"Go", Zhao Xing hesitated for a long time, but still agreed to Liao Xiaoxiao's request.

Looking at Zhao Xing's embarrassed appearance, Liao Xiaoxiao flashed his eyes and said slyly: "If you want to go, you have to choose a good day, such as when the official will do official business - everyone knows what the official is doing, so the concubine can go quietly." ”

Zhao Xing stiffened his face: "Lu Huiqing is a fly that drills through cracks, if he asks about me......

Liao Xiaoxiao replied quickly: "I will say that the official does not know about this matter at all, neither knows that I have a relationship with him, nor does he know that I went to visit him." ”

Zhao Xing pursed his lips: "When Lu Huiqing makes requests to others, he never cares about other people's embarrassment, the more embarrassed you are, the more he turns a blind eye, you have to be prepared in your heart, he may ask you to do something, this thing is ......"

Liao Xiaoxiao hurriedly took a cup of fragrant tea and offered it with both hands: "The official can rest assured, the concubine is entrusted to the official, and she will not cause trouble for the official." Lu Xiang has a request, and the concubine is discretionary, or accepts it, or categorically refuses, and it will not harm our family. ”

Trouble, is Zhao Xing causing less trouble? He just didn't want people to know that he had contact with the notorious Lu Huiqing, that person, Zhao Xing wanted to vomit when he heard this name, not to mention allowing the other party to come and harass him every day.

Liao Xiaoxiao noticed Zhao Xing's unhappiness, she leaned on Zhao Xing, and explained to Zhao Xing in a soft voice that she had met Lu Huiqing. This Nizi was familiar with the psychology of men, and after a while, the blood of Zhao Xing's beast boiled, and she didn't hear what the other party was saying at all...... Well, when he was about to start zero-distance contact, he didn't expect Cheng Shuang to report that Zhang Yong brought his family to visit the door.

Zhang Yong not only brought his family, but also brought several soldiers, who carried four large and heavy baskets, panting when they walked, and couldn't wait to put the baskets on the ground as soon as they entered the house. When it hits the ground, there is a crunch of metal in the basket.

"You won't come to me with pots and pans to eat?" Zhao Xing served fragrant tea and teased.

Zhang Yong sighed and replied: "Your house is separated from me by a wall, do I still need to bring a bowl when I come to eat, and directly tear down that wall and make a door." My family came to you to eat, and you still can't live without my food? …… Well, this is your salary for the past few months, you don't even want a salary? ”

Liao Xiaoxiao hurriedly stood up. Greet Zhang Yong's wife, Xu. The Xu family is also a small family, not so particular, holding Liao Xiaoxiao's hand, and chatting affectionately about the memories of Bianjing. The two talked about the current liveliness of Bianjing City. I couldn't help but feel a little stunned: "The beautiful scenery of Bianjing, I don't know when I will see you again." ”

Zhao Xing circled around the baskets and asked curiously, "There are so many?" Didn't I hear that there are only fifteen? ”

"Fifteen times, that's the moon. You also have additional expenses, job money, lusu, and clothing (spring and winter clothes, winter cotton). When all of them are counted together, it is a good fortune; In addition, there are also vocational fields, ancestral halls, and rewards. In addition, there were people (retinues) who were given food and clothing, as well as tea and wine, kitchen materials, charcoal, and feeders.

You are an official awarded in March, and Yulu will be counted from March - one for the Zhiji Pavilion, one for Di Gonglang, and one for the judge, you calculate, I don't miss any of you. ”

Zhao Xing's official title of Di Gonglang is a rank official. The salary of the rank official is called "material money". High-ranking officials don't do anything, and they also have an official salary. But Di Gonglang belongs to a low-level petty official who "has money and no place to receive". In this way, when an official does not have his current position, he has no money, and once he has a minister, he has a place to receive money. began to pay salaries and benefits - Di Gonglang's monthly salary was eight times.

Copper coins are always about four kilograms. And Zhao Xing is only a judge. Nearly 60 kilograms of copper coins per month, and the three official positions are superimposed. Add to that the accumulation of months and fill four large wicker baskets...... Maybe Zhang Yongzhen stole some of it.

