When the two of them walked to the bank of the Chihe River, a large area of grassland had already sprouted, and it looked like a green carpet from a distance, but in the dry soil layer under their feet nearby, there were only a few tender green plants. Huangfu Weiming squatted down, looked along the undulating grassy hills, nodded approvingly, and said: "The young grass is new, but there is no livestock to eat, it is very rare."

Not far away, there was a small team of the Tang army walking towards this side, they only had two horses at the head and tail of the team, the horses wore chews on their mouths, and several rolls of sheep felt were tied to the horsebacks.

When this Tang army approached, Wang Sili stepped forward and arched his hand and said, "A few military masters, we want to ask for a way, how to get to Shule City?"

The head of the guard glanced at the two of them strangely, pressed his hand on the hilt of the knife and asked, "Didn't you two come from Shangdao?"

"We came from a trade route, but we got lost halfway."

"Between the post road and trade road between my Anxi from Qiuzi to Diaochang City and then to Shule, every two or three miles will set up a guiding benchmark, if you know how to read, how can you get lost if you follow the arrow?"

Why didn't he expect that this section, there would indeed be a pole along the way, this reason was too lame.

Huangfu Weiming stepped forward but did not give up his hand, only put his hands on his abdomen and said: "Our camels are short of food, so we have to look for pastures along the river, and barely feed them so that we can hurry."

Only then did the chief raise his hand from the hilt of the knife and point into the distance: "From here, go west, and you can return to the business road." He pointed to his feet: "The pasture here has long been demarcated, and it is the autumn pasture of the pastoral area, and it is not allowed to feed livestock here. There are edible hay in the post stations along the way, so don't be reluctant to spend money. ”

Wang Sili hurriedly said: "Thank you, Master Jun, we understood."

Shi Chang saluted them back, and continued to walk with the team, and the emperor's eyes followed them, and found that these soldiers had water bladders, wooden bowls, and dry food bags hanging from their left waists, and bows and arrows behind them, and there were no other superfluous items.

Huangfu Weiming looked at the green grassland in front of him thoughtfully, twisted his beard and said: "There must be a military and pastoral area in the pastoral area, and the grassland is planned for four seasons, and the transition is carried out in seasons. The norms of the horse administration regulations are almost catching up with our Longyou Stable Pastoral Department. ”

Although I haven't arrived in Shule City yet, I have already seen a glimpse of the leopard, but what I see now is barely reaching the passing line, whether it is a mule or a horse, and I will talk about it when I get to the city.

……

In the past, when business travelers entered Shule City, they needed to pay a certain amount of commercial tax, and they were divided into 30 according to the pricing of the goods, which was very low, mainly relying on the flow of merchants. However, the merchants in the city are extracted by land tax, and each has its own method.

The gate for collecting taxes is different from the main gate, and the gatekeeper is a local, which is fair on the surface, although there are some protectionist conveniences. The Tang army was also involved in tax supervision, which was the main source of revenue for the Anxi Metropolitan Protectorate.

In the early Tang Dynasty, there was no official monopoly industry, and although the salt and iron officials had workshops, they did not prevent private operations, provided that taxes were paid. It is precisely in this way that the Western Regions Trade Road has a steady stream of Chinese and foreign business travel.

There were two merchants who had very little goods, so they had to pay a total of ten copper coins in tax before they could enter the city.

After the two entered the city, they were not in a hurry to stay in the hotel, but led the camel to patrol everywhere, as leisurely as a ranger drifting like duckweed.

They deliberately went to the vicinity of the military camp of the Shule army, and paid attention to the location of the barracks, the guards at the camp gate, and the rotation of guards on the city wall, and there was indeed nothing missing. As for the Governor's Mansion, which belongs to the Prison Institution, it is not within the scope of their examinations, and it seems that only the Town Envoy's Mansion has not entered to take a look.

Of course, what they see with their eyes is not necessarily true, they also have to judge their people through interviews with the people, and the private morality of officials also accounts for a large proportion in the examination courses, and if the evaluation in the people is not good, it will be directly reduced by one grade.

The chill of last night had just been dispelled by the rising sun, and a few idle men sat under the city wall to bask in the sun, gossiping about the trivial rumors in the streets and alleys of Shule Town.

