In October, the weather in Yongzhou is about to heat up, and there is no autumn shadow to be seen.

As soon as Xu Ping entered the state office, a public official greeted him and said: "The general judgment is here, Zhang Yunju and Cao Zhizhou have been waiting in the Changzhou Hall for some time, and the little one will take you there!" ”

In June, Vice Minister Zhang Zhibai died in office, and Governor Zhang Shixun took over as Vice Minister. In the same month, Wang Weizheng's complaint about the lack of manpower in the Guangxi Transshipment Department also came to fruition, and the imperial court appointed Zhang Cun as the judge of the Guangnan West Road Transshipment Division. The deputy envoy and the judge of the transport department have basically the same position, and those with senior positions are the deputy envoys for transport, and those with less seniority are judges, and they are all deputies of the transit envoys. There is only one of the two positions, and if there is a deputy envoy, there will be no judge, and if there is a judge, there will be no deputy envoy.

After Zhang Cun took office, he and Wang Weizheng divided the inspection area, this year's Yongzhou belongs to Zhang Cun's inspection, and the next year's is Wang Weizheng, and the two of them have to patrol the whole road every two years.

This season is the time to harvest sugarcane, Xu Ping is very busy, and he doesn't go back to Yongzhou for a whole month, Cao Keming specially sent someone to Ruhe to call Xu Ping back.

Wrapped in steaming heat, Xu Ping entered the governor's hall.

As soon as he entered the door, a cool breeze came to his face, extinguishing the heat on Xu Ping's body, and Xu Ping couldn't help but shiver.

On the seat sat an official in his forties, of medium height, with a fair complexion, black hair, and a pair of bright eyes, not angry and arrogant.

Next to him, Cao Keming sat with him in civilian clothes, with a serious expression and no trace of joy on his face.

Xu Ping saw that it was not the number of roads, so he hurriedly stepped forward to salute the two of them, and said: "The Shangguan is here to inspect, and the lower officials have not had time to greet him, and if he is neglected, he will forgive his sins!" ”

Zhang Cun nodded, and Cao Keming next to him said, "Xu Tongju sat down and spoke." ”

Xu Ping sat down at the bottom, and Zhang Cuncai said: "Xu Tongju, you and Cao Zhizhou are in the same state politics, how many major military and civilian affairs are there in the state, how can you not sit in the state, and Ruhe County is below all day long?" ”

Xu Ping hurriedly stood up and replied: "Back to Shangguan, Xiaguan has opened some fields in Ruhe County to recruit people, and this year has just begun, so I have to keep an eye on it." The general affairs of the state have been entrusted to Judge Zhou's agent, and if there is anything important, I will naturally go to the county to discuss with me, and the two places are not far apart, and there has never been a delay. ”

Zhang Cun frowned and said: "If it's just like this, it's okay, don't hide it from Xu Tongju, I also heard some gossip, saying that you are not just for business in Ruhe County!" ”

Xu Ping's heart sank, this was to recruit himself to come back to Xingshi to ask for guilt. But I didn't do anything out of the ordinary in Ruhe County, all kinds of businesses I worked hard to do contributed to the country, the accounts were clear, and not a penny went into my pocket, and Xu Ping felt aggrieved when I thought of it. Aside from this, what other rumors are there about yourself? The conscience of heaven and earth, he is holding his nose to be a model official of the Great Song Dynasty in Yongzhou!

Thinking of this, he said loudly: "The lower officials are in Ruhe, opening fields, repairing embankments, recruiting household registration, everything is done in a clear place, the accounts are clear, and they are not afraid of being checked." The gossip that Yun Juan said, please say it in the clear! ”

After listening to Xu Ping's words, Zhang Cun's face softened: "Tongju sit down and talk." -- I have already heard of what you said, and I have ordered my subordinates to check the accounts, and there is nothing wrong with them. The gossip about you has nothing to do with official business, Xu Tong sentenced, you are an official outside the youth, and you have to check it in private! ”

Xu Ping just sat down, and when he heard Zhang Cun's words, he stood up again: "Yun Juan, don't make this clear to me!" The subordinate officials are in Ruhe, they are working day and night, they are restless, they are public and private, and they admit that they have never done anything unseemly! I've never heard any gossip! ”