Seeing Zhao Xing's suspicious gaze, Zhang Yong was angry: "What do you think?" The vocational fields elsewhere are converted into copper coins, and I happen to have some vacant land in Mizhou, and I have given you a hundred hectares. How, am I a friend? ”

The amount of land allocated to Zhao Xingdi is too high, which means that the "Lusu" piece does not distribute rice grain, and directly uses the field to offset it.

Liao Xiaoxiao heard Zhang Didi's rough voice, and hurriedly rounded: "Zhang Guanjun, my officials don't know how to farm, hey, if you give him these fields, it's better to give him some cash, he, he only sees copper coins in his eyes...... By the way, seeing that Chongyang is about to begin, is Zhang Guanjun ready, where are you going to play? ”

In the Song Dynasty, there was no custom of ascending during the Double Ninth Festival, but there was still a habit of going to the field to hold a picnic party among the eunuchs.

"Ah Ye Ah Ye, little girl, I think of it, the reward of the Double Ninth Festival has not yet been settled, what can you do?"

The vacation system of the Song Dynasty was more relaxed than that of the Tang Dynasty, and the officials had more holidays, only the statutory holidays had 54, and the holiday time was as much as 76 days, plus the "ten days off" of one day per ten days, the annual vacation of the officials of the Song Dynasty had reached more than 100 days during the peak period, and there were more than 90 days in the few places.

These holidays mainly include: the beginning of spring, the spring equinox, Qingming, the beginning of summer, the beginning of autumn, the beginning of Qixi, Chongyang, the beginning of winter and other festival days, all of which are one day off. Three days off each on the summer solstice and wax day; The Spring Festival and winter solstice are the "Golden Week of the Song Dynasty", with a seven-day holiday. As for the private holidays of officials such as family leave, marriage leave, and funeral leave, the regulations of the Song Dynasty were the same as those of the Tang Dynasty.

It was also from the Song Dynasty that vacations were no longer exclusive to officials, and exiles who had been assigned to work and those who served the state could also take holidays for a specific time during their sentences or service. For example, exiles take one day off every ten days; The Spring Festival, the cold food and the winter solstice are each three days off. Those who serve can have one day off each during the Spring Festival, Cold Food, Winter Solstice and Lunar New Day (the eighth day of the lunar month). As a reserve soldier, although there is no holiday during the Chung Yeung Festival, there are holiday rewards, that is, holiday bonuses. This money is directly allocated by the central government, but the local government has added some points to it as a care for local governments. Zhang Yong said that this latter part of the money. The money issued by the central government is called a festival, and the money issued by the local government is called a festival.

Zhao Xing remembered the previous discussion with Liao Xiaoxiao, and felt that this was an opportunity to visit the regimental training with great fanfare, so he asked leisurely: "How is the regimental training in the camp now?" ”

Zhang Yongyi waved his hand: "There are only some old and weak, family members, and leftovers left in the camp, I heard that they have been hungry a few times recently, and I still want to go back and think of a way to catch some fish for them to satisfy their hunger?" ”

Zhao Xing asked in surprise: "How can this be?" It's almost the Chung Yeung Festival, why are there still people starving? ”

"You don't know. The craftsmen of the battalion were transferred by you to build houses, the strongest in the army was selected by you to beat the drums, and the rest, as long as they could breathe, were transferred to Wankou to repair the water village, and the remaining old and weak women and children were left unattended, so they naturally ate the last meal but did not have the next meal. In addition, Mizhou has a poor harvest this year, more than half of the people have fled, a lot of land has been abandoned, and grain production is insufficient. At the end of the year, feudal merchants flocked to the country, causing the price of rice to rise......

For all these reasons, the family has a large population, so it is natural that they will not be able to eat. ”

Zhao Xing thought for a moment. Answer: "I'll go to the barracks with you tomorrow." ”

Liao Xiaoxiao interjected next to him: "Official, seeing that Chongyang is about to begin, you should also go to the camp to have a look, I hope to move into a new house in Chongyang." "Yes, too. Three or two more days. They should come too, and I'll go see it tomorrow. Zhao Xing replied.

