After November, the new year gradually approached, and in mid-December, the Qingzhou area fell with its first heavy snow of the year.

Heavy snow covered the fields and cities, and Yidu County and even the entire Beihai County became a snow-capped world, and the land was covered in silver and enchanting.

At noon on that day, a cavalry team rushed along the east bank of the giant ocean water from the north to Yidu County, led by Zhang Xuan, who had just returned from the bay dock, received five transoceanic boats and 30,000 pairs of Mingguang armor sent by Goguryeo, and released 100 cargo ships to return them to Beilu City to carry prisoners of war home, so that the deal between the two sides was finally completed.

Of course, there is also the withdrawal from the humble luxury city and the temporary loan back to Longzhen, because winter has come, it can only be implemented after the beginning of spring next year.

The snow was heavy enough to cover the ground two feet deep, and the river was covered with thick ice, but there was no ice at the mouth of the sea, and boats could still sail along the coast.

Near the county seat, the river becomes lively, and hundreds of large sleds are parked in the river, which is a unique winter transportation in Qingzhou and Hebei region, where animal horses run on the frozen river with sleds full of goods, and the horse's hooves are wrapped with straw, and the horse's belly is also wrapped in a thick sticky blanket to ensure that the horses will not be hurt by the cold on the river.

As the New Year approaches, farmers from villages all over the country come to the city with mountain goods and mutton furs to buy all kinds of New Year's goods, so the sleds moored on the river are full of goods, some of them are going into the city to sell, and some are ready to go home after buying New Year's goods.

There are also more than 1,000 people who came from the city, bargaining around the sleigh, buying mountain goods and mutton brought by the peasants, laughter, shouting, shouting, and bargaining, making the city gate particularly lively.

Jang Hyun likes this kind of scene full of life, which is to live and work in peace and contentment. It is also the peace of the country and the people, and he led the army to fight in the east and west, that is, he hoped that the people under his rule could live such a life.

At this moment, a noise came from the river, and it was a woman's sharp shout, "Why can't this money be used?" Isn't this a copper coin issued by the imperial court? The old lady has no other money, only this money, anyway, I want the goods, you can do it yourself! ”

Many people around walked towards the noisy place, Zhang Xuan frowned, how did he meet a shrew, he turned over and dismounted and walked over.

In front of a pair of sleighs, an old farmer crouched on the ground, clutching a few legs of lamb in his arms. On the other side is a middle-aged woman with a meaty face, very obese, with a waist as thick as a bucket, jumping to point at the old farmer and scolding.

There were always copper coins in the snow on the ground, and the old farmer wiped his tears and said to everyone: "Fellow villagers, I only sell a leg of lamb for three hundred yuan, which is cheaper than the butcher shop in the city, and this eldest sister wants to buy four for the same money." Putting down my price, this money is still rotten money. I don't want her to do it. ”

Everyone talked about it, and they all accused the middle-aged woman of being too unkind and bullying honest people, and the middle-aged woman was accused by everyone, and she couldn't pull her face down, so she shouted: "Okay then!" I'll buy three. Give him a hundred dollars, so it's okay! ”

But the problem is not the price, a man reprimanded her: "You mother-in-law is unreasonable, who still uses this kind of rotten money now, you rotten money to exchange it in the store." I'm afraid I can't even redeem a hundred good money, and people don't have to, you still want to buy three leg of mutton! ”

"If you don't see this kind of woman, it's just a bully."

"I guess I wanted to deceive people, but I was found out, and I still had words."

"Isn't this just a robbery?"

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Everyone condemned the middle-aged woman for being a scoundrel, and the middle-aged woman was suddenly annoyed and angry, sitting on the ground and splashing, "You are all bullying me, I don't want this money old lady, I want to report to the official, you rob the old lady's money!" ”

At this time, Zhang Xuan finally couldn't stand it anymore outside, he also made a look at the soldiers himself, and the soldiers immediately separated everyone, "Let the officials decide!" ”

Only then did everyone find out that Zhang Dashuai was actually here, so frightened that everyone dodged away, and someone took the opportunity to shout: "That cross-faced mother-in-law, Zhang Dashuai is here, do you dare to splash?" ”

When the woman heard that Zhang Dashuai was coming, she was so frightened that she quickly stood up, she was not stupid, she was at fault for this matter, in case she angered Zhang Dashuai and arrested her to eat a lawsuit, she would lose more than she gained.

