Just after the marriage decree was revised, the people of Yunmeng lived a normal life again. The happiest is Feng Bo, he and Widow Zhang have twists and turns, and their lovers eventually become married. Yunmeng's happy events followed. The mining of salt mines deep in the mountains is unusually smooth. Before winter, the salt mill produces a bag of refined salt. Wang Xu was moved to tears. After that, along with a large-scale burning activity, the construction of the East City was also carried out in an orderly manner.

In half a month, the Spring Festival sacrifice will begin. At this time, the people of Nozai Mansion were very busy. Collect sacrificial taxes, ram earth to build platforms, prepare ritual utensils, organize and coordinate personnel, etc. There is an urgent shortage of manpower in all aspects, and there are a total of 29 Rao mansions, including Wang Xu, which are turning at a high speed. They have been working overtime for several days on end, and they are all tired.

These, Wang Xu occasionally has the illusion of returning to the afterlife. It had been a long time since he had experienced such a fast-paced life. In order to facilitate communication and deal with problems quickly, Wang Xu also moved to the East Chamber, and worked in an open office with a group of subordinates. At present, Zaifu is full of people and is very lively. In the east wing, Wang Xu was complaining to the acting master.

"All the matters of the Dongcheng superintendent are left to the servants. There are a total of eight literate people in the government. What are you going to do? It would be nice to arrange for one person to check the progress every day. If you don't see the city wall for a day, it won't grow taller? Let's get the tax done first. Otherwise, the spring festival will be too late! ”

The acting master nodded submissively.

"Okay... My lord! However, the government really can't spare manpower, and some households still need to be sent to visit and collect. There is no way to be humble. ”

"Announcement! Don't wait for something to happen before you solve it, but deal with it in advance. In two days, when the settlement is completed, it will be arranged for Xu to visit and complete the service. Wouldn't it be more effective? ”

As soon as he encountered the matter of taxation, Wang Xu had a big head. With nearly 2,000 households in the wild, it is already a troublesome matter to be notified in place. Statistics are even more of a headache. In those years, all the statistical work was done by counting chips. Seeing the officials fiddling with wooden sticks with the account books, Wang Xu just wanted to scold his mother. So he took over all the statistical work.

His table was tiled with a sand table, and after calculating the numbers on the bamboo slips, he bulldozed the sand and continued to doodle and calculate the next volume of accounts. Originally, it was thought that paying taxes on a per-household basis was nothing more than calculating the total number of households and multiplying them by a base amount of levy. It's easy to calculate with a snap of your fingers. But after the actual operation, I found out... It simply doesn't work.

There is almost no standard family of five in Nonaka. Especially those clans, the descendants are not separated, and they are extremely capable of giving birth and raising. There are dozens of people in a clan, and a hundred people in a large clan. Although there are not many such special cases, it is obviously extremely unfair to the poor and the poor families if they are levied or distributed according to the household. Therefore, the head tax of the spring festival became a poll tax.

At this moment, it is no time, send away the acting master. Wang Xu put down the scroll and bulldozed the sand table again. He leaned forward, his hands propped on the table, and his expression was pained. After a moment, the palm of his hand lifted his heavy body and staggered a few steps in place. I think it's because I have been kneeling for too long, and my legs and feet are sore. As soon as he stretched his waist, a subordinate came to ask.

"My lord! Were the ritual vessels used in the sacrifice cast by craftsmen? Or is it purchased by Sikong Fu? Adult decides. ”

"Send someone to the national city to buy the supplies you need."

Casting ritual objects is not a project. Chimes, copper tripods and the like have strict casting standards. The slightest carelessness is not a loss of money, but a violation of etiquette. In addition, Feng Bo was newly married, and Wang Xu did not want to disturb.

After receiving the reply, the official left in a hurry. Returning to his bookcase, he began to list the items needed for the sacrifice. Wang Xu walked slowly to the window, looked at the busy scene in the courtyard, and sighed helplessly.

