Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

All the expenses of the banquet that Lu Ci attended tonight were borne by the Qinzhou Minister's Treasury, and its scale was naturally determined by the amount of money left in the treasury.

Even though Qinzhou is far less wealthy than other states and is often stretched, but this year's envoy money has only been distributed not long ago, so no matter how you say it, it won't be spent so quickly.

Lu Ci's idea was silently rejected when he actually arrived at the banquet hall.

Because the prefect position of Fenzhou had been vacant for a while, when he took office, no one hosted a banquet to welcome him.Therefore, he is inexperienced in welcoming and sending off banquets.

Not to mention that this short banquet also served the function of sending Cao Wei to his post, so it should be more grand.

Even so, he could easily see that the welcome and send-off banquet was really shabby, even compared to the birthday banquets of some wealthy and noble families in Beijing, it might not be as good.

Cao Wei came earlier and had already taken his seat at the main seat. When he saw Lu Ci coming, he immediately got up and greeted him, led him to sit on the vacant main seat next to him, and politely poured him wine.

While exchanging casual greetings, Lu Ci had already noticed that Cao Wei's vaguely scrutinizing eyes had been falling on him.

He smiled slightly, first took a sip of the wine in the cup, tasted the hotness coming from the tip of his tongue, and said without changing his face: "Why is Cao Zhizhou scrutinizing me so carefully?"

Cao Wei laughed and admitted straightforwardly: "To tell you the truth, I'm actually a guilty conscience. I know that this banquet will not go well, and I'm afraid you will be annoyed."

Lu Ci smiled: "I'm not going to hide anything from Cao Zhizhou. Big fish, big meat, good wine and good wine, I enjoyed a lot during the month when I returned to my hometown; and during the wasted months of waiting for assignment in Beijing, I didn't miss it. Use less; if I value those things, I won’t be in a hurry to rush here.”

That's not true, in the past few years, the grandpa has tasted almost all the restaurants, restaurants and teahouses in Beijing, and he is getting tired of it.

It's time to get out and walk around.

Di Qing nodded secretly, scooped a bowl full of Qinzhou specialty chicken shredded wontons from the big basin very naturally, and concentrated on filling them on the small table in front of Lu Ci.

Cao Wei felt more and more that although Lu Ci was a civil servant, he didn't have the airs and bad temper of a civil servant at all, and he didn't even have the slightest intention to look at him as an old man, so he couldn't help but feel happy.

He drank a cup of yellow soup, saw that there was still more than half of the cup in Lu Ci's hand, and knew that the other party probably didn't like drinking, so he didn't go to remind him, but said frankly: "Let me be honest with you again, the one in Curry I have already spent more than half of the envoy's money. Excluding the money used to prepare this dinner, there is still a neat 35 pennies left."

Qinzhou is a military frontier anyway, so the imperial court naturally dare not forget that it allocates three hundred guan of public money every year.

Moreover, compared with other prefectures, Qinzhou is located on the border, and few officials come here, which saves a lot of reception expenses. In any case, it should not be spent so quickly.

Lu Ci didn't show any surprise, but calmly accepted the fact, nodded and said, "Thank you Cao Zhizhou for speaking out."

On the contrary, Cao Wei became curious: "Why don't you ask me where I sent all the money?"

Lu Ci smiled: "Speaking of local posts, although I have only stayed in Fenzhou for about a year, I also know that some states and counties on the border will use part of the minister's money as incentives for the emperor and soldiers, and reward generals and schools. In my case It seems that Cao Zhizhou doesn't even care about his beard and hair, and insists that he is a very extravagant person, I am afraid no one will believe it; judging from your experience of guarding the frontier state for several years and not returning to the capital, it is said that you are lucky to make friends and think of yourself It is also nonsense. In this way, the real whereabouts of the money can only be spent on soldiers."

The smile on Cao Wei's face was even wider, and he said sincerely: "As expected of the Wenqu star of Sanyuan Jidi, you are all right. But for me, it is a great fortune to be transferred from this place and reunite with my family. To you As far as you are concerned, it is not a good thing. Among other things, the big hole in the envoy's money that the unkind Cao Qian Zhizhou left for you is not so easy to fill."

As soon as he arrived in spring and summer, most of the envoy's money was gone, and the remaining half of the year was a headache because he didn't know how to deal with the expenses, so the timely wind of transfer came, but left a mess for the successor.

Rao Cao Wei thought he had a thick skin, so he was a little embarrassed to face this kind and good-tempered young man at this time.

Lu Ci didn't blame him, but said gently: "Cao Zhizhou is serious. I can easily get out the turnover of three hundred guan."

He didn't really donate it. In the future, because he didn't separate public and private money, he would get into trouble again later.

For this kind of small disadvantage, he only needs to temporarily 'borrow' three hundred guan from Qinzhou's minister's treasury, and when the turnover is over, he can get back the three hundred guan, and he will be able to solve it easily, naturally it will not be troublesome.

Cao Wei breathed a sigh of relief, and toasted a glass of wine to Lu Ci: "Then I really have to thank you for being willing to clean up this mess for me."

Lu Ci can choose to help him out, or he can choose to bring this matter to the fore.

Once an accident happens to the former, Cao Wei will certainly not be able to escape, and Lu Ci will definitely be implicated; the latter will allow Lu Ci to be picked clean, leaving Cao Wei alone.

