Emperor Renzong of the Great Song Dynasty

Jiang Ping paced in the courtyard, looking at the door from time to time.

In the morning, Nan Xia followed that Bao Zheng to the yamen, but he missed it, and Yunniang followed him.

Although his friendship with Yunniang is a bit different from that of ordinary people, and he has a deeper understanding of her than ordinary people, but because of this understanding, he can better understand how unusual Yunniang's behavior is now.

Yun Niang is not a woman who loves her children wholeheartedly, on the contrary, she is cruel and ruthless, she is the only one who respects herself, and she will never allow others to offend her.Like Bao Zheng's attitude last night, if someone else had changed, he would have been stomped in two and thrown into the sea to feed the sharks.

Every time she goes to sea, a group of sharks will follow behind her boat, just to eat fresh flesh and blood as soon as possible.

Ah no, now they are on the shore and there are no sharks, so it should be stomped in two to feed the dogs.

No matter what he feeds, there has never been a situation where he can retreat unscathed after offending her.

If you want to dominate the sea, how can you deter the heroes without some bloody means.

But Bao Zheng still exists in such a complete way, which makes Jiang Ping have some doubts.

Even if Bao Zheng is a little different from ordinary people, let her see Lie Xinxi, and be offended like this, she should kill the chickens to make an example to the monkeys, right?

But she calmed down and happily helped Bao Zheng drive the carriage the next morning.

Could it be that she really has a spring heart?

Jiang Ping felt a chill, shaking off the goosebumps all over his body.

Not really, really not.

She must be brewing a conspiracy.

But Bao Zheng is just a small official of the sixth rank, and the red official uniform was specially given to him by the emperor, so what is there in him that is worth Yunniang's conspiracy?

Is this the tea policy?

Jiang Ping thought about it, and felt that this was the reason.

But what is the relationship between tea politics and Yunniang?

She is a sea merchant, and she has always resold silk, porcelain and treasures from the Western Regions. Things like tea can't stand the tide, and a catty of tea is only worth fifty cents. She has always been impatient to load it on the ship.

Food is even more impossible. Every inch of space on a pirate's ship is extremely precious. To load the most expensive cargo, food, which is heavy and cheap, is impossible for them to consider.

Not for food, not for tea, why did Yunniang want to get close to Bao Zheng?

You can't really fall in love with him, can you?

Jiang Ping has no friendship with Bao Zheng, but has a good friendship with Nan Xia.The man was brought by Nan Xia, and if he was really going to be harmed by Yunniang, he felt very sorry.

Just as Jiang Ping was pacing anxiously, Bao Zheng came back with Zhan Zhao and Yun Niang.

Bao Zheng was still wearing the crimson official uniform, walking hurriedly, Yun Niang followed behind him, smiling all over her face.

Seeing the smile on her face, Jiang Ping was shocked.

Not good not good, big things are not good.

Bao Zheng saw him from a distance, and hurriedly greeted him: "Jiang Yishi, please do me the next favor."

Jiang Ping went up to meet him: "If there is anything I can do for you, just ask me, it's my duty."

Bao Zheng handed over the list in his hand: "These people on the list, does Jiang Yishi know where they live?"

Jiang Ping took the list and looked around, all of them were famous people, how could he not recognize them: "These people are all wealthy merchants in Yangzhou City, not to mention me, even if you find a young boy with a long hair, you can say Find out where their home is."

Bao Zheng nodded: "That's good. Jiang Yishi, please help me send an invitation to each of them, saying that Bao Zheng, the newly appointed censor who knows the tea politics in the south of the Yangtze River, invites them to have a drink tonight, and the place will be determined." In Taibai Tower..."

"Why bother to look far away," Yun Niang said with a smile, "Little girl has tea and food here, if Mr. Bao wants to entertain guests, why not stay here with little girl."

Jiang Ping was agitated again.

Not good, really not good.

Bao Zheng thought about it for a while, and thought that his luggage was burned at the post station. If he wanted to treat guests in a restaurant, he had to pay some money, and he had no money, so he had to ask others to borrow it. do things again.

So he said: "Alright, just trouble the girl."

Yun Niang smiled and said, "It's a little girl's honor to serve the adults."

All those present who knew her true face were all terrified.

Bao Zheng instructed Jiang Pingdao: "Then ask Yishi Jiang to write the invitation first, Miss Yun is preparing the banquet, and Yishi Zhan and I will go out."

Zhan Zhao asked, "Where are you going?"

Bao Zheng said: "Nowadays the tea leaves are mature, the tea law has not yet been decided, and the government has not bought them for a long time. The tea growers feel uneasy. There will definitely be private tea sales. I will go to visit the private tea in the black market first, before I can deal with it." This year's tea harvest is somewhat known."

Zhan Zhao smiled: "Since it's all said to be a black market, how can I let you find it?"

Bao Zheng said: "That's why I want Zhan Yishi to walk with me. Zhan Yishi is known as the Southern Xia. He has been wandering in the south of the Yangtze River all year round. He must know every brick and tile in Yangzhou City like the palm of his hand."

