Nowadays, the Feng family, a well-known medical family in Suzhou, can be regarded as a peripheral family of the Lin family. Feng Menglong's father is also the chief medical officer of the New Wulian.
Regarding Feng Menglong's coming to offer advice this time, Lin Daguan was more curious about his motives.
"Isn't that true? Do you also want the two thousand taels of cash and the reward of entrusting Shantang Street? Didn't your father always hope that you would study and become an official?"
Feng Menglong replied: "Can I change it to another reward? For example, the allowance for the next provincial examination?"
This year, the 19th year of Wanli, is also the year of the Provincial Examination. Feng Menglong took part in the Provincial Examination for the first time since he grew up.
He originally wanted to try the waters with his true ability, but in the end he failed in the exam, which made Feng Menglong realize the hellish level of difficulty of the Southern Zhili Township Examination.
Decades after the Feng family started studying, he was the one closest to the top two rankings and could no longer maintain his self-esteem.
Lin Tailai was noncommittal and asked, "Tell me your strategy first!"
Feng Menglong replied: "Jiu Yuanjun also knows that since I was a child, I like to hang out in restaurants and teahouses, and I like to listen to ancient and modern legends the most.
I once heard that the city of Gusu was built under the leadership of Wu Zixu of the State of Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period, and a total of eight city gates were built.
According to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the south of the city belongs to the Si position and belongs to the snake in the zodiac, so the south gate was also named Snake Gate by Wu Zixu.
But later, why was the south gate damaged and blocked?"
After listening to Feng Menglong's story, Lin Tailai immediately made up his mind and said: "Lao Gao is still the general manager of the Storyteller Office?
Then the two of you will work together to handle this matter! I don’t care about the process, only the result!"
Gao Changjiang, who was standing next to him, heard this and agreed.
Lin Tailai said again: "Now is the time to collect money and food. Time waits for no one and we cannot let the governor accomplish his task!"
So the faster you do it, the better, no matter how much it costs, do it at any cost!"
Gao Changjiang agreed again, and then said: "Eunuch Sun from the Weaving Bureau also escaped from the Procuratorate and would like to meet and talk with me in private."
Thinking of the futility of today's day, Lin Daguan became angry and cursed: "This is useless! See what he is doing!"
He was angry not just because of his miscalculation, but because after he returned to Suzhou, he had many things to do and time was very precious, and he did not want to waste it on the governor!
Gao Changjiang advised: "In the next plan, he is still valuable and cannot be abandoned."
Lin Tailai waved his hand impatiently, "Go and meet for me! Say what you need to say for me!"
For someone like Lin Daguanren, who returned to Suzhou after two years, he had no idea how many trips were waiting for him. It was really impossible for him to keep an eye on the governor in person every day.
The next day came, and there was really no other choice, so I set aside a day or two to start meeting celebrities from all over the world.
Wen Yuanfa, the head of the Wen family, rushed to visit Lin Mansion with Wen Zhenmeng, the future hope of the Wen family.
Since two years ago, Wen Zhenmeng has been nominally Lin Daguanren's disciple, although he has never taught anything.
Like Feng Menglong, Wen Zhenmeng also participated in this year's provincial examination, but ended up being defeated.
Wen Yuanfa lowered his body and begged: "This year's provincial examination is just an experience, but next time I hope the senior officials will take care of me."
Lin Tailai pointed to the cheap disciple and replied: "He is only eighteen years old this year, and he will only be twenty-one in three years.
You are so young and have so many opportunities, but you are still worried about failing the exam in the future? Why should Mr. Wen be eager to achieve success and take other methods? "
Judging from the concepts of this era, it is not too late to pass the Jinshi examination even in his thirties. It was too early for Wen Zhenmeng to start worrying when he was only eighteen years old.
Wen Yuanfa said with a grimace: "I have no confidence in the literary fortune of our Wen family. Now I am counting on the help of senior officials."
How could a Jiuyuan True Immortal like you, Lin Tailai, know how much the glorious record of failing the provincial examination fifty times in three generations had damaged the confidence of the family?
While chatting with Wen Yuanfa and collecting more than a dozen authentic paintings said to be Wen Zhengming's, suddenly a retainer, Zhou Daodeng, quietly reported that the prefect, Uncle Tu Fang, had arrived incognito.
Lin Tailai was a little puzzled, why would the Tu Zhifu want to have a private relationship with him?
You must know that Magistrate Tu and Governor Zhao came to office together, and they both belong to Qingliu forces, and they are both from Zhejiang, so there is no reason for them to visit me.
After thinking about it, Lin Tailai ordered: "It's not suitable to meet him in public, take him to the study!"
When Tu Shufang, the prefect of Suzhou who had only been in office for less than a month, was led to the study outside Lin's residence, Senior Official Lin was standing quietly in front of the desk, admiring a painting.
Magistrate Tu walked up to Lin Daguan and looked at the paintings on the table. His eyes widened in shock. Isn't this "Pictures of Luo Shen Fu"?
