Different from the coldness he saw when he returned to Zhangfu last time, what Ji Yi saw in Zhangdun Mansion today was a scene of people who were sure to be prosperous, and the men and women who came in and out of the mansion were men and women with Fujian accents, old and young, all dressed in new clothes, and their faces were full of festive atmosphere.

Ji Yi knew that these people were not officials who came to the door to slap horses, but Zhang Dan's family and relatives.

The Pucheng Zhang family is a big family in Fujian, and since the late Tang Dynasty, there have been high-ranking officials who have achieved the first level of assassination. In the fifth generation, the sixth ancestor of the Pucheng Zhang family, Zhang Zijun, Zhang Dan's great-grandfather Zhang Renche, and Zhang Dan's great-grandfather Zhang Wenyan were all important ministers of Fujian.

After entering the Great Song Dynasty of the world's peace, the children of the Pucheng Zhang family have embarked on the bright road of entering the imperial examination, and in the generation of Zhang Dian's father, there were such important ministers as Zhang Dexiang, and Zhang Yu's father Zhang Yu also entered high school. And when it comes to the two generations of Zhang Dian and Zhang Tun's nephews, the Pucheng Zhang family is even more talented, and there are more than a dozen high school scholars alone! Among them, Zhang Dan's nephew (ten years older than Zhang Dan) was still in the second year of Jiayou (Zhang Dan was the first Jinshi in this year, because he did not have a nephew in the exam, he chose to "repeat"). And the two brothers Zhang Dian and Zhang Qi (clan brothers) not only won the Jinshi, but also became the important ministers of the country, one has been alone for many years, and the other has been supervising the army in the northwest for many years, such a combination is unique in the history of the Great Song Dynasty.

At the same time that Zhang Dian and Zhang Qi were extremely prominent, their sons also entered high school and now either served as officials in Kaifeng Mansion or held local positions...... What an enviable imperial examination family!

Today is Chinese New Year's Eve, and most of the children of the Zhang family who are local officials have rushed to Kaifeng Mansion, and the children and nephews of the Zhang family who are serving in Kaifeng or studying hard in Kaifeng Mansion have also taken a holiday, and now they are all gathered in Zhang's Xiangfu.

Most of the people who came were officials, but Ji Yi didn't feel the compelling atmosphere of wealth. Of course, it is impossible to be shabby, the Song Dynasty implemented high salaries and incorruptible maintenance, and the salaries and benefits of officials are very good, and they can live more comfortably without corruption. But it's just comfort, not the point of wealth and luxury. If the house of the ruler looks shabby everywhere, then it is inevitable that there is hypocrisy of pretending to be incorruptible, and if it is permeated with wealth and luxury, then it must be a corrupt official.

And Zhang Dun, a recognized "power traitor", is not a big corrupt official as far as Ji Yi knows. Not only is he not very corrupt, but he also does not appoint private individuals and excessively promote his children. Except for the concubines and elders in the early years, they can't pull out any pigtails in their conduct.

Of course, Shilin Qingliu's "power traitor" label on Zhang Dian is not a slander - people never said that Zhang Dian is a big corrupt official, and a big traitor is not equal to a big corrupt official...... Zhangdun's "treachery" does not lie in taking money, but in gaining power.

The two things of Zhang Dan's solitary appearance and Zhang Qi's command of the army are enough to be charged with power. Not to mention that since he came to power, he has continued to fabricate accusations and crack down on dissidents, making the already white-hot struggle between the old and new parties even more intense.

The ancestral family law of the Great Song Dynasty paid attention to "dissenting opinions" and "separation of powers, checks and balances". The military, finance, criminal, and political affairs are separated from each other, each performing its own duties, and each pulling its own back. On the other hand, Zhang Dian monopolized power (by the standards of the Song Dynasty, it was a monopoly of power), broke the rules of "dissenting opinions" and "separation of powers, checks and balances", and turned the court into a hall of words.

However, the basis of Zhang's "Yiyantang" is not the strength of the Zhang family itself, let alone the strength of the new party group, but the support of the recognized Emperor Zhezong of the faint monarch to Zhangdun.

Dusk Emperor Zhezong was bent on destroying Western Xia and recovering Yanyun. Naturally, it is intolerable to tolerate the existence of a noisy court that pulls each other's hind legs.

In fact, the Yiyantang court led by Zhang Dian did not expand the power of the prime minister, but the power of the monarch - this is because the civilian clique led by Zhang Dian did not break through the threshold of "taking charge of the army" and did not have real military power, the new party could fall at any time, and the old party could also make a comeback at any time. The intensification of the contradictions between the old and new parties gave the later Song Huizong the possibility of easily controlling the imperial court without any constraints...... Therefore, Zhezong, who almost destroyed the Western Xia (if he lived for another ten years, the Western Xia would definitely be gone) and Zhang Dian became recognized as a traitor!

Uh, very complicated logic.

Zhang Dian himself must not be able to figure it out, and he does not have the time to ponder such a long-term problem. On this New Year's Day, he was busy playing tricks against the Liao State and Western Xia.

Zhang Dun, a traitor, is very traitorous both internally and externally!

"Well done!" After listening to Ji Yi's report, Zhang Dian stroked his palms and laughed, "Empress Dowager Xiaoliang is immortal, and there is a bloody storm inside the Western Thief...... Maybe the thief really returned to my court. ”

"If this is the case, Xianggong will be the first hero of my dynasty!"

