Caokou

Author: Science and Technology Innovation Board

Caokou

In the capital city, most people like to go bare-chested, wear blue and green cloth shirts and trousers, and have scars on their shoulders.

The trackers and waterworkers who made a living around the canal canal, as well as the coolies who worked hard at Chongwenmen.

As Sun Chuanting walked into the small courtyard, the lean men all showed fierce eyes, ready to attack him with carrying poles at any time, making it impossible for him to come back.

He Jin didn't know Sun Chuanting, but he knew Li Mian who came close behind, and knew that the real master was coming.

Before the incident with Li Dingguo happened, He Jin originally thought that Li Mian was just an official gentry in the capital, and had not followed his orders for a long time.

He has been weighing the weight of this official gentleman and whether he can keep the commotion He Jin caused in the grassland courtyard.

He Jin came from a lower-class background and had no access to the officialdom in the capital. It was unclear how much yamen money was involved in Caochangyuan.

But one thing he knew very well, just the five-city army and horse division yamen was enough for him to drink a pot.

Li Dingguo's hands were contaminated with more than a dozen lives, and some sticks died of serious injuries one after another and died in the Shuntian Mansion Prison. The number of lives contaminated was not more than a dozen.

A major case that caused a sensation in the capital city, but there has been no movement in the past few days.

Li Dingguo came out of the Shuntian Mansion Yamen safe and sound. He was not sentenced to prison, and was commended by the government and awarded ten taels of silver.

He Jin didn't care about the ten taels of silver. What he really cared about was Li Dingguo's safety and Li Mian's status as consort.

He Jin no longer waited and watched, and immediately sent someone to deliver a letter to Li Mian, preparing to take action.

He Jin walked over, holding the white paper fan in both hands, cupping his hands and saying: "Student He Jin wishes you a prosperous year. I have met the consort and this young master."

The lean men were all shocked when they heard the word "Prince-in-law". They did not expect that they would be lucky enough to meet such a powerful person as Prince-in-law.

The lean men all restrained their fierce gazes, put down the poles in their hands, and clasped their fists hurriedly.

Because it was the first time to see such a powerful person as the Prince Consort, in panic, many lean men made mistakes in holding their fists, and hugged their left hands with their right hands.

Li Mian and Sun Chuanting didn't pay attention. They looked at the He Jin in front of them and felt satisfied at the same time.

He Jin wears a soft scarf on his head, a green tie on his body, and holds a white paper fan in his hand.

There is no Suzhou embroidery purse hanging around his waist, nor is he wearing Tianhuang stone, Hetian jade or other jade. Instead, he wears an inconspicuous short knife.

Sun Chuanting saw that he had a white paper fan in his hand and a short knife on his waist, and roughly guessed He Jin's identity. He was not as simple as an ordinary down-and-out scholar.

He also understood why Li Mian chose a weak scholar to rob Caochangyuan's prostitution business and gambling house business.

Li Mian nodded and He Jin continued to make arrangements, without caring about him or Sun Chuanting.

He Jin held the white paper fan again, cupped his hands, turned around and walked back to a dozen lean men.

But before talking, two lean men were arranged to bring out the rosewood official hat chairs that had been prepared long ago and place them next to the grape vines. They found a cool and comfortable place for the two of them to sit down.

Sun Chuanting picked up the white porcelain bowl from the Eight Immortals table next to him and took a sip of tea from the large bowl: "This brocade is a water bottle."

Li Mian glanced at the large white porcelain bowl. After staying in the mansion for a long time, it was the first time he saw someone making tea in a large bowl. He picked it up and took a sip. It had a unique flavor.

Hearing Sun Chuanting's inquiry, he responded: "Li chose this scholar named He Jin because he is the mouth of the Caogang."

Sun Chuanting received a positive answer and knew it well. No wonder Li Mian chose a poor scholar when it came to Caochangyuan.

Caokou are scholars who rely on the Cao Canal Road to make a living. Most of them are scholars who are "diao Jin and bad supervisors". They are responsible for interpreting the water transportation rules promulgated by the government. They obtain silver profits through the right to interpret the water transportation rules.

The collection and transportation of grain along the Cao Canal Road gradually gave rise to a set of rules for water transportation, commonly known as canal regulations.

The Caokou had the power to interpret the Caoguan regulations. By collecting and transporting the Caoguan grain, they could earn a lot of money. They cut off part of it themselves and distributed it among the trackers and the Caogong workers.

Generally, there are usually a dozen or twenty trackers and waterworkers gathered around the mouth of a canal. If there are more people, a canal gang is formed that is entrenched in the canal channel.

Sun Chuanting looked at the dozen or so water workers not far away, and could see that He Jin was just a small water porter: "With Jin Guan's status, it shouldn't be a problem to find some water porters from the cao gang, why did he only choose a small water port?

Caokou Hejin."

According to Sun Chuanting's wishes, the two people he wanted to deal with next, whether they were Wan Siquan or Lu Yangguan, were not good enemies and were much more difficult to deal with than Liu Etou.

The water workers formed a water gang, and there were hundreds of water workers gathered around the water port. Facing Wansiquan and Lu Yangguan, they were still stretched thin.

A small canal with only a dozen or so water workers is not worth mentioning.

Li Mian had a different view: "The lack of strength is what Li values ​​​​about He Jin. Another point is that He Jin is a filial son. In order to feed his mother, he gave up taking the scientific examination and became a pawn in the Cao Canal Road.

A Caokou."

Sun Chuanting heard that He Jin was a filial son and felt relieved about his character. As long as he took refuge with Li Mian, he would not commit any treachery.

Nothing can be pinned on human nature. What really reassures Sun Chuanting is filial piety, not filial piety.

As long as Li Mian wins over He Jin's mother, helps him marry an honest and responsible woman, and gives birth to a son.

He Jin is completely in control of this person.

Sun Chuanting still retorted: "Just having filial piety is of no use. This time we are competing for the prostitution business and the gambling house business in the grassland yard. If we are not careful, He Jin and the dozen or so water workers around him will all become

A corpse like Liu Etou."

Li Mian knew that when Sun Chuanting said this, on the one hand he was worried about delaying important events, but on the other hand he was really thinking about the people.

If it were a group of officials and gentry who were arrogant and arrogant in the grassland courtyard, fighting with Wan Si Quan and Lu Yang Guang to a bloody head. No matter how many people were killed or injured, Sun Chuanting would just watch indifferently and not say a word.

When it came to the common people, Sun Chuanting couldn't help but say a few more words.

Li Mian turned around and glanced at Sun Chuanting. No wonder the officials and gentry in the capital thought he was an alien. It could be seen from his behavior that he was different from the officials and gentry in the world.

In the eyes of the officials and gentry, the common people are a group of exploited bastards with only one purpose of existence.

The hard work of growing food brings money.

Sun Chuanting was good. He always seemed to consider the people. He was a high-ranking official in the capital.
Chapter completed!