In March of the eighth year of Tiansheng, it was time for spring to bloom again. In the past two years, Yongzhou has been politically harmonious, the market has become prosperous, and the people have become more prosperous.

Xu Ping didn't have this blessing, he had never been so busy as he was during this time.

The imperial court's decision that Yongzhou wanted to keep the Guangxi garrison army had already been approved a few years ago, and it was all approved. Xu Ping and Cao Keming were amazed, and the two got together several times to discuss what kind of soup the Privy Council was poured into by the three divisions, and it was so reasonable. However, the capital is thousands of miles away, and the two can't discuss it.

With this recital, followed by the Zhongshu Taizhi, the cane sugar business was set up in Yongzhou and stationed in Taipingzhai. All the garrisons are subordinate to the cane sugar business, and no taxes are paid in the state. The household registration is subordinate to the state and county, and all kinds of lawsuits and disputes are also under the jurisdiction of the state and county. Yongzhou Tong sentenced Xu Ping to raise the cane sugar business, and at the same time to promote the Yongzhou pit smelting matter.

This will doesn't matter to Xu Ping, this is what he did, but it made Yongzhou miserable. So many people eat in Yongzhou, live in Yongzhou, daily affairs have to be managed by the state and county, and the daily government affairs handled have more than doubled, but they can't receive money, food, and taxes, and they can't show it in the performance evaluation, and many local officials from the state to the county are scolding their mothers behind their backs.

In the end, Xu Ping came out and diluted the mud, and the commercial tax was collected by Yongzhou, including the cane sugar shipped out, and the Yongzhou local government also drew taxes, 20 wen per 1,000 wen, and the matter was settled.

The establishment of the cane sugar business was not to give Xu Ping an extra share of money, but to directly control this large share of benefits into the hands of the three divisions, bypassing the local administrative system. This is the usual practice of the three divisions, and the tea and salt affairs in various places are all the same. Although theoretically speaking, except for the minister's treasury, all other money and grain in the local government are under the control of the three divisions, but in the end, there is a layer of separation, how can it be so refreshing to completely control the finances and personnel in their own hands.

In order to prepare for the establishment of the cane sugar business, in the past few months, Xu Ping Taipingzhai and Ruhe County have been running at both ends, and they have to arrange food and lodging for more than 2,000 retired soldiers, and the future planning is very busy.

On this morning, Xu Ping stayed in the room to draw a plan for the future Taiping Village. Xu Ping had already used a pencil to draw, and after finalizing the draft, he used a pen to trace the drawing.

There is not much trouble in making pencils, and there is nothing particularly difficult about grinding graphite into powder, replacing the glue used before with yellow clay, and then making the pen barrel. Fountain pens are different, Xu Ping took a lot of time to finish two months ago.

The difficulty of the fountain pen is not the difficulty in the nib, the iron sheet is hand-made and then heat treated and polished, but it takes more time, and there is no difficulty that cannot be overcome. Fountain pens are difficult to use ink, because the original principle is the capillary effect of the liquid, and the ink used by ordinary brushes is not applicable, and it is too blocked to write fluently. Xu Ping still remembered the blue-black ink in his previous life, and knew that it was the principle of oxidation and blackening of iron used, so he had the idea to solve the problem. However, the compound of iron is easy to find, but the acid is difficult to find, Xu Ping only vaguely remembers that the ink is tannin, but he doesn't know what it is. Anyway, all kinds of plant dyes have been tried, and finally found that the gallic juice used by the natives to dye cloth was combined, and the blue and black ink was made, and the fountain pen could really be used.

Without smooth ink, whether it is a bamboo pen, a wooden pen or a quill pen, it is quite cumbersome to write, either intermittently or a large puddle of ink, which is difficult for non-professionals to master. Knowing this, Xu Ping also knew why the ancient Chinese brush firmly dominated, not because the brush was easy to use, but because the combination of paper, pen and ink, the brush was the most suitable compared to other various kinds of pens. And once you have a smooth ink, such as blue-black ink, and a smooth paper, a hard pen is better than a brush.

In the study, Xu Ping carefully traced a planning map, neatly wrote various annotations, straightened up and stretched, and let out a sigh.

