Kuizhou Fucheng is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with various types of houses lined up in rows and extending upwards. The southern city wall is on the embankment near the river, while the government office is on the top of the hill, and a pavilion with a view is built.
Standing on the attic and looking down, you can clearly see everything from the riverbank ferry outside the city wall to the restaurants and shops that can be seen everywhere in the heights. Behind the government office is the north gate, which leads directly to the lotus pond.
It is the official residence of the governor of Kuizhou.
The huge height difference in the city means that it does not have the square shape of Chang'an, nor the distinct districts and cities of a large city, nor the numerous defensive fortresses, nor even a fixed market. Instead, it is full of vitality and vitality, and
A strong and abnormal commercial atmosphere.
Pedestrians, cars and boats are constantly coming and going, and porters transporting goods are everywhere.
The ferry on the river embankment was very large, and there were many fleets of boats filing in. There were several rows of large and small boats parked along the shore. The watermen were unloading the goods on the boats, and the porters in the city were queuing up to pick up the goods and bring them into the city. There are also many fishermen and boatmen who use special square stoves to light fires and cook meals on their boats.
It can even be said that the entire Kuizhou City is a giant market!
Breathe with vitality.
Fang Chongyong looked at this beautiful scene in the attic and felt quite emotional.
"Guarding a golden mountain and still complaining about poverty is like rotten wood that cannot be carved."
Fang Chongyong sighed softly and said.
Zheng Shuqing was a bit beyond his expectation. In Fang Youde's eyes, maybe this was a real corrupt official, but in Fang Chongyong's view, such local bureaucrats were rare to encounter in the feudal era.
No one can transcend the limitations of the times.
But the really powerful one is Li Linfu behind him! All the governance strategies in Kuizhou were inspired by Li Linfu behind his back.
Fang Chongyong yawned and didn't close his eyes all night. He asked Zheng Shuqing about the people's sentiments in Kuizhou that night. A strange thought suddenly popped into his mind:
It has been a month since the customs duties were robbed. It is hard to imagine that the central court during the prosperous Tang Dynasty would not deal with Zheng Shuqing's loss of the customs duties at Kuizhou Jiangguan! Not to mention that the misappropriation of customs duties was half a year ago!
What is certain is that not only Li Linfu knew about this matter, but it can even be judged that Li Longji must also know about it.
However, until now, Zheng Shuqing is still firmly serving as the governor of Kuizhou, and no one has taken him down! This can show that this matter is within the scope of the imperial court's tacit approval, and may even be "not a big deal at all."
!
Fang Chongyong had a conjecture in his mind, but he was not sure. Because it was too arrogant and bizarre, beyond the limits of what people could imagine. But various signs kept pointing to that conjecture, making him extremely anxious.<
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Fang Laique was taken hostage by Zheng Shuqing. Within three days, Fang Chongyong had to find a way to make money... He knew very well that he got this opportunity because his father Fang Youde was the supervisory censor, so Zheng Shuqing was willing to cooperate.
, if I were just an ordinary civilian, I'm afraid I would have been brutally murdered by now.
A high-ranking official is in charge of the military and civil affairs of a state. Who is willing to be at the mercy of a child with no official position?
Before breaking out, Zheng Shuqing can give Fang Youde some face. This is the rule of officialdom.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Suddenly there was a loud drum sound in the city!
"The Liao people burned the mountain!"
"The Liao people burned the mountain!"
"The Liao people burned the mountain!"
Someone in the government office shouted at the top of his lungs.
Following these shouts, as if they were feeling something, the pedestrians who were still wandering around in the city entered the nearest wine shop in an orderly manner, while the porters rushed to the ferry.
The streets that were originally bustling with activity became deserted in an instant, and all kinds of shops closed down in a very short period of time.
"So you're still here, which makes it easier for me to find you."
Zheng Shuqing's voice came from behind, and he seemed to be relieved. Fang Chongyong turned around and said to him: "I see that all industries in Kuizhou City are prosperous, and it is not difficult to make up for the customs duties. I already have an idea, but I just need time to verify it.
