In the late autumn of this year, Li Longji suddenly went out to Hanjiacang in Luoyang and checked the grain storage in it.

After gaining an in-depth understanding of the operation process of the "Seeing Money Method", Brother Ji said to Gao Lishi with emotion: "Zheng Shuqing is too condescending to the history of Qizhou. ”

According to the habits of Tang officialdom, the position of assassin is very interesting. Going to some big states is definitely a promotion, such as Liangzhou, Yangzhou, Shuzhou, and so on. It's the same even if you're transferred from the center.

And going to some "lower states" is generally degraded, such as Yazhou, Gaozhou, and so on.

In some states, it's just a temporary position, and most of them don't last long. For example, the position of Qizhou Assassin has a strong transitional nature. It is very likely that the officials who served as the assassins of Qizhou would be promoted or reprimanded in a short period of time.

But what Lao Zheng encountered this time was obviously not a degraded official.

After returning to the palace, Li Longji personally wrote an edict to level Zheng Shuqing as the assassin of Yangzhou. and privately wrote a letter to Zheng Shuqing, asking the other party to be responsible for supervising the production of silk and silk silk in Yangzhou and increasing the production volume.

Let it be necessary to cooperate with the work of the transshipment envoy to transfer these silks to Chang'an, and how much can be transported!

If this matter is done well, he can be transferred back to the Chang'an Center to take up a post.

After doing this, Li Longji took Yang Yuhuan to take a boat along the canal in Luoyang, so happy!

After that, he accompanied Yang Yuhuan to the house of the other party's third uncle Yang Xuanqi as a guest.

This time, Yang Yuhuan returned to Luoyang to visit Yang Xuanqi, who was like his adoptive father, mainly to fulfill his filial piety and offer a congratulatory gift for the other party's 50th birthday.

Yang Xuanqi is not an ordinary person, he is a famous Liyuan musician since the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, studying the sounds of various countries in the Western Regions, and can be called a generation of Hu music masters, tired of the life of the court and settled in Luoyang.

With this relationship, Brother Ji personally accompanied Yang Yuhuan on a patrol, after all, Yang Xuanqi is also an old acquaintance.

This time, we congratulated Yang Xuanqi on his birthday, as well as Yang Yuhuan's sisters and Yang Xuanqi's family. This year's Yang Xuanjue's 50th birthday was very grand, and there were many guests at the banquet. And Li Longji's visit can be said to have given him enough face.

The emperor deigned to come because Yang Xuanqi was once the master of the pear orchard! It's not because of Yang Yuhuan at all!

The two of them came together, but they just happened to meet!

That's what the whole Yang Mansion is saying!

At the birthday banquet, Yang Yuhuan's eldest sister, third sister, and eighth sister were also beautiful, each with its own merits, which dazzled Li Longji.

However, Brother Ji was respected as an emperor, and he did not find out the relationship between him and Yang Yuhuan, so he did not perform anything out of the ordinary at the birthday banquet.

He didn't even have time to talk to the Yang sisters, so he hurriedly returned to Chang'an with Yang Yuhuan.

As soon as he arrived in Chang'an, Li Longji immediately summoned Chen Xuanli, and the two had a secret conversation in the diligent government affairs building, not knowing what was going on.

Gao Lishi was sent to Changle Station in the east of Chang'an, where he received Lei Haiqing, the "flower and bird envoy" who returned from Jiangnan and traveled all the way.

Lei Haiqing is the de facto manager of the pear orchard, and his relationship with Li Longji is very close and even private, and the two used to study music theory together. So, Brother Kei gave him a glorious and difficult task.

That is to help the saint go to Jiangnan to find a woman! As for what to do with the woman, Ji Ge didn't say, he believed that Lei Haiqing would understand.

For this reason, Ji Ge also deliberately invented the official position of "flower and bird envoy"!

It can be seen that Brother Ji has high hopes for Lei Haiqing!

One Yang Yuhuan can only satisfy Brother Ji's appetite now, but the sage's mind is unpredictable, who knows if there will be a second "Yang Yuhuan" in the future?

It's never a bad thing to be prepared.

However, when Gao Lishi saw the so-called "beauty" found by Lei Haiqing, he was disappointed!

"Marshal (Lei Haiqing's nickname in Liyuan), you have done a bad job!"

