The Red Mansions

Chapter 170 Wang Xifeng is furious

early morning.

Early in the morning, Zhou Rui heard the noise in the yard and was disturbed.

As the chief steward of the Rongguo Mansion, Zhou Rui was pampered and lived a life no worse than that of the master of the Jia Mansion.

As soon as he woke up, a group of little girls came forward to wash and change clothes.

"What's the noise outside? Are there any rules?" Zhou Rui asked impatiently.

A maidservant with a handsome appearance and an outstanding figure, while tidying up Zhou Rui's clothes, said with a smile, "Master, it's Mr. Leng who is here, talking to Madam!"

The uncle Leng mentioned by the maid is Zhou Rui's son-in-law, named Leng Zixing, who is in the antique business in Beijing.

Zhou Rui frowned and said, "Is there anything that you can't talk about inside the house, but make a noise in the yard?"

After getting dressed properly, Zhou Rui left the room angrily and came to the courtyard.

At this time, Leng Zixing was kowtowing to his mother-in-law.

Zhou Rui's family, as a family of women, has a look of embarrassment on their faces.

Zhou Rui was dozed off by being disturbed, and with a displeased face, he stepped forward and asked, "What's your son-in-law doing? Is there something that you can't talk about properly, but you want to embarrass your mother-in-law?"

Seeing Zhou Rui approaching, Leng Zixing knelt and climbed a few steps forward, kowtowed and cried, "My lord, my father-in-law, my son-in-law is really helpless, so he came to ask his father-in-law for help."

"Get up and talk, what does crying sound like?" Zhou Rui scolded.

After Leng Zi got up, Zhou Rui took him to the living room to sit down, and asked, "What's the matter, let's talk about it first!"

Leng Zixing stood up and cupped his hands and said, "Father-in-law, my son-in-law's shop has been sealed off by soldiers and horses!"

"Oh, huh?" Zhou Rui frowned, and asked in doubt: "Why did the military commander seal up your shop? Are you doing something illegal?"

At the same time, he waved his hand, motioning for Leng Zixing to sit down and talk.

After sitting down, Leng Zixing shook his head and sighed, "My son-in-law is doing serious business, how dare he commit crimes?"

"The reason why the store was closed, the people from Bingmasi said that the fire prevention facilities were not complete, and the cleanliness in front of the store was poor."

"Father-in-law, my son-in-law has been in business for so many years, and this is the first time he has been involved in such a thing. Now that the shop is closed, what should we do?"

Zhou Rui murmured: "Have you asked the soldiers and horses about how to settle this matter? Do you give some money, or what?"

Leng Zixing said: "It is said that the business will be closed for a month for rectification. During the rectification, the fire prevention facilities must be in place and the front of the store must be cleaned. These two things are nothing. My son-in-law has someone fix it overnight."

"The key is that even if the rectification is done now, it will still have to wait a month before it can be unpacked and opened for business."

"Father-in-law, if you stop the business for a month, you will lose all your money, what should you do?"

Zhou Rui frowned and said, "You are in the antique business, so you can't buy and sell privately? Do you want to trade in a shop?"

Leng Zixing said: "Acquaintances and regular customers can do private transactions, but when most customers buy or sell antiques, they will go to the store for safety, so the store's income accounts for the vast majority."

Zhou Rui nodded, and said: "It seems that the business of the store can't be lost, but why did you come here? I'm not a military commander, and I can't help you unpack it?"

"Father-in-law is well-informed and knowledgeable, and has many connections. Doesn't the son-in-law want father-in-law to help him find connections?" Leng Zixing said shyly.

"Gateways." Zhou Rui pondered for a moment, then pondered: "If it's Shuntian Mansion, I still have some connections, but I rarely deal with people from the Bingma Division."

"Well, I'll ask your mother-in-law to ask Second Mistress Lian to see if she can find a way."

So Zhou Rui hurriedly ordered his wife to go to Rongguo Mansion to find Wang Xifeng.

Zhou Rui's family didn't dare to delay, and immediately packed up and went out to Rongguo Mansion.

Sister Feng's courtyard.

When Zhou Rui's family came outside the courtyard, they heard Wang Xifeng throwing a tantrum in the room from a distance.

"It's the other way around, my shops are fine, why are they closed for me?"

"Fireproof, what kind of fire?"

"In the past, Bingma Si bought the large fire-proof water tanks himself. Why should we let those who run shops buy them now?"

"There is no need for cleaning. The garbage is piled up on the street. It has been done for hundreds of years. Everyone has done it like this. Why do you have to clean it yourself and pay sewage fees? Are you crazy about money?"

"There are also order maintenance fees, greening maintenance fees, and public equipment maintenance fees. What kind of messy taxes are these? The people of the Bingma Division ask for it, and we will pay it?"

"No, I won't give it!"

Zhou Rui's family listened outside the courtyard for a while, hesitated, and thought that even Wang Xifeng had encountered the same problem as Leng Zixing, and wondered if she could deal with this matter with the door.

At this time, Jia Lian came back from the outside, saw Zhou Rui's family, and asked with a smile, "What's the matter?"

"I've seen Second Master Lian." Zhou Rui's family hurriedly saluted.

Jia Lian nodded and said, "Come in if you have something to say, and go back if you have nothing to do. The house is a bit chaotic right now."

After speaking, he stepped into the courtyard.