Zhang interjected curiously: "What kind of house is the person building, the whole is transferred to the camp, and it has not been repaired for more than ten days, will it take more than ten days?" I'll go with you tomorrow...... Now that the meal is about to start, they all say that your chef is good, originally people like me are not qualified to serve on the table, now. I can also eat your meal, looking forward to it! ”

"Please!" Zhao Xing took a hand. Several servants stepped forward and brought down the basket of copper coins......

The next day, Deng Yufu came to visit early in the morning, and Zhao Xing took the other party's hand. Chatting as he walked: "My family will come in a few days." Will bring my luggage. When I was overseas, I painted many flowers and plants that I saw. There are also some plant forms described by the locals, now that it is autumn, it is not suitable for planting, Congyi followed me first, and helped to deal with the official correspondence, I am not familiar with this work, it all depends on Congyi. ”

Deng Yufu agreed: "I will take care of it, rest assured, I have helped Wang Zhizhou deal with official documents, and there will be no mistakes." ”

Zhao Xing's new residence is near the Yamen of the regimental training envoy, this place is Zhang Yong's hand, there are several large tile houses in front and back, and there is a vegetable garden at the back. When Zhang Yong got it, he may have used some means to force the original owner to sell, but Zhao Xing did not treat the other party badly afterwards.

Today, the large tiled houses are still preserved, but the courtyard walls on the four sides have been demolished and rebuilt with large stones. The walls are built high, about a foot long, and the vegetable garden is leveled out and divided into four groups of interconnected courtyards. A small second floor was built in each group of courtyards, the largest courtyard in the center, Zhao Xing planned to move in, and the building was almost completed.

After turning around, Zhao Xing stopped by the courtyard wall. I saw that many of the stones on the courtyard wall were uncarved, and they were all embedded in the concrete wall, and the stones on the ground were smoothed out next to them—probably because the edges and corners of those stones were too sharp and beyond the wall.

In fact, Zhao Xing didn't care that the stone went beyond the wall, he asked to hang another layer of raw stone cement slurry made of lime and clay on the outer layer of the wall, so that the wall was as smooth as a mirror, and then painted with lime, so as long as the stone was not too protruding, the stonemasons generally did not knock it.

Zhao Xing walked to the stone wall, stopped, and touched a stone with his hand that had been polished, the color of the stone was tender and green, and the stone pattern was like a brush, coiling around the stone surface, or becoming a statue of various objects. Deng Yufu saw that Zhao Xing was so attentive, and hurriedly explained: "This is the stone produced by Anqiu, Mizhou, which is said to be produced in water or soil, and the price is quite cheap. The locals hammered these stones into the shape of bricks and used them to build houses. It is said that this kind of stone is hard and can be polished out and made into a brick wall. ”

Of course, he could get his hands on it, Zhao Xing touched the stone and smiled happily: "The skin of this stone is very ugly, I didn't expect it to be cute when it is polished." ”

Deng Yufu replied casually: "Of course, but this stone is the best to make one color." It is said that there are three colors of stone produced in Anqiu, one is tender green, one is white, and one is pure black, and the stone patterns are different, and the whole wall is made of one color stone, which is even more beautiful. ”

Zhao Xing nodded frequently, and at this time, Zhang Yong led two horses out of Zhao Xing's house. Zhang Yong originally rode a good horse bought from the Jurchen tribe, the horse lost a lot of weight because of illegal breeding, today he forcibly led his horse to Zhao Xing's stable, and by the way replaced it with the horse brought by Zhao Xing, seeing Zhao Xing, he also pretended not to know, and greeted familiarly: "Leave people." It's time to go to the barracks, ah, have you come too? I led one less horse. ”

Without Zhao Xing's orders, several servants had already run out of Zhao Xing's yard and brought a few big horses, as well as three alpine warriors and three Japanese horse boys. The three Japanese horse boys, who were short in stature, barefoot and with short knives pinned to their waists, followed the horses all the way. Pour a little bit did not fall behind the horse.

