Yang Guozhong's temper has been quite irritable in the past two days, with a gloomy face all day long, and he scolds the slaves and maids in the house, and the entire Yang Mansion seems to have returned to the three cold days, the reason is that his chief Yang Xuan is the head of the food department of the Ministry of Rites, and all links have been opened, even Li Linfu nodded and agreed, but when he was transferred to the ministry, he was rejected by Yang Shenjin, "If you are not from the imperial examination, you will not be hired!" ’

The reason for this is that Yang Guozhong naturally understands, it is clear that Yang Shenjin is taking revenge for personal gain, where is what is not from the imperial examination, otherwise how can he be the imperial historian, and now he is also the post of Shaoqing of Taifu Temple, but even if Yang Guozhong knows, he is helpless, Yang Shenjin is a servant of the ministry, and he has real power, and when his anger is nowhere to vent, his slave suffers.

On this afternoon, after returning from the imperial city, Yang Guo locked himself in the study, of course, he was not to read the scriptures and read history, but to discuss with his son's master, Zhao Yue, the champion of the imperial examination the year before last, about Yang Xuan's participation in this year's imperial examination.

"Jinshi Ke emphasizes poetry, Ming Jing Ke is biased, and his subordinates think that the public foundation is not too good, but they can report to Ming Jing Ke, and the chance of taking it is correspondingly much greater."

Zhao Yue said while cautiously peeking at Yang Guozhong's face, since Li Linfu placed him next to Yang Guozhong, Zhao Yue quickly won the trust of Yang Guozhong, who was eager for talent, with his talent and learning, and became his courage, but he also really despised this person who did not learn and did not know how to do it.

And he's even more bullshit. I haven't finished the four books and five classics, so I want to participate in the provincial examination of Datang with the people I donated last year? Hum! It's ridiculous.

But his face couldn't show it at all, he bent down and said with a smile: "My subordinates can prepare more than a dozen policies for the Grand Duke at that time, as long as the Duke knows it by heart." ”

Although Yang Guozhong does not know how to learn, after all, he has been a Beijing official for nearly a year, and he also knows that the Tang Imperial Examination must not be passed by memorizing a dozen policy theories, and Zhao Yue said it lightly. Obviously deceiving himself for ignorance, he was slightly annoyed, and immediately said in a long tone: "It's the best, if you can't rely on it, you will go to the palace as a guard, wasn't Li Xiangguo also a guard back then?" ”

After speaking. He glared at Zhao Yue fiercely, his eyes revealing dissatisfaction.

Zhao Yue saw that Yang Guozhong's face was not good, and he hurriedly changed his words: "The subordinates don't mean that, the subordinates say that as long as you get the secret of the scientific examination in advance and make sufficient preparations, you will be sure to pass the Ming Jing scientific examination." ”

"So that's what you mean, I misunderstood you."

Yang Guozhong's face turned a little pale, and he pondered for a moment and said, "I don't know who is the main examiner this year?" ”

"I heard that it is the Ministry of Rites Lang Da Xi Xun is the positive, and the Ministry of Officials Examination Lang Miao Jinqing is the deputy."

Zhao Yue saw Yang Guozhong's embarrassed face, and couldn't help but smile slightly: "Why didn't Lord Cheng ask Xiangguo for this matter." In fact, it only takes one sentence from Lee Sang-kook. ”

Yang Guozhong woke up, but he refused to lose this face in front of Zhao Yue. He coughed dryly and said solemnly: "The imperial examination is a major event of the whole country. How can I chill the heart of the corporal because of my son alone, as the imperial historian, I must abide by the law and discipline, and I must not mention this matter in the future, you should review him well, and if he passes the exam, he will be a guard, and I will be an official in a few years. ”

Zhao Yuexin secretly scolded him for being shameless, but his face showed shame and said: "Yu Shi Cheng is high and bright. But the subordinates thought dirty. ”

At this moment, there was the sound of hurried footsteps outside. The housekeeper whispered outside: "Master, His Royal Highness King Qing sent someone to wait outside the mansion, he wants to see the master!" ”

"His Royal Highness King Qing sent someone?"

Yang Guozhong's eyebrows twisted into a ball in surprise, he was very familiar with King Qing's Li Li, but it was just a friendship on the wine table, like King Qing specially sent someone here, but this was the first time, what would happen to him, he looked at Zhao Yue, and said with a smile: "The dog is working hard in the back house, so it will trouble Mr." Zhao Yue understood, so he went straight away.

After a while, the housekeeper led a person to Yang Guozhong's study, only to see that he was less than thirty years old, handsome, fair-skinned, but there was always a gloomy aura between his eyebrows and eyes, if Li Qing saw this person, he would definitely be surprised, this person was the only person in the Hai family who escaped back then, Hailan's second Haiheng.

