Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve
Yang Hao and Ye Zhixuan climbed up to Baiweiju, enjoying a good drink, and overlooking the railing, the sound of silk and bamboo could be faintly heard from downstairs, curling like a fairy music.
This building is the tallest building in the "Qianjin Yixiao Building". It is ten feet taller than Fan Tower.The highest floor is just a rooftop with a radius of several feet, and the surrounding railings are only waist-high. If you look around, you can vividly see the grand scene of Kaifeng.
I saw the sails and masts on the Bianhe River like a forest, and they flowed in and out of Kaifeng Mansion along with the canal. Standing there solemnly and quietly; the Ouchi Imperial Palace is magnificent with golden walls, although it is small in scale, it also shows the royal style.The beautiful scenery far and near is infinite, condescending, the autumn wind is coming, and the clothes are fluttering, making people feel like they are above the clouds.
"My lord, I have been in Kaifeng for a few days. Thanks to my lord's hospitality, I don't get tired of watching the delicious food, wine, entertainment, and singing and dancing every day. But... I don't know what you are, my lord. Thoughts, everyone is waiting, shouldn't you also explain to Zhixuan?"
Yang Hao didn't answer, looked at the beautiful scenery of Kaifeng with a smile, took a deep breath, faced the autumn wind, opened his chest slightly, and said to the railing: "Young Master Ye, how is the scenery from a high place?"
Ye Zhixuan walked up to him, and Yang Hao pointed out: "Look, the Bian River is like a jade belt, winding continuously, and the eaves of the Daxiangguo Temple are so spectacular. Look over there, where there are sparse flowers and trees, is me It’s my house, hehe, isn’t it beautiful?”
"Beautiful, very beautiful, its beauty is worthy of a painting. Uh... my lord, Mr. Mu and Mr. Lin are waiting..."
"Yes, it's beautiful."
Yang Hao interrupted him, and sighed: "Young Master Ye, I just don't understand why we are sweating profusely when we are in the midst of beautiful scenery, just to How about appreciating the beauty of where you are?"
Ye Zhixuan rolled her eyes, and said helplessly, "Aren't you drunk? Isn't it you, my lord, are you insisting on going downstairs to see the scenery? I don't want to come up at all..."
Yang Hao said with a smile: "Young Master Ye, it's good to have a high place. Come and see, the trees downstairs of mine are planted in the direction of the Nine Palaces, and they are ten times more beautiful than those in my house. When you are in it, you can't see its beauty, so come and take a closer look."
Yang Hao said excitedly, grabbed Ye Zhixuan's arm, and leaned half of his body out of the building.Looking down from the top of a tall building, it is dizzy. Ye Zhixuan was so frightened that she clasped the stone railing tightly with her hands and screamed: "Go back quickly, go back quickly, I am afraid of heights, my lord...you hurry up!" Let go, we just had a drink, if we can't stand up and fall down, it will be smashed to pieces, no matter how beautiful the scenery is, if you fall into a paralyzed flesh, how can you appreciate it?"
Yang Hao laughed, and pulled Ye Zhixuan back with a pale face: "As the saying goes, the infinite scenery is on the dangerous peak, not on it, how can you appreciate the beauty of it. It's a pity, you are too timid..."
Ye Zhixuan stood firm, her hands were still firmly on the stone railing, she was afraid that Yang Hao would get too excited and play a deadly game with him again: "My lord, it doesn't matter how brave you are, it's just that it's really not worth it. I haven't married a wife and had children, so I don't want to meet the King of Hades in a daze..."
Yang Hao smiled, and said: "You have been in Kaifeng for a few days, so you are going to pack up and go back to the northwest. I have prepared some gifts for my foster father and Mr. Lin. You can take them back to me and tell my foster father to let you go." He took care of himself. I miss them a lot, but I can't help myself, I can't get away to see them..."
Bi Su was overjoyed: "Are you going back today? Yes, yes, but... what do you mean, you have to explain to me first."
