In June, the city of Kaifeng woke up again in the morning light. In other words, it took a brief rest for only two or three hours before being awakened again by the rising sun.
At Shangchen time, which is seven o'clock in the morning in the new time, the streets of Kaifeng's outer city began to be crowded with people.
When the official came to the throne, many new rules were set. One day was divided into twenty-four hours, and one hour was divided into four quarters and sixty minutes. Some people adapted quickly, but many people were not very adaptable, so the twelve o'clock period was divided into four and sixty minutes.
.
For example, the upper chen hour corresponds to 7 a.m., and the lower chen hour corresponds to 8 a.m.
In this way, it has become a common convention for everyone. Table clocks produced by watch factories usually have two kinds of marks on the timetable, the numbers from one to twelve and the twelve hours.
At seven o'clock in the morning, people who were preparing to go to work left their homes one after another. They were in their twenties and thirties, and they were all grassroots officials in various yamen in Kaifeng City.
They were all dressed in gray robes, wearing a flip-up or soft-legged futou, and some were wearing big hats - they were people affiliated with the Privy Council or the Department of Garrison and Control of the Internal and External Guards in the capital and other yamen.
Most of them are from other places, have outstanding talents, passed the national examination, and entered various yamen. However, their qualifications are still relatively young and their salaries are not generous, so they can only settle down in outer cities.
They came out of their houses or yards, greeted each other, and walked together in twos and threes. If the mother-in-law at home did not prepare breakfast, or those who were tired of eating at home and wanted to change their mind outside, they would go to familiar foot shops or roadside stalls.
, order breakfast.
There is mutton soup with two pancakes; there is soy milk with two fried dough sticks or steamed buns; there are rice noodles with a spoonful of oil and hot meat dumplings...
Since the official came to the throne, countless new things have appeared in the Song Dynasty in the past ten years. In Kaifeng City, there are many tricks among the snack vendors. It is said that it was spread by the cook of Prince Jian's mansion. Some are true and some are false, but everyone can be sure.
It's a feast for the eyes, but it's true.
While eating, they whispered to each other and discussed in low voices.
"The official family has returned to Beijing?"
"I'm back. A classmate of mine from the Secretary's Department said that yesterday Shizhong Tan followed Dazai, Shaozai and a few others out of the city to pick him up."
"Why is there no movement at all? Tell me, tell me, has there ever been an official family like ours throughout the ages? The imperial chariot goes out on patrol, quietly. But you know, the official family also has a large family of concubines, princes and princesses."
"It's not like you don't know the temper of our officials. However, some old masters are still shouting out about wasting money and wasting the people... all the money used by the officials for patrolling is from the internal treasury."
"I know, but some bitter scholars are still saying that the money in the inner treasury is also the hard-earned money of the people. These bastards, any money that does not go into their pockets will be a waste of money for everyone who uses it."
The harsh words elicited chuckles from those around him.
After laughing, they continued to discuss in a low voice.
“Brother Zan, it’s said that your Ministry of Industry is giving out bundles of velvet as part of the half-year gift?”
"Do you believe this? Neighbors also said that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry gave out a bunch of gold ingots as a half-year gift? Brother Jiang, have you seen it?"
"What a ghost." This person couldn't help but complain a few words, "Looking at me so closely from top to bottom, and giving out a few shopping coupons, we will all be grateful for the kindness of the Queen Mother."
"Yes. In the past, there was mercy from the Queen, but now there is mercy from the Queen Mother."
...
The shopkeeper, Mr. Wang, came over and said, "A few officials have finished eating."
"It's ready!"
Mr. Wang is over seventy this year, and he is still very tough.
Such a long-lived old man is not only listed in the Kaifeng Prefecture, but also has his name in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Several officials who had breakfast responded very politely.
"My old man has been doing business here for forty years and has served officials of all sizes. I have also met Mr. Wang Jing and Sima Wen several times. I have never had a chat like you do."
"Old Zhang Wang, what's the matter? What's the difference?"
"The difference is huge! In the past, when officials, big and small, opened their mouths, they were the top names in major restaurants; who wrote some nouns and quatrains at a certain family cultural gathering; and when they kept their mouths closed, they were talking about the sage's principles, which made the country great. I still remember, in those years,
What did they say when the quarrel was the loudest?"
Mr. Wang opened his cloudy eyes and tried to remember.
"Therefore, there will be nothing in the world for more than a hundred years. If you know that God's help cannot always be relied on, and if you know that human affairs cannot be neglected, then the time for great achievements is today!"
"If you do it slowly, it will be a great benefit; if you do it hastily, it will be a great harm."
"The people of Fujian are cunning and cunning, while the people of Chu are easy-going. They will definitely attract people from the rural party. How can the customs of the world be more honest!"