He fled to Chang'an to find his sister, but soon the Hai family incident, his sister was retired by King Qing, sent into the workshop, and he was handsome because of his handsome appearance, was seen by King Qing with broken sleeves, hidden by his side, renamed Jia Hai, he hated, bent to welcome and please King Qing, gradually gained his trust, became his confidant, and was appointed as an archdeacon, fully responsible for running his business, early this morning, King Qing Li Cong sent him to find Yang Guozhong, to explore the possibility of an alliance between the two sides.

He took a step forward, knelt down to Yang Guozhong first, took out a letter from his arms, and handed it over with both hands, "This is a handwritten letter from my lord to Yang Cheng, please take a look." ”

Yang Guozhong took the letter, looked Haiheng up and down first, and suddenly asked: "Listening to your accent, it seems that you are also from Shu, what is your name?" What is your position in the Qingwang Mansion? ”

Hai Heng got up and saluted Yang Guozhong again, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly: "The next surname is Jia Minghai, he is the archdeacon of the prince's mansion, and he does some business for him. ”

When Yang Guozhong heard this, he couldn't help laughing, "It turns out that he is still an old man, come!" Please sit down and talk. ”

Yang Guozhong pulled two chairs and asked Jia Hai (later called Jia Hai) to sit down, and then he lazily leaned back on the bench, tore open the letter cover, pulled out the letter inside, and read it carefully.

The content of the letter is very simple, it is nothing more than admiring him for being upright and upright, talented and virtuous, and finally inviting him to the Qingwang Mansion for a banquet.

Yang Guozhong read it twice, studying the meaning of each word, but he still couldn't understand the letter, it stands to reason that King Qing is the emperor, his status is respected, he has nothing to do with him, he hasn't even said a few words, he doesn't have any handle in his hands, why would he suddenly show favor to himself? Could it be that he has some inside information, and he is about to be promoted?

In just one year, Yang Guozhong was promoted from a small Jin Wuwei to the fourth rank of the imperial Shi Cheng, and also held several positions such as Jingzhao Shaoyin and Taifu Temple Shaoqing, which can be described as Feihuang Tengda in four words, despite this, Yang Guozhong is still not satisfied, he wants to get a regular position in the fifth superintendent of the temple, or any of the servants in the ministry, and he has been blushing Li Qing to suppress him, but he himself also knows that he has not made an inch, how to be promoted.

I wanted to stay up for a few years

, but a letter from King Qing rekindled the flame of his hope, and on his desk, he stared at Jia Hai and said, "Does His Royal Highness King Qing have any other verbal words?" ”

"My lord asked me to tell Lord Cheng that a feast has been set up tonight, please come."

After a pause, he saw that Yang Guozhong's eyes were still a little hesitant, and slowly said the second half of the sentence, "My prince has a wide range of contacts in Beijing, if Lord Cheng has anything to do, you might as well make it clear to my lord, and he can help." ”

"Something embarrassing?"

Yang Guozhong suddenly thought of his son's participation in the imperial examination, this was a good opportunity, and he immediately smiled and said: "When you go back, please tell the prince, just say that Yang will arrive tonight." ”

.

At the same time when Yang Guozhong accepted the invitation of King Qing and promised to go to his mansion for a banquet, in the imperial city of Shangshu Province, Li Qing was still discussing with several of his subordinates the specific measures for the implementation of the salt law, for the resistance to the implementation of the new salt law, Li Qing had full ideological preparations, since ancient times, whether it was innovation or change, how could it be successfully completed, and his salt law was the redistribution of interests, which had a strong impact on those who had immediate benefits, although the new law was only promulgated for two days, but he could already imagine, How should those who earn salt profits be frightened, and how should they conspire and discuss countermeasures?

According to Li Qing's plan, he will need at least three months to find out the current situation in the salt market, for example, which people with backgrounds are making profits? What are the channels and means of collecting salt taxes in various localities? This requires a lot of manpower and material resources to investigate. Only then can we have a definite purpose and find a breakthrough in the implementation of the new salt law, but Li Longji did not give him time to investigate, so he hurriedly promulgated the new law, which also shows the embarrassing situation of the imperial court's finances.

It was not until a few days after Li Qing took office that he was surprised to find that the state of affairs in distress was far worse than he had imagined, and that taxes from all over the country had just been released into Beijing. After deducting various expenses, Zuozang's savings are less than 300,000 yuan, and the expenses of the palace are 100,000 yuan a month, that is, even if other people do not eat or drink, they only supply the palace once. It was only enough for three months of expenses, so it is no wonder that he had just proposed to Li Longji to postpone the implementation of the new law for three months, but Li Longji rejected it.

