After Jiang Yan, Zhang Guangcheng was sent ashore.

After passing through Baimi, he handed over the letter written on the boat to the secretary of the White Rice Regiment who was guarding the towing dam and interrogating the passing ships, and asked the secretary office to quickly send it to Li Zhiyong, the supervisor of the White Rice Regiment. After Qutang, let Lu Daming go ashore and call Yu Jiansheng. When he was about to arrive at Hujiaji, Han Xiufeng seemed to remember Fang Shimei, who had been following behind.

Fang Shimei didn't dare not listen to Old Ghost Xu, and he didn't dare to offend Han Xiufeng, as soon as he got on the boat, he said with a bitter face: "Brother Han, I didn't expect you to be missing, it's really none of my business......

"Brother Fang, do you think I'll be angry with you because of this?" Han Xiufeng couldn't help asking.

"No, what kind of character Brother Han is, not to mention that there is a reason for this lack of affairs, even if there are no thieves and bandits to make such a mess, just a nine-grade sesame is missing, you won't take it to heart, brother!"

"That's it, please use tea, let's say while drinking tea."

"I'm not thirsty, I've just drunk it."

"Okay, let's get down to business." Han Xiufeng looked at the sky outside and asked bluntly: "Brother Fang, does Xu Tongzhi have any other explanations besides letting you act as the maritime security inspector?" ”

"Yes." Fang Shimei didn't dare or need to hide it, took out the charter of Old Ghost Xu from his arms, and said helplessly: "Master Xu asked me to persuade the squires under my jurisdiction to donate money and grain after I arrived, and asked me to raise five thousand taels of silver and five hundred stone rice within ten days. He also asked me to gather forty young men and women to help the yamen suppress the place. ”

"Five thousand taels, plus five hundred stone rice!"

"I'm having a headache about this, saying that I am soliciting donations and wages, but in fact I am collecting food and increasing consumption. The flower households can't collect all the land and silver, how can they have money and food donations? The squires and the big families have money and surplus food, but are they so good at talking! ”

Whether it is collecting land and silver or grain, the squire has one method, the large households have one method, and the ordinary people have another method. Although it is necessary to collect fire consumption from the squire and large households, the fire consumption is much less than that of the squires and large households of the ordinary people.

Thinking of this, Han Xiufeng couldn't help but smile and said: "This errand can't be done well to win the post, and the errand can't be done like this official." I thought that Master Xu was heavy Brother Fang, and he originally planned to roast Brother Fang on the fire. ”

"Only then does my brother know what kind of sin I did in my last life to get this unlucky errand!"

"Brother Fang, it's useless to complain, the top priority is how to deal with Master Xu."

"How?" The more Fang Shimei thought about it, the more aggrieved he became, and he said hatefully: "I'm already like this, what's there to be afraid of, it's a big deal to lose my official, anyway, this official has nothing to do." ”

Han Xiufeng thought to himself that although Old Ghost Xu promised to help find the vacancy vacated by Li Changjing, not to mention that he might not be able to find it, even if he could act as Shangzhoutong, he could only be a shaking head old man who said nothing. And Fang Shimei not only has no courage, but is even timid and afraid, so it is not a bad thing for him to do a maritime security inspection.

"Brother Fang, there are no outsiders here, you don't have any scruples."

"No, no, I have nothing to scruple about, what do I say, Brother Han, but it doesn't hurt to say it."

"How much money can you earn a year doing inspections?"

