Chapter 57 Intelligence Network (VIII)
The intelligence network finally had a clue. Even if it was just collecting the simplest types of crops grown in the village, the process made Huo Chong feel like he had learned a lesson.
These are things that must be experienced during the journey, and Huo Chong doesn't care at all. The survey results show that most farmers grow wheat, and crops such as sorghum are grown on land that cannot grow wheat. Sweet potatoes are only planted on rotten land. The variety of crops planted is far lower than Huo Chong imagined.
It has been almost a year, and seeing these reports again, Huo Chong feels an indescribable familiarity. He has been traveling back and forth for so long, doing everything in person. Now that he can see the information provided by the reports again, many things can be planned based on them.
No matter how bad the intelligence is, as long as you don't have excessive trust and expectations in it, you can do a lot with it.
After several days of intensive training for the young men, Huo Chong gave them another order, "I have told the villagers in the three villages that all the money for planting blessings will be settled before the end of the year. Go back to the village and tell the villagers that I will go to each village."
After sending the people out, Huo Chong began to prepare copper coins. He had used up all the copper coins several times before, so he had to go to the county town to exchange some more. Huo Chong took this opportunity to go to the county town to see if there was any house he could buy.
The New Year is coming, and the county town looks more lively than the countryside. People are walking around the streets to buy New Year goods, and the shops seem to be doing good business. Huo Chong first went to find Yang Youfang, the local boss, and asked him to introduce a few shops, and exchanged some copper coins from the shops.
Then he asked if there were any houses available for sale. Yang Youfang sighed, "Brother Huo, more and more people are coming to the county town now, and the land price is rising. Where can I find a house for sale?"
When Yang Youfang said this, he looked embarrassed, but Huo Chong felt as if he had heard that a large number of migrant workers had moved to the city to work, causing a sharp rise in urban housing prices. This feeling was so familiar that Huo Chong was not unhappy at all.
After chatting for a while, Huo Chong changed into his official uniform at Yang Youfang's place and went straight to the county government office . The gatekeeper saw an official coming from afar and immediately came to greet him. When he met Huo Chong, the more the gatekeeper looked at Huo Chong, the more embarrassed he looked. It seemed that he recognized Huo Chong.
Just when the concierge didn't know what to say, someone behind him said, "Which lord is this?"
Huo Chong turned around and saw that it was Captain Li. He smiled and said, "Captain Li, long time no see."
Captain Li recognized Huo Chong quickly, and looked even more embarrassed than the doorman. Huo Chong knew why Captain Li was like that, so he gave the visiting card to the doorman first, and then said to the captain: "Captain Li, you were also following orders last time. You took good care of me along the way. I only remember your kindness. Other things have nothing to do with you, so don't take them to heart."
After hearing what Huo Chong said, Captain Li pointed to the government office and said, "Brother Huo... Lord Huo, let's go in and talk."
Arriving at the government office, Constable Li quickly bowed to Huo Chong and said, "Master Huo, I am really following orders."
Huo Chong replied, "Captain Li, I know. You didn't hit or scold me along the way, which was already very caring for me. How could I bear a grudge against you?"
As they were talking, the county's chief clerk and other officials came out to look in. The head constable saw that there were too many people and hurriedly found an excuse to leave. The doorman had gone in to report while Huo Chong was talking to the head constable, and now he ran in to tell Huo Chong that Magistrate Xu was waiting inside.
In the Qing Dynasty, there were county magistrates and county magistrates. County magistrates were basically Jinshi graduates, and were appointed by the state. County magistrates were appointed by the state, and although they were both the heads of a county, they were all dignified and powerful. The difference of one word had already determined their status.
But this only applies to officials, and ordinary people don't understand this. The common people only know who is in charge of them, but what this person is like in the eyes of officials is completely beyond the imagination of the common people.
Xu Zhixian was a dignified seventh-rank official, only one level lower than Huo Chong, who was a purchased sixth-rank official. Moreover, Xu Zhixian was a decent imperial examination candidate, and when he saw Huo Chong, his expression was calm, and he did not show any sign of weakness because of the difference in rank.