”
Hearing this, Zheng Shuqing was overjoyed. He didn't care about his superiority or inferiority. He grabbed Fang Chongyong's arm and said excitedly: "Come on, come on, come with me to watch the show. If the officials make trouble, watch us kill them!"
Are the officials making trouble?
Fang Chongyong was startled. He was very suspicious. Because he had little education, Governor Zheng was treating him as a fool. Just now he saw the residents and tourists in the city calmly ducking into the house, so he knew that something like this would happen every three days. Zheng Shuqing probably
Do you think you can gain military merit by just doing it casually?
This is not Lingnan or Annan! This is the throat between Shu and Jingxiang, the core place where Han people live!
Why are the officials causing trouble, and you are not afraid of the wind blowing your tongue?
"Zheng Shijun, false reporting of military exploits is a serious crime. The imperial court did not pursue the case in the past and regarded it as a child's play. This does not mean that it will never pursue the case."
Fang Chongyong retorted unceremoniously.
Being straightforward and forthright about what he has to say will make Zheng Shuqing put down his guard and not say "This coin is very valuable, so I can't keep it" after the matter is done.
Sure enough, anger flashed across Zheng Shuqing's face, and he immediately explained: "The elite soldiers of Dongyang Mansion (Fu Bingjun Mansion) in Wushan County, east of Kuizhou City, do not listen to the orders of this governor. Only the unified troops in the city can be of great use.
Rebellion by officials often happens, but our government still has its merits in protecting the territory."
The implication is that Lio people often cause trouble, but in fact they can't accomplish anything. I just go to brush up my presence. I don't get any credit, but I still have my hard work.
"Your Majesty, in Kuizhou, as long as political achievements have nothing to do with money or silk, they can be ignored. Why would you sacrifice the big for the small?"
Fang Chongyong looked at Zheng Shuqing helplessly and asked, Zheng Shuqing couldn't see things that he could see. Didn't the court know that there was no "military disaster" in Kuizhou? If he didn't have any military merits, he would just go and get it.
The door is jammed.
"How can you, a childish kid like you, understand the ways of being an official? Why don't you keep silent!"
After being exposed by someone's words, Zheng Shuqing scolded with a calm expression, feeling relieved in his heart.
A child prodigy is a child prodigy. He speaks freely and has no taboos. It is nothing to worry about. When he arrives in Chang'an, he can be manipulated at will.
Fang Chongyong sighed softly and listened to others' advice. Eat a full meal. This governor Zheng is really not very good at thinking. He had already learned last night that the situation in Kuizhou was extremely wrong! He and Zheng Shuqing stayed up all night
Talk in detail and get a clear picture of the situation here!
Not to mention that Kuizhou has many mountains and few fields, the "red lotus rice" grown in the hundreds of hectares of paddy fields near mountain springs is actually a royal tribute, and not a single grain of rice is left to the locals! Officials directly appointed by the imperial court are responsible for daily routine
Management, harvesting and shipping are beyond the hands of Zheng Shuqing, the governor of Kuizhou.
Governor Zheng also wanted to know what the red lotus rice tasted like. When he was in Chang'an, he once heard a clan member say that after eating a meal made from red lotus rice, there was a fragrant aroma in the bowl of rice that lasted for a long time.
Disperse!
What a luxurious experience!
Of course, let’s not mention the glamorous goods like red lotus rice. It’s just that the Tang Dynasty now implements a “renting and payment” system. There are fixed amounts for how much grain and cloth each household pays!
Ordinary people in Kuizhou Prefecture don’t even have land, or they don’t have enough land, so how can they pay rent?
The court did not stipulate that people who did not have land did not have to pay rent. As long as the court's "account book" said that you had land, then you must have land!
As for whether it actually exists, that doesn’t matter. At least that’s not an issue that the central government needs to be concerned about!
