After drinking tea and listening to books in Zhuxian Town, Lin Yanchao went north from Zhuxian Town to Kaifeng City.

This Kaifeng was the first-tier city of the Ming Dynasty at that time, second only to Jingshi, Nanzhili, and Suzhou and Hangzhou are not much.

The population of 28 counties in four prefectures under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Prefecture reached its peak at nearly 2 million at the time of the Wanli year. On the other hand, the population of Linfu and Guide is only 300,000.

When entering the city, Lin Yanchao looked at the entire Kaifeng city, which was all covered with bricks and was extremely majestic.

There is the majesty of the city of Kaifeng in the poem.

All difficulties are connected, and if you look at the mountains, you will be strong. Climb the city tower and look into the distance, Taihang Song room, actually in a few cases, the big river soup soup, just like a belt.

But Lin Yanchao entered the city, saw this prosperous scene, and suddenly felt that who would have thought that a few decades later, Li Zicheng would dig up the Kaifeng embankment and flood Kaifeng.

Flourishing to declining, but only sixty years.

In addition to the prosperity, Kaifeng is also characterized by many vassal kings.

Shi Yan said that the number of feudal feudal domains in the world is in the middle of the world.

Fifteen feudal kings all lived in Kaifeng, the most famous of which was the Zhou Palace. That's right, it was the King of Zhou that Lin Yanchao offended.

Twenty miles around the city of Kaifeng, the palace of the king of Zhou occupies one-fifth of the city of Kaifeng. The Zhou Wangfu is nine miles in Zhou, and the Shangqiu City in the capital city of Defu is only seven miles in Zhou.

The palace of the king of Zhou can be described as a city within a city.

To the year of Jiajing, the Zhou Wangfu has 39 county kings, the county palace is also set up in the city, in addition to the Yibin Mansion (the county lord of the horse), so the Kaifeng city can be said to be a forest of palaces.

On the streets and alleys, the royal mansion, the squire's archway are inferior, the streets and alleys of the city are countless, such a prosperous state, not much inferior to the two capitals.

After Lin Yanchao entered the city, he had no time to wander. The disciples thought that there was a relationship between the three brothers of the Yuan family, and Lin Yanchao would go to the political secretary to meet Gong Daqi, the political envoy of Zuobu.

But Lin Yanchao did not go to the political secretary, but came to the vicinity of the drum tower in the city.

In ancient cities, the drum tower was generally the most prosperous place in the city.

Kaifeng Drum Tower is no exception, restaurants and restaurants are lined up, the street is full of guests, the cappella prostitutes lean on the railing to play and sing, as for the ordinary people dressed up in the street, eat a bowl of mutton noodles, or pork soup rice.

The stalls were filled with a table of guests, the smoke from the stove was blazing, and the steaming pasta was brought out of the kitchen.

Turning around, inadvertently, Kaifeng City showed his most prosperous side.

Soon everyone arrived at the Great Xiangguo Temple, this temple is famous all over the world, and it is also the place where Lu Zhishen plucked the weeping willows in the Water Margin.

Daxiangguo Temple, a thousand-year-old temple, is also the first temple in Kaifeng, there are two or three hundred monks' houses in the temple, and all the pilgrims who live in the south come and go.

In a three-entry courtyard next to Daxiangguo Temple, Lin Yanchao and everyone came here.

After Zhan Ming went in to report, two people came out soon, and these two people looked very capable. As soon as he saw Lin Yanchao, he said: "After the villain received the letter from Lord Futai, he cleaned up the courtyard and waited for Master Sima to come." ”

Lin Yanchao nodded, and the two of them led Lin Yanchao into the courtyard.

This courtyard is actually the 'Provincial Office' of Guide in Kaifeng, but all the officials who come to the provincial capital on business generally live here.

Among the officials, there are a number of people who are called 'sitting on the provincial governor', or 'sitting on the governor'.

At the beginning of an official's tenure, he would buy a book similar to "What You Need to Know for Officials".

The book introduces 'sitting on the provincial governor', that is, all the family members who sit in the province must use the indigenous people in the province to take their familiarity with the sound of the meaning, and their bosses have three festivals and two birthdays, water dry gifts and festive events, once they are convinced, they must be pre-presented; If the official has a letter of promotion or demotion, he must report it once every ten days; If there are any requirements for the manuscript, it should be copied and submitted.

And "those who sit in the government are the same as those who sit in the province", including the movement and stillness of the government office, they must inquire and understand.

Sitting in the provincial governor is to inquire about the news in the provincial capital, do things for the boss, and report immediately if there is any disturbance in the province.

To serve as the governor of the province, there are two things, one is to be capable and cunning enough, and the other is to be good at pulling relationships, and the family members, friends, and officials of the provincial officials must do their best.

These two people are the governors of the Guide Mansion, but they were not invited by Fu Zhiyuan, nor were they used by the previous prefect, but the team of the previous prefect.

In officialdom, it is said that 'officials do not turn to officials', and 'officials do not change the curtain', but in fact, sometimes 'officials do not turn with their heads'.

If these two governors followed, they had actually become indispensable officials in the government office.

Every prefect who goes to the provincial capital and deals with the province has to rely on this group of people and use their connections to do things for themselves. Over time, they became long-term appointments. But they are not court officials after all, so they are not given from the government, they are all private expenses of the prefect, and as for where the money comes from, I will see for myself.

Of course, Lin Yanchao also has his own 'sitting governor', but this time he was ordered by Fu Zhiyuan to come to Kaifeng on business, so it is not easy to bypass his people and deal with the province.

