The predecessor who was scumbag by me was the emperor

After Shen Jia went back, she straightened out the idea of ​​running a newspaper. If the court agreed to this matter, it would not be difficult. After the sales of the newspaper increased, it could attract business and capital, so that the cost of starting the newspaper could be recovered.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it became. Shen Jia wrote a detailed plan eloquently and planned to show it to Zhao Zhang at night.

"Master Shen, do you need help?" Zuo Jiangyi asked with his head poked at the door.

Shen Jia waved to him, and handed him the budget she had written just now, "Help calculate this budget, including labor, materials, and publicity expenses, and help to make up for any omissions, and give them back to me in three days."

Zuo Jiangyi didn't even seem to respond, Shen Jia stopped him and said, "No hurry, we're all in the office, we'll settle the matter tomorrow."

"Okay, let's go back too, my lord."

As soon as Shen Jia returned to the Shen Mansion, someone informed him that Chen Zian had arrived. Chen Zian was one of his few friends. This time he made a special trip to attend his wedding. After the wedding, he was not in a hurry to go back. The family wants to say goodbye to him.

Chen Zian was a few years older than Shen Jia, and his ex-wife had died of illness for several years, leaving no children. Chen's parents must be anxious.

He went to change his official uniform, and when he went to the front hall, he saw Chen Zian being dragged by his father to play chess, and he stopped the chess when he saw Shen Jia coming over.

Father Shen obviously liked Chen Zian very much, and before leaving, he confessed: "Stay here for a meal and taste the flavor of Sichuan."

Chen Zian agreed to come down, followed Shen Jia to the outer study, collapsed on the chair after entering the door, and said weakly, "Brother Yiming, you have to save me."

"What's the matter? The girl arranged at home is not satisfied?"

"Hey, I'm almost 25, and the other party is only less than [-]. This...isn't this ridiculous? It feels like an old cow eating young grass."

Shen Jia jokingly said: "Old couples and young wives are also very good, the girl might like someone older than her, and the point is that you have compatible personalities, you can live together, age is not a problem."

"Tsk tsk, of course you married a pretty girl of your age, but if you were you, would you marry a girl ten years younger?"

Shen Jia lowered her head and smiled without answering, who would know if this kind of thing never happened?If Zhao Zhang was a few years older than him, he should still fall in love with him.

"Then what's the use of hiding from me? Marriage is a matter of parents' order and matchmaker's words. If you don't agree, it's okay, right?"

"No, I don't have a few days left in my vacation, and my family is anxious to finalize the marriage. This time, by chance, the whole family is in Chang'an, so they want to take the opportunity to get things done. The girl's family also happens to be in Chang'an. People from Chang'an."

"It's not very good. We can get together when we come back to visit relatives." Although the two are in the same class, they will be far apart in the future, and they may not see each other once in a few years.

Chen Zian shook his head and said: "The place where I took office is remote and impoverished. If my official career doesn't go well in the future, I might have to die there. If my official career goes well, I will definitely travel around. Wouldn't it be hard for a girl to follow me?"

Shen Jia disagreed with his words, "You are a majestic official, and you are also an official when you go to the local area. How can you suffer after following you? Then according to your thinking, those girls who marry ordinary people should not live."

Chen Zian glared at him, leaned over and asked him: "You are really unjust, you didn't tell me before that you and the emperor are old acquaintances, I was worried about you because you stayed in the Imperial Academy, I should have known So, why should I ask someone to find a relationship, why not just find you?"

Shen Jia smiled embarrassingly, "At that time... I had a conflict with the emperor before, it was considered good if he didn't kick me away."

"No wonder you had a disturbed conscience at that time. You must have offended the emperor. The emperor is really magnanimous."

Shen Jia nodded in agreement, but thought in her heart: I don't know if that magnanimous emperor has come. Today he mentioned the matter of the newspaper, as long as he is interested, he should come.

"By the way, I'm not going back tonight. I'm hiding at your house. If someone at home asks, remember to dismiss it for me." Chen Zian used to get along with Shen Jia more casually, but later he left him and let him out. He felt guilty for a while, until Shen Jia was reused by the emperor, his little bit of guilt disappeared.

