Zhao Xu naturally knew the excitement in Kaifeng City.

Holding various secret memos, private messages, and official documents in his hand, Zhao Xu kept shaking his head.

"Play chess."

Zhao Xu threw these official documents and letters aside and looked at Li Ke and said.

Li Ke glanced at the stack of letters, and sat upright, playing chess with Zhao Xu seriously.

He could feel that as he played against this young official, his chess skills continued to increase and he made great progress.

Zhao Xu looked at the chessboard, picked up the teacup casually, and said, "Is our next stop Suzhou Prefecture?"

Meng Tang bowed behind him and said, "It's an official family, and there are still stops on the road, mainly to replenish food and fresh water."

Zhao Xu nodded, looked up at the sky, and said, "The weather is getting hotter and hotter this time."

Li Ke also glanced at him and couldn't help saying, "Do you don't need to reply to the official family, in the capital?"

He spent more time with Zhao Xu and had fewer unnecessary concerns.

Zhao Xu took a sip of tea and said, "There is nothing to go back to, let's have a fuss. Let's play chess."

Li Ke didn't say anything else and stared at the chessboard seriously.

After more than a dozen steps, Li Qing walked over slowly. When Zhao Xu smiled, he asked with a smile: "Official family, are there any new works recently?"

Zhao Xu was stunned, waved his hand and said, "I can't write poems and lyrics, don't believe it."

Li Qing asked for it once, but Zhao Xu really didn't have the heart to do it. Otherwise, he would be confident that he could study hard and write some decent words.

However, in front of the future Li Qingzhao, there is no need to show off, otherwise he would have been "devoured for thousands of years" by accident.

Li Qing pouted.

Zhao Xu fell into the middle and said, "Who is the prefect of Suzhou Prefecture?"

Meng Tang answered, saying, "It's Sima Xiangde."

Zhao Xu raised his eyebrows and turned to look at Meng Tang.

Meng Tang lowered his head and said nothing.

Zhao Xu understood that this person may not be related to the "old party" and even Sima Guang.

Li Ke naturally knew Sima Xiangde, staring at the chessboard, and didn't dare to say a word.

Zhao Xu held the teacup and looked at the chessboard. After a long time, he shook his head and said, "Although my Song Dynasty has no vassal states, the clans in the officialdom can still be seen everywhere. Looking at the officialdom of the Song Dynasty, I have been wandering around, and it seems that there are still so many people."

Li Ke didn't dare to speak, he didn't even dare to take chess pieces.

Since the beginning of Emperor Zhenzong, famous officials and ministers have emerged in the Song Dynasty, and have been going on until now.

The Fan family and the Han family are basically three masters of four generations. Fan Chunren, the subordinate minister before Zhao Xu took power, was the son of Fan Zhongyan, and Han Qi's son Han Zhongyan was the Privy Councilor.

Zhang Dun's previous two generations also became prime ministers. Li Qingchen, the current Minister of Rites, is Han Qi's niece and has also become prime ministers in history.

It seemed that the officialdom of the Song Dynasty was invisibly monopolized by some people.

This is still at the highest level of the court. Going down, these wealthy families, one family, two Jinshi are embarrassing, three, four, five, and even seven Jinshis in one family!

The huge and complex network of relationships in the officialdom of the Song Dynasty. In this situation, the weaving became more and more dense. After a turn, everyone is a relative!

Such an officialdom is terrible if you think about it!

"What's the problem?" Zhao Xu thought. Didn't this situation come naturally because someone deliberately did it? Or were these high-ranking officials and nobles intentionally constantly marrying and developing, and unintentionally forming the current situation?

Zhao Xu fell down and said, "The reform of the imperial examination should be deepened. The so-called six in the south and four in the north is not enough. Children from poor families have no chance to make a comeback, and it is very disadvantageous for the country and the people. The gentry monopolized land, business, and power. How can our Song Dynasty be rich and strong? "

Although Zhao Xu was talking to himself, Li Ke still heard something.

The fleet continued to move south along the canal.

Originally, Zhao Xu wanted to take the sea route, but the water system of the Song Dynasty was really developed. The inland river could reach Suzhou Prefecture directly, and there was a lot of circles to take the sea route.

at the same time.

Suzhou Prefecture.

Sima Xiangde has been in Suzhou Prefecture for many years as the prefecture of the prefecture for many years since Yuanyou.

After Zhang Dun took power, he wanted to transfer him away for a while, but for some reason, he failed.

At this moment, a group of officials from all over the Suzhou Prefecture followed him and were walking on a ridge of the field.

The crowd was dressed in straight and clean official uniforms, without any soil under their feet, and there were also a group of men and women behind them, nearly a hundred people, all of whom were servants!

Sima Xiangde is in his early fifties this year, but he has white hair all over his head.

He walked in front, looked at the somewhat barren fields, and sighed: "In recent years, my Suzhou Prefecture has become more and more drought, and the harvest has been decreasing again and again, and the people are in trouble..."

An official behind him echoed and said, "No, the government has repeatedly asked the court for tax cuts, but the court has been constantly reducing the amount and urged us to pay the owed money and grain. Isn't this forcing our people in Suzhou to death?"

One of them stepped forward and said in a very resentful way: "The Lord of the House, letting the lower officials say something disrespectful. Since the great minister has been working as prime minister, he has repeatedly forced the local government, especially Suzhou Prefecture, to sit high in the court and overlook the world. Where can he see the hardships of the people? He is determined to reform and political achievements. Is this something he can accomplish in just one word?"

Sima Xiangde immediately showed displeasure and scolded: "Just say this kind of words here, don't say it to the outside. The grandpa should still respect it."

The man listened and quickly said, "Yes, follow the teachings of the Mansion Lord."

At this moment, another person spoke, saying, "The Lord of the Palace, I will not talk about Changshu County, but I will say that I am Pingjiang. I have been digging more than 30 wells last year, benefiting tens of thousands of people. I wrote a letter to ask the court to allocate funds and grain, digging wells, and dealing with the drought. But the court has ignored it and never pulled out a single penny. Even if the officials have the intention of serving the country and the people, it is difficult for a good woman to cook without rice. In fact, there is no way..."

Sima Xiangde looked at him, sighed with a sad expression, and said, "I know about you. You know about the Mansion Cang. The day before yesterday, I handed over the imperial court. The summer grain has not arrived, so I can't take out much. Let's do this, come out of our mansion and take out three thousand guans, and ask you to continue digging wells. When the summer grain comes up, I will redeem it from it. There is no other way..."

"Master, this is not possible!"

Someone suddenly shouted: "This is a major national affairs, how can you get it from your private property? Besides, it is inevitable that people will be verbalized by the harvest from summer grain, and the court repeatedly urges us to pay the owed grain. How can you bear it if this continues?"

"Yes, the court has been constantly trying to transfer you away. It's not that we have repeatedly written to you, I'm afraid you will no longer be Suzhou Prefecture..."

"If the hole gets bigger and bigger, the court will definitely not let you go easily. Master, you must not..."

Sima Xiangde waved his hand, with a fearless expression on his face and said, "Okay. Don't be yelled at me. I am for the Song Dynasty, the officials, and the people, not for promotion. Money is something outside my body. Okay, no need to say more. Let's continue to move forward and see some people. Do you have all the things with me?"

A man who followed the housekeeper came up and said, "The Lord, you have brought all ten stones of grain, fifty kilograms of pork and thirty kilograms of noodles."
Chapter completed!