My book friend Long Aotian

Chapter 106 Director Li’s Temporary Worker
There are martial arts in this world, so Lord Xu types very quickly.

In about half an hour, he had written a thick stack of defense papers.

Li Bailong calculated his speed and felt that he was just as fast as a sow.

Let’s take a look at the writing style. It tells the story of Lord Xu’s experiences in the Tongwen Bureau from a first-person perspective.

As a noble official of the fourth rank, with a respectable status, a grand government office, and enormous power, he fell into the abyss due to the trick of fate. Brother units approached him with ill intentions, deceived his trust, and finally stretched out their claws to play with his noble and holy power.

What he had was taken away from him in front of him. The lowly and ugly clerks used the power that should have belonged to him in front of him, while his subordinates watched coldly. Everyone was respectful to him on the surface, but secretly laughed at him. Even the humble businessmen who he had disdained in the past began to look down on him...

"..."

Even if this person loses his job, he will be able to succeed in another field.

Li Bailong looked strange and praised: "Master Xu's writing is delicate and lingering."

"Huazhou is a place of flourishing literary culture. Every day, a large number of manuscripts are submitted to the Tongwen Bureau for review. I have nothing to do, so I review and read them. I have gradually developed some interest in them." Lord Xu said with a wry smile, "I even thought that if I am dismissed from office, I might as well write a book in Huazhou."

Li Bailong said casually: "Have you tried submitting your work?"

Director Xu shook his head and said, "In the eyes of Huazhou booksellers, I am just a puppet and a clown. I am just a private laughing stock for them. How can I be willing to submit my manuscript to them and let them play with it and make money?"

"If you really like this, you can submit your work when you are free after taking office in Xiangning Prefecture."

Li Bailong said calmly: "You don't need to submit articles to Huazhou Booksellers. When I took office in Huazhou, I decided to set up a media group... You can temporarily consider it a bookstore alliance. If you are interested, you can submit articles and contribute to the defeat of Huazhou Women's Channel."

Lord Xu thought, how can this be easy? Huazhou Bookstore is run like an iron barrel...

But there's no need for him to pour cold water on it.

only……

Writing a book?
Not to mention that Lord Xu was hesitating and calculating, Li Bailong, seeing that he had obtained the confession, made an agreement with the other party, saying that he would come in early June to hand over the seal and let him take office, and then he took his leave.

Lord Xu wanted to see him off, but he refused. Director Li, who had not yet taken office, walked out of the corner gate along the corridor on his own. He took a look at the hustle and bustle in front of the Tongwen Bureau, and even saw an official hugging a beautiful actress as she was seen off. He could not help but snort.

It now seems that the Tongwenguan under the Ministry of Education are not only in decline, but have also been usurped and turned into tools for officials to make money.

He shook his head, walked away, hailed a taxi at the intersection, and left leisurely.

Huazhou was under the jurisdiction of Jiangbei Dao, which was a province under the jurisdiction of the royal family and was actually controlled by the emperor. According to the agreement between Taizu and the six sects' founders, in such a large city, the activities of the six sects must maintain respect for the imperial power and the court. Specifically, the six sects' branches did not exist in the form of martial arts sects.

Instead, they operate in the form of commercial organizations, non-profit organizations, etc.

In provinces and counties where traditional agriculture is well developed and the culture is relatively conservative, branches of the Lingyu faction mainly exist in the form of agricultural cooperatives, grain and oil purchasing stations, and large-scale biological agricultural machinery sales and service 4S stores.

Huazhou has a developed commodity economy, a large handicraft industry, a prosperous petty bourgeoisie, and an emphasis on commerce and trade. The social atmosphere is open, so the branch of the Lingyu Sect in Huazhou is...

The rickshaw took Li Bailong to his destination. There was a huge signboard that blocked out most of the sky. The logo “All things have spirits, and those who are capable can control them” was printed on the lower right corner. The four words were written in huge, flamboyant fonts.

