Fenghou

……

The Bianliang Imperial Palace was also in chaos at this time. Li Hengbing approached the city, scaring the puppet Qi Emperor Liu Yu into a pale face. He was anxious to give up Bianliang and move the capital to Jinan, but was dissuaded by all the ministers.

In the imperial study room, Prime Minister Zhang Xiaochun and Crown Prince Liu Lin were both persuading Liu Yu to seek help from the Kingdom of Jin.

Liu Yu was silent for a while. Although he was very afraid of Li Hengbing's approaching the city, it was not what he wanted to ask Jin Guo for help. The reason was very simple. Jin Guo entrusted the Central Plains to him, but he couldn't keep it, and his existence was meaningless. , he was very worried that the Golden Congress would abolish him as a result.

Prince Liu Lin didn't think too much, he said anxiously: "The Song army made a big northern expedition and annexed the Jianghuai River. I'm afraid they will not be greedy enough and continue to go north to the Central Plains. It can be seen from the north of Li Heng's army that they will not stop. Yu Huaihe, father, we cannot stand up to the three Song armies alone, we must seek help from the Kingdom of Jin."

Zhang Xiaochun also persuaded: "Your Majesty, we have spent a lot of resources to support Jin Guo's Sichuan-Shanxi strategy, but the Central Plains region has not invested enough. Jin Guo also knows this. If we can't resist the Song army's attack, we can only withdraw all our troops. Shanxi, Jin Guo will definitely not agree, then Jin Guo has an obligation to support us, explain this stake to them clearly, they will definitely come to the rescue, others don't need to come, but Wan Yanchang will definitely come."

"All right!"

Liu Yu finally made up his mind, "I'll send someone to Wan Yanchang for help!"

……

Most of Chengji County in Qinzhou has been repaired, [-]% of the official buildings have been built, and there are still a small number of official buildings and private houses that have not been completed. At this time, the autumn harvest has already begun.

Last year, Deshun Prefecture was hit by a drought, which reduced its production by [-]%. This year, it has resumed its previous grain production, and Qinzhou has sufficient water sources. As long as there is no military disaster, normal farming will not reduce production.

At this time, the peasants went home to collect wheat, and at the same time, the Song Army also began to recruit troops. The conditions were very favorable. For the compensation money, add [-] acres of farmland. If you are killed in battle, you will be given [-] yuan of compensation money and an additional [-] acres of farmland.

The conditions made people very tempted. In just a few days, 6000 people were recruited. Chen Qing handed over the training to Niu Gao who had just been transferred back from Chengji County.

Chen Qing appointed Hu Yantong as the military envoy of Gongzhou and led [-] troops to garrison Huaixi County. He appointed He Zongshen as the military envoy of Deshun Prefecture and led [-] troops to garrison Longgan County.

This person, Chen Qing, has a total force of 3 troops and raises his own food, but the military salary of [-] guan per month is borne by the Xuanfu envoy of Sichuan and Shaanxi.

Immediately after most of the projects in Chengji County were completed, Chen Qing finally had an official residence that matched his status. The official residence covers an area of ​​about twelve acres and is divided into three courtyards.

Lu Xiu was five months pregnant and was showing signs of pregnancy. This morning she brought a group of women to see her new house.

It was Lu Wei, the county magistrate, who was their guide. He led the crowd to the gate of the mansion and said with a smile: "Actually, it's not finished yet. The street has just been paved with stone slabs, and the outer walls need to be repainted. The interior of the house has not been fully completed, mainly the back garden, I just took a look today, if we really move, I am afraid we will have to wait another month."

Lu Xiu pursed her lips and said with a smile: "Second Brother, we are just here to take a look. If we really want to move, we have to clean up for half a month!"

"Okay! I'll take everyone into the mansion to have a look."

Lu Wei led everyone into the mansion, and he smiled to everyone: "The layout of this mansion is very regular, I don't want to introduce everyone to know, the entrance is the screen wall, and the aisle leading to the atrium at the back, the door on both sides enters, and the servants are on the left There are dozens of houses, and on the right are kitchens, warehouses, stables, etc., but the stables must be entered through another door from the outside, and we are going to the atrium now."