"Hey! It's going to be overtime again. ”

The people were divided into three teams, and they lined up from outside the east chamber to the Hanging Flower Gate. The crowd was noisy and chaotic.

In the distance, an errand shouted to maintain the line. Occasionally, those who try to cut the line will be scolded. Two other officers struggled to carry wooden boxes that had just been filled with copper coins to the treasury, and they were sweating profusely, bending over and moving with difficulty, while accusing each other of being lazy. I saw that the wooden box was tilted left and right, and it was lifted lower and lower. Nearby, three tables were placed in front of the east wing, and the officials counted the copper coins on the desk with one hand, and checked the household registration register with the other. There is a large stack of bamboo slips stacked on each desk. From time to time, maidservants would come to collect the scrolls, and then carry the wooden plates to Wang Xu's side.

In just a moment's effort, Wang Xu's desk had already piled up a half-meter-high volume. There was no chance to be lazy at all, he looked at the urging work, pouted, and looked reluctant. Then he returned to his place... Keep busy.

Tedious... Bland...

What a miserable time without paper.

At present, in addition to using bamboo slips and seal knives, it is written with cloth and dansha. Even if Wang Xu was a rich man who opened a weaving workshop, he couldn't resist the arithmetic manuscript paper and replaced it with cotton cloth. What's more, using dansha as ink is pure luxury.

At this time, dansha was used as an alchemy for alchemists, and it was extremely precious. The dansha used for writing is to grind cinnabar ore into powder and then mix it with fish gelatin, which is even more precious. Since the handwriting will be yellowish-brown when written, it is usually mixed with chicken blood in order to make the handwriting bright and vermilion. As a result, the use of cinnabar was limited to important occasions and to the magnates who spent a lot of money. Otherwise, if you write it once, you will kill it twice. The chickens that defend the country are also going extinct.

Wang Xu lowered his head, mechanically repeating the calculation work, and the sand table was bulldozed again and again. Suddenly, a guard came to report.

"My lord! The officials of the Sikou Mansion asked to see him. ”

"Oh! Bring people in. ”

The guards looked around, and the room was packed.

"Uh... Brought here? ”

"Of course. Go ahead. ”

Wang Xu waved his hand casually and sent the guards down.

In the officialdom, the hierarchy is strict and the etiquette is moderate. It is rude not to receive in the main hall, and it is even more contemptuous for people to come to this place where the East Wing works. The guards wanted to speak and stopped, so they had to retreat with their fists clenched.

After a while, there was a standard haha. Wang Xu didn't go back, but was busy with the work at hand while looking at the people who came. The other party has a leather crown on his head, a square face, and a burly figure. A dark official robe was worn on the visitor, looking very stylish. The man was about forty years old and had a sword around his waist. When he walked in, Wang Xu saw the silk gauze outside the other party's official uniform, and he was immediately not calm. He hurriedly got up and saluted:

"Oops! Humble and slack. Lao Zun drove to the main hall to speak. ”

At first glance, you know that he is a big official. Wang Xu walked out of the desk and made a series of moves.

"Why did Doctor Xu say this? It's a nuisance. Public affairs are important, and doctors don't have to be stubborn. ”

Since the other party didn't care about these details, Wang Xu didn't insist anymore. He took a straw mat and placed it in front of the table, and the two sat down opposite each other.

"Contemptible Si Kou Mansion Wei Zhong. The current position of Yin Bo. I came to visit Dr. Xu this time to ask about something. There is a lot of trouble, and I hope to ask the doctor Haihan. ”

Chung Yin Bo... Pang Zhong? The leader of the Secret Spy Division...

Wang Xu was stunned and hurriedly controlled the expression on his face.

