The bandits robbed and killed the imperial officials in the wild mountains and wilderness, and the people in the city were completely unaware of it.
That afternoon, Jiang Yushu and her party kept their appointment and stepped into the government office again, ready to discuss official business with the prefect Ji Xuelian.
When she went out on business, Cuimei stayed by her side day and night, while Zou Gui and Wei Xu's servant Shitou followed her, carrying their school bags.
The weather was warm, and the yamen was lush with flowers and trees. I frequently encountered hurried clerks and minor officials. The front hall had been renovated, but from the back hall, the sounds of renovations could still be heard: ding-dong-dong and bang-bang-dong.
"Isn't this another wasted trip today?" Wei Xu walked steadily, his eyes fixed on the side, but he complained quietly, "We've been here for half a month, waiting and waiting, and finally got to see Master Ji, but we couldn't come to an agreement. We clearly agreed to meet yesterday, but he suddenly had to run some urgent business, leaving us out for most of the day without even a glimpse of him."
Jiang Yushu was dressed elegantly and her manners were dignified and graceful. She walked along, saying softly, "This is a serious matter. We won't be able to reach an agreement in one or two rounds. Let's discuss it in detail today. I can see that Master Ji is truly busy, and not just trying to show off. We can only be understanding."
"The conditions he proposed last time were really unreasonable, even a bit shameless, making it impossible to compromise." Wei Xu lowered his voice and walked along the straight and spacious corridor towards the hall.
Jiang Yushu sighed, "Yongzhou was just recovered and is devastated. To allow for recuperation, His Majesty has issued a decree exempting the area from taxes for two years, followed by another year of tax reduction. Alas, the grain storage in Xiping Warehouse is in trouble."
"Although His Majesty has granted tax relief to Yongzhou, he has also ordered us to strictly supervise the local government to cultivate land and fill the warehouses with grain as soon as possible. Isn't this embarrassing?" Wei Xu frowned, his official robe straight, and said worriedly, "Do we have to rely solely on Xi Cang for the next three years? Even if we only allocate the amount of grain to Xi Cang, we won't be able to collect much."
The group passed through the moon gate, turned east and continued forward.
Jiang Yushu was also worried, thinking, "Relying on Xicang alone is definitely not enough. Fortunately, the complete exemption is only limited to civilian settlements. For military and commercial settlements, the court has separate regulations. Military settlements are only exempted for one year and will not be reduced. Commercial settlements have neither exemption nor reduction and must pay taxes from the beginning."
"That being said, Yongzhou is currently in such a state of disrepair that the various garrisons are busy recruiting and training soldiers, leaving them no time to focus on cultivating land. Although merchants value profit, they can't start farming in a short time." Wei Xu sighed and whispered, "Prefect Ji is indeed a powerful figure. Not only did he refuse to pay for the grain storage, he even asked for five million kilograms of grain seeds."
"Humph, Yongzhou hasn't even handed over a single dan of grain, and he's already set his sights on the Xiping warehouse. It's simply unacceptable."
Jiang Yushu lowered her head slightly, lifted her skirt slightly, and climbed the stairs. "Five million catties is no small amount. Besides, the warehouse is empty now, and even the warehouse has not been built yet. Where can I get grain seeds for him? I have to wait until after the summer harvest before I can calculate the amount of grain I have stored."
"What a headache! What a headache!" Wei Xu sighed in worry.
Jiang Yushu comforted him, "Shh, we're here. Let's go in and talk first, and then we can discuss it later."
Wei Xu nodded, and the group walked into the hall one after another.
"My lords, please take a seat." A middle-aged clerk, who was in charge of reception, greeted them attentively and said politely, "Please have some tea. Please wait a moment. Lord Ji will be here soon."
Jiang Yushu nodded, and Wei Xu acted as if nothing had happened, "Okay."
A moment later, Ji Xuelian, the prefect of Yongzhou, walked into the hall with a smile to meet the guests.
Jiang Yushu and Wei Xu, of lower rank, stood up to greet him and saluted, "Sir."
"No need to be so polite. Please take a seat." Ji Xuelian walked to the head of the table and, once seated, apologized, "We had originally agreed to discuss this yesterday, but something urgent came up, so we had to reschedule it to today. I hope you two won't mind."
Jiang Yushu smiled and replied, "Master Ji is very busy with official duties. It is obvious to all. I and others naturally understand."
"Official duties are certainly important, but you should also take care of your health." Wei Xu said politely.
