Zheng Sheng met Sima Chang in the middle hall of the county government.

However, the current county government has changed its owner, and Zheng Sheng's original familiar hall has also changed greatly, and the hall that was originally based on simplicity has become gorgeous, making Zheng Sheng almost think that he has come to the wrong place.

Sima Chang sat behind a curtain inlaid with jade, gold and silver to see him, while Zheng Sheng stood six or seven zhang away, and could only see a vague figure sitting on the main seat over there.

Zheng Sheng respectfully saluted Sima Chang according to the number of courtesies. Zheng Sheng couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Mrs. Wang's strict etiquette to him before was finally useful!

However, the meeting lasted less than half a pillar of incense. After Sima Chang said a few words to Zheng Sheng and encouraged him a few more words, he asked Zheng Sheng to retreat.

Zheng Sheng left in a daze.

And Sima Chang thought about the Zheng villain he had just seen, but he was quite irritable. Xia Xin, the house slave on the side, changed the tea for him, and Sima Chang took a sip of the cup, still in a depressed mood.

Xia Xin stiffened his face and said in a low voice with a smile: "When I see Zheng Xiaoshizi, I think of Xinye Gong." No wonder Xinye Gong wanted to run to see him in private, this Zheng Shizi's respectful appearance is quite similar to Xinye Gong! ”

Sima Chang finally understood where he was uncomfortable, it turned out to be like this! He nodded quietly and took another sip of tea, "This is the scholar you found for yourself?" No wonder the temperaments are so similar. ”

Xia Xin's eyes rolled, and he was so trembling that he had to say something. Sima Chang put down the teacup, Zheng Sheng was just an insignificant little person in his eyes, and he would reveal it after saying a sentence or two. He was thinking about another thing, this is a big deal, "Have you checked the accounts of Shunyang's treasury and grain money?" ”

Xia Xin immediately knelt on the ground: "King, it's been investigated." Shunyang now has 170,000 yuan, more than 10,000 stones of grain, and 1,000 horses of cloth. ”

Sima Chang sighed and said in a low voice: "It's really a poor place." Forget it, the widow is not unreasonable, and take out another 500,000 yuan from my inner treasury. Do the math again, how much is there to repair my palace? ”

Xia Xin glanced at him cautiously, "At least a million dollars are needed." ”

"Millions? Not a lot, either. Tell me, what's a good idea to raise money? ”

Xia Xin smiled flatteringly: "King, although Shunyang County has 20,000 households, but it is a poor land with seven mountains, two rivers and one field, and it is difficult to raise this money." ”

"You guy, the first king was kind and loved the people, how can I do something to give to the people, especially the people of the kingdom are my people. What do you want to give this idea to the widow? Sima Chang glared and smiled.

"No, no. The king, the little one has another idea. The more Xia Xin spoke, the smoother he became, "The common people in Shunyang County are poor, but there are also big wealthy businessmen." The Han family, the Min family, the Shunyang Shen family, the Nanxiang Gu family, and so on. These families have a wide range of fertile land, and I don't know how much people's ointment they have accumulated! ”

Sima Chang frowned, "You mean to raise money from big households?" ”

"King, didn't you just take down the corrupt official Zhao Lian a few days ago, and you have already deterred the rich people of Shunyang once, the king wants to repair the palace, why don't these people help?"

Sima Chang laughed heartily and nodded, "That makes sense." ”

"Moreover, there are also small ones who have heard that the merchants and low-level households in Shunyang are also widely accumulating money and grain......

Zheng Sheng left the Shunyang Palace, and originally planned to return to Qingzhuling immediately after meeting Sima Chang. But not long ago, Zheng Sheng received a series of banquet invitations from Shen Ming and Xie Zhou.

Zheng Sheng thought that he had come to Shunyang, and he couldn't help but contact them, so he had to delay in Shunyang for another day or two.

Zheng Sheng returned to his home in Dongyangli.

He thought about things all the way, Zheng Wen had already told him that Zheng Meng seemed to have given up completely, the Zheng caravan returned to Zheng Wen's hands, and all Zheng Ming's subordinates who had been monitoring the Zheng family disappeared, and Zheng Meng also honestly continued to do the work of the soldiers, and everything returned to its former appearance, as if nothing had happened.

Zheng Sheng felt tired, and Zheng Ming's movements were really unpredictable. He planned a big operation for so long and did not hesitate to tear his face, just because he set off a few fireworks and completely abolished it?

He didn't believe it.

Although now, Zheng Ming's influence in the Zheng family has dropped to the freezing point, it seems that Zheng Luo no longer poses a threat to him. But is that really the case? Zheng Sheng didn't dare to let his guard down.

Zheng Miao's hand retracted, not because he was afraid, but for the next time he made a more ruthless move!

Zheng Sheng let out a sigh of relief.

When he got home, Zheng Wen hurriedly walked up, "Kewu, how is it?" What did the king say to you? Zheng Sheng recalled it and couldn't help but shake his head, although he had seen Sima Chang, Zheng Sheng's impression of him was still vague, this king was not very kind.

After briefly mentioning two sentences, Zheng Sheng and Zheng Wen listened to the results of Ren Zhi together.

Now Ren Ji is still busy with Shunyang's affairs.

Zheng Sheng came, and Ren Zhi naturally had to say something to him.

