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Chapter 390: Inspecting the Manor (Part 2)

There were no walls around the manor, but a one-foot-wide irrigation ditch was dug to surround the entire manor. They walked along the ridge path toward Gushan, and Manager Jin introduced the situation of the manor to Guo Song.

"We here, like other places in Guanzhong, have three crops in two years, one season of rest, two crops of winter wheat in two years, and one season of rice. The water and fertilizer are pretty good. It should be a good harvest year. The yield per mu can reach three tons of wheat.

Even if there is a bad year, the yield of two stones and five buckets per mu is still stable."

"How to deal with the grain harvested every year?" Guo Song asked.

Manager Jin shook his head and said: "Usually it is purchased by the government, and the price is half of the market price. It can also be sold to grain merchants, but the price is actually not much higher, and it is also troublesome."

"What kind of trouble?"

"The main thing is to be picky and picky. Sometimes they think the wheat grains are not full enough, and sometimes they think they are not dried. They try every means to lower your price. Unlike the government, they don't care about anything and just transport bags away. However, the biggest problem with the government is that they can give you money.

It's slow, and it usually takes several months. It's not like the grain merchants who pay on the spot. It has pros and cons."

"Is there any food in the warehouse now?"

Manager Jin shook his head, "The government thought that the wheat harvested last year belonged to Huangzhuang and transported it away. Now there is no food in the warehouse. You have waived the rent for the autumn grain. It is estimated that there will be no food until the wheat harvest in the summer.

"

"Guanshi Jin is the only person in charge of the manor?" Guo Song couldn't help but feel a little surprised when he found that he had no entourage.

Manager Jin gave a wry smile, "I'm the only one at the moment. If anything happens, I'll ask the young people in the village to help."

"Is Manager Jin still serving in the county government?"

"I used to work as a clerk in the county government for two years, and I didn't do well. Ten years ago, I was sent to manage Huangzhuang, and I was basically disconnected from the county government. You also know that in the county, in addition to the county magistrate, the county magistrate

, except for the county captain and the chief bookkeeper, the others are all petty officials, who get a few coins a month and just go about their lives."

"How much is Manager Jin's monthly salary now?"

"The county gives me five guan of money every month and nothing else. Then during the New Year and festivals, the people in the village will give me some chicken, duck and fish meat. It is a little benefit to work in Huangzhuang. I have a sick old mother at home and no wife."

There are things to do, my son and my daughter are only eleven or twelve years old, and life is very tight."

Guo Song pondered for a moment and said, "Go to the county and resign as manager! Then I will continue to employ you at a salary of twenty guan per month and double salary at the end of the year."

Manager Jin was so excited that his voice changed, and he stammered: "I'm afraid... if I resign, the county government will send a new manager."

"No! After I return to the capital, I will send someone to the county to take over the manor. Then Manager Jin will go to Jubao Pavilion in Dongshi. Jubao Pavilion will officially hire you. From now on, you will actually be the manor steward sent by Jubao Pavilion. You understand me

Do you mean it?"

"I understand, the envoy of this manor actually entrusted Jubao Pavilion to manage it."

Guo Song smiled slightly and said, "That's right. I will be away from the capital for a period of time, so Jubao Pavilion will manage it for me."

........

Guo Song wanted to go up the mountain to take a look, but Manager Jin quickly ran to the village to find a young man to carry him. Xue Tao asked with a smile: "Do you believe this Manager Jin?"

Guo Song smiled and said: "I know how to read people. Generally, such manor stewards are afraid of the manor owner communicating with the villagers, fearing that some of their activities will be exposed, but this steward Jin took the initiative to bring the villagers to me, and I found that

The villagers looked at him without fear or dissatisfaction, which shows that he is usually a good person and the villagers recognized him, so I decided to continue to employ him. Otherwise, how can I know the truth and lies based on his words?"

Xue Tao praised: "My husband's eyes have become sharper."

"Thanks to my wife's praise, I feel like my bones have lost ten pounds." Guo Song said with a smile.

Xue Tao spat, "Smooth talker, if I praise you a few more times, you can fly directly up the mountain."

Guo Song chuckled, looked up at the mountain, and said with a smile: "What do you think I want to go up the mountain to see?"

Xue Tao thought for a moment and said, "Could it be that your husband wants to restore the villa on the mountain?"

Guo Song clapped his hands and said with a smile: "That's right. It's too hot in Chang'an in summer, so you can come here to escape the heat."

Xue Tao's beautiful eyes sparkled with brilliance. She had lived in the capital since she was a child. Of course she knew that summer in the capital was difficult. Rich families built ice walls to cool down, while rich and powerful people went to manors to escape the summer heat. She felt that that kind of life was too far away from her.

I didn't expect that I could come to my own manor to spend the summer like a powerful person.

She couldn't wait to go up the mountain and have a look.

At this time, Steward Jin rushed over with seven or eight young men, carrying three pairs of shoulder carts, with thick coarse cloth mats on top, and a sheepskin blanket to cover them, otherwise the feet would be too cold to bear.

