Chapter 111 Borrowing Money
Chapter 111 Borrowing Money
"A thief wields a sword in the market, and tens of thousands of people all avoid him. I think it is not because of the bravery of this one person, but because tens of thousands of people are all cowardly. Why? The inevitable death and the inevitable life are certainly not the same..." As soon as he arrived at Sikong Mansion, Shao Xun heard the sound of reading aloud. There was no need to ask, it must be Xu Lang.
Sure enough, when Xu Lang heard the footsteps, he immediately went out to greet him and said in surprise, "I didn't expect you to come here."
"I am so busy that I dare not make decisions on my own. The princess must make the final decision." Shao Xun said seriously, "Is the princess here?"
"Yes." Xu Lang said, "Today I asked about the Hongnong incident."
"The princess is indeed Sikong's wise wife, worrying about important matters all day long." Shao Xun sighed, "Where is the prince?"
"The prince has gone out to study rituals and music."
"Oh?" Shao Xun stood in awe: "Your Highness is so hardworking at such a young age. He will surely achieve great things in the future."
"My lord, you are absolutely right." Xu Lang sat back down and picked up the military book again.
Shao Xun was too lazy to argue with him and slipped away quietly.
The princess was kneeling in the study, reading ancient books.
Although this place was called a study room before, there were only a few books, whether bamboo slips, paper books, or books copied on silk. The princess used it more as a place to cultivate her character, read music, write and draw, and then make a pot of tea, leisurely looking at the flowers and trees in the courtyard, letting her thoughts fly away.
But now it can be called a proper study.
The princess collected many classics, histories, and even travel notes, and arranged them in categories. Whenever she needed a book, she would take it out and read it carefully.
"Yi Yang..." There was a hand-painted silk map spread on the table. Concubine Pei's slender white fingers were stroking on it, circling the word "Yi Yang" from time to time.
There was a piece of white paper next to it, with a lot of words densely written on it. Upon closer inspection, most of them were about how many miles a place was from another place.
Footsteps sounded softly.
Concubine Pei raised her head and looked outside the door.
Shao Xun appeared at the door holding a fur coat.
Concubine Pei covered her mouth and chuckled, then stood up to greet him.
"The princess has been buried in papers all day, and it's hard work." Shao Xun sighed.
Concubine Pei could compose poetry and had good calligraphy, but she didn't particularly like reading.
Now this study room can only be described as...
Shao Xun took out a fur coat and said, "I hunted a lot of wild animals in the first month of the year, just enough to make a fox fur coat, so I'll give it to the princess."
"Why give it to me?" Concubine Pei asked with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"I owe you." Shao Xun said honestly.
"It's already February, but I don't know how many days I can wear it. Why didn't you send it to me earlier?" Concubine Pei pretended to be dissatisfied.
Shao Xun glanced around and saw that there were no servants around, so he took the fox fur, walked behind Concubine Pei, and gently draped it over her.
Concubine Pei subconsciously took a few steps away, but did not blame him. Instead, she rolled her eyes at him and lightly scolded him, "How insolent."
"I admit my guilt." Shao Xun also took a step back and said respectfully.
The term "lower official" was first seen in "Han Shu·Biography of Jia Yi" in the sentence "lower official is not responsible for his duties".
"The Biography of Du Shu in Wei Zhi" also mentions that "when ordering lower officials to do something, no matter how big or small it is, they should consult before taking action."
As the name suggests, it refers to subordinate officials.
During the Northern Wei Dynasty, when the son-in-law Xiao Zong saw the princess, he referred to himself as a lower-ranking official to express his respect and love.
Of course, the one who played the most extravagantly was Emperor Shenwu of Qi, Gao Huan. When he met his concubine and former queen Erzhu Ying'e, he respectfully called himself "your humble official" and then climbed into bed with her.
"I will ask someone to make a Hu bed and send it to your house tomorrow." Shao Xun said, looking at the support in front of the desk.
"Is it the Hu bed that Emperor Ling of Han sat on?" Concubine Pei asked curiously.
Emperor Lingdi liked Hu clothing, Hu tents, Hu beds, Hu seats, Hu food, Hu Konghou, Hu flutes, and Hu dances, and all the nobles in the capital competed to please him.
The Huchuang first appeared in India, then spread to the Western Regions, and then to the Central Plains.
"This Hu bed is not that Hu bed." Shao Xun said with a smile.
The Huchuang, which was introduced to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty, is more accurately a rope bed or rope chair. In fact, it is a foldable stool with a seat made of densely woven ropes.
This is the original version. Later, as it evolved over time, by the Tang Dynasty it had become a wooden sitting and lying device, with a backrest and armrests added, making it much more comfortable.
This is what Shao Xun wanted to do.
"Then I'll wait." Concubine Pei said happily.
Shao Xun smiled foolishly and wondered how to ask for a loan.
After the smile on Concubine Pei's face faded, she saw Shao Xun still smiling absentmindedly. She lowered her head and pondered for a while, then asked, "You are leading the army with Mi Zihui to suppress the bandits in Hongnong, right? Why did you suddenly return to Luoyang?"
"When marching and fighting, food and fodder are the most important things, but now they are quite insufficient..." Shao Xun sighed.
"Is there anyone who dares to withhold your food and military supplies?" Concubine Pei was a little surprised.
"No." Shao Xun said, "The situation in Hongnong is complicated, there are many bandits, and some places need to station troops for a long time, which is a considerable expense."
"Which places?" Concubine Pei had already come to the table.
Shao Xun didn't expect Concubine Pei to ask this, and subconsciously said: "Nuji Mountain, Jinmen Mountain, Tan Mountain..."
Concubine Pei pulled out a piece of paper from the table, looked at it, and seemed to understand something.