Zhang Cun and Cao Keming glanced at each other, and said to Xu Ping warmly: "Since you said so, it means that you understand in your heart and are not blinded." This is the best, as long as you are careful in the future and don't make mistakes, you don't have to talk about the past. ”

"Don't, how can you not talk about it! Judge, you must make it clear, I don't know any rumors myself, and I won't be laughed at when I say it! ”

When Xu Ping said this, he turned to look at Cao Keming and said: "Cao Zhizhou must know, it seems that maybe you told Yun Juan about it, you must tell me, I should be careful not to really commit it in the future!" ”

Cao Keming blushed after hearing this, and said loudly: "Where does Xu Neng say, what kind of person am I, Cao Keming, how can I say more about you in front of Shangguan except for official affairs!" - That's it, if I don't say it, I'll make you think I'm chewing your tongue in front of Shangguan! In the past few months, the officials in the state, in fact, not only the officials of the state, but also the surrounding states and counties have been talking about this matter, saying that if you are not leaving, you are greedy for the beauty of Duan Fang's daughter, and some people even said that it is even more unbearable. -- Since I have said it, I will advise you, Xu Tongju, it is indeed hard for us to be officials outside, but we must endure hardship as officials. You just got married before you took office, you have a beautiful wife at home, and your young daughter is only a few months old, don't be carried away by beauty, and regret it when you do something! Although Duan Fang's official position is low, his daughter has no reason to be a concubine. Having said that, even if their father and daughter are willing, and the court decree does not allow you to take wives and concubines under your control, this thing will not work out after all, do you understand? ”

Hearing this, Xu Ping was stunned for a moment, and after a while, he said impatiently to Cao Keming: "Cao Zhizhou, how can there be such gossip?" Duan County makes the family that is a son! ”

"Fool it! Guangxi Prefecture doesn't know, Duan Fang raised his daughter as a son since he was a child, but it's a pity that his daughter followed her mother and looked gorgeous and matchless, so she would believe him when she was blind! ”

"You say I'm blind? At first, I doubted it, but then I did! ”

Xu Ping listened to them talk more and more lively, a little crying and laughing, and couldn't help but really suspect that he was blind.

Since I met Li Anren, the sales of goods have increased dramatically, especially since Li Anren also introduced other caravans, and Xu Ping's base in Ruhe County has become a commercial wholesale center. In recent months, in order to exchange more Dali horses from the barbarians, Xu Ping has developed a book printing business. Yongzhou lead and tin mines, even antimony mines, Xu Ping made several sets of movable type, opened the printing of "Sanzang Sutra", "Yun Ji Seven Signatures" these religious books, and even printed "Cut Rhyme", "Jade Chapter", "Spring and Autumn" and other Confucian classics, of course, the largest number of some common medical books, the sales are quite good.

However, book printing is a very professional business, and Duan Yunjie, who lacks talents in Yongzhou and has outstanding cultural quality, was recruited to be responsible for the book printing business, and there was more contact with Xu Ping. I didn't expect it to be such a trivial matter, and a scandal quickly spread.

In fact, it's no wonder that Xu Ping, Duan Fang himself has a bad career because of scandals, and naturally some people who are close to him think about it.

Seeing that Xu Ping was serious, Zhang Cun and Cao Keming couldn't help but look at each other and smile, and beckoned to him: "Xu Tongju sat down and talked slowly, since the matter is chasing after the wind, then don't take it to heart." ”

Xu Ping sat down silently, bowing his head and not saying a word.

Zhang Cun and Cao Keming shook their heads with a smile, lowered their heads to drink tea, and did not say a word, letting Xu Ping slowly digest the news.

Yongzhou's official tea has been replaced by Xu Ping's newly made roasted green tea, which has gradually become popular. In fact, in addition to having special feelings for tea, what tea is not to drink, after all, it is convenient to make tea, and the taste is also good.

"You say, will this unreliable rumor spread back to the capital?"

After being silent for a while, Xu Ping suddenly raised his head and asked seriously.

Zhang Cun smiled and asked, "What, are you afraid?" ”

"I'm afraid!" Xu Ping sighed, "It will definitely be even more outrageous when it is transmitted back to the capital, my wife and young daughter in my family must not be angry when they hear this kind of news!" The one in my family, although she usually doesn't talk much, has a strong heart, and I'm afraid that she will believe the rumors and do something. ”

"Ahh

There is a lot of gossip in the officialdom of the Great Song Dynasty, especially in places where you can't bring your wife to office, there are all kinds of magical stories. A few years ago, there was a governor of Haozhou, and the old wife of the family was a tigress, jealous, and even ran to the place where her husband was an official despite the ban. When the matter reached the imperial court, the man who was afraid of his wife was not easy to live, and specially ordered the wife to go back to her hometown, but the woman openly disobeyed the order, and finally made a major event in her life, and even ruined her husband's future.