"Geng Gongjing, have you been there? Since the well has regenerated water, everyone has gone to the well to fetch water, and it is said that drinking it will prolong life. ”

"I want to drink, but unfortunately there is no bucket or rope at home, so I can only watch."

"Everyone said that Li Zhen was blessed by the gods, he just stood on the edge of the well platform and worshipped, and saw a white-bearded fairy floating in the air, holding a whisk in his hand and saying that this well has dried up for seventy years, just waiting for a wise and martial general like General Li to worship him, and suddenly the spring water gushed out of the well, which is really auspicious."

When these words clearly reached Huangfu Sinong's ears, heavy turbidity erupted from his nostrils, and the good feelings accumulated from what he had seen and heard in the Chihe Ranch a few days ago completely disappeared without a trace.

Using auspiciousness to earn official reputation and fame is the most despicable thing in the eyes of Huangfu Weiming. The celestial cycle, the changing stars, rare birds and beasts, and the fairy grass Ganoderma lucidum are all naturally conceived, and have nothing to do with the political achievements of the magistrates, nor do they have anything to do with the emperor's wisdom. Nowadays, the saint believes in Taoism and shows an extraordinary interest in auspicious things, and many local officials have done what he likes, fabricating a lot of auspicious things to be promoted in confusion.

Naturally, he can't change the preferences of the saints, but he can attack these despicable speculators so that these villains can't get close to the Son of Heaven.

He took the camel and turned around, and said with a cold expression: "There is a well dug by Geng Gong of the Han Dynasty in Shule City, let's go to the well first, and it is okay to hang the sages." ”

When the two foreign merchants came to the vicinity of Gonggengjing, the wells were also blocked by the Tang army, and the only people who could enter and exit were the craftsmen sent by the Shule Governor's Mansion, and they heard that they were going to build an ancestral hall.

Although this is the act of the Shule Governor's Office, it is also inseparable from Li Siye. His interview made it impossible to supervise the governor and Sima of the prefecture, after all, they were all local autonomous in nature.

This made Huangfu Sinong even more convinced of Li Siye's hypocrisy and reputation, as if this kind of person might be able to make a temporary political achievement in the local area, but once he was in a high position, he would expose his greedy nature. People who climb up by unscrupulous means, greedy for money and power, where can they still tolerate the people of the world and the Tang Dynasty in their hearts.

These officials and generals who are still at the level of personal satisfaction, what qualifications do they have to be officials of the Tang Dynasty?

Just from this water out of Geng Gongjing's investigation, why did not there be water last year, the year before last, but this year when the exam class was out of the water? Once it is found out that this Li Siye is cheating and faking fake auspiciousness, he will be taught to be at the bottom of this year's exam, and he will be released from the position of the guard of Shule Town!

He carried out the investigation as an ordinary business traveler, and he could listen to it at the same time, and as long as he asked the people living near the wellhead, he could find out the truth and falsehood.

……

The oil seller who went out with the oil cylinder stopped at the entrance of the alley, and two merchants with camels stopped him and asked politely: "Honorable driver, dare to ask Geng Gongjing of Shule City near here?" ”

As soon as the man who bought oil heard the spirit, he put down his burden and gestured to them: "You also heard that Geng Gongjing came out of the water to worship and drink, but unfortunately not now, the Governor's Mansion is repairing and building the ancestral hall and adding the roof, I have drunk this water, but it is sweet and sweet, it is not like the water in our world." ”

Although Huangfu Weiming was friendly on his face, he had a sneer in his heart, listening to the tone of this oil seller, as if he had been trained.

"Is there water in this well all the time?"

"Where, this well has been dry for more than 70 years, and it is because Li Zhen personally stood in front of the well a while ago to worship, and only then did the clear spring gush out.

His apparent affinity at the moment was no longer maintained, and he said coldly: "I'm afraid that this worship of the well is not taught by others?" ”

"You're a funny guy! How do I speak and use someone else to teach me? ”

The man's smile also froze, he snorted, bowed his waist, picked up a flat shoulder and stood up straight, and shook the bangzi like this: "Get up!" …… Sell oil! ”

Huangfu Weiming hesitated, and threw down his sleeves heavily, this oil seller didn't know the truth, he wanted to find someone who understood the truth.