Ying Tianfu was called Song Zhou in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, that is, today's Shangqiu, Henan, it was the birthplace of Zhao Kuangyin, Taizu of the Song Dynasty, and the name of the Song Dynasty also came from this.

The official position of Ying Tianfu is more complicated, which is also related to the status of Ying Tianfu, it is first of all to accompany the capital of Nanjing, the imperial court set up Nanjing to stay behind, for the Nanjing Stay Division, in charge of the palace key and the capital guard, bomb pressure, repair matters, in the Inner Qian Valley, soldiers and people are all in short, because the power and Ying Tianfu overlap, so this official position is generally concurrently held by the Zhiying Tianfu affairs.

Secondly, Yingtianfu is the seat of Jingdong Road, under the jurisdiction of two prefectures, fifteen prefectures, and two armies, so that there are many officials in Yingtianfu, including the pacification of the envoy, the transfer of the envoy, the mention of the criminal prison department and the promotion of the Changping Division.

Secondly, Ying Tianfu set up two official positions of Nanjing Mu and Ying Tianfu Yin in the specifications of the capital, Nanjing Mu is a fictitious position, generally led by the prince Yao, and Ying Tianfu Yin is currently concurrently held by Zhao Wenyun, the king of Langya, and is only the nominal chief official, and the real power is in the hands of Zhiying Tianfu.

This is also the characteristics of the local officials of the Song Dynasty, the nominal chief official of the state capital should be the history of the assassination, but the history of the assassination is concurrently held by the magnates of all sizes in the capital, and the real power is in the hands of the court officials sent by the imperial court, called knowing the affairs of a certain state, judging a certain state affairs, etc., in this way, the local power is in the hands of the imperial court, which is also the Song Dynasty learned the lessons of the late Tang Dynasty and even the five dynasties and ten countries of the local division and took measures.

Although the Song Dynasty did avoid the tragic recurrence of the division of feudal towns in the late Han and Tang dynasties, it also caused another serious consequence, that is, the redundant officials, one of the three redundant officials in the Song Dynasty, needed to set up too many official positions, and the financial burden of the imperial court was extremely heavy.

Generally, Zhizhou is a court official above the sixth rank, and Fan Ning is a high-ranking official from the fourth rank, so he was able to serve as an important place in Gyeonggi such as Yingtianfu.

Ten days after his wife, daughter, mother and sister arrived in Beijing, Fanning left the capital and went to Yingtianfu to take up his post.

The first time he went to work, Fanning did not bring his wife and daughter, he needed to stabilize himself before he could take his wife and daughter to Yingtianfu.

Yingtianfu is close to Kaifeng Mansion, about 300 miles away from the capital, the government governs Songcheng County, and can be reached directly by taking the Bianhe River by boat.

Fan Ning was aboard a 2,000-stone passenger ship, accompanied by two of his new aides, Gongsun Xuance and Zhang Bo, as well as four martial guards, a concubine Aya, and several handmaidens tea boys.

Staff is a special group in the officialdom of the Great Song Dynasty, there are a large number of scholars in the Song Dynasty, and only a very small number of scholars are famous in the examination, most of the scholars can only find another way to make a living, the scholars can not carry their shoulders, they can't lift their hands, and they want to be cheeky and face-saving, and they are unwilling to sell on the street, so the employment problem of the scholars has always been a headache for the imperial court, and the development of education is a way out for the scholars, in addition, it is also a way out for the scholars to rely on the wealthy and powerful.

But even if they are attached to the wealthy and powerful, they must be divided into three, six, nine and so on, the prime minister's staff is called the staff, and the staff of the county order is also called the staff, the difference lies in their respective abilities.

The thirteen scribes of Zhu's Wenyuan Hall are all top talents, like Gongsun Xuance is a Jinshi in Qingli for three years, because he has no background background, he was assigned to Xiuzhou as a state school assistant teacher, and he has been a teaching assistant for five years, and his future is hopeless, so he resigned in anger and returned to his hometown, and was accepted into Wenyuan Hall by the Zhu family.

Zhang Bo was born in Taixue, taught in Pingjiang Mansion, and was admitted to Wenyuantang eight years ago.

As the power of the Zhu family gradually declined, the two were worried about their future, and this time they were recommended by Zhu Yuanfu to Fan Ning, which really made the two feel comfortable.

In the cabin, Gongsun Xuance and Zhang Bo were playing chess and chatting, both of them were from Pingjiang Mansion, they were very thin, and their appearance was elegant.

Zhang Bo put a chess piece and said with a smile: "Do you feel that Brother Guo Huai regrets it a little?" ”

In their mouths, Guo Huai is also a scribe of Wenyuantang, and he and another scribe chose to follow Zhu Xiaoyun, and yesterday everyone got together to drink, which can be regarded as practicing for the two of them.

Gongsun Xuance smiled faintly and said: "I persuaded him at the beginning, although the Great Ya is the left servant of the Ministry of Officials, and he is very powerful, but he is relatively unkind and indifferent, too cautious and cautious, following him is just a good face, and there will be no future, at most he is a Qing guest in the house, it is not interesting, Guo Huai regrets it is normal." ”

"What about our official! What do you think? Zhang Bo asked with a smile again.

