When the three palace attendants saw Fan Jinian, they all prayed for blessings.
Before Fan Jinian could speak, the fat and fat kitchen maid begged: "Mr. Fan, I have been working in the inner garden for eighteen years. I have worked very hard and have never made any serious mistakes. Everyone can eat the palace food cooked."
Everyone was full of praise, the saints back then..."
Before she could finish her words, Fan Jinian looked impatient. The eunuch next to him saw this and shouted loudly: "Do you understand the rules? How can you speak now?!"
The kitchen maid shrank her head and did not dare to say anything.
Fan Jinian shook his head and asked Zhou Jun, "Erlang?"
The latter stood up, came to the kitchen maid, and first asked her name.
Zhou Jun was not wearing official robes. Seeing that the eunuchs around him were very respectful to him, the kitchen maid dared not hesitate to reply: "In the palace, I call my maid Hu Wuniang."
Zhou Jun asked again: "You have been serving in the Shangshi Division for eighteen years?"
Hu Wuniang: "Yes."
Zhou Jun asked her some more about cooking, and Hu Wuniang answered fluently. Occasionally, she would have fantastic ideas or unique secrets.
After asking, Zhou Jun nodded, and then came to the second palace man.
The second palace lady, named Dong Yanniang, is a female official who is responsible for the manufacture of high-end supplies in the palace, as well as the maintenance and repair of treasures.
Zhou Jun saw that she had been hiding her right arm behind her back, so he asked.
Dong Yanniang had no choice but to lift her sleeves and saw a large burn scar on her right arm.
Dong Yanniang added: "In autumn, when the palace porcelain was painted blue, when the porcelain came out of the oven, the shelf tipped over and the porcelain embryo fell on my arm. Although the fire was put out at that time and medicine was applied, according to the imperial doctor, this
My right arm is considered useless and I won’t be able to do heavy work from now on.”
Speaking of this, Dong Yanniang lowered her head and shed tears and said: "I have been working in the palace for more than twenty years. I have handled no less than a thousand pieces of utensils used in the Forbidden Garden, Taifu, Grand Shrine, and East Palace in terms of repairs and maintenance. Since then, I have handled more than a thousand items.
Don’t dare to slack off even a little bit and do your best.”
"Yanniang's relatives in her hometown have long been dispersed. If she is sent away with a broken body, she may not survive for more than half a year outside the palace. I also ask Mr. Fan to move me to another place in the palace for the sake of past friendship, even if it is just to grow vegetables.
Watering flowers, I agree."
Fan Jinian looked unbearable.
Seeing this, Zhou Jun guessed that Fan Jinian might be familiar with Dong Yanniang, or might owe her a favor.
Zhou Jun came to the third palace man again.
Granny Peng.
Looking at the palace man in front of him, Zhou Jun couldn't help but be a little surprised.
Forty-two years old, if placed in future generations, would only be considered middle-aged.
But the person in front of me, Mrs. Peng, had mottled green silk and silver hair, and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes were clearly visible. At a quick glance, it was not an exaggeration to say that she was an old man in her 60s. She thought she had suffered hardships in the palace.
Unlike the first two palace men who were submissive, Peng Po just stood there, looking at Zhou Jun calmly.
Zhou Jun lowered his head and looked at Granny Peng's palms. The latter's fingers were covered with old wounds from weaving cones, and her fingernails were deformed and concave due to long-term labor.
Before Zhou Jun could speak, Fan Jinian came over and said to the former: "Mr. Peng is a little special. She asked for deportation."
Zhou Jun was stunned: "Are you asking for deportation?"
Fan Jinian: "Although Po Peng is old, she is a female official in the Department of Clothing. She invented the weaving and dyeing techniques and tools in the department. She has contributed to palace construction, and the inner government originally wanted to keep her.
She was just a sinecure, but unexpectedly she said that she was dazzled and weak and wanted to be released from the palace."
After hearing this, Zhou Jun looked at Granny Peng again, thought about it carefully, and said half-jokingly: "I asked for deportation, not for myself, but for other things, right?"
When Granny Peng heard this, her face showed a little surprise, but she soon regained her composure.
Zhou Jun calmly returned to his seat and whispered to Fan Jinian who came over: "Mr. Fan, I looked at the Kan book. This year, Chang'an City demobilized 1,200 people, the eastern capital Luoyang demobilized 900 people, and other places also demobilized 900 people."
