After condolences to the poor middle peasants who were attached to their families in Wujiazhuang and the surrounding villages twenty or thirty miles west of the county seat of Qishan County, the good people of Wuda went on the road again accompanied by Wu Chengchang.

This journey is twenty or thirty miles, along the official road mighty forward, the more east, the more you can feel the prosperous and lively atmosphere.

This is the first time that Wu Haogu has celebrated the New Year Festival outside Kaifeng Mansion, but he doesn't miss Tokyo Bianliang at all, which is still the best in the world.

Because in his opinion, Kaifeng Mansion has no future! Even if he tossed out a grain transportation from the north to the south, which could slightly alleviate the dilemma of Kaifeng Mansion being trapped by grain, the city's upward space was still limited by the surrounding barren Central Plains and the increasingly silted canal system.

Not to mention that dozens of miles north of Bianliang, there is also the Yellow River, which has long become a hanging river on the ground, which may get out of control and flood at any time.

Therefore, in Wu Haogu's mind, he has long regarded Haizhou, which is close to the sea, convenient transportation, and close to the Jianghuai granary and the coal and iron capital of Xuzhou, as his hometown.

Tianya Town is in front of you, and the newly built tall city wall side by side with the county town of Qishan shows the color of gold in the sunshine of the west, giving people a sense of prosperity and richness.

The official road leading to Tianya Town and Qishan County is busy, with a lot of traffic and endless streams, creating a vibrant scene.

Wu Haogu rode a horse, and Wu Chengchang, who was riding a donkey, walked slowly, breathing in a somewhat unfamiliar, salty smell of air, and at the same time had an urge to return to his heart like an arrow. A few months later, I don't know what happened to the two pregnant women in Haizhou's family? Ollie is about to give birth, right? The baby in Pan Qiaolian's belly should also be able to move, and I don't know if she can give birth to a son this time?

There are also two little guys in the family who are already naughty and mischievous, I don't know if they have made Pan Qiaolian angry?

Thinking of his family and children, Wu Haogu's heart was overflowing with a sweet feeling, and at the same time, he was more eager to develop and expand Haizhou, a city on the coast of the East China Sea.

In the troubled times in the future, Haizhou is a safe haven for himself and his family.

Closer and closer to the Xiguan Gate of Tianya Town, Wu Haogu has a kind of tiredness of a wanderer's homecoming. Wu Chengchang on the side was smiling brightly, with happiness flashing in his eyes.

His family also lives in Tianya Town, there is a very good "Shikumen" courtyard, the sons are studying in the town's Haizhou Academy, not only learning literature but also martial arts, the gentlemen who teach are not Su Dongpo's apprentices, or the head of the Ximen family and the Murong family who are proficient in martial arts.

They're going to have a good time in the future!

"Seventh Uncle, what's going on at the gate of Xiguan City?"

Wu Haogu's voice interrupted Wu Chengchang's thoughts, who was looking forward to the future, and the old man Wu looked in the direction of Wu Haogu's finger, and it turned out to be a few bulletin boards standing at the gate of Xiguan City, and there were many people crowded.

"That's someone looking at the notice board in Tianya Town."

"Bulletin board?" Wu Haogu was stunned, "What's the matter?" I didn't seem to have this when I left. ”

"It was erected two months ago," Wu Chengchang said, "a newspaper called Tianya Xunbao first set up notice boards inside and outside the three city gates of Tianya Town, and pasted its own newspaper on them for people to watch for free." Later, the Yuntai School Palace's "Yuntai Journal" also followed up and also set up a notice board, and recently it seems that many Haizhou scholars have posted their own articles on those notice boards. ”

"Write your own article and post it on the notice board? Isn't this a big word......" Wu Haogu said to himself, flipped off his horse, threw the reins to one of his attendants, and walked quickly to the notice board placed at the gate of the city. There were a lot of people crowded in front of the notice board, blocking his way, and when Takehoko was about to call the samurai who followed him to clear his way, he suddenly heard someone talking loudly.

"Hua Manshan is just a profiteer, how can he be the mayor of Tianya Town? I read that Lu Xiucai's article is right, Tianya Town must choose a scholar to come out! ”

"Isn't Mayor Hua from Wuke Province? With the support of the Wu family, the Wu family, the Ximen family, the Murong family and the Yuntai Academy, no matter how you choose, you are all people! ”

"That's not good, Hua Manshan is a businessman, how can he serve the public? If Mr. Dongpo's disciples come to be the mayor of the town, then everyone will have nothing to say. ”

"No, Lu Xiucai's article said that according to the "Tianya Shi Covenant", the mayor of the town should be publicly recommended, and he should not be privately granted."

"Public recommendation? What is the public push method? ”

"Since it should be the same as stipulated in the Lantian Lu Township Covenant, the people gather together to discuss publicly, and the town elders cannot be allowed to close the door and discuss secretly......"

What's going on?

Is this someone making trouble? Are they going to oppose their subordinates? And you also want to engage in Rausch in Tianya Town? How do you want to push?

Also, who is this Lu Xiucai? Why does it sound so familiar? Is it also a great Confucian?

Wu Haogu was a little stunned when he heard this, and for a while he forgot to greet his entourage to clear the way for himself.