Ji Xuelian was over fifty, with a long beard and a furrowed brow. His wrinkles formed the shape of a "川" (river) between his brows, but his eyes were piercing and full of brilliance. He smiled kindly, "You two have come from afar on official business, but I'm always too busy to spare the time. I'm truly sorry for repeatedly neglecting you."
"Your Excellency is too polite." The two sides had dealt with each other once before, and Jiang Yushu did not dare to take it lightly at all.
After a few pleasantries, Ji Xuelian began to discuss official business, gently asking, "How did the two of you discuss the loan of five million kilograms of grain seeds last time go after you returned?"
The deputy envoy and the special envoy sat opposite each other, and the two looked at each other. Wei Xu answered sincerely, "To be honest, the Xiping granary has not yet been completed, and the granary is empty. Five million kilograms of grain seeds is not a small amount. Even if I and others agree to lend it, it will be difficult to raise it at the moment."
Jiang Yushu continued, "In fact, the imperial court has already made arrangements for Yongzhou. This year, 70% of Yongzhou's grain will be allocated and distributed by the imperial court, and 30% will be supplied by Xicang. This should be more than enough."
"Alas." Ji Xuelian shook his head and sighed, stroking his long beard with his hand, and said slowly, "It's not enough, far from enough. You two have already surveyed half of Yongzhou, and you should know clearly that Yongzhou has a flat terrain and thousands of miles of fertile land. A mere 10 million kilograms of grain seeds is not enough for the government to distribute. As the saying goes, a good cook cannot cook without rice. This government and my colleagues are at a loss. We once petitioned the court to allocate more, but the court told this government to discuss it with Xiping Warehouse."
"Don't worry, the five million jin that exceeds the court's regulations are borrowed by our government. Once the local situation recovers, we will return it to Xiping Warehouse in full," Ji Xuelian promised solemnly.
When to repay the loan
Repay in full
In other words, you didn't consider the interest at all. The military storage warehouse has no tradition of lending grain to local governments at will.
Jiang Yushu's mind raced as she took a sip of tea and sat upright, saying, "Your subordinates and others also hope that Yongzhou will recover soon, so we have come here specifically to investigate the current state of the farmland and to agree on the regulations for future grain reserves from various regions. Frankly speaking, the five million catties you requested is simply not something we can raise in a short period of time."
"I know that Xiping Warehouse has not been completed yet, but since the court has issued an order, and because potatoes are currently only owned by Xicang, our government can only borrow from Xiping Warehouse." Ji Xuelian looked helpless.
The old fox used the imperial decree to pressure Wei Xu, who was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He was even more helpless and sighed, "Sir, the news that potatoes are easy to produce has gradually spread. Now several local governments have asked to borrow the grain they have handed over from Xi Cang. How can we supply several places?"
"Is there any place more difficult than Yongzhou?"
"This..." Wei Xu was speechless.
Ji Xuelian raised his head, his eyes gleaming, and said as a matter of course, "Besides, think carefully, instead of lending it out in a scattered manner, it would be better to lend more to this government. As long as there is enough grain, the civilian settlements can help the people live and work in peace, the military settlements can support the four guards of Yongzhou, and it can also attract merchants to come and cultivate the land. It will achieve three goals at once."
"If successful, not only can we return the grain seeds, but we can also hand over the stored grain on time. It's worth a try."
For Yongzhou, it is of course beneficial and has no disadvantages, achieving three goals at once; but Xipingcang is not designed specifically for Yongzhou, and the overall situation must be taken into consideration. How can it be possible to fully support one party?
Jiang Yushu took a deep breath, carefully choosing her words, and said seriously, "Although potatoes are high-yielding, compared to grains like wheat and corn, they are difficult to store. If they are not handled properly, they may sprout. Sprouted potatoes are poisonous and cannot be eaten. They can only be planted."
"oh"
Ji Xuelian understood and asked kindly, "I understand what Envoy Jiang means. You are worried about the lack of manpower in the local area and the waste of grain, right?"
Jiang Yushu smiled and replied, "Although Yongzhou has thousands of miles of fertile land, manpower is indeed a problem at the moment."
"Don't worry," Ji Xuelian said with a wave of his hand, unconcerned. "As long as there's enough grain, there's no need to worry about farming. This government dares to lend it. We naturally have ways to properly handle farming matters."
"In short, Yongzhou is currently the most difficult place in the entire northwest, and even in the entire world, and is in urgent need of assistance." Ji Xuelian said majestically.
