At noon, the earth looks like it has been transformed into a pot of dan furnace under the fan of Emperor Jiajing, the air that fills the sky and the earth is like a steaming firework, the whole sky and the earth are scorched, hot and let people gasp for air.
Taicang silver storehouse was domesticated watchdogs, one lying in the shade spitting bright red tongue, the stables of the horses nostrils open particularly large ……
Compared to the heat outside, there was a room in the Taicang Silver Vault that was like a paradise outside the world, cool as spring.
There was an old dog outside the room, lying outside the doorway, comfortably curled up and huffing.
There was a reason why this old dog was lying outside the doorway in the sun, and the cool air that spilled out of the doorway from time to time was much cooler than the shade of the trees outside.
From the outside, the room was unremarkable.
Too inconspicuous.
With the Taicang silver warehouse other storehouse is not much difference, very ordinary very ordinary brick and red tile structure, outside there is no what carved beams and decorations, even looks more shabby than other storehouse, the room hangs above a small and medium-sized plaque with paint, written on it, “jiyou” storehouse uniform number.
There is a saying, “Outside of gold and jade, in the centre of the loser”, in fact, sometimes, it is also applicable to the other way round, “Outside of white flotsam, in the centre of gold and jade”.
This room is just like that.
Don’t look at the outside plain and unadorned, this room inside is something else, the ordinary people can’t imagine the luxury.
The room is very spacious, is the two coffers chiseled together, the room is brightly lit, in the middle of the room is a ingenious indoor spring pool water corridor, water corridor on the carving of a narrow bridge and water, a rockery standing in the middle of the spring pool, spring such as a waterfall flowing down, winding through the six bridges, along the water corridor over an S-shaped, and then hidden into the ground.
The water corridor is surrounded by potted green plants, and more than ten pots of ice were placed, emitting a slight coolness, making the whole room cooler.
Indoors and outdoors, it was like a different season, the temperature difference was about ten degrees, it was no different from turning on the air conditioner in modern times.
In the middle of the room there was a table that was opening soon for a wine banquet, the tables and chairs were all of yellow rosewood, finely carved, at first glance they were masterpieces.
Amber wine, luminous goblet, golden jade bottle, emerald plate ……
Food like a painting, wine like a spring, table full of delicacies rarely seen on earth, even the fin abalone can only be ranked in the wine table inconspicuous position, seldom be under the chopsticks.
Such a feast, for the eight people present, just a common working meal, they are Taicang silver bank officials, Taicang silver bank management, here is one of their “late-night canteen”, they usually come here to “simply” eat something!They usually come here to have a “simple” working meal, just like today. If anyone temporarily have any happy event ah what, they will also be again “working meal” on the basis of a few dishes, add some wine, for them is not what good food and good wine, that is, swallow abalone ginseng fins and other home cooking, that is, decades of daughter of the red just.
At this time in the afternoon, outdoor hot as a furnace, indoor cool suitable, the banquet are their own people, the atmosphere is naturally relaxed and happy.
Sitting in the first seat of the banquet is the Taicang silver library management library minister Zhang Dairen, Zhang Dairen in charge of the library minister has been five years long.
Zhang Daoren forty or fifty years old, a Confucian atmosphere, well maintained, face like a crown jade, gentle and elegant, holding a gauze silk cloth Suzhou fan.
However, Zhang big man eyes inadvertently revealed the essence of light, but let anyone dare not underestimate.
The implementation of the system of two capitals, Zhang Daoren Nanjing Ministry of households, Nanjing Ministry of households is responsible for the collection of South Zhili and Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang provinces of tax grain (these provinces paid tax grain accounted for half of the tax grain of the empire of the Ming Dynasty), but also responsible for the canal, salt cited by the survey of the joint and other positions, Zhang Daoren as Nanjing Ministry of households, and Yan Shifan relationship is quite good, the logical appointment of the Taicang silver bank management library minister.
The rest of the seven people at the banquet are also Taicang silver bank senior, sitting on the left and right of the two Zhang bank is Taicang silver bank Langzhong, the rest of the table five people are Taicang silver bank treasurer.
This table of eight people is the top of the Taicang silver warehouse.
Ming dynasty for the Taicang silver warehouse and strict management system, there is a library minister, the general management of Taicang silver warehouse, generally by the Ministry of household officials. In the management of the Treasury Minister below the two Langzhong, and a number of libraries, and then under the eight library book, library book below a number of library officials and fifty library soldiers.
Taicang silver warehouse is the most fat meat, Taicang silver warehouse positions are naturally eye-catching crazy, drooling fat job.
Not to mention the silver bank in charge of officials, single is here to serve in the treasury soldiers, each treasury soldiers are mouth-watering fat, the number of treasury soldiers is a constant fifty people, every five years to replace a batch, every time to change the treasury soldiers, each treasury soldier position are hundreds of relations eyeballing.
Every treasurer is hard enough, or so-and-so’s relatives or so-and-so’s close confidant, even so, seeking this position, but also have to use all sorts of means, spend money to buy through the joints, in order to obtain a hard-won treasurer’s position.
Treasury soldiers are so, the relationship between the officials in charge of the silver treasury here can be imagined.
“Tsk tsk, today this bear paw is well stewed, more rotten than pig’s hooves, this Chef Wang is really living up to his name, worthy of being Liaodong’s famous top chef.”
