Chapter 54

"I heard Zhuge Gao say that the Huizhou pine trees are 'fat and have a heavy texture', so the little man wanted to take a look. The ink used in this work is light and scattered, so the ink color is not bright. If there are such good pine trees, the little man will definitely be able to create a good ink!" The man named Xi Shang was frightened because he was a little incoherent when he replied. However, when he talked about making ink, his originally dim eyes burst out with dazzling luster at that moment.

"It must be him, no doubt." Seeing that although he was in a jail, he was still obsessed with making ink. Cui Po had already concluded that this person must be the Xi clan who had undergone major changes in the history of making ink. The Xi family has produced many talents in the history of making ink, especially since Xi Tingsien was born in the late Tang Dynasty and lived in Huizhou to make the "Tingsien Ink" that was shiny and as strong as jade, and never damaged for three years, he established the "Yi Shui Standard" for the making of ink in later generations. Xi Tingsien was summoned to the palace and gave the country the surname Li, and the scenery at that time was unparalleled.

It was confirmed that it was him, Cui Po's heart suddenly turned rapidly, thinking about how to deal with this matter. Seeing that he was cold and silent, his palm was certainly silent, and Xi Shang, who was lying on the ground, was even more arrogant and did not dare to breathe and stared at the young official in front of him who could determine his life.

"You are both a clerk in the studio and dare to escape without permission. This matter must be dealt with." After pondering for a long time, Cui Po said slowly. However, as he said this, Xi Shang, who was originally a quiet voice, immediately burst into tears again. Once he was separated by three thousand miles, he was afraid that he would not be born in Chang'an again in this life.

"It is certain that you will be out of the workplace, otherwise why should you be upheld the law? It's a pity that you just want to waste your good skills. I will submit it to the official office in the name of our company and turn you into an official slave to give up! Now there are two ways for you to choose, or you will still come to the workplace as an official slave, or I will invest in buying you and go to my mansion to make ink. You can choose what you want!" After Xi Shang cried for a while, his voice was hoarse and could no longer speak, Cui Po said so with pity on his face.

Xi Shang was excited when he heard this, and then he was stunned again. He felt mixed feelings. Seeing him like this, the palm standing on the side only shook his eyes. He was converted to an official slave like him. He had no money to pay a little money except for a little bit of food that survives every day. Isn’t the whole family still drinking the northwest wind? It’s rare that this adult can appreciate his skills. Although it’s not a good reputation after becoming his private slave, it’s better than being a free agent and being an official slave!

After pondering for a while, Xi Shang, who finally woke up, bowed to Cui Po and said, "I am willing to join the disciples of the adults."

Although he had known that the result would be like this, until he answered this, Cui Po's heart fell to the ground. He said with a faint expression: "Since that's the case, I'll feel wronged that you will stay here for three days. You will naturally be someone to take you to my mansion. Your official in your family will also send someone to take care of you, so don't worry!" After that, he turned his head and said to the palm beside him, "I'll take care of you very much," and turned around and left the scene.

When he left the workshop, he saw that it was almost noon, Cui Posui had no intention of returning to the Ministry of Works. After condemning the plot officer Wang Gui, he returned home with a group of horses.

After lunch, Cui Po walked around the room in the study for a long time. Finally, he couldn't help but throw away the book in his hand, and walked towards the backyard. He listened to the sound of Meng Jiao and Feng Nan who were about to take the exam. He pushed open the door of Li Qingchen's monastery alone, and blurted out the middle-aged man who was cooking tea under the tree and asked: "There are many nobles in the court. With the talent of his teacher, he will definitely be able to use it. Why did he come to me? Please tell me the truth!"

Just looking at Li Qingchen's look of surprise at Cui Po's breaking door, it seemed that he had already expected that he would be like this, and it seemed that he had completely understood the Master Cui wanted to use him but was puzzled. He was sitting leisurely under the tree and slowly stood up and said, "There are many nobles in the court, but there are also many counselors. Although I am incompetent, if I want to compete with these flies and flyers to attract favor, I still disdain it. Moreover, I cannot bear any hindrance in my actions. Seeing that Master Jinzhou can train his army in Jinzhou, he can entrust all the new army with Yibai's tall and tall affairs, and then I realized that you and I have a relationship. In the end, the style of the prince who should break the matter is very consistent with the servant's wishes, so he used Brother Meng to recommend himself to the servant. In this way, is the young master satisfied?"

