Liu Xin laughed and said: "Pang Taishou has just passed his forties this year. It is the time when men are the most attractive. How can you say that you are not young? In the small village where I lived, an 80-year-old man was still married. An eighteen-year-old little lady, there is a poem that describes it well: eighteen brides and eighty lang, pale hair and red makeup. The mandarin ducks are in the quilt for double nights, and a pear blossom presses the begonia.
If Liu Xin didn't regard him as his own, it would be impossible to joke with him casually. Pang Ji thought of this and laughed and praised: "The lord is really good literary talent."
Liu Xin hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Pang Taishou laughed. I don't have any literary talent. I didn't write this poem, but a private school in our village teased that old man improvised."
Zhang Xian, a famous poet in the Northern Song Dynasty, married an 18-year-old concubine when he was 80 years old. Su Shi, who was often in harmony with Zhang Xian at the time, followed many friends to visit him and asked the old man how he felt about this beauty. Zhang Xian then said casually: "I am eighty and eighteen, Qing is a red face and I have gray hair. Inverted with Qing, only a sixtieth in the middle.” Su Dongpo, who was witty and humorous, immediately combined with a song: “Eighteen Brides and Eighty Langs, pale hair and red makeup. Mandarin ducks are in double nights, and a tree pear blossoms. Begonia."
Liu Xin doesn’t remember many poems. When he watched Zhou Xingchi’s movie, there was a classic line: "I am known as Yushu Linfeng, suave, handsome, talented, talented, and rich in learning. I am known as a pear blossom pressing Begonia, and people give me the nickname... "It left him the most impressive. Liu Xin didn't quite understand the meaning of "a pear blossom pressing a begonia". He also searched the Internet. As a result, he found the poem that Su Dongpo sang with Zhang Xian. The language was witty and humorous, but he remembered it in his heart.
However, Liu Xin could shamelessly steal other poems for himself, but he did not dare to admit that he had made this poem.
Pang Ji tusk praised: "I can't imagine that a private school teacher can have such talents. The small mountain village where the lord lives is really not easy."
Liu Xin smiled and said, "Let's not talk about it. Pang Taishou, I have read the letter I have brought to you. I have already read it. If you have any ideas, don't worry."
Pang Ji knew that he was getting into the topic now, and he hurriedly sat up straight and said: "The subordinates have no opinion on the things the lord mentioned in the letter."
Liu Xin nodded and said, "Well, let me introduce the situation to you in detail..."
Based on the separation of the military from the administration in the five counties of Xiangyang and Nanyang, and through investigations in Jiangxia and Wuling, Liu Xin has a clearer idea of the basic structure of the local government. He explained to Pang Ji the new terms and concepts of civil power, fiscal power, taxation power, military command power, and personnel appointment and removal powers in detail. The prefect only controls the civil power, and each county has a captain to command the local army, and another tax inspector under the direct leadership of the prefectural government is responsible for local taxation.
Although the prefect did not have military command and tax power, Liu Xin added the power of appointment and removal for the prefect. In the future, the officials of the county and the county magistrates will be appointed and removed by the prefect, as long as the situation of these officials is reported to the prefectural government. Just file for the record, which Pang Ji didn't expect. In the past, the prefect could only appoint and remove officials, but not officials. Pang Ji didn't expect Liu Xin to delegate this power to him, and was quite surprised.
Not only that, but what makes Pang Ji happy is that the tax revenue is now collected and paid by the prefecture, and all officials in Jingzhou are paid by the prefecture in accordance with regulations. In this way, the poorer people like Guiyang The counties and counties don't have to worry about defaulting on officials' salaries. The burden on him, the prefect, is suddenly much lighter.
After listening to Liu Xin's introduction on agriculture, commerce and other aspects, Pang Ji's heart became more and more clear, and he was full of longing for Guiyang's future. Pang Ji's originally nervous mood gradually relaxed. Only then did he realize that he had forgotten to give the things to Liu Xin. He hurriedly took out two books from his arms and said, "There is still an important thing that I have forgotten. Please forgive me."
Pang Ji wanted to give these two things to Liu Xin yesterday, but as soon as he arrived in Wuling, Liu Xin was dragged to the dinner party. It was said that it was a dinner, but in fact it started in the afternoon and ended until Pang Ji was drunk. Pang Ji also wanted to talk about this at the banquet, but when he just mentioned it, Liu Xin interrupted him under the pretext of not discussing official business.
Liu Xin understands Pang Ji's complicated mood very well. Anyone who is in Pang Ji's situation will feel a little nervous, and it is inevitable to lose everything, so there is no intention to blame him. Liu Xin took the two letters. The upper part was a gift list, but the lower part was a letter.
He opened the gift list, smiled, and threw it aside. When he opened the letter again, the expression on his face became solemn, and he was silent for a long time before he asked: "Does Pang Taishou know what is written in this letter?"
Pang Ji leaned back and said: "Back to the lord, Lingling prefect Zhang Zi only asked his subordinates to give this letter to the lord. It is inconvenient for the subordinates to ask carefully, so I don't know what the letter said."
