Zhu Nao

The land clearing work in Chengdu Prefecture is in full swing in the countryside.

In the field, Tan Wu, the official in charge of measurement, walked rhythmically beside the field ridge.

Because the field is too wide, the government does not have so many suitable measuring tools, so the method of measurement is often to let the officials measure with their feet.Officials take about one foot per step, and after walking along the field ridge, the total number of steps is counted as several feet, and finally calculate the number of acres of land based on this.Although this measurement method is inevitably inaccurate, it saves time and effort, and the official in charge of the measurement has been doing it for a long time, and he can feel it under his feet. As long as he is willing to measure fairly, the difference between the measured number and the actual number will not be too big.

—if fairness is at heart.

Obviously, Tan Wu is an official who doesn't know how to write the word "fair".

At this moment, he is trying his best to take his steps as far as possible by the edge of the field, wishing to take three feet away in one step.When he had finished walking a vast expanse of land, he shouted to the scribe in charge of the record: "Long 420 feet."

In fact, anyone with eyes can see that the piece of land he has just measured can be worth at least seven or eight cents an acre. Mu is not enough.

But the scribe didn't even see it, and just recorded it in the official book according to the number he reported.

When Tan Wu finished measuring all the pieces of land owned by the Qian family and walked out of the field, the head of the Qian family was waiting for them by the field.

"You two brothers have worked hard." Qian Dangjia smiled and handed over two oil-paper packages, "This is a cake that my wife just baked. The two brothers took it on the road and took it out to eat when they were hungry."

Tan Wuhe took the paper bag and took a look at it with his fingers. What kind of freshly baked cakes are in it?It's clearly a heavy sling of copper coins!

Before the measurement, the head of the money had already given part of it, and now the measurement result is satisfactory, and he will give another reward.

Both Tan Wu and the clerk showed tacit smiles, and stuffed the paper bag into their arms: "Mr. Qian has a heart. Then we will not be polite."

Master Qian waved his hand and said, "You're welcome, you must be polite!"

Tan Wuhe hid the bribes he had accepted, and happily went to the next house to continue measuring.

The next one is Zheng Dajiao's.Zheng Dajiao is not as wealthy as the Qian family, he only has two pieces of land, and the size is not bad.But Zheng Dazuo was very eloquent, and he chatted with Tan Wu and the scribe before the measurement started.

"Where are the two brothers from?" Zheng Dajiao asked.

Tan Wu replied: "Pingshui County."

Zheng Dajiao was startled, and immediately said: "It's a coincidence! I have an aunt who married to Pingshui County a long time ago. Her name is Zheng Liuniang. She is so tall, with a round face like a full moon, and she is best at making pancakes. How about you?" Recognize her?"

In order to prevent fraud, the government does not allow officials in the county to measure the land in the county.It's a pity that there are policies and there are countermeasures. Even if it is an official in another county, the common people may not be unable to make connections.

Tan Wu was also taken aback: "Zheng Liuniang is your aunt? She is my fifth uncle's wife."

Zheng Dajiao slapped his thigh, his brows beaming with joy: "What a coincidence! So we are still relatives! Brother, what's your name? Maybe my aunt mentioned you to me."

Tan Wu really reported his name.

Zheng Dajiao was shocked again: "You are Tan Wu? There is such a coincidence in the world! My aunt said that she has a smart and handsome nephew named Tan Wu who works in the government and is very promising. So it's you? Oh, my aunt really didn't lie to me!"

Tan Wu was immediately coaxed into elation by him.

After climbing up to his relatives, Zheng Dajiao took out a few Wen and gave them to Tan Wuhe and the clerk, saying it was money for tea.Although he was not as generous as the Qian family, Tan Wu still took a lot of steps when measuring, and finally calculated the number of acres for Zheng Dajiao just lower than the minimum taxable number of acres. Zheng Dajiao was completely exempted from the land tax.

The clerk memorized the numbers and went to the next house.

=====

During the lunch break, Zhu Nao was lazily sitting in the yard basking in the sun, when suddenly an official came to report.

"Fu Yin, there are a few people who claim to be sent by General Xie to ask for an audience outside the mansion. They also brought a letter." The official said while delivering the letter.

Zhu Nao took it apart and saw that the person Xie Wuji sent to him to study has arrived.

He folded the letter and put it away, stretched his waist: "Let Xu Shaoyin arrange it."

The agreement between him and Xie Wuji has already been explained to Xu Yu, and also to the officials of various ministries. After the person arrives, Xu Yu only needs to arrange the person according to the agreement.

The official hurriedly said yes, and went to find Xu Yu.

……

Xu Yu sat in the hall, holding a roster in his hand, and looked at the few people standing in front of him.

Xie Wuji sent all young people in their teens and twenties. Young people are eager to learn and work hard. They have few stubborn diseases and can be sculpted.Most of the people sent by the Chengdu government to Xie's army were also at this age.

Xu Yu called by name and said, "Wang Ying."

The boy named Wang Ying stood up.

Xu Yu checked his identity and dispatch purpose with him, then pointed to an official and said, "Let him go, he will take you to the prison department."

Wang Ying followed the officials and left.

Xu Yu assigned the names of several people one by one, and there was only the last boy left in the class - that was the person Xie Wuji assigned to Zhu Nao when he finally put forward the supplementary conditions.

I saw this young man about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a pair of red phoenix eyes, although his face was considered handsome, but the corners of his eyes were sharply drawn, which inevitably showed a bit of meanness.

Xu Yu looked at the roster and asked, "Your name is Xue Daoqing?"