After staring at Li Qingchen in a long time, Cui Po smiled and said, "Sir, this is my villain's heart. Since then, I have relied on Mr. Xu to be a master of his brilliant talents, so please give me advice!" After the words, he finished his words and performed three long bows and requests. Li Qingchen smiled slightly and accepted it calmly.

After the ceremony, the two sat down under the tree. Cui Po saw that Li Qingchen was still using the method of tea in the temple. He laughed and said, "Sir, the national sage is so popular, but he lives in my simple door. He is really happy. Po cannot repay you. But he respects Mr. Thank you for a cup of fragrant tea!" After that, he got up and went to the gate of the courtyard and condemned the servants who served the marquis to get the tea-skin artifacts from his study.

Suddenly, everything was delivered. Cui Po, who was very happy to win a country's scholar, calmed down and cooked a few wonderful teas. Although there was no good water to accompany it, there were few regrets, but looking at the golden and green tea soup and the faint but not revealing tea fragrance was enough to make Li Qingchen, who had always loved tea, look surprised.

Li Qingchen was slightly stunned after holding a cup of wine. After a while, he said with intoxication: "If you have such a cup of fragrant tea, it is perfect for you to come!"

Drinking the cup of tea silently, Li Qingchen reluctantly placed the Yuezhou porcelain bowl in his hand that was almost transparent and wanted to be transparent, and said: "I have been going to Lingnan recently, but I don't know what the young master wants to do?"

"Oh! Mr. I have only been to Beijing for a few days, so why did I leave in a hurry? Besides, there is a lot of miasma in the wilderness of Lingnan. Mr. I have lived in the north for many years, and it is too dangerous to go there. I think it is not possible. Mr. I should think twice." Hearing this, Cui Po also put down the teacup in his hand and looked at Li Qingchen in surprise and asked.

"I look at the administration of the court. The battle between the four towns will inevitably break out in just two years. It is really unpredictable if it is short. The mountains in the south are high and the road is far away. It takes half a year to go back and forth. If you don't take advantage of this time, you may find it difficult to get out of it again. As for this miasma! I have enough medicine to relieve it, but please rest assured." Li Qingchen was slightly moved when he heard what Cui Po said. However, he was originally a person with a stingy heart, so he didn't show any trace of his face, so he said lightly.

After pondering for a while, Cui Po asked again: "Is this matter for Feng Ruofang?"

"Feng Ruofang has a strong talent and is dominating the sea. For the young master, he can support the new army in Jinzhou, and from afar, he can get a room for retreat. It is a wonderful help, and it is a pity to let go!"

"Sir, please take care of yourself all the way. When I was introduced, I had a few small items to add to it, thinking it would be helpful." Knowing that it was difficult to reverse his intentions, Cui Posu no longer pretended to be accustomed and insisted on keeping him.

"At present, the new emperor of the court has succeeded to the throne. Although he has the intention of a major change in the court, he will first stabilize the court and there will be no major changes in the short term. With Lao Linggong and Zhongshu Ling, the young master must be careful in his words and actions, and his safety will be safe. Once the matter is done, he will return immediately." Li Qingchen slowly raised the second cup of tea to Cui Po and invited him to drink it.

"Then Feng Ruofang gathered nearly a thousand times, and it has been scattered on the sea for decades. It is difficult to control the situation. Mr. should be careful of his own safety," Cui Po said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingchen smiled slightly, pointed to the west and said, "Honor, have you forgotten Mr. Feng, who lives in the mansion?" Cui Po said nothing but shocked and speechless.

After sitting for a while, when it was getting late, Cui Po stood up and smiled and said, "Since I received the salary from the court, I must go and click Mao. Don't be anxious for the time being. I will wait for me to set up a farewell to you later. It will not be too late to leave after I set up a farewell for you." After that, he turned around and left. Although Li Qingchen was not sitting upright, Cui Po did not care at all.