"Home of the Spiritual Pets."

The dot above the house was actually drawn as a cat's paw.

As expected of a branch store of the six major factions, it has a very wide storefront, trendy decoration, and expensive glass separating the huge display windows.

On the left side of the window, there is a big dog wearing a floor-length golden coat and a fluffy tail. The dog is sitting, lying, and jumping on the carpet in the window, hitting a hydrangea into the sky. Sometimes it lies on its belly and uses its four hooves to move the hydrangea, and sometimes it uses its nose to push the ball. The hydrangea keeps flying in the air and never falls to the ground.

Seeing Li Bailong coming over to look, the dog swung its tail, and its fluffy upright tail accurately pulled the hydrangea into the basket on the wall. Then it barked at him triumphantly, sat up on the ground, stuck out its tongue, as if it was laughing triumphantly, and raised its chin towards Li Bailong, looking clever.

Li Bailong smiled at it, and the dog wagged its tail.

He went to the other side of the window and saw three young ladies in colorful clothes with extraordinary temperaments also holding their breath and watching. In the window, a quiet, well-behaved, steady and lovely golden monkey was sitting on a piece of strange wood. In front of it was a small desk and four treasures of the study. It was holding a brush and dipping it in ink and writing: "Flowers fade and fly all over the sky. Who will pity them when their red fades and their fragrance disappears? The floating silk thread is tied to the fragrant pavilion..."

Those girls looked like young ladies from the boudoir. They covered their mouths and were stunned when they saw this.

"..."

Li Bailong was speechless. As he approached the store, he heard waves of melodious music that was so enchanting that it could melt your bones.

It turned out that there were climbing frames and cages on both sides of the entrance. When the palm-sized kittens saw people coming in, they became excited and started to show off shamelessly.

Or they would lean on the side of the cage, stick out their pink little tongue the size of a peanut, lick the fur bit by bit, with seductive eyes and a slanting glance.

Or they might pretend to be clumsy and fall to the ground, but instead of getting up, they would roll over and stretch out their furry paws, exposing their pink and tender legs, and try their best to reach out to the visitors.

Or they would squat on a high place with aloofness, watching quietly, only humming softly when eye contact made, shyly saying the word "meow", and then looking away.

As for the right hand side when entering the store, there is a row of doors, and only a pink curtain blocks the view. A figure sways behind the curtain, and the weak cries of a cat unable to bear the beating can be heard, as well as strange laughter like "Auntie loves you".

Li Bailong observed for a moment, and soon a girl in green clothes with a bright smile came up to him.

It should be the clerk, who smiled and said, "Sir, do you want to drink tea and appreciate cats, or buy a pet? Our store has a rich variety of spiritual pets, everything you need..."

Li Bailong took out the token from his arms and handed it over: "I'm here to visit Senior Brother Xiong."

The girl was slightly startled, and her formal business smile immediately disappeared. She bowed respectfully: "Please follow me."

"and many more."

Li Bailong turned and pointed at the cat stands, clicking on the sexiest one and the most serious one.

"Teach them to keep each other company."

As a distinguished guest of the Lingyu Sect, Li Bailong was invited to sit in the flower hall at the back. Soon, a maid brought him tea, cakes and pastries. The food and water were filled with the vital energy, and they were all martial arts feasts.

After a while, the girl in green personally brought two roasted cats. On the tray there was also a small jar of wood amaranth, a cat toy, and some snacks.

Li Bailong ate some martial arts tea and snacks, and then began to play with the beauty.

The Lingyu School's animal taming skills are unparalleled in the world. These cats have been selectively bred to be gentle in nature, and when they are bullied they will just droop their ears, look at the bad guys with tearful eyes, and meow pitifully. A little struggle and resistance will only increase the master's interest and make people more excited.

After a while, Senior Brother Xiong came in hurriedly.

The two had experienced the incident with Feng Lin, and they had developed a revolutionary friendship. They were less polite to each other, but seeing that Xiong Jingyan had a slightly tired look on his face, he sat down next to Li Bailong, poured himself a cup of tea, gulped down a cup, and asked, "When did you come?"

