When it comes to solving financial problems, Zhang Fei prefers to cooperate with these businessmen.
First of all, of course, it was because the bureaucratic system of the Song Dynasty was too complicated, and Zhang Fei asked himself if he could control it with his own intelligence.
Secondly, he didn't have many people under him. To be honest, there was only Cai Jing. As for Shangguan Jun and Cai Bian, they were just teacher and student. When he told them to do things, he had to appeal to their emotions and explain things to them with reason.
On the contrary, when he cooperates with Fan Zheng, Ma Tianhao and others, the relationship is relatively simple. They are just pursuing profits, and he can command them.
After talking with Ma Tianhao, Zhang Fei went to find Li Bao and asked him to pay close attention to the situation in the northwest, especially Hezhong Prefecture.
The core of the Northwestern finance lies in Hezhong Prefecture, because the annual salt profits from Hezhong Prefecture can pay for military expenses of several million strings of cash.
Not only that, Hezhong Prefecture is also Zhang Fei's base.
When their chief judge left, the people of Hezhong Prefecture fell into panic for a while, fearing that they would return to the past. They really enjoyed the benefits brought by the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems, but the people at that time believed in people, not in the law. But soon, everyone found that nothing had changed and life went on as usual.
But it wasn't long before news came of the great victory of the Xihe border expansion, which undoubtedly cast a shadow on the finances of Hezhong Prefecture.
As the saying goes, misfortunes never come alone, and at this moment, something happened to make the situation even worse.
...
...
Hezhong Prefecture, South Street, in front of a salt shop.
"Three pounds of salt. I want three pounds."
"Five pounds! I'll buy five pounds."
"Why are you pushing me? I came here first, so give it to me first."
But we saw more than a hundred people crowding in front of a small salt shop, waving salt banknotes and frantically buying salt, making the shop assistants really busy.
Not far away, two old men were watching this scene with worried looks on their faces.
These two old men are indeed the old pair of Yuan Jiang and Cai Yanqing.
They both made great contributions to the success of Hezhong Prefecture.
"This is such an unfortunate timing!"
Yuan Jiang sighed heavily, "They are eager to ask for military funds, but the first batch of salt debts is due this year. Those salt merchants have been waiting for this day for a long time, and they will not let go of this opportunity easily."
Cai Yanqing asked: "Do we have enough salt to redeem these salt debts?"
Yuan Jiang whispered, "Yes, there is, but if we exchange the salt debt, then many salt merchants will have difficulty getting salt this year, and many prefectures will inevitably be short of salt next year."
Cai Yanqing asked: "Didn't you consider this at the beginning?"
Yuan Jiang said: "Of course not, but Zhang San said he has a way to solve it."
"What is the solution?"
"That's the problem. He didn't tell me at the time, and when he left, I forgot to ask him."
"What should we do? Now everyone is using salt notes to exchange for salt. If we increase the issuance of salt notes at this time, not only will no one be willing to accept them, but it may also lead to more people coming to exchange for salt. Before the first batch of salt debts expire, the government will not be able to issue salt debts. What about the military expenses of Xihe?"
"It's not just that simple. Yanzhou, Suizhou, and Fuzhou in the north have all sent people to negotiate with our Transportation Department. They are worried that we will allocate the salt profits to Xihe. This is really troublesome."
This is really a coincidence. Originally, the salt profits of Hezhong Prefecture were mainly used to cope with the war in the northwest. The opening of the Xihe border undoubtedly added another battlefield to the northwest region, and the losses would definitely increase a lot. But it just so happened that the great victory at Xihe coincided with the expiration of the salt debt.
Those salt merchants and banknote merchants have been looking forward to this year for a long time. It's only the beginning of the year, but they have already started to make trouble. As long as the salt production cannot keep up, the price of salt debts will inevitably rise.
They hoped to use salt debts to lock up the salt supply, thereby causing salt debts to rise and forcing salt merchants from all over the country to take over at high prices.
This is what businessmen are like, they are profit-driven and don't care that the burden will eventually be transferred to the people. Since you dared to buy salt debts before, your government must bear the consequences.
