As the saying goes: don't plug in August grass. At the end of July, the early rice harvest in Jiangnan has already been completed, and now the whole Jiangnan is full of rice planting. The same is true outside Hangzhou.

With a blazing cry on their heads, the peasants bent down to insert the seedlings in their hands into the soft soil, and the rows and rows were so neat. On the field road, a middle-aged man in civilian clothes was sitting on a ridge and talking to an old man smoking dry tobacco, and seven student-like people were standing next to him, listening to something in a notebook in his hand.

This middle-aged man is Yan Fu, the new prefect of Hangzhou and the former director of the Beijing Normal University Hall. The other seven are outstanding students carefully selected by him from the university hall, follow him to study and help him with official affairs, and if they do well in the future, they may be able to serve in any place. In fact, this is also what the emperor meant, one can break the only way for officials to become officials for thousands of years -- the situation of the monopoly of the imperial examination, and send a message to the people: becoming an official is by no means only a good person who reads eight shares can be an official, and other aspects can also be selected for the best. Thus all seven were honours students in subjects such as arithmetic or mechanical or accounting; Second, now that the officialdom is in deep twilight, it is just right for young people to rush with enthusiasm, and hope that they can open the door of civil servants in the new era. When the emperor told him the will, he also carefully selected it in the school, either explicitly or implicitly. Then it came out with the emperor's will.

In history, Fortitude was after the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War, and he was appointed as an alternate squire in the military aircraft, and now out of vigilance against Guangxu and the stable control of the court situation, Cixi took this move ahead of schedule. Guangxu naturally understood the intention of Cixi's move, but he felt that Guangxu was becoming more and more important in front of foreigners, and Tang Shaoyi actually knew how to use foreigners to suppress the imperial court. It's just that Cixi is still unwilling, and she doesn't count so many henchmen in the military aircraft, and she also transfers Fortitude into the military aircraft to contain herself. You Cixi sent people to stare at Guangxu's words and deeds, and Guangxu also had people staring at you Cixi.

After a year and a half of experience, Guangxu has actually seen that Cixi is nothing more than playing the same set of containment and suppression that has been played for decades, so that she can only hover on the edge of the center of power forever. It doesn't matter, in the matter of government affairs, Guangxu still has to learn from Cixi, and Guangxu doesn't have so much energy to play the game of checks and balances with you.

And Guangxu is also smart this time, the reason why he can do this, on the issue of personnel, Guangxu is to consult with Prince Li, when Prince Li proposed to let the original Hangzhou prefect be elected as the governor of Jiangsu, Guangxu agreed without thinking about it. In exchange, Prince Li would naturally agree to the personnel selected by Guangxu. In this way, with the consent of Shi Duo, the Empress Dowager Cixi will not object. But when everyone thought that Guangxu would choose Tang Shaoyi, who was a celebrity in front of him, Guangxu unexpectedly chose Yan Fu, the teaching director of Jingshi University, and everyone didn't know why for a while. But Tang Shaoyi went back and forth between the palace and the legations of various countries every day like no one else, still smiling on her face.

Naturally, someone would ask Tang Shaoyi, but Tang Shaoyi just smiled and avoided talking about it. Tang Shaoyi understands that in fact, as long as he nods, this Hangzhou prefect is in his pocket. Because Guangxu told him: I didn't let you go to be the prefect of Hangzhou, is it unhappy, if so, you just need to nod your head, you are the prefect of Hangzhou. Tang Shaoyi shook his head. He knew that his strength was not in dealing with local matters, but in diplomacy. Although he also had some thoughts in his heart, Guangxu's words explained him very well. Guangxu said: Looking at the entire Qing Dynasty, except for Li Hongzhang, who can understand foreign affairs, that is, you, and Li Hongzhang is the local governor, and the current situation is like this, and I am the only one by my side. I have a lot more important things to help with, so please forgive me for being selfish.

Even so, just in case, Tang Shaoyi came up with an idea to let Guangxu do a little trick. At present, the restructuring of the new army is imminent, and Cixi suddenly transferred fortitude to join the military plane, who knows what will happen. Therefore, Guangxu wrote in his will: After the handover of the new Hangzhou prefect Yan Fu is completed, the original Hangzhou prefect will be handed over to Gangyi, and then Gangyi will return to Beijing to report on his work. And Yan Fu did not go directly to Hangzhou after leaving Beijing, but went around the land of Hangzhou, on the one hand, to understand the local situation, in order to cooperate with the emperor's administration in the future, and secondly, to delay the time of taking office for a month. In this way, when he returns to Beijing after the handover of fortitude and resolutely completes his visits with the ministers and ministers of various ministries, the time will be at least November, and the restructuring of the new army will definitely be completed by then. In the final analysis, Guangxu was still afraid of Cixi in domestic affairs.