"Just arrived today."

Li Bailong gently pressed the cat's head, causing it to roll and twist in anger. It held its fingers with its front paws and opened its mouth as if to bite, in a threatening move. However, he didn't care at all and just said, "Want one?"

Xiong Jingyan glanced at Maomao, his eyes expressionless: "I'm tired of it a long time ago."

Li Bailong held the two cats on his knees and stroked them gently: "Brother, you have been transferred to Huazhou. Is the handover clear?"

"Mundane affairs are a hundred times more busy than in Lin County."

Xiong Jingyan said helplessly: "Linxian only goes to the countryside to check on the oxen and pay attention to the growth of mulberry trees. That's it. It's only busy during the silkworm breeding season. There are more things to do in Huazhou..."

He shook his head: "Let's not talk about this. The emperor's uncle asked you to do something official. Did he say anything?"

Li Bailong also smiled bitterly: "It's hard to put it into words."

He then told Senior Brother Xiong what he had just learned.

Senior Brother Xiong was shocked and said, "I thought being in charge of the Huazhou branch was a tough job. Compared to yours, it seems like a leisurely life. King Zhao Zhengjun, it really is not that easy to do."

Li Bailong shrugged his shoulders and asked, "The literary and artistic circles in Huazhou are all ironclad, and they have formed close interests with various government departments. The Tongwen Bureau has been usurped, and the power has been almost completely divided up. What do you think, senior brother?"

Xiong Jingyan said in embarrassment: "My brother is not good at planning. In my humble opinion, I have no choice but to kill people."

"I've met a soulmate this time!" Li Bailong said happily, "I think so too! I think the officialdom in Huazhou is a bit too neat and tidy."

"..." Senior Brother Xiong looked subtle, "What are your plans?" "I have decided to frame the prefect for being in league with the devil."

Li Bailong lowered his voice and said, "If the head of a prefecture is in contact with the devil and none of the local officials know about it, who would believe it? Either they are accomplices, or they are just sitting there doing nothing and are unaware of it. Anyway, all of them are suspected of being in contact with the devil."

"Only I have just taken office recently, and was previously cleared of suspicion by the Emperor's uncle and others. I am innocent. I am also a fourth-rank official, and my rank is only below that of the prefect. It is reasonable for me to exercise power on behalf of the prefect in an emergency. Before the imperial envoy arrives, I will take charge of Huazhou affairs and take the opportunity to clean up the mess. After the imperial envoy arrives, I will be able to restore all the authority of the Tongwen Bureau and retire calmly..."

Xiong Jingyan hesitated and said, "This is not good..."

"Besides this, what other tricks do we have?" Li Bailong spread his hands and said, "I have no power, no people, and no money. How can I fulfill the trust of the emperor's uncle? I can only take a risky move!"

Xiong Jingyan looked at him for a moment and suddenly laughed.

"I'm not the emperor's uncle. If you want help, there's no need to complain like that."

He patted Li Bailong on the shoulder and said, "Before the Minister of Agriculture left, he told me that the situation in Huazhou is special. The emperor's uncle sent you here to test whether you have the ability to turn the tide. After all, the difficulties faced by the Ministry of Education are the court's infighting and the ministries' covetousness. The situation is complicated and severe, which is a hundred times better than that in Huazhou..."

Li Bailong sighed: "I want to lie down already."

"There's no need to be so pessimistic."

Senior Brother Xiong smiled cheerfully, his smile as warm as the afternoon sun: "Although the situation is difficult and the road ahead is dangerous, there are always good friends to support you, so that you will not fight alone."

Li Bailong threw the cat aside and held Xiong Jingyan's hand: "Brother, you are so righteous. I feel relieved!"

