Chapter 1136: The Old Man

Last month, a Liao merchant died of illness on the island, and the Song people took care of the funeral for Shang Jia, taking care of his business, helping him find buyers for goods, exchanging goods that were not easy to keep for money, and then sealing the property properly.

When the merchant's son came to the island to pick up his father's coffin and return to his hometown, what he didn't expect was that the Song people returned all the belongings left by Shang Jia to Shang Jia's son.

The money was put in the Imperial Song Bank, and there was even interest! After deducting the escrow fee, Shangjia's son also made a lot of money because of his father's goods.

Such piles and piles are unimaginable in any country outside the Great Song Dynasty, and for a time, Zhangzidao and Ludao have a reputation among merchants from various countries, and they are simply hot lands of gold.

Therefore, when Cai Bian and Shao Bowen came to Zhangzi Island, they were shocked and stunned by the bustling trade bazaar, the wide and clean roads, the luxurious residences and shops on both sides of the street, and the wealthy businessmen dressed in silk and satin and covered in jewels.

The harbor and customs of Zhangzi Island are huge stone castles, and the tall lighthouse is thicker than the iron tower in Kaifeng.

The slopes of the island are a forbidden area, where military fortresses are located, and the windows of the low fortresses face the bay, and in the bay are moored several armed schooners of various sizes.

"This is simply a small Bianjing city!" Cai Bian sighed with heartfelt emotion: "Meizhou, Yunzhou, Yezhou, and Jiaozhou on Nanhai Road are also like this? ”

Shao Bowen smiled: "I heard that it is even more prosperous than here. ”

Cai Bian gave up his hand to Zhang San: "The festival has opened up several sources of profit for the Great Song Dynasty, and the annual income of the Great Song Dynasty has increased by at least 30%, which is no less than the opening up of the South China Sea by the Guogong." ”

Zhang San picked his head: "I don't dare to compare with the young master, I did this, in fact, I also obeyed his instructions." At the beginning, it was just for the sake of business and profit, but I didn't know what was going on, and I made it look like this! ”

Everyone laughed.

Jin Yi got three thousand armor weapons, and this time the imperial court will definitely reward him vigorously, and he was already satisfied, and said to Zhang San: "The two islands are really a big change in a year." Why don't you all go to my house and sit down? ”

Cai Bian was surprised: "Yo? Ambassador Kim still has an industry on Zhangzi Island? ”

Jin Yi said with a smile: "My family is a maritime merchant, and I have been running to the Ming Prefecture of the Great Song Dynasty for a long time. ”

"Zhangzi Island is convenient to enter and exit, from my hometown, the second largest city in Goryeo Xijing is not far away, so I simply bought a property on the island, at that time it only cost fifty yuan of foreign money, and now, thanks to the blessing of the Great Song Dynasty, the value has increased almost a hundred times!"

When Shao Bowen heard this, he joked to Jin Yi: "Then you have to let the ambassador go back to the host today, this is simply a prosperous fortune!" ”

Speaking of this, the head of the Great Song Customs greeted him and bowed to everyone again and again: "The lower official greets Mr. Cai, Mr. Shao." ”

A few people saw the ceremony, and Cai Bian asked: "Look at your familiarity, you are the former commander of the East Gate Division Zhang Zhongguan, right?" ”

"Ouch, the maester remembers me." The middle-aged lieutenant hurriedly surrendered his hand: "The next official is Zhang Shiliang." He has passed the will to Hanlin several times for His Majesty, and it is difficult for the bachelor to remember. ”

Cai Bian asked, "Why don't you serve by the Queen Mother's side?" ”

Zhang Shiliang said with a smile: "After handing over the dispatch from the Inner East Gate, Xia Guan has been helping the Queen Mother to take care of the charity fund and the affairs of the Inner Treasury. Didn't His Majesty say that the lower officials barely understood some of the economy, so they sent him over to preside over customs affairs? ”

Up to now, the suppression of eunuchs in the Northern Song Dynasty can be said to be unprecedented.

During the Xining period, Zhao Ji once said to the minister: "There are many eunuchs in Fangjin, and the former provincial officials have entered the inner service." In the peerless world, benevolent government does not take. And you can't use three shifts of envoys to replace their ministry! ”

The third class of envoys is a low-level military attache who guards the treasury, the palace gate, and the imperial city. The prime minister at that time was Wu Chong, and immediately said: "This sincerity and virtue are not pursued, and the ministers dare not pursue it!" ”

And how much is Zhao Ji's mouth? It refers to the time of the Renzong Dynasty, and the number of eunuchs reached one hundred and eighty.