Fang Shimei didn't expect Han Xiufeng to ask this, so after thinking about it, he said embarrassedly: "Brother Han, I'm unproductive, timid and small, so naturally I can't compare with you." But if you can really do it in a down-to-earth way, you can still earn five or six thousand taels. ”

Han Xiufeng groaned: "Earn two thousand taels a year? ”

Fang Shimei said embarrassedly: "That's all." ”

"Brother Fang, I think so, no matter what Old Master Xu has in mind, since he asked you to act as the agent of the sea security inspection, you can't let it out easily. Think about it, it's only been how long he moved to Taizhou, and he persuaded him to donate so many hats. People don't just spend money for decency, maybe they will go to the capital to make offerings in a short time. Of course, even if they find a vacancy, they will not return to Taizhou to be officials. But what about other places, especially the gentry in Liangguang and Huguang who donated their crowns. In short, the top is becoming less and less valuable, but the lack is more and more valuable, and the wolf has more meat and less meat, don't you say? ”

"It's true, it's so difficult to sign a vacancy now, and it will only be more difficult in the future!"

"So since you have signed it, you can't easily let it out, gritting your teeth and working for a year, I'll help you find a way to find a real teaching, and you have to do it for three or five years."

Don't say this, Fang Shimei won't believe it easily.

Han Xiufeng said this, but Fang Shimei felt credible, because he had already inquired about Han Xiufeng's details and knew that Han Xiufeng "had someone in the court".

was about to thank him, but when he thought of the errand assigned by Old Ghost Xu, he said with a sad face: "Brother Han, who doesn't want to be an official, but this official can't do it!" If I can't raise all the money and food within ten days, Master Xu will definitely transfer me back to Taizhou to defend the city, and he will definitely let other alternate inspectors come to Hai'an to take over. ”

"Then find a way to raise it."

"How to raise it, this is not something that can be done by thinking about it, if you don't do it, it will provoke a civil uprising!"

Han Xiufeng patted him on the shoulder, looked at him with a smile and said, "Brother Fang, five thousand miles of silver plus five hundred stone rice, say a lot less, say more is not much." You must have a thousand taels of silver, and the gap is only three or four thousand taels. I'll help you talk to the pawnshop shopkeeper to see if you can borrow three or four thousand taels from the pawnshop in the town. As for the five hundred stone rice, I will ask Dean Gu and them to help you think of a way. ”

Fang Shimei asked with a smile: "Brother Han, what's the point of letting me pay out of my own pocket for the imperial court, not to mention not only letting me pay out of my pocket, but also borrowing it!" ”

"Stay in Qingshan without worrying about no firewood, as long as this inspection can be done for the previous term, the upside-down and pawnshop borrowing will be able to earn back sooner or later."

"That being said, the reason is also the same, but now the world is not peaceful, and the thieves are about to be killed in Taizhou, and this official can't do it for long if he wants to!"

"Brother Fang, it's not as terrible as you think." Han Xiufeng patiently analyzed the situation with him, and then changed the conversation: "Think about it, as long as we can grit our teeth and survive this hurdle, what will the imperial court think and think of us?" This is the wealth and danger of seeking, I put the words here, if you miss this opportunity, you will definitely regret it in the future. ”

Thinking that the bandits would not necessarily look at Taizhou, let alone the horns of Shanghai An, and that the army of Xiang Rong and Qi Shan, the ministers of the Qin Mission, was on the way to aid Yangzhou, Fang Shimei found that Taizhou, especially Hai'an, was not so dangerous. He scratched his neck and weighed it, and asked again and again: "Brother Han, you can fight according to what you say, but the pawnshop's silver is not so easy to borrow, not to mention that I may not be able to borrow, even if I can borrow this interest, it will not be less." ”

"Brother Fang, you are not borrowing money for yourself, you are not only for the sake of Master Xu, but also for the people of Hai'an!" Han Xiufeng stared at him and nodded, and said, "Believe me, Dean Gu, they have a rod and scale in their hearts. You will be able to borrow this money and grain, and the interest will not be calculated with you. However, no matter how big or small it is after you take office, you have to discuss it with Dean Gu and them.

Zhuo Muxian said

Recommend a friend's new book, the title of the book is "I want to be the richest man when I am born", introduction: The richest man is three good, more money, better life and less trouble. Reborn in 2008, Shen Yan decided: to be the richest man!