After explaining the matter of the black materials, Zhao Ran asked about the recruitment of the three ministries to build roads.

Yuan Hao smiled even more: "This matter was discussed by Bao Zhong in the mountain, and the heads of the three departments did not agree at first, and when they heard Bao Zhong say that they would pay according to the capitation, they began to hesitate, and finally asked for an increase in the price." The price of Bao Zhongtan is 12 wen per person per day, and 9 wen per woman, which is more than before. ”

Zhao Ran said: "It's okay, it's all small money, how much has been recruited?"

"The original plan was 500 people, but as a result, all the big and small heads of the families found their loyalty and asked for more posts. Bao Zhong said that many small people even sent him money in turn, stating that for every additional post in their own tribe, they would give Bao Zhong two cents, haha! Now it has reached more than 800 people, and Bao Zhong asked, "Do you want more?" I will give him 1,000 people. ”

"As long as we can go down the mountain to help, we can eat as much as we come, 1,000 people are not enough, 2,000 people are barely good. ”

"That's a good word, but if you really want to let go, I'm afraid these leaders are not so active again. ”

"If the prison is reasonable, then follow the methods of the prison court. How are these posts distributed by the three departments?"

"It's still dominated by the Xiaohe Department, accounting for the majority, followed by the Chama Department, and the least is the Longbai Department, I heard that the Tusi Danmu of the Longbai Department is very strict, this recruitment, Bao Zhong has not been able to enter Zhebo Mountain, it is a few small people from the Chama Department to help deliver it, saying that there are two small clans in the Longbai Department who plan to secretly send people down the mountain, adding up to only fifty or sixty people. ”

There are three white horses, the Longbai department is the largest, with a number of about 40,000, followed by the Chama department, less than 20,000, and the smallest Xiaohe department, with a total of more than 8,000 people. But on the contrary, it is the Xiaohe Department, which has the smallest population, and has a more positive attitude towards Daomen and Daming.

When Zhao Ran was the abbot of the White Horse Academy the year before last, no one from the Longbai Department and the Chama Department came to visit, let alone say anything, only the two leaders from the Xiaohe Department came to the Tusi Meisi on behalf of them and offered a few gifts.

No matter what the reason for the Xiaohe Ministry, as long as they have this attitude, Zhao Ran will definitely give them a little sweetness, and in the final solution in the future, they will also give the Xiaohe Department a better condition, of course, these are all later words, and now we will finish the road first.

Because of the abundance of recruits, the southern route, which was originally scheduled to wait for the completion of the northern route, started a month ahead of schedule, and the main force of road construction was these 1,000 people.

Zhao Ran wore a robe and made a ritual before the start of construction, but there were few responders, which was in stark contrast to the western and northern routes. He didn't think about it, there must be means after the ceremony, and when various miracles appeared, the reaction of these people must be very exciting.

The time has entered July, and the southern line project has also started for a month, compared to the west line and the north line, Zhao Ran has very few demon cultivators on the south line, such as the five-color master, Qingtian layman, Huangjiao Daxian, Feilongzi, etc., only go to the last time every three or five times, and there is not much work to do - too much, the progress of the project is too fast, how to make this road play the role of a catalyst?

In the past, the demon cultivators used to appear in front of people, and they would retreat after leveling a few feet of road, or carry a few squares of gravel and dirt and disappear. Of course, in order to maintain a sense of mystery, he still chooses to be in the dark, but he no longer shy away from the people who get up at night to watch.

Legends such as the Nine Heavens Phoenix, the Dragon King of the East China Sea, the Kunlun Qilin, and the Laojun Green Ox were noisy among the tribesmen, so that from the beginning of that month, some tribesmen came to the White Horse Courtyard to worship incense. Zhao Ran was very pleased, this is the first time in the five years since the establishment of the White Horse Academy that it has received credibility from the people of the three ministries, although it is not much, but after all, it is the beginning.

The wages of the White Horse Courtyard are paid in this way: each head of the house receives a salary of 12 wen per person according to the head of the people sent, and then they give the rebate to Bao Zhong, who gives a promise not to reduce the number of posts for the next month, and then returns the rebate to the White Horse Academy, and the White Horse Yuan then distributes the salary of 5 wen per person to each of the people who come to work.

At the same time, Hakubain mobilized merchants in the city to open several grocery stores at the foot of Haizi Mountain, where Xiaohebu lived, selling grain, salt, cloth, farm tools, pots and pans, pickles, etc., and even opened a wine shop. After more than half a month, even the cargo station has set up one, which is dedicated to purchasing special products in the mountains.

The opening of a few shops has opened a platform for Haizishan, which has been closed for several years, to communicate with the outside world, and after spending the wages they have earned, the people of the Xiaohe Department have returned home, taking out their own cowhides, sheepskins, medicinal materials, etc., to the cargo station in exchange for money, and then going to the shops to buy a lot, and the rest will go to the restaurant to drink.

In order to maintain the market, protect the rights and interests of the people, and allow them to participate in the market at a fair price, the White Horse Courtyard has set up a Fangtang Haizishan Police Station and a pawn house directly to the office here.

Bao Zhong's family moved to this small street to be resident, and at the same time was appointed as the deputy director of the Haizishan Police Station, but he was alone, he had no director above and no soldiers below, and he shouldered the burden of security in the small street alone. At the same time, he also has the power to privately control the posts of the ministry's civilian workers.

Although he is just a fireworker, in the eyes of the people of the Xiaohe Department of Haizi Mountain, he is an official-faced figure, representing the authority of the White Horse Courtyard on this small street, so he is busy receiving the big and small people of the Xiaohe Department who come to visit him all day long.

Bao Zhong is also a caring person, so he simply wrote down the daily meetings and conversations with these leaders and sent them to the White Horse Courtyard. It didn't take long for the White Horse Courtyard to find out the bottom of the situation in the Xiaohe Department.

Zhao Ran looked at this summary of the situation, and couldn't help laughing: "There are only more than 8,000 people in total, and there are more than 20 of them, and only one-third of the big toasts really speak, and this Xiaohe Department is really weak." ”

Yuan Hao twisted his beard and said: "I'm afraid Meisi's control is not good, abbot, do you want to do it in advance?"

Zhao Ran thought for a while and said, "Don't worry, wait a little longer, brew more, now it's just the Xiaohe Department, it's best to involve more people from the Chama Department and even the Longbai Department." ”

Yuan Hao asked again: "Are you satisfied with these materials?" Two days ago, the Taoist priest he sent to the governor's office copied a thick pile of official documents, all of which were black materials on the logistics, grain and straw dispatch of the Xia army, and the morale of the generals during the Great War of Baima Mountain in the eighteenth year of Jiajing.

In addition, there are several records related to the Tusi of the Three Divisions of the White Horse to negotiate with the Ming army anyway, which are full of cries about being plundered by the Xia army and the people's livelihood is in distress, which clearly lists a large list of the bad deeds of the Xia army generals, and there are seventeen or eight people with names and surnames.

Zhao Ran also saw the accusation against Yeli Huaide in it, this gentleman also played an exemplary and leading role in plundering the people of the Red Plains, and he had a bad record. If he really wants to hand over this material to Xingqing, he can't eat it and walk around.

Therefore, Zhao Ran circled his name and deeds with a pen, and instructed Yuan Hao: "Let them transcribe it again, and don't write it in this Yeli Huaide for the time being." It would be nice to add some more records of the accusations of the remnants of the local party and the heads of the three toasts. ”