No war in the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 73 A combination of kindness and power
Like other families, Zhang Wusheng's yard was also full of jars of soy sauce.

The history of sauce making in ancient China is very long, but in ancient times it was mainly meat sauce and fruit jam.

The technology of fermenting sauce and vinegar was mature during the Tang and Song dynasties, and had a profound impact on Chinese cuisine in later generations.

Zhang Wusheng's method is also the most commonly used method nowadays, which is to steam soybeans and then ferment them, introduce special mycelium and cultivate microorganisms. Under the action of different enzyme systems of microorganisms, various organic substances in the raw materials undergo complex biochemical reactions to form the various components of soy sauce.

Traditional sauce making is a complicated craft. After the fermented black beans are made, they need to be placed in a sauce jar to continue reacting.

When the sun is shining, the sauce needs to be moved out to dry. When it rains, it needs to be sheltered from the rain, and the sauce jar needs to be turned over and stirred frequently.

Zhang Wusheng's family was checking the jar of soy sauce and stirring it constantly.

When Su Ze was led into the house, the home of this village headman was very shabby, even worse than Su Ze's own small courtyard.

Seven people were crammed into two small rooms. The house was in very bad condition, with holes in the roof.

Su Ze asked:

"Is it because of the threat from Daxiangguo Temple that you are unwilling to join the City Exchange?"

Zhang Wusheng nodded first, then shook his head and said:
"Master! Most of the soy sauce and vinegar are sold to Daxiangguo Temple. If they don't accept it, all the hard work of the past six months will be wasted. Then it will be difficult to make a living!"

"Xiang Gong" is the honorific title for the prime minister. Zhang Wusheng's address was inappropriate, but Su Ze didn't care. He continued to ask:
"There are so many food shops in Bianjing City, and there are also many regular shops. Can't we sell it to them?"

Zhang Wusheng said:
"Sir, we use traditional methods to make our sauces and vinegars. We are not from an old or famous store. Why would a regular store buy our sauces and vinegars?"

"Show me the soy sauce you brewed."

Zhang Wusheng quickly brought a jar of soy sauce and poured it into the bowl. Sure enough, the soy sauce looked very ugly, dark red and turbid, and it did not smell fresh or fragrant.

Zhang Shucheng, who was standing by, had a grim expression on his face. Does that mean that the meals supplied to government offices by Daxiangguo Temple were all made with these inferior sauces and vinegars?
These bald donkeys are so hateful!
Zhang Wusheng knelt down before Su Ze and said mournfully, "Sir, please give us a way out!"

Su Ze looked at Soy Sauce, frowned and said:
"I have a secret recipe for making soy sauce. Not only does it make it quickly, but it also makes it fragrant and delicious. If you're willing to join the City Exchange, I can teach you. As for sales, as long as you make the soy sauce, the City Exchange will help you find buyers. What do you think?"

Zhang Wusheng looked at Su Ze hesitantly, with disbelief written all over his face.

You should know that the old sauce and vinegar shops in Bianjing City all have their own secret recipes for making sauces, or they have been operating for generations and have old sauces and aged sauces as their main ingredients. These are family secrets that are not passed down, so there is no reason to give them away easily.

But as an official, Su Ze didn't seem to need to lie to himself.

Su Ze said:

"You should talk to your neighbors first. I'll give you time to consider. If you want to join the Exchange, come to the Exchange within ten days to sign the contract."

After saying this, Su Ze took Zhang Shucheng away.

Zhang Wusheng was relieved that the official did not force him. He asked his wife to ring the gong to gather the neighbors and convey Su Ze's words.

By the time Su Ze returned to the store, Feng Shiyuan had already dealt with Lu Dayou and Feng Youcai.

When the two censors, one fat and one thin, saw Su Ze, they immediately knelt on the ground and confessed their crimes to Su Ze:

"I, the official, deserve death. Thank you for sparing my life!"

Su Ze looked at Feng Shiyuan. This guy was worthy of being chosen by Lu Gongbi as a money-making white glove. He was indeed a man of outstanding ability.

No one knew how he managed to intimidate the two of them and made them obey him completely.

Wei Tong, the accountant who did not find any problems with the accounts this time, also knelt down and confessed all the minor mistakes he had made to Su Ze.

Since Feng Shiyuan played the villain, Su Ze naturally played the villain. He helped the three people up and said, "I am new to the store and house affairs, so we still need the concerted efforts of all the officials."

"Return the stolen money first, and then do things properly in the future."

I have to say, Chinese people are indeed good at compromise.

If their positions were to be adjusted directly, even Wei Tong might not be willing.

Now Lu Dayou and Feng Youcai are not only willing to return the stolen goods, but also accept Su Ze's order to adjust the division of labor.

The next step is to select reliable people from among the lower-level clerks who are familiar with store and house affairs, and then they can replace the two.

Of course, Su Ze was not born with this set of methods. They were all methods described by Cai Xiang in "Notes on the Ceremony of a New Official Taking Office".

Cai Xiang, a doctor in the Court of Censors, could be said to have a deep understanding of human nature. He also warned the new officials that these officials who had made mistakes, no matter how sincere their repentance was, must never be used again as long as a replacement was found, and they must not be too soft-hearted.

Su Ze also agreed with this. If you want to kill a snake, you have to kill it. Lu Dayou and Feng Youcai were caught by him because of their weaknesses. After a long time, they will definitely resent him and make trouble for him in his official duties, just like Mr. Dongguo.

Su Ze said to the three people again:

"From now on, all official business related to the store and the house must be submitted to Feng Shiyuan for review before I will affix my official seal."

Lu Dayou and Feng Youcai naturally agreed immediately. After the three of them left, Su Ze said to Feng Shiyuan:

"Look among the bailiffs and front-line staff of the shop and house affairs, and if you find any useful people, let me know."

Feng Shiyuan immediately understood Su Ze's intention and nodded quickly, saying:
"My subordinate understands!"

Su Ze then said to Feng Shiyuan and Zhang Shutong:
"Pick out the famous products and specialties from the workshops in the store and house affairs department that the market exchange has counted. I will help them sell their goods first. This will help the market exchange become famous and attract more workshops to join."

"Subordinates take orders!"

After a busy day, it was finally time to leave the government office. Su Ze got on Feng Shiyuan's carriage and asked again:

"You know about the demon incident in Jixiang Lane, right?"

Feng Shiyuan nodded, and Su Ze continued:

"You have some old acquaintances in Kaifeng Prefecture, right?"

Feng Shiyuan nodded heavily, and Su Ze said:

"Find out if Kaifeng Prefecture knows anything about this and report back to me."

"My subordinate understands."

As dusk fell, Su Ze took a carriage and returned home along the flow of traffic from Nan Ya after get off work.

The commuting in Bianjing City was also a disaster. The carriages moved at the speed of a snail. Su Ze even began to miss the time when he lived in Zhang Yaozuo's house.

At this moment, the traffic suddenly stopped and Su Ze heard exclamations outside the car.

After getting off the carriage, Su Ze looked back at the crowd and saw lanterns lit on the corner tower of the palace, and the sound of music and drums coming from the palace.

Feng Shiyuan said, "The emperor is holding a Hundred Flowers Banquet in Hua'e Tower. The Liao envoy has arrived!"

　Please read it before it goes on sale!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)