Xiuxiu, who was sitting bored, hurriedly served tea, tilted her head to look at the picture a few times, and muttered: "The things drawn by the officials are getting more and more weird, and I can't see what they are." ”

Xu Ping smiled: "You little girl, where will you know this?" You just need to learn to draw some flowers and plants, just the mandarin duck and the phoenix, you don't need to learn this. ”

Xiuxiu sighed: "A few days ago, Sister Duan taught me to draw, but she didn't know what to do in the past two days, and she didn't teach me anymore." ”

"She has a lot to do, where is she as idle as you are every day? I asked you to help her with the school, but you didn't do it for two days and then stopped, and you didn't have a long time to do things. ”

Xiuxiu was a little aggrieved: "Why don't I do it?" I haven't read those books, how can I proofread them? The officials originally taught me to write, but they didn't teach me to read a few books seriously. ”

Xu Ping shook his head, and he didn't bother to argue with her.

Since Gao Daquan reminded him last time, Xu Ping found that Xiuxiu's life was indeed boring, so as in the Central Plains before, her chores were still taken care of by Xiuxiu, and she had nothing to do with herself in the study to relieve her boredom, saving her from being bored and thinking nonsense.

After drinking tea, Xu Ping was about to continue the planning of Taipingzhai, but Tan Hu arrived at the door and reported that someone was asking to see him outside, saying that it was Xu Ping's old friend in the capital.

Xu Ping was stunned for a moment, of course he had many acquaintances in the capital, but he couldn't remember any of them who would come to Lingnan to see him, and he didn't write a few days ago.

After being stunned for a while, he said to Tan Hu: "You let the guests into the living room first, and I will come immediately." ”

Waiting for Xu Ping to wash his hands, Xiuxiu asked curiously: "Official, which one will come here to see us?" You said that it would not be Director Xu, but he was the most idle at home. ”

Xu Ping said: "No matter how idle you are, can you be idle?" Besides, if he comes, can he send a letter first? ”

Xu Ping always has to say that Xiuxiu is in a panic several times a day, she is a little annoyed, and pouts: "That's Li Zhang, he will marry Sister Su'er next year, and he came here to ask for a congratulatory gift!" ”

Xu Ping shook her head, the little girl knew that these people were so fond of guessing.

When I arrived in the living room, I saw a person sitting there drinking tea, looking a little familiar, looking down and not seeing faces, but I couldn't remember who it was.

When the man heard the footsteps, he looked up and saw that it was Xu Ping, and hurriedly stood up, and said with surprise on his face: "Little official, have you had a good time all these years?" ”

"Chief Shi Ge, how did you come to Lingnan?"

Xu Pingwan didn't expect that the person who came would be Shi Quanbin, the emperor's chamberlain, and he had a good relationship with himself, but he didn't have a deep friendship, so he couldn't imagine him.

Shi Quanbin said: "What, is it possible that I can't come?" ”

"Yes, yes, of course." Xu Ping stepped forward quickly, saw that he had passed, and said, "Pavilion Chief, sit down and talk." But to be honest, I never thought it was you who came to Yongzhou. ”

Shi Quanbin just smiled and lowered his head to drink tea.

Xu Ping looked left and right, and asked in a low voice, "Is the pavilion chief here openly or secretly?" If you are not afraid of others knowing, I will set up a banquet and invite Cao Zhizhou and other colleagues to come over and pick up the wind for you. ”

"It doesn't have to be. I came all the way and didn't alarm the place. The petty officials are my own people, so I came to visit them on purpose, so others don't need to know. ”

Xu Ping nodded: "Understood." If you have any commands, just tell me. ”

Shi Quanbin smiled: "I can't hide it, I was just passing by, and there is nothing to trouble you here." We're just talking about the old days, not about business. ”

Xu Ping was skeptical. The emperor's inner servant, will he leave the capital if he has nothing to do?

Compared with other dynasties, the Song Dynasty had much fewer constraints on the internal servants, and they could also do what the basic military ministers were capable of, from leading troops to fight, to serving as local governors, and all kinds of supervisors as officials, there were almost no restrictions. Most of the time, there is no ban on leaving the capital, as long as it is not bad, it is also allowed to walk around.

