MTL - Feng Xing-Chapter 52

Fan Jinchuan brought people into the Salt Transport Department Yamen, and how many people focused their attention on this place.

He didn't move, but he wanted to respond to all changes with the same. Who knew that this person was not in a hurry to run a business, but turned up old accounts all day long in the Yamen of the Salt Transport Department.

Wei Tongxin saw it in his eyes and smiled in his heart. Someone from below came to report, he just waved his hand and said: "Let this Lord Fan go and look through it, don't hold back."

There is absolutely no mistake on the big books. As for the detailed accounts, these account books have accumulated two full warehouses, spanning more than ten years. Let alone Fan Jinchuan, even the officials responsible for sorting out these account books can’t figure it out. I don’t believe it. He can figure it out.

It's better to find something to do for this grown-up than to mess around.

Thinking about this adult tossing around for a few days, I will get bored. Unexpectedly, not only was he not bored, but he also became obsessed with it as something he must do every day. Nowadays, Fan Jinchuan's daily routine is like this. Except for three meals a day and necessary rest, he recruits people to discuss matters in the morning, looks over old accounts in the afternoon, and calls people to ask about the situation of salt affairs from time to time.

In fact, Fan Jinchuan's behavior is not difficult to understand. Don't look at his righteous words and impassioned words when he wrote the letter. In fact, if someone who is familiar with salt affairs analyzes his memorial, he will know that some of the things mentioned above are just superficial. . The salt administration of the two Huaihe Rivers is so involved that even if Wei Tongxin, who has been a co-presbyterian for six or seven years, is pulled out, it may not be clear in all aspects.

Reform is not about cracking down on corrupt officials; The reform of the bad government needs to have a thorough understanding of all aspects and come up with effective methods. Otherwise, Fan Jinchuan yelled at Emperor Jianping that the reform of the Lianghuai salt government would be imminent, and it would be a joke.

After thinking about this, people who were a little panicked at first stopped panicking.

He Lun also recovered from his illness, and from time to time he would go to Fan Jinchuan for a drink and give him some advice. Those salt merchants are no longer in a hurry to get angry, they should eat and drink, and those who should be entertainers continue to be entertainers. In their position, no one came out of the strong wind and waves. Before the top made a move, the bottom panicked, and it was too embarrassing for the ancestors.

Entering Yangzhou in the winter moon, the drizzle is continuous, and it is more tender and affectionate than imagined.

It is said that fireworks go to Yangzhou in March, and the world thinks that March in Yangzhou is the most beautiful, with the smoked willows, the Qionghua, and the infinitely beautiful spring atmosphere. Little do they know that the beauty of Yangzhou lies in the bones, in the luxuries and gold fans soaked in the bones and the constant hustle and bustle all year round.

And at this time, Feng Sheng took Fan Jinchuan's warrant and dozens of guards in Jinyi to Huaibei.

The Lianghuai salt field is divided into north and south, the south of the Huaihe River is called Huainan, and the north of the Huaihe River is called Huaibei.

There are three branches under the Salt Transportation Department, the Taizhou Branch and Tongzhou Branch belong to Huainan, and only the Haizhou Branch belongs to Huaibei. The Haizhou branch was originally stationed in Huai'an, and later changed to Haizhou.

There are only three salt fields under the Haizhou branch, Banpu Field, Zhongzheng Field, and Linxing Field.

The Huaibei Salt Field suffered more serious flood damage than Huainan. A salt river entered the Shuangjin Gate upstream of Qingjiangpu, and six dams, including Liwuzhang and Yize, entered the sea. The people blocked the gates to irrigate the farmland and forced the water to flow eastward for irrigation.

In addition, the Yellow River has diverted its course many times, causing the local river to accumulate silt, and the government is unwilling to dredge it in order to investigate and suppress smuggling. Over time, the three saltworks in Huaibei only produced salt once a year. Every year after the autumn harvest, the boats transporting grains passed through the dredging, opened the double golden gates, and took the North Canal to rush to the water to complete the one-year task.

Therefore, it is said that the Lianghuai Salt Administration is actually only supported by Huainan, while Huaibei is just a name, and it has been very depressed in recent years.

Feng Sheng brought people to the local area, and the first place he went was the Haizhou branch.

Unlike the Taizhou branch, the Haizhou branch can see its depression from the appearance. The walls are missing bricks, and the tiles under the eaves are also missing a few pieces. It was originally a black-painted gate, but it is already mottled.

All the way through the gate, there was no one guarding the gate and they were allowed to drive straight in. I am used to seeing the beautiful side of the salt office. At first glance, Feng Sheng was really not used to this kind of scene.

It wasn't until they stood in front of the hall for a while that someone rushed out to greet them.

"You are?"

"I am the special commissioner of Admiral Fan. My surname is Fang. My official position is not worth mentioning. I am just a clerk. I was ordered to inspect the Haizhou branch. This is Jinyiwei Tongbaihu, assisting this time inspect."