This led to a series of chain reactions. The original financial operation was that the government issued salt notes in the border states, salt merchants went to the border states to buy salt notes, and then took the salt notes to Jiezhou to exchange for salt, and then sold them in various places.
But this year's situation has led to no one daring to go to the border states to buy salt notes, as everyone knows that the salt debt will lock up at least one-third of the salt production. At the same time, the people are also desperately using the salt notes in their hands to buy salt. In order to protect the value of the salt notes, the government can only overdraw to sell salt to them.
This has made salt even more scarce, and it has become even harder to issue salt notes this year. No one dares to buy them, but the price of salt bonds is rising.
The salt notes correspond to military rations, and the military pay expenditure there just happened to double.
This plunged Hezhong Prefecture's finances into crisis.
Yuan Jiang had no way to deal with this. He had thought of this when he first got involved in the salt debt. If you spend money in the current year, you have to pay it back, and also pay interest.
But at that time Zhang Fei said not to worry, he would take care of everything.
As a result, Zhang Fei left before the three-year period was up, and at the same time, the Xihe war broke out, and all the pressure was focused on Yuan Jiang.
From this we can see that the great victory at Xihe came too suddenly and was unexpected by everyone, including Wang Shao himself. Although he was the one who proposed the plan, he did not dare to think that they could recover five states, expand the border by more than 2,000 miles, and open up the Xihe passage in one battle.
Moreover, since Wang Shao used both soft and hard tactics to induce many Qiang and Tubo leaders to surrender, if your army withdrew, they might rebel immediately.
This results in very high management costs.
The government has been forced to divert part of the military expenditure on the northern front to the Xihe area. Due to the disarmament in the previous two years, there is some room for maneuver.
But this also caused dissatisfaction in Yansui and Fuzhou.
The key is that all the generals are ready to move. We can also win the battle. Please give us my military funds.
Because the last military trial actually subtly changed the military system of the Northern Song Dynasty. Military generals will not be so afraid of civil officials or military supervisors. As long as I do my job well, you can impeach me. Then we can go to the military court to sue and see who is innocent.
Due to the existence of the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs, many situations are changing. The government does not dare to ask the people for money easily to supplement military expenses. As long as there is a problem, it will be responded to immediately.
Various censors also saw the financial crisis of Hezhong Prefecture. For various interests, they immediately wrote memorials to impeach Wang Shao, saying that he was ambitious, greedy for merit, and reckless, and did not care about the loss of people's strength in the northwest.
This is a traditional program in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Whether you win or lose, you can still fight internally.
The court was already discussing how to govern Xihe, but when these memorials arrived, Zhao Xu immediately stood on Zhang Fei's strategy and had to find ways to unite internally first, otherwise there would be endless troubles.
Wang Anshi also felt a little anxious, as he was not clear about the situation over there.
This matter needs to be settled quickly to prevent it from getting out of control.
Both sides must make a compromise.
Tokyo Bianliang.
Early morning.
“Boom boom boom!”
Early in the morning, Xu Zhiqian came to Gao Wenyin's door, "Sister Gao, are you guys up?"
"Zhiqian, come in quickly."
"You all are up."
Xu Zhiqian breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Zhang Fei already sitting in front of the bronze mirror, and then said to Gao Wenyin, "Sister Gao, do you want me to help you?"
Gao Wenyin said hurriedly: "No need, it will be done soon."
Xu Zhiqian just sat aside obediently.
Zhang Fei felt something was wrong. "Zhiqian, what's the matter?"
Xu Zhiqian said: "It's okay!"
"Nothing's wrong, why are you so quiet?"
Zhang Fei wondered, "In the past when we went to court, you always pushed me so hard that I was exhausted."
Xu Zhiqian said hurriedly: "You are going to the Chuigong Hall to discuss matters today, so you must prepare carefully and don't make a fool of yourself."
She was still very worried about some of Zhang Fei's behavior. Chuigong Hall was the highest meeting room in the Song Dynasty.
Zhang Fei rolled his eyes. "Master Wang is a man of such character that he can go, and you are still worrying about this."
Xu Zhiqian felt a little panicked when she heard this and said, "Why do you compare yourself with Mr. Wang?"
Zhang Fei said: "Why can't we compete? I am the protagonist today, okay."
