"Lord, sit down and drink tea."

Seeing Xu Ping greeting with a smile on his face, Shen Chengrong became more and more nervous, and he didn't dare to say anything.

Xu Ping sat down by himself and said to the cautious Shen Chengrong: "You just sit down and talk, in the counties around Yongzhou, you Shen Cheng is the most dedicated to the court, and it is only a good thing to call you here today, relax." ”

Seeing that Xu Ping said sincerely, Shen Chengrong carefully sat in the guest seat, not daring to sit down.

"It's hard to come here, have you gone to see Duan Zhixian's father and son?"

Hearing Duan Fang's father and son asked, Shen Chengrong stood up again and hurriedly said, "What is Duan Zhixian's identity now?" What am I am? Where do you dare to climb high! ”

Xu Ping smiled and motioned for Shen Chengrong to sit down: "Although you haven't had any contact for more than ten years, Duan Yunjie is your grandson after all, and you should move around." ”

Shin Seung-young didn't dare to speak, just sat cautiously.

Xu Ping was silent for a while, no longer beating around the bush, and said to Shen Chengrong: "I called you here today because I have something to discuss with you." Shen Tong is sandwiched between Ruhe County and Chungju, and has been deferential to the imperial court all these years, but life has not been easy, and I can't help it. Whoever is attentive to the court should be rewarded by the court, lord, do you think this is the truth? ”

"Shangguan is right. It is already a great grace for Shangguan to remember us. ”

Xu Ping smiled: "Now that the magistrate of Wuli County is old, time is short, and there are no heirs, and the children of the side branches are fighting one after another, causing a lot of trouble, and losing the original intention of the imperial court to care for the place." I'm thinking, the surname Huang in Wuli County is not a big surname, it is better to remove it, and set up your Shentong to manage his original territory, what do you think? ”

"W-how?"

Shen Chengrong stood up and looked at Xu Ping at a loss. Shen Chengrong's temperament is relatively weak, and he has been able to cope with several major forces, barely supported it for decades, and has not developed much, but fortunately, it has not been weakened much. But if he wanted to let him annex the territory of several other families, he would never have dreamed of this kind of thing, but he didn't expect Xu Ping to send this opportunity to him.

Xu Ping's face was calm, just drinking tea quietly, letting Shen Chengrong go around uneasily alone, asking him to think about it and not bothering him.

Of course, this matter is not a whim of Xu Ping, in fact, he has been discussing with Cao Keming for a long time, and has already reported to the transfer envoy, and has also obtained the consent of the imperial court, and it has been decided in principle. Because Shen Tong was next to the place where Xu Ping planted sugarcane in Ruhe County, it was decided that Xu Ping would talk to Shen Chengrong. Chungju Huang Chengxiang made such a big fuss, Yongzhou could not have reacted, as soon as the people from Fujian arrived, Ruhe County's strength was not what it used to be, and they immediately began to split up Chungju's subordinate forces. The first is not weak, and the lord of Shen Chengrong has always been obedient to the Song Dynasty, not as unruly as other barbarian chiefs, and this benefit will fall on his head at once.

Of course, he and Duan Fang's official system also considered, although when Duan Fang and his daughter got along, Shen Chengrong pretended to be deaf and dumb, and he pretended not to know about it when the children were born, but this was originally an attitude.

After a long time, Shen Chengrong took a breath and asked Xu Ping: "Shangguan, the little courage to ask, is Shangguan asking about this matter casually, or do you really want to do this?" ”

Xu Ping said in a deep voice: "It's decided, but the county has been withdrawn, you are the Zhitong, and the subordinates of the original Wuli County are all assigned to Shentong to be under your control." I plan to report to the imperial court to grant you the right servant ban of this official, are you still satisfied? ”

"What does this little one dare to fight for? It's all Shangguan lifting! ”

The right attendant is a small envoy, which is equivalent to other Tuxian magistrates. However, Shen Chengrong didn't understand, he only knew that from then on, he became an official of the imperial court, directly under the control of Yongzhou, and other barbarian chieftains could no longer control him.