Zhan Zhao nodded: "This is reasonable, let me take you for a ride."

Yangzhou's private tea black market is located in a dark alley. There is a small door facing the outside.

On both sides of the alley are tea growers squatting or sitting, and a large basket covered with thick felt cloth is placed in front of them.

The buyer squatted down and said that he wanted to see the goods, so he twisted a pinch of tea leaves from the basket to show to others.

Bao Zheng and Zhan Zhao pretended to be tea merchants, wandering back and forth in the alley, from the beginning to the end.

I saw that most of these tea growers were listless and dressed in rags, and even when there were customers looking at the goods, they looked as if they couldn't keep their spirits up.

Bao Zheng imitated the appearance of a tea merchant, squatting in front of a big basket: "Excuse me, let's take a look at the goods."

The tea grower squatting behind the basket opened his eyelids, twisted out a small handful of tea from the basket and stuffed it for him.

Bao Zheng put the tea leaves under his nose, rubbed them, and took a deep breath.

He can't tell the difference between good and bad tea, so he just nodded: "Not bad."

The tea farmer said sullenly: "If it's not bad, let's have some."

Bao Zheng asked: "How to sell?"

The tea farmer didn't even raise his head: "You give me a price."

Bao Zheng thought about it for a while. In the past, the tea leaves purchased by the government from tea farmers were 25 Wen per catty, but when they were sold to tea merchants, they were sold at 56 Wen per catty.Since this place is a black market, it should benefit both tea farmers and tea merchants.

So Bao Zheng said: "Thirty Wen, give me more."

He originally thought that thirty cents a catty was considered a low price, after all, it was only five cents higher than the purchase price from the government, and the tea farmers would definitely not want to sell it even at the risk of being caught by the government.

If he talks about the price with the tea farmers, he will be able to figure out the current tea market.

Unexpectedly, the tea farmer glanced at him: "Have you brought cash?"

Bao Zheng turned his head to look at Zhan Zhao, who touched his purse: "Yes, I brought it."

The tea farmer asked Bao Zheng again: "How much do you want?"

Bao Zheng said: "Do business with sincerity, you can give me more."

The tea farmer patted the big basket in front of him: "Two hundred catties, you all take it. Chenghui Liuguan money, pay with one hand and deliver with the other."

Bao Zheng was stunned: "Huh?"

He did not expect that the tea farmers would not even pay back the price.

The tea farmer said with a smile, "I only brought these today, and there are quite a few more at home. If you want more, come home with me."

Bao Zheng hesitated: "This..."

Seeing him faltering, the tea farmer suddenly changed color: "You don't want to renege on your debt, do you?"

Bao Zheng quickly waved his hands: "No, no, I just..."

"Take the six pennies!"

The tea farmer grabbed Bao Zheng's sleeve, and his eyes were a bit fierce: "Take it away after the agreement! Six pennies, not a penny less!"

Other tea farmers nearby were also attracted by the commotion here, and they all turned their heads silently, staring at Bao Zheng and Zhan Zhao.

Bao Zheng hurriedly said: "Who can bring Liuguan money with him? Or wait for me to go home and get it..."

"You said you have cash!"

The tea farmer suddenly stood up: "He wants to renege on his debt!"

The tea farmer next to him also stood up and slowly surrounded Zhan Zhao and Bao Zheng.

"Take the money! Don't try to renege on it!"

Zhan Zhao said: "Okay, old brothers, who can carry six copper coins on their body without incident, and the pendant also killed people. We don't have copper coins, but we have silver."

He reached out his hand and took out a shiny silver ingot from his purse: "Look what this is? Snowflake silver!"

The cruelty on the faces of the tea farmers who gathered around gradually dissipated, and the tea farmer at the very beginning burst into laughter: "Well, why did you make such a fuss?"

He snatched the silver ingot from Zhan Zhao's hand, hid it in his bosom, and gestured to the big tea basket on the ground: "Take it away, take it all away! Come here often in the future!"

Zhan Zhao withdrew his hand with a smile, and walked out of the alley together with Bao Zheng, carrying a two-hundred-jin basket.

Fortunately, one of them is a long-established chivalrous man, and the other is a Wenqu Xingjun with full military strength. Otherwise, I really don't know how to move a big basket of two hundred catties back.

Besides, there was a carriage waiting outside the alley, so it was impossible to carry such a big basket back to Yunniang's residence with bare hands.

After getting into the carriage, Bao Zheng wiped the sweat from his forehead: "It's dangerous!"

Zhan Zhao said with a smile: "You know the dangers of the black market? You don't even listen to how other people quote. When you come up, you will be offered a price of [-] Wen a catty. They didn't sell you a few thousand catties of inventory from the neighbor's house." , even if you have a benevolent heart."

Bao Zheng shook his numb hand: "What should I do with this big basket of tea leaves when I go back!"

