During Zhao Ding's exile, calligraphy and tea art did improve significantly, and Li Gang and Yu Yunwen accompanied Zhao Xiang to talk about the tea art of three incense sticks, which was the current major event of the Great Zhou.

Li Gang was very worried about the encirclement and suppression of Fang La, "On the south side of the Yangtze River, the reinforcements from the four routes fought steadily with the archers of the Xiang army, and the Fang La army was gradually pressed back to Hangzhou. The materials, money and grain were not transported, the court opened the door of convenience, Han Shizhong asked for help from the Western Army and Zong Ze, Yao Pingzhong begged for soldiers and horses from the Western Army all day long, Liu Guangshi had the support of the Jiangnan gentry and businessmen, Liu Chengdong sent troops in a hurry, and I heard that he had lost most of his family property, cough cough. ”

Yu Yunwen was embarrassed, "I hurriedly pushed Liu Chengdong into battle, not only because I value him, but also because I can't draw out the generals, I can't transfer the Wu family brothers on Sichuan Road, so I can only catch ducks on the shelves." Fortunately, Liu Chengdong was knowledgeable and did not cross the line, but only added some wine, meat, clothes and medicine, and tried his best to cooperate with Han Shizhong......"

Zhao Ding is also satisfied with Liu Chengdong, "I have been misguided for many years, and I have no half of my life in the battle array, and I am a usable talent who knows how to advance and retreat." The past few years on the mountain have benefited him a lot, and Da Zhou is short of good generals, so I hope he will work hard. ”

Li Gang frowned and said: "Before, because of the erosion in the south of the Yangtze River, many places were affected, resulting in an empty treasury. As a last resort, the door of convenience was opened, and the generals of the four roads were allowed to raise food and train troops according to their abilities. Now that the autumn grain is in place one after another, it is also time to strengthen control, and Liu Chengdong's self-raised money and grain should also be put on the back, after all, the layer-by-layer system and the rule of martial arts with culture are the cornerstone of my Great Zhou. ”

Zhao Ding and Yu Yunwen nodded in agreement, so ten days later, the reinforcements from the four routes, including Liu Chengdong, were quickly restrained, and there was no longer room for free play.

Zhao Ding took out a few letters and sighed: "This is the excerpt that just arrived at the center in the evening. There were far more displaced people in Guanlong, Shaanxi, and Hedong than in previous years, and there was no great harm if they took some trouble to settle down, but the western army and the Xiang army in the north could no longer be transferred. Zong Ze controls an army of 100,000 in Cizhou, urging grain and grass all day long, as well as the food and salary of the Western Army......"

"The great flood in Huainan is very widespread, Dali has just been withdrawn from Lingnan, the local area is eroded, Jinghu Lake has also been affected in many places, and the autumn grain in the warehouse has dropped by three percent. Fortunately, the commercial tax makes up for some shortfalls, but I am afraid that I will have to use the copper money in the treasury to buy grain at a high price, and the copper money handed over by the city department is several million yuan, which is not easy, but it is ...... to strictly control the overseas running boats."

"On the Jiangnan side, the places that have been recovered should send county officials to take up their posts as soon as possible, and the victims of the disaster should be comforted. Lingnan is exempt from tax for three years, and there are places north of the Yellow River...... Now the scholars only want to be noble officials, and avoid remote states and counties like snakes and scorpions, and there is a lack of hundreds of county orders north of the Yellow River in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and I don't know how Cai Xiang did it. Speaking of Cai Xiang, alas, ......" Zhao Xiang said this, his expression was a little unnatural, Li Gang and Yu Yunwen glanced at each other, lowered their heads and drank tea, and stopped talking.

The news of Cai Xiang's death from illness during exile has just been transmitted back to Bianjing, and many people are emotional, some are happy, and many people are in mixed moods. Cai Jing's protégé was all over the world, and because of this, he was suspicious of the new emperor, coupled with the defeat many years ago and the corruption problem that vaguely pointed to Cai Jing, the big tree finally fell down.

Li Gang talked about the situation north of Youyun, "The next war between the Jurchens and the Liao State is likely to break out before the beginning of spring next year." What does Zhao Xiang think I should do in the Great Zhou, Lian Liao to resist Jin, or Lian Jin to destroy Liao? ”

Zhao Ding's face was tense and his mood was gloomy, "If possible, the old man would rather not help each other." Rectifying the troops and horses and guarding against the border is the right thing. I don't know how Wang Xiang calculates, I'm afraid that some stupid people only think about the good thing of losing both. You must know that people are savages, barbarians, but not stupid people, how can there be so many cheap and easy to pick up? But after all, there are too few Jurchen people, no matter how brave and unstoppable they are, do they dare to offend me? ”

Yu Yunwen also has a reputation as a "knowing soldier", "Zhao Xiang said very well, if you want to pick up cheap, you need a hard knife, otherwise it will become a joke." There are few Jurchens, although they are not afraid of it going south, they must prevent it from hurting people after all. Xia Guan thought that it was necessary to increase support for Zong Ze and strengthen the attraction of civil forces in the north, and with the army that could fight and the people who dared to fight, my Great Zhou would be safe. ”

Li Gang agreed, and Zhao Ding also agreed to take power in a hurry and increase support for the Zongze Ministry. Several scholars and doctors sighed about the rise and fall of the Liao State, and then mentioned the trading meeting of the Great Xiangguo Temple.

