Chinese New Year

Chapter 1463: Concierge
In mid-March, the long-awaited "Encouragement of Farming in Various Provinces of the Realm" shogunate was finally almost fully established.

On March 20th, Crown Prince Shao Jin presented the latest edition of the Book of Jin, then took his leave and headed south to Liang County, officially beginning his new post.

Of course, the work of compiling books will not be neglected; the most important task now is the book "Earthly Diseases." The Great Liang Dynasty has now acquired new territories, requiring investigation and recording of the prevalence of acute illnesses in these areas. Furthermore, some previous records of acute illnesses in certain prefectures appear to contain errors and need to be revised, making the workload considerable.

The "Kuodi Zhi" is also being continuously improved.

Some in the court even suggested revising the Records of the Three Kingdoms, because the previous work had many omissions, so it would be better to rewrite it and call it the New Records of the Three Kingdoms. Moreover, this period was not too far removed from the Three Kingdoms period, and many archives had not been destroyed, so it would be quick to revise it by referring to the previous book.

Shao Xun agreed and ordered the Crown Prince to oversee the compilation of the book.

The person who wrote the letter remained in Luoyang, and it was completed by an official under the Crown Prince's command.

Meanwhile, officials of the shogunate began the work of surveying and measuring land in Liang County.

In other words, the Crown Prince now has two teams, greatly increasing his influence.

The government of the State Administration of Agriculture and Rural Development appointed a chief secretary, Yu Liang, to the position.

There was one Left Sima and one Right Sima. Among them, Yao Yizhong, the Prefect of Nan'an, served as the Left Sima, and Yuan Xi, the Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince, concurrently served as the Right Sima.

Lu Yan, son of Lu Chen, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, was appointed as the Chief Clerk, and Liu Da, the Right Guard Commander of the Crown Prince, concurrently served as the Supervisor.

Zao Yong of Changshe was appointed as the Secretary and Military Advisor; Shao Lin, the second son of the Prince of Lu, was appointed as the Legal Advisor; Lu Shang, the Crown Prince's Junior Secretary, was appointed as the Revenue Advisor; Shan Qian of Shangjun was appointed as the Bandit Advisor; and Wen Yi, the Imperial Son-in-Law and Commandant, concurrently served as the Registrar and Military Advisor...

Others included Xie An, the gatekeeper; Wang Zhi (son of Wang Feng), the attendant official; Shao Ji (Song Gong); Zhang Yu (secretary); ...

As for the minor officials who went to great lengths, there were even more, such as Huan Chong (Huan Wen's younger brother), Murong Chui, Fu Jian, and Zu Daozhong.

In short, some of these people were recruited by the Crown Prince, some were recommended by others, some were sent by Shao Xun, and some even came to serve him on their own. Their backgrounds were very diverse. After observing them for a period of time, we could roughly see their abilities, temperament, and character. Then, we would proceed with further screening.

Undoubtedly, this was a golden opportunity for many frustrated individuals. With the establishment of the agricultural reform movement and the early days of the shogunate, even with connections, there were still many vacant positions available to outsiders. If you seized this opportunity, you could potentially rise to great heights in the future.

On the 25th, Crown Prince Shao Jin, escorted by the two guards of the Eastern Palace, arrived in Liang County and moved into the Green Willow Garden, the emperor's former residence.

Looking at the vibrant flowers in front of and behind the courtyard, the verdant willows along the Ru River, and the lush farmland in the distance, Shao Jin was in an exceptionally good mood.

Yes, after leaving the Chongde Hall of the East Palace, Shao Jin felt that the sunshine was brighter, the air was fresher, and even the mountains and rivers were more beautiful.

This is an improvement in my mood, something I won't tell outsiders.

On the 26th, before officially commencing work, officers from the Left Cavalry Guard of the Prefectural Army came to visit.

Of course, this was a courtesy visit to inquire whether the Crown Prince needed their help. After all, the authority of the Commissioner for Encouraging Farming was described very vaguely, seemingly covering everything, so it was always good to ask.