They are the third generation of the Tu family, a well-known family in Jiaxing, and his wife comes from another local wealthy family, the Xiang family, which is the Xiang family that has a collection of armor in the country.
But last year, after Xiang Yuanbian, the head of the Xiang family who was keen on collecting, passed away, the descendants of the family stopped cherishing the collection.
Otherwise, how can others buy famous paintings from the Xiang family?
"Do you also recognize this painting?" Lin Tailai asked after glancing at Tu Zhifu.
Magistrate Tu smiled bitterly and said: "I saw this painting at my wife's house in the past, but I didn't expect it to fall into the hands of Lord Jiuyuan."
Lin Tailai pointed to the painting and said, "This is what Wuxi Qianben gave me as compensation out of desperation."
Lin Daguan, who was very professional, did not say "send", only "compensate", which could be regarded as barely saving Qian Yiben's face.
This is the art of speaking. To others, it sounds like someone from Lin Daguan is robbing you.
Tu Shufang looked at the "Pictures of the Luo Shen Fu" and then at Lin Daguan, and said: "As far as I know, Qian Yiben bought two paintings. In addition to the "Pictures of the Luo Shen Fu", there is also a painting of "Five Bulls".
picture"."
Lin Tailai was stunned for a moment. It seems that this money is still hidden for personal use, and it has great potential to be tapped?
Also, Magistrate Tu, you expose your rich background like this, is this a sign of kindness to yourself?
Magistrate Tu said again: "Jiaxing is not far from Suzhou. If Mr. Jiuyuan likes paintings, I can let my wife
Go back to your parents’ house and help search for some.”
This show of goodwill was obvious, and Lin Tailai, who was suspicious, asked: "Why?"
Magistrate Tu sighed and said, "I just want to live a peaceful and stable life, and I don't want to get involved in the turbulent waves. However, I can't help but be the magistrate."
It can only be said that what happened to Governor Zhao really frightened Magistrate Tu.
How did you know that the environment was like this before coming here? If you hadn’t been to Suzhou in person, you wouldn’t have known how dangerous the environment in Suzhou could be!
If the governor's position is high and his health is strong, how can he, the magistrate, support him?
Let’s not talk about anything else, let’s just say that in the government offices, most of the assistant officials were promoted by Lin Tailai. For example, Guo Tongzhi went on the Western Expedition with Lin Tailai, and Yuan Hongdao, the food supervisor and general judge, was Lin Tailai’s staunch supporter.
And those scribes and government officials cannot survive unless they join the forest!
As a magistrate in such a yamen, if you are hostile to Lin Tailai, you may die without knowing how!
After thinking about it for a while, Lin Daguan replied: "I only believe in one thing, which is to listen to his words and watch his actions."
After receiving guests at home for two days, Lin Daguan became impatient again and went out to patrol the west of the city.
After all, the thirty-mile radius from the West City Wall to Taihu Lake is the foundation of Lin's foundation.
Governor Zhao, who was temporarily stationed outside the Shemen Gate, could relax a little after receiving the news of Lin Tailai's western tour. After all, the pressure of being in the same city as Lin Tailai was too great.
"Are you going to send out reminder documents to all counties?" Governor Zhao asked his staff.
The staff member Jiang Shiye replied: "It has been distributed. All counties in the south of the Yangtze River are ordered to collect 90% of the grain this year and the full amount of white grain and gold and silver. At the same time, they must make up half of the arrears in previous years and collect them all before the year. Otherwise, severe consequences will be imposed."
Punishment!"
Governor Zhao nodded with satisfaction. If such a harsh rule continues, how can it cause some changes?
Governor Zhao has always been accustomed to a spacious office environment, but now living in this temple on the second entrance, Governor Zhao feels very cramped.
Looking at the dilapidated statue in the main hall, Governor Zhao said: "For the first time in my life, I know that there is a Snake King Temple in the world, and the people of Suzhou also worship the Snake God?"
Master Jiang guessed: "I probably asked him to look after the family and the courtyard."
Looking at the Snake Gate that had been blocked again for safety, Governor Zhao asked again: "Why didn't Suzhou open the south gate earlier? Let the Snake Gate be blocked?"
For a large city, it is indeed strange to have no gates in one direction.
Master Jiang smiled and said: "I looked through the local customs records earlier and found that one or two hundred years ago, the area outside Suzhou's south city was very desolate.
It is even regarded as a mass grave cemetery, and not many people pass by here, so there is no need to open the south gate.
It was only in recent years that Suzhou's population has grown and flourished, and people have gradually settled here, and fields have been opened up."
After handling the government affairs, Governor Zhao felt too frustrated to stay idle in the temple, so he decided to pay a private visit incognito and just go out for a walk to relax.
Although the most prosperous place in Suzhou City is in the west, and there are mostly lakes outside the east city, Governor Zhao decided to go to the east to relax, maybe he prefers the lake view.
Governor Zhao, Master Jiang and some guards walked east along the outside of the south city wall, but they saw a three-way intersection ahead and a tea shop set up next to it.
To be continued...