The husband's son-in-law

Guangwu two years, spring.

The few snowfalls that fell during the Chinese New Year, the sun came out a few days after the Lantern Festival, and not much disappeared.This year is a good year, as Li Dadu said, it will snow when it should snow, and it will be sunny when it should be sunny. There have been several spring rains, and the crops in the field are good.

Gu Zhao thought at the time that the crops in the fields are good, but the scholars who take the exam will suffer more.

The spring is cold, and the tribute courtyard has been a bit damaged for a long time. In addition, the cubicles are small, and they eat, drink and sleep for three days. The continuous drizzle in the spring is also chilly at night. Candidates are not allowed to use interlayer quilts.

But it's hard to eat.

Or people's crops are important.

Elder Gu Ge is still considerate of scholars, this time Enke provided ginger tea in the tea for candidates to drive away the cold.

The ground has melted and softened, and the construction can start. Li Zhouzhou found the construction team early and drew the blueprints. Because of his experience in Zhaozhou, he also made an enhanced and improved version. For example, the Cuju field also repaired the rest area, and other garden.

Li Zhouzhou rode a horse and took Fu Bao to the outside of the capital to see the location, "You pick a place yourself, and then ask Yaren."

Li Mansion wants to buy land, it seems to build some kind of yard.

The news spread in no time, and someone expressed his kindness, saying: "Our family has a lot of land not far from Beijing to the south..." He wanted to hand over the land deed to the Li family, but he couldn't find a reason.

It's so stupid to hold the land deed and go there, that's shameless and can't be given away.

There are a lot of people in Beijing who are thinking about how to show kindness to the nobleman and make the nobleman feel comfortable and unable to pick up the rejection. It is not difficult to leave a good impression afterwards. After thinking about it for a few days, someone will solve the problem for the master .

Li Zhouzhou took Fu Bao to look around. In fact, the imperial city in Beijing, including the first and second ring roads, is tight. Those who have money and power like to run outside the capital, and there are families in good areas outside the capital.

Even if you are idle and have not built another courtyard, then plant the land and hand it over to the tenant farmers.

Anyway, if you have more money, you can buy land, so the really unowned land is either remote and the terrain is not good, or it is too far away, and you can't find a suitable one.Li Zhouzhou was worried, and someone came to his door.

Something happened in the field not far from Beijing in the south. Some of the crops over there were burned out for some reason, and it was already spring. I watched the wheat seedlings in the field grow greenly, and I was waiting for a good harvest. In this way, the tenant farmers there almost cried to death.

What can I do if I can't pay the grain money?

The steward over there said that the master was kind, and that this year’s grain money would be waived first, and that the fields were so burnt that they didn’t know if the land would be good for planting in the coming year. The master didn’t want it anymore, and wanted to sell it cheaply...

The price is cheap, the location is good, and the ruined fields can just build a Cuju field.

After listening to the steward's speech, Li Zhouzhou figured out who the owner of the land was, his face remained calm, but Li Zhaoxi next to him had a bit of anger in his eyes, and asked the steward bluntly: "Tell me, did you burn the wheat from the field yourself? !"

At that time, the stewards were all stunned, unable to make up their mind whether to accept or not, but seeing the young man was angry, he knew that he couldn't respond at this time, so he knelt down and cried, "This villain did it, what should we do in such a good field?" Those who dare to set fire to it..." He even swore a poisonous oath.

Li Zhaoxi frowned, he didn't believe what this man said, but now he was startling the snake.

"Then just ask your lord and Patriarch, should you not get in the way." Li Zhouzhou said.

Naturally, this piece of land was not bought. On the way back, the father and son were riding on a field path in the outskirts. Li Zhouzhou saw that Fu Bao was sullen, and said, "I don't blame you, so what if I know? They burn their own fields. Burn it for fun, let’s talk about those who are in charge, who are old and slippery, what do you compare with him.”

"Father, did the fields burn for nothing?" Li Zhaoxi was angry and destroyed the crops, "His family just wanted to curry favor with us, I know that, Father and Father taught me not to bully others, but flattery is not like that. "

"I'm furious."

Li Zhaoxi had harvested wheat in Xiping Village, and he had also heard from his grandfather that he could not get enough to eat when he was a child, and ran to drink the river water at night with his stomach growling hungry. It was because his father figured out a way to fertilize the fields that the conditions in the fields improved...

