Chapter 239 Salary
Only a small part of Tangliyuan has been built, but there are already dozens of servants.
It was almost noon, and the kitchen immediately became busy, cooking for the soldiers of Marquis Lu Yang.
In the small kitchen next to the big kitchen, Pei and Lu were busy working in person.
Both of them had red eyes, and they had obviously cried a lot, especially Lu who cried the most sadly, with tears stains on her face.
Concubine Pei took the fine silk and placed it on a wooden stand, then poured the flour on it and slowly sifted out the fine white flour.
“It’s cold in winter, and tears freeze in the nose, and frost forms on the outside of the mouth. Soup and cakes are the best way to replenish the body’s deficiency.” Concubine Pei sifted the noodles and said, “How long has it been since you last cooked? Have you forgotten all the work?”
Fei Lu was a little embarrassed and said, “It’s been many years.”
“I haven’t done it for many years.” Concubine Pei sighed.
While the two were talking, they had worked together to sift out some white flour, then added water to the dough and kneaded it.
Pei and Lu used great force, and their faces were moved very thinly.
Fei Fei gestured with the knife and cut the dough, two fingers wide and two inches long.
When she was indifferent, she glanced at Mr. Lu, endured the sourness in her heart, and said: "If you have a child, when he is old and frail in the future, you can let him make a plate of soup cakes by himself. But it’s more delicious than what the servants made.”
Ms. Lu’s face darkened first, and then turned red.
The woman is over thirty, but she doesn’t even have a child. She didn’t want to think about it before, but now that she thinks about it, she wants to cry again.
Do you really expect Sima Li to serve her and take care of her in old age?
The child is ten years old and still refuses to leave Chang'an. He must stay with his biological parents. There is no way Lu can treat him as a son.
She also understood the meaning of her sister-in-law's words, which was actually to ask her to remarry - no, actually not to marry, but to be accepted.
But she was a little unwilling. How could Fan Yanglu's daughter be a concubine? Besides, she is a princess, does she still want face?
"This Shao Xun, why is he staring at the women of the Sima family..." Mrs. Lu was a little miserable, and accidentally said what was in her heart: "Does he want to take away the Sima family's power, and also... ...A woman from the Sima family?”
"Why is Xun Niang so vulgar?" Concubine Pei blushed and scolded.
But think about it, did Taibai come down to earth just to be the nemesis of women in the Sima family?
The two talked and the atmosphere became less awkward and stiff.
Concubine Pei's face was still very red, and she felt a little aggrieved. She had to face Lu Xun's strange eyes even though she had done nothing.
Fei Lu’s face was also a little red.
Sometimes she would read some poems and articles describing empty wives and resentful women. She thought it was caused by missing her deceased husband, but now she found out that it did not seem to be entirely the reason.
"That's enough, that's all." The two of them were so busy that their foreheads were sweating, and they prepared a large plate of noodles. Then they took it to the kitchen next door, put it in the boiling water, and heated it up. Cooked.
Pei and Lu, one by one, quickly put all the noodles on the plate into the pot - this thing was called "Bu Tuo" in the Tang Dynasty. There is a saying that it was originally held in the hand. The dough is torn into pieces on the edge of the pot, and later on the table or by hand, instead of being held by the hand, hence the name.
The dough is cooked quickly.
Concubine Pei took it out and placed it in a bowl, while Concubine Lu poured the gravy on it and mixed it.
A total of two bowls of soup cakes were made, one bowl for Shao Xun and one bowl for Pei Kang.
Pei and Lu both felt a sense of accomplishment after watching it.
Aristocratic women have been practicing women's skills since they were young, and soup cakes and water cakes are compulsory courses. However, they have been living in a pampered life for many years, and their skills are a bit rough. They haven't cooked for their families in many years.
When I looked at it today, it was okay, not too ugly.
"Weak as spring cotton, white as autumn silk." Concubine Pei praised.
"The air is so strong that it spreads, and the fragrance spreads far and wide." Concubine Lu added.