“Sometimes they even yell at each other, saying things like ‘gathering together to harm the people’, ‘anti-government wreaking havoc and spreading poison all over the world’, and things like ‘being too old to die is a thief’...”
"My husband, you have a very good memory. You remember all these sentences."
"In those few years, I saw heaven and earth scolding me in my ears. After listening to it too much, I remembered it. I remembered it, but I couldn't understand it. I didn't understand a word. I only knew that it was high, as high as the palace of heaven. Duan is in the clouds.
I can't understand it."
Having said this, Mr. Wang smiled, with a few teeth falling out of his grinning mouth, and continued.
"We all like to hear what you are saying. My old man likes to hear it, my son likes to hear it, my daughter-in-law and grandchildren all like to hear it. What you say is just like what happened on our streets. We
I understand."
Several officials having breakfast looked at each other in confusion.
They are all the top people in various counties and prefectures. They stand out from tens of thousands of scholars, are admitted to various universities, and then pass the annual national examination. They are smart and can quickly discern what they mean.
What Mr. Wang said was as plain as water, but upon careful consideration, it was quite profound. This may be another effect of what officials mentioned during the study that officials should insist on "knowing the people's hearts, empathizing with them, and empathizing with the people."
Bar.
Those Jinshi who were called upon by the Donghua Gate were no longer like this. They were aloof, separated from the people, superficial and unrealistic. Down-to-earth and diligent, this was one of the new standards for officials in the Song Dynasty.
Just as I was thinking about it, someone suddenly shouted, "It's already half past seven. Damn it! We're going to be late."
At the word "late", everyone around, including people in several nearby foot shops, stood up in a panic, drank the last two mouthfuls of soy milk, bit off the last piece of fried dough sticks, ejected a few coins, and left in a hurry.
"Officials, my officials, there is no need to be in such a hurry. No one will whip you from behind." Wang Dalang, the son of Mr. Wang, said with a smile while collecting the money.
"I heard that the officials haven't returned to Tokyo yet, and the senior officials above won't be so anxious. I'm taking a break, so there's no need to be in such a hurry."
The news of the official's return to Beijing has not yet spread among the people.
"It doesn't matter whether an official returns to Beijing or not. You don't know the rules of the officialdom now. There are hundreds of secretaries and school clerks in the Secretary's Department, and they take the work lists of each department every day. The 20th of this month
"Yes, there is still something that has not been done, can you finish it? Then a letter from the Supervision and Inspection Bureau will be forwarded to the Provincial Administration Department."
"The Administrative Office immediately sent letters to the ministries to inquire about the situation. After receiving the letter, the Administrative Office of each ministry immediately found the director of each department, and the director went to each bureau, and each bureau went to us who are in charge of the specific affairs. There is no time to spare! Wang Dalang!
"
Wang Dalang chuckled, "In the past, people in the government were also from Wenshan and Hanhai, and they were just dealing with the bosses. Just put it off. After a few days, the bosses can't remember it, and the matter will be over."
"Hey, Wang Dalang, you really know something. It can't be done now. Change the rules. The secretaries and school secretaries of the Secretariat Province, as well as the guys from the Supervisory Office of the Shangshu Province, are specially keeping an eye on us. A piece of letter is
It doesn’t matter, but if things are not completed by the end of the month, next month, people from the Supervision and Inspection Bureau and the Superintendent’s Office will come around like flies. Especially the Supervision and Inspection Bureau, if they come to visit, we all have to be senior officials first.
Shiver a few times."
The official chattered, paid the money, and then followed his companions.
Several of them teamed up and called a carriage. Or they crowded into a multi-section carriage with rails. They had the same goal, their respective yamen.
Zhongshu Province is located on the left wing of the inner city, the original Qishengyuan; Shangshu Province is in its old place next to Junyi Bridge, but it has been widened a lot to accommodate all twelve departments; Menxia Province is in the original place
Jinglingdong Palace; the Privy Council is next to Xingguo Bridge, not far from Kaifeng Government Office.
These officials entered the inner city through various gates, got off at various nearby stops, and then gathered into a dark flow of people, rushing towards these government offices.
Thousands of people greeted each other, chatting as they walked, sometimes giggling, and finally became a bustling noise.
At eight o'clock sharp, drums sounded almost simultaneously in the East and West Corner Towers, Zhuque Tower and Longjing Tower.
As soon as the three-in-one and twenty-four-beat drums finished, the entire inner city fell silent. The noisy voices just now seemed to have floated away from the sky, and could only be heard faintly.
This is the morning meeting of various yamen.
At ten o'clock, the ministers of various ministries of the Shangshu Province, the censors of the left and right deputy capitals of the Menxia Province, and other senior officials each got on their carriages and entered Donghua Gate along the avenue to go to the cabinet for a meeting.
This is how a day in Kaifeng City begins. This chapter has been completed!