The jianyu is the predecessor of the sedan, but it does not have a sedan, just like the sliding pole used when going up the mountain today, but it is wider and more comfortable.

The ice and snow on the mountain had just melted, and the ground was muddy and slippery. Xue Tao was wearing a long skirt, so it was inconvenient to go up the mountain. She and Aqiu got on a shoulder cart and were carried up the mountain by a few young and strong men. Guo Song did not need a shoulder cart, he

Follow your wife.

At first, Xue Tao was not used to it. The bumps on her shoulder made her tightly hold onto Guo Song's hand. After going up a slope, she gradually got used to it and let go of her husband's hand.

"Your Majesty, this solitary mountain is more than one hundred feet high and covers an area of ​​about two thousand acres. It was originally called Bailu Mountain, which means white egret. During the Shenlong period, white deer appeared here, so it was renamed Bailu Mountain. Emperor Ruizhong came here.

Twice, he liked this place very much, so he gave it to his eldest daughter, Princess Huo. When Princess Huo was alive, she would come here every summer for vacation. After her death, no one has been here, and no one has been here for more than 30 years.

Take care of it, the mountain roads are broken down, you could drive a carriage up there before."

Manager Jin introduced them to the past here, while Xue Tao was looking at the surrounding scenery. The ancient trees were towering, the ravines were deep, the birds were chirping crisply, and from time to time, little squirrels could be seen jumping around on the trees.

"Husband, look, that's a little monkey!"

Xue Tao suddenly saw a little yellow monkey behind the tree and shouted in surprise.

Guo Song also saw it and turned around to ask Manager Jin, "Will the monkeys here attack people?"

"Generally, you don't provoke them, and they won't attack people, but they will go to the fields to steal vegetables. Last year, a family planted an acre of radishes. Before they grew up, monkeys stole all of them overnight. I heard that

Princess Huo’s jewelry was stolen by them before, but the locals don’t like them very much anyway.”

"Can this mountain road be repaired?" Guo Song asked.

"Of course you can. If you want to repair the other courtyard on the mountain, you can repair it together with the mountain road. The mountain road is ready, and the main thing is to compact it firmly, and the carriage can drive up to the top of the mountain."

Guo Songjian saw that the mountain road was winding up, relatively slow and suitable for carriages.

Not long after, a group of people went up the mountain. Xue Tao got off the carriage and staggered a little. Guo Song quickly supported her.

"It's just that after sitting for a long time, my feet are numb from the cold."

Xue Tao turned around and asked Ah Qiu, "A Qiu, are you okay?"

"My feet are also a little numb, but... I can still walk."

"Then let's go in and take a look. If we walk around for a while, our feet will no longer feel numb."

Xue Tao took her husband's arm and walked towards the other courtyard. Aqiu was a little scared and followed them closely.

The exterior wall of the courtyard looks good, it is made of bricks, but the wooden door head and gate are rotten and collapsed, which looks a bit scary. There are two small stone lions on both sides of the gate, covered with moss, but

It can be seen that the carving is lifelike.

Guo Song secretly admired the local people's simple customs. For more than thirty years, the two little lions have not been moved away.

Entering the gate, a dilapidated scene suddenly appeared in front of them.

The roofs of most of the buildings have collapsed, and a dozen or so houses on the left still have signs of burning, with charred beams and blackened brick walls, leaving only a broken wall.

The fish pond was filled with melted snow water, and the edges of the pond were covered with moss, turning the water in the fish pond into a turquoise color.

The gaps in the wall were covered with withered weeds half as tall as a person. They walked towards the inner courtyard. The inner courtyard was also dilapidated. There was not a single complete room. However, Guo Song unexpectedly discovered that the ground was well made.

There is not a single weed on it, and the stone slabs are perfectly jointed. There is not a single crack in it after more than 30 years.

He became interested, and carefully studied the wall that had not collapsed, peeling off the gray-white mortar, revealing large pieces of green bricks, which were laid very tightly. The bricks were high-quality green bricks, and the bricklayers were also very good.

"Husband, this villa seems to be very strong!" Xue Tao also discovered the special beginning of this villa.

Guo Song nodded, "I guess it was built according to the standards of a royal palace. Didn't Emperor Ruizong also live here? It should actually be a palace."

Guo Song then said to Manager Jin: "You are responsible for restoring the road up the mountain. How much money is needed? Apply to Jubao Pavilion. You can leave the other courtyard above alone. I will arrange for the abbot of Qingxu Palace to invite famous craftsmen from the capital.

Repair, ordinary craftsmen can't repair it."

Guo Song originally wanted to visit the village, but it was already getting late, so he could only wait until next time. Guo Song took his wife on the carriage and headed for Jingyang County. It was obviously unrealistic to return to Chang'an now, so he could only stay in Jingyang County.

Stay one night and return to Chang'an early tomorrow morning.

Guo Song had already sent his follower Zhao Xiu to book an inn first. Zhang Lei had been to Jingyang County last time when he was injured. Guo Song knew that the best inn in the county was called North Inn, which was a branch of a famous inn in Chang'an.

When it was getting dark, the carriage slowly drove into Jingyang County.


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