However, the locals in Kuizhou seem to be living quite well, because ordinary people here eat fish and mountain products every day, and rely on the food supply from Shu and Jingxiang to make up for the food gap. There is no rice produced but there is rice in the government treasury.
, commercialization to the extreme!
In a simple summary, Kuizhou is a slash-and-burn primary industry, the secondary industry is mediocre, and the tertiary industry is abnormally prosperous.
Except for red lotus rice, the rice produced here has no competitiveness in the fierce commercial competition and has sadly withdrawn from the stage. Anyone who has some ideas is not willing to farm!
That's why Fang Chongyong believes that as long as there is no war, the only meaning of the Kuizhou government's existence is to make money!
Whoever can make money and provide enough money to the court is a good official! If he can provide more money, he has outstanding talent and can be admitted to Chang'an and the central government.
Zheng Shuqing thought that he would be able to do business by "defending one's territory and making meritorious service". That would be a lot of fun for a middle school boy.
Last night, Zheng Shuqing personally admitted a "secret", which was the content of his father Fang Youde's complaint to the court:
The account books about money and food in Kuizhou Prefecture are all fake! And they are so fake.
The local rent mediocrity cannot be collected at all, and the rosters in the account books are all fabricated! Many of them don't even match the head count, but the total number does!
Kuizhou cannot implement the court's tax policy mechanically. If it is forced, the government will force the people to rebel!
Every year in the past, local people used their earned money to buy grain and cloth shipped from Jingxiang and Shu in the capital of Kuizhou, and handed it over to the government as a rent! This is also one of the important reasons for the commercial prosperity of Kuizhou.
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Although Kuizhou's aquatic products are developed, they do not have fresh-keeping technology. They can only eat them themselves and cannot sell them at a high price. The result of this is that the city's catering industry is extremely prosperous, providing enough meat for travelers to and from Shu.<
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As for the local specialty linen, it has to be sent to Shu and Jingxiang in exchange for a lot of money. Who among the locals would spend their time weaving ordinary cloth and hand it over to the court!
Linen, a specialty of Kuizhou, is loose, breathable and comfortable. It is especially suitable for wearing in the hot and humid Sichuan region and Jiangnan. In fact, Zheng Shuqing's official robes were also made of this kind of linen, rather than silk official robes like other places. p>
The account books of Kuizhou Prefecture are fake, but the taxes handed over are real, so nothing has ever happened! In other words, Zheng Shuqing, including his predecessor and the previous governor, were all using wrong methods.
The right thing to do, and the court assessment only depends on the results!
Whether it is a real rent or a "rent" obtained by residents buying goods in exchange for money, these goods will not have names or the way to get them.
Is it really just the people in power who have caused this phenomenon? Who is holding on to the mediocrity that has been implemented for a hundred years?
Fang Chongyong didn't know how to answer this question.
After Zheng Shuqing received Li Linfu's instructions, he went a step further and only accepted copper coins and gold. Then he used the money to purchase large quantities of cloth and grain from merchants in Shu and Jingxiang, and finally transported them to other places for business via the Yangtze River and canals. p>
Kuizhou has prosperous water transportation and many merchants. It is easy for locals to buy copper coins and even gold and silver, so there is no problem of difficulty in collecting money.
The government purchases in large quantities and spends less money to buy more things. The wholesale price is always lower than the retail unit price. This is the same truth from ancient times to the present. As for where the extra money goes, this is a secret. Don’t ask more.
, don’t say too much, don’t mention too much!
Those are the "legitimate income" of the bureaucracy. Even if someone sues Li Longji for the money he earns through his own skills, he will not win! Of course, Li Linfu will not let this happen, he will take the bulk of it himself!< /p>
It has always been a gray area when the government comes forward to "earn the price difference" and who gets the "profit". This kind of behavior is legal to a certain extent in this era.
