"Master Tang, shall I go to the preparation warehouse before noon?"
In a blink of an eye, it was time to inspect the warehouse. Pang Yu had been waiting outside the outdoor room early. When he saw Tang Weimin, he asked respectfully.
In fact, the reserve warehouse is right next to the county government office, and it takes less than five minutes to walk. However, Tang Weimin thought for a moment and said: "Tang still has some autumn grain documents to write, and they are for Anqing Prefecture, and they were assigned by Secretary Zhao."
Yes, there is no room for delay. Please ask Brother Pang to stay in Zaoban for a while."
Pang Yu naturally had no choice but to go back to Zaoban. He thought that Tang Weimin would be delayed for a while at most, but unexpectedly, Tang Weimin didn't come out.
Pang Yu was bored with waiting and didn't dare to rush Tang Weimin, so he found a corner to practice push-ups or pull-ups on the small leaf tree behind the Kuaishou room.
Since the two speeches, everyone in the Zao class knew that Pang Yu had become a celebrity with the county magistrate. Now everyone did not dare to underestimate Pang Yu. Although Pang Yu behaved strangely, no one laughed at him, not even Wang Dazhuang.
Didn't talk too much.
It was almost lunch time, and the smell of food was wafting from the kitchen. Pang Yu felt that he probably wouldn't be able to go in the morning. He was used to the slow pace of the Ming Dynasty, so he was going to have lunch.
Many ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty only ate two meals, morning and evening, but not all were like this. Rich families also had the habit of eating three or four meals. The kitchens of the county government were only prepared for officials and above. Pang Yu still insisted on eating three meals.
In the Ming Dynasty, because capital was still too low, they did not dare to spend too much money, but improving food was a must.
Just as he was getting ready to go out, he saw Tang Weimin coming out of the Yimen with a helper. Tang Weimin wanted to wait until lunch time.
"Brother Leipang has been waiting for a long time. Let's go to the preparation warehouse."
Pang Yu quickly agreed and went to the Eight-Character Wall to find He Xianya. He Xianya was very familiar with the yamen affairs, so Pang Yu must be brought with him. However, Zhou Yueru was also at the Eight-Character Wall. Tang Weimin only brought one helper. If he brought two, he would be worried.
Tang Weimin thought he didn't understand the rules.
When he was in a bit of a dilemma, Tang Weimin came over and asked, "I heard that Brother Pang has a female helper."
Pang Yu took the opportunity and said: "Sir, you are laughing. I have two helpers. This is my second brother, who is also helping my brothers."
Tang Weimin said very generously, "In that case, let's go together."
Pang Yu hurriedly followed Tang Weimin half a step behind. This not only showed respect for his superiors, but Tang Weimin did not have to turn around to talk to him.
But Tang Weimin was quite easy-going and looked back at Zhou Yueru behind Pang Yu from time to time. After all, there were probably not many female helpers in the world. His expression when he looked at Pang Yu was a bit half-smiling.
Tang Weimin asked Pang Yu casually: "How many years has Brother Pang been born in the Yazhong?"
"Go back to Mr. Tang, let's give it a year and two or three months. I'm not very good at remembering these things, but I am very good at remembering kindness. I will never forget it in my life. Mr. Tang has treated me so much this time.
With support, a villain will never forget you."
Tang Weimin didn't expect Pang Yu to go so far, so he quickly returned to the topic with a few polite words, "Does Brother Pang know Ambassador Yuan in the reserve warehouse?"
When Pang Yu heard this, he knew that Tang Weimin was testing his attitude, and he immediately replied carefully, "I know him, but I don't have much contact with him. I heard from other brothers that he is a good person, just a little stingy, but villains have heard that
Yes, I don’t know if it is true.”
After hearing this, Tang Weimin hummed and did not comment on Pang Yu's words, but Pang Yu knew that he had understood, and Pang Yu was also testing Tang Weimin.
Although he was appointed by the county magistrate, Tang Weimin was still the Shangguan of the household, so Pang Yu had to take Tang Weimin's opinions into account.