Xue Daoqing, who had Danfeng eyes, looked like he didn't want to answer, and replied with a downcast face: "It's me."

In addition to the name, the roster also has the age of each person's hometown.Xu Yu didn't think much about the name at first, but when he saw this person's hometown, he couldn't help being surprised: "Are you from the Xue family in Chanzhou?"

The Xue family in Chanzhou was Xie Wuji's uncle's family, and they were slaughtered by Xie Wuji two or three years ago!

Xue Daoqing seemed to know what he was thinking, snorted, and said: "Yes. I know what you want to ask. You can ask, and you can tell others after you ask. I don't like to explain the same thing to others over and over again."

Xu Yu: "..."

After all, he is also a young minister of the first government, and he can't remember how many years he hasn't heard someone speak to him in such an offensive and rude tone.But he did have a lot of questions to ask, so he didn't bother with Xue Daoqing, and asked, "What is your relationship with Xue Fu?"

Xue Daoqing said coldly: "Xue Fu is my father."

Xu Yu was even more surprised.Isn't Xie Wuji the murderer of Xue Daoqing's father and enemy?Even the enemy who killed the whole family!Why did Xie Wuji send such a person to Chengdu Mansion?

Xue Daoqing said: "My mother is just a sweeping maid. Xue Fu has more than 200 sons and more than 13 maids. I know him, but he may not recognize me. Besides, I left home to go to the army when I was [-] years old. The Xue family The matter has nothing to do with me, and I don't care. If you want to use this to provoke the relationship between me and General Xie, I advise you to save yourself as soon as possible."

Xu Yu: "..."

There are no words to describe his mood.

In other words, this Xue Daoqing has a lot to do with Xie Wuji, relatives say he is Xie Wuji's cousin, but hearing him call each general, he should respect Xie Wuji very much, but his relationship with his family is very bad.

Putting aside the complicated identity, the key is that Xue Daoqing's temperament is too... This can no longer be described as arrogant, it is simply sarcastic!What exactly was Xie Wuji thinking, why did he send this person here, and put him beside Zhu Nao?

...Isn't it because Xie Wuji was plotted by Zhu Nao in the Guanzhong, and he harbored resentment, so he deliberately found such a thorn in the way to block Zhu Nao?

Xu Yu kept slandering her in her heart, and was quite dissatisfied with Xue Daoqing.But in the end the person was sent by Xie Wuji, he didn't dare to make things difficult, he could only say: "I'll take you to see Zhufu Yin."

……

Before the lunch break was over, when Xu Yu led Xue Daoqing to the backyard, Zhu Nao was still basking in the sun.

When he saw Xu Yu and Xue Daoqing coming, he sat up straight from the reclining chair.He had already guessed Xue Daoqing's identity, and looked at Xue Daoqing with great interest.

Xu Yu introduced: "Fu Yin, this person's name is Xue Daoqing, and he was sent by General Xie to follow the Fu Yin." After a pause, he added with a delicate expression, "He is a child of the Xue family in Chanzhou."

"Oh?" Zhu Nao couldn't help raising his eyebrows slightly when he heard the boy's surname was Xue.But he didn't ask any more questions about Xue Daoqing's life experience.

Then he said with a smile: "General Xie sent you here, you must be very smart. Are you proficient in arithmetic and classics?"

Xue Daoqing still had a stinky face when he first met Zhu Nao, but when Zhu Nao praised him for being extremely smart, his expression relaxed, and his tone was not as unhappy as when he spoke to Xu Yu before: "Let's understand a little bit."

Zhu Nao said: "There is no need to be modest, you must have something special."

Xue Daoqing knew how to climb up the pole, and immediately changed his words: "It's nothing. It's just that I memorized the Four Books when I was five years old, and the Four Classics when I was seven years old. That's all."

Xu Yu: "..." Dare to be a child prodigy!Even the tone of this child prodigy is still as flat as ever.

Zhu Nao didn't bother to verify whether what Xue Daoqing said was true, he just said: "Sure enough."

He asked again, "Have you ever held any position in the army?"

Xue Daoqing said: "The general asked me to rotate from time to time, and I have no fixed position."

Junao understood.

Xu Yu thought to himself, I don't know if Xie Wuji intended to train his prodigy cousin, so he let him rotate in various positions so as to understand the affairs of the army; So throw it in Chengdu to annoy people?

At this time, a gong suddenly sounded in the official mansion, which reminded the officials that their lunch break was over.

Xu Yu quickly reminded: "Fu Yin, I will discuss the household registration with Duzhi officials later."

In the past two days, the household registration books of counties and counties in various states and counties have been sent to Chengdu one after another. The officials in charge of checking and inspecting the household registration books have followed Zhu Nao's instructions, and the results of the verification must be reported to Zhu Nao. .

Zhu Nao said, "I remember."

The meeting was scheduled for just after the lunch break, and it was almost time to pass.

Zhu Nao looked at Xue Daoqing again, and said with a smile: "General Xie asked you to learn from me, if you are interested, you can follow me in a while."

Xu Yu was taken aback, and questioned in a low voice: "Fu Yin?"

Fields and population, this can be regarded as a secret of the government.Zhu Nao was so relieved to let Xue Daoqing listen together?

Xue Daoqing was also taken aback for a moment, and looked at Zhu Nao suspiciously.

Zhu Nao patted Xue Daoqing on the shoulder: "This is an important government secret matter. Although you can participate in the parliament, you must not peek at the contents of the household registration book, and you must not disclose the contents of the parliament. Can you do it?"

Xue Daoqing hesitated for a moment, nodded and said: "It can be done!"