"It's not good, you can hide for a while, but you can't hide for a lifetime." As soon as Shen Jia's words fell, a young man hurried in from outside, knocked on the door and asked, "Master, Mr. Chen's family members are looking for him outside. Something happened at home, let him go back quickly."

Chen Zian sat still, and whispered: "Look, I knew it would be like this, please decline for me, I won't go back."

Shen Jia pushed him, got up and went to open the door, and said to the boy outside: "Please come in, I'll ask what happened."

"It's useless to ask. You must have lied to me to go back."

"What if there is something urgent?" Shen Jia shook her head to express her disapproval, and reminded him by the way: "In the officialdom, don't be careless. I know you have a frank personality and are not good at calculating, but don't be calculated by others."

Chen Zian sat up straight, and said with a serious expression: "I really have something to ask you this time. I wonder if it's convenient for you to disclose who are the officials involved in Yu Yushi's case?"

Shen Jia paused, stared at him and asked, "What are you doing asking about this?" Chen Zian had only been an official for more than a year, so it was unlikely that he would be involved, but if it was his relatives, he would not tolerate it.

"It's just that I have some doubts in my heart. You know that my duty is to monitor the local officials. I have read the account books of the county government, and I always feel that something is wrong. The local health office also sent people to investigate and took the account books away. I am curious to know Does Nachi County also participate in it?"

"What's the county magistrate's name?"

Chen Zian hesitated and said the other party's name after a while, "Xue Qing."

Shen Jia shook her head, as an answer to his question, seeing Chen Zian sighed in relief, and said with a smile: "It seems that you have a very good relationship with this county magistrate Xue."

"No, no, no, I didn't, it's just..." Chen Zian blushed slightly under Shen Jia's teasing gaze, coughed and said, "Well, I went to that remote village alone, without even a companion by my side. The county magistrate Xue really helped me a lot, we..." Chen Zian glanced at Shen Jia quietly, and said in a low voice: "Don't laugh at me, I have some unclear relationship with him, this is also The reason why I don't want to marry a wife this time."

Shen Jia was stunned, Chen Zian thought he would loathe him, took a step back and said, "It's just unbearable loneliness, let's find a company together, his wife is far away in Fuling."

"Then... what are you going to do?"

"Ah? What's the plan?" Chen Zian asked suspiciously.

"Don't you even want to get married because of him? Then you should have a deep relationship, don't you think about the future?"

"No, no, it's not all because of him, it's mainly because I'm too far away from home, and I may be transferred in another year and a half, when the two of us separate, and we should be more sincere about our relationship, we... will definitely have a relationship in the future." Separated." Chen Zian's face was bitter, and he could see that he was extremely unwilling, but he knew that he and Xue Qing could not be together forever, and their official careers also took different paths.

Shen Jia wanted to continue to ask him, but saw the young servant bringing someone with him, with an anxious look on his face, and saw that Chen Zian had forgotten the etiquette, and pulled him to run away, "Master An, come back with me quickly." , the old man was arrested by the government."

Chen Zian dragged him back and asked, "What's going on? Which government was arrested? Why?"

"The villain doesn't know either. He came to you as soon as he heard the news."

Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, Chen Zian was also anxious, bid farewell to Shen Jia and ran away in a hurry.

Shen Jia thought for a while, and asked Pan Chen to follow him to have a look, if he could help, he would help, and it would be best if he could ask clearly what happened.

Pan Chen didn't come back at night, Shen Jia returned to the main courtyard after dinner, saw the lights were on inside, and knew that Zhao Zhang had come, so she had to put her worries aside.

"It's a bit early today, have you finished dealing with business?"

"It's business to see you." Zhao Zhang replied solemnly, making Shen Jia laugh.

Seeing that Zhao Zhang was wearing a very ordinary satin gown without even a jade pendant, he asked, "Are you going out because you are dressed so plainly?"

Zhao Zhang scratched his nose, "Shen Jiaye who knows me, let's go to the night market together."