Zhang Yong's eyes flashed when he saw the Japanese horse servant, and he praised: "True savage too." ”

What he meant was that the three Japanese horse boys were barefoot. Jumping vertically is like flying, and the speed of running does not have to be slow...... Unfortunately, these horse children are a species that needs to be eliminated in Japan.

A group of people jumped on their horses. Zhang Yong shouted. More than a dozen "flower arms" rushed from his official office, and in the late autumn sun, they were all shirtless, revealing embroidered tattoos all over their bodies.

Zhao Xing twisted his body on the horse and glanced at the group of "flower arms", then turned to Zhang Yong with a smile, and asked the other party with his eyes.

In the past, he only saw the popular tattoos of the Song Dynasty in "Water Margin", this kind of tattoo of the left hidden dragon and the white tiger, the Song Dynasty called "brocade body". It is said that some people even have a pattern tattoo on their face to show fashion.

"How? This group of flowers is majestic, and I spent a lot of money on hiring them", Zhang Yong proudly showed off.

It turned out that this was a way of arranging music in the Song Dynasty. Zhao Xing vaguely remembered "Water Margin". The description of Ren Yuan, the two-time champion who won the sumo championship for two consecutive years, said: "That Ren Yuan sat on the sedan chair, and the sedan chair was thirty or twenty pairs of men with flowers and arms in front of the sedan chair. Cover the front and hug the back ......"

"This—it's so ugly, it's shirtless this weather, isn't it ......?" Zhao Xing couldn't cry or laugh.

Zhang Yong enjoyed this kind of show-off very much, and he replied dissatisfiedly: "What do you say, to tattoo this flower arm is more expensive than buying the best splendid clothes." What can I wear that can be compared to a flower arm? ”

Deng Yufu obviously agreed with this point of view, he straightened his chest, proudly urged the horse to run to the front of the "flower arm", and said repeatedly: "That's that, no clothes are as expensive as the flower arms." ”

"Then let's go", Zhao Xing decided not to dwell on other people's arms anymore, he urged the horse to take the lead and ran out, followed by Zhang Yong. Deng Yufu rode such a high-headed horse for the first time, and he seemed a little nervous and fell behind. And the group of Japanese horsemen and Zhao Xing's entourage also fell behind Hua's arm with interest, so this scene appeared on the streets of the Song Dynasty: two people in official uniforms ran in front, a literati followed, and behind them followed a group of current generation hooligans and Song Dynasty petty bourgeoisie.

When it came time to the barracks, it was just lunchtime. The people who stayed behind saluted Zhao Xing, rubbed their hands embarrassedly, and said, "The signing lord came in a hurry, and we didn't prepare any good food and wine......

Zhao Xing nodded at the other party, and immediately ran to the corner of the barracks, observing the stone of the wall, which was also made of Anqiu stone, Zhao Xing observed silently for a moment, and then turned back to the side of the capital, at this time, Zhang Yong had finished talking with the other party, and the group of flowers had shy arms and chests, dangling two flower arms, standing behind Zhang Yong and posing.

"How many people are in the camp?" Zhao Xing asked.

Du Tou smiled bitterly: "The family members of more than 1,000 people, I'm afraid that there are 6,000 people?" ”

"There are no 6,000 people," Zhang Yong interjected: "Wankou Dishui Village pays a lot of money for the ground workers, and many active old soldiers have gone, and there are at most 5,000 people at the moment." ”

"I heard that you can't eat," Zhao Xing asked again.

"The price of grain has risen so much that it used to cost 10 yuan to buy a bucket (5.92 kg) of wheat or 5 liters (2.96 kg) of japonica rice, but now it costs 15 wen to buy a bucket of wheat. In the past, when encountering this situation, the soldiers went to catch some fish and shrimp to satisfy their hunger, but now that they are all transferred, how can the soldiers live? ”

Zhao Xing touched his chin and said, "Okay, since this matter started by me, I will give you a way to live......