Xu Zhiqian was too lazy to argue with him, so she used lip language to tell Gao Wenyin that she must be more careful today.
Today, Zhao Xu will hold a special meeting in Chuigong Hall to discuss the expansion of the Xihe border. Since Wang Shao's memorial specifically mentioned Zhang Fei, Zhang Fei must attend this meeting.
This is Zhang Fei's first time attending such a high-level meeting.
Xu Zhiqian was of course very nervous. After all, Zhang Fei was usually too casual, but one couldn't talk nonsense in that kind of occasion.
After finally finishing his makeup, Zhang Fei twisted his waist a few times in front of the bronze mirror, "Why do I have to look so handsome? I'm not going to a brothel."
Xu Zhiqian was stunned. "You are right. Being too glamorous is not good. Many prime ministers advocate simplicity. Otherwise, Sister Gao, please change him. We still have enough time."
"Just save your energy."
Zhang Fei immediately glared at her and said, "This guy looks handsome, but no matter what he wears, it's useless."
After saying this, he hurried out the door, fearing that Xu Zhiqian and Gao Wenyin would catch him and torment him again.
But when he got on the carriage and saw Li Bao sitting inside, he immediately lost his temper, "Oh my God! I'm busy enough now, please don't cause me any more trouble."
Li Bao said with sympathy: "I don't want to either, but there is an urgent letter from Hezhong Prefecture."
Zhang Fei asked, "What's the matter?"
Li Bao said: "It's about the salt debt. The first batch of salt debt will be due this year."
Zhang Fei blinked, "But it's due at the end of the year, there's still half a year left, is it really necessary to be in such a hurry?"
Li Bao said: "But the salt merchants and banknote merchants have already started to act. They are encouraging the people to use salt notes to exchange for salt, hinting to everyone that this year's salt release is locked up in salt debts, causing the people to rush to use salt notes to exchange for salt, and at the same time, the price of salt debts is rising all the way."
Zhang Fei said: "But we already have a plan for this matter, and you know that."
Li Bao nodded and said, "Yes, we do have enough private salt, but the problem is that Xihe is expanding its borders, and the burden on Hezhong Prefecture has become heavier. Military expenditures have exceeded those before the disarmament. Not only that, the Zhe and Zhong families in the north are also very dissatisfied with the transfer of military expenditures from the north to Xihe. The situation there is very complicated now."
"etc!"
Zhang Fei suddenly asked: "In other words, the main salt notes were used on the northern route before?"
Li Bao nodded and said, "Of course, the most elite troops in the northwest were all concentrated on the northern front, such as the Zhe Family Army, the Zhong Family Army, and the Yao Family Army."
Zhang Fei blinked. "Don't worry about this. I still need to think about it carefully. You should sort out the financial situation in the northwest. After this meeting is over, we will discuss it with you."
"yes."
After talking with Li Bao, the carriage arrived at the imperial city. Zhang Fei got off the carriage directly, while Li Bao left in the carriage.
As soon as we entered the imperial city, Lan Yuanzhen came to greet us personally.
Arriving at the Chuigong Hall, Lan Yuanzhen said to Zhang Fei, "Sima Xueshi and his men are in the east room, Wang Xueshi and his men are in the west room, which one are you going to go to?"
What the hell?
Zhang Fei, who had eaten at three restaurants, was suddenly in a dilemma. He looked around for a long time but still couldn't make up his mind.
The eunuch Lan Yuanzhen couldn't help laughing when he saw Zhang Fei's dilemma.
After a while.
Zhang Fei finally managed to utter, "I want to go to the toilet."
"President Zhang, this way please."
Lan Yuanzhen said with a smile.
It dragged on for quite some time before the meeting finally started. Zhang Fei followed the ministers into the hall very low-key. Lan Yuanzhen told him to just stand at the back.
Although he had considerable power, his rank was very low and he still wore a green robe.
After Zhao Xu arrived, there was no three kneelings and nine kowtows. After all, this was not a grand court meeting, but just an important meeting, and the ministers performed the salute casually.
Lu Huiqing, Deng Wan and others were the first to stand up and praise Wang Shao's achievements in the Xihe area, and then they also praised Zhao Xu's wisdom and bravery. This was the largest-scale territorial recovery since Taizu and Taizong. Just based on this great achievement, it was enough to rival Taizu and Taizong.
