As soon as the New Year was over, Zhongbo was hit by a blizzard. The snow came suddenly, and houses collapsed in all states. Fortunately, Ma Dao was repaired in a rush a year ago, and the two states of Cha and Dun were not disconnected from Ibaraki. Luo Mu and Tantai Hu reported the casualties in a timely manner and dealt with them before dawn, keeping the disaster within a certain range.
The staff in the study worked all night, and Shen Zechuan did not rest.
"The heavy snowfall last year was the disaster for our state, so before the snow fell, the yamen repeatedly confirmed the situation of the grain storage and storage," Zhou Gui turned over the booklet on the table, "The reinforcement of civilian houses is indeed a problem, we can't wait until it collapses every year. To find ways to."
"But," Kong Ling sat opposite, "where does this extra expense come from? Affected by the war this year, there is no money to allocate."
Shen Zechuan pinched the center of his eyebrows slightly red, and he was a little dizzy when he sat in the main seat. The sound of the abacus "crackling" in the compartment never stopped. They were all the guys who were called from the shops in Hezhou and Juexi, who were dedicated to serving the account books. In the past few days, the weather has been cold, and the study is full of charcoal pots, and the people are so crowded that it is boring to stay for several hours.
"The war is critical," Shen Zechuan said. "Don't cut the military spending for the states. It will be allocated from the taxes and money of the merchants last year."
"Before the beginning of spring, the road is a hurdle. As long as you survive these three months, the snow will naturally improve." Yao Wenyu comforted a little, "The rough tea that the traders poured from the mutual market to Yongyi Port also went well. Business tax can be appropriately increased this year."
"If the copper mine in Juexi is to continue, we have to deal with the Chief Minister of Juexi," Shen Zechuan turned his folding fan and pushed aside the cold tea on his hand, "Whether it can be so smooth after the spring starts this year depends on what it is all about. mean."
Jiang Qingshan sits in Juexi, and he is the most thorough in business transactions in the country. If Qidu ordered him to pinch off the tea ceremony that runs through the northwest, it would really be a blow to Ibaraki.
"Think in the best light," Kong Ling stroked his knees, "It's also a good year for auspicious snow."
"It's true for our three prefectures, but the people of Fan and Deng prefectures have suffered." Shen Zechuan was thinking about Fanzhou these days, "Yi Wang took the two prefectures' granaries as his own, and it didn't snow. Many people starved to death before, and I tossed and turned over this."
"We will use troops against Duanzhou in February," Zhou Gui said. "Fan and Dengzhou should be resolved now."
There are only 20,000 garrison troops in Cizhou, and 30,000 when combined with Dunzhou. They will face the Biansha cavalry in Duanzhou in February, and then allocate their energy to deal with the King of Wings, and the defense of Cizhou will be empty. If Ying came over from Dan City, it would be really useless.
"It's also an opportunity to take Fanzhou now," Yao Wenyu poked at the tea foam, "King Yi is so greedy, the people in the territory have long complained that he won't be able to do it for a long time, so it's better for us to issue an order first."
"Cizhou has reached an agreement with the North and South battlefields now, which is different from the situation of 'suppressing bandits' a few years ago. This time we will issue an order first. If King Yi refuses to surrender and insists on fighting, then it will give Qidu a reason to send troops. ." Kong Ling disagreed, he always focused on "stable".
"Mr. Cheng Feng is right, but the mansion has been established a few years ago, and now it is useless to maintain the surface stability with Qidu." Yao Wenyu didn't drink the tea, he looked at Shen Zechuan, "In my opinion. Now, even if he has a reason, he would not dare to send troops."
Kong Ling still thought it was inappropriate, he said: "If the accusation of treason is convicted at this moment, Juexi's business will inevitably be affected this year. If nothing else, if Jiang Qingshan uses this to forcibly seal the Xijia Copper Mine, Wouldn't that not be worth the loss? Fu Jun, in my humble opinion, it is the best policy to send troops to Fanzhou quietly."