"Let me make it clear first. Forget about the idea of ​​Lingyu Sect's army coming to help you wipe out all enemies like last time." Xiong Jingyan shook his hand, then let go. "Huazhou is a legitimate royal state. We six sects must behave ourselves. We certainly cannot act in the name of Lingyu Sect..."

"It's not useful, it's not useful."

Li Bailong said repeatedly: "I don't need soldiers, I don't need them to help me fight. According to the court regulations, the Tongwen Bureau can raise funds and set up law enforcement teams on its own. This kind of power is difficult for the Huazhou officials to get involved in, and they will not get involved. They just try every means to restrict it... In this case, I will organize this force myself first!"

Xiong Jingyan pondered for a moment and said, "I see. You need capable warriors to help you strengthen your ranks and serve as your minions. This is a simple matter. I will report back to the sect and select some outstanding disciples to serve. There should be some talented people in our affiliated sects and cooperative sects..."

"No, no, no!"

Li Bailong interrupted him hastily: "This is not a formal government office. If I ask these young men from famous families to work for me, they will be arrogant. How can they listen to me? I am busy now and have no time to convince them."

Xiong Jingyan thought for a moment and said, "How about selecting some soldiers and sending them over after taking off their armor?"

"It's not good for a warrior to waste time here." Li Bailong said directly, "Brother, I have an idea. I want to do a long-term business with your sect."

"Oh?" Old Bear became interested. "What do you mean?"

Li Bailong smiled shyly: "To be honest, when I was young and ignorant, I said some crazy things. It seems that your sect got some inspiration from it and established the labor reform system. Some people, for various reasons, damaged your sect's assets and owed you money, so they were arrested and forced to work to pay off their debts..."

"Oh……"

Xiong Jingyan was surprised at first, then suddenly realized: "You want to use this group of people?"

"Well, shoveling shit and mowing grass, plowing the land and digging for minerals, climbing cliffs to collect herbs, going to the sea to collect pearls, and even being thrown into the dense forests of southern Xinjiang for adventure, those who have done these jobs must have deeply understood the beauty of ordinary life."

Li Bailong said: "We need those who have committed less serious crimes, whose nature is not too bad, who are very regretful, who are concerned, and who are more motivated to change their current situation..."

Xiong Jingyan thought about it and said readily, "Okay! Actually, sending them to labor camps to farm is more of a punishment than a compensation. It's unlikely that they will make a profit. If you can use them, it's also a good use of waste. I'll ask the Minister of Agriculture to arrange this matter and pick out some smart, capable, docile and sensible ones for you and send them directly to the Tongwen Bureau."

"No, it's too obvious. After all, Lingyu Sect cannot interfere in the political affairs of Huangzhou. This is the law of our ancestors. If we directly send people from Lingyu Sect to Tongwen Bureau, it will be easy for people to catch us."

Li Bailong thought for a while and said, "In this way, find someone to set up a labor dispatch shop in Xiangning Prefecture, spend money to buy the employment rights of some debtors who are doing labor reform to pay off their debts from your company, and then this shop will sign a labor dispatch contract with the Tongwen Bureau and contract the bureau's field work. That is the so-called temporary workers..."

According to common sense, this round of twists and turns is useless in the ancient bureaucratic society. After all, power is unlimited, and the rule of man rather than law is in place. The decision is made at the whim of the officials. No matter how many tricks you have, once the gavel is slammed and the master denies you, everything will be meaningless.

However, the profit end of this chain is Lingyu Sect. As a court official, if you don't talk about the law with the six major sects, you will talk about something else, right?

Xiong Jingyan figured out this connection and felt it was brilliant. He looked up to him for a moment: "...When you proposed the labor camp, did you already think of its use today?"

Li Bailong smiled and said, "That senior brother thinks highly of me. How could I have guessed the affairs of the Education Department?"

The two chatted for a while. Seeing that the matter had been settled and Senior Brother Xiong was busy, Li Bailong stood up and said goodbye.

The senior brother didn't leave any food for them, but just pointed at the two kittens crawling around on the table and said, "If you like them, you can take them home, okay?"

