The news that Zhang Ke was going to Shandong was not clear to others, but Wang Huazhen and Li Zhizao could not help but inform them, these two old and new governors all frowned, and came to find Zhang Ke together.

"Yongzhen, I have a lot of problems in the Liao Party right now, although the war has passed, but the people are still in dire straits, immigration, road construction, military training, autumn harvest, a thousand things, when the family is not there, what should the people below do?"

Zhang Ke disagreed, and said with a smile: "Shibo, with you and Mr. Li here, they are both more proficient in civil affairs than me, why let me make trouble!" ”

"How's that going to work! Li Zhongcheng just came to Liaodong, and I don't know when I will be transferred back to the capital. ”

Li Zhizao also nodded frequently, and he said: "Guogong, you are the backbone of the backbone, and you can't do without it." ”

"Hahaha, although there are a lot of things, there are a little more. But I believe in you. Besides, if I go to Shandong, maybe I can make the imperial court change its mind. ”

"What's in your mind?" Wang Huazhen asked in surprise.

"Don't say it, don't say it!" Zhang Ke smiled mysteriously and said: "Shibo, the Tartars have suffered heavy losses, they will definitely not be harassed, and my eldest brother is staring at the grassland, so it's fine." You two just have to let go and do it, if you are really hesitant, send me a letter, Shandong is not far anyway. ”

Zhang Ke was determined to take a trip, and they had no choice.

"Alas, Yongzhen, you must be careful, Shandong is different from other places, it is the hometown of saints, don't make a mistake!" Wang Huazhen carefully admonished.

Zhang Ke nodded hurriedly, but he smiled secretly in his heart: "If it weren't for the Kong family, I wouldn't be too lazy to go to Shandong!" ”

After Zhang Ke explained the government affairs clearly, he immediately rushed to Jinzhou, and then crossed the sea by boat and went straight to Dengzhou.

This time it wasn't a war, it was very relaxed. Along the way, after three days of sailing, we arrived at Dengzhou Wharf. There was already a large group of people in the harbor who were looking forward to it, and when they saw Zhang Ke's ship coming, someone immediately knelt on one knee.

"See Grandpa Guo!"

Zhang Ke waved his hand and said with a smile: "Benjue is coming in a micro-service, so don't be polite." ”

The head of the thousand is called Sun Jiawen, he is the grandson of Sun Youguang, and since the day he was born, he has been hereditary in one hundred households. Later, he was promoted to the hereditary commander. However, Lao Sun is still very discerning. Relying on the shadow of the ancestors, without any real skills, he will definitely not be able to eat under Zhang Ke.

Two years ago, he sent his grandson to the officer training class to train with other young people, and after a year of training, Sun Jiawen took off the skin of his son, and his appearance in the army was quite good. was transferred to Qiao Fu's subordinates, and was also promoted from the original 100 to 1,000 presidents. Worthy of a new star.

Along the way, Sun Jiawen was introducing the situation of Yansheng Mansion to Zhang Ke, and he really didn't know if he didn't come, and he was shocked when he came.

The Confucian family is in Qufu, but their fields are all over Shandong. In addition to Yanzhou, Jinan, Qingzhou and other places, there are also many in Dengzhou and Laizhou. Even the Kong family doesn't know how many fields they have, but conservatively estimates that there are at least three and a half million acres.

The most ironic thing is that Confucianism regards merchants as their last business. However, the dignified Yan Shenggong Mansion did not let go of the fat meat that made money. All over Shandong's commercial houses, silk villages, money village ticket numbers. One-third of the carriages and horses belonged to the Kong family.

"Grandpa Guo, when we first came, the imperial court was not paid enough, so the general town sent people to purchase grain, and the Confucian family's grain was expensive and mixed with sand, so the general town was angry and went directly to the countryside to buy it. As a result, within three days, the people of the Kong family came to the door. =, blame the town for why they don't buy their firm, don't you look down on the Kong family? He also said that the price was raised, so that the poor stick took advantage, and they could not collect food. ”

"Dare enough!"