Taicang Langzhong Zhao Dingtian clamped a chopstick of bear paw, shook it off in his mouth, opened his mouth and took a bite, the bear paw full of juice splashed in his mouth, the fragrant flavour would immediately rush into the five viscera and six bowels, and after a moment’s reminiscence, he lamented with great satisfaction.
“Heh heh heh, Lord Zhao you can only say half right, this Wang Chef’s cooking skills is one aspect, on the other hand, Lord Zhang also do not think about this to do the bear paw formula is from where.”Another Taicang Langzhong, Jia Xu, smiled and teased.
“Oh, what recipe? Where did it come from?”Bone-setter Zhao Dingtian asked with great interest.
“Those with hair, dig the ground for a pit, into the lime and a half, put the palm inside, add lime on top and pour cool water. Waiting for the hair over, stop cold, take up, then the hair is easy to go, the root is out. Wash and dip, rice slop soak one or two days. Boiled in lard, and then remove the oil. Tear strip, pork with stew ……Heavenly dragon meat, underground bear paws, more than immortal treasures, gourmets can not miss also.”Bone-setter Jia Xu sipped a mouthful of Dragon Well Tribute Tea, knocked on the table, and recited silently in a subdued manner.
“So preachy ……Old Jia, you haven’t said where you got the formula from.”Bone-setter Zhao Dingtian smacked his lips, then asked where the formula came from.
“Thanks to the fact that Lord Zhang didn’t keep his broom in his pocket, you and I and all of us are blessed with this mouthful.”Taicang Langzhong Jia Xu arched his hand at Zhang Guancu.
“Many thanks, Lord Zhang.”
The people in the audience heard this and all of them arched their hands to Zhang Guan Ku to say thank you.
“You guys, if you want to thank, you should thank Langzhong Jia, it was Langzhong Jia who discovered this formula in one of my hidden books ……”Zhang Guancu stroked his beard and shook his head with a smile, stretching out his hand and pointing at Jia Shiku and laughed.
The banquet was filled with laughter as the crowd mingled.
“Hey, speaking of which, how is the inspector appointed by the court doing now?”A Liu treasurer at the wine table thought of this and couldn’t help but ask.
“Heh heh, Liu treasurer you blindly worry about what, in previous years and not not come to the inspector, a term and a term, are not still the same old, open a set of discussion, turn over the books, check the archives, the big thing is to see the scene, point to point work, and then collect some of the portion to go away.”Another Qian treasurer did not worry at all and laughed.
“But I heard that this year is different, His Holiness has set up a cross-audit system, and this time the audit is afraid to get real.”Liu treasurer somewhat hesitant said.
“So what, don’t think, we here how deep the water, come how many ships, also have to float over the top ……”Next to the money treasurer said meaningfully.
“Oh, Liu library book still do not know it, the court appointed the inspection ambassador group is afraid that the whole army has been wiped out.”Langzhong Jia Xu looked at Liu Scribe, the smile at the corner of his mouth blossoming slowly, as if the inspection group was a joke in his eyes.
“Ah?”Liu Siku was taken aback, then his eyes lit up.
“Inspection of the main ambassador Liu Guangzuo went home to worry to go, deputy ambassador last night Qu Tongyang stroke, the imperial historian Sinan was beaten court cane, without a few months is not want to get out of bed, Gao Rui Gao Langzhong no accident, this should also ‘accident’, of course, the reason for this must not need to me I give you more say it!……As for that breastfeeding Zhu Pingan, naturally there is even less need to bother ……”Jia Xu was like a military strategist who was strategising, smiling in a meaningful way.
“Heh heh heh, it’s good to be sensible, and don’t think about who’s above us.”The corners of Qian Siku’s mouth pulled out a perfect arc.
“Hush, silence, who is above us? Above us is naturally His Holiness.”Taicang Langzhong Jia Xu arched his hand towards Xiyuan and assuredly said with a straight face.
“Naturally it’s His Holiness, naturally it’s His Holiness.”Qian Si Ku knew how to eyeball it and gave a dry smile, saying back in succession.
“Haha, with the successive accidents of the superiors, that Zhu Pingan must be too scared to go out of the house.”Another Zheng treasurer laughed.
“But don’t, I still want to see what the Scholar looks like, besides, someone from the inspection team has to make a trip.”
“That’s right, there has to be one person in this inspection team.”
“Let’s take some time some other day to deliver the account books to Lord Zhu and coax him to make a trip.”
The atmosphere on the wine table was more relaxed, the people laughed and flirted, without a bit of pressure, quite a feeling of talking and laughing, the inspection team flew into ashes.
Just at this moment, a knock sounded outside.
Knock, knock, knock.
Three long and two short.
The crowd at the wine table listened to the knocking and laughed unabated, the three long and two short knocks were an agreed upon code word, it was one of their own.
“Who is it?”Taicang Langzhong Zhao Dingtian raised his voice and asked.
“Your Excellency Zhao, I am Sun Cushu, just now the guards outside passed the word that there is a man named Zhu Pingan outside, saying that he is the Taicang Silver Vault Inspection Envoy, requesting to enter the vault for inspection.”
Outside, Sun Cushu’s voice came through the doorway.
“What? Zhu Pingan is here?”
“Why is he here?”
The people in the room were shocked, then instantly quieted down.
