Fan Ning understood in his heart, and smiled at Wang Anshi and said, "It is estimated that I came to investigate the Gushu County Cattle Mutual Aid Society, and the Imperial Court is very interested in it." ”

Wang Anshi didn't ask much, got up and said with a smile: "Then I'll go and arrange the affairs of the village people, I hope to surprise the officials after a while!" ”

Wang Anshi went out and left, and after a while, the little official brought a middle-aged man in.

Fan Ning recognized the person at a glance, it was Liu Chu, the oldest counselor in the Left Counsel Yuan, after Li Weizhen was promoted to the Zuo Counselor, Liu Chu was also promoted to the Zuo Counsel Division.

Fan Ning got up and smiled: "Liu Jisi, we haven't seen each other for a long time!" ”

Liu Chu stepped forward and saluted and said with a smile: "I am ordered to cooperate with the prince of the government to investigate the case!" ”

"Sit down first, let's talk slowly."

Fan Ning invited Liu Chu to sit down, and let the tea boy serve tea, and the two exchanged a few words, and then Fan Ning asked, "Is the case filed for the incident I said?" ”

Liu Chu nodded, "Governor Li has officially filed the case, and this time he led three capable officials to Ying Tianfu and asked for instructions from the king." ”

"Where do you live now?"

"I currently live in Guanyi, but my identity has been made public."

Fan Ning pondered for a moment and said: "Since the identity is public, then simply use other names, and it will not attract attention, you can use the name of investigating the Gushu County Cattle Mutual Aid Society as a cover, so that you can enter Gushu County in a bright light." ”

Liu Chu said with a smile: "We also have experience, a real secret investigation will encounter a lot of trouble, the best way is to sell dog meat on the head of a sheep, then we will rush to Gushu County early tomorrow morning." ”

"It's okay, I'll send an official letter to Gushu County today, and inform the county to order you to come over to investigate the Cattle Mutual Aid Society, and let him prepare, so I can simply investigate the Cattle Mutual Aid Society by the way."

The two discussed the details for a while, and Liu Chu took his leave.

Not long after Liu Chu left, a group of soldiers suddenly came outside the mansion, surrounded by a wide carriage, and some soldiers standing guard had already rushed in to report it.

Fan Ning felt strange in his heart, so he greeted him, just in time to see the carriage door open, and out of it came an official in his fifties, with fair skin, a slender face, and a pointed and thin jaw, it was Zhao Qian, the appeasement envoy of Jingdong Road.

Of course, Zhao Qian is also a civilian official, his own official is the squire of the military department, and he was sent to Yingtianfu three years ago to serve as the pacification envoy of Jingdong Road, and was in charge of the 30,000 Xiang troops of Jingdong Road.

Just the day before yesterday, Zhao Qian went back to his hometown in Gushu County, and in the small talk with his brother Zhao Jian, he accidentally learned that Fan Ning had been to his manor a few days ago, and he did not say goodbye, which really surprised him.

Zhao Qian knows very well that Fan Ning's special status in the imperial court is different from ordinary officials, not only is he appreciated by the official family, but he is also an important figure in Zhao Zongshi's faction, at least he can rank in the top five, and even Zhang Yaozuo hates and fears him, if he offends him, it is definitely not a good thing.

Zhao Qian scolded his brother fiercely, and had to come to the door in person to apologize.

"Governor Fan, don't come unharmed?"

Fan Ning has not been in office for a long time, only more than a month, and he has not yet seen this marshal of Jingdong Road, the last time he saw Zhao Qian, it was three years ago when he was appointed to the Governor's Yuan, when Zhao Qian had just served as the pacification envoy of Jingdong Road.

Fan Ning greeted him with a smile, "I have been in office for more than a month, and I haven't had time to visit Zhao Yuanjun, it's because I was not polite, please forgive Zhao Yuanjun." ”

"Understood! Understand! I've been very busy recently, and I've long wanted to buy wine for Fan Zhifu to pick up the wind and wash the dust, but I've been inspecting the barracks outside, and it's only in the past few days that I've responded to Tianfu. ”

"Let's go in and talk, Zhao Yuanjun, please!"

"Fan Zhifu is also invited!"

The two of them entered the official room modestly, and Fan Ning asked people to invite Wang Anshi again, Wang Anshi also knew Zhao Qian, but his impression of Zhao Qian was quite bad, his personality was jealous and hateful, and he didn't want to see Zhao Qian at all, so he immediately found an excuse to leave the mansion.

Zhao Qian heard that Wang Anshi didn't want to see him, his face was a little embarrassed, but he immediately returned to normal, and asked Fan Ning with a smile: "How is it, this prefect is doing well now!" ”

"It was a little rough at first, but now it's much better."