Lin Yanchao came to the courtyard with the two, and the courtyard sat east to west. There is a rather prosperous alley outside the courtyard, so the inverted seat of the alley is a silver shop, and there are rouge shops, incense shops, and candle shops in the alley.

The house has been cleaned, but the house looks quite dilapidated.

Lin Yanchao came to the hall and sat down, and when he saw this, he couldn't help asking, "Why are the utensils used in the hall not in order?" ”

The two provincial governors sighed, and one said, "What else can be done?" When Master Sima acted as the government minister, no matter how poor the house was, there was no shortage of our silver, but after the new Taizun took office, the money was often delayed, and if we didn't take away the things in the courtyard, even the rented courtyard would have to be taken back. ”

Lin Yanchao couldn't help but laugh when he heard this: "It turns out that this is the case, don't talk about you, the government couldn't even pay the salaries of the officials before." ”

After speaking, Lin Yanchao nodded to Chen Jichuan, Chen Jichuan understood, and ordered someone to take a letter of three hundred taels of silver.

The two of them suddenly saw that their eyes lit up, and they were surprised: "Master Sima, this is?" ”

Lin Yanchao said: "This is given to you by Taizun, we are a poor place in De, no better than other Henan provinces." The two of you are doing things in Kaifeng, you have to take care of the house more, and you can't stop doing things without taking money. ”

After the two got the money, their faces were full of smiles, and they said again and again: "Master Sima is right, we are all trying our best, not only for Taizun, but also for Sima." ”

Lin Yanchao said solemnly: "After taking the money, I will go to the pawnshop to redeem all the items, you will settle my entourage first, and I will ask you later." ”

The two said yes, and while arranging them with their hands and feet, they poured tea and water for Lin Yanchao. Tea is good tea, high-quality Yangxian tea.

The two of them are very capable of doing things, and after a while, they will clean up, and both of them will come to Lin Yanchao to listen to the training.

Lin Yanchao put down the tea bowl and asked, "What has been going on in the provincial capital recently?" ”

The eldest of the two is named Wang Jingwei, and he said: "The main thing is the matter of King Lu's domain, not to mention anything else, just the construction of King Lu's mansion costs nearly 700,000 taels of silver, and this money is only spent from the domain treasury, which is far from enough, and it will definitely be spread to the heads of the following mansions in the future." In addition to the silver, there are also feudal kings' food fields and salt classes, which are also spread by each prefecture. ”

Another person named Lu Xueyou, he spoke: "Ten fingers have long and short, and our provinces in Henan also have rich and poor, and it will definitely not be evenly apportioned at that time." ”

"At present, all the provinces have sent Zuo Erguan to the provincial capital to carry out activities, and they are all crying for poverty, and they want the province to give less to their own provinces, so they will pay more to other provinces. However, this is the plan of each prefecture, and I don't know what the division has to consider. ”

Lin Yanchao nodded and said, "This official came to Kaifeng because of this matter. ”

Wang Jingwei and Lu Xueyou were all happy when they heard this: "That's good, right now all the provinces are governors, and the feudal divisions are fighting, if they win in the end, they will distribute the money and food fields of the Wang's Mansion to our house, it will be bad." So we can't be left behind. ”

"Yes, although we all know that there is no money in the house, the province doesn't know, and the emperor doesn't know either. If it is really apportioned to our house, then the common people will suffer. ”

Lin Yanchao smiled when he heard this: "You two are really for the country and the people. ”

Wang Jingwei and Lu Xueyou both said: "For the people in the house, but also for Taizun and Master Sima." ”

Lin Yanchao said: "But...... But what is the use of going to the province to go to the province, walking around, you have more in each province, and I have less? In the end, it was not our people in Henan who paid for the land? In the province, don't you fight with the household department and the emperor? Reduced the money for the construction of the palace, the food fields of the vassal kings, and the salt tax? How much more useful is this than forcibly apportioning it to the governorates? ”

Wang Jingwei and Lu Xueyou glanced at each other. Wang Jingwei said: "This matter is not clearly stated in the province. It is said that the will of heaven has been unpredictable since ancient times, not to mention us, I am afraid that even the ministry in the province, even the ministry of the household department can't guess the emperor's mind. ”

"So it's up to our provinces?"

The two said: "Yes." Taizun also instructed us before, and he said that let us help Sima, and if we can fight for one more penny of silver, one more acre of land is one acre. ”

Lin Yanchao didn't say anything, Fu Zhiyuan and the officials of various prefectures had average plans, striving to spend less money for the people in their own mansions, which could be regarded as sweeping the snow in front of their own doors.

Wang Jingwei said: "Master Sima, we also found out about a matter, the province ordered Kaifeng Mansion to check and clean up the arrears of various prefectures, and all the tax and silver owed to the feudal division must be recovered, and if there are those who continue to fail to pay, they will be suspended on the spot!" ”

Lu Xueyou said: "In the past, we were in arrears to the Defu the most, and we have been tired for three years, if we don't settle the accounts this year, then Taizun, Sima will be questioned!" The villain also asked Sima to make plans in advance, and if necessary, he would entrust people when he should entrust them. ”

Wang Jingwei added: "If Sima needs it, the villain can arrange it for you immediately, and he can definitely speak in front of the domain and Futai." ”

Lin Yanchao smiled and said, "That's not necessary, you can give me a good banquet nearby." As for the people who have been invited, I have already prepared the post. ”

After speaking, Lin Yanchao ordered Chen Jichuan to take out a thick stack of posts.

In fact, Lin Yanchao did not come to Kaifeng empty-handed this time, and he also carried the field deed of the silt field.

Wang Jingwei and Lu Xueyou didn't expect Lin Yanchao to have an arrangement, so he immediately said yes.

PS: Ask for a monthly pass, brothers and sisters.