Since ancient times, Hangzhou has been an important place for water and land transportation, with outstanding people and spirits, and it is extremely prosperous, with all kinds of shops and wine shops everywhere. No matter how many of them originally claimed to be the most upscale and luxurious, but now there is only one that dares to say this - Four Seas Hotel (Hangzhou Branch). The interior furnishings of the Sihai Hotel are very Chinese characteristics at the same time, but also embellished with Western style to make people pleasing to the eye, that is said that although the porcelain furnished is a fake, it is also a first-class imitation of the Beijing Liuli Factory, and it is also worth more than a thousand taels. Not to mention the taste of this dish, just this is the pure atmosphere of the waitress, no matter how you look at it, it is a little more beautiful than the red card of the Qinglou.

This is because the profit of the Sihai Hotel in Beijing is enough to meet the activities of Zhou Qin and other CIA personnel in Beijing, so Guangxu Xue's Leshantang model, in the name of Sihai Hotel, opened branches in Tianjin, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Guangzhou and other big cities at the beginning of the year, which can not only cover for CIA personnel, but also obtain certain information through chats with people who come to high-end wine stores. On the one hand, it took the opportunity to train personnel, and on the other hand, it could use profits to subsidize part of the CIA's expenses. No one dares to make trouble here, because the owner of the trouble is still in prison with his family.

Soon after the opening of the Four Seas Hotel, its fame spread all over the world. When the security guard came, the boy said arrogantly: "You don't want to see who the master is." My dad is Li Gang. "Li Gang is the governor of Jiangsu, and he has a bit of a vice governor's flavor. didn't think that the hotel didn't take Li Gang seriously, and threw the master out in a blink of an eye. Immediately, everyone persuaded the boss to dare to run away. When the officers and soldiers of Hangzhou surrounded the Sihai Hotel, everyone felt sorry for such a high-end hotel turned into ashes in a blink of an eye, but the boss in turn smiled and comforted everyone: Don't mention the trivial things, we and the Sihai Hotel will serve the villagers wholeheartedly. Somehow the officers and soldiers around the shop dispersed, and then the news came that Li Gang's family had been imprisoned.

What is even more shocking is that the emperor personally inquired about this matter, and the decree said: Last year, the son of the county governor regarded the son of heaven as nothing. Now it is said that the son of the governor is not the son of the governor, and he will do things in the name of his father. His son has no merit but borrows his father's position, so if he is superior, then how perverse his father is. Therefore, Li Gang's family will be confiscated and all of them will be imprisoned, and those who dare to release them without the will of my relatives will be guilty of the same crime. It is also hoped that officials in various localities will not forget to discipline their families when they are clean and self-reliant. Don't let your family or even the whole clan sin because of your family running rampant in the village.

The emperor's will was transmitted to Hangzhou, and the owner of the Sihai Hotel came out and said with a kind face: "In the capital, whether it is a prince or a foreigner, you have to follow the rules of the Sihai Hotel." Not to mention this little governor, who is still his son, is just an ant in the eyes of the Four Seas Hotel. ”

Just when everyone was speculating about who was behind the scenes of the Four Seas Hotel, late at night, the waitress of the Four Seas Hotel walked home alone through the dark alley and encountered bandits who wanted to do wrong. didn't expect the bandits to see the woman wearing the uniform waiter costume of the Four Seas Hotel when they approached, and they hid their faces in fright and fled, for fear of being recognized by the waitress. Although this matter is rumored to be a joke, there is really no one to make trouble.

And tonight's Sihai Hotel is brightly lit, and the wealthy people in Hangzhou have chartered the entire hotel to welcome the newly appointed Hangzhou prefect Yan Fu. At this time, Yan Fu was wearing a three-grade top, holding a wine glass, and chatting with the local tycoons. This time, he left the students in the yamen to handle the handover matters, and he didn't want to let these outstanding students get in touch with the darkness of this officialdom too early, and lose their fighting spirit. So come alone.

"All the villagers and fathers, this official is favored by the emperor and has the honor to serve as a locality. I also hope that all the villagers and elders will give strong support, if the official can really benefit the local area in office, then the official can be regarded as living up to the emperor's grace. After speaking, Yan Fu raised his glass.

"That's that, the name of the adult has already spread all over Hangzhou, and the adult can be the official of the parents. It is really a blessing for the people of Hangzhou. "Everyone praised.

