"No matter whether you can wait or not, just go back and wait. Anyway, you can't come back if you don't receive the Governor."

Xiong Qing thought about it and made a decision.

"I will understand it."

Wang Baoliang took the order, bowed with his fists, and went to pick up the governor Zhang Jiayin again.

Xiong Qing pondered alone. On the one hand, he wondered why Zhang Jiayin had not arrived yet, and on the other hand, he was worried about the situation on his side. The Governor's Office was not a joke in Baoding.

"Sir Dong." Xiong Qing suddenly shouted.

"Governor." Master Dong hurriedly came in.

"All the texts on hand have been sorted out, right?" Xiong Qing asked worriedly.

"Sir, you just don't remind me, and I know how to do it." Master Dong replied, "The accounts have basically been sorted out. If you can smooth them, try to smooth them as much as possible, and you have also covered them up."

"What is basically?" Xiong Qing said keenly.

"Sir, because there is an important account, it may be difficult to eliminate."

"What account?" Xiong Qing's expression suddenly tightened.

"It's the empty salary of soldiers." Master Dong frowned and replied in a low voice, "In the past three years, our Baoding Prefecture has given the Ministry of War, and all the people reported 20,000 soldiers, but in fact there are only 15,000 soldiers, and there is a vacancy of 5,000 soldiers in the middle. If the Governor asks or investigates, we will not be able to break off diplomatic relations with 20,000 soldiers. Although this phenomenon is available across the country, Governor Zhang has served as a local governor, and he must also know that it is not a big deal in normal times, but isn't the situation in Baoding Prefecture special now?"

"Yes, this is exactly what I worry about the most."

Xiong Jing nodded, stood up anxiously, and kept pace in the duty room.

As Master Dong said, eating a job is not a common thing, it is like receiving gifts by an official, but it is just that Baoding Mansion is at the forefront of the storm.

A soldier spends three taels of silver every month, including horses, grass, food, fodder, silver clothes, quilts, etc., and the vacancies of 5,000 soldiers are 15,000 a month, and nearly 200,000 a year. This is not a small amount.

Although not all the money was put into his Xiong Qing's private pocket, of course there was nothing wrong if you didn't check it, but as long as you check it, it would be a big deal.

The two were frowning.

Suddenly a guard hurried in and reported, "Governor Zhang, Governor Zhang, have arrived at the headquarters."

"What?" Xiong Qing suddenly stood up.

Didn’t the general Wang Baoliang just said that he hadn’t received it? Why did he arrive at the headquarters all at once?

Xiong Qing didn't care about thinking about it carefully, so he quickly got up and went out to run in another direction.

When I arrived at the headquarters, I saw that it was Zhang Jiayin, but he was wearing a simple farm outfit.

"Governor Zhang."

"Oh, it's Brother Xiong."

The two of them had known each other before and smiled at each other.

"Why did Governor Zhang come like this?" Xiong Qing said in surprise.

"Brother Xiong, how should I do?" Zhang Jiayin smiled back.

"This General Wang Baoliang is really a fool. I asked him to lead the troops to pick you up. He just came back and said he didn't get it. In a blink of an eye, Governor Zhang arrived at the headquarters. What's the matter with him?"

"Brother Xiong doesn't have to blame them. I am a man who has never liked to be arrogant and deliberately pretended to be a commoner and came all the way freely, which is also great."

"Governor Zhang did not meet the soldiers who picked you up on the way?"

"Of course I met it, but the soldiers guarding the intersection were allowed to ask a few questions and let it go. Look at my outfit, no wonder they are." Zhang Jiayin smiled.

He said it easily, but at this critical moment, Xiong Qing was worried.

Then he asked: "I wonder why Governor Zhang must spare Wang Baoliang and come to the Governor's headquarters alone?"

Zhang Jiayin has been an official for so many years, and of course he understood Xiong Qing’s thoughts, so he simply said, “Brother Xiong, don’t be suspicious. I am not unfamiliar with Baoding, so I come when I want to come. The reason for disguising myself is to see how much changes the Baoding Mansion has and not want to be received with great fanfare. After all, there are many people who know me here.”

