Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

"This house is a bit small." Huang commented on the new house.

Zhang Gen said: "Jinzhou is a rough place. I'm renting a house all of a sudden. It's great to find a house like this."

"Alas." Huang sighed.

It's not that the house is too bad, but that I'm worried about her husband's future.

She was born into a prominent Fujian family, her father was a deputy prime minister, and she grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth. After being married to Zhang Gen for many years, her husband finally got promoted to the transfer envoy between Zhejiang and Zhejiang provinces, but now he is assigned to a small place like this.

Zhang Gen went straight to the study room, put away the books he had brought, and stopped caring about other things.

It took two or three days to finally clean up the house.

Huang wanted to invite Ju Ming to her home, but Zhang Gen said he was not in a hurry. He has plenty of time now. He is so busy all day long, so he might as well walk around more first.

Zhang Gen began to hang out with his wife and daughter, getting familiar with the streets inside and outside the city, and inquiring about more people's feelings.

After basically understanding the situation, he sent an invitation to Ju Ming.

Ju Ming came to the house with only Bai Sheng and brought a pound of black tea as a gift.

Mrs. Huang accompanied her husband to greet her warmly, and she fell in love with him at first sight. This young man is handsome and extraordinary. He is definitely the best among his peers.

After some pleasantries, Zhang Gen said: "Let's go sit in the pavilion first."

"As the guest does, the host does as he pleases." Zhu Ming handed over his hand.

The servant brought preserved fruits, stove and charcoal, and Zhang Gen planned to order tea to entertain the guests.

Mrs. Huang took the opportunity to go into the house to get some tea, and went to talk to her daughter who was hiding in the gallery and peeking in: "What do Qiniang think?"

Zhang Jinping took another peek and said with a smile: "Taller than several brothers-in-law."

"As long as you agree, find a chance to ask." Huang immediately understood her daughter's thoughts.

In the pavilion.

Zhang Gen asked: "Are there any bandits locally?"

Ju Ming replied: "Jinzhou is mountainous, so there must be bandits. Especially in Shiquan County, which leads to Ziwu Valley to the north, there are bandits who rob business travelers. Zhang Tuanlian plans to suppress the bandits?"

"I have no time to spare, so I want to find something to do after all," Zhang Gen said. "I am now the deputy training envoy. I don't have many other responsibilities except to suppress thieves."

Ju Ming said: "There are not many thieves, they are in small groups, and they are all in the mountains."

"Then we have no choice but to give up." Zhang Gen gave up immediately.

Ju Ming probed: "I read in the Di newspaper that Zhang Tuanlian was demoted because of discussions?"

"well!"

Zhang Gen couldn't help but sigh: "The roads in the southeast are frequently disturbed by Hua Shi Gang, and everyone knows this. But few people know that the two roads in Huainan are also disturbed by Hua Shi Gang."

Ju Ming immediately understood: "Hua Shi Gang from various routes in the southeast are mostly transported from Huainan to the capital."

Zhang Gen shook his head: "It's not just that. The traitorous party gradually controlled the officials of the two roads in Huainan for the purpose of transporting Hua Shi Gang. They then forced the prefectures and counties in Huainan to recruit men to escort the private goods, which led to complete chaos in taxation and corvee in Huainan."

"So that's it." Ju Ming had a new understanding of Hua Shigang's harm.

Zhang Gen continued: "Last year, Hu Cao from Yangzhou joined the army and recruited men without permission to transport more than 1,200 shi of steel rice from Qizhou, which caused a long delay in the delivery of grain from the two Zhejiang provinces. It seemed like a coincidence, but it was actually intentional. Except for Qizhou In addition to state-owned rice, there are also many private rice from grain merchants."

Ju Ming said: "In other words, the Yangzhou government recruited people to transport grain northward for free for private merchants. It also deliberately delayed grain shipments from Zhejiang and Zhejiang, and took advantage of droughts in the north to artificially raise the price of rice in the capital, allowing those grain merchants to make more money?"

"Not bad." Zhang Gen said.

Zhu Ming couldn't help but sigh: "How audacious. Officials involved in the case are required by law not only to be dismissed from their posts, but also to have their birth certificates destroyed."