In fact, there is not much to say about Shunyang, and the important thing is that Qingmeiju has reopened; A new restaurant is also being built on the site of Zuixiangju. In addition, it is the recruitment of family members that Ren has been busy with.

"Now a total of 175 family members have been recruited, and 289 people in the caravan guard battalion, according to the requirements of the prince, the guards are all men in the prime of life, and there are also forty-six people under the age of fifteen."

Zheng Sheng listened to this number of people and asked with some surprise, "Are there so many?" Where are they now? ”

"It's still over there in the spring breeze. Although almost half of the people on the side of the spring breeze have signed up, we have only recruited nearly 200 people in the spring breeze after excluding some of the old and infirm. But after that, the poor people near Shunyang came one after another after hearing that the prince recruited family members and guards and had good remuneration. I had no choice but to choose the best men among them to come out and accept them. ”

Zheng Wen frowned and said, "There are a lot of people. Kewu, do you need to recruit so many guards? That's a lot of money! ”

Ren Ji also began to complain, "And there is no shortage of manpower everywhere, these family members are actually useless, do you want them to stay in the spring breeze all the time?" ”

Zheng Sheng slowly answered the question, "Now the guards of our caravan are too weak, more than two hundred people are assigned to it, and a convoy of ten carriages is only a dozen or so guards, is it a lot?" I think it's still too little. ”

Zheng Wen and Ren were speechless. They couldn't understand Zheng Sheng's move to add guards to the caravan. According to the example given by Zheng Sheng, the original ten carriages were equipped with more than 30 servants and more than a dozen guards, but now Zheng Sheng has doubled the guards of full-time guards at once, is it necessary?

Zheng Sheng continued to think about his plan, "These two or three hundred guards will be assigned to various caravans, and then they will go to the Xishan camp in batches to receive training. As for the family members," Zheng Sheng said with a smile, "After the beginning of spring, just send them all to Qingzhuling." ”

"What are you doing with so many people?" Zheng Wen asked.

Zheng Sheng smiled, "When the time comes, you will naturally understand." ”

That night, Zheng Sheng and Xie Zhou had a light meal together at Qingmeiju, but he found that Xie Zhou was a little depressed.

However, Zheng Sheng didn't ask why Zhou was bothered. After all, this Sheren was not very familiar with him.

The feast ended hastily. But the next day, Zheng Sheng was very happy at the Shen family.

Shen asked about the fireworks and revealed that he wanted to buy a batch of fireworks. Zheng Sheng was very happy that finally his fireworks business had its first customers.

However, after the meal, one of King Shunyang's relatives led people to the Shen family on a rampage, and he was very discouraged.

Zheng Sheng didn't have time to go out, so he had to hide behind the screen and listen carefully.

The words of the King of Shunyang came to Zheng Sheng's ears. "The palace of Shunyang has not been repaired, but the people in Shunyang are poor and cannot afford to repair the palace, so they have come to borrow a sum of food money from your family. Our king has said that he can make a written note for a period of one year, and he will return it at that time. ”

Zheng Sheng understood the meaning of this pro-entourage's words, in fact, no matter what the reason was, anyone knew what King Shunyang wanted to do.

It's extortion!

Shen Fang smiled and said: "There is no need for the note, but I don't know how much money the king wants to borrow?" ”

"The document still has to be established, and our king can make it clear. As for how much to borrow, well, your Shen family, it's 200,000 yuan. "The entourage gave a number very clearly.

The corners of Shen Fang's mouth twitched, and he still kept smiling, "Two hundred thousand yuan, this is not a small amount, and please explain to the king that Rong Lao is raising it." ”

After the "royal envoy" left, Zheng Sheng walked out from behind the screen.

Shen Ming said angrily: "Father, it's nearly 300,000 yuan in just a few days, is this king going to squeeze the bones and scrape the marrow?" ”

Shen Fang coughed, glanced at Zheng Sheng, and sighed: "If we don't promise the king, what else can we do?" ”

Zheng Sheng walked back to Dongyang in a depressed mood, speculating about how much money and food Sima Chang could probably scavenge in the half month that Sima Chang had just come to Shunyang. All in all, that's a staggering number.

Back in Dongyangli, Ren Ju and Zheng Wen sat in the lobby with solemn expressions.

"What's going on?" Zheng Sheng asked strangely.

Zheng Wen told what happened not long ago: "The people of the King of Shunyang went to Qing Meiju and said that they wanted to borrow a sum of money from us,"

Zheng Sheng frowned, Nima, this is blackmailing me. Borrow money? Everyone knows that this king borrowed money, but he borrowed it but did not repay it. When it's due, who dares to ask for it?

"How much?"

"Three hundred thousand."

Zheng Sheng touched his nose, Sima Chang is thinking about money and going crazy, right? Three hundred thousand? Previously, after Sima Chang arrived in Shunyang, Zheng Wen discussed with Ren Ju, and in the name of Zheng, he offered Sima Chang a large sum of 100,000 yuan in various names of Jinyi and gifts.

Shen's 300,000 and Zheng's 400,000, just the two of them, Sima Chang got 700,000 money at once!

Zheng Sheng exhaled lightly, he had already felt: Shunyang, this small place in the northwest of Jingzhou, because of the arrival of this Shunyang king, the wind and rain are coming soon!