"Loyal Uncle Yin, forgive me for being humble. No wonder! No wonder! ”

"Huh! Doctor Xu is too modest. I see that there are only a few officials in this Yezai Mansion, and they can still work in an orderly manner. It can be seen that Dr. Xu is a cadre, and he does not waste the grace of the king's promotion. ”

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and Pang Zhong turned to the topic.

"Why did Doctor Xu ignore Yingze Fengyi? Could it be that there is some difficulty? ”

"That's true. Since the lord of the city handed over the government affairs of Yunmeng to the lowly, the lowly has been beyond his strength. There is no time to take care of the mining yet. After all, the establishment of the shogunate and the establishment of the cousin Hyakuji required a lot of money, food, and officials. I want to wait until the beginning of spring to prepare. ”

"Hmm. The commander of the forbidden army was attacked in Yingze, I don't know if the doctor has heard of it? ”

Wang Xu was busy with official business with his head down, looking very serious. When he heard Pang Zhong's question, he put down the scroll and raised his head to look at the other party.

"A few years ago, I listened to the servants of Situ Mansion. Isn't it a tragedy that happened in a lowly fiefdom? ”

There was a hint of fear and panic in his flat eyes. Pang Zhong and Wang Xu glanced at each other and smiled.

"Hehe... Naturally, it won't happen in the fiefdom of Dr. Xu, so you don't need to worry. ”

"Oh! That's good. When the inferior is despised, the city wall must be built to prevent evildoers. ”

Subsequently, Pang Zhong went to Yunmeng's experience.

"I heard that Dr. Xu opened a school in the field to recruit children from poor families. This is really a good thing for the country and the people. When I return to the national city, I will definitely pay tribute to you and make a contribution to you. ”

Wang Xu panicked and hurriedly surrendered his hand.

"Don't! Chung-sama! I'll tell you the truth. He did this just for himself. If it spreads, won't it be laughable and generous? ”

Pang Zhong frowned puzzled.

"Oh? Why is that? ”

"Hey! There are only eight officials in my house. And lo and behold! I did all the work of counting it myself. The opening hall and teaching students mathematics are actually available for the government and cousins in the future. If you have leisure time, you can go to the school to see, because you can't invite famous people to teach, so you can order people to teach students the skills of craftsmen, which are not on the elegant hall. If your colleagues knew about it, wouldn't you die of laughter? Please keep this matter confidential and don't make it public. ”

"Haha. You... In the future, there will be no shortage of craftsmen in Sikong Mansion. ”

The conversation ended in a relaxed atmosphere. Wang Xu saw that Pang Zhong was about to get up and leave, so he hurriedly put down the work at hand and got up to send him off.

"It may not have been peaceful lately. Doctor Xu can tell the lord of the city to mobilize the local garrison and be on strict alert. The official documents of the Sikou Mansion will soon be conveyed to the yamen of the various towns. For specific matters, please ask the doctor to cooperate. Stay. ”

Walking outside the door, Pang Zhong bowed his hand and said goodbye. The other party's words made Wang Xu a little confused. Is he testing his relationship with Ji Lan or is something big happening? He decided not to act rashly for now, and waited until the official document from the Sikou Mansion came down, and just did things according to the rules. There was no need to inform Ji Lan in advance of the transfer of the garrison. I think that the official document of the Sikou Mansion is nothing more than the arrest of bandits and the like, so that the cities of the whole country will not start martial law. He shook his head and walked back to his place to settle the score.

After Pang Zhong walked out of the East Chamber, he did not leave immediately, but walked towards the shadow wall on the side of the East Chamber. He stood there for a moment, and a woman's cough came from behind him. When the woman walked into the toilet next to the shadow wall, Pang Zhong casually followed in. In just a dozen steps, his eyes were staring at the door of the east wing.

"Ten days ago, can there be a garrison transfer in the field?"

"No Sakura"

"You have to pay attention to what he has to do with Yingze. I'll stay here for a day, and you'll send a detailed record of the school to the inn at the city gate. ”

"No."