Lu Wei led the crowd to the atrium. There was a big flower bed in the middle. A big tree should be planted, but it has not been planted yet. The front, back, left, and right are spacious, just like the square in front of the main hall of the temple.

"The front of the atrium is the main hall, and on both sides are the living room and various living rooms, dining halls, etc. There are more than a dozen rooms, and the focus is on the courtyards on both sides."

Lu Wei pointed to the side doors on both sides in the distance and said with a smile: "There is a courtyard on each side, usually the Military Academy and the Staff Academy. It is said that he has no staff, and the Eastern Staff Academy is for Lay Yi An. A small door leads to the back garden."

Lu Xiu suddenly remembered the most important thing, and hurriedly asked: "Second brother, is there a well in the mansion?"

Chapter 422 Housekeeper

There is no way in Ganquanbao, they have to go to the river to fetch water, but if Chengji County is still the same as Ganquanbao, their life will be sad.

Lu Wei smiled slightly and said, "There are eight wells in the entire mansion!"

"Eight wells?"

This answer surprised and delighted Lu Xiu, her water-deficiency anxiety could be cured.

There was still a strong smell of paint in the backyard, so they didn't go in.

Walking out of the mansion, Lu Xiu asked again with a smile: "Will you pay attention to what I asked Li Mei to tell you?"

Lu Wei nodded, "Little sister, you can have a baby with peace of mind! Don't worry about it."

Li Qingzhao suddenly asked: "Xiu'er, are you looking for a teahouse for me?"

"Exactly, I asked my second brother to find a shop!"

Only then did Lu Wei realize, "It turns out that Mr. Yi An wants to open a teahouse!"

Lu Xiu smiled and said: "My master feels bored. Once we discuss it, why don't we open a teahouse, so we can have a place for recreation."

Lu Wei nodded quickly, "No problem, I'm looking for a large two-story shop in a good location. Should the second sister rent it or buy it?"

Lu Xiu nodded, "I want to buy it. If I move in the future, I can still sell it."

"I see. I have a lot of empty shops on hand. The price is based on the market price, but the location and shop are up to you to choose."

At this time, a middle-aged couple came over and bowed to Lu Wei, "See the county lord!"

Lu Wei pointed at the two of them, and said to his sister Lu Xiu: "This couple is the second butler and housekeeper of Wang Huai's mansion in the former Tongpan. With so many servants, he introduced the butler couple to Jiedushi, who said he would let you decide."

Lu Xiu was a little embarrassed, "But we haven't hired maids yet."

"Don't worry about this. This is not Ganquan Castle. It's easy to find maids. Usually, the housekeeper is first ordered."

Chen Qing told his wife that after they moved to Chengji County, they would no longer be able to live like Ganquanbao, and had to return to a normal life. Like Lin'an, Lu Xiu was already mentally prepared.

Lu Xiu asked with a smile: "May I ask Steward Tian how expensive you are this year?"

Steward Tian did not expect Mrs. Jiedushi to be so young. It is said that she is the granddaughter of Lu Xianggong and the sister of the magistrate of Lu County. Five years younger than the villain."

"How long have you been in the Wang family?"

"The villain has been in the Wang family for 20 years, and Zhuo Jing has been in the Wang family for 15 years."

"Who else is there?"

"There is a son and a daughter, both of whom are already married. They have grandchildren. They are just two years old. The son is doing a small business in Qingshui County, and the daughter is married in this county."

Lu Xiu was about to ask why she didn't take care of her grandson at home, but on second thought, she must have wanted to earn money to subsidize her son.

Lu Xiu asked her elder brother again in a low voice: "Does my husband agree?"

Lu Wei nodded, "Wang Huai introduced him, saying that he has a very good character. He has worked hard for 20 years and never made any mistakes. The housekeeper is also the same. She doesn't talk much, but she is very kind. Your husband thinks it is good!"

When Lu Xiu heard that her husband agreed, she didn't object anymore, and asked with a smile: "How do you calculate your salary? What other benefits are there? I'm more familiar with Lin'an and Bianliang, but I don't know much about Qinzhou. , Tell me about it!"

Lu Wei rolled her eyes at the side, she didn't care about anything at home, and she was familiar with Lin'an and Bianliang?Familiar with a ghost!

