The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

Su Jin took the lead, Wang Chao and Ma Han each carried a food box and a jug of wine and followed Su Jin. They walked along the back hall path to Song Xiang's residence along the creaking snow.

Song Xiang just came back after staring at the square for a long time. He was heartbroken to see the miserable situation of the people, but there was really no other way. Sudden liver and intestines.

Su Jinke stood still outside the door politely, and the taller voice said: "My lord, Su Jin asks to see you."

Song Xiang's face darkened, and he thought to himself: "This kid is making noise again." He made up his mind not to give him a good face, so he said: "Special Envoy Su, don't waste your time talking, that matter is determined to be done. No way."

Su Jin smiled and said: "My lord misunderstood me. This emissary came to apologize to you. I didn't think carefully before, and I offended you a lot with my words. I thought about it, and it was too abrupt, so today I am here to apologize to the man. Your Excellency apologized, and at the same time, I thought of a way, which may solve my immediate worries, and I want to discuss it with my lord."

Song Xiang was a little puzzled, this Su Jin came to quarrel with him in the morning, and scolded himself for being stupid, but this time he suddenly made a 180-degree turn. This is a new method, I can listen to it. I am very worried at the moment, so it doesn't matter to listen to what this kid has to say, maybe it will inspire me.

"The envoy is polite, please come in, it's very cold outside."

Su Jin opened the curtain and entered the room, Wang Chao and Ma Han put food boxes, wine and vegetables on the table one by one, and filled the wine cup with wine, Song Xiang asked in amazement: "Master Special Envoy, what is this for? "

Su Jin said with a smile: "This envoy came to Yangzhou Mansion, and was taken care of by the lord of the government in many ways. I am very grateful. I was not self-respecting for my previous words, and I felt even more guilty. I hereby bought some wine and vegetables to invite the lord of the government to have a drink. I came to thank you, and I came to make amends."

Song Xiang said with a smile: "Why is this so? It's normal to argue about official affairs. The special envoy of Su doesn't have to worry about it. What's the use of all this money?"

Su Jin said: "It should be, how about asking Brother Shaoqing to have two glasses of wine together? He also took good care of this envoy, thank you."

Song Xiang said with a stern face: "This is a shameless son. He was disgusted with me just now. Now he is hiding in the inner room and doesn't want to come out. He is really ignorant. The special envoy is seven or eight years younger than him. He can't keep up with you in his actions and words. Don't call him Whatever."

Su Jin hurriedly said: "How can I do that? Brother Song is very admired by me, so I will invite him in person."

Before the words were finished, the small curtain inside was lifted, and Song Quan came out and said, "How dare you work hard, my lord, the envoy is here."

Su Jin hurriedly greeted them to be seated, the three of them sat at the table, and began to eat with a table full of sumptuous food and drink. Song Xiang lived in poverty, and when Su Jin came that day, he served only home-cooked dishes, and the best thing was just a fish. At this moment, seeing wine, meat, chickens and ducks everywhere, my stomach, which has not had any oily water for a long time, began to growl.

Su Jin greeted Yan Yan attentively, talked and laughed at Yan Yan, and said endless good things. Song Xiang was poured bowl after bowl of ** soup, and when the wine was dry, he poured out all his melancholy. lay down.

Seeing that it was almost time, Su Jin opened the altar of good wine, poured a full round, raised his glass and said, "My lord, I would like to offer you a toast. When I left Beijing, I heard that your lord was from the Tiansheng Dynasty Zhuangyuan Lang, with these few days together, he is really talented and knowledgeable, full of economics, and I just use this cup to express my respect to the lord of the government."

Song Xiang raised his glass with wine and said, "It's all over, why mention him in the past? Now it's all up to you young people."

Su Jin said: "You're talking when you're done." He raised his glass as a gesture.

Song Quan raised his glass to pay for the drink, but Su Jin hurriedly stopped him and said, "Brother Song, don't worry, I will respect you alone later."

Song Xiang tilted his neck and drank the glass of wine, Su Jin also drank the wine in the glass, leaned over and took the teacup as drinking tea, and spit out a sip of wine into the teacup.

Song Quan clicked his mouth, looked at the wine glass and frowned slightly, Su Jin hurriedly said: "Eat vegetables, eat vegetables, the wine is not very tasty when it is cold, eat some goose heads, it is said that goose heads nourish the brain."

