The Little Officials of the Song Dynasty

Yun Yan went out from the Kaifeng government office with three pennies of money in his pocket, because he got up early and the office hadn't opened yet, so someone yawned and opened the door for him.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Yun Yan asked him with a smile.

The man glanced at his new colleague and lazily said, "Who can sleep well recently?"

Yunyan nodded back and went out the door.

All the way to the fish market, it was prosperous. Fresh fish were transported to Bianjing overnight. In order to buy good fish, many people got up early.Yunyan went back to find a fish stall, squatted down and looked at it for a while, "Bring me some small hairy fish."

The vendor used wicker sticks to thread small fish, a total of six strings, Yunyan took them back and handed the money to the vendor.

Then, Yunyan went back with six strings of small fish, and walked to the pet street where he used to help his senior brother buy cat food.Along the street, I saw many shops with kittens and puppies, and there are many rare breeds.

On the way, I saw a family with a litter of pastoral raccoon cats, lively and cute, Yun Yanhui walked in.

Seeing Yunyan holding Xiaoyu in his hand, the boss greeted him with a smile: "Mr. Xiao Lang wants to take the cat home?"

Yun Yan nodded back, "The house is plagued by rats, hire some kittens to go home."

People in the Song Dynasty regarded raising cats as marrying a concubine, and those who were more particular would use salt or small fish as a dowry gift, and then bring the kittens back.Lu You wrote "wrapping salt to welcome the little raccoon slave", the raccoon slave refers to the cat, who picks up the cat from the owner and sends salt to the owner.

If you buy it from a cat dealer, you have to give a small fish to the mother cat. For example, in Huang Shanshan's poem "I heard that the raccoon slave will count his sons, buy fish and wear willows to hire cicadas", which describes this custom. Like raccoon slave, it is also another name for cat.

Yesterday, when Yunyan came back, she found out from Bao Xing that there was a rat infestation in the government office in Kaifeng recently, especially ferocious, making everyone unable to sleep at night.It's just that no one has the time to pick up some raccoon slaves, or it's too troublesome, no, this has caused some people to complain this morning.

Yunyan's work started from here.His engagement is not an engagement of a dowry gift, but an engagement of an invitation.

"Look, the yellow raccoon has the best talent for catching mice, and his parents are also good at it. The first few litters have been taken to guard the warehouse. There is no agreement." Cat, that also has some background.

"I think it looks good." These kittens are also about six months old, which is close to the juvenile period of human beings. At this age, the mother cat has already taught some skills, and it is the time to be active.

Yunyan paid back the money to the boss, and took back a litter of six kittens with their cages.

Cats are the most lethargic. Yun Yanhui was afraid that they would make trouble in a new environment, so she asked for a black cloth to cover them, so that they could feel more secure.A few cats are also very generous, and they huddled together and fell asleep.

Yun Yan walked back to Kaifeng Mansion with the six cats in her arms, and went to Bao Zheng's place.

"What is this? Did you buy it with three pennies?" Bao Zheng asked, still a little impatient, very curious about what happened to the first thing Yunyan returned to. We will be careful and try our best to do it well.

Gongsun Ce on the side couldn't help poking his head, wondering what was under the black cloth.

"I haven't spent all the money for the three rounds. This is a warm-up." Yun Yan turned back and uncovered the black cloth, "Helped six rat catchers for you-to mention the food affairs of the Kaifeng government office, and to supervise the three rats. Rat infestation inside and outside the hospital. The monthly money only needs to be a few bowls of leftover rice, and a few small hairy fish as rewards."

The six raccoon cats who were woken up by the jolt opened their sleepy eyes and yelled softly at the young man of Kaifeng Mansion, "Meow~~"

All of a sudden, one after another, it was so lively.

Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce were dumbfounded, and after a long time, Fang burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay," Bao Zheng laughed and wiped away his tears, "On the first day of taking office, I wrapped my clothes in salt and fish and hired a rat catcher. Brother Yan did a good job, and it is indeed imminent. But, you didn't do this new look. ?”

"Don't worry, Shaoyin. I said it's just for warming up. There's still money left for the three strings." Yun Yanhui also laughed, "For the rest of the money, I want to hire people and cars to spend all the flowers and plants planted in the government office. Pulled out."

As I said before, Kaifeng government also has to manage environmental greening.The greening in the city of Tokyo is particularly well done.Peach, plum, apricot and pear trees and various flowers are planted beside the main road. There are lotus flowers in the river ditches, and elms and willows are planted on every river bank, not to mention the love of seasonal flowers in the capital.Song people's love for gardens made them turn the whole of Tokyo into a large garden.

Just imagine, with such a climate, can the greening in Kaifeng government office be bad?

But Yunyan said back to now that she will pull out all the flowers and plants in the government office!

Hey, if this is completely pulled out, wouldn't the green area in the government office really be "renewed"?

Bao Zheng was also a little puzzled, "You, what are you doing uprooting all the flowers and plants?" Although the court has no control over the flowers and plants planted in the Kaifeng government office, if it is really bald, it will definitely be called in by the officials for questioning.