Liu Xin gently closed the letter and said: "Zhang Zi said in the letter that he wants to invite me to Lingling."
Pang Ji also recalled what Zhang Zi had said to him, so he said, "Master, Zhang Zi did raise this idea with his subordinates, and asked his subordinates to wait with him in Lingling for the arrival of the master, and the subordinates thought about it. Repeatedly, did not agree."
Liu Xin nodded approvingly at him, and said: "Pang Taishou, you did this thing right, but I'm still going to Lingling."
Pang Ji has now put all the treasures on Liu Xin. He is still the prefect of Guiyang, but the burden on his body is much lighter than before. He also thinks that one day he can live to the age of a pear blossom pressing a begonia, but he doesn't want Liu Xin What's wrong with this leader, he quickly said: "Master, this is absolutely not the case! Subordinates have been with Zhang Zi for many years. This person is quite a city mansion. He must have no good intentions when he asked the master to go to Lingling."
Liu Xin said sternly: "Pang Taishou, you don’t know. The terms Zhang Zi mentioned in the letter are really irresistible. He said in the letter that he doesn’t want to be the Taishou, so please go to Lingling to think about it. Hand over the affairs to me personally. In any case, I will not allow Lingling County to be independent of Jingzhou as it used to be. If what Zhang Zi said is true, I will not go into a big fight and be overwhelmed."
Pang Ji continued to persuade: "Lord, Zhang Zi wants to invite the lord to go to Lingling. The subordinates know about this, but he doesn't want to continue to serve as the prefect. Under the bribe, he never heard a word from him. The subordinates are worried about fraud, so please think twice!"
Liu Xin waved his hand and said, "Pang Taishou, don't worry. The emperor Gaozu faced Xiang Yu's hundreds of thousands of troops and still went to the Hongmen banquet calmly. Could it be that if he spreads to me, he will be afraid that he will not succeed as a Lingling Taishou? Zhang? If the counselor is smart enough, he will honestly follow the instructions in his letter, and I will arrange a suitable position for him in Xiangyang. If he dares to deceive, hum! I will make him die ugly!"
Pang Ji didn't dare to persuade him any more, and stood up and said: "Since the lord is determined to go, his subordinates are willing to accompany the lord."
Liu Xin pointed to the gift list and said with a smile: "Pang Taishou, Guiyang can't do without you, and Lingling will not work hard for you. I will immediately arrange for a man and horse to escort you back to Guiyang. Also, I am your wish. Yes, as for these gifts, you should take them back. As long as you manage Guiyang well and let the people of Guiyang live a good life, you will give me the best gift."
Pang Ji didn't know that Liu Xin didn't like to receive gifts, only when he didn't like the gifts he sent. There is excuse for Pang Ji to think this way. What he sent was nothing but gold and silver and beautiful women. The gold and silver were just a matter of fact. The four women he picked were not as good as Liu Xin sent to his room yesterday. Of those two. Pang Ji secretly made up his mind, and in the future, he must find a way to pick out a few treasures that Liu Xin can admire and give him.
Liu Xin was not brave enough to go to Lingling. He was silent just now and was also analyzing the current situation.
At that time, the economy of Jiangnan was far less developed than that of Jiangbei. Jingzhou had four counties in Jiangnan. Among them, Changsha was the best, and Lingling and Guiyang were the worst. According to Liu Xin's understanding, these two counties have deducted military salaries and owed official salaries from time to time. Pang Ji also said that the taxes he intercepted in the past two years have been used to repay officials' salaries. With insufficient money and food, naturally he couldn't afford to raise too many soldiers and horses. Cao Yu, who was in a slightly better situation than the two of them, had only 7,000 people in Wuling City, and Zhang Zi could use up to 5,000 people.
Now stationed outside Wuling City is the Fourth Army led by Zhao Yun, with more than 12,000 troops. Liu Xin also has two hundred flying tiger guards. Both the number and combat effectiveness are much stronger than Zhang Zi. .
What's more, if Zhang Zi dared to plot Liu Xin, he would never say anything about it. His plan could only be known to a few confidants. Otherwise, not only will things be easily leaked, but it is also unclear whether the officials in Lingling will learn from Cao Yu's men and arrest him first. In this way, he can use fewer hands.
However, Zhang Zi's initiative to invite Liu Xin to Lingling was indeed a good move. If Liu Xin didn't dare to come to Lingling, it would not be his Zhang Zi's problem. I, Zhang Zi, want to be loyal to you, but if you don't want it, who can you blame
What if Liu Xin really dares to come to Lingling? It is not that Zhang Zi has not considered this question, but he quickly gave a negative answer. I, Zhang Zi, did not dare to go to Wuling. Apart from not wanting to hand over power, there was another reason I was afraid that Liu Xin would take the opportunity to do harm. His life, Liu Xin, is much more expensive than Zhang Zijin, so let him come to Lingling, would he dare? Borrow him ten courage, he dare not.
Zhang Zi was lying on the couch, still triumphant about being able to come up with such a clever plan, his subordinates suddenly came in to report that Jingzhou Mu Liu Xin had arrived in Lingling!