts to help him become the crown prince of the East Palace, but naturally he couldn't do it.
But given the current situation, he is indeed the best candidate to inherit the throne, so it is necessary to maintain a suitable relationship with Zhao Zongquan and his son.
Since the position of the prince is too sensitive and cannot be done, then it is not impossible to change the goal.
Anyway, Zhao Zongquan's ultimate goal is to have a legitimate name and gain real power.
The gang of Zhao Zongquan can also achieve their goal by raising Kaifeng Yin's position. Anyway, this is also a symbol of the reserve position.
Moreover, when he was in charge of Kaifeng Mansion, he also had subordinate officials and indirectly held real power.
The most important thing is that most of the officials and minor officials that Ouyang Xiu replaced in Kaifeng Mansion are still there, so they can easily understand Zhao Zongquan's movements.
The more Li Hao thought about it, the more he felt that his idea was good, and he immediately decided to discuss it with Ouyang Xiu.
It's just that today is Chen Shengzhi's first time to take office in the Third Division. It is neither appropriate nor reasonable for Li Hao to leave, and it seems inappropriate to go to the Privy Council to discuss the matter.
So I planned to go to Ouyang Xiu's house to explain it in detail after I was released from office.
Just as Li Hao was thinking about what to say, Chen Shengzhi arrived at the Sansi Gate in a carriage.
After receiving the news at this time, Sui Teng, the envoy of the Ministry of Revenue, and Chi Peng, the envoy of Duzhi, hurried out to greet them.
Li Hao suddenly saw the two people next to him moving, and quickly followed after reacting.
At this time, Chen Shengzhi had already got off the carriage, and the three of them were waiting outside the door of the mansion.
Seeing this situation, Chen Shengzhi said kindly: "The three adults are too polite. Why are you standing outside?"
Sui Teng said: "Your Excellency is the chief officer of the Third Division. He has just taken up his post today. It is appropriate for those of us who are subordinates to come out to greet you."
Chi Peng on the side kept echoing, which made Li Hao, who was standing on the side, feel that he couldn't do anything if he didn't say a few words.
After a while of cheesy flattery, Sui Teng finally said: "This must be your first time coming to Sansi. Why don't we take you around here and let Ning get familiar with the layout here."
Chen Shengzhi said: "That's good, then it will be a burden to the three adults."
Hearing what Chen Shengzhi said, Sui Teng said, "This is what we should do. You're welcome, sir."
He turned around and took Chen Shengzhi around Sansi, introducing them as he went around, and the introduction was really vivid.
Li Hao couldn't help but sigh. If this guy were in modern times, he would definitely be a good candidate to be a tour guide.
However, this is also the first time that Li Hao has transferred to the Third Division. Although Li Hao has been working in the Third Division for more than a month, he is only familiar with a few useful places.
But after reading it this time, Li Hao felt that this yamen was not as impressive as the Kaifeng Mansion, and he didn't know if all the people in charge of money were stingy.
However, Li Hao felt that Chen Shengzhi was quite happy shopping, but he didn't know whether it was for this place or for the rights.
By the time everyone returned to the main hall of the Third Division, an hour had passed.
The four of them took their seats, and Li Hao, who was the most junior, took the last position.
After resting for a while, Chen Shengzhi said: "I am new here and don't know much about the affairs of the Third Division, so I would like to ask three adults for advice. I don't know if it is possible."
The three people naturally agreed to this, and then Chen Shengzhi first asked Sui Teng about the household affairs department, starting from the shallower to the deeper and finally leaving Sui Teng speechless. It was obvious that he had been fully prepared.
This made Li Hao and Chi Peng feel confused. They didn't know if Chen Shengzhi was simply giving him a blow or if he was going to do something else.
But no matter what, the two of them were still ready
Prepare to receive Chen Shengzhi's inquiry.
Of course, in the end, Chi Peng was defeated in a hurry, and his performance was not as good as Sui Teng.
Li Hao's performance was the best. After all, Li Hao had done enough homework in order to check the salt tax.
So after seeing that he really couldn't answer the question, Chen Shengzhi said: "It seems that Mr. Li knows everything about the Salt and Iron Division. No wonder he achieved such results in the previous round.
Of course, the other two adults are also pillars of the country and are usually busy with official duties. It is normal for them to make occasional mistakes and I can understand them.
Next, I would like to check the income and expenditure account books of the three divisions in the past three years, and I would like to ask three adults to send someone to sort them out for me. "
Regarding this request, Sui Teng and Chi Peng, who had just lost their sense of proportion, naturally had nothing to say. They just said that there were too many accounts and they needed to spend some time sorting them out.
