Section Two, Selling Laughter
Uncertain how much time had passed, a cold wind swept into the room, extinguishing the candle. Zhang Wen felt a chill run through his body and hurriedly stood up, searching around anxiously, "Xiao Wan, is that you?"
"Is there no name card?" Zhang asked.
After breakfast, Zhang Wen summoned Cao An and Lai Fu, saying: "Something happened yesterday..."
The old man clasped his hands and said: "I am surnamed Huang, given name Renzhi, a friend of Lord Shen, and I have met Lord Zhang."
Her voice and smile vividly appeared in Zhang Wen's mind... It seemed as if her crisp voice echoed again in Zhang Wen's ears...
A hint of embarrassment flashed in Zhang Wen's eyes as he said, "Well... I think I might not stay in the capital for long. Sooner or later, I will be sent down to serve as a county magistrate. I need to prepare some silver to send to the officials in the Ministry of Personnel, so I can be assigned to a better place, which is certainly preferable to being stationed at the border."
Indeed, Laifu did not speak
Zhang found nothing at all; all he could see was a room that was tidily organized and spotless. It seemed as if he saw a graceful girl, who was tidying up the room while rearranging the bookshelves that Zhang had disordered.
She turned her head and smiled charmingly: "You young masters, if it weren't for us, who knows how messy the room would be?"
Zhang Wen feigned surprise and said: "Mr. Huang... are you going to follow me to Zhejiang?"
With a slip of his hand, Zhang Wen watched as the blade cut into his palm, a stream of blood flowing along the edge of the sword onto the paper inscribed with the character "Li"
Zhang Wen rushed out of the room, his head thrown back and mouth wide open, yet he found himself unable to utter a single cry. Raindrops fell onto his lips; he extended his tongue to lick them, only to discover that they were as bitter as his own heart
Zhang Wen yawned and said: "The water in the capital is too murky. It's good to go to a peaceful place like Anhe to enjoy some comfort, and it will also allow you to gather some resources to prepare for your household. You should all compare the interest rates; whichever is the lowest, that is where you should borrow money from."
Zhang Wen smiled and said, "Alright, alright, no more arguing. Once we arrive at our destination, only the two of you will be the ones I brought from the capital, understood?"
At this moment, Zhang finally let out a sigh of relief
Huang Renzhi said lightly: "Someone wants to kill the master. If the master dies, how will I report to the employer about the two thousand taels of silver?"
He said in an irresistible tone that I am your patron, which means: because you owe us money, I must follow you, and when there are profits, you must repay the debt
Oh," Zhang said with an unhappy expression, "bring them in.
Zhang Wen is to take up the position of magistrate in Shangyu County, Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang. The previous magistrate passed away due to illness, leaving the position vacant. A young man like Zhang Wen, who is a successful graduate of the imperial examination, is an excellent candidate for the role of local leader
Hee hee, ha ha
I know. Zhang Wen placed his palm on his forehead, furrowing his brow in a thoughtful manner. After a while, he said, "I have heard that there are money houses in the capital that are willing to lend to officials without requiring collateral. Is that true?"
The outcome, of course, was the Shen family bank. Zhang Wen naturally asked Cao An to go and discuss the borrowing matters with the bank the next day, borrowing 2,000 taels of silver (one tael of silver can buy three to four hundred jin of rice). Zhang Wen used this silver to arrange matters with the officials in the Ministry of Personnel
Yes, host
Cao An, call Lai Fu to go out and buy a stronger lock.
O Heaven! I wish to know you, may our lives be long and never fade. When the mountains crumble, when the rivers run dry, when the books and maps are lost, when winter thunder rumbles and summer snow falls, when heaven and earth unite, only then would I dare to part with you
Cao An and Lai Fu took the invitation and went out, returning only in the evening. Cao An brought back a notebook, in which he meticulously recorded all the interest rates from the banks that had been inquired about.
Zhang Wenxin said: The people from the Shen family should be arriving soon
Zhang Wen sometimes feels that he will soon see Xiao Wan again, death is a kind of breath, killing intent is a kind of thought, when you think of it, contemplate it, you will understand how far away it is
Huang Renzhi then took a sip of tea and said, "From now on, I shall be a friend to Lord Zhang. I hope Lord Zhang will offer me much guidance."
Huang Renzhi nodded slightly
Zhang Wen then said: "You two, take my business cards and go to various banks in the capital to inquire. Find out who is willing to lend money, clarify the interest rates, and come back to inform me."
Cao An paused for a moment and said, "The old servant is also aware that such matters exist, but the interest..."
Huang Renzhi said: "You may call her Di Gu, she is here to protect you."
Zhang Wenling received the official document, humming a little tune, gesturing towards Cao An and Lai Fu, "This courtyard must not be rented out; those clumsy individuals would not know what they would do to my courtyard."
... ...
Huang Renzhi shook his head and said: "He is a member of the Zhejiang Party"
"No way! Why?" Zhang asked, nearly dropping the teacup in his hand, though he had already guessed the reason.
The Ministry of Personnel issued two official documents, one to Zhang Wen and the other transmitted to the Provincial Administration of Zhejiang. The Provincial Administration then issued a document to Shaoxing Prefecture, which in turn sent a document to Shangyu County, passing through each level. The Ming Dynasty relied on officials at all levels to maintain the empire's rule and the operation of the state
Lai Fu Ji Dao: "Uncle Cao, do not thoughtlessly dump the chamber pot over someone's head!"