Yang Hao smiled and said: "Go back and tell us about the things we have spent together for a few days, and tell the adoptive father and Mr. Lin, they will understand."
Ye Zhixuan was puzzled and said: "Ah? What did you say? What can they understand?"
Yang Hao gathered his clothes and sighed: "When I first came up, I just felt refreshed. After a while, I felt that the wind was strong, alas! It's very cold at the height, it's windy here, let's go down. "
Ye Zhixuan looked at Yang Hao's back suspiciously, then turned her head to look at the dizzying scenery from upstairs, she felt that the autumn wind was really eager to come, her feet were sloppy after drinking, and she felt like she couldn't stand upright. Busy also followed him and walked downstairs...
As soon as Zhang Dejun returned to the palace, Zhao Kuangyin immediately asked, "How is the grain reserve in the official warehouse?" "When I went back to the official's house, the slaves and maidservants have just visited. There is an endless supply of grain on the Bianhe River, and it is still being shipped. Now the grain storage in the official warehouse is enough to last until the river transport reopens next year. According to the official's order, in the future, Bianliang City There must be at least three to five years of grain storage, so grain and grass are still being transported continuously. As for the market, as Yang Shaoqing said, at the beginning of the first day of the new year, the imperial court opened up the sale of rice grains, and the people rushed to buy them. The official warehouses were really unbearable, but after three days, the official warehouses seemed to be exhausted, and the people felt at ease. , They stopped buying in large quantities, and the grain gentry who transported grain to Beijing couldn't bear it, so they wanted to sell grain to the people. But it's also strange, the more they are like this, the more people don't want to buy grain. As a result, the price of grain has been suppressed again and again, but they still can't sell it. In the end, they have to sell it to the official warehouse at a price that is 40% lower than the market price. Hehe, they There is really a lot of grain in hand, not only the official warehouse is full again, but also the shortfall of the high-priced grain purchased in the treasury a few days ago has also been made up. " Zhao Kuangyin laughed loudly: "Okay, such profiteers should be dealt with in this way. Well... the river transport is the lifeblood of the capital, and after this incident, it is especially important. I want the Ministry of Industry to prepare for it next year. At the beginning, permanent dams and sluices will be built in sections to ensure more stable and rapid water transportation." Zhao Kuangyin's words arose, and he couldn't help praising: "Yang Hao still has some real skills. He seems to have ruined talents in Honglu Temple. Um..., where are the envoys of the Tang Dynasty? When they enter Bianliang Let Yang Hao preside over the reception, and when this matter is over, I want to change the office for him." "According to the orders of the officials, only the grain ships can pass unimpeded in the water transportation, and all other ships must give way, even the envoys of the Tang Kingdom. You should have just passed Sizhou now, and there is still some time before you arrive in Beijing, so don't worry about it." Zhao Kuangyin nodded disapprovingly and said, "That's right, if the envoys from the Tang Kingdom come, what's the big deal, let them follow the grain ship slowly." Zhang Dejun laughed and said: "What the officials say is true." His eyes flickered slightly, and he said in a casual tone: "Now all the government officials in various places know that the government attaches great importance to grain transportation. Few people dare to make things difficult for the grain ships and rush to go. Today, the servants are ordered to go. When checking the water transportation and grain storage, I saw a few merchants from Wuyue on the pier, complaining that the grain ship blocked the road and the journey was too slow. The river officials also refused to give them convenience and let them go first." "Food is the sky for the people, and the country is based on the people. Only when you have food in your hands can you not panic. Haha, the river officials can distinguish the priorities, and it is good if they don't follow the law. Uh... huh?" Zhao Kuangyin stopped laughing suddenly, pondered for a moment and said: "You said... there are merchants from Wuyue who brought some jars of seafood to Zhao Pu?" Zhang Dejun said respectfully: "Yes, that's what those merchants said, and the servants don't know if they are bluffing to raise their own value." "Oh..." Zhao Kuangyin stood up, walked back and forth in the hall for a few steps, then suddenly stopped and said, "It's cool in autumn, and I'm going out for a walk. Go, get a set of casual clothes, call the guards to change into plain clothes, and go out with me for a walk." visit." Zhang Dejun bowed and said, "Yes, I don't know if the officials are going to the Imperial Horse Army's West Camp or the Infantry Army's East Camp today?" "I'm not going out of the city today, I... go to Zhao Pu's mansion for a walk."
