In just two or three days, the second and fourth groups of the Di Reporting Department left Jiankang one after another, heading towards Taizhou Prefecture and Guangzhou Prefecture.
These two places are one of the coastal cities with serious Japanese problems, and they are also relatively representative. As long as the Dibao Bureau establishes a foothold in these two places, it can gradually radiate to other areas from these two places in the future.
Of course, their main task in the early stage is to establish a foothold in the local area, and then they can gradually do other things for the Di News Agency.
The two teams from the Di News Department left, and eight new teams were to be created. Shen Yi was really busy for a while. Basically every day, he went to work at the Di News Department in the morning, met a group of people, and sometimes went out to the Intelligence Office. I checked the actual situation at the station and found that I had to wait until dark every day before I could go home.
After four or five days of busy work, the formation of the eighth group began to be on the schedule. To the surprise of the people inside the Di News Department, the candidate for the leader of the eighth group was not the deputy leader of the other two groups, but a man in his early twenties. A young man named Lin Sheng.
Lin Sheng was personally recruited by Shen Yi when the Di News Department was recruiting people last year.
This man was a scholar, a native of Jiankang, but he failed in the scientific examination and only passed the county examination. He was barely considered a child. Later, something happened to his family and his two elders were gone, so there was no one to support him in his studies. I heard that The Di newspaper department was recruiting people, so I came to sign up.
At that time, he thought that the Di Newspaper Division was recruiting civilians to do work such as writing articles for the Di Newspaper. In fact, most of the intelligence officers of the Di Newspaper Division also used this name when they were active outside. According to Shen Yi, That's "reporter".
However, at that time, the Di Newspaper Division had already filled up its staff of writers, so he was assigned to the selection team of the Di Newspaper Division. Because of his thin body and lack of physical strength, the internal defense coach of the team at that time almost screened him out. It was Shen Yi who personally tested him on a few sentences and recruited him into the Di newspaper department.
In the next few months, he had been working in a group of Di Newspaper Department without holding any position. However, this Lin Sheng, in the past few months, wandering around Jiankang City alone, he discovered something Little information.
Moreover, this man has read books and is very educated compared to other people in the newspaper department.
He even wrote a letter to Shen Yi, which mainly contained some articles, two of which were published in Di Bao.
After five days of busy work, Mr. Shen finally finished the things at hand. He stretched and walked out of the study door.
Behind him, followed a slightly thin young man, who was bending slightly with a smile on his face: "Si Zheng, you asked me to form eight groups. I have to give you money. This afternoon, I will go to the accounting office in Si." After paying the money, they said they wouldn’t give you a penny without your note..."
Shen Yi put his hands in his sleeves, glanced angrily at the subordinate behind him who was actually a few years older than him, and said, "Didn't I pay you a thousand taels of silver? The eighth group has just started to build , everyone transferred some people from each of the other three groups, and it only took a few days, and it was all spent?"
Lin Sheng is a handsome scholar who looks very good. He said with a sad face: "Sir, didn't you tell me to recruit as many people as possible to fill the vacancies left by the second and fourth groups? In the past few days, For a long time, my subordinates worked so hard to select candidates that they even broke their legs before they found twenty suitable people."
Shen Yi glanced back at him and said in a low voice: "How did more than twenty people spend a thousand taels of silver?"
Lin Sheng lowered his head and said: "Sizheng, my subordinates think that since we want to engage in intelligence, we can't be too rigid. The first few masters also said this when they taught us, so I thought Arrange some people from Group 8 to various walks of life, even to the homes of some princes and nobles, and let them hide there first..."
"You also know that it is not easy to enter some industries. If some big families want to enter as servants, they have to exchange money with the manager..."
"Besides, if we hide people in those big families, the monthly salary cannot be lower than what those big families give, otherwise no one will do anything for us..."
Having said this, he lowered his head to Shen Yi and said, "Also, my subordinates are also arranging for people to enter the brothels and Chu houses along the Qinhuai River."
"You also know that the monthly salary for the manpower in these places cannot be reduced. If the salary is less, they will simply go to work with others..."