Steward Tian said calmly: "The villain has five pennies a month, and the clumsy one has three pennies a month. At the end of the year, there will be a little reward, one to two months' salary, and the rest is board and lodging, clothes, shoes, and then Take a day off every ten days, in fact, the villain can't rest for a few days a year, and the master rewards you for this, which is a kind of compensation."

Lu Xiu thought for a while and said: "You are the steward of the Jiedushi's house, of course it can't be the same, you husband and wife count ten pennies, I will separate you a small courtyard in the vestibule, everything else is the same, but I have a rule! "

The Tians were overjoyed, and hurriedly bowed and said, "Madam, please tell me!"

"My mansion is not allowed to bring outsiders to live, whether it is you or other servants in the future, this is the first rule."

"We understand!"

Of course they understand that the Wang family is the same, the rules of the big family.

"The contract is signed every three years. If we want to leave and you can't follow, I will compensate you."

"Thank you ma'am!"

Lu Xiu immediately signed an employment contract with the couple in the living room of the atrium. The government has a fixed format for this kind of employment contract, so as to save the trouble of going to the government. .

Lu Xiu smiled and said: "You should know that I am pregnant, and I will work hard for you in the future."

"Please rest assured, Madam, we will definitely do our part well."

Lu Xiu laughed again: "Next, I will entrust you with two things. Help me recruit servants. Of course, I will decide in the end. You help me find more people to choose from. In addition, buy furniture and various daily necessities for me. , the east courtyard is where my master lives, and I will also buy it together, so you can show me the list first."

"No problem. I'm looking for the largest furniture store in Qinzhou. They usually come to consider arrangements. They have experience."

After a pause, Steward Tian said again: "This time the Wang family dismissed more than 100 maidservants, many of whom were good, like the two cooks, who were especially good at making pasta. There is an old grandson who drives a carriage. He has been driving a carriage for 20 years and is very stable. Mrs. Wang likes to ride in his carriage. If Liang escaped, he would not die if he planted a tree, like a big tree in the courtyard, he has to take care of it.”

"Okay! Bring them all to show me, if I think it's good, I'll stay."

At this time, Wen Shi, the housekeeper who had been silent all this time, smiled and said, "I know two very experienced midwives who are well-known in Qinzhou. They both opened their own shops. Let me show them to Madam!"

She doesn't talk much, but a single sentence can touch people's hearts. Lu Xiu immediately fell in love with this housekeeper, she is so caring!Know what you need most?

"Then trouble Butler Wen."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the housekeeper and his wife got up and said goodbye.

Lu Xiu smiled at Li Qingzhao: "I'm a little tired, why don't we go back!"

Everyone got into the carriage and drove to the camp outside the city.

……

During this time, Chen Qing didn't allow his wife to go to the market. The environment there was terrible, all kinds of mess, and now the Dow sisters accompanied Yu Ying and Yu Lian to buy vegetables.

During dinner, Lu Xiu talked about the housekeeper, she asked: "How did the husband and wife housekeeper get fired?"

Chen Qing said with a smile: "Wang Huai's father passed away, and his brothers, uncles and nephews began to divide their families. Wang Huai didn't want to fight with his uncle, so he gave him the ancestral house, and moved to Longxi County by himself, bringing only the old housekeeper and a few His uncle had servants himself, none of the servants in his elder brother's house were used, and all of them were dismissed. Wang Huai felt very guilty, so he introduced Tian and his wife to me. That’s right, you just need to hire him.”

Lu Xiu frowned and said, "But Steward Tian told me that at least 30 maids are needed. Does my husband think so many are needed? There are four servants. We don't need servants in our house!"

Chen Qing smiled slightly and said: "There are many kinds of maids, those who are rough, those who do laundry, those who boil water, those who help in the kitchen, and those who help in the kitchen, and there are also maids in the inner house. I also want to arrange two personal maids for Zhao Qiaoyun. Do the laundry by yourself, she is the Empress! I will be stabbed in the back by everyone in the world."

"Qiaoyun needs it, but you won't arrange a maid for each of Yu Ying and Yu Lian, will you?"

"The two of them don't need it, and the male servant also needs it. The physical work needs the male servant to do it. Anyway, two times a month are not expensive."

Lu Xiu was a little embarrassed and said: "Husband, I promise to give each of them an extra money."

Chen Qing laughed, "I thought you would bargain and give them a discount!"