Anyway, it's all exaggeration.
After all, this was the first time Zhao Xu convened a meeting since the news of the great victory in Xihe. This must be boasted about, and the key is that it is worth bragging about, and the contribution is really too great.
The conservatives remained silent and looked on coldly.
A little bit sour!
Of course, Zhao Xu was also very happy. He immediately issued an order to promote Wang Shao to the position of Left Counselor, Academician of Duanming Palace, Governor of Xizhou, and General Manager of the military and political affairs of Xihe Road. At the same time, he issued a general amnesty and gave everyone three days off to celebrate.
We need to create a good atmosphere and make this achievement real.
Liu Shu suddenly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, although Envoy Wang won a great victory in Xihe, he was greedy for merit and rushed forward without considering the logistics supply. In addition, the war caused a great loss of manpower in the northwest. The Shaanxi Provinces can no longer afford the supply of the entire front."
Zhao Xu's expression changed, and he frowned and said, "For a long time, the people in the border states have been harassed by the Tibetans and Qiangs in Xihe. Over time, the losses have been far greater than this battle. Now we can solve the problem once and for all and prevent the people in the heartland of the Central Plains from being harassed again. I think this is worth it."
Zhao Yan said: "Your Majesty is right, but how to solve the supply problem of the front line is the most urgent task. The people in the northwest have been eroded by war for many years and can no longer afford it."
Wang Anshi stepped forward and said, "Regarding this matter, Wang Xuanfu has already stated the countermeasures in his memorial, which is to send Chief Justice Zhang to the local area to build public security, procuratorial and judicial organs, and use the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs to maintain local stability. At the same time, we will use the location of Xihe as a transportation hub to open up trade, obtain military funds from it, and reduce the burden on the northwest roads. I also agree with this very much."
A large group of people immediately stood up and expressed their agreement.
All of them are reformists.
On the contrary, not a single conservative stood up. They were all dumbfounded.
After all, whose political proposition is judicial reform?
But those who understand will understand.
They just didn't want Zhang Fei to stay in the capital. Once Zhang Fei entered the procuratorate, who would be able to sleep well? Moreover, they suspected that if Zhang Fei stayed in the capital, he would carry out reforms in the Tokyo area.
That place is so dangerous, with rebellions happening every day, it is very suitable for Zhang Fei to go there.
At this time, Sima Guang suddenly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs are by no means omnipotent. It is impossible for them to go there and solve the problem. Moreover, the problem in Xihe is mainly due to the fact that our country's financial revenue is insufficient to cover its expenditure and it is difficult to maintain the military operations abroad. This is not something that the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs can solve."
Wang Anshi immediately said: "Since the Qingli War, our dynasty has always adhered to the defensive strategy, but the result is that the people on the border are often harassed and live in fear all day long. If we don't show the momentum of our army, the Xixia, Tubo, and Qiang people will be more fearless."
Sima Guang said: "I agree with this point. This is the biggest gain from the battle of Xihe, which is the ability to deter the surrounding areas.
But if we go a step further, both Xixia and Tubo will have to consider their own survival, and they will definitely fight back vigorously. However, our dynasty's finances cannot afford large-scale foreign military operations for the time being.
Judge Zhang has worked so hard to build the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs and the tax bureau in Hezhong Prefecture, which has helped to restore the livelihood of the local people. If the burden on the people is increased due to the war, the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs will lose the support of the people. Once the people of Hezhong Prefecture begin to question the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs, how can the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs be well built in Xihe area?"
What I mean is that I agree with the results of this battle, but it cannot continue because the finances simply cannot afford it.
Wen Yanbo also stood up immediately and said, "Your Majesty, what Sima Xueshi said is very reasonable. The country is currently undergoing internal changes and has achieved some results. Reducing the burden on the people is the key to the success of the reform. If we launch a war against foreign countries, it will inevitably increase the burden on the people and will also lead to the failure of the reform. I, an old minister, implore Your Majesty to focus on the people's livelihood and make plans after the country's strength recovers."
Lu Huiqing immediately said: "Now our army's morale is high. If we stop fighting, I am afraid it will affect our morale."