Yao Wenyu said again: "It is an irreversible trend that Fujun occupies Zhongbo. Even if there is no such letter, Jiang Qingshan will find a way to seal up the Xijia Copper Mine."
They disagree and disagree.
Shen Zechuan's folding fan knocked on his fingertips, and after a while he said, "Shenwei, let's draft the letter."
They talked for a night in the study, and now that everything was almost arranged, Fei Sheng called someone for breakfast. Everyone used it so casually, and went back to rest in a hurry. In the evening, we will continue to discuss the arrangements for dispatching troops in detail.
When Kong Ling got up, he saw that Yao Wenyu was going out, so he turned to lift the curtain for him. Yao Wenyu leaned over and saluted, and Qiao Tianya entered and pushed the person away. When it was all over, Zhou Gui trotted along the porch and caught up with Kong Ling out of breath.
"Ouch!" Zhou Gui stroked his chest with one hand and reached forward with the other, shouting, "Chengfeng, Chengfeng!"
Kong Ling stood by and waited for him, and said, "Call me early if you have something to do. This porch is very slippery. If you don't pay attention and fall, you will be injured for a hundred days!"
Zhou Guiping took a deep breath, waved his hand and said with emotion: "The year before last, I could run along the field for a few miles, but this year it really won't work. This is really a wind and snow that makes people grow old."
"You're in such a hurry to chase," Kong Ling encircled the wind leader, blocking the howling wind, "come here for Shicai's business?"
"I haven't enjoyed the snow with you for a long time," Zhou Gui said, "Mrs. has been strict recently, and she has been in the manor all day to see her grandson. Today is just right."
Kong Ling sighed and said sadly, "You still don't want to be secretive like others." He shrank his hands, avoided the wind, and continued, "Don't persuade me, I will not change my opinion."
Zhou Gui had no choice but to say, "Don't leave a grudge with Yuan Zhuo because of this."
"How old do you think I am, Kong Chengfeng?" Kong Ling walked side by side with him, "Yuan Zhuo can speak bluntly, but he has no guilt in his heart. Political disagreements are inevitable, and it is a big taboo to agree. I understand, Yuan Zhuo understands, since the ruler It's just attitude."
Zhou Gui blamed himself for Gao Zhongxiong's incident, and now he always asks Shen Zechuan when he acts, and no longer decides without authorization. Recently, when discussing official business, the staff inside the account should not be complacent, worrying that they will have friction with Yao Wenyu again.
Zhou Gui saw the withered willows and broken branches in the courtyard, being blown by the wind and falling into the snow, hitting the corner of the wall. He regained his breath, and said in frustration, "I'm just afraid of life..."
"If the water is clear, there will be no fish," Kong Ling raised his hand to brush off the snow on his white temples, restrained his expression, and said seriously, "How can the yamen in the world be really clear? You have also worked in Cizhou for so many years. The prefectural government of the government knows that it is not only complicated upwards, but also complicated downwards. The corruption and bribery things cannot be killed or killed. You have managed it well a few years ago, don’t you understand? From the beginning to the end, I didn't take anger at you. Killing those two aides is also a warning to you, not a warning. You've been so cautious recently, but it's easy for the manor to remember this matter."
It is difficult to control, and it is also difficult to serve.
Zhou Gui took a few steps and said with a sense of disappointment: "... My husband-in-law refused to recommend me to enter the capital at first, and he also decided that I was not the material. Some things, I have no sense, and I rely on groping when it is tight or loose. This is too difficult. ."
"Since you didn't do anything wrong, why should you be so scared?" Kong Ling shook his head slightly, "Don't deliberately give Yuan Zhuo any more, they are all seven orifices and exquisite hearts, how can you hide your thoughts from his eyes. After a long time, That's the real deal."
* * *
When Shen Zechuan returned to the house, the wind was blowing, and Fei Sheng held an umbrella for him with his arms crossed, and the cloak was still blown in the wind.
Fei Sheng said with his back to the wind, "Master, let's change the sedan chair too."