After explaining the matter, Pang Zhong left. And the woman stayed in the latrine for a long time before she came out. As soon as she walked to the shadow wall, a woman in green clothes dressed as a maidservant girl hurriedly ran over and stopped in front of the woman.

"Miss Zijing, Madame, please come over."

"Oh. Got it. ”

Soon after, Qiu Youzijing met Ah Ji in the main room of the inner house. At this time, two servants were carrying a large wooden box into the bedroom in the back hall. And Ah Ji followed behind the two of them and carried two huge burdens, and his actions were particularly difficult. The baggage looks like a futon or something, and it looks very bloated. Qiu Youzijing walked over lightly and took over the burden in Ah Ji's hand.

"Madame! Let the servant come. ”

Aji Waner smiled, not refusing the other party's kindness. So, he gave a burden to the woman. The two entered the bedroom with a smile.

They don't know each other. People who also practice martial arts have a bold side. After a few days of getting along, the relationship between master and servant is also harmonious. At first, Qiu Youzijing had an attitude of asking for mercy and flattered Ah Ji. But later, she found that this woman's life was simply boring and terrible. In addition to focusing on her husband every day, the rest of the time is spent in the medicine house to treat people. She didn't dare to imagine that if her life became like this, she would have the idea of suicide. even secretly laughed at Aji's stupidity.

Wang Xu is the biggest businessman in Yunmeng, Ah Ji is already worry-free in the businessman's house, and his husband is a dignified and noble doctor. A woman like her deserves to live a life of clothes, stretching out her hands for food, and opening her mouth. She didn't understand why Lady Nozai was blessed? It wasn't until the day before yesterday that something happened in the medicine house that changed her mind.

At that time, an old man came to the medicine house and gave Ah Ji a basket of eggs, two cabbages and a pound of pork. After the old man left, Qiu Youzijing put out the doubts in his heart.

"The business of the wild is all about Rao. Adults have hundreds of households in Yingze. I'm afraid that I will not be able to eat for a few lifetimes. Why did Madame show up? Isn't it good to be a rich idler? ”

"The business in the wild was originally run by the mountain people of Yunmeng together with the adults. It belongs to everyone, not Darao. I heard that the people there in Yingze were hungry, and the adults were also over, and they did not plan to collect taxes from the people of the fiefdom. Nowadays, there are more and more children in the school, and the expenses are also opened, and they all rely on these businesses to sustain themselves. It's not what you think. As a wife, it is a matter of course to take care of your husband. The old man who came just now had a leg disease that had been cured for 20 years, and I cured him. First, if you do good deeds, you can make a name for adults. Second, to receive some gifts, you can also subsidize the family. Wouldn't it be the best of both worlds? Adults do great things, but what about me... can only help a little, let him be fed and clothed, that is, he has fulfilled his wife's responsibility. In the future, when you get married, you will understand this. I'll take the eggs, and the adults like to eat them. The rest is for you, there are many people in the house, and it is not easy for you to take care of it. ”

"Madame..."

It was just some simple and unpretentious words, but it touched Qiu Youzijing's heart. She can't compare to Ah Ji's sincerity to Wang Xu, and she doesn't have the girl's innocent thoughts of selfless dedication. At this time, the thank you gift in my hand felt extremely heavy. Qiu Youzi lowered his head in shame.

Perhaps both of them have the experience of being slaves and maids, and they are even more eager to be recognized by the side, so as to get rid of the stigma of their childhood and their lowly status. After this incident, Qiu Youzi admired Ah Ji from the bottom of his heart, and he also liked to practice medicine. She asked Aji for advice, and the two were also teachers and friends, and their relationship became more and more intimate.

In the dark, they were a pair of blood sisters, close but unable to recognize each other. Fate is like two invisible hands, pushing them slowly closer, but ironically, they can't recognize each other by the remnants of childhood memories. The only possibility of reunion is the mark that represents the lowly status...