The house that Zhao Pu lives in now is actually pretty good, but it is smaller than the new house under construction. Zhao Pu has his own houses in Kaifeng, Tokyo, and Luoyang, Xijing. The houses he built have very ordinary facades, which look similar to the doors of middle-class people in Kaifeng. The prime minister of a country, such an ordinary house, seems too frugal some.But is Zhao Pu's house really that simple? The courtyard wall is the least expensive part of a house. Zhao Pu’s house looks very ordinary, but when the wall was built, it was made of hemp mixed with mud. Just buying hemp cost a thousand and two dollars. Hundreds of coins, plus foundation bricks and roof tiles, which seem to be ordinary things are very particular. The Zhao family just built a courtyard wall, and the total cost was around 5,000 guan, which is a total of 5,000 taels. Yinzi, who can build a yard with such a large amount of money? The courtyard where he lived seven times in and seven out became more and more prosperous as he went back. The first time he entered the house, he was no different from ordinary people. When he entered the house at the end, the luxurious style had already surpassed that of a prince. into a better place.In the prime minister's mansion, there are not many guests who are eligible to go to the third courtyard, so those who have been to the Zhao family all praise Zhao Xianggong for his diligence and thrift in managing the family. And Zhao Kuangyin often goes out of the palace, and he often comes to Zhao Pu's house. With his identity, the Zhao family can only open the middle door and welcome into the back house for hospitality, so Zhao Kuangyin knows exactly what the Zhao family is like. of. The first time he went to Zhao's house, he was also taken aback when he saw the appearance of the front door. When he entered the courtyard for the third time, he felt like a prime minister. When he entered the courtyard for the fifth time, the expression on his face became weird. As soon as he entered the courtyard at the end, Zhao Kuangyin laughed loudly, pointed at Zhao Pu who was blushing with embarrassment, and said, "You old man, you are always impure." Zhao Pu was full of remorse, for fear that Zhao Kuangyin would be dissatisfied with him because of this, so he has been brooding over this matter.Later, when I talked with Zhao Kuangyin about some courtiers in the previous dynasty, I mentioned Sang Weihan, the prime minister of the later Jin Dynasty. Sang Weihan was talented, but he was extremely greedy for money. But he is too greedy for money, he accepted countless bribes when he was prime minister. For such a person, even if he is still alive, I believe the government will never use him." Zhao Kuangyin said disapprovingly: "As an emperor, there are strings of jade jade in front of the crown to cover the eyes; No disciples. Since you want to use his strengths, you have to tolerate his weaknesses. Sang Weihan is at a loss. How much appetite does he have? If I want to use him, am I afraid that he will be greedy for money? I will give him 100,000 coins So what, enough to fill his shabby house." After hearing this, Zhao Pu knew what the officials wanted, so he felt relieved. Since then, he has stopped pretending in front of Zhao Kuangyin. He was planning to build another big house, but it was only recently that he started to start. Zhao Kuangyin arrived at Zhao Pu's mansion in a light car. Seeing that the official's house had arrived, the guards rushed in to report. Zhao Kuangyin smiled and said, "No need, lead the way. I will visit Zhao Qing myself." In the middle hall, Zhao Pu was sitting on a chair, stroking the secret letter in his sleeve, looking at the ten altars of seafood in the hall, groaning silently.The gift-giver from Wuyue King Qian Chu had already left, and they brought a letter from Wuyue King Qian Chu and ten altars of seafood.The seafood was transported thousands of miles from Wuyue, and it was also from the hands of Wuyue King Qian Chu. Naturally, it can't be any kind of seafood. What Zhao Pu guessed was what the letter was about. It was not the first time that Wuyue King Qian Chu gave him a gift. Every time he gave a gift, it was a letter of greeting, without a clear request.People at the level of Wuyue Wang Qian Chu and Zhao Pu do not need to hold each other for a specific purpose, let alone a specific