Zhang Ke only felt ridiculous, it had always been the Yizhou soldiers who bullied others, but he didn't expect the Kong family to dare to find them uncomfortable, no wonder Qiao Fu wanted to point the finger at the Kong family. If you don't give them some color to see, you don't know that Ma Wang Ye has three eyes!

Of course, Zhang Ke is not simply vindictive, but the location of Shandong is too important, as long as he has a firm foothold in Shandong and looks at Liaodong from afar, it is equivalent to pinching the two gates of the capital. Attack and retreat, turn around as you wish, no matter who is in power in the imperial court, don't think about moving the Yizhou soldiers.

If you want to be a warlord, you have to be thorough, although you haven't finished digesting Liaodong, Zhang Ke has already set his sights on the next piece of fat!

……

Horses' hooves are galloping, the road is lined with farmland, and now it is the time of the autumn harvest, all the farmers are working in the fields, racing against time, harvesting the grain home, the hard work of the year depends on these few days!

Zhang Ke paid attention to every common person, most of them were in rags, their faces were full of vegetables, and their chests were occasionally exposed, all of which were craggy bones, and the ribs could be clearly counted.

Many of the children, who did not even have shoes, ran barefoot up and down the fields, carefully picking up the scattered ears of wheat and placing them in the baskets.

"How difficult people's livelihood is, Shandong is no exception!"

"Grandpa Guo, this is not bad, there is a harvest, the rent is paid, and you can still leave a mouthful to eat, those counties that have suffered from the disaster are even more unlucky, the bark and grass roots have been eaten up, some people are hungry and faint, gnawing Guanyin soil, and as a result, their stomachs are swollen like toads, and they die miserably!"

"A famine? Where? ”

"Where else could it be, Yanzhou! The Yellow River broke in Xuzhou, and the neighboring Shandong counties were all killed, and I heard that the refugees alone were hundreds of thousands! ”

"Yanzhou? You're in the town too, aren't you? ”

"Well, that's right."

Zhang Ke's eyes rolled, and he suddenly slapped the war horse.

"Work hard, follow me to Yanzhou immediately!"

After three days of galloping, Zhang Ke and his entourage finally approached Yanzhou Mansion, more than 20 miles away from the city, and saw a string of people on the road, both men and women, young and old. They were driven by ropes around their arms, and whips fell on their bodies from time to time, and their skin was torn apart.

Such a scene was only seen by Zhang Ke when he captured the Tartars, and he slowed down his war horse and called over a chauffeur.

"What do these people do? Are they all prisoners? ”

The coachman was around fifty, weathered, and looked at Zhang Ke's young age, as fine and tender as a scholar, and immediately sighed.

"Sir, don't ask, know less, inquire less, and save yourself trouble!"

"Hahaha, I'm not afraid of trouble, just say anything I want, maybe I can help them."

"Hey, this son, if you say so, the old man will tell the truth. These are the tenants of the Confucian Mansion, who suffered a disaster this year and owe the rent of the Confucian Mansion, but how can the Confucian family's debts be owed? ”

It's the Kong family again!

Zhang Ke raised his eyebrows and continued to ask, "What does the Kong family want to do?" ”

"There are many ways to do it, forcing you to repay your debts, those who have money take money, you always have a house if you don't have money, you have a daughter, and you can use it to pay off your debts......"

While he was talking, one suddenly ran out of a string of people, and someone shouted behind him: "Girl, hurry up!" ”

The old man's voice was soon drowned out in the sticks, and the escorted slaves rushed up and whipped wildly, and two slaves chased after the girl who had run away.

After running for almost 200 steps, the girl fell on the ridge without paying attention.

The two slaves grabbed her by the arm and dragged her towards the shade of the tree, laughing loudly as they went, and their hands jammed as they went.

"Uncle likes fierce little mares, accompany him to have fun!"

The two guys actually ripped off their clothes in broad daylight, revealing their dirty bodies. (To be continued......) R1292