Zhang Xuan walked into the inner circle, and the old farmer hurriedly stepped forward to kneel down and kowtow, "Xiaomin salutes the handsome!"

The woman was so frightened that she knelt down, and only kowtowed, but did not dare to say a word.

Zhang Xuan looked at the goods on the sleigh and asked the old man, "What is the name of the old man, and where is he from?" ”

"Back to the handsome, the little old man's name is Gu Bang'er, a native of Qinghe County, who moved to Yidu County the year before last and made a living by raising sheep."

Zhang Xuan smiled again and asked, "Are all these muttons to be sold?" How many sheep are raised? ”

"Xiao Lao'er raised 80 sheep, and he is going to sell 30 for the Chinese New Year this year, to save some money for rations, these muttons are all sold by Xiao Lao'er, and today he is going to buy a new spinning machine for his wife."

Zhang Xuan nodded, picked up the money on the ground casually, and knew at a glance that it was a new money that had been indiscriminately made in the past two years, with very low copper content, and the whole money was thin and small, gray-white.

Zhang Xuan frowned, this kind of money is generally not on the market, it is generally necessary to make money seven years ago, and it is best to open the emperor's money, with a copper content of at least ninety percent.

"Where did you get this money from?" Jang Hyun glanced at the woman and asked.

In front of Zhang Xuan, the woman completely restrained the sprinkling, lowered her eyebrows and said: "Back to Zhang Dashuai, the little woman sells vegetables in Xicheng, and these copper coins are also paid to the little woman by the people who buy vegetables, and finally saved more than a dozen yuan and wanted to use it." ”

When everyone saw this middle-aged woman with a meaty face calling herself a little woman, many people said'Poof! Zhang Xuan almost laughed out loud, he couldn't help laughing and said, "Could it be that you also accept this kind of money as old money?" ”

The middle-aged woman didn't dare to lie, so she said timidly after a while: "The little woman is ten cents and should be charged for one penny." ”

"It seems that you are not stupid, and you will not suffer a loss, but you actually want to buy four lamb legs with consistent money, you think this old man doesn't understand, so you want to fool the past, isn't it!"

Zhang Xuan's voice suddenly became stern, and the middle-aged woman was so frightened that she kowtowed like garlic, "The little woman knows her mistake and doesn't dare anymore, Zhang Dashuai spares me this time." I don't dare anymore! ”

Although this woman is hateful, she has not broken the law, so there is no need to send her to the official, Zhang Xuan ordered the soldiers to say: "Ten slaps on the mouth!" ”

One of the two soldiers grabbed the woman's wrist, and the other opened his bow to the left and right, and slapped the woman ten times. His cheeks suddenly swelled, and Zhang Xuan scolded angrily: "For the sake of the New Year, spare you this time, if you dare to deceive people next time, cut off your head, let's go!" ”

"Xie Dashuai is tolerant, I really don't dare!"

The woman kowtowed three times, grabbed the money from the ground, and ran away, causing the crowd to laugh.

Zhang Xuan walked out of the crowd at this time. Turning over his horse and walking towards the city, he heard the old man shouting from a distance, "Thank you General Zhang for upholding justice!" ”

Zhang Xuan turned around and waved his hand, and galloped into the city

Back at the house, the soldiers went back to the barracks, and Zhang Xuan walked to the inner house and walked to the gate of the inner house. I saw that the courtyard of the inner house was full of subordinates, and I couldn't see the subordinates outside. It turned out to be all concentrated here.

Zhang Xuan saw them tiptoeing one by one, not knowing what they were looking at, and couldn't help but feel a little strange in his heart, at this time, someone next to him gently grabbed his arm, and Zhang Xuan turned around. But I saw Wu Niang standing beside me with a smile.

Wu Niang was five months pregnant, her belly was straight, Zhang Xuan pointed to the crowd and asked with a smile, "What is this doing?" ”

"The eldest sister is giving a New Year's reward!"

Zhang Xuan suddenly said that the Chinese New Year was about to begin, and it was time to issue a New Year's reward. The annual reward is also the year-end bonus, which has existed since ancient times, whether it is the guy in the store or the bartender in the liquor store, there will be an additional reward at the end of each year, and Zhang Xuan's family is no exception.