purpose.Every time Qian Chu, the king of Wuyue, sent generous gifts, Zhao Pu accepted it with a smile. Regarding Song State's policy towards Wuyue, Zhao Pu's attitude in front of the officials and in the court would always have a huge effect in return. But this time, Zhao Pu had to be cautious.Now there are frequent news of success in southern Fujian, and the fall of the Han Dynasty is imminent. Once the Han Dynasty fell, the power of the Song Dynasty surrounded Tang and Wuyue. Except for one side of the sea, all three sides were under the watchful eyes of Song. The shock can be imagined, facing such a dangerous situation, they will definitely feel restless. The envoys of the Tang State are already on their way now. The Tang State sent envoys to meet the officials, and Wu Yue...they once again sent envoys to see themselves privately. At this delicate moment, I am afraid that it is not as simple as letting him take care of them in the past. easy.What will they ask for?After giving so many gifts, is this time going to ask for interest? Zhao Pu sighed with some distress. The official's attitude towards the Tang State was very clear, but he never made it clear what he thought about Wu Yue, a country that had no threat in terms of force and had always expressed respect to Song. Attitude.So he, the prime minister, was a little uncertain. Once the Han Kingdom is in hand, the imperial court will undoubtedly continue to implement the national policy of sweeping the world from the south to the north. How will it deal with Wu Yue at that time?Zhao Pu didn't know what the officials wanted, so he couldn't help hesitating about the generous gift presented by King Wuyue at this time. After hesitating for a while, he slowly pulled out the letter from his sleeve, and just about to open it, he heard the old housekeeper Fu Qiu shout: "Oh, the official's house is here, Fu Qiu, the old servant of the Zhao family, has seen the official's house." "The official is here?" Zhao Pu's face changed suddenly, he quickly put the letter back into his sleeve, and as soon as he looked up, he saw Zhao Kuangyin walking in with a pleasant smile...
As soon as Zhang Dejun returned to the palace, Zhao Kuangyin immediately asked, "How is the grain reserve in the official warehouse?" "When I went back to the official's house, the slaves and maidservants have just visited. There is an endless supply of grain on the Bianhe River, and it is still being shipped. Now the grain storage in the official warehouse is enough to last until the river transport reopens next year. According to the official's order, in the future, Bianliang City There must be at least three to five years of grain storage, so grain and grass are still being transported continuously. As for the market, as Yang Shaoqing said, at the beginning of the first day of the new year, the imperial court opened up the sale of rice grains, and the people rushed to buy them. The official warehouses were really unbearable, but after three days, the official warehouses seemed to be exhausted, and the people felt at ease. , They stopped buying in large quantities, and the grain gentry who transported grain to Beijing couldn't bear it, so they wanted to sell grain to the people. But it's also strange, the more they are like this, the more people don't want to buy grain. As a result, the price of grain has been suppressed again and again, but they still can't sell it. In the end, they have to sell it to the official warehouse at a price that is 40% lower than the market price. Hehe, they There is really a lot of grain in hand, not only the official warehouse is full again, but also the shortfall of the high-priced grain purchased in the treasury a few days ago has also been made up. " Zhao Kuangyin laughed loudly: "Okay, such profiteers should be dealt with in this way. Well... the river transport is the lifeblood of the capital, and after this incident, it is especially important. I want the Ministry of Industry to prepare for it next year. At the beginning, permanent dams and sluices will be built in sections to ensure more stable and rapid water transportation." Zhao Kuangyin's words arose, and he couldn't help praising: "Yang Hao still has some real skills. He seems to have ruined talents in Honglu Temple. Um..., where are the envoys of the Tang Dynasty? When they enter Bianliang Let Yang Hao preside over the