Xu Fu seems to have become more and more adventurous since he went south to do business according to Shen Yi's instructions.
Maybe it was because I walked around and looked everywhere while doing business in the south, and slowly discovered this hobby of my own.
It may also be that when I was a child, I lived in Jiangdu and lived too hard. When I grew up, I always wanted to travel around.
In any case, Xu Daguan has indeed gone to the West now. Even where he went, Shen Yi didn't know.
After bidding farewell to the emperor and leaving the Manlu Palace, Shen Yi took his oil-paper umbrella from the little eunuch at the entrance of the palace and walked in the imperial city holding it.
At this time, the snow was still falling, but it was not particularly heavy anymore.
Mr. Shen held an umbrella and walked in the imperial city, which gave him a unique atmosphere.
When we walked to the gate of the imperial city, there was already a clerk waiting at the door. He was said to be a clerk, but he looked to be in his twenties, probably slightly older than Shen Yi.
After seeing Shen Yi, he immediately put away his umbrella, bowed respectfully and walked over, lowered his head and saluted, "Is this Sir Shen?"
Shen Yi glanced at him and asked, "Who is your Excellency?"
"The villain is an official running errands in the Council Hall. On orders from Prime Minister Chen, I would like to ask you to go to the Council Hall."
Almost all yamen in the imperial court had clerks who ran errands and were equivalent to clerks. After all, it was unlikely that the ministers would do some chores themselves.
These people may not look like much, but they must not be looked down upon.
For example, when Shen Yi was taking the scientific examination, many links were handled by officials from the Ministry of Etiquette. They had a lot of power overtly and covertly. When the candidates saw them, they had to bow their heads. Otherwise, if they were not careful, their future might be lost. .
Most of the officials in the six departments are like this.
The officials in the meeting hall are even more powerful. They can do things in the center. Sometimes even if they accidentally glance at a line written by the prime minister, it will be worth thousands of gold if it is put outside.
No matter whether they are officials in the Sixth Department or Zhongshu, it is not something ordinary people can become. Some are directly arranged by the big shots in the court, and some are simply hereditary, which makes them live a more prosperous life than the county masters from other places.
When you see them, you have to be careful when you are a small official.
But Shen Yi no longer has to do this.
Although he is still the third rank, his actual status and authority are almost as good as those of the Six Ministers.
When Mr. Shen heard this, he thought for a moment, then stretched out his hand and said, "Lead the way."
The clerk nodded quickly, turned around and walked in front of Shen Yi with a slight stoop. It didn't take long for him to lead Shen Yi into the meeting hall. After turning a few corners in the meeting hall, he took Shen Yi to the door of a public house. He went up He bent forward, knocked on the door knocker, and said, "Mr. Prime Minister, Sir Shen is here."
Shen Yi cleared his throat, bowed slightly and said: "Shen Yi from the Ministry of War, I was ordered to come to see you."
The door opened quickly.
The current Prime Minister Chen Jing, who was dressed in official uniform but without an official hat, had a faint smile on his face. After looking up at Shen Yi, he said: "Ziheng came so quickly, come in quickly."
Hearing his name, Shen Yi had no expression on his face, but his heart moved slightly.
Because he was not particularly familiar with Chen Jing, and there was not much connection between them.
Although this was not the first time we met, the last time we met, the prime minister still addressed him by his title.
However, this was the head of the civil service in the court, and Shen Yi had to give him some respect. He handed over his hands and said that he had seen Prime Minister Chen before he entered Chen Jing's official residence.
The prime ministers in the council hall all have their own "private offices", but this private office is mainly used for rest. The room is not big, with a bed, a desk, and a few chairs.
Most of the time, the prime ministers sit together and work together. When something happens, they just discuss it together.
Chen Jing sat down first, then motioned for Shen Yi to sit down, and said with a smile: "Zi Heng just came out of Ganlu Hall?"
Shen Yi nodded: "Yes, the official came out just now."
"Good job."
Prime Minister Chen reached out to pour a cup of tea for Shen Yi very naturally, and said with a smile: "Our sage is full of energy, and sometimes we can discuss matters for more than half an hour or even an hour. We old guys often can't bear it."
He looked at Shen Yi like an elder looking at a younger generation, with a gentle expression on his face: "This matter in the court must be handled by young people like Ziheng and you."
After hearing Chen Jing's words, Shen Yi still looked calm, but he felt funny in his heart.
Because His Majesty the Emperor told him more than once, the tactic of "surviving the old man".
Probably when the two sides disagreed on some matters, the emperor would start to trouble the old men. None of these old men could stand him, and in the end they had no choice but to agree.
The emperor also complained to Shen Yi that some old men sometimes made him quite nervous.
It seems that the emperor's tactic was quite effective and impressed Mr. Chen deeply.
"Don't dare."
Shen Yi said softly: "Young people are inexperienced. It is up to Prime Minister Chen and other ministers to make decisions about matters in the court."
Chen Xiang looked at Shen Yi with a smile.