Judging from Tang Weimin's current attitude, he and Yuan Cangzi do not have an extremely close community of interests.
After the two of them said these words, they had already arrived at the entrance of the reserve warehouse. Ambassador Yuan had been waiting all morning. Although he had done all the preparations in advance, this was after all an inspection officially issued by the county government. The longer he waited, the more panicked he became.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the two people approaching, and stepped forward to greet Tang Weimin.
Ambassador Yuan came up and cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Master Tang, you see, it's already noon. I've prepared some wine in Yuhe Tower. I invite Master Tang and Brother Pang to show their respect. Let's have some food and wine first and then check. Anyway, the warehouses are all here."
, and you can’t run away either.”
Naturally, Pang Yu would not go out for a drink at this time. He owed Yuan Cangzi a favor, and it would be difficult to say something.
Before Tang Weimin could say anything, he rushed in front and said: "I won't eat anymore. Warehousing is a county priority. We are responsible for it. Today happens to be the time to inspect the warehouse. We were seen drinking outside. You know
Some people said that Ambassador Yuan is good at entertaining guests, but those who didn’t know better thought that we were just doing our part. If the news got out, it would tarnish Ambassador Yuan’s reputation and not look good on the face of the county magistrate. We’d better go to each warehouse first. This is my humble opinion. After all,
After all, Mr. Tang still has the final say."
Ambassador Yuan was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't expect Pang Yu to say such words. He accepted the gift with a businesslike look and quickly looked at Tang Weimin.
Tang Weimin glanced at Pang Yu with a smile, and after thinking for a moment, he came out to smooth things over and said: "Brother Pang is right, then Tang will first look at the documents in and out of the warehouse, and then Ambassador Yuan will accompany Brother Pang to check the physical items in each warehouse.
Don't just focus on this warehouse inspection. Brother Pang is an outstanding young man and is highly valued by the county magistrate. Ambassador Yuan, you will have more contacts in the future."
Pang Yu knew that Tang Weimin was giving Ambassador Yuan a chance to do public relations alone. Since Tang Weimin opened his mouth, Ambassador Yuan had no choice but to comply and asked a warehouseman next to him to open the door and lead a few people into the warehouse.
Tang Weimin and Bang Xian went directly into the concierge on the left side of the gate, while Ambassador Yuan accompanied Pang Yu to the reserve warehouse.
This reserve warehouse was founded in the Hongwu period, with the purpose of collecting and storing goods in good years to prepare for famines. It played a very good role in the early Ming Dynasty, but later it collapsed like other systems, so Changping warehouse, Shecang, etc. were added.
etc. as a supplement.
In the mid-Ming Dynasty, the imperial court made great efforts to rectify the situation, but it was completely out of touch with reality. The imperial court stipulated that counties within fifty miles must have 30,000 shi of grain in reserve warehouses. No county in the world could achieve this, and the standard had to be lowered again and again. The smallest county's standard was less than 100 shi.
.
Tongcheng is a small and medium-sized county with a total area of 47 miles. However, because it is located in South Zhili and on the bank of the Yangtze River, it has abundant rainfall, high grain harvests, and convenient water transportation. Every year, a large amount of food is exported from Songyang Town to the Jiangnan area.
According to the unrealistic standard in the past, Tongcheng's grain storage should have been twenty-five thousand dan, but now it has been reduced to 980 dan and 24 warehouses.
The twenty-four warehouses were laid out in three rows, and some of them were turned into ruins of wood and stone. Pang Yu had already inquired from He Xianya, and without asking Ambassador Yuan, he went directly into the next warehouse. There were piles of debris inside.
There is no trace of grain anywhere.
Pang Yu clasped her hands behind her back and looked like a leader. She didn't seem to match Ambassador Yuan's brothers at all. She said coldly, "Where is the food?"
Ambassador Yuan came over with a smile on his face and explained: "Brother Pang, look, this was damaged by the earthquake at the beginning of the year (note: there was an earthquake in the first month of the seventh year of Chongzhen in Tongcheng). It happened to have food stored in it. Unfortunately, it rained again that day.