Chen Shengzhi didn't criticize him harshly, so he agreed.
As for Li Hao, this request is not difficult at all, because it is for the convenience of grasping the situation.
When he first took office, Li Hao organized people to check and verify the accounts, which can be sent at any time now.
Of course, Li Hao had no intention of taking the lead in this matter. He would just wait until everyone else was ready and send it up together.
But obviously, even if Li Hao intends to hide his edge, it does not mean that Chen Shengzhi will ignore Li Hao so easily.
When Li Hao and the others were about to leave, Chen Shengzhi stopped Li Hao alone and said, "Master Li, please stay here for a moment. I have some questions about the salt tax inspection ahead."
After hearing this, the other two people looked at each other, then looked at Li Hao, and left first.
After the two left, Chen Shengzhi praised him: "Last year, your delegation from Yangzhou paid taxes to the imperial court for more than half a year. It was impressive."
Li Hao said modestly: "Your Excellency, this is not my fault alone. Without the support of the officials and ministers, and the responsible efforts of my subordinates, I would not have been able to do this."
Chen Shengzhi said: "Master Li is being too modest. First of all, you are capable. Others may not be able to accomplish this.
But speaking of subordinates, you loaned Judge Cai away from me back then and didn't even say you would return him to me. "
Listening to the tone, Li Hao naturally knew that he was joking. After all, it was impossible for Chen Shengzhi not to know about Cai Xiang's stay in Huainan.
But since Chen Shengzhi said it, Li Hao then continued: "Sir, you have wrongfully accused me to death.
Judge Cai, no, we should call him Envoy Cai now. He is someone who has caught the eye of the officials and is highly valued by the officials.
I can't stop people from getting promoted, so I can just bring them back. "
Chen Shengzhi said: "That's true. If a person goes to higher places, he can achieve the results he has today. I am also happy for him."
The two chatted and laughed for a while, but they got closer to each other, and then Chen Shengzhi said: "Before I was transferred to the third position as envoy, the officials specially summoned me into the palace.
When you told me about your matter, the officials said that you are still studying the reform of the salt tax.
Please let me support you so that you can continue to do this. I wonder if you have any specific ideas during this time. "
Li Hao replied: "The reform of the salt tax is not as simple as the previous salt tax inspection. It is really difficult to fundamentally solve the problem.
Therefore, Xianguan plans to take a step-by-step approach, first rectifying the salt fields in various places, and dealing with the widespread bullying suffered by salt households today.
In this way, people's livelihood can be restored, and salt households can support the court. Coupled with strengthening supervision, we can cut off some sources of illegal salt from the source and reduce the amount of illegal salt on the market.
In addition, in view of the excessively high price of official salt, Xiaguan is also looking for ways to reduce the cost of salt production, so as to reduce the price of official salt and crack down on private salt sales while ensuring the collection of salt tax.
After these two items have achieved initial results, we will carry out follow-up measures to ensure that salt tax collection can continue to grow without major changes. "
Chen Shengzhi nodded and said, "Your idea is not bad, so let's do it.
If you need my support for anything, you can come to me at any time. "
Li Hao immediately said: "I would like to thank you for your support."
Afterwards, Chen Shengzhi expressed concern for Li Hao and let Li Hao leave.
When Li Hao came out, he saw Sui Teng and Chi Peng before he had gone far.
As soon as they found Li Hao, they gathered around and asked, "Master Chen left you to talk just now, what did you say?
If there is any benefit, you can't forget our two brothers. "
Li Hao said: "What else can Sir Chen ask me for, other than to ask about the salt tax reform.
After all, the officials are also watching this matter. Mr. Chen has to show his attitude, otherwise he can't make sense. "
After listening to Li Hao's words, the two of them had no doubts. Sui Teng said: "That's true. You are the hero of the rescue, and you are naturally more important than Mr. Chen in the eyes of the officials.
As for Mr. Li's promotion path in the past few years, we will have to give him a lot of help in the future. "
Li Hao quickly said: "Master Sui is just joking. I just have better luck. How can I say that I am a supporter or not?"
The two people knew what Chen Shengzhi was looking for for Li Hao. Since it had nothing to do with them, they were relieved.
Afterwards, the three of them chatted outside for a while, and then each returned to his or her office. After all, the two of them had to have their account books sorted out for three years, which was a big project.
But Li Hao was not so busy anymore. He casually handled some official documents and it was time to go to the office.
After Li Hao left the Third Division, he went to Ouyang Xiu's mansion and discussed with him whether to recommend Zhao Zongquan to take over as the governor of Kaifeng.