reception, and when this matter is over, I want to change the office for him." "According to the orders of the officials, only the grain ships can pass unimpeded in the water transportation, and all other ships must give way, even the envoys of the Tang Kingdom. You should have just passed Sizhou now, and there is still some time before you arrive in Beijing, so don't worry about it." Zhao Kuangyin nodded disapprovingly and said, "That's right, if the envoys from the Tang Kingdom come, what's the big deal, let them follow the grain ship slowly." Zhang Dejun laughed and said: "What the officials say is true." His eyes flickered slightly, and he said in a casual tone: "Now all the government officials in various places know that the government attaches great importance to grain transportation. Few people dare to make things difficult for the grain ships and rush to go. Today, the servants are ordered to go. When checking the water transportation and grain storage, I saw a few merchants from Wuyue on the pier, complaining that the grain ship blocked the road and the journey was too slow. The river officials also refused to give them convenience and let them go first." "Food is the sky for the people, and the country is based on the people. Only when you have food in your hands can you not panic. Haha, the river officials can distinguish the priorities, and it is good if they don't follow the law. Uh... huh?" Zhao Kuangyin stopped laughing suddenly, pondered for a moment and said: "You said... there are merchants from Wuyue who brought some jars of seafood to Zhao Pu?" Zhang Dejun said respectfully: "Yes, that's what those merchants said, and the servants don't know if they are bluffing to raise their own value." "Oh..." Zhao Kuangyin stood up, walked back and forth in the hall for a few steps, then suddenly stopped and said, "It's cool in autumn, and I'm going out for a walk. Go, get a set of casual clothes, call the guards to change into plain clothes, and go out with me for a walk." visit." Zhang Dejun bowed and said, "Yes, I don't know if the officials are going to the Imperial Horse Army's West Camp or the Infantry Army's East Camp today?" "I'm not going out of the city today, I... go to Zhao Pu's mansion for a walk."
The house that Zhao Pu lives in now is actually pretty good, but it is smaller than the new house under construction. Zhao Pu has his own houses in Kaifeng, Tokyo, and Luoyang, Xijing. The houses he built have very ordinary facades, which look similar to the doors of middle-class people in Kaifeng. The prime minister of a country, such an ordinary house, seems too frugal some.But is Zhao Pu's house really that simple? The courtyard wall is the least expensive part of a house. Zhao Pu’s house looks very ordinary, but when the wall was built, it was made of hemp mixed with mud. Just buying hemp cost a thousand and two dollars. Hundreds of coins, plus foundation bricks and roof tiles, which seem to be ordinary things are very particular. The Zhao family just built a courtyard wall, and the total cost was around 5,000 guan, which is a total of 5,000 taels. Yinzi, who can build a yard with such a large amount of money? The courtyard where he lived seven times in and seven out became more and more prosperous as he went back. The first time he entered the house, he was no different from ordinary people. When he entered the house at the end, the luxurious style had already surpassed that of a prince. into a better place.In the prime minister's mansion, there are not many guests who are eligible to go to the third courtyard, so those who have been to the Zhao family all praise Zhao Xianggong for his diligence and thrift in managing the family. And Zhao Kuangyin often goes out of the palace, and he often comes to Zhao Pu's house. With his identity, the Zhao family can only open the middle door and welcome into the back house for hospitality, so Zhao Kuangyin knows exactly what the Zhao family is like. of. The first time he went to Zhao's house, he was also taken aback when he saw the appearance of the front door. When he entered the courtyard for the third time, he felt like a prime minister. When he entered the courtyard for the fifth time, the expression on his face became weird. As soon as he entered the courtyard at the end, Zhao Kuangyin laughed loudly, pointed at Zhao Pu who was blushing with embarrassment, and