However, they only met briefly at Green Willow Garden and then left without even having a meal, behaving very politely and leaving no room for gossip.

However, everyone knows the truth, and this is something that cannot be told to outsiders.

******
On the 27th, a light drizzle began to fall, making the willows along the riverbank even more enchanting.

Green Willow Garden had no gate, so a shed was set up outside the gate. The gatekeeper Xie An and two junior clerks sat inside, occasionally getting up to ask the name of the visitor before going inside to announce their arrival.

Around noon, another car pulled up, and after being announced, it was allowed to enter.

After Xie An led the people inside, he returned to the shed and smiled at Huan Chong beside him, saying, "People from the Xun family of Yingyin."

Huan Chong hummed in response, staring blankly at the rain outside.

Although Xie An was a minor official with no specific duties and could be ordered around by anyone, their status was actually similar.

If nothing unexpected had happened, Xie An would have originally been a minor official, but the emperor had personally appointed him to a position in the imperial staff. The crown prince, upon meeting him, was equally impressed, praising Xie An for his refined and elegant demeanor, and was quite satisfied with the man his father had given him.

Huan Chong had heard about this from Wen Yi, the registrar, and was quite envious. However, he was only fifteen years old, and his purpose in coming here was to gain experience and become familiar with the Crown Prince for his future—clearly, Huan Chong was one of the legendary "connections," following the path of Yu Liang.

Lost in thought, another carriage drove by.

Xie An didn't move. Just as Huan Chong was about to get up, another junior official, Fei Chao, stepped into the rain and asked in a low voice.

This man was the grandson of Fei Li, the former governor of Runan. His father, Fei Chen, worked for the Duke of Shu, and the whole family were from Shu.

The Fei family had a bad reputation in Runan, and Fei Li was known as a cruel official because he often tormented powerful families.

After asking around for a while, Fei Chao came to Xie An's side and briefly reported, "It's from Consort Yin's household."

Xie An nodded and got up to go inside to report.

Huan Chong and Fei Chao sat together, quietly watching the room outside.

How many people came this morning? At least four or five families. Could it be they all here to plead with the Crown Prince?
Huan Chong thought it over and over and decided it was unlikely. He might be complaining, but it was more likely he was trying to show his loyalty to the Crown Prince. In a way, wasn't this a strategic retreat? Politics was too boring! Huan Chong sighed inwardly. Spending his days scheming and plotting, his face ugly, was far less interesting than the Emperor's campaigns to conquer the world.

Last year, the army that conquered the Western Regions returned home, causing a sensation in Luoyang. Huan Chong also went to see it. Looking at the mountains and seas of camels and horses, he was filled with longing. He imagined himself as the general who conquered the west, holding his sword and riding his horse, sneering at the Hu chieftains kneeling at his feet.

This is what a real man should do!
Just then, the chief priest Mao Xiu (son of Mao Bang) led a group of soldiers carrying food boxes over.

Huan Chong and Fei Chao dared not be negligent and quickly stood up to greet him: "Chancellor Mao."

"Thank you for your hard work." Mao Xiu returned the greeting, then waved his hand, ordering the soldiers to bring food to the two men, along with the food for the eight guards at the gate.

"There are spices in it!" Huan Chong exclaimed in surprise as he took out a bowl of meat soup, sniffed it lightly.

"Don't make a fuss." Mao Xiu looked at the group of youths with a smile and said, "It was sent from Jiaozhou. The Crown Prince did not want to enjoy it all by himself, so he distributed it to the officers and soldiers. If you are grateful, just do your job well."

“What the Grand Master says is quite right,” Huan Chong said solemnly.

The rain outside is getting heavier.

Mao Xiu decided not to leave and instead went into the shed to have a meal with the two men.

"This year, the Imperial Household Department has introduced spices to Guangzhou. In the future, there will be more and more of these things, and the price will become cheaper. Perhaps the common people will be able to enjoy them gradually, just like cotton clothing," Mao Xiu said while getting his food.

"Why do I see that spice prices seem to have gone up?" Huan Chong asked abruptly. "Is something happening in the south?"