There are more than a thousand people together. How did these people get their citizenship?"
Fan Jinian said: "Except for a few palace people who escaped from humble status due to their merits and became Tang citizens, the vast majority of them were released from slaves to miscellaneous households."
Zhou Jun: "Since it is placed as a miscellaneous household, how will the private and official houses be accommodated?"
Fan Jinian: "It's easy to enter the officialdom. You just need to greet the Yeting Bureau, the official office, and the state government in advance, and then just transfer your registration."
Zhou Jun: "What about the private workshop?"
Fan Jinian: "There are many restrictions for palace maids to move into private houses and become miscellaneous households. First of all, there are clear laws on food supply, medicine and wages. They must not be lower than the prescribed standards, otherwise it will be against the rules."
Zhou Jun nodded and said: "This involves the royal family's face, of course."
Fan Jinian: "Secondly, according to Tang law, there are limits on the number of private households and guest daughters according to official rank and grade. If a family has too many miscellaneous households and guest women, it is also against the rules."
Zhou Jun frowned and asked, "The second one is a bit troublesome."
Fan Jinian said with a smile: "Ordinary families can include at most five or six miscellaneous households and guest daughters. Even if it is a princely family, the number is only over a hundred. Compared with the first one, the second one should not be a problem."
Zhou Jun looked around.
Fan Jinian saw this and knew that Zhou Jun had something to say in private, so he ordered the eunuchs and palace attendants to leave the room.
Zhou Jun said to Fan Jinian: "To be fair to Mr. Fan, there is a new city in Bachuan. It is being expanded and needs a lot of manpower. These dismissed palace people can just fill the gap."
Fan Jinian scratched his head and kindly said to Zhou Jun: "Erlang, our family doesn't understand. Instead of accepting the retired older palace servants, why don't we hire more girls? Firstly, we can save a lot of food and medicine expenses, and secondly, we can hire more young ladies."
The person who comes here is strong and strong, and is far better than the palace people."
Zhou Jun: "Although it is good to hire people, they are all novices after all. Training them takes a long time, not to mention that because these people are free agents, they may work for a year and a half, then resign and go away. Bachuan still has to
Find another hired worker to take your place."
"The miscellaneous households who were laid off by the palace servants are different. They signed a contract with Ba Chuan as maidservants, and are considered as lowly households. They are not allowed to leave without permission from the master's family. This saves them the trouble of finding hired workers.
"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Fan Jinian heard this and felt that this reason was practical, but he still advised: "Erlang, please calculate this account clearly. If the palace servants are hired as miscellaneous households, then the monthly expenses will be
Food money is not a small amount, and if it is defaulted, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will not just sit idly by and ignore it."
Zhou Jun nodded: "The grain money will be distributed in full. Fan Gong does not need to worry. It's just that the Tang law limits the number of households in private houses...?"
Fan Jinian stood up, paced back and forth in the room, and kept thinking.
Finally, he stopped and said to Zhou Jun: "The arrangement for dismissing the palace servants has now become a major concern in the palace, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been having a headache for a long time. Besides, Bachuan is the private property of Pang Gong, and Pang Gong
The Duke is also a highly respected elder among the chamberlains, so it is the best thing to arrange the dismissal of the palace servants in his name. We will write a note tonight to clarify the interests and risks involved."
After Zhou Jun heard this, he took a long breath, first thanked Fan Jinian, and then said: "This matter is of great concern. Jun will go back to Bachuan Villa tomorrow to explain the twists and turns to Mr. Pang, and then seek his consent.
"
Fan Jinian said: "This matter requires Pang Gong's approval. If he agrees, Erlang will come to inform us, and our family will jointly sign with several other internal servants to hand the certificate to the palace and ask for permission to settle the household."
Zhou Jun raised his hand and thanked Fan Jinian.
The latter was still worried and emphasized again to Zhou Jun: "This time, the number of people dismissed from the palace is three thousand. Even if only one-tenth is taken and turned into a miscellaneous household in a single private house, it will be a big loss."
This is something that has never happened before in the Tang Dynasty. Erlang should act cautiously. Whether it is money, food, or residence, he must arrange it in advance and don't let anyone talk about it."