"Sit down and talk."

Shen Chengrong sat down obediently, and his heart was overturned, still digesting the news. I didn't expect that I would be cautious all my life, but when I was old, I made a fortune, and Shen Yu came out in his own hands. With the appointment of the imperial court, Zhitong is no longer the former king of the mountain, and with the righteousness of the imperial court, he can slowly annex his subordinate villages and develop the power of his own tribes, aren't most of those big tribes coming like this?

Xu Ping looked at Shen Chengrong, smiled, and said: "In addition, the place in the original Wuli County is still a little smaller, and I am afraid that if you want to do things for the imperial court, you will not have enough spare energy." In this way, the eight mountains such as Naling Tong under the original Shangsi Prefecture, and the nine mountains such as the Nama Mountain under the former Zhongzhou will all be assigned to you Shendong. What do you think? ”

"Ahh But even if I want it, the governors of the two states don't want to-"

Xu Ping's face sank: "You don't have to worry about this, these seventeen mountains are too far away from the two states they belong to, and the states can't manage it, so it should be drawn out." The matter is decided by the imperial court, and it is not the turn of the two states to make irresponsible comments, you just have to think about how to manage those places well. ”

By this time, Shen Chengrong had roughly understood that Xu Ping was not discussing with him, but informing him that Shen Tong had been upgraded, and his territory was still a large part of Wuli County. As for whether Shen Yu soared into the sky from then on, or was roasted on the fire, it depends on his own wrist.

"Shangguan, there are so many people in my Shendong, and the court has zoned this place, but I'm afraid I won't be able to control it."

Shen Chengrong is still a little hesitant, Wuli County is okay, it is his own territory, no one in Laozhi County dares to go against Shen Dong under the pressure of the imperial court, Zhongzhou and Shangsizhou are not so easy to talk to.

"Behind you are Ruhe County, Yongzhou, and the Great Song Dynasty, what are you afraid of? Just let it go, integrate these places, whoever dares to find trouble with you, I'll find trouble with him, don't you understand? ”

"Understood, little understood."

Shin Seung-young has been dealing with the surrounding forces for decades, how can he not understand? This is to throw him out as a pawn across the river, and the government wants to find an opportunity to clean up the surrounding chieftains. The benefits given to him are indeed big enough, so big that he is a little afraid.

Xu Ping waved his hand to Shen Chengrong and said, "Sit down, you listen to me." Although you are all natives under your rule, you are also a pro-people official after all, and the pro-people officials are all the same, so that the people under your rule are well fed, warmly dressed, and in a comfortable mood, you have nothing to sing a few mountain songs, and you can win their hearts, and no one can shake you. Since last year, I have been growing sugarcane and squeezing sugar in Ruhe County, have you heard of it? ”

"The little ones have heard that they are all judged by grace, such as He County has become the richest place in the left."

"It's good to hear about it. You have the same land and the same people, can you grow sugar cane? I planted sugar cane and sent it to the county, and I will give you the money, and I will never treat you badly. Don't be greedy for this money, get a little bit for yourself, and give a little more to the people under your rule, they have food to eat, and they think of your benefits, how can they still make trouble? ”

"But---we natives don't know how to grow sugar cane!"

"What does it matter! I have people here who can teach you, and you can come and learn. It's just farming, I've been planting for so many years, what can't I learn! ”

Shen Chengrong looked at Xu Ping, carefully calculated the pros and cons of the matter in his heart, was silent for a long time, and finally nodded heavily: "Shangguan promoted us Shen Tong, if I say anything more, I just don't know what to do." Shangguan rest assured, I will definitely restrain my subordinates and not cause trouble to the imperial court! ”

Xu Ping smiled: "That's right. It's all a good thing for you and me, why are you still hesitating? In the future, you will also be an official of the imperial court, and you should be under the management of Duan Zhi County, so you have nothing to do to move around. ”

"That's what Shangguan said."