Colliers said bitterly.

Although the two are not very close to each other, they are also acquaintances among acquaintances, and there is no need for Gao Lishi to wear small shoes for Lei Haiqing.

is really a "beauty" found by the other party, and he can only "laugh at himself", and he has not considered whether Brother Ji will like it or not.

As soon as Gao Lishi saw the woman Lei Haiqing selected, he felt that it was completely impossible for Brother Ji to look at it!

On the contrary, the women who appeared at Yang Xuanqi's birthday banquet in Luoyang before, that is, Yang Yuhuan's sisters, are afraid that Brother Ji is very attentive, and this matter is not over.

The four young women in front of him are beautiful, but they can't arouse Brother Ji's excitement at all.

It's like bragging about how good a certain drink is in front of someone who doesn't drink at all, and that person will be completely indifferent. The solution to the problem is to prescribe the right medicine, not to grasp the eyebrows and mustaches.

Especially if you send a woman to the emperor, if the other party can't look at it at first sight, will you take care of it later? Brother Ji is not a puppet emperor!

"These are all recognized beauties in Yangzhou, and they were also cheeky to find after looking for a long time, are they really not in the eyes of saints?"

Lei Haiqing asked suspiciously. Although this errand was very embarrassing and went against the will of his heart, Lei Haiqing used his heart and strength to find a sister for Brother Ji!

He has been in the pear orchard for more than ten years, and he thinks that he knows Ji Ge's preferences better, why did Gao Lishi say no as soon as they met?

"Don't guess about the saint's private affairs. People don't have to hand it over to me, and this matter will stop here, and don't mention it in the future. Let them go back wherever they came from, and send them back to their hometowns. ”

Colliers sighed.

Now that the saint is not young, it is really embarrassing to engage in these warblers and swallows.

When he was young, Colliers often discussed atrial surgery with Li Longji, so he also had a deep understanding of Brother Ji's preferences in this regard.

There are too many beauties in the world, and the sage's energy is limited, so he can only give up those details to grasp the mainstream.

Now Yang Yuhuan's matter is already in an uproar, and anyone on Chang'an Avenue knows that the sage picks up ashes.

Gao Lishi remembered that at Yang Xuanqi's birthday banquet, Li Longji looked at the hungry eyes of the three Yang sisters, and felt that it was better not to let Lei Haiqing Festival have branches.

The palace is deep, how many people can get out of the whole body after entering? It's better to let them go back separately, and it's better to have more than one thing less.

"In this way, it will bother General Gao."

Lei Haiqing crossed his hands and saluted, bowed deeply and said.

"You're welcome, I'll go back to my life. When you're done, you should go back to the pear orchard as soon as possible. ”

Colliers said meaningfully, turned around and left.

……

Sitting weakly on the bed, Fang Chongyong enjoyed Anaye's attentive service. Those little hands kneaded on his shoulders, all the way to his wrists and palms, which were sour and refreshing, and very comfortable.

"Asleep?"

Anaye saw Fang Chongyong's eyelids drooping and asked softly.

"I'm already asleep, don't stop."

Fang Chongyong replied angrily.

"It's normal for people with ability to be squeezed by others, don't worry about Lang Jun, everything will be fine."

Anaye kindly comforted, and the fool could also see that Fang Chongyong had gone to the government office today to hold a "regular meeting", and he was in a rather bad mood after coming back.

"Alas!"

Fang Chongyong sighed, if someone really squeezed him, it would be easy to do!

Find a few substitutes for the dead ghosts, and then hand them over to the Hexi Jiedu Mansion, just say that these local officials are interfering with my errands, Balabala.

You can talk to Xiao Jiong about the conditions and the reason. Fang Chongyong is now wishing that a thorn would jump out and let him slap his face.

And then show the rich background of Fang Yan's "hands and eyes to the sky"!

Isn't it half the story?

It's just that the customs and customs here in Hexi are more special. Fang Chongyong didn't think it would be of much use.

The five states in the Hexi Corridor are all oasis economies, with very little precipitation throughout the year, and they all rely on the rivers formed by the snow water of the Qilian Mountains to make a living!

Without water, there is no agriculture, human beings cannot survive, and protecting water sources is the first priority for survival here.

