After this wave of bandit suppression, Sheng Changbai confirmed that Gu Tingye did have some military strength.
He defeated the enemy quickly and his battle loss ratio was not high. His ability was still recognized by Sheng Changbai.
Although the scene is too small, it is still unclear whether Gu Tingye can become a handsome man in charge of one side.
But Gu Tingye could do well in commanding on the spot, charging into battle, and taking the lead.
With these conditions, it is enough for Gu Tingye to be a brave general.
Sending a message to nearby prefectures and counties asking for help in finding the person was Sheng Changbai's increased investment in Gu Tingye.
Showing more kindness to Gu Tingye can help Gu Tingye become an obedient thug.
"Let's go. I've prepared a celebration banquet for you today. Let's talk about anything tomorrow."
It took several months to finally complete the work of rectifying public security in Xuzhou. Sheng Changbai was very happy, and so were all the archers.
After returning home in triumph, they will be rewarded for their merits, a big banquet will be held, and finally they will return home drunk.
The group of archers originally gathered to suppress the bandits should be disbanded after the bandits were successfully suppressed.
But in order to help Gu Tingye conduct door-to-door inspections, Sheng Changbai planned to keep him for a while longer.
Sheng Changbai can be regarded as spending money for Gu Tingye.
If these archers have to be requisitioned after the service time has passed, it is not good to just take care of their food, food and housing without paying them.
When suppressing bandits, it is necessary for official purposes. After defeating the enemy, rewards will be distributed to the archers.
Now he has to help with personal matters, and Sheng Changbai is not short of money, but he still can't bear to prostitute these common people for nothing.
According to the standard of ordinary hired workers in Xuzhou, they are only given fifty coins a day, so a person of 300 people would need fifteen coins a day.
It took a month and four to five hundred dollars to get started.
By doing this calculation, we can understand why feudal society only collects and distributes free corvée and does not pay wages for construction projects. It is really unaffordable.
Three hundred people went out and it didn't take long to investigate Xuzhou.
There is no news about Zhu Manniang and Brother Chang.
Zhu Manniang is still a little clever woman. If she didn't want to play a trick, she would not know that Sheng Changbai and Gu Tingye have a good relationship and hide in Sheng Changbai's territory.
"Zecheng, I've been bothering you for so long in Xuzhou. Since there's no news about Mannia, I can't continue to bother you. It's time to leave."
"Zhonghuai, where are you going after you leave? You have made great contributions in helping Xuzhou suppress bandits this time. Why not stay in Xuzhou? With this contribution, I can express my merits to the court and protect you."
It is better to be a Marquis of Yu and do something in the army than to waste your time like you."
Sheng Changbai still wanted Gu Tingye to stay in Xuzhou and work hard as a thug.
The price is not high, just recommend Gu Tingye to become a low-level official in the Xiang army.
Normally, Gu Tingye is allowed to hang out with the Xiang army. When needed, he can just call out the men and bring the archers.
"Brother Chang hasn't been found yet, so I really have no intention of pursuing any career."
"Then Zhonghuai, what are your plans next after you leave Xuzhou?"
"I want to go straight down the river and continue to look for Mannia and Brother Chang. Even if I have to search the entire Zhou Dynasty, I still want to find Brother Chang."
"There is no news at all in the vast sea of people. Where can you find someone?"
Under normal circumstances, there is always a logic to finding someone, but Mannia has no ties, so there is no logic when running.
When ordinary people encounter this kind of situation, they will hide back home if they want to escape.
Mannia was an actor who grew up in a theater troupe. Since she was a child, she has been at home all over the world and has no concept of her hometown.
If most people don't go back to their hometown, the other option is to go to other places to join relatives or friends.
Mannia didn't have many friends, she only had one brother, who was abandoned by Mannia in the capital.
It is impossible to find Mannia by taking refuge with relatives and friends.
In addition to Mannia being Gu Tingye's concubine, Gu Tingye lived in Jiangxi for a period of time when he was studying at Bailudong Academy, and there was no place where he could stay for a long time.
Ordinary people, whether they are getting married or taking a concubine, like to find someone who knows everything.
Zhu Manniang is just the opposite, a completely rootless woman.
I have been in the theater troupe since I was a child, and I have learned so much experience in traveling around the world. It is really not comparable to ordinary women of this era.
At the dock in Bianliang, Gu Tingye found no trace of Mannia. It could be said that there was basically no possibility of finding her.
"Do your best, obey destiny, and do your best so that you will have no regrets."
Gu Tingye himself didn't have much confidence in finding people.