Huo Chong had not come here to get angry, but seeing County Magistrate Xu like this, he thought it was just right. He bowed and said, "County Magistrate Xu, I came here specially to see you."
Magistrate Xu replied calmly: "Brother Huo, you are already an official. It is not good for us to meet in private."
Huo Chong could only smile at such a cold answer. But County Magistrate Xu politely invited Huo Chong to the back hall to talk. When the servants served him tea and water, Huo Chong couldn't help but think of the famous story. In Zeng Guofan's time, scholars recited poems and wrote couplets. Someone proposed a very difficult couplet, the first line of which was "like a lady", so someone else said "the same Jinshi".
Although Zeng Guofan was already in a very high position at that time , most of his friends were Jinshi, such as Li Hongzhang's father. There were also Jinshi among his disciples, such as Li Hongzhang. But Zeng Guofan himself was a Jinshi. So Zeng Guofan was furious and felt insulted.
The Jinshi are divided into the first, second and third lists. There are only three people in the first list, the top scholar, the second place and the third place.
The second list usually does not exceed twenty people, and all of them are awarded the status of Jinshi.
The number of people on the third list is uncertain, but generally no more than 40. They were awarded the title of "Tong Jinshi".
So the real Jinshi refers to those in the second list. Huo Chong actually wanted to ask County Magistrate Xu what level of Jinshi he was. But he felt that he was really unfamiliar with this aspect, so he simply gave up the idea.
But if he didn't say this, Huo Chong didn't know what to say. His official position was already looked down upon by the official imperial examination, but he really didn't know what these scholars would say.
After thinking about it, Huo Chong suddenly remembered a topic. "Brother Xu, I have an unwelcome request. My position is already like that. I am afraid that I have done something wrong. Please teach me the key points, Brother Xu."
Hearing this, County Magistrate Xu frowned. After another silence, he said, "I saw that Brother Huo could answer questions fluently in front of the prince, so how could the affairs in the officialdom be difficult for Brother Huo?"
"Different trades are like different mountains. If Brother Xu asked me to tell him how to make Glazed Fire, I would be able to speak eloquently and give him some advice. But when Brother Xu talked about the rules of the officialdom, I could only bow my head and listen to Brother Xu's teachings."
After hearing this, County Magistrate Xu seemed to be angry, but he didn't seem to know how to refute Huo Chong's words.
Huo Chong continued, "I don't understand the rules of officialdom at all. I don't want to do anything wrong, but I don't know what the rules are. It's wrong to speak when I shouldn't. It's also wrong to not speak when I should. No, I don't ask Brother Xu, who has a background in imperial examinations, to talk about the subtle details of officials. I only ask Brother Xu to talk about the major principles that I should abide by. I wonder if Brother Xu is willing to teach me."
After hearing what Huo Chong said, the mockery on Xu Zhixian's face disappeared. He stared at Huo Chong for a while before asking, "Brother Huo, have you ever been to school?"
"I have never been to school, but I have learned a few words."
"Brother Huo's teacher is not ordinary." Xu Zhixian sighed. However, he did not delve into it and said, "Brother Huo, a reserve official, does not have to do official business on weekdays. If Brother Huo is needed for something, the government will naturally send someone to call Brother Huo. If Brother Huo wants to fill a real vacancy, he will have to go to the provincial capital more often."
The last sentence was quite sarcastic, but Huo Chong pretended not to hear it.
"But Brother Huo has to come to the county more often. The Fourteenth Master has already told the prefect that Brother Huo has to transport some things to the capital recently. The Fourteenth Master has asked Shandong to escort the transportation. Brother Huo can also come to tell us how much he has made, so as not to catch the county off guard when it comes to transportation."
Huo Chong quickly agreed. Just when he thought the matter was almost over, he heard Magistrate Xu say, "Since Brother Huo is already an official, I'm afraid he will have to take on the responsibility of paying the taxes for the village."
