Zhao Yicheng could not have imagined that Liu Chengfeng was so easy-going, and his face showed gratitude. He hurriedly said, "Sir, the student status is humble, I'm afraid..."
Liu Chengfeng waved his hand and said seriously: "At this point, you and I are colleagues. Even if we have a relationship with each other, we will have to work in the same place for a while in the future. I will rely on you in the future. Why do we talk about humble status?"
After saying that, Liu Chengfeng asked someone to serve the food and drinks, then smiled and said, "I am very bored to eat alone. You should just talk to me."
Zhao Yicheng then sat down like a frightened little rabbit. After eating a few glasses of wine, he started talking more. He glanced at Liu Chengfeng and then said, "Sir, it seems that he is not in a good mood?"
Liu Chengfeng looked at him and drank another glass of wine. At this time, the weather had turned cold and the wine was specially cooked. At this time, the alcohol content was not high. It was like a warm alcoholic beverage in later generations. After sip, the whole body was warm. Liu Chengfeng didn't drink much, but he would eat some appropriately when his body was a little cold. Others were confused about drinking. Liu Chengfeng was so energetic after drinking. Liu Chengfeng paused for a moment, and then sighed and said, "The mood was not good or bad, but this time you must also know that fighting the rebellion is of great importance. If you neglect, you will never get rid of it. But this Jiujiang City is like a hodgepodge. Those officials and soldiers are not worthy of use. The governor of Jiangxi likes to make trouble. I don't ask them to charge me, nor do I ask the governor of Jiangxi to give me advice. I just want them not to interfere with it, and I will burn the incense."
"Also. The rebels conquered Raozhou Prefecture, and the next step is Anqing. Anqing is the gateway to Nanjing. Once Anqing is lost, Nanjing will have no danger to defend. However, I, the imperial envoy of the governor Liangjiang, can only sit in Jiujiang. Oh... it's better not to say it."
Liu Chengfeng shook his head, looking worried, afraid no one would have thought that Duke Lian had such a fragile side.
Zhao Yicheng quickly comforted: "My Lord is worried. Hundreds of thousands of troops of the court besieged King Ning. King Ning is a trapped beast. Even if he wins by chance, the court still has a huge advantage. Don't worry, King Ning will be awarded the title sooner or later."
Liu Chengfeng laughed and immediately changed the topic: "It's better not to talk about official business here, yes, Mr. Zhao is said to have worked in the prefect's office. To be honest, I have read Mr. Zhao's articles and I also know that Mr. Zhao is quite famous in the Jiujiang area. The prefect's office is indeed a bit in a bit."
Zhao Yicheng said modestly: "There is no name for literary talent, it is just that people among the people who are boasting about each other. Otherwise, why don't they even have the chance to pass the imperial examination? Or the students lack too many things. To be honest, they go to the prefectural office to do things. First, students still need to support their families, and secondly, they want to do something for the court. Only when they really enter the public will students realize that it is easy to speak empty words in the world at present, but it is even more difficult to do practical things."
"Oh? Why is this?" Liu Chengfeng asked with a smile.
Zhao Yicheng said seriously: "The people in the temple are too unearthy. The cabinet passed the orders to various departments. Each department formulated a charter and issued it, but the customs of each place are different, and the situations in different places are also different. For example, a few days ago, the ministry said that it was to plant as few as possible and tea trees as possible to prevent farmers from throwing rice fields to change to tea mulberry trees. Originally, this is indeed effective for Jiangnan, but it is different in Jiujiang Prefecture. Jiujiang Prefecture has many mountains and hills. There are many lands that cannot be planted, even if it is forced.
After planting, the harvest is also very low, but it is still appropriate to plant some tea mulberry. Jiujiang has always had a tradition of growing tea, and Lushan tea is famous all over the world. However, because of this official document, it is said that rice cultivation should be included in the merit test of local officials. As a result, the prefect had no choice but to encourage or even force the farmers to remove tea mulberry and change to plant rice. What was the result? Zhao Yicheng shook his head and smiled bitterly: "As a result, the rice harvest of farmers has dropped sharply, and some land particles that are not suitable for planting rice have no harvest."
Liu Chengfeng nodded, and he also heard about this. The Ming Dynasty's official system was a layer of constraints and its design had reached a perfect level, but one thing was not as good as the previous Song Dynasty, that is, the officials in the cabinet had almost no experience as local officials. Basically, a cabinet minister first took the imperial examination, then went to the Hanlin to become a Shuji scholar, and then promoted step by step. Most of them began to be promoted to attendants, lecturers, and finally entered the Zhanshi Mansion and went directly to the cabinet.
The biggest characteristic of these people is their nobleness. Most of their lives spent studying behind closed doors and editing books. At the same time, they were not divided into grains. Not to mention the matters in the temple, they were also disgraced. The system of the Song Dynasty was relatively better. The top students in the Song Dynasty were first sent to the county magistrate, promoted step by step, and finally entered the highest decision-making body.