Zhang Gen smiled bitterly: "As the transfer envoy to Huainan, I naturally couldn't sit idly by and ignore the situation, so together with the deputy transfer envoy Li Zhi, we jointly impeached Hu Cao, a member of the army in Yangzhou. The result was that Li Zhi and I acted inappropriately ’, each will be demoted one level and sent to a salary officer.”

This is so outrageous. The first and second leaders of Huainan Road jointly impeached Yangzhou Hucao for joining the army. When the evidence of the crime was conclusive, Hu Cao joined the army and did nothing wrong, and the first and second leaders of Huainan Road were punished.

Ju Ming asked: "Is Cai Jing raising the price to sell grain?"

Mr. Huang brought the tea group, and it was top-grade tea. One group of tea was worth dozens of strings.

Zhang Gen began to order tea: "It's not Cai Jing, it's just a member of Cai Jing's subordinates. After the incident was exposed, Cai Jing was too lazy to come forward. It was Cai You who made the slanderous remarks to the officials."

Zhu Ming continued to inquire: "Last time I saw Xu Wei, a doctor in the Di Bao Cang Department, who was chased and his family background was destroyed. What happened?"

"He's just a scapegoat," Zhang Gen explained. "Xu Huang was ordered to take charge of the Southeast Jiu Road mines and money-making affairs. He was corrupt, perverted the law, and exploited excessively, which has already made people angry. How could he afford so much money by himself? Things were so troublesome. It was too big, and Cai Jing couldn't protect him, so he pushed him out alone to bear all the charges for Cai's party."

Di Bao could only read the surface. Zhu Ming couldn't figure out the inside story, so he asked Zhang Gen to figure it out.

He asked many more questions about Huainan, only to find out that the two roads in Huainan had been harmed by Hua Shi Gang just as much as those in the southeast.

Most of the Hua Shi Gang had to go to Beijing via Huainan, and a large number of civilians were recruited along the way, which made Huainan full of thieves.

Even Huaixi's criminal envoy Li Chuanzheng was suspended from his post and held accountable for failing to report truthful information about the thieves and being incapable of destroying the thieves.

It's strange that he can destroy them. If Hua Shi Gang doesn't stop, the Huainan bandits will not stop. This man is just unlucky.

There are many similarly unlucky people, such as Wu Min.

Huaixi captured some thieves and escorted them to Beijing. Wu Min believed that only the chief culprits should be punished, and the rest of the thieves were coerced, mainly under the influence of Hua Shigang. Just because of this sentence, he was dismissed from his post and sent to Shangqiu to promote Taoism.

The officials in the court did not dare to talk about the Huainan bandits and Hua Shigang anymore.

"Please have some tea!" Zhang Gen pushed the tea cup over.

Ju Ming did not observe the color of the soup, but took a sip of the aroma and began to taste the tea: "It's fragrant but not greasy, it's a good product."

Mr. Huang sat next to him and interjected: "I have heard about the black tea brought by Zhu Taishou, but I have never tasted it. Does Zhu Taishou also grow tea at home?"

"I planted some," Ju Ming said.

Huang added: "Your father is still in Yangzhou and has not returned to Beijing?"

Ju Ming smiled and said: "He thinks Tokyo is not good, but he is more comfortable living in the countryside."

"As expected of a Taoist scholar." Huang praised.

Zhu Ming said: "When it comes to scholars, Uncle Ming, the ancestor of Zhang Tuanlian, is the real Taoist scholar. I heard about the method of smelting copper with gall alum, so I asked people about its origin and learned that Uncle Ming presented it to the court. With cloth clothes His body will benefit the world, and he will leave his name in history."

These words touched Zhang Gen's pride, and he said humbly: "My ancestor also came across this method by chance when he was studying. After many verifications and improvements, he had the courage to refine copper for the world."

Huang laughed and said: "Speaking of miscellaneous studies, the prefect improved movable type printing and ink, which is similar to smelting copper with gall alum. It is also a good method in the world. When I was a child, I visited Mengxi Gong (Shen Kuo)'s house and met Mengxi Gong. I want to improve movable type and promote it throughout the world, but I can't get it."

"Old Madam, have you met Mr. Mengxi?" Zhu Ming became interested.