Lu Gong said: "Morale depends on whether we can reward people according to their merits. Once we are aggressive, we will only end up in failure. We just won a victory on the front line, but now we are in a state of emergency. It shows that our country is not ready to deal with a large-scale war at present."
Chen Shengzhi said: "Although those who love war will perish, those who forget war will be in danger. The safety of the border is directly related to the survival of the country. How can it be measured by money?"
Fu Bi said: "What the Privy Councilor said makes sense. It is said that even if a country is big, it will perish if it is warlike. Moreover, our national strength has not yet recovered, so we should be more cautious."
Even a powerful country will perish if it is warlike. With the current national strength of the Song Dynasty, it is difficult for us to even start a war, let alone be warlike.
Zeng Gongliang stepped forward and said, "But the great victory in Xihe has given our army absolute initiative on the western front, and we must not give it up. Although it is not appropriate to go any further at this time, we can first consolidate the Xihe area, and then gradually recover the old territory in the Central Plains."
He was one of the few prime ministers who supported the Xihe border expansion strategy. He believed that if we need to fight, we have to fight. If we keep shrinking, who will we fight if others don't?
Having said that, these prime ministers have actually made certain compromises, and they are just putting on a show for others.
Zhao Xu nodded and said, "What you said makes sense. We must immediately reward the Xihe soldiers according to their merits to maintain the morale of our army. We should not show weakness to the outside world, so as to prevent those with ill intentions from taking advantage of the situation.
At the same time, the country should quickly eliminate its ills, restore national strength, and improve people's livelihood to avoid such a situation from happening again."
"Your Majesty is wise."
A group of prime ministers said in unison.
These words indicate that the country's focus should still be on the country, and external expansion should be paused for the time being. However, the homeland that has been conquered must be defended, and military deterrence must be maintained in the local area.
Anyway, let's just take a step back.
We will not continue to launch foreign military campaigns, but we must all work together to consolidate our control over the Xihe area.
Zhao Xu glanced around and said, "Is Judge Zhang here?"
"I am here."
Zhang Fei subconsciously raised his hand at first, but when he realized something was wrong, he quickly put his hand down, stood up, and bowed.
Zhao Xu didn't care about these things and said, "Envoy Wang Xuanfu highly praised Judge Zhang's achievements in Hezhong Prefecture. Would Judge Zhang be willing to go to the northwest again for me to build a public security, procuratorial and judicial system in Xihe Road?"
Zhang Fei said confidently: "It is my honor to be able to share your majesty's worries. Of course I am willing to go."
Zhao Xu said happily: "Then do you have the confidence to govern Xihe Road well?"
"I am absolutely sure."
Zhang Fei said confidently.
Everyone looked at him sideways, wondering if this guy was really that powerful.
Or are you planning to do something crooked again?
Zhao Xu hurriedly asked, "What good plan do you have?"
Zhang Fei said: "In fact, the key to governing Xihe Road lies in how to remove the military power of the local chieftains. As long as their military power is removed, the local situation can be stabilized."
When these words were spoken, many ministers were frightened and their faces turned pale.
"You are just being reckless."
Chen Shengzhi immediately said: "Those chiefs have hundreds of thousands of soldiers under their command. How could they be willing to be relieved of their military power? If you do this, it will only cause more chaos in the area."
Zhang Fei said very forcefully: "If you don't make a decision when you should, you will suffer the consequences. We know the root cause is here, but if we don't deal with it, how can we govern the area well?
If we wait until they rebel, the price we pay will be even greater, so we might as well strike first. And there is no need to say this explicitly, because those chiefs will definitely break the law, and as long as the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs punish them severely, we can use this opportunity to get rid of them. "
These words frightened Meng Gansheng and the others so much that they were dumbfounded.
They want Zhang Fei to die, but if you do this, all the achievements of Xihe may be destroyed. This is not just sending oneself to death, but leading us all into the ditch.
"Severe punishment or no mercy?"
Zeng Gongliang, who was still unaware of the situation, couldn't help but say, "You make it sound easy, but how can they just sit there and wait to die?"