In the room, seeing Jia Lian came back, Wang Xifeng raised his eyebrows and asked, "Have you found out clearly? What is this soldier and horse mad about? He suddenly wants to clean up the shop."

Jia Lian sat down and poured a cup of tea. After drinking it Gulugulu, he replied, "I have inquired about some news, and I heard that both the Bingma Division and the Patrol Battalion have been reformed."

"Let's not talk about the patrolling battalion. The Bingma Division is divided into four parts, namely the City Management Office, the Traffic and Water Conservancy Office, the Civil Affairs Statistics Office, and the Fire Emergency Department. Each office is supervised by a deputy commander."

"This city management office is dedicated to managing law and order and messy things like shops on the street."

"The Traffic and Water Conservancy Department is in charge of street vehicles, horses and pedestrians, road maintenance, ditches dredging, waterlogging and flood drainage, etc."

"The Civil Affairs and Statistics Office, I heard that it is specialized in the management and registration of household registration, especially the resettlement of refugees, relief for the widows, the elderly and the weak."

"The last fire emergency department literally means that it is in charge of firefighting, and when it encounters any emergencies, it will rush to the front as soon as possible. It is somewhat similar to a patrol camp."

"The Patrol Battalion is now independent, and its status has also been raised. It is full-time to arrest robbers and patrol inside and outside the capital, and does nothing else."

Wang Xifeng was confused and said: "You say so much, what does it have to do with the closure of my shop?"

"Of course it has something to do with it!" Jia Lian said with a smile, "These departments have just been established, why don't we set fire to them first?"

"A few days ago, they issued a notice to your shop, and you ignored them. If you don't close your shop, whose is it?"

Wang Xifeng said angrily: "They add so many exorbitant taxes, of course I will not pay attention to them, and if they do this, no one in the court will impeach them?"

Jia Lian shook his head and said, "Not really. The reform of the Bing Ma Si and the Patrol Battalion is a policy jointly approved by the new emperor and the cabinet after discussion. As long as the Bing Ma Si people act according to the rules, no one will impeach them indiscriminately."

"Actually, to put it bluntly, doing so many things is all for the stability of the capital."

"After all, various celebrations for the Empress Dowager's birthday have already been prepared. The capital is unstable, and everything else is off the table. That's why the court attaches so much importance to it."

Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered something, and continued: "By the way, Brother Yun is now the censor of the capital patrolling the city, inspecting the soldiers and horses, and the governor patrolling the camp. Maybe this kid did it. of!"

"What?" Wang Xifeng was taken aback, and said unexpectedly, "He is in charge of both the soldiers and horses and the patrol camp?"

Jia Lian rolled his eyes and said, "Only the patrolling battalion can be fully controlled by him, but the soldiers and horses, he only has the right to supervise. Of course, if there is any problem, he can also command the soldiers and horses. "

After taking a few deep breaths, Wang Xifeng said, "It's really flooding the Dragon King Temple, so my shops need to be reopened, can I find a solution from him?"

"Right, I'm sure you're looking for him. That's why I didn't investigate further when I got the news. I came back to tell you in time, so you don't worry." Jia Lian nodded.

While talking, the servant girl outside announced that everyone from Lai, Lin Zhixiao's family, and Zhou Rui's family were visiting.

Wang Xifeng wondered: "What happened, why are they all swarming towards me?"

"It's probably because of the shop." Jia Lian mused, "Just today, your shop is not the only one that has been closed. Many people's shops have been closed."

Wang Xifeng frowned and said: "Brother Yun is in charge of the soldiers, horses and patrolling camps, closing so many shops, the impact is too great, isn't it?"

Jia Lian shook his head and said, "You've underestimated him now. Brother Yun's method is to win over a group and step down a group. Although many shops are closed, it doesn't affect the daily life of the people."

"It's certain to offend people, but the prestige has also been raised. From now on, as long as someone does business in the capital, who dare not give him face?"

Wang Xifeng grumbled: "Then why didn't he try to win me over, but instead closed my shop?"

Jia Lian said with a smile: "There are so many shops, but they are not from my own family. Who knows which one belongs to you? He is in charge of so many things, why can't every shop have to look at the list?"

"That's true too." Hearing this, Wang Xifeng felt better. After thinking about it, she got up and said:

"In that case, I'll go meet Brother Yun in person and ask him for a charter."

Jia Lian pointed to the door and said, "What about these people?"

"Cold salad! My own shop is still closed, how do I know what to do? Send it away first." Wang Xifeng waved her hand, called Ping'er, and went into the house to get dressed.

On the outskirts of Beijing.

Jia Yun brought soldiers and horse officers and patrolling camps, and more than a thousand households, to a rocky beach where there was no grass.

Accompanying them were Xue Pan and some stewards of the Xue family trade route.

The summer is scorching hot, although there are guards to help hold the umbrellas, everyone is still hot and sweating profusely.

Jia Yun pointed to the rocky beach and said, "The weather is hot. To make a long story short, this place is big enough. It is near the river, so it is easy to get water. The terrain is high, so we are not afraid of floods."

"It's an excellent place to build a workshop here to house refugees. What do you think?"

At this time, someone said: "This is indeed a good location, but it is full of rocky beaches, and it may be difficult to build a workshop!"

Another said: "What is the difficulty? It's just a lot of effort. It happens that there are many refugees. As long as they have enough food, some of them can work hard."

(End of this chapter)