"The Huang and Shen families are family friends, and Laosheng and Mengxi's wife are also old friends." Huang explained.

Huang Fu, Shen Kuo, and Lu Huiqing were all of the same age, and they were all backbones of the reform faction. The three of them were good enough to wear a pair of trousers.

With the help of movable type printing and copper smelting method, Huang and Ju Ming got excited about chatting, and gradually began to inquire about Ju Ming's family situation.

Feeling confident, Huang found an excuse to leave, saying she was going to collect food.

Zhang Gen did not ask for family information, but inquired about Ju Ming's political views: "What does the prefect think of the current situation?"

Zhu Ming said without hesitation: "Natural disasters occur frequently, foreign invasions are not extinguished, bandits are everywhere, and the soldiers are tired and the people are disturbed. The officials are also carrying out construction projects, and they do not give the common people a chance to breathe. The traitors take the opportunity to cause trouble for the government and the public. I heard that they are planning to attack Liao. If If the news is true, the country is in danger."

Zhang Gen was very satisfied and praised: "The prefect is so young, he can see clearly the hidden worries of the world, which is beyond the reach of other people. In time, he will become the prime minister and assistant."

"Alas, the Prime Minister doesn't think about it, he just wants to benefit one party during his term as an official." Zhu Ming sighed with emotion.

Zhang Gen also felt the same way: "Yes, if you serve as an official and benefit one side, what else can you ask for? I have been a transit envoy to Huainan for several years, but I have not benefited the people on one side, but made the livelihood of the people on both sides of Huainan difficult."

"This is not Zhang Tuanlian's fault." Zhu Ming consoled him.

Zhang Gen asked again: "What does the prefect think of King Jia?"

Ju Ming said disdainfully: "Just like his father."

Zhang Gen said: "Since ancient times, I have never heard of a prince taking the imperial examination. It is not a blessing to the country. King Jia also promoted the Imperial City Secretary. The prince was frightened day and night. How can the East Palace deal with itself?"

Ju Ming couldn't help but laugh and said: "It is actually necessary for the prince to be the number one scholar. But it is really against the ethics for the prince to be the tutor."

As soon as these words came out, Zhang Gen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

The first Taifu in China was Zhou Gongdan, who served as the teacher of Emperor Zhou.

Grand Tutor, Imperial Master!

As a prince, Jia Wang Zhao Kai was promoted to Taifu and became the mentor of his emperor father...

Zhu Ming really wanted to open Song Huizong's Tianling Cap and see how the brain circuits were inside. Normal people would never be able to do such a thing.

After saying these words, Zhang Gen already understood Ju Ming's political leanings.

If you are one of your own, you can get married!

Zhang Gen asked again: "What does the prefect think of the new law?"

Ju Ming said: "The Song Dynasty has deep-rooted shortcomings, and it is impossible to change the law. But before the reform, the administration of officials must be rectified, otherwise the implementation of good laws will turn into misrule."

"Of course!" Zhang Gen clapped his hands and praised, these words came to his heart.

Huang's side called for dinner.

Zhu Ming followed Zhang Gen to the dining room and saw a young girl standing gracefully.

Zhang Gen introduced: "This is my little girl Jinping."

"How are you, madam!" Zhu Ming bowed in greeting.

Zhang Jinping bowed, saluted, and said with a smile: "Bless you, sir."

Everyone sat down. Mrs. Huang looked at Zhu Ming and then at her daughter. She felt more and more that they were a perfect match. The talented man and the beautiful woman were a perfect match.

Marriage cannot be mentioned in person. You must either ask someone to act as a matchmaker or write a letter of proposal. Being rejected does not hurt your face.

Only those who catch a son-in-law under the ranking will not care about that.

We continued chatting while eating. Instead of talking about the current situation, we talked about miscellaneous studies.

The Shen family, Huang family, and Zhang family all attach great importance to miscellaneous studies. For example, Huang's nephew Huang Bosi is a very famous calligrapher and the inventor of the jigsaw puzzle. He also loves designing furniture.

Zhang Jinping came from a well-educated family and actually knew how to smelt copper by wet method. He also carefully studied "Mengxi Bi Tan" and even studied "Zhu Shi Suan Jing" by himself.