Moma Liangshan

Chapter 89 Greed and Despicable Acts, Each with Their Own Thoughts

Wang Lun arrived in Jiaozhou without deliberately concealing the news or holding a grand ceremony. After settling in, Wang Hao immediately convened a meeting. By this time, Jiaozhou was beginning to resemble a city. Feng Gu and Zhu Heng had also left Jimo several days earlier and were residing in two courtyards next to the Jiaozhou county government office. On the night Wang Hao returned to Jiaozhou, Feng Gu found Zhu Heng and said, "Wang Hao brought his father to Jiaozhou, probably with the intention of monitoring you and me." Zhu Heng sneered and said, "Although Jiaozhou is not under the jurisdiction of the Three Departments and Six Ministries, it is not Wang's private property either. According to court custom, when the magistrate is absent, the registrar and the county lieutenant jointly exercise the magistrate's power. Therefore, from now on, Jiaozhou should respect you and me!" Feng Gu looked worried and said, "Wang Hao must have made arrangements before leaving Jiaozhou. Will his many advisors and stewards obey our orders?" Zhu Heng scoffed and said, "Unless they want..." "Rebel! Otherwise, with our methods, we're not afraid they won't submit!" Feng Gu pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "The establishment of Jiaozhou County is because His Majesty needs Wang Hao to forge an alliance with the Jurchens by sea, thereby launching a pincer attack on the Liao Kingdom to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. This is His Majesty's grand plan, and it is also our bottom line, which must never be crossed under any circumstances." Zhu Heng nodded and said, "Don't worry, Chief Clerk Feng, I know what can and cannot be done!" Feng Gu was slightly relieved and said, "Tomorrow, let's go to the county office together and see what brilliant ideas Wang Hao has!" Zhu Heng laughed and said, "It should have been done long ago!"

The Jiaozhou County Government Office was designed with Wang Hao's personal involvement and incorporated many later administrative concepts. The architectural theme referenced the design of Fanlou, but was significantly simplified, eliminating most unnecessary carvings and decorations. Three two-story main buildings are arranged in a triangular pattern, surrounded by a ring of bluestone paths. The gates of the three main buildings correspond to a main entrance and two side gates on the red wall. Corridors connect the main buildings for easy passage. Bright sunlight shone on the expanded glass. Zhu Heng glanced sideways and said, "I doubt there's another county government office like this in the entire Song Dynasty." Feng Gu, clearly prepared, said, "The main hall at the front manages household registration, taxes, and people's livelihood; the hall on the left manages merchants and maritime trade; and the hall on the right is the office of the county magistrate, county lieutenant, registrar, and various secretaries." Zhu Heng reacted quickly this time, saying, "So, the main hall at the front manages commoners, the hall on the left manages wealthy people, and the hall on the right is the office of us officials." Feng Gu nodded in agreement, saying, "The main hall at the front manages commoners, the hall on the left manages wealthy people, and the hall on the right is the office of us officials." "That's about it!" Zhu Heng looked at the reflection on the windows and doors and asked, "What did Wang Hao put on the windows and doors that makes them so shiny?" Feng Gu said, "Does Magistrate Zhu still remember the auction at Fanlou?" Zhu Heng nodded and replied, "How could I forget such a sensational event?" Feng Gu said, "The day before the auction, the Li family placed several large glass urns filled with wine in the center of Fanlou. It's rumored that Wang Hao was very interested in those glass urns and even sent people to search for craftsmen in various places, secretly building workshops. The things on the windows and doors of the county government office now are probably glass from those workshops!"

Zhu Heng was filled with jealousy and said, "Such exquisite items, if they were to flow into Tokyo, would probably be a business that makes a fortune every day."