"Since Governor Zhang has arrived, I will be the one who will help you tonight."

"There is no need." Zhang Jiayin waved his hand. His attitude was clear and firm.

This made Xiong Qing even more worried. Although he knew Zhang Jiayin, he had no friendship.

Originally, Zhang Jiayin came in disguise and didn't know what he had done in private, so Xiong Qing was worried. Now he refused to welcome him again. Of course, Xiong Qing was nervous and hesitant, so he pulled out a silver note from his sleeve and gave it to Zhang Jiayin.

"Governor Zhang, this is the little intention of the officials of Baoding Prefecture. If you don't respect me, you can accept it with a smile."

Zhang Jiayin took it and saw that it was a silver note worth ten thousand taels. His face immediately darkened, and he threw the silver note at Xiong Qing, and sneered: "What? Brother Xiong thinks I am a greedy person?"

"Where is it? Governor Zhang, don't misunderstand..." Xiong Qing explained in a hurry, but because he was caught off guard and could not find a suitable word, he was embarrassed.

This trick was originally understood by Master.

Of course it is also due to the official atmosphere.

Although Xiong Qing felt it was a bit risky, he still followed Master Dong's idea.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Jiayin changed his face all of a sudden.

Xiong Qing didn't know what to do here for a moment, but Zhang Jiayin had already spoken:

"Brother Xiong, we know each other too. The wise man doesn't say secret words. Fortunately, the emperor favors him this time, so he wants to implement reforms in Baoding. As for how to reform, we will talk slowly in the future, but the blacksmith still needs to be strong himself. If there are any problems with the governor's yamen, how can we convince the servants?"

"Yes, yes, yes..." Xiong Qing nodded repeatedly.

"To be honest, the reason why I came here disguised this time was to secretly touch the situation. I did hear some rumors that the Baoding government office had an empty salary, and the annual income was about 200,000 taels of silver. Although it felt a bit exaggerated, the amount of 5,000 soldiers could have in a year was also a clear account."

"..." Xiong Qing was shocked, really worried that he would come to whatever he wanted. Since that was the case, he could not hide this section. At this point, he had to bite the bullet and simply say it through.

"Governor Zhang, the account is clear, but the money is not stuffed into my private pocket. If Governor Zhang holds it and insists on doing things for the official business, I have to accept my fate and bear this great sin."

Zhang Jiayin said strongly: "Brother Xiong doesn't have to do this. I, Zhang Jiayin, dares to swear to heaven. I am definitely not a greedy person, but I am definitely not a person who is extremely pedantic. I have served as the Minister of War in Beijing and the Minister of War in Nanjing. I am clear about the empty salary. However, this is not an individual example in a certain place, but it is universal. I came today and didn't expect to point it out so quickly, but Brother Xiong put my silver notes, didn't I push me into the fire pit? It seems that you definitely don't know what kind of person the emperor is, and what he will do to Baoding Prefecture."

"I'm not sure." Xiong Qing was already in a state of stinking sweat.

"Don't worry, I won't impeach you for the empty salary. Baoding Mansion still needs you."

"Governor Zhang is so generous, Xiong is so grateful..." Xiong Qing was so excited that she burst into tears.

"But don't be too happy too early. This time the emperor appointed me as the governor of Northern Zhili. The task is quite arduous. Just consider it a meritorious service. The next one will be a fierce protracted war, a tug-of-war."

"I've thought of this."

"No." Zhang Jiayin shook his head and said confidently, "Brother Xiong, don't brag, you can't imagine what the emperor is going to do. It's no exaggeration to say that no one in the world can think of it."

"Yeah?"

“Absolutely.”

"Then I wonder what the emperor wants to do to Baoding?"

"Come……"

Zhang Jiayin was about to know everything, but thought that he would "pinch" Xiong Qing anyway, and he would probably cooperate with the rest of his work.

Suddenly, a man jumped out of nowhere, flashed across the guard post, rushed to him, fell to the ground, and shouted loudly: "Please make the decision for the common people."

It was almost time for a while that, and a few soldiers rushed forward, raised the kneeling man and dragged him out.

"Let's wait!" Zhang Jiayin shouted suddenly.

...
Chapter completed!