"Do you want to build a dock?" she asked, shaking the white paper.
Shao Xun was a little dumbfounded.
He was still thinking about how he could save face in front of Concubine Pei and ask for money, but he didn't expect that she had already guessed half of it - in fact, borrowing money from a woman was not very face-saving...
"We want to build docks. There are three in total. The one in the east is called Yunzhong Dock, the one in the middle is called Jinmen Dock, and the one in the west is called Tanshan Dock." Shao Xun answered honestly.
"I know a little about your family background." Concubine Pei smiled and said, "It's not easy to build a fortress. When do you want it to be completed?" "This year or next year."
"It's not impossible. Where are the people? Are there any?"
"I am gathering refugees from Bingzhou and have already obtained several hundred households."
"Where's the food?" Concubine Pei asked, "It's not easy to build a wall with rammed earth. The exiles who built the city for you must be well fed to have the strength to work, right?"
"The commanders of the various forts in Yiyang are willing to provide 30,000 hu of grain..." Seeing that Concubine Pei had guessed most of it, Shao Xun no longer concealed it and told her everything.
After listening to this, Concubine Pei finally understood.
The people who build the fort are actually refugees, but you have to feed them, and the food consumption during this process is extremely high.
Shao Xun meant to buy food from the commander of Yiyangwu Fort.
In troubled times, food was very precious and could not be bought even with money. But Mi Huang was the governor of Hongnong, and they led a large army to show off their power, so it was possible.
"You've done a great job..." Concubine Pei looked at Shao Xun with a complicated expression and said, "Are you so worried about Luoyang?"
"Yes." Shao Xun didn't want to lie to Concubine Pei, so he said seriously, "I'm worried that the Xiongnu will attack Luoyang, so I want to be prepared."
"Liu Yuanhai is in Bingzhou and no one can stop him?"
“There is almost no one who can control it.”
Concubine Pei was silent. She was willing to believe what Shao Xun said. In troubled times, there was no more convincing general than him who was able to fight and fight.
"It's hard to use the money in the mansion." Concubine Pei quickly calmed down and said, "Tomorrow I will ask Pei Shiliu to allocate 500 strings of cash and 1,500 pieces of silk to you. This is all I have for the short term, so you can use it first."
"This is..." Shao Xun asked.
Concubine Pei looked out the window and said, "I spent years accumulating dowry when I married into the Donghai Palace, but this is all I have left in the capital."
Shao Xun was speechless for a moment and didn't know what to say.
"If it is still not enough, Mr. and Mrs. Bian have returned to the capital, and I will think of a solution myself." Concubine Pei said again.
Shao Xun remained silent.
"If you feel bad about it, take me to see it after the fort is built." Concubine Pei smiled and said.
"Okay." Shao Xun responded.
"Who else are you going to borrow money from?" Concubine Pei asked curiously.
"Look...Look for Cao Junsi."
"You only know these people." Concubine Pei said, "Cao Junsi has a rich family background, but he may not be willing to lend. Instead of that, it is better to let Mi Zihui allocate some military rations to you, and he can ask Cao Junsi for it."
"The lieutenant has already given 30,000 hu of grain, but it's not good to ask for more." Shao Xun said, "He also needs to build warehouses in Yiyang, Mianchi and other places to store grain and military supplies in preparation for the Western Expedition."
"Zihui is an honest man. If you look for him a few more times, you will be able to get some." Concubine Pei said, "Even if it's only three or five thousand hu, it's good."
Shao Xun nodded.
For an army of 20, even including draft animals, the monthly grain consumption when going on an expedition would be only a little over hu - hu is a unit of volume. Cao Wei basically used the Eastern Han Dynasty's weights and measures, and the Western Jin Dynasty "followed but did not change". At that time, one hu was about liters, and one hu of grain (different grains have different densities) was generally equivalent to about kilograms in later generations.
The consumption of grain is only 30,000 hu per month, and Shao Xun needs more than 30,000 hu. It is really difficult to do anything, and we can only find solutions through multiple channels.
"Life is difficult." Concubine Pei sighed again and said, "If Luoyang is not defended, I'm afraid I can only hide in your fortress."
"It's not my dock, it's our dock." Shao Xun corrected softly.
"You are so presumptuous again..." Concubine Pei turned around, her face flushed, and said, "Leave quickly."
"Yes." Shao Xun looked at Concubine Pei who was wearing fur coat again and left quietly.
When they returned to the street, Chen Yougen led the horse over.
"Go to Cao..." Shao Xun pondered.
"The residence of Cao Junsi?" Chen Yougen asked.
"King..." Shao Xun said again.
"Wang Yan's family?" Chen Yougen widened his eyes in disbelief.
"sheep……"
"Sheep Market?"
"Well, we won't go to the sheep market." Shao Xun patted Chen Yougen's shoulder heavily and said, "We are short of money now. Let Brothers Jin Gen, Yin Gen, and Tong Gen come to buy sheep in a few days and send them to the fort."
"Okay." Chen Yougen agreed casually.
Just then, Shao Xun saw his eldest nephew running towards him from afar.
"Second Uncle." Shao Shen held onto the stone lion in front of the Sikong Mansion, and after taking a deep breath, he whispered, "A servant from the Yin of Henan has come to Shao Garden to invite you to a banquet."
"Zhou Fu? When?" Shao Xun asked.
"Just today."
Shao Xun was confused for a while, and then he said, "Wait until nightfall."
Banquets at this time usually start in the afternoon and often last until midnight.
If it's a dinner party, it's normal to last until late at night.
It is meaningful that Zhou Fu is looking for me.
Shao Xun didn't want too many people to observe his whereabouts.
Enter the village quietly, don't let anyone shoot you.
(End of this chapter)