The sky of Quanzhou is covered with snowflakes. In this era when it also snows in winter in Guangdong, it is normal for snow to fall in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, further north of Guangdong. Under the snowy scene, many lights are also hung next to the East Lake, today is the fourteenth day of the first month, and the Lantern Festival is about to be celebrated.

Empress Dowager Chen, who was watching the snow scene in the warm pavilion by the East Lake in Quanzhou, looked at the lake and muttered: "The clouds cover the moon on the fifteenth day of August, and the snow lights up on the fifteenth day of the first month." ”

It was more than 30 years ago, she took her third son Zhao Jiaren and her second daughter to play by the lake on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and read such a passage about the season to the two little things. At that time, Zhao Jiaren was like a little adult, reading silently with his hands behind his back. And Zhao Jiaren's second sister dragged the sleeves of Empress Dowager Chen's back vigorously. When she could memorize it, she pulled her younger brother Zhao Jiaren to show off, and asked vigorously, "Do you know how to memorize?" ”

Zhao Jiaren was originally a ninja, annoyed by the toss, and couldn't help frowning and shouting: "Shut up!" Silly girl! ”

The second sister was angry with her younger brother and cried, and she grabbed her mother and sued. Although Empress Dowager Chen reprimanded Zhao Jiaren at that time, she shouldn't talk to her sister like this. But she also found out that she actually used to scold her second daughter first. Although her third son is an excellent reader, he has been so unlovable since he was a child.

More than 30 years have passed, and the Empress Dowager Chen has revisited her hometown, and she can't help but have a sour nose full of tears while missing. Time flies, and the children have grown up. No matter what these little things are, they are all born to the Empress Dowager Chen, and the mother always thinks that the children are very good. But the old things at home just don't make people worry-free, a few decades ago, the Empress Dowager Chen couldn't stand Zhao Zhizhuo, so she took the two babies who were not affected by Zhao Zhizhuo and ran back to Zhao Zhizhuo's ancestral house to live. Decades have passed, and Zhao Zhizhuo has obviously not made much progress.

Seeing that Empress Dowager Zhao was crying for no reason, Zhao Mengmei, deputy director of Donghu District next to her, hurriedly handed over a towel. Empress Dowager Chen took it and wiped her tears, and then smiled reluctantly: "I just remember the past, but it's nothing." ”

As a woman, although she has not given birth to a child, Zhao Mengmei feels that she can understand the thoughts of the Empress Dowager Chen, she smiled: "Is it because I remember what happened when the official family was a child?" ”

"Oh, I don't know what else he can do other than study." Empress Dowager Chen couldn't help but make an evaluation of her son at that time, and then she changed the topic, "I think the official you are actually not worse than San Lang back then." ”

Zhao Mengmei smiled first, and then replied cheerfully: "I also think it's not bad to be this official." Actually, I'm not an official, I used to be just a petty official. The biggest benefit is that you don't have to eat at home anymore. ”

"Uh-huh!" Empress Dowager Chen nodded again and again, "People have to rely on themselves." "When Empress Dowager Chen got married, the Chen family gave fifty pieces of silk as a dowry. She took her children back to the Zhao family's ancestral house to live, relying on the dowry she brought herself. Relying on Zhao Zhizhuo's money to live ......, Empress Dowager Chen didn't think that Zhao Zhizhuo had such a big heart.

While speaking, someone from outside reported to him, "Queen Mother, there are people who claim to be from the Chen family who want to see you." With that, he handed over a letter.

Zhao Mengmei was originally a guest to sit with, but she didn't want to run around in such a weather, so she naturally got up and said goodbye at this time. Waiting for Zhao Mengmei to leave, Empress Dowager Chen read the letter and asked the guards to bring people in. The person who came in was a man in his forties and fifties, and he came up to greet the Empress Dowager Chen, who was already seventy years old, "Auntie." I am here on order. ”

"What?" Empress Dowager Chen asked.

"My family heard that the official family ordered each family to sell all the silk, so I was ordered to make a steam car and ship to inquire about the official's thoughts." The eldest nephew of the Chen family said very frankly.

Empress Dowager Chen said to her eldest nephew with a cold face: "The official family asked you to clean the silk in your hands, you can come out if you want to, and you can't come out if you don't want to." The cause of what you sow, you will reap the fruit. Why ask about such things. ”

Feeling a very clear dissatisfaction, the eldest nephew of the Chen family continued to ask: "We have already read the official family's orders, so I want to know what my aunt thinks. ”

Empress Dowager Chen replied categorically: "My family Saburo has often said something unpleasant for decades, but I don't remember him ever scolding. ”

"Thank you Auntie for your advice." Seeing that the eldest nephew, who was forty or fifty years old, cautiously thanked his aunt, he gave a list of gifts, and then took his leave.