"It's a shame to say that although I have received the emperor's grace, this official is really a place where I am an official for the first time, and it is a place where I first came to Hangzhou, and I am not familiar with the place, and I don't know the rules. In the future, if the official acts in a way that offends, I hope that all the villagers and elders can be in Haihan. ”

"My lord is too humble, my lord has long been known as a master of Chinese studies, and I am like thunder. My lord is the prefect of Hangzhou in person, and we still hope that my lord can administer justice for us. ”

"For the sake of the place, the official naturally wants to ensure the peace of the place. But you are all local celebrities, so you have to take the lead......"

Yan Fu is very modest, but the rich people continue to praise Yan Fu's past. In this way, you came and went, and you didn't eat a few bites of food, but the wine passed three or five rounds.

Those who can sit here today are either rich or expensive, and some families have become bigger through collusion between officials and businessmen. These families have special personnel responsible for the entertainment of officials, and some of them have already settled in the capital. But there is wind and grass in the capital, and it can be transmitted back immediately. Just when Yan Fu was summoned to the palace to play the right match, some sensitive people noticed that Yan Fu might be the new prefect of Hangzhou, and then the manpower of each family was activated, and Yan Fu's life preferences were immediately made public. And the wealthy businessmen in Hangzhou can arrange some activities for the surname.

Sitting next to him was a salt merchant, his fat body long beyond the confines of his chair. Even when you laugh, the fat on your face will shake. The fat salt merchant took out a red gift list: "These are a little gifts prepared by the grass people, and I hope the adults will accept them with a smile." ”

It is the norm for wealthy businessmen to do this. When the new officials are reinstated, the local gentry always have to meet the new parents and officials to find out what they want to do in the future. Normally, as a new official, when the local gentry gather gifts for the first time, they will generally say some high-sounding and righteous words, and they will not be able to do anything. Then the gentry sent the gifts to the back door of the yamen after drinking. But Yan Fu clapped his hands, reached out and took it and looked at it carefully. This made the gentry wonder for a while.

"Yo, that's all good stuff. There are Wang Xizhi's words, as well as Tang Bohu's paintings. Okay, the official likes these the most, and the folks bothered about it. Presumably, before the official came, you already knew who this official was. Yan Fu's words are a bit incorrect.

How to answer this, did Yan Fu deliberately blame someone for being investigated? A silk merchant replied: "My lord is a celebrity in the world, and ordinary gold and silver look down on silver. Only these paintings and calligraphy can be worthy of the name of adults. ”

"You're overrated. There's also a house here. Yan Fu pointed to the gift list and said: "It seems that you know that this official is poor, and there must be many beautiful concubines in this house." I'm afraid it will cost millions of taels when this gift list is converted into cash. ”

"It's not a respect, but I hope the adults will laugh." Everyone answered. But they were happy in their hearts, they were most afraid that this literati would be rigid and not polite. As long as you can accept it, then things will be easy to do in the future.

"This official is not like others to shirk on the surface, but he accepts gifts behind his back. The official accepted it in person. "Strictly compound the gift list: "Thank you for your love first, but there are some rules for this official to receive gifts, so I will tell you first." ”

"Please make it clear to your lords, and the grass people will obey."

"This official is the emperor's personal order, and you must also know that there must be countless eyes staring at this official at this time. If the official says that he accepts the gift today, he will be impeached tomorrow. Then your gifts will not be in vain? Therefore, the official accepted the gift list, and the official was willing to convert this gift into cash and send it to your home. Then they have nothing to say. Yan Fu clenched his fists and faced north: "The emperor and the sage also have the intention to govern, and the ministers should do their best to achieve the holy will." You also know that the emperor has built factories in Zhili and the Northeast, so when the emperor summoned him, he also hoped that the official could make a difference in this regard. This official is blessed with God's grace, so this factory must be built. ”

Speaking of this, Yan Fu stopped and looked at it carefully, observing everyone's expressions. I saw that everyone was at a loss, they were all traders, who knew how to do this factory?

Yan Fu smiled: "I think you must be a little resistant. It doesn't hurt, that's why the official is willing to convert it into cash and send it to your home. You only need to take back the gifts, and then take out the silver taels to set up a factory at the behest of the official. In this way, the wealthy businessmen in Jiangnan can set up factories one after another under the call of the official. If it is done, we are all happy, but if it is not done, we have no experience. Do you understand? ”

"Understood, understood." Why don't the rich businessmen understand, don't they just use our money to pave the way for themselves?

"It's good to understand, don't talk about official affairs, just talk about Fengyue. Today, it is said that when you are drunk, you will rest. ”

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