[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

In the tenth year of Qianyuan, the No. 11 year since Emperor Qianyuan ascended the throne. (Note: The first year of enthronement is to respect the emperor's unchanging year name)

After the Awakening of Insects, spring blossoms in Sichuan and Sichuan, and everything revives.

The sun is rising, and the mountains and forests are still shrouded in mist. Since the White Lotus Rebellion in Sichuan and Shu was put down last year, many adventurous and business-minded businessmen have taken advantage of the spring to look for business opportunities, so the official roads are very lively.

Shi Rui helped his wife and a couple of children out of the carriage, there was a small post on the official road ahead, and they also wanted to go to rest.

Shi Rui has been in office for six years, served as county magistrate in Huangzhou for three years, and served as magistrate in Jingzhou for another three years.There are people in the court who are good officials. His father-in-law is the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, the Minister of the Household Department is his adoptive father, and the empress is his foster sister. Now his father has also been promoted to the right servant of the Ministry of War.In addition, he himself is also talented, and his performance is excellent every year. After returning to Beijing to report on his work, he is now promoted to the prefect of Chengdu, the prefect of Chengdu.

Li Tong was hugging his son, but Shi Rui was sitting next to his eldest daughter, and the servant girl who accompanied him was still standing, there was no place to sit, because there were too many people in this resting place.

I saw merchants from Kyoto and Jiangnan gathered here, and they all chatted about how the governor of Sichuan hosted a banquet for merchants.

I heard that the governor of Sichuan is a woman in her early twenties, because Sichuan will be settled, and the whole of Sichuan is still under "military control", and the governor is the highest official.

The Metropolitan Governor issued a list of "investment invitations". This year, military quilts, shoes, and medicines in Sichuan Province will be handed over to merchants for approval. This is a big business. Why don't businessmen from Kyoto and Jiangnan be tempted?

Mrs. Shi Rui, Li Tong said: "My lord, this governor is a woman, don't you want to do things in the woman's hands?"

Shi Rui was also a little dignified, he was born as a Jinshi, and he had a strong sense of etiquette, so it was always inconvenient to work with women, besides, he was about to turn [-], and now a woman in her early twenties had a much higher official position than him, so she was an open-minded person , can not help but not the taste.

Shi Ruidao: "Yan Dudu is personally appointed by the Holy Majesty, so it can be seen that he has won the trust of the Holy Majesty, and he must be really talented."

Although Li Tong is a standard lady, he doesn't agree with women showing their heads like this.Although some people in Sichuan say that this is the "Qin Liangyu" of this dynasty, because they all come from four kinds, Sichuan people are very proud.

All the way to Chengdu, there are groups of reclamation teams on the road, many of whom are wearing strange gray clothes.

There are also many paddy fields on both sides of the official road, waiting for sowing, a scene full of vitality.

When Shi Rui arrived in Chengdu, the day after he settled in the magistrate's yamen, he went to the governor's mansion to meet him.

But I heard from a master in the mansion that the governor is not in the mansion now and went to Mianyang for inspection, so Shi Rui had to come back next time.

Just as he was leaving the mansion, he saw a handsome man with a few companions riding a white horse to the Dudu's mansion.

Shi Rui went back to Beijing to report on his work, and he also met his sister and brother-in-law when he was free. The Arabian BMW that the emperor and empress gave her sister a gift of make-up is now grown up.This famous breed of BMW is different from Central Plains horses and Mongolian horses, Shi Rui knows it.Shi Rui has also heard of people who can ride such a BMW and are in Sichuan, so he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "I wonder if your Excellency is General Ouyang or General Chunyu?"

Chunyu Bai thought he didn't wear an official uniform, how did he know him, but when he saw the leopard embroidered on the official robe of the other party's fourth-grade scarlet color uniform, he couldn't help his eyes lit up: "But Shi Zhifu? I'm Chunyu Bai." Shi Rui transferred to serve as the prefect, The imperial court also sent a report from the residence. Of course he is the one wearing this official uniform at this age.