The method that father figured out to make the fields rich is to feed the common people, not to spoil the fields and flatter people!

"Look, what the steward said was that the fields were destroyed by villains, and the owner of his family exempted the tenants from this year's grain money. He wanted to make a good impression in front of you and me. He is a kind-hearted, poor tenant who is crying over there. , your child is soft-hearted, if you don’t see it, you can immediately say daddy, let’s buy it, after you buy it, the tenants in charge will kneel down and thank you for asking us to live Bodhisattvas and save them, so everyone will be happy.”

Li Zhouzhou analyzed with Fubao that if he was still doing business in the prefecture or county, or the husband of Tanhualang in Beijing, he must have fallen into a trap.

"What about now? I said it's broken, and I don't want to buy that family's field, but what about the tenant farmers in the farm, let's not talk about the damage to the crops for no reason, let's not buy the field, the owner doesn't seem to be really kind and kind." , designated to be harsh on the tenant farmers." Li Zhaoxi hesitated and tangled up as he spoke, "Otherwise, Dad, let's buy it?"

Although he was angry with the landowner for spoiling the crops and flattering them, but if he really ignored it and vented his anger, what would the tenant farmers do?

"You obviously don't like it."

Li Zhaoxi puffed her cheeks and said, "Father, maybe this is the sadness of growing up."

Li Zhouzhou made a laugh, but he just sighed in his heart after laughing, he almost thought the same way.

Both father and son returned home with sullen expressions on their faces. Fortunately, Mr. Gu returned home after the first round of exams. At this time, he had taken a shower and was having a meal. When he saw that the elder and the younger were listless with drooping eyebrows and eyes, they put down their chopsticks Ask: "What's the matter? The servant said that you went out to play and came back listless."

Li Zhouzhou told the whole story, Li Zhaoxi added on the side, and finally said to his father: "Father, this is what you said about growing up, right? Adults are too hateful."

"You guys." Gu Zhao didn't blame him in his tone. He patted Zhou Zhou's arm with his claws, rubbed it, and then rubbed Li Zhaoxi's head, before saying, "Remember, the bad guys do evil. Take it on yourself."

"Our family doesn't buy land. What if the tenants die and sell their sons and daughters? That's also the sin of the owner of the bad guy's farm. It has nothing to do with you."

Gu Zhaoxian finished the cause and effect relationship.Li Zhouzhou knew this truth.

"I understand the truth, but buying a field is the fastest and most convenient way to solve the problem, right?"

Li Zhouzhou nodded.

Seeing that Fubao was by the side, Gu Zhao thought for a while and still didn't avoid the child, but said: "When I was in Zhaozhou, I tried to avoid using official authority and rank to overwhelm others. It's not considered the most peak, try to respect me. When I arrived in Beijing, I became a big official, and I was valued by the emperor, and the benefits were great. You should know that you are in business. The benefits are the biggest. Beijing is not like Zhaozhou. A falling brick in Beijing can hit a seventh-rank official, but the people here are all good, and flattery and drilling are easy."

"At this time, it would be a waste of time to compete with them to exploit routines, and use our strengths to overwhelm him. This is in the face of absolute power, and no traps will work."

Gu Zhao said: "An official must be flexible."

Li Zhaoxi nodded his head thoughtfully.

That family is also an official, nowadays the official is really looking for trouble for you, everyone has a few pigtails, don't mention the burning of crops - this is handed over to the governor of Jingli to investigate, even if it is arrested, it will be a few The local hooligans talked back, and even if Yin was fined, he wouldn't be locked up for long.

So Gu Zhao found another reason and transferred the head of the family to another Qingshui Yamen. The official position was lowered by half a rank, but what's worse was that he couldn't get any benefits. Jingli was smart enough to understand the Siu Mai case.

This is because the petty official wanted to flatter and flatter, but in the end he flattered the horse's hoof.

After hearing this, most of the officials felt that Boss Gu Ge made a big fuss, and he was also thinking about buying land for your family, but you came to such a trick——

Some people laughed a few words, saying that Gu Zhao just cherished the land, and that petty official was also ignorant, and he forgot his background just seeing the old man's face.

It means that Gu Zhaogen is basically a farmer, even if he is rich and powerful, he still looks shabby.

Anyway, no matter what those portals in Beijing think, once this case came out, someone really came to sell Li Zhouzhou's farmland, and the location was good, and they sold it at the market price. There are many, and there are many Zhuangzi, and they are idle when they are idle. When they heard that Mrs. Gu wanted to buy land, they had the audacity to come to the door..."

