March 23, in the afternoon.

After the spring rains, the vegetation becomes more and more verdant, and if you look to the west, you can still see a rainbow in the curve. In the distance, it seemed that the roaring thunder could still be heard, but at this moment, the clouds above Daxing Town gradually dispersed, revealing a clear blue sky.

Yitan Haigan and Yue Xiben's heart was not clear, and he couldn't help but sweat on his forehead when he looked at the heavily guarded pot Zhuangzi not far away.

Anton Weiqian, the general manager Wang Quantai, waited a little impatiently, glanced at Yue Xiben, and said: "Lord Yue, this is only half a day away from the deadline given by Lord Daotai, if the adult's housekeeper doesn't come out again, it will be unbearable!" ”

It's not that Wang Quantai deliberately neglects him, but although one of the two is a positive sixth grade and the other is a positive fifth grade, they are not superiors and subordinates. And Wang Quantai has a calm face, I don't know whether he is happy or angry, where will he take into account Yue Xiben's position? Besides, he came on order, and he felt a little like "holding chicken feathers as an arrow".

Yue Xiben secretly complained bitterly, other states and counties assisted in guarding the road and running errands, and he might be able to be promoted by changing the "Zhuo Yi" evaluation, not to mention that he was promoted, whether he could save his surname and his life was two words.

This pot Zhuangzi is no one else's, it is the mansion of Prince Heshuo Jian, Yaerjiang, and the steward is Prince Jian's father-in-law, Cui Defu.

Cui Defu was originally the dowry of Yarjiang's mother, but because he gave birth to a beautiful girl, he was accepted by the prince and promoted as a concubine. He also followed the rising tide and sought the fat shortage of Shandong pot manager.

Because of the momentum of King Jian's mansion, Cui Defu has always been used to being powerful, even if he is polite to Yue Xiben, he makes a haha on his face, let alone facing Yue Xiben's housekeeper.

Where would Cui Defu have a good face, he brushed his face and said angrily: "Joke! Who is Dangye? Yue Xiben is playing with women and staring? What 'heroes don't suffer immediate losses', I don't believe it, who can copy the property of our Jian Wangfu?! Speaking of this, Cui Defu shouted to a few sturdy men next to him: "Are you all ready?" Don't drop your chain! ”

A man in blue was a little uneasy, hesitated, and persuaded in a low voice: "Second uncle, there are officers and soldiers outside......!" It's making a fuss...... Ah, isn't it? Or...... Let's think about it again? ”

Cui Defu snorted coldly: "What are you afraid of?" Our master, is it the one who is bullied? Even the prince is not afraid, let alone a county lord!! Besides, where is there room for us to think, in these days, how many pots and pots have been sealed in various places? The grain was copied to the county office, there was no food, and the wine was made with bullshit?! ——Zhangjiakou is still urging the goods! ”

It should also be Cui Defu's bad luck, if someone else comes, he will carry out the prince's brand, maybe he can scare for a while. When he met Wang Quantai, he could only consider himself unlucky.

At this time, Wang Quantai was no longer enthusiastic about the evaluation of the "Zhuo Wei" in those three years, because the head of the family mentioned in his letter that he should assist Lord Daotai on an errand, and when the errand was completed, he would be allowed to resign and go to Guangzhou to be the steward of the Wang family's business.

Wang Quantai had long envied the unrestrainedness of his cousins in the south, and had complained several times, but because he had to take care of the family, he had to stay in the guard. At the moment, he almost didn't want to leave, but he received such a letter from the head of the family. This made him understand that this errand was not as simple as he originally thought, otherwise the family would not have arranged a way out for him in advance.

Wang Quantai was already ready to deal with it, and in the face of the shouting stewards at the door of the pot, he ignored it, and turned back to the three hundred officers and soldiers who came with him: "Brothers, this is the last pot Zhuangzi in Tancheng County, after the seal, let's forget the errand, go back to find the adults to settle the silver, tonight the tooth sacrifice, I invite the brothers to drink!" ”

Everyone has been busy all the way these days, and they are all tired, and their morale is a little low, but now that they hear this, the army's heart is lifted, and they can't help cheering.

Cui Defu originally thought that he would be able to drink back everyone by just launching a few stewards and carrying out the signboard of the palace to scare and scare them, but who would have thought that the people leading the troops on the opposite side were stunned young people who did not enter the oil and salt! He was so angry that he didn't press the formation in the back, he threw off his sleeves and walked to the front in three steps and two steps, straightened his chest and pinched his waist, and shouted: "Lord, which one dares to seal the Zhuangzi of our palace!" ”

Wang Quantai couldn't help but be stunned when he saw Cui Defu, and then turned around and laughed: "Brothers, look, where do we have one more master?" And he's a rabbit master, but he's a little older! ”

When everyone heard this, they burst into laughter. Although Cui Defu is nearly forty years old, he has a fair complexion, a handsome face, and although he has a few beards on his mouth, he can't really see it; The dress is very elegant, and the behavior is slightly feminine.