"Pedestrians salivate at the disadvantage of the wind, and servants chew empty food and stare at each other."
"The one holding the utensil licks his lips, while the standing waiter swallows dryly."
You two say the same thing I said, and then smiled happily.
Strange woman!
After laughing, they each carried a bowl and went to give food to Pei Kang and Shao Xun.
Pei and Shao were sitting idle in the hall. They first talked about the conquest of Hebei, and then mentioned the situation in Hedong.
At this moment, two women came over carrying soup cakes.
"Eat first." Concubine Pei put the bowl she was holding in front of her father and said.
Mrs. Lu struggled for a moment, walked to Shao Xun's side, and gently put the bowl down.
“Eating a bowl of soup cakes in the middle of winter is really the ultimate enjoyment.” Shao Xun praised.
Pei Kang nodded, looked at his daughter, and was speechless.
The two stopped talking and started eating soup cakes.
Pei and Lu retreated outside, facing the warm sun, and walked leisurely.
They boarded a pavilion built on the mountain and looked at the bare woods, frozen rivers and uninhabited grasslands in the distance, feeling an unspeakable loneliness in their hearts.
"Such a bleak scenery is like this world." Concubine Pei leaned on the railing, with sadness in her brows.
Lu also felt something and remained silent.
"At first, I was also scared and uneasy, and I felt something in my heart..." Concubine Pei said again.
"Sister-in-law, I won't tell anyone." Mrs. Lu lowered her head and said softly.
Concubine Pei's face felt a little hot. She didn't know what to say for a moment, so she could only say casually: "More and more officials and officials are coming to Guangchengze for refuge. In this chaotic world, you are alone. Even the generals and soldiers are unreliable."
Lu's face turned pale.
Suppose a prince's palace is rich, and there are no men in this palace, leaving only a princess who has no power to tie a chicken. The world becomes more and more chaotic, the prestige of the court is declining, and order is falling apart day by day. , what will happen?
Mr. Lu suddenly understood that the reason why she came to live with Princess Donghai was due to the good relationship between the two, but was there really no other reason?
There were some things that she didn’t think deeply about, but her instinct of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages had already helped her make a decision.
Especially the way some so-called relatives and some so-called family generals looked at her, she didn't even dare to check the accounts carefully.
"Sister-in-law." Mrs. Lu hugged Concubine Pei, her eyes already slightly moist.
Concubine Pei's face became even hotter, and she felt extremely ashamed.
In order to cover up certain things, I had to scare Mrs. Lu, a relatively simple woman, which was contrary to what she had always respected, and she always felt ashamed to see others.
According to her thoughts, it would be best not to have a single woman around Shao Xun, but she also knew that this was a luxury.
The warriors who were killed among the dead in troubled times are rising like the rising sun. How is this possible...
He is no longer bound by anyone.
The further they go, the more delicate and noble ladies they have to rely on others.
The wind howled, and from the distant foothills came the sound of cutting mountains and taking rocks. Even in this cold winter, there was no pause.
More and more people are going south to build other manors.
******
After Pei and Shao finished eating the soup cakes, they continued to discuss matters.
Pei Kui, the former Hongnong governor, lost his official position. Shao Xun himself had a hand in it. After some discussions with Pei Kang, he was given the position of Prime Minister of Luyang.
The eighth rank of this position is lower than that of the prefect, and he is considered the deputy to the prime minister.
Lao Pei also mentioned Liu Anzhi.
Liu Anzhi brought five hundred private soldiers, three hundred of them from the Pei family and two hundred from the Liu family. In addition, there are more than 3,000 pieces of silk, which are from the Pei family, which is more than the rewards from the court - Shao Xun was promoted to the Duke of Luyang County and was given 1,800 pieces of silk, thousands of coins, and hundreds of gold and silverware.
Shao Xun gave him the position of Minister.
"The doctor's order is temporarily vacant. Liu Anzhi can take the post of minister. Five hundred troops will be incorporated into the Yi Congjun. Ask him if he is willing. If he is willing, he can take office before the year. If not, just go back. Shao Xun said.