"It's hard to talk about other things. When it comes to the Northern Expedition, no one in the imperial court has as much experience as you, Ziheng."
"His Majesty has discussed this matter with me and five others many times."
Mr. Chen was unusually enthusiastic.
"I can't tell what the four of them think, and it's hard to say, but I definitely fully support Zi Heng's expedition to the north to conquer Qi."
The prime minister finally expressed his stance.
But Shen Yi was not surprised, because Shen Yi had already sensed some trends from the moment they first met.
Chen Jing's sudden fall is not surprising if you think about it carefully.
Because, as the Prime Minister of the Chamber of Deputies, Chen Jing is not born to take sides.
When encountering important matters in the court, he might advise the emperor according to his own opinions, but when he found that the emperor had made up his mind and the Northern Expedition was irreversible, he, as the prime minister, naturally had to be of the same mind as the emperor.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have to continue working.
At this moment, the Grand Chen's Prime Minister was quite enthusiastic towards Mr. Shen. After taking a sip of tea, he said: "While Ziheng is still in Jiankang and the court has not taken a break, the Huai'an army will go on the Northern Expedition next year." , if you need the court to do something, you might as well say it to your face."
He put down the tea cup and said softly: "Whatever I can accept, I can accept now."
Shen Yi thought for a while and said: "Since Mr. Chen said that, I will not be polite to you. If there is something wrong or something that violates a taboo, Mr. Chen will forgive me."
Chen Jing smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, you just say so."
Shen Yi lowered his head, sorted out his words, and then said in a leisurely manner: "I think the most important thing is that when King Chen's army pushes across to the north of the Huaihe River, the administrative affairs of the imperial court must be laid over. "
He looked at Chen Jing and whispered: "It can't be like what happened in the past few months. After the imperial court sent a Xuzhou magistrate there, there was no follow-up."
"My senior brother Zhang Jian is still a bare-bones magistrate. Not to mention all the officials in the magistrate's office, he doesn't even have a prefect or county magistrate."
"Xiaguan is also a second-ranked Jinshi. It is very clear that every year in the imperial court, there are many Jinshi who are in charge of the six ministries and are waiting to fill their vacancies. How come there is such a shortage of officials in the north?"
Chen Jing was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said: "Zi Heng misunderstood. It's not that the imperial court doesn't want to send people there, but that most people feel that Huaibei is dangerous and are unwilling to go there."
Shen Yi narrowed his eyes: "Firstly, if we don't let them go to the battlefield, and secondly, if we don't let them defend the city, what's the danger?"
To put it bluntly, the reason why those people were afraid was because they felt that Shen Yi could not hold on to the land that he had taken, and that the Qi people would take it back sooner or later. When the time came, it would be a big sin for them, as local officials, to fail to defend the land.
That's why no one wants to go.
"That's what I said..."
Chen Xiang shook his head and sighed: "It's only been sixty or seventy years, and those people will not be able to change their minds for a while. They all think that the territory north of the Huaihe River is still the territory of the Qi people."
Shen Yi lowered his head slightly and said: "Mr. Chen, if no one comes after the New Year, you can write a note to the official and promise him to appoint temporary officials to take care of local political affairs."
"how?"
Chen Jing coughed and did not answer.
If that were the case, Shen Yi would not only have military and political control, but also personnel power. His power would really have no boundaries.
"I will discuss this matter in the next two days and give Ziheng an explanation as soon as possible."
Shen Yi nodded slightly, and did not continue to ask for personnel rights, but said: "Furthermore, Xuzhou Prefecture is currently lacking some farmers who grow grain, a large number of doctors, and medicinal materials..."
"In the various prefectures that have been recovered, the imperial court will send scholars there to open schools there to educate the local people, especially the Han people."
"Teach them and let them know that they are no longer Qi people."
Master Shen seemed to have opened a chat box, and continued to speak before Chen Jing could speak.
"The imperial court also encourages some traders to go to Xuzhou and other state capitals to restore local business as soon as possible..."
"Salt, iron, copper, etc., all have to be built by the government."
"Then there is the most important point."
Shen Yi took a breath and said: "Da Chen's copper coins must be implemented as soon as possible. They cannot be allowed to use Northern Qi's copper coins again. The local Northern Qi copper coins will be exchanged for Da Chen's Tong Bao and the recovered Northern Qi coins on a one-to-one basis. Copper coins, re-melt them to make coins, or trade with Qi people..."
"There is also the Imperial Court's Diplomacy Department, and I will drive there as soon as possible..."
Mr. Shen talked for almost a stick of incense in one breath before giving an overview of these things.
Chen Jing looked at him quietly. After he finished speaking, the Prime Minister Chen sighed silently and asked, "If everything is laid out, will Zi Heng be able to hold it?"
"If you can't keep it, all your hard work will be in vain."
Shen Yi looked at Chen Jing and said in a calm voice: "Mr. Chen, only by paving these things over can we turn this place into Da Chen's land."