Zhang Cun and Cao Keming looked at Xu Ping and were secretly annoyed, and they both endured it and didn't speak. When you come to Lingnan as an official, no one's family is peaceful, and there are really good women who silently dedicate themselves to supporting their husbands' work at home, and there will definitely be literati who write them down in their notes and promote them everywhere. How many good women are there? Who would dare to say that they can run into it?

After a while, Zhang Cuncai comforted Xu Ping: "Xu Tongju doesn't have to worry, I went to Beijing to report on my work before I came to Guangnan to take office, and I haven't heard anything happened to your family." However, many colleagues are saying that Mrs. Ling is a good housekeeper and has made the grange prosperous and prosperous, and Kaifeng Mansion has also specially commended her. ”

"And this? It can't be made up, right? What kind of identity do I have, how many people can still remember. ”

Xu Ping didn't believe that although Lin Suniang had become a mother, she was only a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, and it would be good if she could keep his share of the family business undefeated.

Zhang Cundao: "It turns out that you don't know yet, now in the capital, your family is half a cattle and sheep division, and when the imperial court wants to use sheep, let the cattle and sheep division run it with your family." Officials outside the capital, including the forbidden army, and the sheep are all directly to your house to receive them, and a few of them don't know that you are in the Xu family. ”

The officials of the Beijing Dynasty in the capital did not have a job field, and they had a corresponding meal subsidy, and they also gave sheep to the mouth, ranging from two to twenty per month according to the level of the official position. In order to cope with this huge demand, the cattle and sheep division ensures that the stock of sheep is more than 50,000 all year round. After the Xu family gave up the sugar business, the grange expanded very large, and if Lin Suniang did it according to Xu Ping's previous methods, she could really raise tens of thousands of sheep, and half a cow and sheep division.

Xu Ping sighed, it was useless to think about this kind of thing, so he had to put it in his heart and asked Zhang Cun: "There is no need to say this kind of thing, and it is useless to worry." Judge, what else is there to do to bring me back? ”

Zhang Cun put down the tea bowl, glanced at Cao Keming, and asked Xu Ping seriously: "I heard that officials from Yongzhou have said that you are busy squeezing sugar these days, and you tell me truthfully, how much sugar can you produce this year?" ”

Xu Ping lowered his head and calculated, more than 5,000 acres of sugarcane, one mu produces 2,000 to 3,000 catties of fresh cane, and one catty of fresh cane can squeeze out one or two halves of sugar (one catty and sixteen taels).

He looked up and said to Zhang Cun: "Return to the judgment of luck, there is always a million catties." ”

"What?!"

Zhang Cun and Cao Keming stood up together, stared at Xu Ping and said, "You can figure it out!" ”

Xu Ping didn't know why, and said blankly: "It shouldn't be wrong, the yield of sugarcane is high." ”

Zhang Cun took a breath: "White sugar is now sold in the capital to a catty, even if we sell it for 500 wen a catty, one million catties is 500,000 pounds, 650,000 provinces!" Xu Tongju, do you know that you alone have made up for most of the lack of funds on the entire Guangnan West Road, and this is the first year! If what you say is true, I guarantee that you will be an official in Quang Nam, and your performance will be excellent every year! When you go back at the end of your term, you can sit in this position of the official! ”

The local officials of the Song Dynasty were evaluated every year, and it was rare to be superior for three years in office. At that time, the superior official was directly promoted to one rank, and every year the superior was promoted to one rank every year, plus Xu Ping Jinshi was born for three years and was transferred to a single position, and the official was in Langzhong after being judged by Yongzhou. Not to mention the judge of the transfer department, the rank of this official is even enough for the requirements of the transfer envoy, but the qualifications are insufficient.

Hearing Zhang Cun talk about it, Xu Pingcai summed it up in his heart, and he was startled, Lang Zhong is a middle-level official, and he can't follow the capital anymore. It doesn't seem to be difficult for this official to be?