Lang Zhongling (sixth grade) is a very critical position. He generally has three responsibilities: one is responsible for the election within the territory, the other is responsible for the work of the guards, and the third is to convey the teaching orders.
The other two items are nothing, but Su Wei is very important.
The meaning of "Suwei" is not just that of bodyguard, but that is too narrow.
At this meeting, the field troops took turns to defend the capital and the palace. The Suwei Army was the main field force - the part of the Luoyang Chinese Army stationed in the city was called the "Seven Suwei Army" or "Suwei Army" Seventh Camp".
Lang Zhongling can arrange the garrison of the Suwei army, convey orders and mobilize, etc. It is a very critical position.
In Shao Xun's plan, the Silver Spear Army and the Long Sword Army will be the future Su Guards, protecting his "capital". The Yi Cong Army and the Yamen Army are the "foreign armies", and they will be at strategic points. serve as a garrison or frontline counterattack force.
Therefore, the doctor ordered him not to hand it over to outsiders.
Student soldiers are the most suitable, but their qualifications are too young now. Even though seven or eight people have entered the Imperial College in recent years and are qualified to be officials, they are too young and not suitable. When the sixth grade doctor gives orders.
So Lang Zhongling is temporarily absent, and Shao Xun personally takes up this position.
There are two eighth-grade ministers under the command of the doctor, who can be regarded as deputies. One is for Liu Anzhi and the other is for Chen Yougen.
The ministers can appoint their own officials, but they don’t have to find people themselves. Shao Xun plans to give them a group of scholars and powerful children from Hebei.
From now on, Shao Xun, who is actually also the Lang Zhongling, will be responsible for the assembly, garrison, and mobilization of the Silver Spear and Long Sword armies. The two ministers will take their subordinates to convey orders, inspect the camps, and count personnel. and equipment.
Everything is according to the system.
"He's already here, how could he not want to?" Pei Kang laughed, obviously satisfied with the eighth-grade minister. After laughing, he asked: "How many officials have you given now?"
"One prime minister, one prime minister, one Fu, two ministers, one Danong (Chu Hui), one Dian Wei Ling (Tang Jian), one Dian Shu Ling (Yang Ming), a total of eight people."
“How much is the annual income?”
Shao Xun did the math.
The standards for paying salaries to officials in the state and dynasty are very confusing.
During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the "rank stone" system was used.
In the Cao Wei period, official titles appeared.
At this point, it is a "dual-track system" in which ranking stones and official titles run parallel.
By the middle and late Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was basically an official system.
Therefore, the official salary standards during the operation of the "dual-track system" are relatively confusing and bizarre.
Cui Gong, the Prime Minister of Luyang, was in the fifth rank, with a rank of one thousand shi (some county magistrates also had a rank of 1,000 shi, and some prefects had a rank of 2,000 shi). According to the standards of the dynasty, the monthly grain allowance was fifty dendrobiums (600 a year). Dendrobium), thirty pieces of silk in spring, seventy pieces of silk in autumn, seventy pounds of cotton, six hectares of vegetable fields, and six farm workers.
As a fifth-rank official, the monk ordered a salary standard.
Yes, the magistrate of a minister has the rank of a thousand stones, and some magistrates of large counties also have the rank of a thousand stones. The former oversees the government affairs of the whole country, while the latter can only manage one county. It is simply outrageous.
Shao Xun decided to use the system that started in the middle of the Southern and Northern Dynasties and used official titles as the basis for salary distribution to get rid of the chaotic dual-track system.
The Prime Minister's annual income is divided into five parts.
Grain: 600 dendrobium.
Cloth: 100 pieces of silk and 70 pounds of cotton.
Money: None yet.
Lutian: six hectares (you can enjoy this income during your employment, but not when you leave your job).
Force servants: There are six Tianzou, responsible for cultivating Lutian. If there are not enough, more people can be added. Anyway, there are many prisoners.
