I studied in modern times

Chapter 1078 The Yang Family Generals in Jiaozhou (1)

In late June, the scorching sun beats down on the mountains and rivers of Jiaozhou.

The road was scorching hot, and even the water in the stream beside it was no longer icy but warm.

Wang Daqiang leaned against an ancient tree, drinking the wine he had brought with him.

This wine was produced by the sugar mill in Jiaozhou.

It's considered a byproduct of sugar production—it's brewed by the sugarcane residue after the sugarcane is pressed, fermented with water, and then made by the sugarcane workers.

This wine was brewed and consumed by the sugarcane workers themselves.

Moreover, sugarcane bagasse is used as the raw material for brewing.

Therefore, don't expect the brewed liquor to have a good taste or appearance.

At the same time, the taste is very complex, the flavor is quite strong after the first sip, and it has a strong aftereffect; most people will get drunk after three to five cups.

Therefore, the chieftains and wealthy merchants of Jiaozhou did not like it.

It was regarded as a beverage for servants and slaves.

These people preferred the "Lamb Brew" and "Jade Liquor" that they bought at high prices from Bianjing.

Moreover, it has to be a high-end product that uses Ding kiln white porcelain as the wine bottle!
Drinking wine required the use of Jian ware or Ru ware cups worth hundreds of strings of cash.

Wang Daqiang wasn't that pretentious.

When he was in Bianjing, all he needed was alcohol!

Back in the day, the wine he drank most often in Bianjing cost ten coins per pound!
That kind of wine was considered the worst in the bar.

Aside from being cheap, it has no advantages whatsoever!

It's not even considered alcohol anymore!

It tastes bland, like water!
Wang Daqiang once drank several kilograms of liquor in one go, and still acted as if nothing had happened.

Therefore, Wang Daqiang likes all kinds of alcohol.

What's more, this wine made from sugar is free!
He can get it from the sugar cane depot if he wants to drink it.

The workers at the sugar mill were happy to use their homemade sugarcane wine to entertain officials like Wang Daqiang, who were influential and had some power in the area.

Yes!

Wang Daqiang is now an official.

In April of this year, he was recommended by Xie Gongwang, the newly appointed chief clerk of Guangyuan Prefecture and official in charge of official business, and was appointed as the patrol inspector of Nanguan Town in Guangyuan Prefecture.

The so-called awarding is an ancient system.

It existed as early as the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and was a convenient power granted by the imperial court to remote areas, frontier military commands, and secretariats.

The official who bestowed the title had no official document, no official seal, and no recognition from the imperial court.

In other words, this was an official title that was only recognized in the eight prefectures of Jiaozhou under the jurisdiction of the Annam Protectorate.

Apart from the Annam Protectorate, Wang Daqiang remained a commoner.

Even in Guangyuan Prefecture, his official position was not high.

Especially after his fellow villager Pan Sui went to Beijing to take the imperial examination last year, he lost his biggest backer.

The newly arrived official, Xie, gave Pan Sui face by appointing him as a patrol inspector.

However, he also lost many of the privileges that Pan Sui had when he was alive.

For example, when Pan Sui was in power, Wang Daqiang would lead the team to escort the tribute rice delivered to Jiaozhi every time it was handed over.

The government would give a generous reward for each escort mission that returned.

This job now belongs to someone else.

In addition, jobs like setting up checkpoints to collect taxes and inspecting business travelers, which used to be lucrative, are no longer available to Wang Daqiang.

Fortunately, he had a good relationship with the manager of the sugar mill and the local chieftain.

Therefore, he could still lead his local militia to help the sugar mill transport sugar.

I can escort three times a month, and the wages for each trip are quite good.

The only problem is that recently, several gangs of smugglers have arrived in Guangyuan Prefecture to smuggle sugar.

If you're not careful, these guys can easily transform from smugglers into bandits.

They're already quite adept at murder and robbery back in their hometown.

Fortunately, the militiamen under Wang Daqiang were all trained by the Youjiang Pacification Commission when it was first established, in order to achieve political achievements.

Putting aside other things, the armor and weaponry are quite complete.

Leather armor, bows and arrows, broadswords, and swords—everything was available.

These are all military equipment left behind after the Southern Expeditionary Song army withdrew.

He is far superior to ordinary strongmen.

Therefore, as long as one is vigilant, generally no one will dare to mess with a fully armed escort team.

Wang Daqiang was drinking the free sugarcane wine, savoring the bitterness and spiciness mixed with a hint of sweetness, a flavor that blossomed in his mouth.

Suddenly, he vaguely heard a familiar voice.

"Master Wang, Master Wang..." A man dressed in black robes jogged along the official road not far away, calling out to Wang Daqiang.

Wang Daqiang shook his slightly tipsy head, stood up, and looked at the person who had come.

