Qi Tai finished today's business and returned home very early in the afternoon.

He sat for a long time on a wicker chair in his study, drinking tea. There is a Guozi prison supervisor next to him who reads Tongjian, and the version is the Southern Song Dynasty Jingben. He had read the book for a long time, but sometimes he wanted to review it, but he didn't want to bother with it; He'd find someone to read, just sit and listen.

There are often scholars and officials in the Qi Mansion who come to walk around, and those who do not have any status can wait to study in front of Qi Tai, which is simply an errand they can't ask for. The inmate picked by Qi Tai has a very good voice, and he reads correctly and sounds.

Sometimes, Qi Tai would also listen to some popular books, such as Song Jiang, a book written by the modern literati Shi Nai'an, about the anti-uprising, and Qi Tai found it very interesting. The content is exaggerated, but why the people in the book rebel is also reasonable.

The invigilator finished reading the volume, pausing for a moment. Qi Tai said, "That's all for today." ”

The prisoner bowed respectfully, closed the book and put it back on the shelf, then clenched his fists in his farewell, lifted the hem of his robe, and stepped out of the threshold.

Qi Tai continued to stay in the study, he turned his chair in the same direction, faced the wall, and stared at the fake painting of the late crossing of the Snow Creek, looking at it in contemplation.

At this moment, his young and beautiful, daughter-like wife Yang Yunniang walked into the study, she came up and took away the cold tea, and said, "Husband, I came back early today." ”

Qi Tai turned his head and said, "It's done, come back early." ”

The couple usually don't have much to say, and they usually still say things like that, such as food, clothing, housing and transportation, and they do their own things without saying two sentences.

But today, Yang suddenly said something deeper: "Why is my husband always unhappy? ”

Qi Tai was a little surprised: "Is there one? ”

Yang pointed to his face and said, "Every day seems to be very sad, but people in the world envy their husbands." ”

Qi Tai glanced at her and said, "It's hard to repay Jun's kindness." ”

As soon as the words fell, a servant in cloth with his hair in a bun walked to the door of the study, bent down and said, "My lord, Lord Gao is here." ”

Yang immediately said, "It's Xianning." ”

Qi Tai said: "Tell him to come in." ”

"Yes." The servant answered and withdrew.

Yang is more welcome to visit Qi Tai's student Gao Xianning, because Gao Xianning is more interesting after he comes, he often speaks easily and laughs, and will tell some anecdotes, and he is not so serious.

After a while, Gao Xianning arrived, walked straight into the study, and came up to salute. Then Gao Xianning said to the Yang family: "The master is fine." Qi Tai said casually: "Sit down." ”

Yang said: "You teachers and students are talking, I will make a pot of tea, and then ask someone to prepare a table of wine and food." Hyun-nyeong is going to have dinner at home today. ”

Gao Xianning smiled: "Then how embarrassing? Students come to eat and drink from time to time, should they pay some food to the teacher's wife? ”

Yang said: "Then you can't just say it. ”

Gao Xianning smiled and said, "You are busy first." He glanced in the direction of Zitai's chair and turned his head to look at the forgery on the wall.

Seeing this, Qi Tai also followed Gao Xianning to take a look, and the two of them watched for a while, and the atmosphere was a little weird. Gao Xianning took a few steps forward and sat down on a chair.

"Today, the Qian envoy of the Imperial Division came to me, and we talked for a while." Qi Tai spoke. He then recounted the matter and ins and outs of Qian Xun's deficit with Gao Xianning.

Gao Xianning listened to it and said, "The students feel that this matter is an opportunity. ”

"How?" Qi Tai immediately asked with interest.

Gao Xianning thought for a while and said: "The wall bricks on the inner city wall of the Jingshi have inscriptions on them, and the names of the officials above the fifth or sixth level above the brick maker are on them. This was when Taizu built the Jingshi city wall, and it was done for the sake of reliable masonry. ”

Zitai nodded, motioning for him to continue.

Gao Xianning said: "Simply turn your head together, but you still have to use such a method; It's just that those who turn their heads come from countless prefectures and counties, with different sources and scattered supplies in various places. The imperial court built walled houses, made ordnance, and was always assigned in this way.

Now the saint requires good armor and firearms, if he uses Taizu's method, it will not be possible. A set of armor, from the supply to the forging of armor, assembled into a set, how to make each piece of armor engraved with a name? The materials have been forged by fire, how to check the source of the iron?

Therefore, in order to create a good and reliable armor, or to make a sturdy fire gun with accurate dimensions, there are many rules to be followed. ”

Qi Tai said: "Qian Xun's officialdom is inexperienced, and he is very loyal to the saint, so he does it himself. He's pretty much done with it, but he's left a mess and now he's coming to me for help. ”

Gao Xianning said: "Mentor Mingjian, there is only one Qian Xun. If this matter is changed, it will be difficult to do it, and even if Qian Xun does it a second time, it may not be able to do it well. ”

Qi Tai nodded yes.