In addition to the state minister, the sixth-grade farmer, Fu, received 480 hu of grain, 70 bolts of silk, 50 jin of cotton, five hectares of farmland, and several servitudes every year.
There are also five eighth-rank officials, who receive 240 hu of grain, 30 bolts of silk, 20 jin of cotton, three hectares of land, and several servitudes each year.
"The annual output is more than two thousand hu of grain and nearly four hundred bolts of silk." Shao Xun replied: "Maybe more."
"It's not much more than that." Pei Kang commented.
Shao Xun nodded.
These salaries are definitely not enough, because they have to appoint their own subordinate officials.
Some subordinate officials can be recruited through corvee service, while others require money.
In fact, until the early Tang Dynasty, the salary of officials was not enough. At this time, another income that was not fixed but the amount should not be underestimated - rewards.
Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, often gave banquets and allowed officials to take home endless food for their families to eat - many people packed it up and took it home.
In addition, at the banquet, "clever names" were used to reward a lot of property with various excuses, which became an important part of the official's income to make up for the lack of regular salary.
Of course, most of the people who are officials these days are scholars, and their family conditions are much better than those in the early Tang Dynasty. Some people even think that the government offices are crude and not very expensive, so they use their own money to serve as officials in order to maintain their quality of life.
Being an official also brings a lot of hidden income, which is not enough for outsiders to understand.
"How much money can we spend after hiring all the government officials? I still have many talents in my pocket." Pei Kang said with some dissatisfaction.
"There are enough grain, fields, and servants, but not enough silk." Shao Xun looked at Old Pei and said, "How about, Mr. Pei..."
If Pei really presses As Kang said, if all the officials are fully staffed, at least fifty or sixty people will be needed, and the expenditure will not be as small as the current eight people. Coupled with the rewards during the holidays, who can fill the financial hole of thousands of bolts of silk a year? Unless Lao Pei is willing to reimburse...
"You, you really have never been a high official." Pei Kang smiled contemptuously and said: "Don't count the money. Liu Yuanhai asked someone from the Pei family to become an official, not only did he not For salary, the Pei family has to pay for it. Look at what they did, and what did you do?"
Shao Xun laughed.
Why does the Hu regime like to play this?
He remembered that in the early Northern Wei Dynasty, officials had no salary and were allowed to plunder. Later, the imperial court found that the losses would be greater in this way, so it had no choice but to set salary standards.
"You have such a great reputation, why don't the Yingchuan scholars ask for help?" Pei Kang looked at Shao Xun with hatred, and said: "They have begun to seek refuge with you now, where is the offer? Even I-- "
"That's it." Pei Kang waved his hand and said, "You can do it yourself. It doesn't sound good to ask for a reputation, but who wouldn't do it? Feng. Even if it is enough for the time being, it will not be enough in the long run." After hearing this, Shao Xun immediately stood up and saluted, and said: "Please take charge of Duke Pei. The position of "Yang Guoyou"
Friend is responsible for accompanying the country's leader and making progress and correcting the country's leader.
Just as Sima Yan said when he was choosing friends for the kings: "In the past, Han Qi and Tian Su traveled around and loved doing good things, so we will definitely get him."
This is a clear official with few things and money. Duo (Level 6) actually means following the leader of the country and coming up with ideas. If you see the leader of the country doing something wrong, immediately remonstrate with him and correct his behavior.
Lao Pei originally wanted to refuse.
I, a man in his seventies, cannot afford to be embarrassed by accompanying you and others in their twenties to "play". What's more, the money for your salary was sent by me. Do you want me to spend my own money to "play" with you? How unreasonable!
However, Pei and Lu soon joined hands.
Lao Pei's heart moved, and he sighed: "That's all, I still have to deal with this old bone with you, it's really - alas!"
Shao Xun was stunned at first.
At first glance at Pei Kang's face, I thought he was going to refuse, but unexpectedly he suddenly agreed. What happened? What does he want to do?
Shao Xun suddenly felt that asking Pei Kang to be a friend of the country and "rectify" his own behavior was not necessarily a good thing...
(End of this chapter)
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