……

"Zihou, you are still powerful, an article has stirred up a storm in Haizhou."

"Haha, Wangzhi, are you praising me? I'm a person who can stir up the world, and now I can only frolic with my juniors in Haizhou, and I don't dare to use my real name. ”

Wu Haogu probably never dreamed that Lu Xiucai turned out to be Zhang Dan's "pen name", and the article that caused a storm in Tianya Town turned out to be Zhang Dan's handwriting.

In fact, when the "Tianya Shiyue" began to be discussed and drafted, Zhang Dian was a cold bystander in Puyuan. His identity is naturally not suitable to participate in the "Shiyue", but his vision is still there. At a glance, I can see through the essence of the so-called "Shiyue" that is the autonomy of the merchant gentry under the manipulation of money! It's not the taxi who really has the final say, it's the businessman! That is, the existence that straddles the two worlds of government and business!

Now he is drinking tea and chatting with Zhang Dian in Puyuan is Lu Jiawen, who has just returned from his own "Lu's Coal Farm" - because of the care of the Southeast Sixth Road Shipping Envoy, this coal field has been opened smoothly. The "coal bosses" in Xuzhou were very good at talking and agreed to pay on credit, while the pavilions (salt households) and Xiaohuo (private salt households) in Haizhou also readily paid for the "Lu's Coal Farm". As for the transportation of coal, it is not a problem, and the merchants who went south before the canal froze in the autumn helped transport it to Haizhou at a low price, and even many merchants did not even charge the freight because they admired Lu Jiawen's noble character......

In short, in just a few months, Lu Jiawen's "business wizard" has been tested by practice!

And Lu Jiawen, who had a lot of spare money on hand, teamed up with Zhang Dian to set up the "Tianya Xun Bao", focusing on first-hand news of Kaifeng Mansion, including non-top secret news from the imperial court!

Because of the accuracy and timeliness of the news, "Tianya Xunbao" has rapidly risen to become a major newspaper in Haizhou that can compete with "Yuntai Journal".

However, after the development of the "Tianya Xun Bao," Zhang Dian published an article in the name of "Lu Xiucai" on the notice board of Tianya Town in the name of "Lu Xiucai," pointing the spearhead of the attack at Hua Manshan, the mayor of Tianya Town.

"Zihou," Lu Jia, who has recently made a fortune and seems to be in a good mood, asked with a smile, "When you oust Hua Manshan from power, who do you want to be the mayor?" ”

Zhang Dian smiled and shook his head: "It doesn't matter who is the mayor of the town, the important thing is that someone must know that the candidates supported by the government now, under the "Tianya Shi Covenant", are no match for the people supported by Wu Haogu and Yuntai Academy." ”

Lu Jiawen nodded lightly and agreed with Zhang Dian's analysis. The rules of the game of "Tianya Shiyue" can be said to be set by the Yuntai Academy, and it takes the route of "gentry and business co-governance". Among them, the "gentry" not only included the male scholars among the degraded officials and their families, but also included the teachers and students of the Yuntai Academy.

In this way, no matter what method is adopted to elect the mayor of the town, Tianya Town will definitely fall into the hands of Wu Haogu and Yuntai Xuegong.

Lu Jia asked for a while and asked, "Zihou, do you mean that Zeng Zi held a meeting to push people to be elected?" ”

"How not?" Zhang Dian smiled coldly, "Don't you think that Zeng Zikai is very satisfied with the current situation that Tianya Town is monopolized by wealthy merchants, right?" ”

"That's right!" Lu Jia asked, rubbing his beard, "The covenant of scholars should be the masters of scholars, how can merchants be involved?" ”

……

"The master is back!"

A shout made the already lively and prosperous martial arts Linhaizhuang suddenly boil.

Today is the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, Chinese New Year's Eve is tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow is the first day of the first lunar month. Although Wu Haogu is not at home, under the arrangement of Pan Qiaolian, the main mother, all kinds of things that should be prepared for the New Year have been prepared. also asked people to go to Yuzhou Island to pick up Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian, Mi Youren and others and their families to Tianya Town, just waiting for the time to welcome the New Year together.

But Wu Haogu has not arrived for a long time - yesterday, the Ximen knight who followed Wu Haogu went to the village to report a message, saying that "the head of state has arrived at Wujiazhuang", counting the itinerary, how should he come today. Why hasn't it come to dusk?

Just when Pan Qiaolian was anxious, someone finally shouted, "Master is back". Pan Qiaolian didn't care about being pregnant, so she stood up immediately, and with the support of the two maids (in fact, she didn't need it at all), she quickly greeted her. When I arrived at the second gate, I saw the dusty Wu Haogu smiling and groaning in front of him. I haven't seen him for a few months, Wu Haogu looks a little more weathered, and his face is a little unshaven.

However, on a handsome face, there is a bright smile, and it seems that the trip to the boundary river is still very smooth.

"Official......" Pan Qiaolian shouted, Wu Haogu had already stepped forward quickly, grabbed her jade hand, looked at each other, and after a while, I heard Wu Haogu say with a smile: "Finally home...... Eighteen, are you okay? The doll in the belly can kick you? What about Olga? How is she? ”