The grain was soaked by the rain, became moldy and rotted, and was gradually discarded as a last resort. Today, there is no new grain added to the warehouse."
Pang Yu naturally didn't believe it. He had inquired a lot about it from He Xianya yesterday. Although the detailed process was not clear, he knew that the whereabouts of the food was definitely not soaked by rain.
"oh?
If I remember correctly, this year's earthquake happened during the Spring Festival, and it only snowed in the days before and after that, but it didn't seem to rain.
If it was abandoned, then brother, I need to check the entry and exit documents, who moved it, and ask for identification, when it left the warehouse and the city, and where it was finally abandoned. I also need to look carefully. One hundred thousand kilograms of things, no matter what
It will leave no trace at all.
In this way, if the county magistrate asks, I will have something to say."
Ambassador Yuan's attentive smile changed. He slightly tilted his mouth and said: "When the snow melts, it becomes rain. When it was burned, it was in a dry field. In the summer, the field was filled with water. There is no trace of it. It was brought by Dong Zuo during the transportation.
I don’t even know the name of the porter in Menfuyushi, so it’s a bit difficult for me to find a witness. If Brother Pang wants to find one, he can just go to Fuyushi and ask.”
Pang Yu turned around and stared at Ambassador Yuan with a smile. The purpose of this warehouse inspection was to settle the whereabouts of the previous warehouses before the official arrival of the county magistrate. It is certain that there is no food in the warehouse. No one can change it, but there is no food.
However, the reason can be changed. In this way, the application to Anqing Prefecture will be recognized, the previous warehousing will be written off, and Xinzhi County can hand over the goods with confidence.
Therefore, this time the warehouse inspection is not to check whether there is enough grain, but to find a reason why there is no grain. This reason can be provided by the warehouse, or it can be provided by the household, but it must be approved by the county government. This depends on
The attitude of the county magistrate is also the source of Pang Yu's status, so Pang Yu is not afraid of Yuan Cangzi playing rogue.
"Then if I can't find it in Fuyong City, I can only add one sentence in the application details reported to Anqing Mansion: There is no evidence that one hundred thousand kilograms of grain was transported and destroyed. Brother Yuan, do you think this is okay?"
As soon as these words came out, a tense atmosphere suddenly filled the air. Ambassador Yuan narrowed his eyes and looked at Pang Yu, "At that time, I have already reported the situation to the household secretary Zhao. If Brother Pang doesn't believe it, you can go there."
Official Zhao asked for help."
Naturally, Pang Yu would not be frightened by such random actions. According to his judgment, it was true that Ambassador Yuan had contacts with Secretary Zhao. Secretary Zhao probably also benefited from this, but only in the household.
Don't bother Ambassador Yuan.
Now that Pang Yu is assigned by the county magistrate, Secretary Zhao cannot step in to cause trouble, and he can only rely on Ambassador Yuan to solve it himself.
So recalling the information about He Xianya, Pang Yu said calmly: "I don't mean to make things difficult for Ambassador Yuan, but the county magistrate has placed great trust in me and I have to ask more questions. I know Ambassador Yuan is a real person, even if he is helping Ambassador Yuan
It's okay to do some, but warehousing is a county's top priority. If Anqing Prefecture or Huining Road investigates in the future, the brothers will also have a huge stake.
Everyone works a job and gets a salary, and I think Mr. Zhao can understand the reason behind this."
After Pang Yu finished speaking, he looked at Ambassador Yuan intently. Their eyes met in the void. Both sides laid out their bargaining chips, both empty and real, to see if they could convince the other party that they could do it. Ambassador Yuan originally thought that Pang Yu was a
A half-fool who succeeded in speculating on luck tried to bluff Pang Yu with feints, but he didn't know that there were no flaws in the other party's words. His overall momentum was strong, his eyes were full of determination, and he didn't flinch at all.
After a moment, Ambassador Yuan's eyes flashed. Cangzi was always weak in the face of this kind of inspection. He didn't really believe that Pang Yu dared to write "no evidence found" in the application details submitted to Anqing Mansion, because that would first
It was the county magistrate's face that was humiliated. It seemed that the county magistrate did not take care of Tongcheng's affairs well.
