In the Ming Dynasty, there were only three ways to be an official in the Ming Dynasty: the imperial examination, the imperial examination, and the donation. Of course, there were capable ministers in the three categories of officials, but compared to being an official, the imperial examination was relatively poor and understood the worldly style. Compared with the imperial examination, the Jinshi and the first place were more shameful. Especially those who were an official, becoming an official is for wealth, but a large part of the tax revenue of the Ministry of Revenue comes from this.

It's no wonder that others were. From the sixth to eighth years of Longtai, the emperor launched a battle with the Northern Zhou and Dongyi, and fought and stopped. Although he took back the Sixteen City of Youyun and other places, he also saved all the dividends since the Hongqing Restoration. In the war, the war was originally a battle for silver, and the imperial treasury was empty, so he had to increase his income by selling official positions and titles.

After the new policy of Longtai 11th, the court gradually controlled the quota of donating departments, but the price of donating officials soared. In the wealthy districts and counties, a county magistrate reached 100,000 taels of silver, which was almost equivalent to the tax revenue of some ordinary counties in one year.

The prefect of Taiyuan, Xu Maode, was a Jinshi in the seventh year of Longtai. After that, he studied history in the Hanlin Academy. He was a poor Hanlin Academy for eight years and had a good reputation. Later, Emperor Ming Zhu Wuneng Special Jian (the emperor's Qin sect, no one recommended him) served as the magistrate of Shuoping. In just ten years, he rose all the way until Taiyuan's governor, and was appointed as the third rank.

When I arrived at the Taiyuan Prefectural Office, Xu Maode actually greeted him out in person. I was not a formal official, but the other party was a third-rank official, which surprised me. Xu Maode had a thin face, a slender figure, neatly trimmed moustaches, and his words were even more like a spring breeze.

I have long heard that Dengwenyuan has a new supervisor. I didn’t expect that he would be so young. He is really a hero!

I didn't have the habit of kneeling down, so I saluted according to the rules of the world, saying that Lord Xu had been too much and was just a small bodyguard. I passed by the land and didn't want to alarm the adults, so I didn't dare to come and visit.

Xu Maodedao, the yamen in the eighteen states in the world, I wish you, the head of the escort, had passed through their territory. Now my brother has taken the lead, which is a bit enviable.

Although this is a bit fake, it sounds really smooth. Xu Maode is only forty years old and has a long-term political future. If the current trend is based on the future, after the prince ascended the throne, it will be the time for him to make great achievements. The newly popular celebrities around me, for these people with political ambitions, will naturally not miss any opportunity.

When we were asked to the Prefectural Office, Xu Maode abandoned his left and right, leaving only Zhang Youwei to make tea. We sat down to have tea and chatted, talking about some interesting things in the court, and talking about our experiences in Taiyuan.

Obviously, Xu Maode lowered his figure and approached me with a purpose. The important officials of the court are strictly prohibited from forming cliques for personal gain. If you approach the vassal king, you are suspected of being rebellious. If you want to approach the Eastern Palace, you will be even more ruthless. Think about it, the emperor's dragon body is Zheng'an, you and the prince are flirting with each other, and you are looking forward to the emperor's return to the west as soon as possible.

However, there are not so many taboos when making friends with people like me who do not have a formal official position. Xu Maode talked to me about his governance policy in Taiyuan Prefecture, promoting water conservancy, running schools, light taxes, and focusing on business. After all, I was amazed.

There were many eloquent officials in the Ming Dynasty, but few could actually put these words into practice. Generally, officials were either frustrated by their ex's shortcomings or acted as firefighters to deal with various emergencies. They had no time to care about people's livelihood, but Xu Maode did, at least in terms of data, was much better than most prefects.

After a while, I was taught very well. Usually, the officials below came to visit, and the officials either complained or complained. Xu Maode did not do this. First, they had no deep friendship with me, and I was not a member of the officialdom. Second, they probably wanted to express their loyalty to His Highness through me. Maybe one day Zhu Runze won the ceremony and would have a more famous Daoer in the future when he went to the capital to do business in the future?

The two chatted for half an hour, and Xu Maode arranged for Zhang Youwei to invite me and say goodbye to do business by himself. Generally, the magistrates of the prefectures and counties below only visited them.

When he arrived at the Six Gate Yamen, Zhang Youwei knelt down and bowed. I said, "Captain Zhang doesn't need to be polite, just think I am a person in the world." By the way, how did you know that I entered the city?"

Zhang Youwei smiled and said that his subordinate received a document from Chief Meng a month ago, saying that the supervisor would pass by Taiyuan soon and had already told the city defense side. Besides, the adult's road guide was issued by the Liushemen headquarters, so it would be difficult not to attract attention.

So that's it. It seems that the method of registering a real name into the city is indeed effective. I thought it was a secret, but at that time, I forgot about it, so I asked Zhang Youwei to get a few more road guides for me in case of emergency.

I said that I heard that Taiyuan Prefecture has good security and Captain Zhang made an indelible contribution.