Looking at this guy's back, Empress Dowager Chen suddenly had a bad anger in her heart. Why don't these people believe the official Zhao Jiaren?

At this time in Hangzhou, Zhao Jiaren, who was questioned by many people, looked at the officials opposite, they were the prefect of Hangzhou Prefecture and the prefects of the counties below Hangzhou Prefecture. The total population of Hangzhou Prefecture now exceeds 3 million, and the total population of the Great Song Dynasty is 80 million at this time. Hangzhou Mansion accounts for 1/27, and from the perspective of wealth, Hangzhou Mansion is also rich in the world.

"Can you be confident that you will triple your silk production this year?" Zhao Guanjia asked.

Everyone couldn't help but bow their heads, only the magistrate of Yuhang County raised his head and responded: "Official, our county's agricultural bureau has contacted the technical staff from Principal Zhao. Silkworm seeds and all kinds of equipment were in place, and I ran through the entire county and village, and saw that many mulberry forests were planted on the hillside of the village. The official ordered, and we are ready to start working. ”

"Hmm." For such an enterprising young magistrate, Zhao Jiaren nodded.

Looking at the other magistrates, I saw that they didn't have such high-spirited expressions. Zhao Jiaren asked, "What difficulties do you think?" ”

"It's unheard of to suddenly have to triple production." Several other magistrates replied one after another.

Looking at these guys who are afraid of making mistakes, Zhao Jiaren feels very familiar. At that time, the civil officials of the Great Song Dynasty were basically such a virtuous person, and their performance in production was very average. This does not mean that they are all waste, but that the government led the improvement of production capacity, and after the Qin and Han dynasties, only New China remained. In the Song Dynasty, production was mainly carried over to the local government, and those government-run factories relied on monopoly trading to make money. The imperial court was maintained only by collecting taxes.

Zhao Guanjia turned his head to look at Zhao Youjian, but Zhao Youjian also looked helpless, he could give these magistrates a bad evaluation, or he could give guidance to the magistrates, and he could also criticize and impeach these magistrates, but the personnel power of the magistrates was in the hands of the officials, and there were not many means for him to threaten and promote the magistrates.

Looking at the prefect's expression, Zhao Jiaren didn't bother to talk nonsense, he turned to the prefect and said: "If you don't know how to do it, it's nothing, I will send people from the school to your county this time, and you will follow the society to see how to do it." If they do well, you learn. If they don't do well, I hope you can criticize and advise. ”

When the magistrates heard this, they showed uneasy expressions. They had never heard of such an arrangement, and the number of officials under the Great Song system was very small, so it was impossible to manage it very carefully. However, sending people to guide, is this to empty these county magistrates?

Zhao Jiaren comforted: "Don't be afraid. It's not about how you are, how you can't do such an errand, because you haven't learned, you haven't seen it. Once born and twice cooked, it will always be better after experience. ”

was so comforted by the officials, but the magistrates were even more scared. Is this clearly saying that they are useless, or that the officials are saying that they are useless.

Two days later, Jia Weixin was one of the dispatched school teams in the counties in the area where silk production had tripled. Just before leaving, Jia Weixin ran to see his grandfather, Jia Rudao, and asked for help.

After listening to Jia Weixin's explanation of the final arrangement, Jia Rudao chuckled, "Do you know why I failed to reform the public land back then?" ”

"Isn't that a success?" Jia Weixin pretended to be stupid and said.

"That's Zhao Jiaren's success." Jia Rudao replied with some hatred, "At that time, what was lacking in the reform of public land was talents who could be implemented in various counties. Brother Zhao made such an arrangement this time, just not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Are you really ready? ”

Jia Weixin hurriedly replied, "Azu, I'm ready." This time I asked Yuhang Zhi County, and he said it clearly, in fact, there is no trick, that is, the legs and feet are diligent and fast, and the whole county is run. Where and how many mulberry trees were planted in those places, you won't worry about being cheated after you know it. ”

"Brother Zhao wrote a lot of things to advocate the first empire of the Qin and Han dynasties, and talked about the strength of the Qin and Han dynasties, because the local officials knew how much land, how much mulberry tea, lacquered bamboo, how many cattle, and how many livestock they raised. Based on this, we report what the weather is like for each solar term, and what is the growth and situation of farmland, etc. As long as the chief and the pavilion chief can tell the truth, the imperial court will be able to know the overall output and can arrange a lot of responses. There is no such system in my Great Song Dynasty, and the officials deceive the superiors and conceal the subordinates. Don't lie to the officials, just say whatever you want. Jia Rudao admonished.