Zhao Xing pointed to the courtyard wall of the military camp and continued: "Do you see the stone that built the wall, I will let you exchange the stone for money, one hundred for one." Men and women, young and old, carried a hundred pounds of stones, and I gave him a pound of copper coins to buy the stones he brought. ”

Zhao Xing thought about it for a while, and felt embarrassed, he looked at Zhang Yong and asked: "Is the price I offered too cheap, in this way, I will add a little more, one hundred catties for the same, that is, four catties of copper coins, I only need to be big for this kind of stone." At least it should be bigger than a fist, and small pieces should not be used, and when I turn around, my official family will put a pole scale in front of the door of my new house, weigh as many stones as they want, and give how many stones will be paid, and the stones will be unloaded there, just to use this stone to build the courtyard wall. ”

All the grateful, almost crying, good man. Exchange stones for copper coins, even if a doll is three or five years old, it can carry two stones in its pocket and come back, so it has to have one or two catties. In exchange for ten copper coins, that would not earn enough food for the family for a day.

Zhang Yong showed an unbelievable look on his face, he tugged on Zhao Xingdi's sleeve, and Zhao Xing smiled very kindly. He asked Zhang Yong: "Why don't you come and make a kick too?" ”

Zhang Yong flicked his sleeves: "I won't go crazy with you, you have money to burn." ”

Deng Yufu saw Zhao Xing's gaze turn to him, he was a subordinate. It's hard to refuse. I had to reluctantly say: "The person who left me hasn't told me how much my monthly salary is, okay, anyway, my family doesn't expect this monthly salary, so I will take the monthly salary of the month and accompany the person to buy some stones." ”

Zhao Xing nodded and ordered: "Congyi, you register them and give them a letter - there is a grain ship on the Mizhou wharf, I will write a letter to them." Let them pay grain on credit for ten cents and a bucket, and ask them to send a few people who can move, and the official will give them a carriage and let them go to the dock to pull some grain to satisfy their hunger, and the money will be deducted from the stone money in return...... Remember. Be sure to keep a record when distributing. How much each family takes, and how much cash should be discounted. Let them sign and sign it. ”

Although Deng Yufu was annoyed by Zhao Xing's calculations, he still gave a thumbs up and praised: "Spending money to buy a bunch of useless stones is already giving them a way to live, and they are willing to lose half of the money to sell grain to them...... Naturally, I have to register them one by one, and I will never let anyone lose too much. ”

"No loss", Zhao Xing said with a smile.

Deng Yufu didn't understand this at the time, he just asked the literate person who was practicing in the head of the group, and asked them to organize and help him sort out the text, in addition, he had to go to Zhang Yong to bring the roster, in the midst of the chaos, Zhao Xing pulled Zhang Yong and continued to walk to the back, behind is the school field, along the way, Zhao Xing from time to time into other people's homes, casually uncover the lid of other people's pots, to see what is cooking in the pot, fortunately he is wearing an official uniform, otherwise this faux pastime is ready to be cut out with a knife.

Zhang Yong didn't mess with him, he didn't even get off the horse, he rode on a tall horse and looked forward to himself, and a dozen flower arms behind him kept puffing out their arms, showing their "expensive clothes" to curious children.

I have to say that Zhang Yong, as a military attaché, although he has achieved five grades, he still has a strong market flavor. He doesn't like to drink tea and drink, and when he recites poetry, he likes to lead a team of flowers and arms to swagger through the market. Of course, it is precisely because of his market flavor that he messes around with Zhao Xing, a subordinate, without rules.

When Zhao Xing came out of a nearby family, this guy was leaning against the shadow wall of the family, lazily basking in the sun. The shadow murals behind him painted a painting, it was a "Keju Picture", Zhao Xing squinted at the other party, and was about to laugh a few words, when he suddenly saw the portrait on the shadow wall, his face changed, he rushed to Zhang Yong's side, and shouted: "Hugh is messing around, leave the wall quickly." ”

Zhang Yong turned around and looked at the shadow wall, yawned, lazily raised his hand and pressed it on the shadow wall, and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Zhao Xing lowered his voice and reprimanded: "Look at it, who is painted on the shadow wall?" ”

Zhang Yong laughed: "Test me?" I don't know who it is yet? ”

He patted the face of a character on the shadow wall with one hand, rubbed his finger on the tip of the character's nose and said: "This one is Taizu in black clothes and a white belt, and he is passing the ball ......" Zhang Yong then moved his finger to the tip of another person's nose and continued: "This person in a white robe and a black belt is Taizong. The person next to him stretched out his feet and planned to grab the ball from Taizu, it was Zhao Pu, and the other three people ......"