"OK OK."
Shen Yi stopped and glanced back at this brave scholar. He lowered his eyebrows and said, "It's getting late today. You go back and write a list of expenses and send it to my study tomorrow. If there's anything else..."
Mr. Shen looked serious. He looked at Lin Sheng and said, "You can send people to hide in other people's homes, but you have to be smart. If there is no errand above, just let them work in other people's homes in a down-to-earth manner without making any moves."
His face turned cold: "Also, officials with residences above the fifth rank need to report to me and obtain my consent."
Lin Sheng said with a playful smile: "Si Zheng, don't worry, my subordinates all understand."
"My subordinate will write you detailed expenses tomorrow..."
………………
The next day, Shen Yi approved another thousand taels of silver for the eight groups.
By now, the second round of expansion of the Di Newspaper Division had been planned. Shen Yi spent the whole morning reading several manuscripts for the next issue of the Di Newspaper Division. By noon, there was nothing to do. Done.
After taking a nap on the small bed in the study room of Di Newspaper Division, Mr. Shen left early for the first time in a long time and clocked in from get off work.
Well...no need to clock in.
After get off work, he went shopping on Dongshi Street, and specifically went to Pen Holder Alley. When he passed by Huangshi Zhai, he took a look inside. In addition to shopkeeper Wu, there were a few new faces in Huangshi Zhai. But Xu Fu was not seen.
This is not surprising. Xu Fu is about to become an imperial merchant. He probably has a lot of things to do. Huangshizhai is not enough for him to spend time here every day.
However, there is another familiar face in Huangshizhai.
My surname is Zhang, the second among Xu Fu's five friends.
After Zhang Yi discovered Shen Yi, he invited him in very enthusiastically, calling him "young master". Shen Yi entered the store and took a look around, and found that Huang Shizhai not only sold inkstones, but also some papers and writing brushes.
Shen Yi bought a knife of Huanxi paper at the cost price, and selected two writing brushes. Then he held it in his hand and walked swaying towards the Zhang family in the north of the city.
Since there was nothing to do and Shen Yi had a whole afternoon, he walked slowly to the door of Zhang's house.
After arriving at the Zhang family, he gave his name to the concierge, and soon a descendant of the Zhang family invited him in.
To be precise, he is Zhang Jian's younger brother, who is slightly younger than Shen Yi and named Zhang Lu.
When he learned that Shen Yi was visiting the old Prime Minister, Zhang Lu first went to ask, and soon came back and took Shen Yi to the backyard of the Zhang family. Prime Minister Zhang, dressed in a blue cotton coat, was sitting under the pavilion painting landscapes.
Shen Yi didn't dare to disturb him, and waited for more than half an hour before the landscape painting was finished. Old Xiangguo added his seal, turned to look at Shen Yi, and said with a smile: "Zi Heng has been waiting aside for such a long time. I might as well give this painting to you."
Shen Yi put the Huanxi paper in his hand on the table and said with a smile: "I have long heard that the old prime minister is a master of calligraphy and painting, and today he is here."
"What a perfect combination of calligraphy and painting."
Zhang Jing put down his brush, and the maid beside him brought hot water. He washed the ink stains on his hands and smiled heartily: "When I was in Zhongshu, I could still accept this flattery shamelessly. Now that I have left and the tea has cooled, what can I say? He is excellent at calligraphy and painting, but he is shameless."
Shen Yi looked at this landscape painting and sighed sincerely: "Leaving aside his status as Prime Minister Zhongshu, Lao Xiangguo's paintings are also excellent."
Zhang Jian waved to the servants and grandson Zhang Lu beside him, signaling them to step back. Then he looked at Shen Yi and said with a smile: "Zi Heng came today not to flatter you, right?"
Shen Yi shook his head.
"The first is to visit the old Prime Minister."
"Second, I would like to ask the Prime Minister a few questions."
Zhang Jian frowned and sat down: "Let's talk and listen."
Shen Yi looked serious.
"Junior wants to know how many casualties the Qi people suffered after fighting with the Qi people for more than half a year last year?"