What Feng Sheng said, the other party also understood the words of Lord Fan and Jin Yiwei, hurriedly said "wait a moment", and hurried in to invite someone.

Not long after, a middle-aged man in an official robe rushed over. Just as he stood still, another person arrived.

Later, this man was wearing the official robe of a sixth-rank civil servant, his trouser legs were rolled up below his knees, and he was wearing a pair of muddy cloth shoes. If you don't look at the official robes, you are just an old farmer, but if you look at his official robes, this person is the judge in charge of the Haizhou branch.

"You are Zou Yunpan, right?"

"The old man's surname is Zou, Mr. Fang, I'm sorry to welcome you."

"You can't be called an adult, I'm just a small official."

"As long as it is sent by Shangfeng, it is an adult, please come in and sit."

This Zou Yunpan was not at all ashamed of being a dignified court official who described hospitality as such, and invited Feng Sheng and others to sit in without being humble. Feng Sheng did not refuse either, and entered the hall together with Tong Baihu. After everyone sat down, the official who arrived first introduced himself. It turned out that his surname was Li, and he was the deputy transport judge of the Haizhou branch, a seventh-rank official. official title.

The two sides chatted for a while, and the words were harmonious. Feng Sheng frankly stated his intentions for coming, and Zou Yunpan also expressed his welcome. This made Fang Fengsheng sigh, it was the right time to come to Huaibei this time.

Logically speaking, since Feng Sheng and the others came from afar, it was time to set up a meal, especially since it was also lunch time. But Zou Yunpan didn't mean that at all. The deputy Yunpan surnamed Li kept winking at him, but he didn't seem to notice it.

This made Feng Sheng feel a little embarrassed, hesitated for a moment, and said: "Is there a place to stay here temporarily, I am a little tired when I come here."

"Naturally there is a place to live. Please wait a moment, Lord Fang. I will order someone to arrange it."

After waiting for a cup of tea, Feng Sheng and others were taken down and resettled. It wasn't until the people belonging to the Haizhou branch left that Feng Sheng found out that Zou Yunpan really planned to ignore their food.

She doesn't care, but—

"This Zou, just leave us alone like this?" Tong Baihu frowned.

Feng Sheng said embarrassingly: "Perhaps Mr. Zou doesn't understand these red tapes. I saw that his official uniform is outdated and simple. The tea he serves for guests is also very ordinary tea. I think his family is not rich."

"Is there no such thing as simple tea and light food? Ordinary people know etiquette, so don't say he doesn't."

Well, Feng Sheng didn't know how to explain it.

At this time, an old servant came from outside the door, stood down the steps and said: "My lords, the master has prepared some simple tea and light meals, please go and use them."

Said that Cao Cao Cao Cao will be here, the two looked at each other, and went with the old servant.

The food was placed in a living room, and it was really rough tea and light rice. It was just some ordinary people's dishes, served in large coarse porcelain bowls, and several bowls were placed. Zou Yunpan was giving up his seat to Feng and Sheng when an old woman in an apron came up with a bowl of vegetables.

Zou Yun judged: "The food is made by the old wife, don't dislike it."

Even if I hate it, I won't say it face to face.

But after the dishes were ready, Feng Sheng and Tong Baihu took a taste with their chopsticks, and they tasted really good. It's not a delicacy, but the home-cooked taste is very good, and the portion is also large.

Tong Baihu was born in the army, and he dislikes literati eating and drinking in small bowls and dishes, and half of the dishes are gone with one chopstick. This kind of weight is very popular with him.

"Just now, Deputy Li Yunjuan was still complaining that I, the chief official, was too unreasonable. I wanted to spend a lot of money. I went to the street to ask for a banquet, and came back to entertain the two adults. It's a pity that the salary is limited, and it is difficult to support the family. Ordinary household rice I still need my son and I to plow the land, so I can only make the two adults eat these rough tea and light meals. Even this wine is brewed by myself.

People who practice martial arts are fond of wine, Tong Baihu took a sip, and immediately narrowed his eyes.

It's really mellow!

Just because of this wine, his dissatisfaction with Zou Yunjuan just now disappeared.

Feng Sheng asked: "Don't blame me for talking too much, Zou Yunpan. Mr. Yunpan is a sixth-rank official, and his annual salary is also one hundred taels. If you only eat simple tea and light food, the family should be more than enough. Why do you need to plow the fields for rice?" grain?"

Zou Yunpan smiled, and the creases on his old face deepened a little: "Master Fang only counts the expenses of the family, but does he count the expenses of the branch office? There are only a few officials regulated by the imperial court, but this huge branch office There is no need for manpower anywhere in the yamen, even if the old man cuts it down again and again, he will still be unable to make ends meet."

"Could it be..." Feng Sheng swallowed the following words.

"Master Fang is asking why you don't charge the office fees of those salt merchants, or ask them for benefits?"