Chunyu Bai is also a fourth-rank official now, and there is no uniform in this dynasty like the military generals in the previous Ming Dynasty whose status is far lower than that of civil officials, and it seems that the four princes and eight princes are all military generals.At this time, Shi Rui performed the half-respect of the younger generation, and said: "I often hear my father mention General Chunyu, and his reputation is indeed well-deserved."

Chunyu Bai said with a smile: "Master Shi is not too polite, after all, we have some relatives! Is this here to ask to see the governor?"

Shi Rui said: "Exactly! But I heard that the governor has gone to Mianyang, so I have no choice but to come back next time."

Chunyu Bai said with a smile: "Since we have met, let's go to the mansion together."

Although Shi Rui hesitated in his heart, this is the Governor's Mansion, and I heard that she is a woman, how could Chunyu Bai look like the master.

However, he followed Chunyu Bai to a courtyard in the northwest corner of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion before the servants served tea. At this time, he understood the sign, and Chunyu Bai was actually an elder, so he called him "Ming Tong".

Chunyu Bai said: "I heard that Mingtong was a young Jinshi and a good-looking talent. Now that Mingtong is here, he can also help the governor to share some government affairs."

Because it is under military control, Xin Xiuyan's workload is very heavy. The former governor of Sichuan has been transferred again, and the governor is vacant all year round.At this time, a civil servant like Shi Rui is needed.

Shi Rui said: "My nephew has little talent and learning, and I still need more guidance from Uncle Shi."

Chunyu Bai suddenly said: "I am here to assist the Governor under the order of the Holy Majesty. Mingtong only needs to focus on helping the Governor to implement the decree, and he doesn't need to think about anything else."

Chunyu Bai stayed away again, and talked to him about the many differences in Sichuan, such as the fact that most of the districts are still in group production, and they have to overcome the difficulties that have just been set in the world, and wait until next year to allocate housing and land.

Shi Rui said: "How can this work? I'm afraid there will be many people cheating and playing lazy."

Chunyu Bai said with a smile: "Listen to you doing this, I know you are a person who is good at practical work. The governor was also very annoyed by this, and carried out a series of reward and punishment measures, and went down for a long time to see for himself. After the autumn harvest this year, In any case, the fields will be divided into households.”

People are selfish, they eat from the same pot, and everyone has such a high level of consciousness, but now there is no way, and it will not be easy to complete according to the plan if there is no collective production.

……

It was not until the third day that Shi Rui was summoned by the governor, and when he arrived at the main courtyard of the governor's mansion, he saw a woman wearing a red embroidered python suit, a golden crown on her head and a horizontal knife on her waist.

"The next official pays homage to the governor!"

The woman smiled slightly: "Mingtong doesn't need to be too polite."

Originally, because the other party was a woman, Shi Rui didn't dare to look directly at her face rudely, but he raised his head when he heard her voice was familiar.

But seeing her delicate skin, rosy complexion, extremely beautiful eyebrows and eyes, although she is not tall, she gives a sense of vigor and vigor.

Shi Rui hurriedly knelt down, and Chunyu Bai who was standing beside him suddenly smiled and said, "Mingtong, no matter who the governor is, he is now the governor of Sichuan personally appointed by the Holy Majesty. From now on, we will serve the country together."

Shi Rui is a smart person, why can't he hear Chunyu Bai's words, and Xin Xiuyan also thinks that she is a smart person, she thinks she is Princess Heng, and this Shi Rui is said to be her righteous brother, he recognized him, see princess.

Xin Xiuyan also smiled and said: "Mingtong, get up quickly, I just want to discuss with you about the taxation in the province."

Shi Rui couldn't help but wonder: "The lower official heard that most areas in central Sichuan will be exempted from tax for three years."