Zhao Xing watched in horror as Zhang Yong's fingers slid around the tip of several people's noses, and named them one by one: "This is Chu Zhaofu, this guy is the party jin, and here Shi Shouxin, all of them are the merits of the founding of the Song Dynasty, and they all like to play football." ”

Zhao Xing almost blurted out - it has nothing to do with me, I am innocent! But he opened his mouth and found that several flower arms didn't care about Zhang Yong's behavior at all, one of them was holding his splendid arm on the tip of the nose of Taizong's portrait, and Deng Yufu in the distance glanced here, and as if nothing had happened, he continued to sort out the text and register the personnel...... Zhao Xing was completely speechless.

What kind of scene is this, the emperor and general who usually need to look up and see it, kicking the ball with the leisurely demeanor of an ordinary citizen, and the ministers under him dare to stretch out their feet and kick at the feet of Taizu...... What's even more surprising is that the folk actually painted this portrait on the shadow wall.

Zhao Xing knew that someone once wiped his butt with a newspaper printed with a portrait of Taizu of the Later Qing Dynasty, and was beheaded all over the house. The Song Dynasty actually dared to pat the nose of the portrait of Taizu and speak, what kind of boldness is this? Or rather, what kind of tolerance is this?

After enduring it for a long time, Zhao Xing mustered up his courage and decided to make things clear thoroughly, he said carefully: "Could it be that you are taking a portrait of Taizu...... Don't think it's an offense? ”

"What's this?" Zhang Yong looked at Zhao Xing like an alien: "Keju is a play in the army, and the people often think it is fun, and this portrait is often seen in the army...... What, haven't you ever used a plate with this portrait on it? …… What about the porcelain vase, what are the paintings on the porcelain vase in your house? ”

Zhao Xing was completely speechless now. The movements of the group training are very fast, Deng Yufu has just finished registering here, they have already elected a few sturdy women, followed a few flower arms to go to the group training envoy to get the carriage, the carriage is not enough, then it is rented from the neighborhood, the rest of the family still has surplus grain in the group practice will be the last bit of food at home a pot of boiling, after eating enough, with all kinds of packages, to Anqiu, after a while, the entire camp of 5,000 people is only left with some old men and old ladies and nursing children.

The news spread quickly, and when Zhao Xing rushed home, even Wang Zishao knew about it, and he hurriedly summoned Zhao Xing to question, and the judge Suo Wendao was also present, he looked at Zhao Xing with a dark face, as if he wanted to swallow the latter alive.

"Leave people, what do you do, you can't spend money like this", Wang Zishao reprimanded dissatisfiedly: "Five thousand people, this is five thousand military dependents, you said that you raised five thousand people at once, do you really not want to be this official?" ”

Suo Wenwen snorted: "It's a shame that you can think of it with money to buy stones." ”

Zhao Xing smiled very honestly, and he replied contemplatively: "Yes, I used money to buy stones, and my family is repairing the yard ......."

"Isn't there a courtyard - I see you're purely ......," asked Suo and stood up angrily.

Wang Zishao stretched out his hand to ask Lasso, his hand reached out in the air and stopped, he saw Zhao Xing take out a stone with a smile, and that stone was the culprit of this time.

The stone is very ugly, the ugly stone skin is wrinkled, Suo asked with a contemptuous gaze, Wang Zishao's outstretched hand in the air covered his eyes, full of miserable sadness, and then he heard a sound below, but saw Zhao Xing take out a hammer from his waist at some point, and was knocking on the stone with a hammer.

"You guy, you actually brought a hammer to the official office", which will make even Wang Zishao angry.