"You still want to sell it to them?" Zhang Zhong looked at his son in confusion.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded his head.
Zhang Zhong thought for a while and didn't say anything. He knew his son's ability. He always did things in a bold and unconstrained way. Since his son said he could sell it, then he could sell it. It just depended on how he sold it.
When they returned to the Yamen, there were still people in the Yamen who hadn't taken the things away. He Cangji was waiting there. Not only did he distribute the things to others, but he also had to look after the things that were left behind.
He couldn't pick the other things like rice and noodles. He just needed to take a bag of them. However, the remaining chicken was all small. The meat was all lean. The five layers and the fat ones were all taken away by others. Needless to say, the five layers and the fat ones were all wanted. The fat ones were also not bad. They could be eaten with oil when they went back. The fat ones could be eaten with oil and could be used to make dumplings and pancakes.
Ordinary people didn't want the lean ones. Zhang Xiaobao liked to eat the lean ones. It was just nice. As for the cucumbers, he picked the straight ones and took them. The rest were all crooked and some were even rolled into balls.
Even so, he still had to look after the rest. He believed that once he left, these things would all be gone. Not to mention other things, it would take at least half a month for the cucumbers to be harvested. During this period of time, whether he ate it himself or took it out to sell, it would be good.
Waiting for Zhang Zhong and the others to arrive, He Cangji took a small bite of the cucumbers. When the Registrar and the County Premier saw him, they stared at him as if they wanted to stare him to death. The clerk who followed them back was lost in thought when he saw the things that hadn't been distributed. Then he looked at Zhang Zhong, the Registrar and the County Premier. Finally, he resisted the idea of going to take the things.
When County Premier Xiao returned to the Yamen, he directly said to Zhang Zhong, "Lord Zhang, wait for a moment. I will go to the signing room to get the seal. When I come back, we will hand it over."
Zhang Zhong nodded and didn't say anything. No matter what, he had to give them a chance to take out the seal. It was useless to ask someone to search for it. If they found it, they would say that they forgot it. They were too busy. What could he do?
The Registrar Official had also sorted out some of the matters that had been handed over to him. When the time came, he would hand them over to Zhang Zhong together.
When He Cangji saw his master return, he immediately approached him and said, "Your Honor, I've given all the people in the yamen what you gave them. There are still some left, but … I'm just picky. The rest are not very good. The meat is lean, the cucumber is bent, and the chicken is small."
"Hahaha! It's not like you don't know what my family does. Leave the lean meat for the sauce. Xiao Bao loves to eat it. Bend some cucumbers and make them into garlic cucumbers. Roast the chicks. It's easier to hold them and eat them. "
Zhang Zhong was in a good mood. Just now, he had inadvertently seen the way the Registrar and Deputy District Magistrate looked at He Cangji. This was the time for him to win over people's hearts.
Other county magistrates might not be able to do this when they had just taken office, but he could. He had already gotten used to some things related to his status. Occasionally, when he went out of the house, he would see a villager and chat for a while. Even if he was a seventh-rank official, just like how his son often played with the children of the villager. Who could say that the villager didn't respect the master's family?
But it was different for He Cangji. This was the first time he had spoken to the county magistrate like this. In the past, county magistrate Wen had always been cold. He said excitedly, "Your Honor, are you going to hand over immediately? Your Honor, the most important thing in our county now is that river.
The one that connects to the capital. I forgot. You know, from your house to the river, the land on both sides of the river is worth a lot. Your Honor, you must be careful. Otherwise, the land will be sold cheaply and our yamen will have no money. "
When He Cangji said these words, he was gritting his teeth. Even if the Registrar stood there and secretly glared at him from time to time, he still said it.
Zhang Zhong had seen it just now and knew this was the case. But when it came from He Cangji's mouth, it gave him a different feeling. He was now more certain that this small official with the surname He was ready to surrender. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said such an important thing to gain his trust.
He nodded at He Cangji, "This matter is indeed important. I will remember it."
While they were talking, Deputy District Magistrate Xiao walked out of the signing room with a square seal made of brass in his hand. It was heavy. He reluctantly put it on the document and said to Zhang Zhong, "Your Honor, let's hand over now."
Zhang Zhong took out the two letters. After verifying each other, he picked up the seal and the document. From this moment on, he was the county magistrate of Huayuan County. He was ready to play a game of intrigue with these two people.
At this time, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan also came to the place where things were handed out. Each of them was holding a cucumber and gnawing on it.
"Xiao Bao, it seems that your father is not easy to deal with. The two of them are actually of the same mind. Should we try to drive a wedge between them first?" Wang Juan asked as she patted the bag of rice with one hand. Her hand was dusted.
