Chapter 2760
Zhu Zian listened to everyone discussing the shogunate's envoy, but he continued to think about his errand in his heart. How much arms and equipment the Japanese plan to purchase from Haihan has nothing to do with Zhu Zian's next work. His own future is important at the moment, and he is not that interested in caring about these things.
What he is most curious about now is who is the official in charge of the yamen he is about to take up, so that Shi Chengwu can still maintain a sense of awe when talking about it.
Zhu Zian did not wait too long for this answer. On the second day after he held the thank-you banquet, Sanya's approval of the appointment was sent to Hangzhou via telegram. At this point, the process has been completed, and Zhu Zian can finally take up his post.
Previously, Shi Diwen arranged for him to travel overseas with the mission, which could only be regarded as a temporary temporary job on a trial basis. After successfully passing the test, this appointment was the first official position he obtained in Haihan.
Although Zhu Zian has an official position, he has only returned to Hangzhou not long ago and has not purchased any real estate there. He currently lives under the same roof as Tao Hongfang and others. This courtyard is the property of Qiong Lianfa. When Tao Hongfang and others first arrived in Hangzhou, Ning Zijing arranged it here. After returning from the mission, several people moved back here, and by the way, they also left nowhere to live. Zhu Zian, who had settled down, moved over.
Of course, for Zhu Zian, living under someone else’s roof is not a long-term solution. After all, he wants to find a long-term residence, so he plans to check the work arrangements after he officially takes office, and then find a suitable place to move locally. .
Since the various official offices of Haihan moved from Zhoushan to Hangzhou not long ago, and this special liaison office is not a well-known yamen, Zhu Zian called a soft sedan in advance, but the bearer didn't even know where the yamen was located. Fortunately, Zhu Zian inquired in advance and knew that the general location was Xingxianfang in the west of the city, so he directed the bearers there.
Haihan official agencies that moved to Hangzhou usually took over the original official offices as their offices. For example, the original Sansi Yamen in the city now became the seats of the Donghai Region Administrative Committee, the Judicial Department, and the Garrison Headquarters.
Zhu Zian originally thought that since this special liaison office was responsible for special tasks, it could be regarded as an important department. Even if it could not occupy a large place like the Sansi Yamen, it would at least have to be a decent place like a government office. But the actual situation seemed to be somewhat different from what he had expected. The bearer said that Xingxianfang didn't have any big government offices before, so he could only find the liaison office he mentioned when he got there.
The bearer, who was more familiar with the local situation than Zhu Zian, really didn't lie. When he arrived at Xingxianfang, he saw that there were indeed no official buildings here.
Fortunately, the bearer said that this place is not big, and one can walk around Xingxianfang in just one cup of tea. Zhu Zian saw that it was still early, so he stopped the sedan at the entrance of the square, got off the sedan and gave money to the sedan bearer, then dismissed the sedan bearer, and then slowly walked along the alley to find him.
Zhu Zian saw an old man carrying a bucket to fetch water by the well at the entrance of the square, so he approached him to find out where the special liaison office was.
"What kind of vinegar? To buy vinegar, go to the Wangji Sauce Shop across the street. It costs eight cents a bowl. I always buy vinegar from him. The price is fair and the portion is sufficient!" The old man probably didn't hear Zhu Zian's question clearly at all. But he still enthusiastically pointed out the direction to him.
Zhu Zian didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he had to continue: "What I said is not because of jealousy, but because of the special liaison office, the government office."
Now the old man understood, he shook his head and said: "There is no yamen in Xingxianfang... Wait, are you talking about the officials who just moved into the nursing home?"
The old man was also unsure about it, so he pointed the way to Zhu Zian and asked him to see it by himself.
The nursing home is a government-run welfare institution established in the Ming Dynasty. It is used to resettle local people who are old, sick, poor and unable to take care of themselves. They also provide relief to homeless beggars. "Da Ming Law" says, "Anyone who is widowed, lonely, or seriously ill, is poor, has no relatives to rely on, and cannot live on his own. If the court should adopt him but does not adopt him, he will have a staff of sixty. If he should be given food and clothing but the official will reduce it, he will be a prisoner and commit theft." "On" is to protect the implementation of this system from the legal level. However, in the late Ming Dynasty, due to increasingly tight finances and less and less funds available for charity, the number and scale of almshouses continued to shrink. Although Hangzhou is considered a prosperous area, only one almshouse, Xingxianfang, remains in the city.
Zhu Zian walked along the road pointed by the old man for a while, and sure enough he saw a fenced yard in front, covering a large area. When I walked to the door, I saw several people hoisting horizontal plaques on the eaves of the door. There was a plaque that had just been removed on the ground, and Zhu Zian could clearly see that it was the Alms House. The newly hoisted piece is the plaque of the Donghai Region Special Liaison Office.
Zhu Zian coughed dryly. The man directing the hoisting turned around and glanced at him. He raised his hands and asked, "Are you here to do something?"
Zhu Zian said: "My Excellency, Zhu Zian, is here to take up his duties today. I hope this brother will inform you on your behalf."
"It turns out to be Mr. Zhu, disrespectful!" The man greeted Zhu Zian and quickly handed over the work at hand to others. Apparently, he had received the news that Zhu Zian was about to take office.
"Does Mr. Zhu have luggage and entourage?" The man asked, looking behind Zhu Zian specifically.
Zhu Zian said: "None of them. Do you need to check the letter of appointment?"
The man waved his hand and said: "You don't have to show it to me, sir. Please come inside!"
Zhu Zian went inside and found that the courtyard structure was completely different from the common courtyard structure. Opposite the gate was a masonry passage more than ten feet wide, with two long rows of houses on the left and right, and these houses were divided into into several separate portals.
Zhu Zian couldn't help but wonder: "This place looks a bit like the Gongyuan where the provincial examination is held."
The man responded: "Your Excellency, you have good eyesight! This place was once the location of the Gongyuan in the Yuan Dynasty. It was not until the Hongwu period of the previous dynasty that it was converted into a nursing home. Each of these rows of houses is a trumpet. Housing hundreds of people.”
Zhu Zian asked: "Since this place is a nursing home, where have the old and weak people who were originally taken in gone?"
"They have all moved to Banshan Town, ten miles north of the city." The man paused and continued to explain: "Actually, when we took over this place, there were only fifty or sixty people left in the almshouse. There is no space in the city. It’s a waste of money to occupy such a big place, so I reported it to the executive committee and took over the place.”
Zhu Zian asked curiously: "There are many yamen in the city, why did you choose this place?"
The man sneered and said: "We did move here a little late, and there is no choice left."
(End of chapter)