After listening to his grandfather's explanation, Jia Wei asked puzzledly: "Azu, are you worried that the Zhao Guan's family will be deceived?" ”

"Will he be deceived? Ha ha. Do you think Brother Zhao can tolerate sand in his eyes! Jia Rudao said with a smile, looking very happy.

Looking at the smiling grandfather, Jia Weixin only felt a burst of hair in his heart. He could only say, "Azu, I know. ”

Leaving his grandfather, Jia Weixin went to Fuyang County, the area he was responsible for. Looking at the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers, Jia Wei confidently remembered the words in "The Burrow", the mountain is not high, and there is a fairy name. The water is not deep, and if there is a dragon, it will be spiritual. Si is a burrow, but Wu Dexin ......

This kind of place of 'eight mountains, half water and half fields' can probably be summed up by the word 'poor'. Before arriving here, Jia Weixin had seen the map of Fuyang County, and when he looked at it on the spot, he found that this place was worse than he imagined.

The magistrate of Fuyang County is named Liu Boxiong, and in the face of Jia Weixin, who came, he still set up a banquet to entertain. said that it was a banquet, but it was actually not very good, and the food was much worse than the food in many departmental canteens in Lin'an. Jia Weixin didn't pretend, he directly took out the turmeric beef jerky and wine he brought and put them on the table, so that the table immediately added some color.

Eating fragrant and spicy food can always give people a happy feeling, and after a few glasses of wine, Liu Boxiong said half-truthfully: "Director Jia, our situation here is very bad. ”

"After the surrender of General Lin'an, I followed the team to Fujian and worked in Fuqing County for a while." Jia Weixin told about his past, "Zhao Guanjia was a county lieutenant in Fuqing back then, and he made a big name. As far as I have seen along the way, Fuqing County is far worse than our Fuyang County. ”

As soon as he said this, the people at the wine table couldn't help but smile bitterly. Fujian is a poor place that everyone knows, and it is only by sea that Quanzhou and Fuzhou are more famous. The actual level is very poor. Why almost everyone on Fujian Road has to study hard, and only by gaining fame can they escape from that poor place. Hangzhou, the capital of the Great Song Dynasty, is the land of fish and rice, and Fuyang County is also Qi County, which will not be worse than Fujian in any case.

Seeing that the atmosphere has become lively, Jia Weixin continued: "It is impossible for mulberry trees to grow in one day, if they were not planted before, they will be planted in spring this year, and it will take three years to grow to be usable." So we're going to go around the county right now and see how many mulberry trees are available. And then arrange the production according to this. ”

"Walk all over the county?" Liu Boxiong showed an uneasy mood when he landed, "Where is there such kung fu?" ”

"If Liu Zhixian is not available, then I will go." Jia Weixin replied very refreshingly. Jia Weixin originally hoped that he could take more credit, and without this Liu Boxiong, Jia Weixin would be more at ease.

Liu Boxiong obviously didn't have Jia Weixin's plan to do this, he asked tentatively: "What ......is the situation that Brother Jia sees?"

Jia Weixin was also prepared in this way, and he replied bluntly: "I naturally wrote it clearly in the report. ”

"Really?" Liu Boxiong was quite skeptical.

"If Brother Liu doesn't believe it, can you come with me?" Jia Weixin said with a smile.

In the end, the two reached an agreement temporarily, Liu Boxiong continued to deal with the official affairs of the county, and Jia Weixin went to check. The next day, Jia Weixin and the county cadres and staff rode on a donkey to check the road.

Land reform has been implemented in Jiangdong and other places, at least on paper there are various grassroots. After getting these materials, under the leadership of the county personnel, Jia Weixin walked over one by one. There are those grassroots units, and the village chiefs of each village are basically retired soldiers. Jia Weixin met and talked with them one by one. During the conversation, Jia Weixin found that these village chiefs had not seen Zhixian for a long time. There are people from the tax bureau who come forward to collect taxes, and the magistrate is extremely far away from this grassroots level.

"They didn't come to you on New Year's Day to take a look?" Jia Weixin asked. The Zhao family has to go to various places to express their condolences on New Year's Day every year, and Jia Weixin knows this very well.

"Doesn't the county still have to celebrate the New Year?" The village chiefs were generally puzzled by Jia Weixin's words.

Knowing Liu Boxiong's governance methods, Jia Weixin told the village chiefs about the imperial court's threefold increase in raw silk production, and the village chiefs said that they didn't know about such a thing. and questioned Jia Weixin's statement.

"It's not easy to increase by three, but it's so easy to triple it!"