In addition to the lack of water, there is also the risk of war, with the Turks to the north and the Tibet to the south, and the Hexi Corridor may be attacked at any time in the middle, which can be described as being attacked on the back of the enemy.

Even aside, each state has different degrees of land desertification and salinization. And all ethnic groups live here together, and they have to cooperate and exclude, and the situation is complicated.

Similar conditions will inevitably lead to the formation of a local government with a close internal cohesion and a certain degree of democratic mechanism.

In the oasis where water is scarce and death, thousands of people can die by simply damming the river. Under such conditions, if everyone is not united, sooner or later this area will become a no-man's land due to infighting!

In the face of the harsh living environment, people have to bow their noble heads, so they choose to make rules and strictly abide by them.

Compared with other parts of the Tang Dynasty, the local officials in the Hexi Corridor were relatively diligent and devoted to the people.

The real pressure did not come from internal friction, but from the imperial court, from the eyes of the Tibetan people, and from the supply of the Hexi Corridor to the states of the Western Regions.

Fang Chongyong gathered local administrative officials, such as Sima and Changshi, and Liu Cao to join the army today, to discuss the matter of the autumn defense order, and then he was poured ice water!

The local officials have already calculated the "solution" and the money and food needed to solve these things, and directly put the account books in front of Fang Chongyong for "review"!

As long as he signs it, and then stamps his own stabbing seal, the official document can be sent out directly!

It's really not too demanding! As long as you have money, you can do it!

It's just that the average household in Ganzhou has to collect more than ten yuan worth of goods, and if this tax can't come up, or if there is a rebellion among the people, they local officials will have no choice.

Of course, generally speaking, there are many channels for the government to make money. For example, there are many so-called "Yicang" set up in Ganzhou. On weekdays, there are also specialized personnel to operate, relying on "lending" to make profits. If you get back all the food you have borrowed in one go, you can also reduce the tax.

There is more than one such method, but one thing is certain: the wool comes from the sheep, and no matter what the reason is, it is impossible to get away with asking the people for money.

Even for these suggestions, someone wrote a special booklet and handed it to Fang Chongyong.

Seeing this group of diligent local officials who were distressing, Fang Chongyong felt that it was difficult to be a local official! It's too much of a horse and a cheat!

This group of people is both helpers and "opponents", and before someone else comes, they have already done everything they can do, just waiting for someone to take the blame!

But can you say that these people are all bad people?

That's not it, everyone is just trying to protect themselves. Whoever took the lead in doing this is to offend the people of Ganzhou to death, how will they mix here in the future?

Theoretically speaking, Fang Chongyong's job is to "make a decision", as long as he signs and seals. But the problem is that if the autumn prevention order is really implemented, something big will definitely happen in Ganzhou!

"Otherwise, Lang Jun should find a way to go back to Chang'an. Why should you suffer this anger when you make your son? ”

Anaye grumbled with a disgruntled expression.

"It's really long hair, short knowledge!"

Fang Chongyong scolded in a low voice.

As if feeling that his words were a little heavier, he added:

"Tomorrow wear a plain dress, follow me to Zhangye City and walk around the city, and let's visit those military households who can't change their guards and go home because of the imperial court's military order."

"Oh."

Anaye replied noncommittally, not understanding what Fang Chongyong was thinking.

Did he really think that if he said good things to others, those local people with strong customs would obediently pay the taxes required by the imperial court?

"You said before that you could speak the languages of the Turkic, Sogdian, and Tiele tribes, didn't you brag to me?"

Fang Chongyong asked coldly.

"Isn't it difficult?"

Anaya asked suspiciously, she just said it casually, because it didn't seem to be a big deal in Liangzhou. She grew up in Liangzhou, where Turks and Sogdians could be seen everywhere, and if she couldn't even understand the words of those people and couldn't communicate, how could she open a medical center?

Fang Chongyong, who had a very poor talent in foreign languages, said embarrassedly: "It's not very difficult to be difficult...... It's quite time-consuming, and you can teach me when you have a chance in the future. ”

Early the next morning, Fang Chongyong took Anaye and Ah Duan, and prepared to visit the residence of a military household in Ganzhou City.

The head of this household is surnamed Li, and his family is in Zhangye City, two of them are in the Chishui Army, and there are dozens of acres of paddy fields on the right bank of Heishui, and the family background is very good.