"It's fine to use it or not. It's just to deal with two small figures. If it's to deal with some ministers or prime ministers, I have to be well-prepared. At that time, I may not be able to guarantee that it will work. But to deal with two people like them, it's not worth so much effort. They are not young either. One of them looks like he is almost 30, and the other is 25 or 26.
If the Chief Secretary is 25 or 26, I will be worried. Many prime ministers started from this position when they were young. Although I have never heard of his name, it's a pity that the young one is the county magistrate. He is below the eighth rank. He has a lot of experience.
The most important thing is that the two of them are on the same side as County Magistrate Wen. If they didn't push all the blame to County Magistrate Wen, they would be fine. The people above have long been used to this kind of thing. It's County Magistrate Wen who is dealing with them. They still have to help stabilize Huayuan County.
But they refused. They are too cowardly. People like them can't expect to be promoted in the future unless they meet a noble. Otherwise, no one dares to promote them. If they are promoted, what if they commit a crime? Will they continue to push the blame to themselves? "
Zhang Xiaobao analyzed the situation for Wang Juan. Wang Juan also agreed. Sometimes, things in the officialdom were not as simple as they seemed on the surface. No one would hire someone who would hit a senior official when he was down at a critical moment.
"Then what are you going to do next? You have already watched the businessmen. You can't just watch them like that, right? "Wang Juan asked again.
"Of course we can't do that. They are here to invest. We have to treat them well. Let Erniu lead them to the river to see the place. Tell them that they can buy the land, but they have to negotiate the price. Also, they have to tell them how to manage the land after buying it and how much tax they have to pay."
Zhang Xiaobao had already come up with a good idea just now. At this time, it was just the right time to tell Wang Juan.
Wang Juan thought for a while and said, "They can negotiate the price and manage the land. But the amount of tax they have to pay seems to have been fixed, right? Do you dare to let your father decide the tax privately? "
"I don't dare. There are still two wolves watching over there. But they want to do business. Both sides of the land are fertile land. They should pay the fine, right? As long as they occupy the land, they can be punished according to the year. After all, they have to farm every year. Is this okay? "
Zhang Xiaobao said another idea. Wang Juan nodded after hearing it. "Good. You can even come up with this idea. That is, you are using the fine to replace the tax. How much are you going to pay? There are also rules for the fine, right? "
"We have to see what can be planted in the land. If they say they want to plant millet, they will be fined a few strings of coins per mu. But if I say they want to plant fungus, how much do you think they will be fined per mu of land? What about vegetables in winter? Even if others know about this method, the price of vegetables will not be cheap. The cost of the vegetables is high. "
"Then I know. It seems that we have to stop the Deputy Magistrate and the Registrar from saying that the County Magistrate agreed to occupy the land." Wang Juan could not calculate the fine for planting fungus. She still did not know the yield of each piece of wood. She had to let Pomegranate do the calculation.
"Don't stop them. We have to give them a chance to talk. Let them take the initiative to tell my father about occupying the land. Take it slow. Don't rush. Let's find Erniu first. I will tell him what to do."
Zhang Xiaobao took another bite of the cucumber and said with a whimper.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan talked while eating. On the other side, Zhang Zhong had become the County Magistrate. He had to check some of the old account books and the records of the prison warden. Now, there were more than 120 people in the county jail.
He did not believe that so many people had committed crimes. Moreover, it was the kind of crimes that needed to be locked up. The previous County Magistrate Wen had set up many unjust prisons. Now, he had to clean them up bit by bit. Those who should be released would be released. Those who should be sent to higher positions would be sent to higher positions. Those who should be caught for making money would also be caught.
Also, the old account books could be figured out one by one. Based on the previous County Magistrate, the Registrar and the Deputy Magistrate's actions, the account books were in a mess.
Zhang Zhong's actions made the Registrar Official and the District Deputy feel relieved. When they reached the place where the items were placed, they took them one by one and piled them up like a small mountain. The top of the mountain was covered with dust and cobwebs.
"Sir, everything is here. You must take care of yourself. If you are tired, you can sleep for a while." Looking at those things, Deputy Magistrate Xiao wanted to laugh but could not. He could only hold back his laughter and said with concern.
Zhang Zhong did not touch those books. He just glanced at them and said to the Registrar and the Deputy Magistrate, "Well, put them here. I will read them one by one. From tomorrow onwards, the yamen can ask for cases."
"We will listen to your orders. Then we will go back first. Will you be at home tonight?" the Registrar asked.
"No, I will stay at Jinlai Tower tonight. I will move back after the yard behind the yamen is repaired. If you have any urgent matters at night, you can find me at Jinlai Tower."
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