"Pull it up and sell it to the garden garden, and buy rapeseed and vegetable seedlings for the money," Yun Yanhui said with enthusiasm, "Then the place where the flowers and plants used to grow, all grow vegetables! I eat part of it myself, and sell the rest money!"

Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce: "..."

There are a lot of green spaces inside and outside the government office in Kaifeng, totaling dozens of acres. Imagine if that piece of green grass turns into vegetables...

Bao Zheng shook his head again and again: "How did this happen?"

"Why can't this be allowed?" Yun Yan asked back, "Did the imperial court explicitly prohibit officials from growing vegetables in the government office?"

Bao Zheng: "No, but government offices are government offices, and farmland is farmland..."

Yun Yan replied: "The grass is green, and the vegetables are green. How can we say that we have changed the land into farmland, and it is obviously used to grow vegetables for greening! Isn't this very pleasing to the eye?"

Bao Zheng: "..."

Yunyan thought back, Bao Da, if you travel to a later time, you will find that the government agencies in the Song Dynasty are full of vegetable fields.At that time, inflation was so severe that officials had to grow their own vegetables and be self-sufficient.

Don't you see, if you plant well, there is still surplus that can be sold to earn some money to supplement public expenses!

Or how to say that the people of the flower growers are talented in growing vegetables, and they can grow vegetables anywhere.

Bao Zheng's head is getting bigger. Although there is no explicit order to prohibit it, it feels inappropriate when he hears about it.

Don't blame him. When vegetable growing became a common practice in the late Northern Song Dynasty, the emperor at that time also felt that it was inappropriate and felt that it was a loss of majesty.But because I couldn’t stop it, I had to turn a blind eye in the end. It’s okay to grow vegetables, but I can only eat them myself, and I’m not allowed to sell them.

When Gongsun Ce heard this, he had a flash of inspiration and said: "The students think this method is good, and it is a good way to increase income and reduce expenditure. Planting vegetables in the mansion, one is that the vegetables and fruits will be self-sufficient in the future, and the other is that the mansion is not only overstaffed, but also The busyness of the various Caos is very different, there are many punishments and household affairs, and the officials of the scholars and Caos only approve books and have nothing to do."

Criticism is to write documents and certificates in various formats.

Among the six Cao Caos in this mansion, the main function is that the Merit Cao is responsible for assessing officials, sacrifices, rituals, music, schools, hospitals and other affairs. Fields, houses, taxes, etc., Bing Cao is in charge of military defense, guards of honor, etc., and Fa Cao is in charge of discussing laws and adjudicating punishments. Compared with Shi Cao, it is indeed the most leisurely.

Gongsun Ce also agreed with Yun Yanhui's idea, because in this way, before the imperial court adjusts the functions of the Cao Caos, even if you can't do anything about them, at least they can play some role.

Yun Yanhui added another sentence: "Even busy officials, don't they want to dig and water the soil to exercise their muscles and bones after work? I think this can also be used for exercise. Where is the space? Raising some flowers and plants, it takes manpower to water and fertilize, and there is no benefit. If you grow vegetables, it will be much more affordable. Our government’s land is still so big and so much..."

Yunyan went back to Baba and talked a lot. Bao Zheng listened and felt that he was about to be persuaded!It seems that what they did in the past was a waste, and they were all sorry for Bianjing's every inch of land and money!

"This matter is slow...let me think about it," Bao Zheng paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, thought for a long time, and finally said, "Although there is no express prohibition, I still can't cut it first and then play it. I will enter the palace today and ask the officials! "

Yunyan turned back and said, "Then remember to be more pitiful, and mention how pitiful the deserted land is!"

Bao Zheng wanted to say, what a waste!The land of the government office is used for office work, if you don't grow vegetables, it will be deserted!

Yun Yan thought back to himself, the posthumous title of today's official family is Renzong, what is "benevolence"?Just soft-hearted!It is said that he was able to endure thirst all the way back to the palace because he found that his servants did not bring water and was afraid that they would be punished if he asked for water.

To change the emperor, Yun Yanhui had to weigh it up before he could come up with this idea.

……

In the afternoon, Bao Zheng really changed his clothes and went to the palace to see the officials. He mentioned that he hoped to use fruits and vegetables for the greening of the government office. money.

Renzong was really different from other emperors, and was deeply moved, "Aren't the peaches, plums and fruit trees planted next to the imperial street? .”

Bao Zheng sweated for a while, but he didn't expect that this would become a worry for the country. He was really embarrassed, blushed and kowtowed to Jun En and went back.

……

"...So that's the case, the officials agreed." Bao Zheng said.

After hearing the news, Yunyan was less stable than usual and more lively. She said in high spirits, "From now on, we will grow vegetables according to the order!"

Bao Zheng: "..."

Gongsun Ce couldn't help wiping off his sweat, "Brother Yan, the officials only agreed to let us exchange fruits and vegetables for flowers... Wouldn't it be a little cheeky to claim to grow vegetables by order?"

Yun Yan replied seriously: "Sir, just let me have a good time, can you?"

"..." Gongsun Ce said speechlessly, "Okay..."