Zhang Fei said: "When Hezhong Prefecture reduced its military, many people also expressed concerns, but what about now? Nothing has happened. The public security, procuratorial and judicial organs can quickly gain the support of the local people. As long as the people support them, even if they rebel, they will not last long."
Lu Huiqing stepped forward and said, "Judge Zhang, we should take this matter step by step and not rush it."
Zhang Fei said: "My suggestion is based on the fact that they have violated the law. If they have violated the law and they are not punished, then the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems will be difficult to build. This is killing the chicken to scare the monkey, killing two birds with one stone."
The atmosphere was very awkward for a while.
This judge is so fierce.
Is it possible?
The risk is a bit too great!
Zhao Xu also pretended to be conflicted.
Of course, he also wanted to remove the military power of those chiefs, but the problem was that it was simply impossible at the moment.
Sima Guang saw that Zhang Fei had almost finished his performance, so he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, although Judge Zhang is extremely talented and his attainments in law are beyond comparison, Judge Zhang lacks experience and has never fought in a war. He still needs some training."
Zhang Fei said depressedly: "Master Sima, I am actually very sure."
Sima Guang frowned and said, "Shut up."
Zhang Fei scratched his head in frustration.
Zhao Xu quickly took advantage of the situation and asked, "What suggestions does Sima Xueshi have?"
Sima Guang immediately said, "I think we can send Lü Dajun from Lantian County and Fan Zhen from the Legal Aid Department of Hezhong Prefecture."
Lu Huiqing's expression changed, and he immediately stood up and said, "Neither of these two people is suitable. Lu Dajun is just a country gentleman, and he has made no achievements in governing the country. It is difficult to convince the public.
As for Fan Zhen’s words, humph, he made up rumors and slandered the new policy last time, how can he use them again? "
Sima Guang stroked his beard and smiled, "Although Lü Dajun is a country gentleman, he is familiar with the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems, and proposed the Lantian Countryside Agreement, which resolved the contradiction between the country law and the public security, procuratorial and judicial systems. This shows his accomplishment in legal studies.
Xihe Road was a place where Tibetans, Qiang people and Han people lived together, and his talents were very suitable for the situation in Xihe.
As for Fan Zhen, he is an imperial censor, and he can report to the court as soon as he hears the news. What is wrong with that? Now he works diligently in the Legal Aid Department, seeking justice for many people. At the same time, he has been an official for decades and is experienced. He is also good at dealing with various crises faced by the people, which is what Judge Zhang does not have. "
Liu Shu immediately said: "Your Majesty, the advice of Wang Xuanfu is not a one-day effort, but the current situation is that the local people are facing a survival crisis and need comfort and relief, and in this regard, Fan Zhen has made remarkable achievements.
The government must first help the local people out of the crisis and provide them with a stable environment before they can engage in trade. Otherwise, if bandits are everywhere, no matter how appropriate the policies are, trade will not be possible. "
Many old friends from Fan Town came out to express their support.
Zhao Xu nodded slightly.
Lu Huiqing was a little anxious and couldn't help looking at Wang Anshi.
Wang Anshi stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, what Judge Zhang said just now makes sense. The local chiefs are used to enjoying autonomy. If the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs are involved, it will probably cause dissatisfaction among them. I suggest that we first plan a major trading town in the local area, and then try out the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs in this town, which can also avoid conflicts."
The reformist minister's tense expression relaxed a little.
This is equivalent to drawing a circle to bind Fan Zhen and others.
But in other words, it means agreeing to let Fan Zhen and others go.
The conservatives are not sure about this, and they are happy to accept your drawing a circle.
The two sides finally reached an agreement on this issue.
"This matter will be fully entrusted to Sima Xueshi," Zhao Xu made the decision.
Sima Guang immediately stepped forward and said, "I obey your command."
Zhao Xu suddenly said, "As for Judge Zhang, Lord Fu once suggested that Judge Zhang should temporarily serve in the Beijing Procuratorate, because Qingzhou is undergoing debt restructuring, and this law was proposed by Judge Zhang, and the Legislative Council also needs his assistance. I also think that what Lord Fu said is very right, Judge Zhang, you should temporarily serve in the Procuratorate."
Zhang Fei reluctantly cupped his hands and said, "I obey your command."
"This concludes today's meeting."
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