The two Song dynasties did not have the scourge of eunuchs, not because of the restrictions on their tenure, but because the system did not allow eunuchs to participate in government affairs. Of course, it is another thing for foreign officials to have specific ministries in such cases, and in this case they are not much different from other officials.

Non-box government affairs refers to being by the emperor's side, the chamberlain just serves tea and water, chats to relieve boredom, and the emperor does not allow eunuchs to interfere in government affairs. There is Neishangshu Province in the palace, and they are dealing with the recitals from the Zhongshu and the Privy Council, and even many of the emperor's edicts are drafted by the female officials of Neishangshu Province, which has nothing to do with the inner servants. This cut off the channels for eunuchs to isolate themselves from inside and outside, and from top to bottom, and there was no soil for direct intervention in government affairs.

This system was not pioneered by the Song Dynasty, but was inherited from the Five Dynasties. In view of the disaster of eunuchs in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, the group of martial artists of the fifth dynasty came up with this method, which can be regarded as a relatively good solution to this hidden danger.

It is precisely because of this system design that when the Empress Dowager Liu began to listen to the government, Ding Wei proposed that Luo Chongxun, the inner servant, would be opposed if he passed the word between the Empress Dowager and the Zaizhi, and did not give Ding Wei and Luo Chongxun a chance to collude.

The eunuchs of the Song Dynasty wanted to be promoted and make a fortune, and they were sent out to get a real power errand and have the same opportunity to be promoted as foreign ministers. The inner servant moved every fifteen years, stayed by the emperor's side until he turned white, and he was only a small official the size of a sesame mung bean, compared with it, the Wuchen moved every five years is quite attractive.

Thinking of this, and then thinking of the newly established cane sugar business, Xu Ping's heart tightened, this stone pavilion chief wouldn't get through the contacts and be transferred to work with him, right? Otherwise, as a person close to the emperor, even if he comes out for a walk, he will not step into Lingnan in one step, which is too far.

After chatting for a few words, Xu Ping finally couldn't help it, and asked Shi Quanbin in a low voice: "Chief Shige, the two of us have known each other for many years, what can't we say?" What kind of errand do you have on your shoulders to come to Lingnan? ”

Shi Quanbin said: "Look, Yunxing, you have seen me outside, haven't you?" In the past two years, you have been prosperous in Yongzhou, rising year by year, and you are no longer the young scholar you used to be. Alas, I won't hide it from you, I was sent out by the official family this time to buy some in the South China Sea to use in the Pearl Palace. ”

"Just to buy pearls?"

"What do you think is the big deal? The two of us are old friends, and we specially went around to Yongzhou to see you. When I set out from the capital, I also went to your house on purpose, and Ling Zun Lingtang and Mrs. Ling had something to bring to you. ”

Xu Ping said to himself: "Send you out to buy pearls?" How good a pearl can't be paid tribute to the two Guangzhou counties, so you have to send someone out to buy it? ”

"What's the solution? In the past two years, the pearl official family who paid tribute was not satisfied, so they sent me out. Thousands of mountains and rivers are traveling, and I am also a drudgery. ”

Xu Ping shook his head again and again, where would he believe him.

This kind of thing is not uncommon, but it is so rare that it is really hard to believe.

Shi Quanbin saw Xu Ping's appearance and smiled slightly: "Yunxing, come here with your ears." ”

Xu Ping knew that this was the truth, and hurriedly stepped forward.

Shi Quanbin said in a low voice: "With the friendship between the two of us, I won't hide it from you." In addition to buying pearls, the official also instructed me to check the situation in the prefectures and counties along the road, as well as how the local governors were administering, and go back to report back. Yun Xing, I have a role to do with you this, and I must not let others know. ”

Xu Ping nodded, this can still be said. The little emperor is the same age as himself, in his twenties, and he is no longer respectful to the Empress Dowager Liu, and he also has his own ideas in court politics. This is to send people around him to get to know some of his subordinate officials from his own channels, so as to prepare for the future pro-government. Of course, we can't forget that there is still a former prime minister lying on the South China Sea, Ding Wei, who once played with the Great Song Dynasty in the palm of his hand, but I am afraid that that is the most important thing. He is just piggybacking here, or because of his friendship with Shi Quanbin, he is just pretending to be a public and private person to see himself. But do you have such a deep friendship with him?