The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

Seven days later, the emperor arrived in Mingzhou, and officials from Liangzhe Road gathered here to welcome the holy driver, but Su Jin was nowhere to be seen. When asked about this, the answer was that Mr. Su claimed to have resigned from office and was no longer fit to stay in public. It was an occasion where officials gathered, but Mr. Su recuperated from his illness in a private seaside villa by the Mingzhou harbor. If the emperor wanted to see him, he would make tea for him.

Although Zhao Zhen was angry, he still controlled his emotions in time. The purpose of this trip was not to question Master Su Jinxing. The more arrogant Su Jin was, the more sympathy points he won.

In the morning of the next day, Zhao Zhen and his entourage went to Su Jin's seaside villa to visit the sick, and set foot on the bluestone embankment of the port, but saw the vast blue sea, blue sky, and hundreds of sails, and foreign businessmen and foreign businessmen of all colors were busy. , The folk husbands are like ants, carrying their backs and hugs, boxes of goods on and off the ship, busy in full swing.

Zhao Zhen sighed a little. The income of the Shibo Division exceeded his imagination. These places that he had never thought of were all developed by Su Jin. The petty profits that he dismissed have also become a huge part of the country's fiscal revenue. Admittedly, Su Jin's brilliance.

In order not to disturb the order of merchant ships in the port, Zhao Zhen deliberately changed into casual clothes, accompanied by Huang Peisheng and a dozen guards with high martial arts skills, walked slowly east along the pier, got off the pier and walked for three miles, a sea of ​​strange rocks At the end, there is a golden beach. The weather in Mingzhou is not cold even in winter, not to mention the weather in early spring. Looking at the flat beach and lush green trees on the shore, Zhao Zhen not only laments that Su Jin will enjoy it, choose They built a house to live in this place. [

"Your Majesty, that seems to be Lord Su's villa over there." Huang Peisheng pointed to the hillside by the sea, and several eaves protruded from the bushes.

Everyone stepped on the soft sand and walked slowly, turned around the bushes, and suddenly opened up in front of them, a small three-story building stood there, looking exquisite and low-key, with a large yard surrounded by a wooden fence in front, and the yard was already There were dozens of people standing tall and short, all of them were servants and maids of Su Jin's wife and children. When Zhao Zhen and his party appeared, the dignified and beautiful woman in purple led them to kneel down and salute.

"Welcome to the holy drive!"

Zhao Zhen glanced left and right, but still didn't see Su Jin, and couldn't help but wondered: "Where's Su Aiqing? I've come in person, but he still doesn't want to see me?"

Yan Biyun bowed his head and said: "The emperor forgives the sin, my husband went fishing at the beach early in the morning, and my husband left a message. If the emperor comes to visit today, please go to the beach and fish together."

Zhao Zhen smiled and said: "This Su Jin, I don't know how to fish, but I still want to go fishing with him. Where is he?"

Yan Biyun slender hand pointed to the vast sea. In the distance, there was a small sandbar protruding from the sea. There was a figure sitting on the edge of the sandbar and fishing with a pole. The old monk remained motionless as if in a trance.

"What kind of talk is this? The emperor came to visit in person. It is already disrespectful for Mr. Su to avoid seeing him. How is it proper for the emperor to go fishing with him in the sea? Su Jin is too arrogant." Huang Peisheng was angry. Zhao Zhen's sympathy surpassed his respect for Su Jin. Su Jinmu's monarch and ministers are often conceited, which is simply unbearable.

Bao Zheng, who was traveling with him, also felt that something was wrong, the emperor had already given enough face, and traveled thousands of miles to Mingzhou to see Su Jin, with the intention of repairing and explaining, but Su Jin still flaunted enough pomp, which was a bit too much.

"Mrs. Su, I'd better ask Mr. Su to come back. How can the emperor go on a boat and take risks? This is a bit of a joke." Bao Zheng said.

Yan Biyun said in embarrassment: "Master Bao, my husband is stubborn, and I have persuaded him, but he said that he wants to talk to the emperor alone under the sea and sky, and I don't want others to hear, I can't help it; There is no need to worry about your safety, we have small boats, and we will safely deliver the emperor to the sandbar."

Huang Peisheng said angrily: "What's this called? A courtier still assigns the emperor to do this and that. Is there any distinction? Your majesty, this old servant suggests that we turn around immediately. What good does this arrogant person have?"

Yan Biyun's face was calm, and everyone in the Su family was also very calm, as if they were not worried or frightened by this incident at all, as if you would like to leave or not.

Zhao Zhen heaved a sigh of relief, put on a smile and said: "Huang Peisheng, don't talk like that, Su Jin is going to talk to me alone, so he must have something to say, and I'm not an old man in his seventies or eighties. He has also been on a boat in the Great Lakes, so it doesn’t bother me, you stay here, and I will go see him.”