"I heard that tomorrow's Daxiangguo Temple Ten Thousand Surnames Trading Conference has changed a lot compared to the past, and there are still a lot of new things?" Zhao Ding ate the soft and glutinous dim sum and asked casually.

"The abbot of Yuanguang is very tight, only I have heard that there is a fresh heating stove, and everything else is vague information." Yu Yunwen has a nephew who has just arrived in Bianjing, in order to run his own business, so Yu Yunwen has heard some rumors.

Li Gang, who is also the third envoy, is very interested in financial goods, he put down his chopsticks, frowned and said: "The strange man of the Great Xiangguo Temple became famous in one fell swoop by running the limelight of the Ten Thousand Surnames Trading Conference, and this grand event has also become the financial source of the Great Xiangguo Temple. Over the years, the Great Xiangguo Temple has been going downhill, and Master Yuanguang has made a statement on the way of commerce, is there really any trick in the Great Xiangguo Temple? ”

Zhao Ding waved his hand, "After all, Xiaodao'er!" ”

Li Gang was taught, "It's a good look, after all, it's a small ......"

Located in the west city of Bianjing, Cai's mansion still retains the appearance of Caijing's scenery, with pavilions, rockery gardens, high walls and green tiles, carved beams and painted buildings. The Cai Mansion in the heavy courtyard of the door is no longer the hustle and bustle of the cars and horses of the past, and it is silent at the moment, with a hint of decay in the desert.

The Cai family, who sat in the main hall, had relatives, and when Cai Jingquan was in the court, these clansmen followed behind to do business and buy land, open mines and run boats, study and become officials, and took advantage of a lot of advantages. Now that the head of the family has been exiled and died of illness, things are not good.

Of course, the Cai family will not collapse with a bang, but if most of the interests in their hands are handed over, will the hungry wolves around them let go of this good opportunity? The big clan was originally a bird of the same forest, and they flew separately when disaster came. The Cai family's houses, no matter whether they are in or out of the house, don't want to continue to stay together, waiting for people to come to the door to cut meat.

Cai Xiang has gone, but there are many old protégés, and they will talk about some feelings, after all, the prince of heaven and earth is part of the "orthodoxy" of Confucianism. Staying in the clan can enjoy the remaining shade, and setting up another door will be more difficult, and other families have a lot less scruples when cutting meat from them, but the Cai family still wants to live their own ways, how can they get along well?

As a gentry family, the Cai family has a back hand in each room, and they are more or less preparing for the arrival of this day, after all, they have seen a lot, and they are naturally worried a lot. The long-lasting big clans are far stronger than the small people in terms of crisis awareness, and being prepared for danger in times of peace is by no means empty talk for them, and many large families have special education in this area.

The Cai family's houses are free to live, and there is no shortage of food and clothing, but most of the hidden interests cannot be saved, and the best result is that the main branches are preserved, and the houses are dying. are all people who have been educated by the Cai family, how can each room not understand...... After each house left the clan, it had its own backers and supporters, Cai Jing had been in power for decades, and they had hidden a lot of benefits and attracted a lot of relationships.

Why does the big clan not stop fighting, you fight for me, and sometimes do not hesitate to introduce outsiders? This question is so funny, the things in the clan belong to everyone, how can there be a real place under their own bed, so you take a bite and I take a bite, and it is only right for everyone to pull as much as possible into their own bowls.

Continuing to huddle together for warmth, the Cai family as a whole can generally keep more resources, but the interests of each house will be more damaged. Scattered, the main branch may be cut to death, or there may be a few broken houses, but the remaining few rooms can be saved. This is the psychology of the Cai family present, everyone felt that the people in the other rooms wanted to disperse, so everyone united to put pressure on Cai Quan.

The choice of the Cai family is not difficult to understand. Staying at home can only grieve yourself, fulfill the main branch, and set up another door is likely to be better, what are you hesitating about? As for the main branch? Just kidding, when the Cai family was in the scenery, it was also the main branch that took advantage, and now that the Cai family is about to disperse, of course they have to attract the attention of people who have a heart. They are all descendants of the Cai family, shouldn't the main branch sacrifice himself to complete each house? Maybe after a few years, he will be able to make a comeback and continue to carry forward the Cai family...... How can the main branch be so selfish as to ruin the family's hopes?

The old butler walked in from the back hall, his voice cold. He told the representatives of the Cai family present that the new patriarch Cai Quan agreed to divide the family and let them do their own thing. Then he turned and left, leaving behind the representatives of each room with different expressions, and let them be sad or happy in the cold wind.