"The night market is in the west of the city, and there are many people. I'm afraid it's not suitable for you to go there, right?"

"Have you forgotten what day it is?"

Shen Jia really couldn't remember what day it was, it was neither their birthday nor their love anniversary, he remembered all of these.

"Silly! Today is Qixi Festival!"

Shen Jia suddenly realized that today is Qixi Festival, which was a local Valentine's Day in his previous life, but it is also called Qiqiao Festival in Dajin, which is a festival for unmarried girls, so he has never paid much attention to it.

"Isn't it appropriate for our relationship to celebrate Qiqiao Festival?"

"It doesn't matter. Outsiders will only think that we are here to meet a good match. I heard from Cao Ruiwen that the night market in the west of the city can be held until the early morning. It must be very lively. I also want to see what the night life of the people is like."

There is a curfew in Chang'an City, and the curfew can only be lifted on days specially approved by the government. I also know that the streets will be very lively tonight.

Shen Jia was also moved, and changed into a set of light blue straight embroidered clothes, which looked very similar to Zhao Zhang's, and hung the same style of purse on their belts, and held the same style of fan in their hands. , this way, they are not like lovers but like brothers.

"Not bad, that's it, let's go." Satisfied with this, Zhao Zhang took Shen Jia's hand and walked out of the yard. When they left the yard, the two let go of their hands. It's strange, the old lady explained that Zhao's uncles and nephews can pass through the door differently.

After the two went out, they sat in a carriage for a certain distance, got off at the entrance of Chengxi Street, and then walked into the crowd with a few guards.

"I've been in Chang'an for a long time, but I really haven't seen the city well. I just look at the scene in front of me. It really feels like a prosperous and peaceful world."

Zhao Zhang stopped at the intersection and smiled at such a joyous and festive scene. If he hadn't walked out of the palace, left Chang'an, and visited countless places, he might have thought that the whole Jin Dynasty was like this, and that the people would have thought that Live a life of abundance and stability.

"There will be in the future, I have confidence."

Shen Jia looked at him sideways, stretched out her hand to hold his hand, covered the hands they held with her wide sleeves, and walked forward together.

Many small merchants and hawkers on the street may be suffering from occupational diseases. Shen Jia's first reaction was: "How much is the tax for setting up a stall on the street now?"

Zhao Zhang didn't understand this either. He didn't care about such a negligible business tax at all, and the tax was collected into the local government's official treasury, and the standards set by different places were different.

Shen Jia went straight to a small stall selling concentric knots, chose two of the most exquisite concentric knots, and asked the stall owner, "How much?"

The stall owner looked at the clothes of the two of them, and smiled and gave out two fingers: "Young master, these are the two most beautiful concentric knots in the stall. One tael of silver is one, and two is two taels."

"So expensive?" Shen Jia looked at it over and over again, with a look of dislike for it.

The stall owner had no choice but to continue to explain: "This is because today is the Qiqiao Festival, and the concentric knot is suitable for the occasion. It is indeed not so expensive on weekdays. Many young men and women buy it as a gift for their lover. The young man is so handsome. It is perfect to buy it back as a gift for his wife." gone."

Shen Jia put one of the concentric knots on Zhao Zhang's waist and gestured. The clothes the two of them are wearing today with the bright red net don't look good, but they can be hung at home as a souvenir.

The stall owner looked at the two of them in surprise, and then if he realized something, he quickly sold another product, "You two, if you think the concentric knot is not suitable, you can take a look at this ring. These two rings are made of the same piece of jade." The polished ones are bright in color and novel in texture, so it’s not bad to buy them back for viewing.”

Shen Jia thought of the rings that the two of them had worn before, and waved her hands, "I don't want that, I want this, it's cheaper, how about a tael of silver?"

"This...you bargained too hard, let's make a half and two, and make a small network for you, and you can give it to the younger generation."

Shen Jia still wanted to haggle the price, but Zhao Zhang had asked the guards to come forward to pay, and if he cut it down, he wanted to pretend that he didn't know Shen Jia.

Shen Jia rolled his eyes at him. In such a market place, bargaining is a learned thing. What kind of knots cost one tael each, and they were obviously cheated by the stall owner.