Zhao Qian sighed and said: "I have already persuaded Yang Du, the following Bo is the way to take trouble, he doesn't believe it, when he meets Fan Governor's Mansion, he can be regarded as hitting the iron plate, to be honest, I don't sympathize with him at all." ”

Fan Ning smiled and said: "I'm actually a good talker, and I don't want to take care of those cumbersome government affairs, as long as Yang Du doesn't do too much, I will be at peace with him, but he has exercised the power of the prefect with the position of general judge, leaving no room for anything, and I have no choice but to return a tooth for a tooth." ”

"This matter is Yang Du's stupidity, no one will accuse Fan Zhifu!"

As he was talking, the tea boy came in to serve them tea, Zhao Qian took a sip of hot tea, quickly glanced at Fan Ning, and said with a smile: "A few days ago, Fan Zhifu went to Gushu County?" ”

Fan Ning smiled, "I went to Gushu County and Ningling County, mainly to investigate the growth of winter wheat, this year's wind and rain are good, and the harvest will be very good." ”

"Compared with last year, this year's harvest in Yingtianfu is really good, but last year there was a three-month drought, and how many parents and officials were worried."

Fanning smiled slightly, "That's my luck!" ”

Zhao Qian pulled the topic back again, "When Governor Fan went to Gushu County, it seemed that he went to my old house?" ”

Fan Ning said lightly: "Originally, I wanted to visit, but there are many rules in your mansion, so I can only regretfully wait for the next time." ”

Zhao Qian's heart tightened, and he really offended Fan Ning, he hurriedly explained: "My eldest brother has never entered the office, and he is also relatively introverted, so he doesn't dare to deal with the government, it's not rude to Fan Zhifu, it's really his unintentional fault, I have severely reprimanded my brother for being rude, in order to express my apologies, I plan to apologize to Fan Zhifu for serving wine in Songzhou Restaurant, please be sure to appreciate it!" ”

Fan Ning smiled slightly, "It's not that I don't give Zhao Yuanjun face, if it is for me to pick up the wind and wash the dust, I will definitely go, but to apologize, I will definitely not go, what a big deal is this, just say sorry, do you still need to apologize so grandly?" ”

Zhao Qian laughed, "Okay! Then pick up the wind and wash the dust, it's decided, tomorrow at noon Songzhou Restaurant, I am waiting for the visit of Fan Zhifu! ”

Fanning nodded, "I'll be there!" ”

Zhao Qian got up and said goodbye, Fan Ning kept sending him out of the gate of the mansion, and watched him get into the carriage with a smile, Zhao Qian waved his hand to Fan Ning, the carriage started, and gradually moved away under the escort of the soldiers.

Fan Ning looked at Zhao Qian's carriage and went away, he understood at least two things, first, Zhao Qian didn't know about the arrival of Liu Chu and his party; Second, Zhao Qian didn't realize that he was in danger.

In fact, Fan Ning can also understand that the Zhao family has been like this for decades, and has long been accustomed to trespassing, tax evasion, and raising soldiers, and does not take these three risks seriously at all, so Zhao Qian is only worried that his brother will offend him, and he never realizes that his family's ancestral hall is too high.

........

Early the next morning, Liu Chu and his entourage left Songcheng County by boat, and went to Gushu County along the Bianhe River to start their research trip.

Fanning led a few members of his entourage to inspect the tea and grain markets in Songcheng County.

Before Yang Du was overthrown, the entire three major markets of grain, tea, and wine in Yingtianfu were fully controlled by Yang Du and Zhang Yaozuo, and outsiders did not want to get a piece of the pie, and the retail prices of these three materials were also two to three percent more expensive than those in the capital, which caused public resentment to boil.

Since the overthrow of Yang Du, Fan Ning revoked the liquor license of Yang Du's wife and brother, and at the same time auctioned seven liquor licenses publicly.

Fanning did not start on Zhang Yaozuo's industry, but opened up the grain market and tea market, in just ten days, the Zhang family's share of grain and tea from ninety to five sharply reduced to forty percent, although the share is still very high, but eventually lost the monopoly position, also lost the profiteering, grain prices turned around, from a month ago to 50 Wen of rice, fell down 35 Wen of rice to stabilize, which is five cents cheaper than the price of grain in the capital.

"Ying Tianfu is an important producer of grain, and the grain in the capital is all transported from outside, and the price of grain in Ying Tianfu is actually more expensive than that in the capital, which is absolutely abnormal, and cheap is the norm."

Speaking is the staff Zhang Bo, he accompanied Fan Ning to inspect the market, this is also the scope of his responsibility, tea, wine, salt, incense, alum and other bulk goods are monopolized by the government, businessmen need to apply to the government to operate the brand, the final approval is in the hands of Fan Ning, Fan Ning only considers issuing a few brands, but the specific operation is delegated to the staff, so Zhang Bo is very familiar with the current market.

Fan Ning and his entourage rode to the grain wharf by the Bianhe River outside the city, there are more than a dozen grain shops here, a month ago, there were only two grain shops of the Zhang family and the Gu family, of which the Zhang family accounted for more than eighty percent, and now twelve have been opened one after another, the market is fully competitive, and the huge profits no longer exist.

When he was still dozens of steps away from the dock, a quarrel came from the direction of the dock.

.。 m.