A look of embarrassment appeared on Feng Sheng's face, probably because she had been in the country for a long time, and in her mind, there were very few officials who were not greedy. Fan Jinchuan was an exception, but under her persuasion, this exception also turned a blind eye to his subordinates who secretly obtained some subsidies.

No way, thinking about horses running and not eating grass at the same time does not exist anywhere. If you want others to serve you faithfully, you have to feed them first. You can’t let people follow you hungry You work.

"Not to mention that the Huaibei Salt Farm has been in depression so far. In the past few years, only three salt farms have been cut down. There is only one trip to produce salt every year. I really don't have the means to not open for a year and eat for a year after opening. I simply can't be greedy. A few liang of silver, it is better not to reach out at all, so as not to tarnish your reputation."

After Feng Sheng tasted it, he praised: "Boss and people are very wise!"

Zou Yunpan took a sip of his wine and said, "It's not great wisdom, it's just a fool's way. It allowed me to set up this place. If I were to switch to Taizhou and Tongzhou, and see the Yinshan Yinhai, Salt mountains and seas, I can't guarantee that I won't be greedy."

"My lord's words are very interesting." Tong Baihu said.

After such a trip, the three of them had a good chat, so Zou Yunpan asked Feng Sheng the real purpose of this trip, and Feng Sheng didn't hide it from him.

"My lord is not lamenting the depression here, that's why I'm here."

"For this?" Zou Yunpan repeated, and suddenly asked: "Do you have the ability to dig mountains and rivers?"

"none."

"Can you make the people in the upper reaches not block the river and divert water to the east?"

"cannot."

"Do you have the great power to keep the sea from rising and the sky from raining?"

"none."

"Since you can't, why does Mr. Fang dare to speak nonsense!" This was a bit blunt.

Feng Sheng didn't take it seriously: "Is it talking nonsense, Mr. Zou will know after reading it?"

"The old man will wait and see."

…

After eating, Feng Sheng and Tong Baihu returned to their residence.

Tong Baihu was about to bid farewell to Feng Sheng and go back to his room when Dao Qi and a member of Jin Yiwei walked in.

Dao Qidao: "Young master, this yamen didn't arrange meals for us, is it a small one for people to go out to buy?"

Tong Baihu also cast a wink at his subordinate, and the other party gave him a helpless look.

"This guy named Zou is really stingy." Tong Baihu spat helplessly.

Feng Sheng laughed and shook her head, and said to Dao Qiqi: "You order someone to buy it and you can eat it." After a pause, she continued: "Have someone go buy some meat, vegetables and rice, then we may have to start the fire ourselves .”

Feng Sheng and his party stayed in the Haizhou Branch just like that.

She is not just idle, and after understanding the local situation with Zou Yunpan, she does not forget to take people out every day to check the terrain and so on.

After getting along for a long time, this Zou Yunpan has nothing wrong with him other than being a bit stingy. He is straightforward and straightforward, and is very easy to get along with. Even his old wife is a very wise and foolish woman, and they usually cook too badly, relying on Mrs. Zou and her daughter-in-law to take care of it.

Seeing that although the Zou family lived in poverty, they were content with poverty, contented and happy, completely different from those officials Feng Sheng had met before. No matter how powerful and rich it is, once there is a storm, they will be trembling, for fear that the nest will be destroyed and there will be no eggs.

This made Feng Sheng hesitate about what he should do next. When Haizhou undergoes earth-shaking changes, it will definitely affect the lives of the Zou family.

But this is just a temporary sigh, when the battle wheel has been pushed, it is impossible to stop.

Feng Sheng asked Zou Yunpan to transfer manpower from his subordinate saltworks and choose a place to build a saltpond. This time she came, she brought a group of salt people from Huainan. The method of drying salt has been tested by the people below, and it is close to maturity. Even Fan Jinchuan thought that Feng Sheng worked **** this matter to force Emperor Jianping to treat the Lianghuai salt road. Moving the knife, as everyone knows, it's not just that.

This move she made was actually aimed at Huaibei.

Huaibei has a lot of silted land. Although there are many floods here, due to the terrain, it is completely different from the floods in Huainan. Huaibei floods are caused by tides, while Huainan is caused by wind tides. Therefore, Huaibei, where there are many tides, is more suitable for sun-drying salt method.

Feng Sheng would know all this thanks to the old farmer who was in the heavy rain, scolding the gods for being unkind and corrupt officials.

The old farmer is not just an old farmer, he was originally a local river official, traveled all over Huainan and Huaibei, and wanted to control the flood that has plagued the people on both sides of the strait for many years. It's a pity that his ideas are so strict in the world, he is excluded or even derogated by others, and finally he becomes an old farmer who makes a living by farming.

Little did they know that an ordinary old farmer would not be able to say those words, let alone have such courage.

It's probably because of him that Feng Sheng developed the method of drying salt.

Now Huaibei is used as a test site. If this method can be achieved, the situation in Huaibei can be broken, and if the situation in Huaibei can be broken, there will be an opportunity to reform the Lianghuai Salt Road. Therefore, Feng Sheng's trip is a big task.