However, if the Lord is willing to spend money, he can't say anything, so he tied a sympathy knot around his waist and asked the stall owner, "Uncle, how much money do you make a day from running this stall? Is it enough to support your family?"

The stall owner looked at him vigilantly, shook his head and said with emotion: "Of course I can't make much money, and I can only sell a few during today's festival. Usually there may not be business all day long. As for the support of the family, it depends on it." It’s enough to eat gruel two times a day.”

Shen Jia just chose his stall just now not just for shopping, but also to see that the clothes he wears are more decent than ordinary hawkers, and he looks like a serious businessman.

"Then how much tax do you have to pay for setting up this stall every day?"

"Do you also want to set up a stall?" The stall owner thought that he also wanted to do business when he asked such a detailed question. Although the two people in front of him really didn't look like poor people, maybe they were swollen faces to pretend to be fat?

"This number per day..." The stall owner made gestures and persuaded him: "Young master, you must be learned at first glance, but you dare not come to this water, even though the tax is not high, but there are other seven or eighty-eight expenses , I really can’t make much money, I’m afraid it’s not enough to buy you a piece of cloth.”

Shen Jia scratched her head with her fan, and said helplessly: "The family is in trouble, life is forcing us."

The stall owner looked at him sympathetically, and suggested: "If you really want to do business, it's better not to be a peddler. It's not decent. Now that the imperial court has lowered the business tax, you can find a way to go out with the big caravan. Can make a name for himself."

"You are very well-informed. You actually know that the court has lowered commercial taxes."

"Hey, what is this? I have a friend who is a serious merchant. I heard what he said. After the stall is set up today, I will follow him to the outside of the customs. My son will come back after a while, maybe I can find something good." The stall owner said with confidence.

Seeing that Shen Jia was thinking, he leaned over and said in a low voice: "Not many people know about this matter, so if you want to catch up, go early, if there are too many people who go to the store later, things will be worthless."

Shen Jia cupped his hands at him: "Thank you uncle for your guidance, I will see you later."

Zhao Zhang had been a bystander all along, seeing that Shen Jia had set out the other party's old intentions with a few words, raised his brows, and pulled him forward.

Shen Jia said excitedly: "Didn't we say before that we want to do business together? What do you think of us forming a caravan to go shopping outside the customs?"

"Not much, it takes too long to go back and forth, and the profit is not big."

Shen Jia clapped her hands and thought for a while, "Most of the merchants in Dajin do business with Tatar Wacha, why don't we go farther and go to the Western Regions, maybe we can reach Loulan, Tianzhu. The silk and porcelain of Dajin are rare in the Western Regions. Come back with some camels and horses, good horses are priceless in Chang’an.”

Zhao Zhang's heart moved. What he thought was that if he could enter the northern border in the name of a caravan, then he would have driven a row of nails in the northern border. Even if he didn't do business, it would be good to get news.

"Just do as you said. I will pay for people and money. You can manage it. I will ask Du Xin to find you in a few days. You can tell him what you need to prepare."

Shen Jia also dealt with Du Xin a lot, knowing that he was reliable, she agreed immediately.

Most of the things sold on the street are related to festivals, and there are also many food sellers. Shen Jia dare not let Zhao Zhang try it easily. The current street stalls do not have any food standards at all, let alone gloves and masks, which are hygienic. The conditions are not even flattering to him.

Shen Jia walked all the way, and also stepped on the rubbish all the way. This peaceful and prosperous age looks okay from a distance, but it looks a bit muddy when you look at it up close. Those who litter everywhere, spit everywhere, and fight after bumping into each other. Peaceful.

"I have to suggest to Mr. Cao that there should be more wooden barrels for trash on the street, so that everyone can throw rubbish into the trash can instead of throwing it on the ground. Developing a good habit will not only beautify the street but also let everyone Get sick less."