Song Xiang said with a smile: "The goose's head can make up the brain. It is a rumor that people say that the goose is stupid. After eating the stupid goose's brain, I am afraid that the smart ones will become stupid, and the stupid ones will become even more stupid."

Su Jin raised his big finger and said: "Your Excellency still has the insight, what you said is quite reasonable, I will beat you to death so I won't draw inferences like this, for the sake of your Excellency's analysis, it should be clear."

After finishing speaking, he filled Song Xiang's and his own cups, raised them and said, "It's done."

Song Xiang breathed out his alcohol and said, "Would you like a drink with these?"

Su Jin said: "Of course, the ancients drink with poetry, but now I drink with words like Fu Zun. It's the same elegance. Do it first as a respect." After saying that, he poured the wine into his mouth.

Song Xiang had no choice but to drink the wine. Su Jin said that the moment he raised his neck, he spit the wine into the cup like a gourd.

Su Jin poured another cup, and was about to say something, Song Xiang waved his hand and said: "Just now you said that you had some thoughts and wanted to share with the government, now you just want to talk about it, and it seems that the most worrying thing now is this matter No, it’s really impossible, I plan to pay two hundred shi for the officials’ salaries and food in advance, and cook some porridge for charity, the common people are too miserable.”

Su Jin said in his heart: Even if you still have heart, you are not a corrupt official with a black heart, you can only be regarded as a muddled official.

"My lord, there are always more ways than difficulties. In fact, I have already considered a clever plan, and it will definitely work."

"Oh? Then why don't you hurry up and talk about it."

"Don't worry, after drinking this cup, I'll explain it to you." Su Jin raised his glass with a smile.

Song Xiang didn't doubt that there was him, he raised his glass and drank not a drop, and finally couldn't help saying: "Why is this wine a bit sour, it doesn't taste good to eat."

Su Jin said with a smile: "Nowadays there is a shortage of food, it would be nice to have wine to drink, adults are still picky, and don't think about how many people outside are hungry."

Song Xiang heard that there was a teasing meaning in Su Jin's words, which was completely different from the previous humble attitude. He looked at Su Jin with some surprise, and Su Jin smiled and said, "Why? Is there a flower on my face?"

Song Xiang pointed at Su Jin, his tongue suddenly stiffened, and he confided, "You...you..."

Su Jin smiled and said, "Didn't your lord want to ask me for a plan? My plan is: open a warehouse...release...army...food."

Song Xiang was anxious, but he couldn't speak anymore. Seeing Su Jin's smile gradually blurred in front of him, his eyes finally went dark, and he fell into a drowsy sleep.

Song Quan said in surprise: "Su Jin, what did you do to my father?"

Su Jin cupped his hands and said: "Brother Song, don't worry, it's just that you drank Menghan medicinal wine, your father is afraid that he will sleep all day."

Song Quan was stunned, he didn't expect the dignified envoy to resort to such indecent means, but thinking of the behavior of visiting private houses that day and night, Song Quan had a complete understanding of what kind of person Su Jin was. You can do anything that loses your identity.

The matter has come to this point, and it is useless to blame him. Su Jin called Wang Chao Ma Han to help him carry the snoring lord to the inner room to rest. Take it over and take a look, the small gold seal is engraved with several boys: the seal of Yangzhou Zhizhou Zhengtang.

Song Quan brought Su Jin and others to Song Xiang's study room, and took out official documents on the table. Under his guidance, Su Jin used the strengths he had learned in the flesh to imitate Song Xiang's notes and write down the official documents for opening warehouses. According to Song Quan's instructions, a special ink pad seal was stamped on the lower third, and a private seal was stamped between the pages of the official document, carefully dried by the fire, put into a bag, and dripped with wax paint. Paint seal.

Su Jin hid it in his arms, and everyone packed up the dishes, wine and vegetables, and took the food box out of the inner hall; Song Quan saw the handyman and maid standing there at the door, thought for a while, turned back and said to them: " The master is tired and has already fallen asleep. You are not allowed to go in and disturb him. It is cold and snowy. You go back to your room to rest and come to serve in the morning. Leave two people to guard the door. No one is allowed to come in. If there is something to report, the yamen will call They'll be back tomorrow morning."

The servants felt strange, it was just past noon at this moment, and the young master actually said that he would come to serve in the morning, so could the master sleep until dawn tomorrow?But as servants, they should never talk too much. They still had this awareness, so they dispersed separately.

Before leaving the inner hall, Su Jin bowed to Song Quan sincerely, Song Quan silently returned the salute, and the two went their separate ways knowingly.