"It seems that I can only cross the river by feeling the stones!"

Li Qing is helpless, this can be regarded as a test of his ability to deal with emergencies!

There are two people sitting under him, one is Wei Jiansu, the left attendant of the household department, and the other is the fifth Qi of the outer lang of the degree branch, Wei Jiansu is the side branch of Wei, who has always been cautious and has a clear reputation, and this Wei Jian's disaster did not involve him, but the Wei family is also incompatible with Li Linfu. After the establishment of the Zhang Qiu Party, he was the first batch of important members to take refuge in Zhang Qiu and Qiong. With the addition of Li Qing, the right attendant, the entire household department was basically controlled by the Zhang Qiu Party. Therefore, Li Linfu will play Yang Guozhong as the Shaoqing of Taifu Temple, and the functions of Taifu Temple are equivalent to the current central bank, the State Administration of Grain Reserves and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, which can control the household department to a large extent.

"Li Shilang, I think that there are two biggest difficulties in the implementation of the new salt law, one is that the localities, they dare not disobey the order, but the local yin and yang will not be less, such as underreporting the number of salt fields, such as delaying time, such as manipulating the local salt market. Yangzhou, in particular, is the main source of salt. Therefore, it is necessary to send important personnel to sit in Yangzhou; The second difficulty is that the magnates involved in salt in Beijing, not to mention the smaller ones, Prince Qing Wang and Yong Wang are involved, especially King Qing, who sells a huge amount of illegal salt and operates openly, even the emperor turns a blind eye to him, but he can't get around. ”

Speaking of which, Wei Jiansu secretly glanced at Li Qing, who had been an official for more than ten years, and he knew very well in his heart that if he wanted to smoothly implement the salt law, he was afraid that King Qing would have to be pulled out first, otherwise he would not be able to obey it, and how could he follow, but it would be easier said than done if he really wanted to move him. said that Wei Jiansu was cautious as an official, in fact, it meant that he rarely caused trouble and could be good alone.

"The subordinates mean to set up the yamen of the salt and iron envoy as soon as possible, so that the government has a door and the people have a special person, otherwise not only will the matter not be done well, but it will miss the business of the household department."

Wei Jiansu's meaning Li Qing understands that this implementation of the salt law needs to be done by people with great energy, like Wei Jiansu, a sleek and never offending old man, even if he wants to participate, Li Qing will not use him, Li Qing smiled lightly, and said: "I am looking for Wei Shilang to come, just to tell you that my energy may be put into the implementation of the salt law, and Wei Shilang will need to worry a lot about the daily affairs of the household department in the future." ”

"Of course!"

Wei saw that Su was overjoyed, but he was a little ashamed of Li Qing, he thought about it and said: "I can recommend one person to Li Shilang, this person is a director of Jin's subordinates, surnamed Liu Mingyan, very proficient in taxation, and capable and promising, Li Shilang might as well use him well." ”

Li Qing nodded, then turned back to the silent Fifth Qi on the side and said, "You are an old official of the household department, within three days, you will draw up a list of personnel for me." ”

Li Qing concurrently served as Du Zhilang, and the fifth Qi was the degree branch member Wailang, it was his top boss, historically, after the end of the Anshi Rebellion, it was the Fifth Qi who adopted Yan Zhenqing's method of selling salt in Hebei to raise money to implement a new salt policy throughout the country, so that the imperial court after the Anshi Rebellion survived a serious financial crisis.

At this time, Wei Jiansu had already said goodbye and left, and the fifth Qi saw him walking away, so he took out a thick roster from his arms, handed it to Li Qing and said with a smile: "My subordinates have already prepared it for the waiter." ”

Li Qing was overjoyed, took it and flipped through it, there were as many as 100 people on the roster, including their resumes, qualifications, identity backgrounds, and most of them were under forty, just in the prime of life, he put down the roster, stared at this capable and promising, quite aware of his thoughts, and thought for a while: "Yangzhou is a heavy land of salt and iron, and my breakthrough is ready to be put there, I want to order you to be the salt and iron envoy and go to Yangzhou to implement the salt law, are you willing?" ”

Fifth Qi got up and gave a long salute, and said solemnly: "Go to the country for my life, how can I push it back!" ”

"That's good! Pack up and leave tomorrow. ”

Li Qing patted him on the shoulder and said with a slight smile: "If you have anything that you can't solve, you can report it to me immediately." ”

At this time, someone outside the door came in a hurry, standing outside the door and shouting: "Please go back to the house quickly, the house will send someone to report that there is an urgent matter at home!" ”