And then there it is.

This business was done frankly, and Man Jingcheng was a little surprised to see it.Regardless of what the big guy thinks, Li Mansion bought the land and sent workers there to start construction.As for the original piece of land, the tenant farmers whose fields were burned couldn’t live on—even if they lost money, it would be the landlord’s compensation.

Mr. Gu donated his pocket money.

When he was on duty the next day, someone in the cabinet flattered him, saying that Mr. Gu is kind-hearted, and that he deserves to be the top official.Gu Zhao sighed, and then said: "The pocket money that Zhou Zhou gave me for a few months is gone, but it's good for the common people to live well."

Yan Jinxin knew about Brother Zhao, so saying this was nothing more than showing off, but those officials must have thought about it, and sure enough, the entire cabinet fell silent, looking at each other in blank dismay.

When Gu Zhao saw it, he felt even happier, it's time!Don't think that he doesn't know. Someone whispers behind his back that he is shabby, so let's show you how shabby he is.

A few days later, in the palace examination, Gu Zhao asked two questions, one was about agriculture, and the other was about business.

Candidates were stunned when they got the question, it was too simple, who has never read "Yiguolun" nowadays, isn't this the two articles in Yiguolun?It can be said to be simple, but the real copying has been delayed. Is it possible that it is so simple?

Some are thoughtful, some want to find another way, anyway, each has its own complexion.

After a stick of incense, the father-in-law collected the test paper and sent it to the cabinet for approval from the adults.

"Give those students some tea to rest." Gu Zhaoxian told the eunuch that this revision should take at least an hour. He had stood in front of the Tai Chi Hall before, but it was a stiff stand. Fortunately, it was cold and there were no mosquitoes, otherwise it would not be too itchy. scratch.

The father-in-law agreed and left.

A scholar in the cabinet said: "Master Gu is kind."

"Isn't that right, I'm soft-hearted." Gu Zhao took the test paper without looking back.

Praise him and he should.

The number of candidates for this year is small. After all, it is Enke's additional test. Many students are in a hurry and unprepared. , The approval is actually quite fast.

When it comes to batching test papers, there was an episode in the first batch before.

There was an examination paper, on the final policy topic, a word of praise was capitalized in a big way, and there was a small episode in it, which said that Gu Gelao's father—that is, Li Da, was going to On the way to Beijing for the exam, I ran into an old man. The old man was kind-hearted and kind-hearted. Seeing him working hard for the exam, and having dinner with him at the same table must be an encouragement to him.

This paper was not approved by Gu Zhao. After all, there were so many examinees at that time, the end of the paper was blurred at this time, and the birthplace of the examinee was unknown. Seeing how close the examinee wrote to the old man, even the old man praised him and approved the test paper. The examiner immediately thought about it, and secretly put the papers on the stack that Mr. Gu wanted to correct while Mr. Gu was in the toilet.

Fortunately, the examiner still has a literati integrity, and he can't do the behavior that he gave behind his back—because the questions written in the exam are not correct, and the answers to the previous things are also scattered.

Mr. Gu is a son-in-law after all, if he wanted to show the old man face, he raised his hand, that's none of his business.

Gu Zhao came back after going to the toilet. Originally, the invigilator had been unable to go home for several days with the batch of papers, and he missed his wife. After reading the papers, he was even more dizzy. , the more you look back, the more you frown tightly, and finally finish watching, and then look around again.

A scholar was watching him secretly, and when he saw him looking over, he was caught straight, blushing and lowering his head to pretend not to know.

Gu Zhao: ...Forget it.

"It's all a mess of rags." Gu Zhao scolded the content of the paper, and then crossed it out.

It's just that the book in this paper has been circulated internally, and even the rigorous letter has been heard, chatted at the dinner table, and even joked with Zhaodi, saying that he wanted to "read it".

"The article is bad, the foundation is poor, flattering is not as good as my two sentences." Gu Zhao said: "This person doesn't need to waste the reading time of the second brother."

Yan Jinxin nodded when he heard the words, and he didn't really want to see it. After a while, he said: "Brother Zhao got to find someone that day, not because of flattery, but because of his merits."

Knowing that the second elder brother said that he is a man of good fortune, Gu Zhao said with a smile: "That's right, I, Gu, is a young man who is full of vigor and high spirits. Whoever read it is not an exaggeration, a humble gentleman is as gentle as jade, as sharp as cutting, as sharp as grinding..."