"No need." Li Bailong laughed, "I already have a cuter one at home."

I haven't heard my junior brother say this before.

He didn't care about such a small matter. Xiong Jingyan accompanied him out and saw him off to the car. He watched Li Bailong go away and went back to report on the labor dispatch matter without mentioning it.

The rickshaw ran steadily, the wind blew on his face, and it was almost dusk. Li Bailong sat in the rickshaw, thinking about the current intelligence situation. He still felt that things were difficult and he had no clue.

Forget it, let’s deploy the troops and arrange the chess pieces first.

The emperor's uncle sent him to Huazhou to test whether he could revive the Education Department and do a good job of sorting out the willpower under adverse circumstances. However, no matter how adverse the situation is, they must have resources and strength, and it is only natural that they try their best to win the support of the Lingyu Sect... Anyway, the emperor's uncle did not mention any restrictions.

He silently pondered the chess pieces he now had in his hand.

Baihua Valley will fully support me, there is no need to say more.

The support of Lingyu Sect was certain, but Huazhou was directly under the royal jurisdiction, and Lingyu Sect’s huge political power and influence were difficult to exert, so the assistance they could provide was limited.

Go back and write a letter to report your discovery to the emperor's uncle, and then complain and be miserable. I heard that the emperor doesn't send hungry soldiers, and the emperor's uncle won't force anyone to do anything, so you have to give some help.

And the Xuanyuan Sect, well, write a letter to Lao Zhang and cry, and see if you can get something out of it.

Huazhou has a developed shipping industry, and the Cao Gang has the deepest roots among the six major factions. Originally, the Seventh Uncle was a noblewoman of the Cao Gang, but according to her, the Huazhou Cao Gang was under the command of the eldest family, and they had a bad relationship...

Besides, he had refused when the leader wanted to marry him before, so he was really in no position to ask for help.

As he was thinking, a gust of moisture came towards him, and the driver cried out, "Sir, it's going to rain!"

The rickshaw stopped quickly on the side of the road. The driver bowed first, then deftly opened the roof of the rickshaw, and then took out a raincoat from the secret box under the rickshaw, put it on, lifted the rickshaw, and continued to move forward, saying as he ran: "Don't be surprised, dear. It has been raining a lot in Huazhou recently."

Li Bailong was surprised.

He was not surprised by the changeable weather in Huazhou, but by the driver's raincoat - not a thick straw raincoat, but as thin as cloth, with a rubbery luster on the surface.

Suddenly, the rain began to fall, hitting the raincoat and rolling down...

After running in the rain for a while, the sky cleared up again. The driver did not take off his clothes, but just took off his hood. Li Bailong was very suspicious and asked tentatively: "Where did you buy this? It's convenient."

"It was given by the Drivers' Mutual Aid Association! They said it was donated by the Cao Gang!" The driver opened up, his tone full of gratitude: "Most of the Cao Gang members are poor brothers, and they all care about each other! This raincoat is light and much better than a straw raincoat. Including the rain cloth on your head, they are all made by the Cao Gang."

When Li Bailong asked about the history, the driver actually knew it.

"It was found by a fleet invested by the Cao Gang in the South China Sea. It is said that there are strange trees growing there. The locals cut them to get white pulp. After a little processing, they can make rain boots and raincoats that are impervious to water..."

The driver said excitedly, "The sailor who found this has made a fortune! He is from my hometown! The Cao Gang rewarded him handsomely and spread his name all over the world. Now many young men from my hometown are going to go out to sea on the ship!"

It is rubber!
He responded to the driver and said, "It is indeed a rare item."

"Well, there is only one disadvantage - when the sun is shining and the weather is hot, the surface of the raincoat will become soft and sticky. Other than that, there are no disadvantages..."

Li Bailong's heart was slightly moved when he heard this.

——Ouch.

Five thousand five... Today is almost ten thousand words again.

Try to advance the time a little bit…


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(End of this chapter)