"Then why, I'm not that mean. It's fun to buy vegetables and bargain, but how can I deduct the wages of the servants?"

"Okay! What's the matter tomorrow, lady?" Chen Qing asked again with a smile.

"Master and I will go to the teahouse tomorrow."

Chapter 423 Xuechuan

Early the next morning, Chen Qing came to the Internal Affairs Battalion. The Internal Affairs Battalion is also called the Third Scout Battalion. It is a special organization dedicated to finding and eradicating enemy spies. One is stationed in Longgan County, Deshun Prefecture, and the other four are in Chengji County.

In the past few months, Wang Hao and his internal affairs battalion have not been idle, actively looking for enemy spies in Chengji County, mainly the puppet Qi army spies and Xixia spies.

"Beizhi has found six clues related to the Xixia people, and has sent people to monitor them separately. It is estimated that the spies of the Xixia people are among them. The trouble is the puppet Qi army. Beizhi has not found any clues so far."

"Could it be that the puppet Qi army hasn't had time to set up an intelligence point?" Chen Qing asked tentatively.

Wang Hao shook his head, "The puppet Qi army has been paying attention to us, how could it be possible not to arrange an intelligence point, the humble job probably already existed, it should be a shop, restaurant or something like that."

"Then do you have any directions to look for?"

"The humble official intends to investigate from the pigeon letter or eagle letter, including the Xixia people, but this requires the cooperation of the government."

"They will definitely cooperate. Go to Jiang Yanxian and he will arrange it. But now I am more concerned about the Xixia spies. The Xixia people are increasing their troops to Lanzhou. They will definitely strengthen the intelligence collection of Chengji County. This is their tradition of."

Wang Hao thought for a while and said: "We already have a highly suspicious target called Xuechuan Restaurant. The humble job has sent two people to apply for their buddies, but there is no evidence yet."

"Isn't his name the evidence? The Xixia Army stronghold in Gong County is called Baichuan Restaurant, and this place is called Xuechuan Restaurant. Isn't it interesting?" Chen Qing laughed.

"That's right! Xixia people are sometimes a little silly, maybe they thought they would be exposed!"

"It's not stupid, it's their belief!"

Chen Qing said lightly: "In fact, they all have the same name as Yinchuan Restaurant."

Chen Qing stood up and said, "Let's go and see this Xuechuan Restaurant!"

"A lowly job is afraid of scaring the snake!"

"Don't worry, I asked Jiang Yanxian to accompany me to patrol the city normally!"

……

The most prosperous place in Chengji County is called Sima Bridge. Jishui passes through the city and finally flows into the Wei River. Sima Bridge is a small bridge on Jishui. It is located at the intersection of East Street and West Street, so this area is called Sima The bridge is the busiest commercial place in Chengji County, and next to it is Simaqiao Wazi, which is the busiest business.

Lv Xiu brought her master Li Qingzhao, junior sister Zhao Qiaoyun, sister-in-law Li Mei, and Yu Ying and Yu Lian to Simaqiao under the escort of the Tao sisters. She and her elder brother Lu Wei made an appointment to visit the shop here.

After reading Master Li Qingzhao's sad words, Lu Xiu decided to do something for Master?Chen Qing reminded her to find something for Master, such as opening a restaurant or teahouse, giving half of Master's share, and she will be busy when she has business sustenance.

Li Qingzhao refused at first, but she couldn't resist Lu Xiu's insistence, and finally agreed. Although she likes to drink, she prefers to open a teahouse.

Lu Xiu still used her husband's privilege to find a shop in the best location.

"This way!" Lu Wei waved to them not far away, and they made an appointment to meet here.

When they came to a shop that had just been built, Lu Xiu smiled and said, "Second Brother, is this the place?"

Lu Wei pointed to a two-story shop behind him and said: "It covers an area of ​​two acres. It was originally the land of the county government. It was an open space. This time, a new shop was built together. The Simaqiao Wazi is diagonally opposite, and it is a little to the east. It's state school."

Lu Xiu looked towards the opposite side, and the other side was a restaurant with a large signboard with four big characters 'Xuechuan Restaurant' written on it.

"Master, why is this restaurant called Xuechuan Restaurant? Is there an allusion?" Lu Xiu asked with a smile.