When Cui Defu heard this, his face was flushed with anger, and he pointed at Wang Quantai speechless.

Wang Quantai has made up his mind, where will he talk nonsense with him, snorted, waved his arm, and said coldly: "Check!" Envelope! ”

Although there are also two hundred young men on the side of the burning village, where is the opponent of these soldiers? Cui Defu saw that the officers and soldiers had rushed into the Zhuangmen, and couldn't help but be anxious, and hurriedly ordered people to continue to intercept, so he heard Wang Quantai say loudly: "Those who obstruct the errand and attack the officers and soldiers will be killed, killed, and pardoned!" ”

*Mengyin County County Office, lobby.

Looking at the mountains of food in the lobby, Liang Shunzheng didn't feel the slightest joy, but squeezed out two old tears. When the master next to him saw it, he was puzzled and asked, "My lord, why is this?" ”

Liang Shunzheng wiped his tears and said: "Master Ben regrets it, I regret it a lot!" The harm of this pot is well known, and now is the time of food shortage, and the rising price of food has forced the people to live in peace! If the lord and I can have the courage of Lord Cao, even if it is only in addition to the disaster of a local county, even if this black yarn is not guaranteed, it will not be in vain to be a parent official for six years! ”

The master glanced at him a few times, sighed noncommittally, and said after a while: "I heard that the adults said that Lord Cao was a young man, and now he has stabbed this big man, I am afraid that it will hinder the future!" ”

* Yizhou, Daotai Yamen, study.

It was already dusk, and the sky was full of red clouds. The hustle and bustle of Bai Yu gradually fell silent, and the city seemed extraordinarily peaceful. Then, in the Daotai Yamen, Cao Hao waited anxiously.

Although Chu Yu sent someone to urge him twice, Cao Hao still didn't have the heart to go back to the house to eat. Wu Mao's side had already complied with the instructions and was ready to come with more than a dozen horses; Wu Sheng here, the selected young and strong family members are also ready to set off at any time; Several masters, with a few clerical clerks, were also guarding the yamen.

Seven days have passed, everything is ready, and now all that paper is missing. If he can't get it, then he can only choose the next step. Thinking of such consequences, he couldn't help but feel absurd in his heart when he had to go to Shengjing to be with Yongqing. However, there is still no remorse.

When the husband is in the world, he must always do something and not do something!

Faintly hearing the sound of horses' hooves, Cao Hao immediately got up from his seat, walked to the front of the hall, and looked in the direction of the door.

With the footsteps of "kicking and kicking", Wei Hei, who was in the dust, walked quickly, and when he saw Cao Hao, a smile appeared on his face. Cao Hao breathed a sigh of relief in his heart and said, "Brother Wei! ”

Wei Hei tore off the burden behind him and handed it over with both hands: "Childe, this is what Mr. handed over!" Mr. said, his body is not good to toss, and he can't come back with Lao Hei, so it's about two days late! ”

Cao Hao nodded and took it open, and there was a wooden box inside. Inside the wooden box is an official document about one foot high and two feet long, which is covered with the seal of the Shandong Provincial Governor.

There are only two contents of the official document: one is that during the three months from March 24 to June 23, grain shops in Yizhou are not allowed to sell rice shops at a price higher than 30% higher than the price of rice in February, otherwise once it is reported, the shops will be immediately sealed and all the rice grain and its sales income will be confiscated; Second, because the pot-burning Zhuangzi in Yizhou voluntarily sold the stored rice and grain to the local government at a parity price, they were exempted from the pot tax for the next three years.

The first article is indeed for the benefit of the people, and the second article is just a formality. How many of those powerful background big pot Zhuangzi are taxed? Of course, for those who operate honestly and make a living by burning pots and villages, the tax exemption in the past three years is also to make up for the temporary damage to their livelihood.