Mao Xiu paused, then looked at Huan Chong seriously and asked, "Do you know about the Kingdom of Linyi?"

Huan Chong nodded.

"This country has little land, so it has always coveted Rinan Commandery," Mao Xiu said. "When they crossed the border to cultivate land before, the court discovered it, and the governor of Rinan sent people to demolish the houses they had built and drive away the barbarians. Linyi was quiet for half a year, but then they came back again and even attacked and killed several Rinan Commandery soldiers. Jiaozhou was furious and has sent people to reprimand them and demand that the murderers be handed over. Merchants who hear about this often raise prices on the spot, which is commonplace."

Huan Chong frowned.

He knew that during the Han Dynasty, Jiaozhou was mostly inhabited by uncivilized barbarians. A thousand soldiers and a hundred sets of armor were enough to terrify the barbarians, making it particularly easy to maintain control.

Fan Wen made his fortune by forging weapons and building cities for his benefactor. The strength of the Lin Yi Kingdom has far surpassed that of the garrison in Jiaozhou during the Han Dynasty. Now, maintaining his rule will not be so easy.

If the imperial court were to clash with the Kingdom of Linyi, the strength of Jiaozhou alone would likely be insufficient. After all, Fan Wen had 50,000 troops, and their weaponry was not bad. Meanwhile, the imperial army in Jiaozhou consisted mostly of local soldiers, whose fighting capabilities were questionable.

"Let's not worry about that for now, let's eat," Mao Xiu said, picking up his bowl and chopsticks.

The three then lowered their heads and ate their meal.

Xie An still hadn't returned. During this time, someone came to announce that the Crown Prince had discussed the scenery of Kuaiji with Xie An and was very pleased, so he invited him to stay for a meal.

Huan Chong and Fei Chao were extremely envious.

They knew that Xie Anshi had a penchant for mystification, but he did it so naturally and effortlessly that they couldn't imitate it.

The messenger quickly arrived at the carriage and invited Consort Yin's family members inside.

Not long after, the Xun family of Yingyin came out, having not even managed to get a lunch.

Huan and Fei exchanged a glance, both understanding immediately.

The Crown Prince accepted the post of Commissioner for Encouraging Agriculture and Settling in Green Willow Garden; the whole world knew his intentions. At this critical juncture, how could he possibly back down? The Xun family has no one left to rely on!

After Mao finished lunch, the rain subsided a bit, so he took his leave.

Fewer people came in the afternoon. Xie An, who had returned to his hut, even considered taking out a chessboard, but then gave up after thinking about it. It seemed that this was not a popular activity in the officialdom of the Great Liang Dynasty.

This is the prevailing atmosphere in officialdom. During the Sima Jin Dynasty, it was considered "unrestrained" and "romantic," but in the Liang Dynasty, it was seen as "negligence" and "dereliction of duty." Of course, it ultimately depends on the person. The higher the official position, the more privileges one has, and the less others dare to interfere with one's conduct.

The three of them sat there for an entire afternoon, and, finding it incredibly boring, they even began to whisper about anecdotes from when the emperor once resided in this place.

Time has passed, and nearly thirty years have gone by. Many things from back then have gradually changed and become legends.

For example, there is a willow tree in Green Willow Garden that is particularly magical. It is said to be the transformation of an immortal. A year before the great drought, the immortal appeared in the emperor's dream and told him the truth. Therefore, the emperor reclaimed land in Guangchengze and planted winter wheat. Before the drought and locust plague broke out one after another, he harvested a season's worth of grain.

For example, there was a dragon and a chi in the Ru River that had been causing trouble for many years. The emperor was so angry that he killed the evil dragon. The chi was afraid and transformed into human form, spoke human language, remarried the emperor, and moved to the deep abyss of Guangcheng Marsh. Therefore, Guangcheng Garden has enjoyed favorable weather for many years.

The three of them chuckled to themselves upon hearing this.

As evening approached, the chief priest Mao Xiu came and said, "His Highness wishes to travel to Yingchuan tomorrow. You should all pack your things and accompany him."

(End of this chapter)