Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 263 Standing in the Snow at Zhang's Door
The first snowfall in Tokyo was fine and persistent, silently covering the city's eaves, brackets, and bluestone streets.

After Lu Beigu bid farewell to Song Xiang and left the Song residence, he felt the chill of the snowy night penetrating to his bones, and the white breath he exhaled could almost instantly condense into a fog.

He trudged through the thin layer of snow, following the address given by Song Xiang, and headed to Zhang Fangping's residence in the adjacent neighborhood.

As far as Lu Beigu was concerned, with Zhang Fangping taking office as the Minister of the Three Departments, he, as a junior who had once been favored by Zhang and recommended by him, should pay a visit to him as soon as possible, both out of courtesy and reason.

Zhang Fangping's mansion in the capital was not ostentatious, but it was strictly regulated and looked not much different from Song Xiang's mansion.

Clearly, this was also a residence bestowed by the emperor.

Two lanterns swayed in the wind and snow in front of the door, their dim yellow light barely illuminating the stone steps and the tightly closed door.

Lu Beigu stepped forward and knocked on the cold copper ring.

A moment later, the side door opened a crack, and a person peeked out, looking Lu Beigu up and down. His eyes were still a little sleepy, as if he had just been sleeping.

"Who...who has come to visit?" the gatekeeper asked, yawning.

"I am Lu Beigu, a native of Hejiang County, Luzhou, Zizhou Road. I am an old acquaintance of Master Zhang. I am currently on my way to the capital to take the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites. I heard today that Master Zhang has arrived in the capital, so I have come to pay my respects. Please inform him of my arrival."

Lu Beigu cupped his hands and said.

"You're well-informed."

The doorman muttered something, glanced at Lu Beigu again, and then said, "Wait a moment."

Then he closed the side door.

The wind and snow intensified, and Lu Beigu stood at the foot of the steps, snowflakes covering his shoulders.

His visit tonight is a matter of courtesy and to maintain a semblance of kinship. He doesn't expect any immediate promotion, but he must maintain the proper appearance.

As for the doorman's attitude, although Lu Beigu was not very comfortable, he could understand that he did not expect a doorman to give a good look to a young man of ordinary background who seemed to be there to make connections, especially when it was quiet and the other party was probably dozing off in his chair.

After a long while, the side door opened again, and this time the doorman's expression was a little better.

"Come in, Master Zhang invites you in."

He led Lu Beigu through the gatehouse, around the screen wall, and into the mansion.

Inside the mansion, a steward took over the task of guiding people, while the gatekeeper went back to doze off.

Zhang Fangping's residence in Beijing was not luxurious, but it had a spacious layout, with courtyards scattered throughout, and lanterns hanging under the corridors emitting a soft light.

The steward led him through several courtyards until they arrived at a brightly lit hall.

The voices of two men talking could be heard from inside the hall. One of them had a calm and experienced voice, which belonged to Zhang Fangping. The other voice had a slight northwestern accent, which belonged to Fan Xiang!

Lu Beigu paused slightly, his mind racing.

—Was Fan Xiang also there?

Moreover, judging from their posture, the two seem to be discussing important matters. Is it appropriate for him to go in at this moment?
The steward who was leading the way stopped outside the door and bowed through the door, saying, "Sir, Scholar Lu has arrived."

The conversation in the hall abruptly stopped.

"Please come in quickly!" It was Fan Xiang who spoke.

This kind of overstepping of boundaries is very impolite, but considering the close friendship between Zhang Fangping and Fan Xiang, it doesn't seem surprising.

Lu Beigu stepped into the hall.

The charcoal fire in the hall was burning brightly, instantly dispelling the chill.

Zhang Fangping, dressed in casual clothes, sat in a large chair, looking somewhat tired. Beside him, Fan Xiang, also dressed in casual clothes, sat upright like a pine tree. Several documents were scattered on the rosewood tea table between them, indicating that they had just been discussing their contents.

"Student Lu Beigu pays respects to Minister Zhang and Minister Fan!"

"No need to be polite."

Zhang Fangping raised his hand in a gesture of support, looked at Lu Beigu, and frowned slightly at the thick layer of snow that had accumulated on his shoulders from waiting for so long. He was clearly very dissatisfied with the gatekeeper.

However, he did not directly say anything like "poor hospitality," but simply said, "You have become more composed and mature since I last saw you after several months."

"Having heard that Lord Zhang and Lord Fan have arrived in the capital to assume their new posts, I have come to pay my respects and congratulate Lord Zhang on his reinstatement as Minister of the Three Departments and Lord Fan on his new post as Vice Minister of Salt and Iron!"

The Three Offices consisted of the Salt and Iron Office, the Finance Office, and the Household Office.

Besides overseeing the overall work of the Three Offices and receiving reports from some independent departments, the other work is mainly handled by the three deputy envoys.

The Deputy Salt and Iron Commissioner in charge of the Salt and Iron Bureau was responsible for commercial taxes, monopolized commodities such as salt, iron, and tea, river canals, and the manufacture of military equipment; the Deputy Finance Commissioner in charge of the Finance Bureau was responsible for fiscal revenue and expenditure, canal transport, and grain reserves; and the Deputy Finance Commissioner in charge of the Household Department was responsible for household registration, taxes, wine monopoly, and tribute.

The "Three Offices" was a department that had never existed in the entire feudal era before the Song Dynasty.

Never before had any dynasty placed all financial power in the hands of the central government, nor had it ever created such a super department that coordinated national finances and related affairs.

In reality, the current three departments, including both officials and clerks, with and without official positions, number over a thousand people, and their office space is the largest of all government offices.

The profits from this, even a tiny bit, could feed a person for several lifetimes.

It can be said that Zhang Fangping and Fan Xiang today are not the same as they were a few months ago. Their positions not only carry extremely high power, but also have extremely high prestige.

"Hehe, you're quite well-informed."

Fan Xiang laughed: "Sit down, where did you just come from?"

"I was just taught by Prime Minister Song, and it was thanks to Prime Minister Song's guidance that I learned that Lord Zhang's residence is here."

Lu Beigu stood aside and then briefly recounted how he had met Song Qi in Jiangling Prefecture and how Song Qi had recommended him to Song Xiang.

"See, I told you so."

Hearing this, Zhang Fangping was not surprised. He looked at Fan Xiang and smiled, "Song Qi talked to me about this during the handover. I guessed that was the case."

Fan Xiang nodded and said, "It is your good fortune to receive guidance from Prime Minister Song. It seems that you have not wasted these past few months in the capital."

"Time is of the essence, and I dare not slack off," Lu Beigu replied. "I just feel that the classics are vast and the strategies are profound, and I still need to work hard day and night."

"Hey, you've come at the right time. We were just trying to sort out this mess."

Zhang Fangping looked at Lu Beigu and then changed the subject.

"I could tell last time that you have ideas. Come on, give me your advice."

After saying that, he handed Lu Beigu several documents and files scattered on the coffee table.

Lu Beigu took it, and one of the documents laid out was "On the Bianhe River Transport", with other documents marked "Convenient for Hebei to Buy Salt", "Compilation of the Salt Administration Order", and "New Regulations for Salt Supervision in Yujing".

"This"

Lu Beigu hesitated for a moment. These were clearly Zhang Fangping and Fan Xiang's plans for the upcoming fiscal reforms.

Zhang Fangping laughed loudly and said, "Don't tell me you 'dare not speak presumptuously'! Just look at it now!"

(End of this chapter)