As for the fact that Ganzhou can actually grow high-quality rice, Fang Chongyong did not expect it. He originally thought that the "black rice" he had eaten at the banquet before was just a special offering, just like the red lotus rice in Kuizhou. However, from what is known, it seems that rice cultivation on both sides of the black water is widespread.

And why the paddy field was not invaded by the local tyrants, Fang Chongyong estimated that there were soldiers in this family, and the rabbit was in a hurry to bite people and the gains outweighed the losses. It's not too late to do it after all the people in the family die in the battle, or it's taboo for some other reason.

Looking through the local household registration books, I realized that the land annexation here is far less intense than in places like Chang'an and Luoyang. For war-torn areas, real estate such as land does not have such a transcendent appeal.

Fang Chongyong thought that it would be difficult to enter this family's house, but when he came to the gate of the other party's courtyard, he found that the gate of the courtyard was open, and there were still people queuing, and they had already lined up outside the door!

Although their robes are not much different from the styles of the Han people in the Central Plains, the size of the robes is tighter, and they are generally equipped with hats, sashes, and black leather boots.

Wupi boots, also known as Wupi Liuhe boots, are the most representative boots in the Western Regions. These boots are made of six pieces of leather stitched together, hence the name ebony boots because these leathers were already dyed black before they were stitched.

On the contrary, there are very few people who wear cloth shoes.

These people were carrying bulging cloth bags in their hands, and they didn't know what was inside.

Fang Chongyong pretended to line up at the back of the line, but soon, a few people stopped their group.

"You people are not from our Qu Society, what are you doing in the queue? Do you want to rub the stone mill of Wang Erniang's house? ”

One of the strong men glared at Fang Chongyong and asked, his tone unkind.

It seemed that it had stabbed the hornet's nest, and those who were queuing up gathered when they heard the news and surrounded Fang Chongyong and them.

"Qu Society?"

Fang Chongyong heard a novel term.

"Don't get me wrong, it's the newly arrived Ganzhou Thorn History."

Fang Chongyong straightened up and said righteously.

It's okay not to say it, as soon as I heard this, the crowd of onlookers suddenly burst into laughter!

"If you are a yellow-mouthed kid, then we are all handsome, hahahahahaha!"

A strong man laughed there, pointing at Fang Chongyong, laughing so much that tears were about to come out.

Fang Chongyong looked at himself in civilian clothes and sighed helplessly.

That's the disadvantage of not wearing an official robe.

"You know this thing, right?"

Fang Chongyong took out the iron plate hanging on his waist with "Captain Guoyi" written on it, and shook it when it was displayed, and the laughter in the crowd stopped abruptly!

More than ninety percent of the men here in Hexi have experience in the army, and it would be hellish if they hadn't seen the waist card of "Captain Guoyi". There may be people who pretend to be Ganzhou Thorn History, but there is no one who dares to pretend to be Captain Guoyi!

Because this is a "certificate of honor" issued by the imperial court, although you cannot participate in government affairs or military affairs, you can prove that you have an "extraordinary status"!

The crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed, making way for a way, as if Fang Chongyong was a plague god.

Fang Yanei pointed to the person who was smiling the most just now and said, "You come and lead the way!" The rest of the people went into the courtyard, and not one of them was allowed to go! ”

At this moment, Fang Chongyong's domineering attitude was exposed, making people dare not question his orders!

When they walked into the courtyard, they saw a stout middle-aged woman beating a small donkey with a whip. This donkey's temper is very stubborn, but she refuses to leave, so anxious that she scolds her mother.

Seeing a group of people from the Tongqu Society behind Fang Chongyong walking into the courtyard, she hurriedly wiped it and stepped forward to ask: "The slave family is the second lady of the king, may I ask you what you are doing here?" ”

"I am the new Ganzhou assassin, and I came to Zhangye City to walk around and observe the people's feelings."

Fang Chongyong had a smile on his face, and saw that the original false smiles on everyone's faces had collapsed, and Wang Erniang begged with a bitter face: "The last male in the family is only ten years old, and the others are all old people, so there is no need to go up, right?" ”

Well?

Something seems to be wrong.

Fang Chongyong muttered in his heart, but said quietly on his face: "Let's talk when you enter the hall, this is not the place to talk." ”

(End of chapter)