The guards kept trying to dissuade him, Zhao Zhen straightened his chest and waved his hands, and walked towards the rocks by the sea, where a small boat docked, and a boatman who was wearing an oar had already sat and waited; Zhao Zhen got on the boat clumsily, and the boatman said: " Your Majesty, sit still." Immediately after the paddle touched the shore, the boat slipped into the sea with the sound.

The sea seems to be calm, but the waves are dark, the boat is flickering forward on the sea, Zhao Zhen quietly grabs the side of the boat, and after a while, he feels annoyed and seems to be seasick. This is completely different from rafting on the big lake in the palace. up.

Fortunately, the journey was not far away, and after about a stick of incense, the sandbar was already in front of us. The boatman slid hard, and the boat slid onto the edge of the shallow sandbar. The boatman dropped a plank on the shore and supported Zhao Zhen to walk slowly. After crossing the plank and stepping onto the ground, Zhao Zhen heaved a sigh of relief.

"Su Jin sees the emperor." Su Jin's voice rang in his ears, Zhao Zhen turned his head and saw Su Jin standing behind him bowing and cupping his hands.

Zhao Zhen said: "You know how to choose a place, where you can't talk, why do you want to talk here? I almost fell into the sea, and I felt sick in my heart." [

Su Jin smiled, and said to the boatman: "You row the boat and pick us up in an hour, and tell the ladies to treat the guests who are accompanying you well, and don't neglect them."

The boatman folded his hands and turned back to get on the boat, and sailed away from the sandbar in a short while.

Su Jin looked back at Zhao Zhen with a stern face and said, "Is the annoyance in the emperor's heart any better?"

Zhao Zhen said coldly: "It's not good, I feel sick and want to vomit."

Su Jin smiled slightly and said, "Going into the sea by boat is such an elegant thing, but the emperor feels disgusted. This is not a problem of the sea, but a problem of the emperor."

Zhao Zhen sneered and said: "Don't play charades with me, I am disgusted by your behavior, and your pretentiousness is actually unwise."

Su Jin laughed loudly and said: "The emperor seems very angry, dare to ask me what Su Jin did wrong?"

Zhao Zhendao: "You know what you do yourself. If you say you can't do it, you can do it. The court's handover is not working well. Now it's a mess. It's all because of your secret instigation. What did you do wrong?"

Zhao Zhen's anger seemed to be gushing out. Since people here need to be merciful when speaking, he pointed Su Jin's nose with his hand and said, "Don't forget, the world belongs to me, and I only need to say one sentence." If you say that, you can destroy everything you own, do you understand?"

Su Jin laughed out loud, and Zhao Zhen shouted: "What's so ridiculous? Is what I said wrong?"

Su Jin stopped laughing, looked at Zhao Zhen coldly and said: "Your Majesty, take your finger away and don't point it at my nose. I hate it when people point their fingers at my nose; I know what you are going to say, you Don’t you just want to say that the life and death of me, Su Jin, is in your hands? If you say a word, I, Su Jin, can lose my head; you are the emperor, and I am a subject. You must think that this sentence is extremely correct, but in my opinion, this is all fart."

Zhao Zhen shouted: "You... are simply too presumptuous, it seems that you are going to rebel."

Su Jin laughed again: "Rebellion? I wouldn't do such a thing, I just ask you, what qualifications do you have to accuse me so brazenly? Should I have used my private property for more than ten years as the Northwest Four of the Song Dynasty? Should I, Su Jin, have to work hard every day for you but also endure your doubts? These things may seem natural to you, but in my opinion, I am willing to do it not because of you, but because of you. It is for the people of Song Dynasty, anyone can blame me, only you are not qualified."

"Why am I not qualified? I am the lord of the world, and everything in the world belongs to me." Zhao Zhen roared.

Su Jin smiled and said: "This is probably your most crowning reason, how about it, don't get angry, since we are going to talk about things today, let me tell you a story."

Zhao Zhen said angrily: "I don't have time to listen to your nonsense. I came all the way from thousands of miles just to ask you a question, can you still be of use to me? If so, I forgive your outrageous words and deeds, and you can do things well for me." , I still won't treat you badly; if not, you know the consequences yourself, and I need to say more."

Su Jin sighed and said: "The emperor came all the way from thousands of miles to threaten me. I am very disappointed; but I didn't have any expectations for the emperor's arrival. Are you satisfied with this answer?"

Zhao Zhen gritted his teeth and said, "Then I can say something, you will regret it."

Su Jin shook his head and bent down to pick up the fishing rod on the ground, walked slowly to the beach, and said in his mouth: "Be a happy person from tomorrow on, feed horses and chop firewood, travel around the world, and care about food and vegetables from tomorrow on. Spring flowers bloom towards the sea."

Zhao Zhen didn't know the style of the poem in Su Jin's mouth, but from it, he could hear Su Jin's determination to get rid of the shackles and entanglements of the world. Zhao Zhen suddenly understood why he couldn't threaten the person in front of him. Because this person has a sense of alienation from the ministers, concubines, concubines and maids around him, and even all living beings in the world. He is one of them, but it seems that he should not be one of them.