Zhang Youwei, these are all prefects

(This chapter is not finished, please turn the page). Lord Nietai has made merit. Originally, Lord Nietai also wanted to see you, but I had a business in my life a few days ago and went to Xishui to do business. Taiyuan Prefecture is close to Xiliang, and recently Governor Wei is conducting military exercises in Xiliang again. It is difficult to think about public security.

The Demon Sect is here to disturb trouble, don’t you care about the Six Gates?

Zhang Youwei said a little embarrassedly, "The Six Gates have the responsibility to supervise the affairs of the world, but as long as it does not hinder people's livelihood, they always turn a blind eye. The grudge between Guanlong and Hei and White and the Demon Sect cannot be said to be right or wrong, and Liu Gates are not convenient to interfere.

I also felt that my problem was a bit amateur, so I turned to the Demon-Slaying Conference.

Zhang Youwei said: Since the beginning of this year, the Demon Cult has been in constant conflicts with the Guanlong Wulin in order to compete for the waterway wharf. At the beginning, both sides were still tolerant. In June, Li Hanlin, the second son of the Li family in Guanlong, teased the Demon Cult's black-robed Rakshasa in the Liuxianlou, but was blinded and cut off his arm, causing a conflict between the two sides.

Li Boyang was furious and led his people to chase him all the way. He fought in Majiabao and then captured the black-robed Rakshasa. After that, the Demon Cult and the Li family negotiated many times but failed. The two sides agreed to discuss martial arts in Xinghualing on the seventh day of the 10th month. The Li family posted heroic posts in the Central Plains, which led to the saying of the Demon-killing Conference.

I asked: It is rumored in the world that the Demon Cult does everything evil in the Guanlong area, killing innocent people indiscriminately, and killing more than 100 people from Majiabao. Is this a matter?

Zhang Youwei said: Although the Demon Cult is poor and evil, it is considered to be abiding by the rules of the world, and rumors in the world are also untrue. The Li family controls the rumors in the world and blindly smears the Demon Sect, so that the Demon Slaying Master can become famous. However, the Majiabao tragedy was done by the Demon Sect. As for why, it is unknown to the subordinates.

Zhang Youwei and I are going to the nearest court residence to learn about the latest updates of the court.

When the King of Qi was old, Zhu Qiyi was posthumously named King Qing. His three-year-old son Zhu Youku succeeded to the position of vassal king, which can be considered an explanation to Zhu Kuaibo. The King of Qi himself was granted the title of Governor and Governor of Shandong, Henan and Huainan by the emperor's order. This appointment caused an uproar in the court without the cabinet's edict.

At the beginning of the founding of the country, Emperor Taizu clearly ordered the vassal kings not to serve as local officials. Emperor Ming issued an order directly despite the opposition of the cabinet, which allowed the King of Qi to summarize the military and political power in the Shandong area. It should be noted that these states have the position of guarding the capital. Once a rebellion occurs in the capital, these troops are the first force to enter the capital to serve the king. It can be seen that Emperor Ming cared for the King of Qi. The King of Qi wrote three letters to resign, but he did not dare to take office.

In an inconspicuous place, I saw a personnel matter: Song Siqi, the magistrate of Qiongzhou, was transferred to the position of Fang Qing Lisi, and took office today. Song Siqi, who wrote an article "On the Necessity of Reform of the Prince's Mansion System", advocated the reduction of the vassal state, and was transferred back in less than a year and was still on duty in the Qing Lisi, the Ministry of War. This arrangement is intriguing!

On the second day, the second draft of the bid for Datong Trading was made. Miao Chunyu contacted a local Wulong Escort Agency and the Central Plains Escort Agency to protect it. After reading the bid, I shook my head and thought that I could only do this. So I asked Liu Qingfeng to play cards at Zuixianlou in the afternoon. He Youxiao sent a message to him, but Manager Liao actually agreed.

There is probably a chance! Liu Qingfeng said.

I came to Zuixianlou and asked for a private room, and the three of them fought together. The landlord. To put it bluntly, this kind of social engagement and card game is to give money to Manager Liao. If you ask someone to do something, you have to give some benefits, right?

Unexpectedly, Liu Qingfeng was so lucky today that in more than half an hour, he actually beat Manager Liao for more than ten taels of silver. Manager Liao was so distressed that he sucked his teeth.

In one game, Liu Qingfeng took the king bomb, four twos, one set of dragons. Manager Liao just made a Zhang against three, and Liu Qingfeng directly exploded, and he muttered something:

If you press the cards like King Blast, you will not have any shocking power until you hit the end, and you will have to start. You will be frying until you are unsure of holding the cards, and you will be frying until you are dry and you will even begin to doubt your life.

Manager Liao's face turned pale. I kept winking at him and almost used a ten-slap in the dragon to give him a few more. Manager Liao lost seven or eight taels of silver. I couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Don't you go to the bathroom?"

Liu Qingfeng shook his head, I was afraid that I would transport the cards to the urine and lose my urine.

I pulled him up and walked out the door. What are we doing?

Isn't this playing cards?