At present, the number of subordinates in Zhang Xuan's mansion has increased to more than 70 people, housekeepers, housekeepers, bookkeepers, porters, maids, cooks, florists, tea boys, grooms, coachmen, nurses, miscellaneous servants, etc., all available, and there are 20 female guards, Lu Qing gave them generous treatment, in addition to the fixed monthly money, there is also a lot of annual reward every year, in addition, food, clothing and housing, do not need to spend money, in Yidu County is famous for good treatment.

Zhang Xuan actually knows a little bit, Lu Qing told him that the highest annual reward this time is Wang Niang, Lu Qing gave her 100 yuan, mainly because Lu Qing's milk is insufficient, and the child can eat, all rely on Wang Niang's breastfeeding, Lu Qing is grateful, followed by the female guards, each person has 50 rewards, the nurse and the female guards are more special, and Ah Yuan and Lixiang are rewarded separately, not with everyone.

Zhang Xuan heard Ah Yuan shouting, "Song Dazhi! ”

Song Dazhi is one of the three coachmen in the house, responsible for going out to drive the carriage for the ladies, he looks stocky and honest, he hurriedly raised his hand, "Here!" ”

"Thirteen rewards!"

The annual reward in Zhang Xuan's mansion is generally a month's regular money, and then a little more, Song Dazhi's monthly money is ten yuan, and the annual reward will give him thirteen yuan, Song Dazhi was overjoyed, stepped forward to thank his wife, and then carried a sack and walked out.

Ah Yuan then shouted: "Yu Shan, ten money!" ”

"It's coming! Here it comes! ”

An old man squeezed forward, he is a gardener, there is an example of eight yuan a month, although the future generations pay attention to privacy, who takes how much money does not know each other, but there is no privacy here, who takes how much money every month everyone knows.

Ten pounds of money weighed sixty pounds, Yu Shan was over fifty years old after all, and he had just taken two steps, only to hear 'whoop!' With a bang, the pocket fell to the ground, the money rope was broken, and the copper coins were jumping all over the ground.

Everyone helped to pick up the money together, Zhang Xuan also picked up a handful of money and threw it into the bag, Yu Shan thanked him repeatedly, and Zhang Xuan said to a handyman next to him: "Send the money back to the house for Lao Yu." ”

At this time, Lu Qing, who was sitting in front, saw her husband standing at the door, she asked Ah Yuan to continue the reward, and she got up and walked towards Zhang Xuan.

"When did you come back?" Lu Qing asked happily.

"I just got home, and I saw that it was very lively, so I came over to have a look."

"Yes! This time of year is always the busiest, preparing for the New Year, and giving everyone a New Year's reward. ”

Zhang Xuan nodded, and when he saw the money bags all over the ground, he asked with a smile: "Isn't it tiring to send such a lot of money?" ”

"Don't say it, husband, I just want to put forward opinions, it's a chore to make money every month, the account room has to be prepared for two days, and people have to move the money and divide the money, everyone is tired half to death, I said to give everyone gold, but one or two gold is too much, cut too broken and inconvenient, can you think of any way, let's relax."

Zhang Xuan suddenly remembered that the woman outside the city had always been rotten money, and she was cheated if she didn't pay attention to it, this is indeed a problem, the value of copper coins is too low, the value of gold is too high, and you need to find a compromise solution.

At this time, the martial artist next to her pursed her lips and smiled: "I have a way!" ”

Wu Niang took out a small coin tied with a red rope from her waist, and handed it to Zhang Xuan with a smile, "Husband, take a look at this." ”

Zhang Xuan took the small coin, the size is about the same as the five-baht coin, but it is heavy, he recognized at a glance that this is a gold coin, the yellow luster is unique to gold, and there are Western portraits on it, and at a glance he knows that it is a gold coin flowing from the West.

"Where's the money?" Next to him, Lu Qing asked curiously.

"This is what I got when I was in Shule, and it was brought by Sogdian merchants from the West, and they said that it was money from the West, and it was very common on their side, and it could be exchanged in the Persian Mansion in Chang'an."

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood that the country of Fuma was the Eastern Roman Empire, and it turned out that this was the gold coin of the Eastern Roman Empire, he thought about it and smiled: "This money will be borrowed from me first." ”

"This money is my lucky money, I can't give it to you, I still have a few over there, I'll give it to you later." (To be continued.) )