"Then Zhonghuai, please take care. I hope all your wishes will come true. If by chance you don't find someone and you don't want to go back to Bianjing, you are welcome to return to Xuzhou."
Sheng Changbai was simply being polite this time. If Gu Tingye left Xuzhou, it was unlikely that he would come back because of his position as Yuhou in the Xiang Army.
After all, Gu Tingye was born into a noble family, not a civilian, and his horizons were not that shallow. A low-level officer was attractive.
After Gu Tingye left with his follower Shitou, Sheng Changbai's life returned to its original state.
Apart from celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival and attending some banquets and cultural gatherings, I did not participate in other things.
My only priority is to keep an eye on the quality of the river embankment project and pay attention to the autumn harvest that has started one after another.
By the end of September, most of the crops had begun to mature. Sheng Changbai organized a group of squires and wealthy businessmen to go to his village to see the harvest of Zhuang Jia.
It is to allow these people to understand the advantages of improved varieties in the most intuitive way.
Lest these people buy back the seeds, but due to various reasons such as poor land selection, insufficient fertilization, drought and water shortage, weeding and insect removal, and poor care, the yield will not increase significantly.
There is no clear understanding of the advantages of improved varieties in increasing yields.
After seeing the real output, Sheng Changbai was praised and praised by these wealthy gentry.
What these big business owners are touting now is much more sincere than it has been since Sheng Changbai arrived in Xuzhou.
This can be regarded as clearing up Sheng Changbai's previous resentment against these large households for forcibly selling fine seeds during summer sowing and forcibly apportioning money and grain for river construction.
Now, the relationship between Sheng Changbai and these big investors has returned to the honeymoon stage.
Whatever you want to do in the future, it will be easier to get the support of these people, and it will be easier to get money and food from these people.
After Sheng Changbai arrived in Xuzhou, he also exploited some of these large households.
But in all kinds of things they do, these big households enjoy the most benefits.
Generally speaking, after Sheng Changbai took office, life for these large households has been better.
After finishing all this, Sheng Changbai only had to collect the autumn tax.
When Sheng Changbai first took office, the summer taxes were collected smoothly, with some minor setbacks. Now that Sheng Changbai is suppressing bandits and promoting agriculture, and has a higher prestige, he doesn't need to worry about the autumn taxes.
It is better to supervise the subordinate officials well and not be greedy. Pengcheng is the place where the state governs. Under Sheng Changbai's eyes, no matter whether it is the county magistrate or the subordinate officials below.
They all also understand Sheng Changbai's style better. Sheng Changbai has confidence that these people will not go too far.
In addition to being known as "Qingtian" among the common people, Sheng Changbai was also known as "Ku Li" among subordinate officials.
In the first two months, Sheng Changbai liked to confiscate people's homes and send them to the army.
In recent months, Sheng Changbai likes to punish people to dig rivers and build embankments.
When punishing someone, Sheng Changbai always gave harsh sentences.
I don't like people paying money to pay for their sins. Many people have suffered the same crimes as Sheng Changbai.
After Pengcheng didn't need to worry too much, Sheng Changbai was ready to go down to Teng County, Pei County, Feng County, and Xiao County, the grassroots counties under Xuzhou's rule.
In addition to nearby deterrence and supervision, Sheng Changbai was also bored in Xuzhou City and wanted to go out to change his mood.
A state city in feudal society was actually not very big, with a circumference of only a few miles.
Even a lap on horseback doesn't take long, and there really isn't much scenery.
Although the scale of several other counties is not as large as Pengcheng, they each have their own scenery and are worth the trip.
Sheng Changbai went to Tengxian and Peixian, and then returned to Pengcheng to take a rest. Before he went to Fengxian and Xiaoxian to 'inspect', he learned the news that Changsong from Dafang had arrived in Xuzhou.
Ever since Sheng Changbai arrived in Xuzhou, Dafang has been busy with Changwu's marriage.
Expanded the business to Xuzhou, opened a business in Xuzhou, and helped Sheng Changbai's shop in Xuzhou city to supply goods.
The big house sent stewards to handle these matters.
After arriving in Xuzhou, Sheng Changbai had never met anyone from Dafang.
"I have seen the great judgment."
After Changsong arrived, he saluted Sheng Changbai and said, "We haven't seen each other for a long time, and I still feel a little unfamiliar."
This is also an obvious change in Sheng Changbai's power. When he was in Bianjing, although Sheng Changbai was noble, he had no power and was just a librarian.
Now Sheng Changbai has directly become the second-in-command at the state level, managing hundreds of miles, tens of thousands of households, and a population of hundreds of thousands.