Shin Seung-young smiled bitterly and agreed. How did he move around with Duan Fang? 's daughter is still being detained in Zhongzhou, and she can't talk to Duan Fang. He has never even seen that grandson Duan Yunjie, but in the past two years, he has often heard people talk about it, and they all praise this child for being smart and unparalleled, and his beauty is better than his mother back then. This is also a bad thing, everyone knows that this is a girl, but Duan Fang has raised him as a boy since he was a child, and after more than ten years, everyone can't tell whether he is a man or a woman. The frontier is not as good as the Central Plains, this kind of thing is not strange to everyone, not to mention that he still has half barbarian blood.

has agreed, Shen Chengrong felt that his mood had calmed down and he would no longer suffer from gains and losses, so he discussed with Xu Ping to submit a table to the court and ask for tribute. Although it is the imperial court to set up a direct management here, it is best for Shen Chengrong to put forward the attached request on the face and pay tribute to local specialties to show the majesty of the imperial court.

For Shen Tong, this tribute is a rare time to rub the oil and water of the Great Song Dynasty, as long as the court receives it, the reward will inevitably be much more valuable than the tribute, and Shen Chengrong does not want to let go of this opportunity. Fanyi didn't want to pay tribute, and the whole court knew that they were here to rub oil and water, and there were many procedures, which must be reported by the magistrate, and they should be examined and approved at each level, and they could only leave with approval. For the sake of real money, the Great Song Dynasty sometimes didn't care much about face, and many foreign envoys were sent back halfway.

The matter had already been decided, but it was just a formality to complete the formalities, and it didn't take long for the two of them to discuss it. Xu Ping and Cao Keming jointly signed a chapter, and after the court agreed to the document, Shen Chengrong's eldest son entered Beijing on behalf of his father, paid tribute, and accepted the imperial court's sue, and Shen Cheng was considered independent from other subordinates.

After everything was done, Xu Ping stretched out on the chair: "Okay, everything that needs to be said has been said, let's go out for two glasses of wine together in a while to celebrate." Prepare well after you go back, and don't wait for the documents from the court to come down and be caught off guard. If there's anything difficult to do, just tell me directly, just let go of your hands and feet. ”

Shen Chengrong stood up and saluted: "Thank you for the judgment, the little one understands." ”

"Also, now that it's the season, you go back and plan which places are suitable for growing sugarcane, how many people are needed, arrange people to come to Ruhe County as early as possible, and I will find someone to teach them."

Shen Chengrong said: "This is all the kindness of the general judgment, and the small ones are only grateful." However, we natives have never planted such a thing, and we don't know where it is suitable, how much we can plant, and how many people we need to be suitable, but it is a little difficult to do. ”

Let Shen Chengrong take his subordinates to plant sugarcane, one is to use their manpower and land, and the other is to let them get benefits and make a show, so that the surrounding states know that if you follow the imperial court, you will have meat to eat, which is something Xu Ping has planned a long time ago, and no other accidents will be allowed.

asked Shen Chengrong: "What do you want to do?" ”

"I still ask the competent man sent by the general judge to go back with me, and I will take him around his subordinate places so that I can explain these things clearly. No matter how hard we put our hearts into it, we can't do anything if we haven't planted it. ”

"Oh, that makes sense." Xu Ping looked at Shen Chengrong and smiled. This new governor is showing his loyalty to himself, and letting his subordinates know his geography there to show that he has no two hearts for the court.

"It's not bad for a day or two, I'll think about it, and I'll talk about it then. That's all for today, it's not too early, and go out to eat and drink to celebrate. ”

Xu Ping stood up and walked out the door first.

This year, I will set up a Shen Yu first, and if the effect is good, I don't know where to move next year.