"At the beginning, you should be allowed to sit in Shuntian Mansion. I think you are more suitable than Cao Ruiwen." At that time, Zhao Zhang promoted Cao Ruiwen, firstly because of Zhenyuanhou Mansion, and secondly because of his carefulness. The position of Shuntian Mansion Governor is not careful and patient. He couldn't do it well. Thinking about it now, Shen Jia should be more suitable. He understands people's livelihood better than Cao Ruiwen, and pays more attention to the details of people's lives.

"When the time comes, you will go to the Ministry of Industry to stay for a while, and organize the city for me. Lu Hongbin has made great achievements in water control this year, and will soon be promoted to the position of the right servant of the Ministry of Industry. The servant is just right."

Shen Jia didn't expect that he had even decided on his own destination, so he asked curiously, "Why the Ministry of Industry?"

"The Ministry of Industry's ink corruption case has been repeatedly banned, and the Minister of the Ministry of Industry has done nothing. I didn't touch him because there was no suitable candidate. Lu Hongbin looks good now. With a little training, as long as he can withstand the temptation, he may be able to do it in the future." Be my right-hand man."

Shen Jia blinked, wasn't she talking about him, why did she praise Lu Hongbin? "Since he is capable, what do you want me to do in the Ministry of Industry?"

"He is good at water control. In the next ten years or so, he will travel around to check water conservancy. I need you to build a complete system in the Ministry of Industry and select reliable people so that he has no worries. I don't want him to be on the front line. He worked hard, but Yinliang was exploited layer by layer by corrupt officials. If he can do a good job in water conservancy in the future, I will hand over the Ministry of Industry to him."

Shen Jia thought to herself: Feelings are a firefighter, so where there is a fire, go there.

"That's why you let me join the household department?"

"The household entry department is naturally for you to lay the foundation and familiarize yourself with finances. You are the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Agriculture appointed by me. Whether the future prosperity of the Jin Dynasty depends on you!" Zhao Zhang said earnestly, and instantly gave Shen Jia Put down a heavy burden.

"You think so far, and this roundabout tactic can really confuse people. Zhou Shangshu is still afraid of me now. When I go to the Ministry of Industry, I guess he should feel relieved."

"Zhou Qing is young and powerful, and it is difficult to remove his official hat without a reasonable reason. At least so far, he is still competent, and he has not found any corruption or fraud. However, the Zhou family is a big family, and I don't want to control the treasury. In the hands of the family."

"Most of the court officials are from aristocratic family backgrounds. How can it be so easy for poor students to get ahead? And most of them are outsiders without sufficient background. It is not easy to become an official in Beijing." Shen Jianeng's achievements today are all due to Zhao Zhang's reuse. If someone else is the emperor, he may still be a editor in the Imperial Academy.

"Next year will be the year of the imperial examination. This time, at least dozens of officials will be released in the case of Yu Tong. The Changzhou magistrate's yamen alone will have to remove the official hats of more than a dozen people. I am short of people."

"Moving up one level at a time, can the vacated low-level officials be promoted from the lower-level officials? Take the post of county magistrate as an example. Many county government offices are handled by the chief bookkeeper, right? They understand More than the county magistrate, better than the county magistrate, nothing more than a lack of background."

Zhao Zhang shook his head, "Extraordinary promotions can only be for individuals, if this is the case everywhere, then who will study hard in the future and strive to make progress?"

Shen Jia murmured, "Is Han Chuang good at being an official if he studies hard? Should he be more suitable for learning?"

Zhao Zhang patted his head, dragged him further and further away, and finally sat down in a deserted place by the river, surrounded by guards, and the two of them could have a good talk.

"The imperial examination is the best way for students from poor families to jump over the dragon's gate. Hundreds of years ago, the government was controlled by the aristocratic family, and it was difficult for a poor family to come up with an official. It is impossible for me to change too much at once. Just this year As far as we are concerned, not only the Accounting Department, but also the Military Academy have already made two exceptions to admit civilians, and it is time to give the family some sweetness."

Shen Jia is just a modest official, while Zhao Zhang is the emperor. The two see things from different angles. Shen Jia is aware of this, so she has always only provided methods for Zhao Zhang, how to make decisions is that Regarding Zhao Zhang's matter, he believed that Zhao Zhang would work hard to become a good emperor!