When he came to the Ministry of Works, he first submitted a letter to the Wannian County Government to handle Xi Shang's affairs, and then the clerk was still led to the scenes everywhere. Cui Po was more and more surprised when he looked at it. Only more than 20,000 craftsmen were there in the workshop he had walked through today, and the craftsmen involved were all-round. They were all due to their three-point power and fighting each other. In addition, the management was not good, and the craftsmen were also registered here. Therefore, they became inefficient. If they could completely eliminate their disadvantages, they could easily obtain them even if they had multiple benefits.

That night, after dinner, Cui Po plunged into the study, and planned to apply for sea tax and trade forms, and then carefully planned the workplace and improvements in Beijing until the moon came out of the east sky, and he did not mention the rest in Jingruo's room.

After a few days, Cui Po ran around the workshops inside and outside Chang'an City all day long, even dozens of miles away from the city, specializing in creating large-scale city-guarding equipment such as crashes, door-sticking knives, wolf-tooth slap, etc. He also read the various written records more carefully, and finally gained a comprehensive understanding of the matters under his jurisdiction, and the method of improving his great improvements to greatly increase his effectiveness gradually took shape in his mind.

On that day, after getting up and going to the Ministry of Works to arrange the things that all the people under him should do, Cui Po, who had "Asking for Sea Taxation and Trade" in his arms, came to the Menxia Provincial Office on the front right of the imperial city.

Cui Po had visited Mao here a few days ago and had also met a officials. Although Zhang Yi, the minister of the disciple, was very cold to him, the other minister, Hou Xiyi, was very kind to him, so his life here was not very sad. What was even more unexpected was that he actually met an old friend here, Wei Yingwu, a son of a noble family whom he visited with Meng Jiao when he came to Beijing last year. He has been transferred to the provincial office to serve as a minister, and he became a peer with Cui Po, which is a rare opportunity.

When he came to the office work of the staff, Wei Yingwu and four others had already arrived at the provincial government to handle the matter. Cui Po had just met him and heard Wei Yingwu smile and said, "Mr. Cui is the emperor's imperial decree to the provincial government worker. Why do you always come and go in a hurry? You are a typical helper and don't do it anymore. Be careful that the men in the Censorate next door will know about it. I will consider your crime of "violating the order and deceiving the monarch."

Before Cui Po could reply and explain, he heard another clerk named Lu follow up and said, "This is what you, Old Wei, don't know. Our Brother Cui has been running around the various places in the capital for half a month, only complaining about his subordinates being tired. Isn't this a "hard work of the king"? If there is really an insidious censor who has studied it, let alone Brother Cui, even a minor official in the Ministry of Works, may not be able to spare him."

Seeing Cui Po looking at him with a look of surprise, the Lu staff member laughed and said, "Brother Cui, don't doubt it, just because your Shuling official named Wang Cheng was originally my brother's wife's brother. So I learned that he was sorry for his new marriage, and he was ordered around by his brother. His new wife had come to my house for crying for this matter. This time, she just happened to beg for me to plead for me. I'll release him early every day?"

His call made the other three laugh. They all said that Lao Lu was not authentic and had come to the government office after walking around the door. They also said that Brother Cui could not agree easily, and at least he had to go to Ping'anfang to set up a seat, and let everyone get the rain and dew.

Cui Po laughed a few times, but in his heart he blamed himself for being too careless. After nodding to the Lu staff, the five of them laughed and blew up and buried their heads in a bunch of memorials presented from all over the place.

Cui Po followed the example and browsed the memorials one by one, reviewed the taboos and words first, and based on the urgency of the matter, he submitted the memorials of the person with good ranks, wrote the brief, and collected them to the minister's office when he was introductory.

After finishing the several memorials at hand, Cui Po took out the "Subject to Sea Taxation and Trade" in his arms and reviewed them carefully, then stood up and sent them to Wei Yingwu's desk.

Wei Yingwu took the memorial with a little surprise, looked at the head of the topic and the signature, and smiled knowingly, "Don't worry, Lord Cui!"

After patting his arm, Cui Po turned around his case and borrowed several notes from the memorials archived over the years to study and ponder. This way, until the bells of the scattered yamen in various departments of the imperial city rang, and he saw that his memorials were also sent to the minister's office, he rode his horse back home after saying goodbye to the four.
Chapter completed!