"Look, look. As soon as he became the new head of the family, he ignored us old guys. I wanted everyone to work together to carry it on, but now it seems that it is okay not to stay, chilling. Go to Hugh ~ Go Hugh ~~~ "The eldest member of the Cai family is Cai Jing's cousin, who has an idle job and has many children and grandchildren. He had already prepared the way back, and cried about Cai Quan's coldness, so he walked out quickly with his father's tablet, took all his assets, and ran to a new life with his children and grandchildren.

"The new head of the family doesn't look down on us. Thanks to the old man, he was still thinking that he would rather break the house than keep the vitality of the main branch, but now it seems that there is no hope. Ancestors and ancestors, it's not that the old man just wants to save his family, it's just that the Cai family needs to keep the seeds, and the current head of the family is not a ...... who can protect the family" This is the patriarch of Cai Jing's generation again, holding a few tablets and crying, and finally crying and fainting to the ground, and was taken away by his two sons. The remaining representatives of each room seemed to have opened a cloth printing workshop on their faces, and emotions such as regret, disdain, and weakness of heart emerged one by one.

Xu is afraid that Cai Quan will regret it, or the tone laid by the two clan elders is very suitable, neither embarrassing nor ugly, and there is also the "righteousness" of forbearance for the resurgence of the Cai family, and more and more people are leaving. The performances of the representatives of each room have their own merits, they have all received a good education in scripture, and there is nothing wrong with careful consideration, which can be regarded as "good gathering and good dispersion".

Representatives of all parties complained that Cai Quan was unreliable and that he could only leave, some scolded the main branch for being unfilial, and sooner or later brought ruin to the Cai family, so they had to leave, and those who wanted to take away more industries and asked the main branch to give an explanation, and so on. When emotional, those who hit the wall and the pillar took out their knives and were clear-minded, and their kowtows were stained with blood all over the ground, which was colorful.

With a thin middle-aged man who could not speak well, he stumbled and said something like revitalizing the Cai family in the morning and evening, and then left quickly, and there were only two representatives left in the field. One is Cai Quan's own brother, and the other is a distant relative of the Cai family who has played with Cai Quan since childhood. The sound of footsteps in the back hall came, and the two of them sat with resentment on their faces.

Cai Quan was dressed in heavy filial piety, put incense sticks in the incense burner on the table, and asked without looking back: "Why didn't you leave?" "The voice is a little hoarse, but very firm. There is no aggressive tone, but it makes people feel stressful.

"Fight tiger brothers, go into battle father and son soldiers."

"I don't have a good brain, I've never been welcomed, if it weren't for your cousin, I would still eat bran at home. I don't have a good place to go, so I can only follow you. ”

Cai Quan turned to look at the distant cousin, and the corners of his mouth grinned, "You will also be my brother in the future." The Cai family, no. ”

The cold wind passed through the hall, and Cai Quan's shadow shook on the ground......

Tomorrow is the winter solstice, and after the news of Cai Jing's death came, the heads of many wealthy families in Bianjing did not rest. Some people have relatives, some people gloat, and more people consider more practical issues, such as Wang Boyan and Huang Qianshan, two adults, who discussed the plan to divide Cai Jing's officialdom inheritance overnight......

Jiangmen five families, Zhang Li Wang Fan Ma. The master of the Ma family received an urgent report from the housekeeper, wrapped in a robe and came to the warm pavilion, looking at the information of the Cai family, the walnuts in his palms kept turning.

The housekeeper reminded carefully, "Master, the steward of our firm is still outside, isn't it ......?"

The master of the Ma family still retains the pride of a martial artist, and patted his head, "Oops, forget about this." Hurry up and let him in, don't freeze. ”

Jiangmen's business in Bianjing is the most important, most of the stewards are born to the family, and the stewards and shopkeepers who are in charge of accounts and other secrets are close to the head of the family. The steward who saw the Ma family late at night was once a personal soldier of the Ma family, who saved the life of the Ma family, and was qualified to knock on the door late at night to ask for a meeting.

The steward was not in a hurry, and said his plan, "Master Qiqi, this is probably the case. The Cai family has collapsed, and there are not many things that can be saved, who can eat the fattest piece first, please decide. ”

The iron walnut stopped in the palm of his hand, and the Ma family master leaned comfortably on the back of the chair, "Don't want the fattest pieces, you can take it if you don't stuff your teeth if you have a large amount, but don't be greedy." The leader of the Cai family's boat gang pulled together and paid attention to eating each other...... It's not easy in the world, when Lao Tzu was on the battlefield, you kid always wanted to move forward......"

The grandfather of the Ma family kept in mind the family motto that made the Ma family prosperous, quickly made a choice, and then began to recall the past eventful years. The steward who was born in a soldier was moved, and after getting the skin of the boat gang and the master of the Ma family, he couldn't control it anymore, and he was holding the thick legs of the general.

It is not only the Ma family that is eyeing the huge assets of the Cai family, but also the Jiangmen. In this feast, the big gentry are the main force, the major merchants are the starters, the royal family and the big family are the biggest profiteers, and the generals, the gentry and the wealthy businessmen eat leftovers. The last bit of scum left is to share the food of the gentry and the people in various places, and make a little adjustment.