Xin Xiuyan smiled and said: "That's right, but that's just exempting from land tax, not exempting from commercial tax. Whether it's shops, workshops, salt, fishery, mining, they still need to be properly taxed. Otherwise, the huge government's military and political expenditures are difficult to rely on. Do you want to send money? That would be unfair to the people in other provinces. But we can’t charge too much, and I hope you will take on this part of the work.”

Shi Rui asked: "I don't know how the governor wants to accept it?"

Xin Xiuyan said: "Shops and workshops charge one-tenth of the turnover, and two-tenths of the salt, but mine veins are contracted at bidding prices, and one-tenth of the tax is paid."

Shi Rui said: "Will it be heavier?" The business tax on Da Zhou's face is only [-] one tax, and the mine contract is only [-] tax two. Of course, these status quo are to safeguard the interests of the official families standing behind these industries.

At this time, Sichuan has been shuffled, most of the resources are in the hands of the imperial court, and Sichuan should be a reform/special zone, of course it can no longer be like other places.

Xin Xiuyan said: "But I will exempt and reduce head tax and oral tax, only those who have property will be levied, and those who are still in the collective land reclamation corps will not be levied.

Xin Xiuyan also told him about it, and Shi Rui knew that Sichuan really had a feeling that the sky was about to change.Because the tax system is the foundation of the country, this tax is all for the rich, unlike other places that are all for the common people.

Shi Rui's heart couldn't help beating, and he said: "I have served as the magistrate for several years, and I know a thing or two about this matter. The governor will not give up, and I am willing to share for the governor."

"Happy, who do you want Dabai to help you with? I just hope that I don't have no money to sell military uniforms and medicines to the [-] soldiers and horses in Sichuan."But the [-] elite soldiers have turned to professional soldiers, and they need money to support them.

After Xin Xiuyan hosted a banquet for Shi Rui, he left.

Two days later, the Governor's Mansion hosted a banquet for wealthy businessmen from all walks of life. First, there was news that the mining rights of several mining veins for three to five years would be auctioned, and corresponding factories would be established nearby.Then there were tenders for the production of military uniforms and official uniforms.

Shi Rui also participated in the follow-up of these events, but among them, the Jiangnan Chen family and the Li family bought the mining rights of two phosphate mines in Mianyang at a high price, which attracted Shi Rui's attention.

After Shi Rui made an investigation, he found that the guerrilla general Chen Yi actually held the position of chief executive, and the Jiangnan Chen family was Chen Yi's family.Shi Rui didn't think that the Chen family would give money, just to make Chen Yi's official career smooth. It seems that although the business tax is heavy, it must be profitable.

After that, the Ministry of Internal Affairs also transferred the fertilizer production technology and production rights to the merchants. The Chen family was also one of the merchants who got this project. I heard that phosphate rock is used to produce fertilizers. Now it is in large-scale production and will need a lot of Fertilizer will not worry about selling in the future.

Shi Rui was also moved, remembering that the first and second cousins ​​of the Shi family also had two cousins ​​who were merchants, so he wrote to them to come to Sichuan to find opportunities.

All aspects were booming, and by the autumn harvest in the tenth year of Qianyuan, the people in Sichuan basically had enough food and clothing.However, Lin Ruhai and the personnel of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs came to Sichuan again, one for registering and registering in different places, and the other for revising the "Great Zhou Sichuan Law".

So, for these two things, Xin Xiuyan was busy again for nearly a year.

In the past two years, Tu Yuanyi came to see her three times, but after staying for half a month, he had to go back to Kyoto. The husband and wife had been separated for a long time. Although there was a smooth career, Xin Xiuyan still missed him very much.

In the summer of the 11th year of Qianyuan, when Xin Xiuyan received the order to return to Beijing with Lin Ruhai and his gang to receive the title, she couldn't help being overjoyed, but she was also a little bit timid in the joy.

She doesn't know how to face her three children.