Wei Xu opened his mouth, took a deep breath, and drank his tea while thinking about his words.
Jiang Yushu was very patient and calmly said, "As you know, there is actually another ambassador in Xipingcang. Ambassador Liang is far away in Xicang supervising the construction of a granary. This is a matter of great importance. Please forgive me and others for not having the right to make decisions on my own. We must make a long-term plan before we can make a decision."
"Of course, there's no rush. We should take a long-term view."
Ji Xuelian stroked his long beard, smiled, and changed the subject, reminding, "However, it is already May, and the summer harvest and summer planting are imminent. The farming season cannot be delayed. Please make a decision as soon as possible to avoid missing the farming season."
Wei Xu felt irritated, but he had to answer respectfully, "I understand. We will make a decision as soon as possible."
Soon, three more state officials arrived to discuss the matter together, including the newly promoted Pan Rui.
Jiang Yushu racked her brains and was extremely alert, fearing that she would be confused by the other party and impulsively agree to the conditions.
Each side had their own concerns, sometimes arguing with each other and sometimes chatting and laughing to smooth things over, and the negotiations continued until the evening.
As the sun was setting, the two sides were vying to pour out their grievances and express their difficulties when suddenly a yamen runner came running in anxiously, sweat on his forehead and panting, reporting
"Sir, no, it's not good."
"While on a business trip, Lord Pei was retaliated by a group of fugitives and was nearly killed and seriously injured."
Ji Xuelian stood up suddenly, "What?"
Master Pei Jiang Yushu was shocked and stood up and asked, "Are you referring to Pei Wenfeng?"
"On the other hand," the messenger came running all the way, not catching his breath, nervously wiping his sweat with his sleeve, and continued to report, "Several guests, claiming to be the family of the master, were attacked by bandits at the same time, and suffered heavy casualties."
Ji Xuelian was horrified, gasping for breath, and walked out quickly, asking sternly, "Where is the person? Take me to see him immediately."
"Yes, yes." The yamen runner trotted out, leading the way, speaking incoherently, "They brought back nearly twenty bodies at the yamen gate, as well as several captives. I heard they were all prisoners who had escaped from prison before."
Jiang Yushu's heart was in turmoil. She walked out quickly, frowned, and said nothing.
"Go slowly, don't be anxious, Lord Pei will surely be blessed by fate." Wei Xu and others followed. They knew each other for a while, and they were also eager to visit Pei Wenfeng.
At this moment, opposite the Yamen
"Strange, why is the smell of blood so strong?"
“It’s so lively, what kind of people are all these?”
"Ah, that's Captain Guo."
Du Feiyan had nothing to do and was so bored that she couldn't help but wander around the government office and the places where officials stayed. She stood behind a tree that was as thick as a man's embrace, leaning out, standing on tiptoe to look, frowning in confusion, and muttering, "That is clearly Mr. Pei's carriage, who are they?"
Not far away, Ji Xuelian's wife and children were getting off the car. Except for the girl wearing a veil, the rest of them were covered in dust and looked in a dishevel.
Guo Honglei dismounted, threw the reins and whip to his personal soldiers, and with a serious expression, strode towards the carriage where the wounded were riding.
Seeing this, Du Feiyan became more worried and anxious, but she hesitated. She wanted to go forward and say hello, but was afraid of being driven away. After all, she had only met Guo Honglei once and had no friendship with him.
After a moment, she gritted her teeth and thought, "What are you afraid of? I'll give it a try. Captain Guo shouldn't send people to beat a woman."
So she took a step forward
Suddenly, someone grabbed her braid from behind.
"Ah!" Du Feiyan screamed in fear, turned around suddenly, and was about to scold, but her neck shrank instantly, and she asked cautiously, "Fourth brother, you, you are busy setting up the escort agency, why are you here?"
Du Laosi looked at the yamen gate with a dark face and asked angrily, "If I don't come here, you probably won't go home, right?"
"What nonsense!" Du Feiyan broke free and lowered her head to adjust her braid. "I was just bored, so I went out for a walk."
Du Lao Si was not in a position to touch his sister's body, so he grabbed her braid again and said helplessly, "You shameful thing, come back with me immediately."
"Hey, oh, let go, it hurts." Du Feiyan hugged the tree trunk, "I, I have something to do, brother, go back first, don't worry about me."
The author has something to say
Du Lao Si, don't bother with you unless I die.
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