"Hehe," Zhang Dian touched his white beard and looked at Ji Yi with a smile, "The one who restores Yanyun is the first hero, the old man is old, and he can't see this day." But you Ji Yizhi is still young, maybe the generals will restore Yanyun in the future, and it will be you. ”

When Ji Yi heard this, he hurriedly got up and saluted: "I'm afraid it will be difficult for the lower officials to take on a big responsibility." ”

Zhang Dian smiled, noncommittal, and did not say this question again, but changed the conversation, "The old man remembers that your family is a maritime merchant?" ”

"Exactly."

Zhang Dian asked, "Is it a Manichaean maritime merchant?" ”

Ji Yi was shocked when he heard this, and hurriedly explained: "In order to learn the navigation skills of the Persians, my ancestors took in the Manichaeans of Persia, and that was all a matter of the Tang Dynasty, and the lower officials did not believe in Manichaeism......

Zhang Dian waved his hand and smiled: "The old man knows that the old man is from Fujian." ”

He is not only a native of Fujian, but his ancestors are also important ministers of Fujian, how can he not know anything about maritime merchants, Manichaeism, and Tianfangjiao? And the Zhang family and the Ji family are still related, of course they know that some people in the Ji family believe in Manichaeism.

"You just said that your ancestors learned the Persian seafaring skills?" Zhang Dan then asked, "How's the ability?" Where can you go farthest? ”

"The farthest I can go to the Three Buddhas and Tianzhu," Ji Yi replied truthfully, "but I don't often go there." ”

"You can't beat the big food maritime merchants, right?" Zhang Tun asked.

"It's not that it can't be beaten." Ji recalled, "The most important thing is that the big food and maritime merchants occupy the geographical advantage...... To the west of Srivijaya, it is the territory of other people. Even in the country of Srivijaya, there is also a stronghold of the great food and maritime merchants. ”

"Oh." Zhang Dian nodded, and asked again, "Whose territory is it in Liaodong, Liaoxi, and Yanyun along the coast?" ”

Ji Yi replied: "Song merchants, Liao merchants, and Goryeo merchants all account for a part. ”

Zhang Dian then asked, "What about your Pingjiang Ji family?" ”

Ji Yi replied: "It also accounts for a part." ”

"Oh." "What about the imperial court?" ”

"The Imperial Court?" Ji Yi was stunned, "Xianggong, the imperial court does not do maritime trade...... Things at sea are very risky, and if you are not careful, the ship will be destroyed and people will die, and you will simply fight for wealth and prosperity with your life! ”

Zhang Dian smiled and said, "Do you want to take away the huge profits of your family as an old man?" The old man didn't mean this, the old man wanted to know if the imperial court could use the maritime merchants on the coast of Liaodong, Liaoxi and Yanyun for its own use? ”

"It's ...... It's not easy. Ji Yi frowned, "After all, it is difficult for the government to control the affairs of the sea." ”

Zhang Dan stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Then you can slowly figure out a way...... People always come up with solutions.

By the way, this time the Liao returns, don't take the land route. If you want to take a boat, you will give the old man a boat back, and you have to divide into two routes, all the way to the Yellow River and all the way to the sea. This ship is all from your house. This is an opportunity, take advantage of it! ”

"Okay, the next official will arrange it immediately."

Ji Yi understood that Zhang Dian was giving himself the opportunity to make contributions...... This person has no windfall and no wealth, no horse has no night grass and no fat, and it is the same as being an official! Without the great opportunity to establish meritorious deeds, it is difficult to have the current status of Zhang Dian by slowly grinding it step by step.

If you want to be recommended to the two provinces as soon as possible, you must have a big opportunity to rise!

Zhang Dian nodded and smiled: "Don't worry, let's get over New Year's Day first...... By the way, are your family members in Pingjiang? ”

Ji Yi said: "I haven't married yet, and my mother lives in Pingjiang. ”

"Oh," said Zhang Dan with a smile, "then let's spend New Year's Eve at the old man's place tonight." ”

Ji Yi's "unmarried match" refers to the eldest wife who is not married by Ming Media, there are many concubines and housekeepers, and there are three children, all waiting for him to come home for Chinese New Year's Eve.

However, Ji Yi will not give up the opportunity to eat Chinese New Year's Eve with Zhang Dian...... Zhang Xianggong's move may have other meanings, his old man has a lot of daughters, nieces, and granddaughters!

……

"Da Langjun, the old man, please hurry up and go out to greet the relatives in Luoyang's hometown."

At the same time, Wu Haogu had just sent away another wave of visitors who came to give gifts, and was about to discuss his painting experience with his newly accepted apprentice Du Wenyu. One of the servants of the martial arts family, Fei, also came to report.

Sure enough, no one asks about the poor in the downtown area, and the rich have distant relatives in the mountains. Wu Haogu's family and Luoyang Baibo Wu's family have not been in contact for many years, and now a letter has passed, and relatives have come to visit.

Wu Haogu smiled at his female apprentice and said, "Wenyu, you go back first...... When you meet the teacher, then move to the teacher. ”

Du Wenyu's identity is a bit of a sideshow, called master and apprentice, in fact...... It depends on what Pan Qiaolian means.

Little Lady Du blushed and asked softly, "When is that student coming to serve the teacher?" ”

She is actually the granddaughter of Old Man Du, she is a concubine, and she has no status in the Du family's mansion. However, she will not give her grandfather a gift to Wu Haogu, and worship Wu Haogu as a teacher, which she proposed herself. She has been learning painting since she was a child, and she is very talented, and she would have become a generation of counterfeiters of the Du family, but when she copied Wu Haogu's works, she was impressed by the genius of the other party, so she had the idea of learning from a teacher...... And her grandfather pushed the boat down the river!

Wu Haogu glanced at her and said with a smile: "After the first day, go to Christie's big study every day."

But you can't be idle these days, and draw fifty egg sketches a day. ”