Shen Zechuan was almost unable to open his eyes from the wind, and his ears were red from the cold. He said, "It's just a few steps, so there's no need to sit in a sedan chair."
But it's cold!
Fei Sheng was worried that just such a few steps would make Shen Zechuan catch the cold again. In the past few days, I have been careful both inside and out. In the courtyard, even the porch has been hung with heavy curtains. The people who served came in and out and pressed the bottom of the curtain to death. The dragon inside kept burning.
After finally entering the door, Ding Tao, who was waiting in the wing, jumped out immediately, and took Li Xiong in front of Shen Zechuan like a wall.
Shen Zechuan said with a headache in the slow movement: "Don't block it, let's go quickly, the pestle is blowing in the wind, or it will fall down in a moment."
Ding Tao grew taller again during this period of time, and said, "Master's orders are strictly blocked, and if the wind leaks, he will beat me." He patted Li Xiong and shouted against the wind, "Big Xiong, hurry up!"
When Shen Zechuan finally got to the porch, the cloak he was wearing was soaked by the snow, making his neck wet and uncomfortable, he raised his hand to remove it. Fei Sheng received it in a hurry, and beckoned the maid to take it to dry, and even put a new cloak on Shen Zechuan, and Shen Zechuan walked forward without looking back.
Fei Sheng got the job of recruiting newcomers in Dunzhou, and his heart blossomed, and when he came back, he saw Qiao Tianya, which was pleasing to the eye. When Shen Zechuan lived in Libei, he followed Ji Gang at home, pondering Ji Jiaquan and listening to Ji Gang's words. When Shen Zechuan came back, he was like an old mother, trying to take good care of Shen Zechuan.
Hou Ye is going to run the battlefield now!
Fei Sheng thought behind Shen Zechuan.
Fu Jun is not sick, Hou Ye is also happy, and he will not look at him again when he looks back. When everyone became a family in the future, he couldn't always stay out of Xiao Chiye's eyes.
Shen Zechuan entered the main hall and took his seat. Fei Sheng said, "Master, can you drink the medicine simmering on the stove now?"
Shen Zechuan didn't want to drink it. He wasn't sick in the past few days, and he was afraid that he would get nosebleeds by doing this. Besides, no one at home prepared candy except Ding Tao. He pretended he didn't hear it and turned over the case.
Fei Sheng saw that Shen Zechuan had no expression, so he waited aside, and after a while, he said on time, "Master, medicine—"
Shen Zechuan looked up at him patiently.
Fei Sheng pretended not to understand Shen Zechuan's eyes. Not only Xiao Chiye, but also Ji Gang were behind the matter of drinking the medicine. No Shen Zechuan could afford to offend him.
Shen Zechuan could only say: "You take it."
Fei Sheng slipped away, and after a while, the person who lifted the curtain and entered was Qiao Tianya.
"Yan Heru is here," Qiao Tianya didn't put down the curtain, but turned around and glanced again, "This kid is running towards Yuan Zhuo and asked me to bring it over."
Shen Zechuan dipped in ink and said, "I'm here to send you money, be polite to others."
Before they finished speaking, a person slipped under the curtain. Yan Heru was dressed in a new brocade robe, crimson red and gold, embroidered with gold ingots. There was a rope hanging around his neck, and a new abacus fell, so that the back of his neck had a red mark and he was reluctant to pick it.
The boy's pink-white face twitched his eyes and said cheerfully, "Happy New Year's greetings to Fu-Jun! Happy New Year! I wanted to visit Fu-Jun earlier, but you were in Libei! No, I'll rush as soon as you come back. Here it is. This time, I not only prepared pearls, jade and jade for Lord Hou, but also picked out some pretty ones for Fujun—"
Fei Sheng, who was holding the medicine behind, looked at Qiao Tianya, and Qiao Tianya raised his hand and pressed Yan Heru down.
Li Beixin was mourning, and Izuku didn't have any lights this year. Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye both wore plain clothes and simple clothes. He even picked jade beads during this time.
Shen Zechuan wrote "rejected" on the paper, without even looking at Yan Heru.