Just remember those two lines from The Book of Songs.

It is said that at this time the imperial examination was approving the papers, Gu Ge let go first, "Everyone just approve, don't care about the relationship between the seven uncles, grandparents and eight aunts."

Now some people will naturally think of the previous trouble, Gu Ge is an old man—how should I put it, it's quite funny.

At the end of March, the Enke Sanjia in the second year of Guangwu was born, and another group of newcomers went to each other.

Gu Zhao transferred the two writers who wrote good articles to the cabinet to be his subordinates, and in the end, those who got good answers in the imperial examination were assigned to the four departments of the Ministry of Households, the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of Punishment, and the Ministry of Industry to practice. This is Gu Gelao's disciple faction.

This is how it is now. Gu Zhao said that he didn't want to form a faction, but only wanted to train capable officers to do things well, but no one would believe it. In addition, the emperor did not show up in Enke this time, and they were all selected by Gu Zhao. Once these students entered Beijing, It has long been doomed to belong to the faction.

He used to be a student of the Son of Heaven, but now he is really an old student of Gu Ge.Some old officials couldn't understand Gu Zhao's way of doing things, and they had already built up resentment in their hearts, so they dared not speak out in front of their faces, so they could only say a few words behind their backs.

At the beginning of April, Yan Yanxin was promoted to supervise the censor, and he was the second grade.The official position has not changed, but it has been delegated to the local area for inspections. According to the current official code: officials in Beijing are higher than local officials at the same level, and those who are rich and vacant are higher than those who are idle.

Yan Jinxin made an agreement with his family early on, and if he wanted to leave, he would be as fast as thunder.

Zheng Hui sat for a while after learning about it, knowing why Yan Jinxin was like this, deep regret and bitterness rose in his heart.

Shouldn't have said that in the first place, shouldn't have said that.

Supervising the censor is still relatively dangerous. If the temperament is too upright, it will be easy to be killed and accidents. If it is too smooth, it will not be of much effect-killing chickens to frighten the local black and evil forces. Once the monitoring team leaves, it is not that the people continue to suffer Do you suffer?

There are also those who have been working for a long time, far away from the imperial capital, and have great power in their hands-can directly deal with local officials, but they can be killed first and then played. This is easy to be praised as a fat and corrupt official.Everyone gives money, beauty, flattery and flattery.

Therefore, this official position is generally not long-term, and it is normal to change it every few years.

This time, Gu Zhao brought soldiers to the second brother, and ordered 50 Jinwu Guards to be transferred there-this is really Gu Ge's exclusive first-timer.

Gu Zhao was worried about this, and said: "There is my adopted son Xiaomeng on the other side of Nanrong Prefecture. Although civil and martial arts are different, there is a real danger. Don't be impulsive. Solving the problems of the common people is the most important thing. Bear with it and write Letter to the garrison for help..."

"I know, in fact, I bent over, brother Zhao don't have to worry about me."

Gu Zhao was afraid that the second brother's life would be easy to break. Hearing what the second brother said now, he could only nod his head. Maybe any kind of experience is a kind of tempering, anyway, it is like this for an upright person like the second brother.

Yan Jinxin waited for the engagement between the eldest son and Yingniang to be completed, and got up the next day to lead the team out of Beijing.

Gu Zhao was sent to the outside of the city gate, and Zheng Hui had been waiting outside the city for some time. At this moment, the three of them met again, and they were speechless. When the family went to Zhaozhou.

But things are different.

Yan Jinxin looked calm and said, "Zheng Hui, don't let Zhaodi and I despise you."

"Farewell from now on, I look forward to seeing you next time when I return to Beijing."

You can still let me call you big brother.

Yan Jinxin remembers the friendship of the old government school, Zheng Hui is frank, sincere, kind, and loyal. Knowing that his family is poor, he borrows his oil lamp to read, but knows that he likes the book but is short of money. I lent him an excerpt, and someone ridiculed him for his poor clothes, and it was Zheng Hui who spoke up out of righteousness...

bit by bit.

It wasn't until the shadow of the team went away that Zheng Hui looked away. This time he didn't cry bitterly, but straightened his back a little...

In mid-May, the Cuju field was completed.

The author has something to say:

Fufu's Cuju field is built, you can play horses and play football