Sheng Changbai stood up and came to greet him, and said as enthusiastically as possible: "Brother Song, we are our brothers, why do you need to come here with these false gifts."
"Etiquette cannot be discarded. Brother Bai, this is the first time we have met since you were promoted to the Grand Judge. We still need to observe etiquette."
Seeing that Sheng Changbai's attitude remained the same as before, Changsong relaxed a little, but still followed the rules.
Sheng Changbai and Chang Song did not have the experience of Sheng Wei and Sheng Hong growing up together and studying together.
We haven't been together for that long, and our blood relationship is even deeper.
It's not that easy to get along like Sheng Wei and Sheng Hong, like brothers.
"Then don't bother giving gifts like this from now on. I'm still me, the same as when I returned to Youyang three years ago."
Sheng Changbai was still happy when he saw Sheng Changsong coming.
Not because after Sheng Changsong comes, it will be easier for him to make money.
More importantly, Changsong is a compatible friend of Sheng Changbai.
Changsong is one of the few peers who can chat and play together with Sheng Changbai.
Especially here in Xuzhou, Sheng Changbai has to maintain dignity, stability, and self-respect because of his status.
It is impossible to get into trouble with some young scholars in the state.
In Xuzhou Sheng Changbai, it can be said that there are no young people of similar status who can hang out with each other normally.
Unlike when I was in Bianliang, there were quite a few young scholars, and there were colleagues who were not too different in age.
There are also some nobles who are born noble, and it is not difficult to find peers of similar status.
In Xuzhou, Sheng Changbai participated in banquets and activities of officials and squires.
The only people we can communicate with are at least middle-aged men, and even some old men with white beards and hair.
Sheng Changbai's inner maturity level makes it easy for him to communicate with these people.
But Sheng Changbai's physical condition is not suitable for playing the same event with these people all the time.
Watching songs and dances, listening to various operas, and listening to storytellers are all items that are rarely touched.
Sheng Changbai still needs some sports activities, such as horseback riding, hunting, outings, and mountain climbing.
"Okay, when I see you, Brother Bai, I won't give you so many false gifts."
"That's right. How is Chang Wu's wedding going? Did he receive the gift I asked someone to send?"
Changwu's wedding was held in late August, not long ago.
Although Chang Wu got married, the old lady had already brought gifts on behalf of the second wife.
But Changwu has lived in the capital for such a long time, Sheng Changbai and Changwu have good personal trainers, and Sheng Changbai is already an independent head.
Therefore, Sheng Changbai also prepared a set of gifts for Chang Wu. He selected a set of top-quality chainmail and weapons from the mine supervisors under Xuzhou and gave them to Chang Wu.
As a military commander, these gifts for happy events are not taboo.
Thinking that Chang Wu might encounter chaos after returning to the capital, Sheng Changbai would certainly send these life-saving things as soon as possible.
"Changwu likes it very much and asked me to thank you. He also said that if he has enough time when he returns to Bianliang, he will come to see you and thank you in person." Changsong replied.
"That's not necessary. If you have time, why don't Chang Wu pay more respect to Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei at home." Sheng Changbai continued to ask: "Brother Song, my old lady and Minglan live in Youyang. It won't be too much trouble for you."
Bar?"
Although I know that the old lady lives in a big house and everything is fine, I still want to ask about the old lady's condition.
"The two old ladies live in the big house, which is a blessing for the big house. Normally, we can't even ask for it, so it's not a trouble. After the old lady came to live at home, she helped us a lot. There were two old ladies accompanying my grandmother.
My grandmother’s health and mood have improved a lot.”
Changsong spoke eloquently. A simple look showed that Changsong's feelings for the old lady of his second wife were very sincere.
The three generations of the first family are very grateful to the old lady of the second family for her protection.
Even if Sheng Hong is his father, Sheng Changbai still has to complain.
Sheng Hong's feelings for the old lady were far less profound than the feelings that Dafang had for his second wife.
Sheng Hong's gratitude to the old lady was not as sincere as his second wife's.
Not to mention the level of filial piety, Sheng Changbai always believed that Sheng Hong was superficially filial to the old lady just because of etiquette issues.
The old lady paid more for Sheng Hong than for Dafang, and the reward Sheng Hong gave was far less than Dafang.
But in terms of gratitude, the second bedroom of Shengjia is far inferior to the first bedroom.
If I had to find a reason for Sheng Hong, it might be that the old lady couldn't save Sheng Hong's biological mother, and Sheng Hong had a grudge in his heart.
"Sixth sister is also very good at home. My grandmother, father and mother all like sixth sister. Minglan and Pinlan play together." Changsong continued.