Cao Hao asked someone to send the official document to the study, and then asked Wei Heidao: "Brother Wei, when did you arrive in Jinan?" Sir, he's tired, how is he doing now? ”

Wei Hei thought for a moment and replied, "I arrived in the afternoon of the nineteenth!" This road galloped fast, and every time he only rested for two hours at the post station, Mr. was tired, saying that he would never think about riding a horse again, and said with a smile that he wanted to ask Gongzi for a comfortable carriage! Speaking of this, he paused and said: "Childe don't worry, Mr. is returning by carriage, Lao Hei sees that Mr. is just tired, just rest, there are Zhuang brothers to follow, three or two will arrive!" ”

Yizhou to Jinan is nearly 600 miles, even after Cao Hao's last work report, it took nearly four days. Mr. Zhuang, but it only took less than three days.

"Brother Wei can go to the Yamen of the Political Secretary with Mr.? Mr. Hou Juguang is embarrassed? Cao Hao let Wei Hei into the study, called the little servant to bring water, and then asked.

Wei Hei was also thirsty, so he directly held the teapot and drank half a pot, and then replied: "I went with Mr., but because I was waiting outside, I didn't know the details!" ”

Cao Hao's premise for stabilizing grain prices is to get the document of the political secretary and make the teacher famous. Originally, he was going to go to Jinan in person, but he was stopped by Mr. Zhuang, after all, there are many things in Yizhou, and if there is a real change, Cao Hao needs to take an idea.

"Brother Wei set off a while ago?" Cao Hao asked.

Wei Hei nodded: "In the afternoon before yesterday, fortunately, before the gate of the city, the secretary sent the paperwork, or Lao Hei would have to come back tomorrow!" The chief secretary was not a happy man, and on the night he arrived in Jinan, he went to the yamen and stayed there for two hours. After returning to the inn, Mr. waited for a day, and did not see any movement on the side of the Yamen of the Political Secretary, and when he went to see him again, he said that the political envoy went to Tai'an Mansion and was not in Jinan! The gentleman's face was so dark that he returned to the inn and wrote a handwritten letter, and Lao Hei sent it to the Yamen of the Political Secretary. This time it was a coincidence, the adult came to the inn in person to see Mr. the next afternoon, the two muttered in the room for a while, and soon after the adult left, he sent someone to send the official document, and Mr. Fang breathed a sigh of relief! ”

Although Wei Hei seemed to be uneventful and unremarkable when he told it, Cao Hao couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. It seems that the initial setup failed. A confession of the buyer of the pot Zhuangzi, a record of the entry and exit of the official warehouse, a strip of rice collected by the people at a low price in the official warehouse, a record of the price of rice in the six counties of Dongyan and the two prefectures, and a wine lees, which Cao Hao asked Mr. Zhuang to bring to Jinan.

First of all, tell the truth, ask Hou Juguang to agree to the official document, if he insists on refusing, then let him take a look at these things.

Unexpectedly, Hou Juguang was hob meat, it seems that he knew the details of those pot-fired Zhuangzi, and decided that Cao Hao did not dare to poke the matter away, so he was so fearless.

What Mr. Zhuang wrote to him in the end must be something else, and he complained that Mr. Zhuang didn't let him go to Jinan, it seems that he didn't want to tear his face with the chief official.

At present, but it is not for the sake of melancholy, Cao Hao waited for the clerical room to transcribe the documents, stamped the seal of Yizhou Shoudao, sent Wu Sheng and others out of the city immediately, and sent the official documents to the yamen of various states and counties overnight.

*Juzhou, Nancheng, Willow Alley.

Zhao He is working in the yard, he is a carpenter, and the whole family of six eats according to his craftsmanship, and it is said that his life is very difficult. His daughter saw that her father was full of men, so she brought a bowl of cold water: "Dad, drink saliva!" ”

Zhao He put down the work in his hand, took a sip and drank it all, remembering the experience of selling his daughter a few years ago, he didn't feel sour in his heart, and rubbed his daughter's hair vigorously. Nowadays, the price of grain is constantly rising, and if it weren't for the benefactor who met him and gave him some money, his whole family would have to drink the northwest wind.

Just thinking about it, he heard the footsteps at the door and thought, Zhao He looked up, and it turned out to be his neighbor Lao Zhou. Lao Zhou's face was full of joy, and he shouted at Zhao He: "Brother Zhao, hurry, the price of grain has fallen, everyone takes their pockets to buy grain!" It's just that you have to bring the household registration documents and buy them according to the capitation! ”

Zhao He only said that he had heard it wrong, and he didn't wake up for a while.

Lao Zhou smiled and said: "I told you to believe it, but don't dare to delay, I'll go back to your sister-in-law to ask for a pocket!" ”

* In the city of Yizhou, it is also a lively scene because of the cheap sale of grain.

Cao Hao stood in front of the study, with a faint hint of excitement in his heart. Stabilizing food prices is just the beginning, and the next ......

(To be continued)