The other party also spotted Wang Daqiang and immediately ran towards him.

"My lord... what are you doing here? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

The man, panting heavily, came to Wang Daqiang, wiped his sweat, and slumped down next to him.

Wang Daqiang laughed and tossed the wine jug in his hand to the other man: "Zhang Yilang, why aren't you at the town post station? What brings you here looking for me?"

The visitor was Zhang Erniu, a courier who had been stationed at the post station newly established in March of this year at what was formerly Nanguanpu, now Nanguan Town.

This person came with his father and brother.

It is said that he used to work as a courier in Liuzhou.

It seems that he was exiled to Jiaozhou because he offended local officials.

Speaking of which, the changes in Jiaozhou have been happening faster and faster since the beginning of this year.

In addition to the increasing number of people coming to Jiaozhou,

Local administrative systems and postal systems also began to be fully implemented.

Nanguanpu, where Wang Daqiang lived, was just a pass in Guangyuan Prefecture in the past.

To be precise, it should be called a sentry post.

Because it is located south of Guangyuan Prefecture, it is called Nanguan (South Gate).

After Wang Daqiang and other Han Chinese who migrated south arrived, they set up households on land here in accordance with the government's decree.

Following the locals' naming convention, it's called Nanguanpu.

Last year, this place was a lawless zone.

Apart from Wang Daqiang, who was appointed as the Right River Pacification Commissioner, the Baojia system organized by him had no administrative power whatsoever.

But now, the former Nanguanpu has legally become "Nanguan Town".

It became a small market town, a place for local chieftains and Dong people to trade and rest with Han Chinese who had migrated south, or merchants who came to Guangyuan Prefecture to do business.

There's a big market on the first and fifteenth of every month!
People from over a hundred miles around would gather here.

Occasionally, opera troupes from Guangxi would even come here to perform plays and acrobatics, earning some tips.

At this time of year, the chieftains from the mountains would come to listen to operas and watch variety shows.

Soon after, the Youjiang Pacification Commissioner selected this place as a post station and established a postal service to facilitate the travel of imperial envoys and officials.

Zhang Erniu, his father and brothers, and several other post station workers arrived in this way.

The construction of this post station is quite interesting.

Because the local chieftains around Nanguan Town were more proactive than the officials of the Pacification Commissioner's Office.

As soon as the news of the Anfu Division's plan to build a post station spread, the chieftains voluntarily donated money and goods to help the Anfu Division build a post station that could be considered luxurious in Jiaozhou in this remote and impoverished mountainous area far from the capital of Guangyuan Prefecture.

The post station not only features a pond, but also artificial hills and corridors.

They also have several chefs hired at high prices.

Whenever officials appointed by the imperial court passed through Nanguan Town and stopped at the post station, they would come to associate with these people.

In particular, the Farmers' Association, which was run by farmers, loved to compose poems and essays with the civil officials from Bianjing (Kaifeng).

That's right, this chieftain's pronunciation of the authentic rhyme scheme is not good; he has a very strong Youjiang accent.

Therefore, he needs to translate at these times.

Wang Daqiang always gets drafted by him!

"Official..."

Zhang Erniu took the wine jug from Wang Daqiang and took a big gulp, panting as he said, "You should go back quickly!"

"A distinguished guest has arrived at the post station!"

"They're from Bianjing!"

Wang Daqiang laughed: "If you can stay at an inn, where else could you be from if not Bianjing?"

Since ancient times, in addition to the task of transmitting imperial edicts and orders, post stations have also served other purposes.

Its primary function was to provide accommodation and meals for visiting officials.

The Song Dynasty was no exception.

Even in Guangyuan Prefecture, the Pacification Commissioner in the prefecture capital would allocate 100 strings of cash to the post station in Nanguan Town every month!
That's not enough, you can add more!
After all, in the Song Dynasty, no one should suffer, but the scholar-officials should!
Upon seeing Wang Daqiang's appearance, Zhang Erniu quickly said, "Sir, this time it's a real person from Bianjing!"

"They're said to be the Yang family generals!"

"The Yang family generals?!" Wang Daqiang's eyes widened. "People from General Yang's family?"

This is amazing!
The Yang family was the most famous military family in the Song Dynasty!
He was also a hero revered by the world!
Especially in the Lingnan region, Yang Wenguang is a household name.

In the local area, any chieftain with the surname Yang claims to be a descendant of Yang Wenguang!
Moreover, several families have already gained recognition from the descendants of the Yang family in Bianjing City, and have established a common ancestor with them!

This further fueled the enthusiasm of local chieftains surnamed Yang to curry favor with the Yang family generals!
Thus, even in Jiaozhou, there were many chieftains who regarded the Yang Family Ancestral Hall in Bianjing as the spiritual ancestral temple of their families and regarded themselves as spiritual members of the Yang family.

(End of this chapter)