In order to strive for political achievements, Zheng Shuqing collected taxes. In fact, he only collected 90% of the imperial quota in exchange for official reputation! Fang Chongyong believed that in the eyes of the people of Kuizhou, perhaps Zheng, the governor, was a good person and a self-proclaimed incorruptible man. Only a virtuous father is a bad person.
In the future, Zheng Shuqing gained popularity in Kuizhou and showed his "financial management" ability to the court. It is also foreseeable that he will naturally enter the center and develop his ambitions under the protection of Li Linfu.
Good and evil in the world are so complicated sometimes!
Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh and sigh.
However, if Uncle Zheng is really going to fly to the branches, he has to sort out the tariff mess in Kuizhou.
No matter what era, operations such as forging account books are illegal! If the secrets of Kuizhou Mansion are "revealed", Zheng Shuqing will have to shed his skin even if he doesn't die. There are many things that can be done but cannot be said!
Therefore, the governor Zheng was also controlled by Li Linfu!
While thinking about trivial matters, Fang Chongyong was taken to the north gate by Zheng Shuqing. He saw a group of lightly-armed infantry coming towards him. They were wearing Liuhe boots on their feet, wearing a black crotchless robe, carrying a knife at his waist, and holding a folding weapon. Crossbows, carrying arrow pots on their backs, each holding fifty arrows.
Fang Youde glanced at it. There were five people in each row, ten columns in total, a total of fifty people. This was the standard equipment of a team of crossbowmen in the Tang Army, but they looked a bit shabby without armor.
United soldiers are not counted as soldiers with Tang Dynasty military status. They cannot leave the state and county. After completing their military tasks, they have to go home and farm the fields. There is no salary in the army and they only care about food. With this equipment, the momentum is great. Fang Chongyong also understands them. situation.
After waiting for a long time, there were only these fifty people, plus a leading general. Fang Youde was a little confused for a while.
With such a small number of people, do you plan to treat the officials like paper?
"Zheng Shijun, the Liao people are taking advantage of the fierce mountain fire to kill each other. It would be better for us to sit on the wall and wait until the Liao people are tired of killing each other, and then intervene to mediate."
The burly general came forward and asked Zheng Shuqing for instructions.
"Shan, you have full command."
Zheng Shuqing nodded in a very business-like manner, his face expressionless.
The burly general then brought his soldiers up to the city wall. Everyone saw the mountain fire burning in the distance getting more and more fierce, with different expressions. Except for Fang Chongyong, who was a little confused, everyone else looked relaxed, and no one took this matter seriously. Taking things too seriously.
"This one was born as a martial arts scholar."
Zheng Shuqing whispered in Fang Chongyong's ear, pointed at the back of the military commander and said with teasing and ridicule. After getting along with him for a day, he felt that Fang Chongyong's prodigy was quite interesting and quite to his liking.
"His name is Guo Ziyi?"
Fang Youde was shocked. He remembered that Guo Ziyi was born in martial arts and was the number one scholar in martial arts back then!
"Guo Ziyi?"
Zheng Shuqing was stunned, then waved his hand and sneered: "What Guo Ziyi? His name is Yang Ruoxu. He offended Prime Minister Li and was sent to Kuizhou."
What can I say about Kuizhou? If you are a civil affairs official, it is easy to be promoted. It is a blessed place for local bureaucrats.
Because here there are both Jiangguan to collect customs duties, commercial ports to collect commercial taxes, and there are no wars and military expenditures. In this case, how could it be impossible to achieve the targets set by the imperial court?
Zheng Shuqing was arranged to come here, which means that he is Li Linfu's confidant and got a good job.
But for generals, Kuizhou is simply disgusting!
There is no war here, not even civil unrest! Whenever an aspiring general comes here, he can only watch the beautiful scenery on the top of the city, waiting for his youth to slowly pass by without achieving anything.
If a good man has made great achievements, he should go to the Western Regions and Tubo! No matter how bad the situation is, he should go to fight the Khitan or go to Silla and Baekje!
Li Linfu sent Yang Ruoxu to Kuizhou, which was really a classic case of playing tricks on people to death.