Gao Xianning said: "If every time the saint asks for something like this, then the rules will have to be changed." Next time, let Xia Butang or Ru Butang do it, and see what he does. This is the opportunity? ”

When Qi Tai heard this, his half-squinted eyes suddenly opened, and he looked at Gao Xianning with strange eyes.

Gao Xianning bowed his hand, with a meaningful smile on his face.

Qi Tai muttered: "The Holy Lord has said some things, some of which are very novel and difficult to understand, about industry and commerce, about currency. At first, I was often confused by what I heard, but after thinking about it a few times, I felt that it made sense and was very profound. Gradually, it seemed that he could understand what the Holy One wanted. ”

He paused and said, "At first, I didn't understand because I didn't expect that the Holy Lord would think so deeply about the specific affairs inside and outside the court when he was in the army. ”

The two of them fell silent, and sat there as if they were thinking, as if they were reminiscing.

At this time, Yang Yunniang personally walked in with a teapot and cup. She saw that the teacher and student were sitting silently and silently, and she was suddenly surprised: "Did the husband and Xianning quarrel? ”

Gao Xianning came back to his senses, smiled, and arched his hand: "No, no." There is Lao Shiniang personally serving tea, and the students are rude. ”

Yang Yunniang shook her head, walked to the side of a few cases, and poured two cups of tea with her own hands. After closing the lid, she left the study, not disturbing the conversation again.

Qi Tai said: "You can start from small to large, starting with the Southern Department Iron Works. Qian Xun's approach is right, and it is also in line with the meaning of the saint. Use money and profit as a connection between various links, division of labor and cooperation.

Spend money to buy iron and charcoal from private mines or government-run mines, and the other party will find a way to provide good materials in order to make a sale; And not out of compulsion to cope. And the method of hiring craftsmen with money can also select craftsmen and obtain skilled craftsmen.

In the past, the method of decentralizing the supply of each prefecture was through a government decree; The imperial court did not have to pay for it, and passed on the costs to the local government, but the results were obviously poor. And there is no room for delays, shortages of supply, and there is no way to sustain it; If something goes wrong in one ring, it drags down the whole situation. ”

Gao Xianning frowned and said: "Qian Xun's method, the student thinks that there are three difficulties. First, if the number of weapons produced by the iron factories increased, or if this method was extended to all yamen, then the imperial court would undoubtedly need a large amount of money to maintain it.

Originally, the imperial court profited from the local government, one was to let the local government supply goods in kind to the military cantonments and yamen in various places on a regular basis, and the other was to levy labor and requisition manpower for free.

Once the imperial court switched to currency to maintain the situation, taxes and levies had to be changed. In the past few years, it could be maintained through the central bank mint, but in the future, the imperial court was worried that too much currency would be issued and the minting would be unprofitable, so it could only try to increase its cash income.

Second, the law must be changed to allow private businessmen such as merchants and private mine owners to legally hire manpower; In this way, the imperial court can purchase a large amount of materials and materials.

I am afraid that there is a lot of resistance to this proposal. In this way, private people were allowed to gather a large number of dingkou, and the court had to guard against their rebellion; Or prevent them from coercing a large number of people with their livelihood and claiming power from the government.

In all dynasties, the imperial court has devoted itself to maintaining the scattered number of homesteaders and weakening the power of the wealthy clans, as a plan for long-term peace and stability. Doing the opposite is inevitable and there will be criticism.

Thirdly, the students thought that the problems mentioned by Jian Butang were not untrue. A large number of coins are circulating in various links, maintaining the situation; Then it is inevitable that there will be corrupt officials and corrupt officials, who will work in it, fill their own pockets, and relax procurement for the sake of benefits. If the result is still shoddy, but adds a lot of problems, then the gains outweigh the losses. ”

Qi Tai nodded and said, "Xianning is very reasonable, and he is very thoughtful; That's why I didn't oppose Xia Yuanji's party too much. If the change of law does not get better, I am afraid that in the end, those practical benefits will fall into the hands of the so-called new party, which will be harmful to the imperial court. ”

Qi Tai thought for a while, looked at Gao Xianning and said, "What do you think is the way to limit the power of the various yamen?" ”

Gao Xianning immediately smiled and said, "The teacher once taught the students, the way of balance? ”

Qi Tai stroked his palm and said, "You remember it well." In the future, we must consider multi-party checks and balances, otherwise we cannot change the law. ”

The two of them stopped their heated discussion for a moment, and Zitai got up from his chair and paced for a moment among the piles of books.

Gao Xianning said with a solemn expression: "This kind of layout and consideration is really unprecedented. The breadth of the implications and the weight of the consequences are unpredictable. Is it good or bad? ”

Qi Tai said in a deep voice: "If the saint wants to develop his ambitions, this is what he wants to achieve." I have been tactfully persuading the Holy One to be cautious, but since the Holy One is determined not to repent, I have just repaid the favor with my body. ”

Gao Xianning listened, got up and bowed respectfully to Qi Tai: "The student is willing to help the teacher." ”

Qi Tai walked to the door, looked outside, and with his hands behind his back, the study fell into a long silence again. Gao Xianning picked up the tea that Shi Niang put on several cases, put it to his lips and took a sip.

(Tianjin)