And what is the number of eunuchs in all dynasties in history? Those who are familiar with the Three Kingdoms should know that at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yuan Shao led the army into the palace, "all the eunuchs were killed, and all the two cadres were more than one person", and the number of eunuchs was at least more than 1,000 people.

The number of eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty, according to the "Old Tang Book: The Biography of Eunuchs", reached more than 3,000 during the time of Tang Zhongzong, including more than 1,000 foreign officials above the level of super-award.

By the time of Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the eunuchs had "more than 3,000 eunuchs in yellow clothes", and the eunuchs with official rank alone were about three times that of Zhongzong.

At the time of Mu Zong, "the number of high-grade white bodies was four thousand six hundred and eighteen." "If it is estimated according to the proportion of the Tang Dynasty, the number of eunuchs in the late Tang Dynasty may exceed 10,000.

The Ming Dynasty was even more exaggerated, and there were always 70,000 to 100,000 during the Chongzhen period.

Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty kept saying that he wanted to learn the lessons of the Ming Dynasty, and used it as a negative teaching material to educate his subordinates, and later Qianlong inherited the lessons of his grandfather and ordered the number of eunuchs not to exceed 3,000 people, and he also set an example to control the number of eunuchs at - 2,600 and 5 people.

And Wu Chong saw that Zhao Ji's 180 people were too many, so he compressed the number of eunuchs to about 100.

Therefore, Cai Bian was basically very polite to Zhang Shiliang, and said with a smile: "The lieutenant envoy is picking up a fat difference." ”

Zhang Shiliang didn't even dare to say: "It's all for Your Majesty." ”

Shao Bowen was very interested in the construction of Zhangzigang and the fortress on the mountain, and looking at feng shui was also his forte, so he nodded again and again: "Look at this pattern, Lieutenant Zhang is still a master......

Zhang Shiliang waved his hand again and again: "Where does the lower official have this ability, this is the handiwork of Sitong to create Li Bei's system." ”

These words made Shao Bowen stunned when he heard it: "When will the Sitong construction be made?" ”

Zhang Shiliang was surprised: "Master Li Qing, Master Li, Mr. Shao has a lot of connections with Sitong, so he should know each other, right?" ”

"Huh? I've never heard of it......"

Zhang Shiliang suddenly reacted: "By the way, a few people just came from Japan, no wonder they don't know." A few months ago, Sitong Mining Exploration Department helped the Liao Emperor to drill the Wuquan Well, and in front of the Liao Emperor, the body was appropriate, plus the previous achievements of the Bohai County oilfield, His Majesty was very happy, so he gave Li Lang the name of the Qing, and also promoted the Baowen Pavilion to be systematized, and the Ministry of Industry served Lang! ”

"Huh?" Shao Bowen couldn't help but be overjoyed: "It turned out to be an uncle!" He's on the island now? ”

Zhang Shiliang smiled: "Exactly! His Majesty wanted to build Zhangzi Island, so he ordered him to make the Queen of Liao not have to return to China for the time being, and to come to the island to plan and arrange first. ”

Shaw asked, "Where is he now?" ”

Zhang Shiliang said: "Now the city has also been built to a rough scale, and the canal is being built to divert water, which will not only meet the needs of the fortress in the future, but also lead the spring down, and let a city be used by the way." ”

"No, I'm still working in the mountains."

Shao Bowen said with a smile: "Fortunately, it took some time to help Ping Zhengsheng conquer Ezo, and this happened to happen." ”

Zhang Shiliang said: "First go to the customs yamen to sit down, tonight the next official will pick up the wind and wash the dust, and then relax on the island." ”

"This is the first time that an envoy of my court has visited Goryeo, and the Goryeo royal family will send a companion to greet him."

Cai Bian said: "Actually, no, Master Yitian is also with the ship this time, isn't he the highest standard companion?" ”

Yitian said: "The little monk is an outsider, and his biggest wish now is to promote Buddhism, righteousness, and literature in our country, but he does not dare to mess with other things." ”

Cai Bian also agreed: "The master is well-informed, famous, and is the master of the Fa, and Cai Bian has also gained a lot along the way." ”

Yitian said: "The third brother of my lay family is now guarding Xijing, and my father wants to send a companion, most likely he is him." ”

Jin Yi hurriedly explained: "The third brother of the master is the Jilin Gong of the Xia Kingdom. The daughter of the elder Fu of your country is now the favorite concubine of Jilin Gong, and she is not an outsider. ”