So sometimes, many official documents issued by the cabinet of the Ming Dynasty seemed to be very reasonable, but when you go to the local area, you can't avoid lip service, and good things turn into bad things. Of course, this system also has its advantages, that is, although the selected cabinet ministers will not be too good, they will not be too bad. This is the least bad system. Those who are bad like Yan Song are just corrupt and abuse of power.
Zhao Yicheng complained, and then realized that it was Duke Lian sitting in front of him, and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Student Meng Lang is overestimating his abilities to criticize the affairs in the temple. I am ashamed, I am very ashamed. I guess it is the many thoughts of the nobles in the temple. People below us will never understand. Adults, the student makes a mistake after drinking, please don't blame him."
Liu Chengfeng smiled and said, "It's okay."
The two of them ate some wine again, but they didn't eat much food. Zhao Yicheng became a little drunk and dared not eat anymore, saying, "The students still have official business to do, but I'm afraid they can't accompany them anymore. Do you have any instructions? If not, the students will ask someone to post military orders."
Liu Chengfeng thought for a while and said, "There is no more trouble for you, yes, go and call Qianhu Yang Kang to speak."
Zhao Yicheng was stunned. Yang Kang was a thousand households of the Jinyiwei Qianhu Office in Jiangxi, and now he is also working in Jiujiang. He nodded and said, "Yes, students will go and invite them."
He turned around and left. When he was about to leave, his steps staggered a little, obviously he was drunk, but he did not lose his composure. He just smiled apologetically at Liu Chengfeng and hurried away.
Liu Chengfeng asked someone to clean up the wine table, and then read the official documents after the document. Then, Yang Kang, a thousand households, arrived. Yang Kang was an old qualification in the Jinyiwei, and was very ugly. He had a tumor on his face. Many people called him the King of Silver Horn, mostly ridiculing him for his ruthless methods and ugly face. However, Liu Chengfeng had a good impression of him. This man has always used his life to do things. In recent years, he has collected a lot of Ning Wang's intelligence for the Beizhen Fushi Department in Jiangxi. Because of this, Liu Chengfeng has always placed him in Jiangxi, in this most dangerous and important place.
Yang Kang had a taciturn temperament. He walked in and stood motionless in the small corner of the flower hall. When Liu Chengfeng finished reading the official documents, he noticed him and nodded at him, he quickly stepped forward and saluted: "Be humble Yang Kang, I have seen the lord."
Liu Chengfeng smiled and said, "I can't afford to take your gift. You are the Silver Horn King."
This is a joke to ease the atmosphere, but after Liu Chengfeng said it, he regretted it a little. The joke was obviously a little cold and inappropriate, because Yang Kang not only did not laugh, but was embarrassed and didn't know what to do.
Liu Chengfeng had no choice but to get serious and said, "Come on, sit down and talk."
Yang Kang sat down with his body, his eyes motionless, looking at Liu Chengfeng with his life at will. Liu Chengfeng sighed quietly and said, "How many years have you been in Jiangxi?"
Yang Kang said: "I have been in Jiangxi for thirteen years. I have been promoted from a hundred hereditary households to a thousand households. Lord Meng refused to abandon him and finally got to eat this bowl of rice."
This guy is obviously not a good person who is good at flattering, because this flattery is just like Liu Chengfeng's joke, and it is a bit cold.
Liu Chengfeng smiled and said, "Now King Ning is rebelling. Jiangxi is in a state of corruption. Has your Thousand Households been greatly affected?"
Yang Kang shook his head and said, "There are signs of rebellion in advance, so the humble man has prepared in advance. Those who should withdraw from Nanchang have already withdrawn from Nanchang. There are still some spies who are still lurking there, but they are lurking deeper. I believe that King Ning can't find it either."
"Um..." Liu Chengfeng nodded and said, "When the Japanese came yesterday, did you say that King Ning had installed a spy in Jiujiang?"
Yang Kang said: "This is something that our people in Nanchang noticed. The every move that Jiujiang is coming to Jiujiang, and even the news that the Lord is about to arrive in Jiujiang seems to have mastered it, and he has made some measures to deal with it at any time. Therefore, he humbly thought that there must be a Ning Wang's inner supporter on Jiujiang."
Liu Chengfeng sighed and said, "Arranging the people in Nanchang, let them be careful and don't show their strength. We should use them, but we must be able to defend them and not sacrifice for us for nothing. I asked you to come here for the spies sent by Ning Wang in Jiujiang City. You must also know that the most important reason for the rebels to conquer Raozhou Prefecture was that the enemy of Ning Wang, who had opened the city gates privately and cooperated with Ning Wang to attack the city, so that the rebels won a complete victory without any effort. Jiujiang could not repeat their mistakes, so finding out spies is the top priority at the moment. You have been in Jiangxi for so long, and you know the situation here better than me. Please tell me your opinion."