What he was really afraid of was actually the county magistrate. Pang Yu was obviously a popular man, and it was his first time running errands for the county magistrate. If he really wanted to grab Cangzi by the tail and beat him up, neither Zhao Sili nor Tang Weimin would do it.
She would say something nice for Cangzi, but instead blame Cangzi for not handling things well.
Ambassador Yuan lowered his eyes and said, "Brother Pang, look, we are all yamen errands, so please show your respect."
"It's okay to raise your hand, but what's in it for me?"
There was still a smile on Pang Yu's face, but Ambassador Yuan could no longer smile. People like Zhou Yueru who followed rarely saw entanglements between government officials. It was unheard of for Pang Yu to be so frank about seeking benefits.
In such an atmosphere, Zhou Yueru felt like her heart would jump out of her chest.
Ambassador Yuan was also stunned for a moment. Although the yamen servants were often shameless outside, everyone still had to show some respect when inside the yamen. It was rare to ask for benefits directly. However, recalling Pang Yu's title of "Second Fool", he couldn't
I feel weird.
After thinking for a long time, he turned around and saw that no one else was there, so he took out two silver ingots from his arms and stuffed them into Pang Yu's hand. Pang Yu felt the size and found that they should be twelve taels per ingot, a total of twenty taels.
As expected, he underestimated Cangzi, and Ambassador Yuan was obviously prepared for this situation.
After Pang Yu accepted it, he pretended to lower his head and think, while Ambassador Yuan waited for his response with a dry mouth.
At this moment, He Xianya suddenly said, "Brother, I heard from the people in the household that after the earthquake this year, 300 dan were added to the reserve warehouse in the spring tax. Is it also soaked by the rain?"
Pang Yu continued, "It's impossible for every warehouse to leak."
Ambassador Yuan turned around and glared at He Xianya fiercely. He Xianya lowered his eyes and did not respond.
Ambassador Yuan took out another tablet again. After hesitating for a moment, he took out another tablet and stuffed it into Pang Yu's hand with a heartbroken look on his face.
"Let's not hide it from Brother Pang. The three hundred stones that were repaired were placed in other warehouses. I thought that the warehouse was good, but I didn't expect that the tile roof was loose and leaked some gaps. Sure enough, it was also soaked by the rain, but it is true that the food was only
There is no more of these."
Pang Yu estimated that it was almost done. What He Xianya told him was that it would be at least fifty taels, preferably sixty, and it was almost the same as yesterday's.
Ambassador Yuan just hinted that he could not give more. Pang Yu glanced at He Xianya with the corner of his eyes and stretched out four fingers of his hand. When he saw He Xianya nodding, he could accept it and accept it.
Pang Yu tilted her chin in the direction of Zhou Yueru and He Xianya, "Is there anything else you want to take a closer look at?"
Ambassador Yuan knew what Pang Yu meant, so he went over and gave two small silver ingots to each of the two helpers. When he handed them to Zhou Yueru, he suddenly realized that it was the woman from the Pang family last night. He didn't understand Zhou Yueru's identity for a while, but Ambassador Yuan was walking
After many years in the industry, he has not lost his composure and still offers money respectfully.
Zhou Yueru had never experienced such a scene before, and her face turned red. Seeing that He Xianya accepted it, she followed him and took it. He held it in his hand and squeezed it again and again. The money was covered with sweat. Zhou Yueru just didn't dare to put it in his purse.
.
"Our riverside area does get a lot of rain in spring and summer, hey."
Pang Yu put the money into his arms without blushing, "Since it's already noon, don't make Mr. Tang hungry."
When Ambassador Yuan knew he had passed the test, he immediately put on his flattering smile, pulled Pang Yu affectionately, and said in a more sincere tone than last time, "Please come over here quickly, we will go to Yuhe Tower now.
Oops, I have heard a lot of rumors in the past two days. I admire a certain pair of Pang brothers very much. Unfortunately, Yuan was not in the hall that morning and could not listen to the Pang brothers' speeches in person. We will get together more in the future. In this way, we will become brothers in the future.