Zhan Zhao said: "Isn't it all the fashion in your official circles? Since you have friendship with Mr. Fan, he is such a big official, and there must be many people in his family. You can just give him this tea, and I am grateful." He supports you in your official career."

Bao Zheng frowned: "Nonsense!"

Zhan Zhao asked, "Which sentence is nonsense!"

Bao Zheng said: "Every sentence is nonsense!"

Zhan Zhao folded his arms: "Then tell me, what kind of nonsense is it?"

Bao Zheng said: "When I first entered the officialdom, I didn't know what ice respect and carbon respect are. Even if there were, I never touched them. Master Fan and I are friends of gentlemen, and Master Fan has never accepted me. I did not ask Mr. Fan to protect me in my official career. It was indeed Mr. Fan who recommended me to serve as the Censor of Speech and Affairs in the imperial court, but this is also why His Majesty heard that I was Bao Zheng. First, Master Fan wanted me to serve in the court, so he chose a place for me to share the worries of His Majesty. If there is anyone who has supported me in official career, it is His Majesty who has supported me. If anyone is worthy of me To repay, that is to repay His Majesty. Besides, Master Fan is a clean and honest official, and there is only one old servant in the family. How can there be so many family members? Bao Zheng is just a pawn, and if he is contaminated with his tongue, he will be contaminated with his tongue. But if he is called Mr. Fan If your reputation is tarnished because of me, then I would rather be smashed to pieces than bring someone else's reputation!"

Zhan Zhao looked at him steadfastly, and suddenly smiled: "Okay, I've made you anxious, I know that you and Mr. Fan are both upright officials. Let's think about what to do with this basket of tea leaves."

Bao Zheng also felt that he had spoken too seriously, and hurriedly said: "Go back and see if Jiang Yishi wants it. I think he is dressed richly, and he seems to have a great family and career. Maybe he can go."

Zhan Zhao leaned against the wall of the car: "I can't tell."

In fact, he lied to Bao Zheng.He didn't have the person he was looking for all along chasing and killing Bao Zheng, he said this sentence on the boat, he just wanted to find a reason to stay openly and honestly.

After all, he is not a hard-working person, it is too difficult to hide on the boat every day and protect Bao Zheng's safety, it is easier to find a reason to show up.

He didn't want to protect Bao Zheng for no reason, he was entrusted by others.

Zhan Zhao has been active in Jiangnan all year round, known as Nan Xia.As long as there are Nan Xia, there will naturally be Bei Xia. Zhan Zhao also had this mentality when he first met Ouyang Chun.

As a result, the two have similar martial arts skills and congenial tempers, so they are called Wangnian friends.

Before Ouyang Chun voted for Mr. Kou, Zhan Zhao knew about it right away.He admired Kou Xianggong as a man, and he also secretly envied Ouyang Chun who was in the north and got there first.

That's right, he also thought about defecting to Kou Xianggong.

It's impossible for Ouyang Chun to come one step ahead, one mountain can't accommodate two tigers, and it's not easy for the Southern Xia to come if the Northern Xia is there, Zhan Zhao has often jumped for it.

Not long after, Ouyang Chun sent him a letter with sincere words, hoping that he would protect someone.

This man's surname was Bao Mingzheng, he was a censor, he was bold, and he used a pen as a knife to defeat a prime minister.

Ouyang Chun said, this person is about to be sent to the south of the Yangtze River to do an extremely dangerous thing, Mr. Kou wanted to find someone to protect him, so Mr. Xiang and I recommended you.

Ouyang Chun said, do you dare to come?

If there is something you dare not, Zhan Zhao will come.

When Zhan Zhao arrived in Tokyo, Bao Zheng hadn't left Beijing yet.Zhan Zhao squatted on the beam of his house, watching him and that stupid Bao Xing pack their luggage together.

After all, he was an official, but he was so poor, and he didn't even have ten taels of silver in his baggage.The boat used to go to Yangzhou was actually hired by borrowing money from someone.

Who did you borrow the money from?Of course it was Fan Zhongyan.However, Fan Zhongyan had no money, so the money was borrowed by Fan Zhongyan and a father-in-law surnamed Liu.

Then Eunuch Liu was also picky and whizzing. You said that you are a big eunuch in front of the emperor, who is pretending to be poor, and you have to say that the emperor’s family has no surplus food. After grinding and grinding, he borrowed 50 taels.

As a result, Bao Zheng hired a fishing boat, and the cabin where Zhan Zhao was hiding before had a fishy smell.

Until now he dreamed at midnight that he was a cat.

The longer he stays with Bao Zheng, the more interesting Zhan Zhao finds him.

It's interesting to realize that he doesn't want to walk freely in the rivers and lakes anymore.

What Ouyang Chun said is correct, people in the Jianghu must have a home after all.

If the sword in my hand can guard anything, I hope it can guard a piece of blue sky.

Zhan Zhao poked Bao Zheng with his elbow.

"Hello," he asked, "how much is your monthly salary?"

Bao Zheng looked at him suspiciously.

"Can you afford a guard?"