Gongsun Xuance said with a smile: "Ten years ago, I asked the Taiqing people in the Xuanmiao Palace to calculate a hexagram for me, saying that I was a late bloomer, I was poor and inactive when I was young, and I had to meet nobles in middle age, and when the time came, I am Chinese New Year's Eve nine years old today, and I can be regarded as entering middle age!" ”

"You mean that Fan Guanren is a nobleman, why is it not a nobleman in the Dayan?"

"I'm not optimistic about the Dayanei, he didn't choose a side at the critical moment, such a person is not a big deal, his officials have reached the top, and then he can only enter the palace as a bachelor, and he can't enter the Zhizheng Hall."

"What about Fan Guanren?"

Gongsun Xuance pointed at Zhang Bo and then at himself, "You and I both choose him, you should understand in your heart, I don't need to say more." ”

At this time, the tea boy Gui'er said at the door: "The official invited the two gentlemen to come over for tea." ”

Zhang Bo smiled: "We'll be here soon!" ”

They put away their chess pieces and got up and walked towards the main cabin.

The master cabin, located on the second floor, is Fanning's living quarter, with a large cabin and a great view for great comfort.

Aya was chatting with Fanning, and when she saw the two of them coming up, she got up and retreated.

"The officials are looking for us?"

Fanning smiled: "Two gentlemen, please come in!" ”

The two glanced at each other and walked into the cabin, Fanning waved his hand, "Please take a seat!" ”

After the two of them sat down, Fanning poured them a cup of tea each, "This tea is good, you two try it!" ”

The two of them picked up the teacup, put it in front of their noses and smelled it, and slowly took a small sip, only to feel that the fragrance was rich, a little more fragrant than the phoenix tea they usually drank.

"It's .... Dragon tea? Gongsun Xuance couldn't help but exclaim.

Fan Ning nodded and praised: "It is worthy of being from Wenyuantang, and he is really knowledgeable." ”

Wenyuantang enjoys the top treatment, not only the monthly salary, but also wears brocade clothes, delicious food, and a big house, and the tea he usually drinks is the phoenix tea provided by the Zhu family.

Even so, they have not enjoyed dragon tea, and only true imperial relatives have the opportunity to receive the reward of the Son of Heaven.

Fan Ning is also because of his meritorious service in opening up overseas territories, and Zhao Zhen, the son of heaven, rewarded him with a hundred catties of dragon tea, and he has not much left, and he is usually reluctant to drink it, and will only take it out when entertaining guests.

At this time, Zhang Bo next to him was looking at the tea cup in his hand, only to see that the tea cup in his hand was floating and charming, purple and red, like a smooth agate, thick and deep, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "This is the official kiln Jun porcelain!" ”

Fanning gave a thumbs up and praised: "Mr. Zhang is also a good eye!" ”

Zhang Bo's face flushed, can you not see such a superb tea cup?

Dragon Tea Official Kiln, Fan Ning's hospitality can be described as full of sincerity, the three of them drank a cup of tea, Fan Ning smiled: "This time I went to Ying Tianfu to take office, the official of the Ministry of Officials has already gone first, and I can take office at any time, but I think the two gentlemen will go shopping in the city for two days first, how about it?" ”

Gongsun Xuance and Zhang Bo glanced at each other, and the two immediately understood that Fan Ning was letting them understand the people's situation first.

At this time, Gongsun Xuance pondered and asked, "I heard that the official also serves as the superintendent of the imperial history?" ”

Fan Ning took out a gold medal of imperial history and put it on the table, and the two of them immediately cheered up, supervising the imperial history is a silver medal, but Fan Ning took out the gold medal of Zhongcheng in the imperial history.

Fan Ning said lightly: "My official is still the doctor of Zuo, and at the same time he has the title of Zhongcheng in the imperial history, which is what Han Xianggong won for me, and it may not be a good thing." ”

Both of them understood, and Zhang Bo cautiously asked, "This time I went to Ying Tianfu to take up a post, do you have a task?" ”

"It should be, I heard that serving as Ying Tianfu is the meaning of the king of Julu County, but I don't know what the specific intention is."

Gongsun Xuance thought for a while and said: "It is estimated that Han Xianggong also wants the officials to gain a firm foothold and grasp the power first, and then arrange the task, I suggest that the officials should not think too much about it first, just take office normally, and then think about other things after a few months of stability." ”

Fanning nodded, "What do you think I should do as a first step in office?" ”

The two said in unison: "Seize power!" ”

Fan Ning really has no experience in this area, he opened up Kunzhou, has absolute power in Kunzhou, no one can compete with him, but in the Great Song Dynasty, he is the first time to serve as a magistrate, which really confuses him.

"With whom do you fight for power?" Fanning asked, puzzled.

Zhang Bo smiled slightly: "When the imperial court sets up the functions and powers of the local government, it consciously overlaps the general judgment with many powers of the governor, one is the head snake, and the other is on behalf of the imperial court, so that the general judgment and the governor will check and balance each other, and there will be no local monopoly."

However, the consequences of such a power setting have led to fierce struggles in local officialdom, and almost every governor will face a situation of seizing power and vacating the situation. ”

Fan Ning suddenly thought that Zhu Pei had told him that his father Zhu Xiaoyun went to Qingzhou to serve as the governor of the state, and he was depressed for several years, and it seemed that he should have been set aside.

Fanning nodded, "Then I'll give it a try." ”