Even though it is unlikely that Cao Wei will be convicted because of this, in the mouths of Taiwan officials, it is often that nothing happens, and small things become big. Who knows, it will be distorted into some monsters and monsters in other people's mouths.

Cao Wei has been looking forward to returning to Beijing for so many years, and he really can't stand more twists and turns.

In front of Lu Ci, after learning the truth, he knew what he had to face, but he didn't hesitate to help hide it. Cao Wei couldn't help feeling a little grateful.

"It's not worth the effort."

Lu Ci smiled, bowed his head and drank it down in a big way to Cao Wei's face.

Seeing that after Lu Ci drank the toast, he just played with the empty cup casually, and Cao Wei also reciprocated, pretending not to notice, instead of urging people to fill him up, he beckoned people to use their chopsticks.

Waiting for a table full of meat and vegetables to eat, Cao Wei also drank more and more wine.

But at this moment, when he looked at Lu Ci who was tall and thin but damn edible again, his eyes were inevitably very different from before.

"You don't have a lot of meat, how can you be so powerful?" Cao Wei's face was flushed, he was a little drunk, but he was still not drunk, so he moved closer and stared at Lu Ci, admiringly said: "I'm old, no It seems that you used it a lot when you were young, but in this barracks, I have never seen a few more powerful than you."

Lu Ci thought to himself: That means you were at the same table with me, not Di Qing, otherwise it would be an eye-opener.

Cao Wei didn't wait for Lu Ci's answer, he already took another sip of wine with emotion, and naturally looked at Di Qing who was quietly sweeping the food on the table under the two steps.

After freezing on Di Qing for a moment, he looked at Lu Ci again, and said solemnly: "Lu Zhizhou, young and promising!"

Lu Ci was inexplicably praised, and Cao Wei had already looked at Di Qing enviously, and added in a blunt way: "When I was your age, I didn't have such a big son! It's better to be a martial arts practitioner at first sight." Seedlings!"

Di Qing: "……………………"

Hearing this, he was caught off guard, and almost vomited a mouthful of blood on the spot, so as to spray it on the forehead of the eyeless and grinning general.

Lu Ci was also dumbfounded by Cao Wei's random judgment.

In truth, as the one who took advantage, he still mostly wanted to laugh.

But seeing that Di Qing was already full of black air, he wisely stopped smiling, and tried to explain calmly: "Cao Zhizhou misunderstood, that is the younger brother I recognize, not what you think."

"Oh." Knowing that it was a misunderstanding, Cao Wei couldn't help being embarrassed, and after a while he added, "No wonder, I just wondered why I don't look like you."

Lu Ci: "..."

Did he almost become a cuckold brother?

When the atmosphere was subtly condensed, Cao Wei, who knew he had said something wrong, coughed a few times, and hastily changed the subject: "If your younger brother is interested in martial arts, you might as well look for Li Chao from the Spirit Shooting Camp..."

Lu Ci knew that he was also very embarrassed, so he thanked him softly, which virtually resolved the situation just now.

Only Di Qing, who was depressed in his heart, was still brooding.

he!How could he be mistaken for the son of the grandfather's family!

What kind of general is clearly blind!

Di Qing was so angry that he completely forgot the longing in his heart when he read Cao Wei's past brilliant achievements. He felt sour and angry, but he had nowhere to vent.

Especially since he was too young, Lu Ci didn't allow him to drink, and he couldn't even use wine to relieve his sorrows, so he could only use goat's milk to relieve his sorrows.

To make matters worse, Cao Wei naturally asked Lu Ci's wife after the topic changed a few times: "Since you even brought your younger brother, why don't you bring other family members? Are you still on the way?"

Lu Ci replied calmly: "My mother is weak and can't bear to travel far, and she has a lot of fun running a shop in the village, so she doesn't want to go with me; several other friends who are like brothers have duties in Beijing. I can't come; Di Di has always been close to me, so naturally he will come with me."

Before Di Qing could feel some sweet relief, Cao Wei's next words tensed his nerves: "Hey!"

Cao Wei's eyes widened, and he said in astonishment, "You have never been married! Are you serious?"

He looked Lu Ci up and down, shook his head resolutely, and expressed his disbelief: "What nonsense are you talking about! Don't say that it is a young talent like you, even if the second is a few, there are countless people in Beijing who are willing to spend their money. , let me recruit you as my son-in-law, how could it be possible that you are still unmarried?"

After all, he has lived in Beijing for so many years, so he might not know how crazy the grand event of catching a son-in-law under the list is.To put it bluntly, based on Sanyuan's name alone, even if Lu Ci suffers from an inhumane hidden disease, it is absolutely impossible for him to worry about marrying.

I really don't know how Lu Ci escaped from those unpredictable siege and interception?

Di Qing didn't show any emotion on the face, but the alarm bells were already ringing in his heart, and he was on high alert.

He can also be said to be experienced--if this topic continues, it will probably only develop into a follow-up of Cao Wei enthusiastically listing the girls who are waiting for a wife among his friends and holding a red thread with Fang Yuelao!

Even if the grandfather had his own idea, it was basically impossible to agree, and he would be told to suffer along with him.

Just when Di Qing was burning with anxiety, but didn't know what to do, Lu Ci smiled and did not change Cao Wei's question.

He unhurriedly filled a glass of wine for people, and then changed the topic calmly: "Compared with these trivial matters, what I want to ask Cao Zhizhou is the reason behind your active rewarding of the sergeants at the beginning of the year." , but is it related to some frequent changes in the northwest direction recently?"