Good, please come in, both of you
Cao An exclaimed in astonishment, "There’s no account for this; could this little rascal have accepted benefits from someone else?"
Zhang Wen glanced at Cao An, tapped the notebook on the table, and said with a smile: "You, who can read, are still not as efficient as those who cannot read."
Zhang Wen picked up the pen and wrote the character "Li," staring at it with a cold gaze
"Kill me?" Zhang asked in astonishment, "The Donglin people want to kill me? But... this doesn't warrant assassination, killing an official is tantamount to rebellion"
Cao Andao: "Young Master, there is not much silver left in the residence. The land in the west of the city was sold last month as per your wishes."
He emphasized that it is Zhejiang
Zhang Wen sat by the window, staring blankly at the windowsill. Long ago, there had been a pot of wintersweet placed there
Yes, host
Generally, these official documents do not make errors, as there are two supervisory systems: the "Zhaoshu Wenjuan" and the "Mokan Wenzong." If there is a mistake in the official document, it is considered a serious crime. The punishment can range from being beaten dozens of times and demoted to the extreme of execution. According to the "Great Ming Code," if the official documents are delayed by one or two instances, the clerk will be punished with ten strokes; for three to five instances, twenty strokes; and for every additional five instances, the punishment increases by one level, with a maximum of forty strokes.
Zhang Wen's feelings were akin to those of a courtesan in a brothel, feigning joy to please others. He secretly thought to himself that when the time was right, he would have to eliminate this trouble once and for all
This is not a problem; as long as one can go to a better place, not a place that suffers from famine year after year, the money can always be repaid
At that moment, Laifu came running in excitedly, "Boss, hetushu.com, Boss, there is someone at the door asking to see you"
The woman was dressed in dark attire, wearing a bamboo hat; if not a hero, then what could she be? The female hero did not carry a sword, due to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, which stipulated that only those with official titles, along with military personnel and government constables, were permitted to wield swords. Zhang Wen could carry a sword, but this hero could not; otherwise, she would be directly apprehended by the officers of the Wucheng Military Command on the street.
When I looked up, the sky was already bright.
Master, with your words, I would willingly toil like an ox or horse.
He stood up, and with a "swish," drew the long sword from the table. With a "bang!" he thrust the sword down fiercely, the blade piercing through the paper and embedding itself into the wood
Two people approached, an old man in front and a woman following behind, wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a black veil hanging down, obscuring her face
Di Gu, can she play the flute? Can she play the xiao? Oh, by the way, does she get paid as a bodyguard? As a dignified official of the Ming Dynasty, I have official protection; what does she need to protect?
You, always skilled in sweet talk! Confucius said: "Clever words confuse virtue"
After a long time, he slowly walked into the room and sat in silence for a long while again. One cannot die like this
Thus, the three entered the northern living room. Laifu served tea and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. The woman wearing a bamboo hat stood up, walked to the door, opened it again, and stood at the entrance.
They said it was the people from the money shop
Zhang Wen noticed Lai Fu's expression out of the corner of his eye. Seeing Lai Fu open his mouth, Zhang Wen thought to himself: Don't rush, this is not the right time yet. If you recommend the Shen Family Bank now, won't that reveal your true intentions? How can a mere follower have any connection with a bank?
As the two guests took their seats, Zhang picked up his teacup and said, "Mr. Huang, please."
As Lai Fu claimed to be illiterate, he naturally could not take notes. He proudly stated, "I asked each one in turn and only remembered in my heart the pawnshops with the lowest interest rates."
If Master Zhang does not mind, may we have a word in private
As the old men have aged, their desire for political achievements is limited by their years; once they become officials, apart from embezzling and making money, they have little else to pursue
Zhang Wen awkwardly said: "I have only borrowed it for a few days, and you all are here... I am about to go to Zhejiang to become a county magistrate."
Although the Shen family was affiliated with the Li family, it was unreasonable to accept 2,000 taels of silver without any return. This indicates that the Li family, seeing Zhang Wen's timidity and shallow foundation, did not take him too seriously. Consequently, they transferred this minor concern regarding Zhang Wen to the local large landowner, the Shen family of Shaoxing Prefecture, for handling.
I dislike it; your hand is so cold, what are you touching around?
Cao An inquired cooperatively, "Young Master, what has happened?"
The old man is a thin, wiry figure, dressed in a gray cloth robe, sporting a goatee, with sunken cheeks. When his dim eyes gaze at others, they occasionally reveal a glimmer of brilliance
The blood made him feel much better; he clenched his fist to stop the bleeding, silently wiped the blade clean with paper, and returned the sword to its sheath. He then lit a candle and burned the paper.
Soon, the Ministry of Personnel received news that someone had impeached Zhang Wenda for moral corruption, citing many trivial matters that were fabricated. As a result, Zhang Wenda was demoted from the sixth rank to the seventh rank and was assigned to a certain county in Zhejiang Province as the county magistrate. Zhang Wenda then went to receive the official documents for his new appointment
She said: How beautiful!
Decades ago, when Gao Gong was in the cabinet, a law was enacted stipulating that individuals aged fifty and above are not permitted to hold the position of local governor
Zhang Wen then pointed to the dark-clad female hero at the door and said, "What about her? What is she doing?"