Playing business cards, don’t you?

I can, but I can't help it!

There is no way to find a way for me!

After being scolded by me, Liu Qingfeng returned to his seat with a calm face. I said, "Master Liao, it's boring to play like this, it's better to have five taels of silver per game. In this game, when Liu Qingfeng left the last card, I saw that he was going to run away again, so I directly blocked him by the king.

Out to the end

(This chapter is not finished, please turn the page) One picture, Manager Liao said: Shan San!

Liu Qingfeng had a cold face and couldn't afford it.

Manager Liao won more than 20 taels of silver in one afternoon and was in a very happy mood.

The three of them had a big meal in Zuixianlou, and Manager Liao left with satisfaction.

Before leaving, I took Manager Liao's hand at the hand, Boss Liao, look at our escort in Xiliang. Manager Liao then revealed that we, Manager Lu, had read the bid for the Yanmen Escort Agency, and was quite satisfied. After all, we have been working together for many years, as for the cost...

I handed over ten taels of silver notes, Manager Liao stretched out a finger, and then said in a secret way, but I didn't say anything!

That's natural!

On the second day, Datong Business Agency invited us to open the bid. The results of the bid came out and the Yanmen Escort Agency won the bid.

Miao Chunyu mocked: Qin's escort, the thirty taels of silver yesterday were reimbursed from Yanbei Road, right?

Liu Qingfeng looked unhappy: As far as I said, I should have won Guangya yesterday, which made us lose more than 30 taels of silver! This kid took the money and didn't do anything!

As soon as he walked out of the door, Manager Liao followed him and said, "I'm sorry, the two brothers, the shopkeeper made the decision on this trip, and the brother can do nothing.

Liu Qingfeng said that he had known this result before, and the Demon Cult would kill you a few days ago.

I said, how do you speak?

Then apologize to Manager Liao. My brother is straightforward, so Manager Liao should not be angry.

Manager Liao said: This single escort is too big, I can't make the decision, but Datong Business has some scattered businesses on Shanxi Road. I can speak this area, and it's a few thousand taels of silver a year. Why don't we start from these places first?

Liu Qingfeng immediately smiled happily. Boss Liao was loyal enough. Next time someone chased you, I told me that my brothers have no choice!

Manager Liao looked dark.

When he returned to the escort agency, Miao Chunyu changed his face and asked us about our well-being.

Of course I know what he is thinking. I negotiated this Datong business, and according to the performance management method of the escort agency, it is naturally counted on me. But I thought I would rely on them to operate it in the future, so I said: This business is included in the account of Yanbei Road. Everyone is their own people, so there is no need to calculate it so clearly. However, yesterday's thirty taels of silver...

Miao Chunyu patted her chest and said, of course the fifty taels of silver yesterday will be reimbursed!

Don’t go, thirty taels means thirty taels.

I pointed at He Youxiao. This kid looks like a lump of wood. Alas! His head is not very smart.

He Youxiao's face turned gray when he heard this.

After leaving the escort agency, He Youxiao chased after him, with a bad expression on his face. Qin Escort Master, what you said just now made me embarrassed.

I smiled. You have been so close to us these days. If I praise you a few words, Miao Chunyu's nature will not hate you to the core. You don't have to worry too much. If you really can't stay on Yanbei Road, when you arrive in the capital, our small and micro business department will still be short of people!

He Youxiao then said, "I have seen through Yanbei Road. A group of people do nothing and fight for small profits to the death."

I said that when we work for others, we should be low-key and work in a high-profile manner. You are different from them. You are still young, so you should take the initiative to do things and take the initiative to take responsibility. On the day I came here, I said, "You must find a way to do everything and don't always make excuses."

The next day, Liu Qingfeng and I left Taiyuan. Zhang Youwei asked us a few fake road guides and sent us out of the city. Before leaving, he gave me a silver note: This is my wish and the prefect, so please don’t refuse.

Twenty miles west of Taiyuan is the Ximen River. I waited at the ferry for half an hour, but I didn’t see the boatman. Liu Qingfeng and I were drinking tea at a tea stall by the river. When we asked Dr. Tea, it turned out that Xinghualing was the one who passed through the Ximen River. A meeting of demon-killing was held in two days. In the past few days, the rivers and lakes were constantly marching. Two days ago, I accidentally killed a boatman. Those boatmen had already been away from home.

Liu Qingfeng said that since he was here, the decisive battle between Guanlong martial arts and the Demon Sect between Xinghualing is probably a rare event after the Jiangnan martial arts conference. It would be a pity not to join in the fun.

The bodyguard business we do will stay in trouble soon, so it’s better to find a way to leave early.

Liu Qingfeng said, look at that girl, are you waving to you?

I turned my head and looked at it. There was a lonely boat in the center of Ximen River. A woman in green stood on it. She smiled. When she saw me turn her head, she waved her green sleeves lightly.

I sighed. If the fight starts in a while, you don’t have to worry about me and just run away. If it really doesn’t work, just go back to Taiyuan City to wait for me.

(End of this chapter)
Chapter completed!