said, "You old man, you are always impure." Zhao Pu was full of remorse, for fear that Zhao Kuangyin would be dissatisfied with him because of this, so he has been brooding over this matter.Later, when I talked with Zhao Kuangyin about some courtiers in the previous dynasty, I mentioned Sang Weihan, the prime minister of the later Jin Dynasty. Sang Weihan was talented, but he was extremely greedy for money. But he is too greedy for money, he accepted countless bribes when he was prime minister. For such a person, even if he is still alive, I believe the government will never use him." Zhao Kuangyin said disapprovingly: "As an emperor, there are strings of jade jade in front of the crown to cover the eyes; No disciples. Since you want to use his strengths, you have to tolerate his weaknesses. Sang Weihan is at a loss. How much appetite does he have? If I want to use him, am I afraid that he will be greedy for money? I will give him 100,000 coins So what, enough to fill his shabby house." After hearing this, Zhao Pu knew what the officials wanted, so he felt relieved. Since then, he has stopped pretending in front of Zhao Kuangyin. He was planning to build another big house, but it was only recently that he started to start. Zhao Kuangyin arrived at Zhao Pu's mansion in a light car. Seeing that the official's house had arrived, the guards rushed in to report. Zhao Kuangyin smiled and said, "No need, lead the way. I will visit Zhao Qing myself." In the middle hall, Zhao Pu was sitting on a chair, stroking the secret letter in his sleeve, looking at the ten altars of seafood in the hall, groaning silently.The gift-giver from Wuyue King Qian Chu had already left, and they brought a letter from Wuyue King Qian Chu and ten altars of seafood.The seafood was transported thousands of miles from Wuyue, and it was also from the hands of Wuyue King Qian Chu. Naturally, it can't be any kind of seafood. What Zhao Pu guessed was what the letter was about. It was not the first time that Wuyue King Qian Chu gave him a gift. Every time he gave a gift, it was a letter of greeting, without a clear request.People at the level of Wuyue Wang Qian Chu and Zhao Pu do not need to hold each other for a specific purpose, let alone a specific purpose.Every time Qian Chu, the king of Wuyue, sent generous gifts, Zhao Pu accepted it with a smile. Regarding Song State's policy towards Wuyue, Zhao Pu's attitude in front of the officials and in the court would always have a huge effect in return. But this time, Zhao Pu had to be cautious.Now there are frequent news of success in southern Fujian, and the fall of the Han Dynasty is imminent. Once the Han Dynasty fell, the power of the Song Dynasty surrounded Tang and Wuyue. Except for one side of the sea, all three sides were under the watchful eyes of Song. The shock can be imagined, facing such a dangerous situation, they will definitely feel restless. The envoys of the Tang State are already on their way now. The Tang State sent envoys to meet the officials, and Wu Yue...they once again sent envoys to see themselves privately. At this delicate moment, I am afraid that it is not as simple as letting him take care of them in the past. easy.What will they ask for?After giving so many gifts, is this time going to ask for interest? Zhao Pu sighed with some distress. The official's attitude towards the Tang State was very clear, but he never made it clear what he thought about Wu Yue, a country that had no threat in terms of force and had always expressed respect to Song. Attitude.So he, the prime minister, was a little uncertain. Once the Han Kingdom is in hand, the imperial court will undoubtedly continue to implement the national policy of sweeping the world from the south to the north. How will it deal with Wu Yue at that time?Zhao Pu didn't know what the officials wanted, so he couldn't help hesitating about the generous gift presented by King Wuyue at this time. After hesitating for a while, he slowly pulled out the letter from his sleeve, and just about to open it, he heard the old housekeeper Fu Qiu shout: "Oh, the official's house is here, Fu Qiu, the old servant of the Zhao family, has seen the official's house." "The official is here?" Zhao Pu's face changed suddenly, he quickly put the letter back into his sleeve, and as soon as he looked up, he saw Zhao Kuangyin walking in with a pleasant smile...